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ObsidianSerpent — Merlin 8
Published: 2015-05-25 16:10:41 +0000 UTC; Views: 1142; Favourites: 38; Downloads: 9
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Description
Digital painting done using Artrage.Trying to get the hang of doing skin tones digitally
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Comments: 28
Beautiful work. I'm not familiar with digital painting at all, but your painting is lovely, and captures Merlin really well. It's interesting how the skin takes on an almost metallic feel. Is that something inherent in the medium of digital painting?
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No, the metallic, almost chocolate-box smoothness, is down to me not doing it right. I think one way of counteracting that metallic look is to use a brush with a splatter mode on it, so that you are getting rid of that perfect smoothness, and getting more of a skin feel. But having said that, when I've tried to do that, it really hasn't worked well at all. I really need to practise on it, maybe I could try a Living and the Dead painting on it and see what happens.
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I'll be watching for it. I'm excited to see some of the fan art that will no doubt start popping up due to that series. That said, I think you should not be so hard on yourself (except in that we improve through striving for excellence). I love the finish on this. It stylizes the portrait.
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Yes I'm looking forward to seeing what fan art comes out of it.
Yes, it's a fine line with being critical, you've got to be a bit critical in order to improve, but too much and you just get dispirited and give up. Thanks very much for your kind comments, you're very encouraging.
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Aww, thank you so much.
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Aww, cheers, hun.
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Thank you very much.
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Skin tones are harrrrrd work! Especially digitally. You did a great job though!! Man, I love how you do the eyes! Especially the details in the lids! You rocked it, Itz!
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Aww, thank you. It's a little bit...I dunno...chocolate box-y...though I'm not quite sure why...I'm not sure if it's the skin colours or what...
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I'm not sure what you mean by chocolate box-y, but it tends to throw me off how there's no canvas texture, like with your non-digital works.
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I'm in a bit of a mental quandary with the canvas textures...
If I use it from the start, and am using it to affect the way the digital paint works, then I can see that it's working in the same way as it would in real life. However in real life I usually try to smooth out the canvas texture as much as possible with an under-coat of paint and when the canvas shows through then it's just because it's part of the construction of the painting and not something I've aimed for. (I accept it as part of how the painting is made, but it's not a part of the creative process for me). So if I add it at the beginning of a digital painting then I'm going to be working against it through the whole painting.
But if I add the canvas texture at the end, after I've finished, then that kind of smacks of those pictures you see in shops where they've taken a Monet painting or something and then printed it on canvas texture paper to try to pretend it's "real".
(Perhaps it's my whole painting style that needs a kick up the behind. I keep finding myself edging towards photo-realism when the style of art that really rocks my boat is the Glasgow Boys.)
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Ah yes! I remember having a similar email conversation with you about two years ago, when I tried to see if it was possible to add a canvas texture to your digital portrait of Colin. It's tricky to walk that line for sure!!!
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Gosh, you've got a good memory, I don't remember that conversation at all. Well I suppose if nothing else I'm consistent then.
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LOL, no, it's just I remember trying to see if it would work, and I emailed you the result, so I just looked up my email history
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Ah, now you've spoiled the illusion there, for a moment I thought you were an amazing memory magician. 
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