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Anael08 — An Angel's First Winter
Published: 2008-11-15 02:44:11 +0000 UTC; Views: 1932; Favourites: 68; Downloads: 11
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Description
A tainted angel falls to earth during winter time and experiences the season's first snow. The wings are smaller and no longer white due to the demotion in status. The once golden hair is now black, the color of the dead. Stripped bare of all celestial apparel, the angel is left with only a red piece of fabric to symbolize the mark of a sinner. Expelled from heaven and cast down to earth, the outcast huddles from the chill of the winter wind while gazing listlessly at the tiny snowflakes falling to the ground. Should one feel hope from such beauty, or succumb to despair from defeat?------
Originally, this was supposed to be an image of a girl trapped as a prisoner in a dark room, but then my old habits got the better of me and she ended up getting wings and such. I'm kind of happy with how it turned out though ^_^
The lineart took me 1 1/2 hours to draw in Photoshop CS2, and then the coloring took another 5-6 hours or so. I made the feather brushes myself, 'cause it was kind of tiring trying to draw each individual feather ^_^; (Plus, I love saving time on some of the smaller things... Maybe I should say that I'm lazy =_=;;; Hehe)
Anyway, hope you all like~ ^_^
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Comments: 31
wow! amazing shades *___* wish I could do such a beautiful pics...
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Very pretty!
And yes, I want to sympathize with you on account of the feathers. Those things are a pain to draw, and not to mention the little individual strokes X_X
Great job
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Thank you (*^_^*)!
And yes! Feathers and leaves have always been such a pain for me =_=; They're more work than people think at times ^__^;;; I'm so happy I'm not the only one who thinks so ^__^!
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XD
Do you ever find hair a little annoying? Colouring it for me is a drag, and seeing as you shade your hair elaborately, I get the feeling that it's kind of a drag too
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Hair can definitely be a drag. Sometimes it's easy to do, and then sometimes it is a pain. Depending on the style and way I have the person's body & head drawn, hair can either be fun or several hours of agony.
Shading's not too bad after you get the hang of it. It can be quite fun. I think the sketch part is hardest sometimes, like trying to figure out how I want it to look and all. Then I use another layer on top for coloring, and then maybe 2-3 more for shading and highlighting (if the color I picked doesn't allow me to do it all on one layer). Keeping track of which layer has which function is a pain sometimes though lol ^_^;
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XD Sometimes I forget which layer I'm on. I sometimes colour on the lineart layer, which screws up the rest of the picture, and then I bash my head into a wall trying to start over XD
Usually a good picture takes roughly 18 hours on photoshop. I agree with the sketch being the good part, but sometimes it's also the idea that's frustrating.
Clothing folds are pretty painful, too, though they're addictive to shade ^o^ I'm a little cheater, using the burn and dodge and smudge tools, but yeah...
I'm sorry for spamming your art comment with my useless ramblings XD
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Oh no, it's not useless ^__^ It's fun to be able to discuss the laborious -- yet rewarding process of creating a good art piece.
I tend to forget which layer I'm on too at times. Like, I go back several actions in the history box so I can change something, then I end up on a different layer 'cause I had it selected at the time I was doing something on it. Then I either color or erase or smudge something wrong =_=; (Yes, I'm actually a big fan of the smudge tool~) I don't use much of the dodge and burn tools, but I use smudge pretty often.
And ideas really can be frustrating. I sometimes go into drawing something with a concept in mind and then I end up changing it as I draw 'cause something else either popped into my brain, or I just don't want to spend too much time working on something that's not coming out right ^_^; I have a couple WIP that I gave up on 'cause it's too time-consuming ^_^;
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Firstly, could you explain WIP to me? ._. I see the term frequently but I have basically less of a clue than Mr. Bean about what it is.
Secondly, another pet peeve: Erasing holes in the paper. I know that's a really kiddish habit and can be completely avoided at times, but either my paper is abused or my eraser has an aggressive complex. And the worst part is when you've done so many things that the history just doesn't go back far enough. >.>
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No problem~ WIP = work in progress ^_^ (Yeah, it's like me seeing the word "pwn" frequently and not knowing what it meant until I got my brother to explain it to me ^_^)
When I draw sketches by hand, I use "Mono" brand erasers or the Pentel white erasers. If they don't sell Mono in your area, the pentel ones work really well. They don't tear up paper unless you've erased one spot over and over again (or erase too hard on a spot that's received repeated erasing). The gum erasers and the pink ones that you can find in art supply shops or retail stores really don't do it for me. It has to be white eraser otherwise paper may tear. (Before tearing, I usually end up crinkling paper from erasing 'cause I lose my grip on the paper =_=; Nothing irritates me more than that 'cause that happens more frequently than tearing).
For digital painting/drawing, I tend to save two of the same layers that have a lot of work on them in case I do over-erase and can't get back to the way it was. After I get to a good point in my work, I end up saving a new file (i.e. File1.psd and now File2.psd) and then getting rid of extra layers (that I otherwise keep invincible the entire time) in the new file. So by the time I'm done with an image, I may end up having 5+ psd files ^_^;;; (I have a bad habit of not recycling the first several versions too so it hogs up a lot of space on my hard drive at times ^_^; ...)
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I got the wrong type of sketchbook: it's got looser paper filaments because it's supposed to be a paint medium book... so I had to suffer with the knowledge of bad inking AND bad sketching until I'm done with it. At least the watercolours are okay, though
I really find that not having a tablet sucks. It's a lot easier with pressure sensitivity than constantly adjusting the opacity and such >.>
I've crowded so much of my hard drive I've actually got a seperate one just for art. XD Backing up files seems to work wonderfully when it comes to online storage, or usb sticks, or the like. My computer was wiped clean of art once, and I learned my lesson of back-up importance T_T
And 5 pdf files?! That's crazy and funny! The really problematic thing about photoshop is the amount of memory it uses. Opening that many at once usually... burns my computer to a crisp. So I envy your ability to keep that many
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Ah yes, the paper meant for watercolors and such does tend to rip fairly easily compared to other sketchbook types ^_^; (I've had the same experience with one of my sketchbooks 'cause I bought the wrong type once -- it was on sale =_=;;; I'm a spendthrift).
I can definitely empathize with the "lack of having a tablet" feeling =_=. Before I got my tablet, it was hard to paint using only the mouse with Photoshop -- my tendonitis got kind of bad during that period ^_^;;; But I'm glad I managed to get one after saving up for it. (Tablets are expensive T__T)
Photoshop does tend to use a lot of memory, so I have to remember to close any other files I have open in order to keep it running longer. I usually keep one smaller one to make brushes (if I need it for that particular image), and one that I throw color blobs on like a palette 'cause I have way too many colors on my swatches right now so it's too hard to keep track of what I'm using.
Right now, even with a tablet, I tend to play around with the opacity and fill modes 'cause then I don't have to change the color I'm working with too often ^_^. I tend to favor using "multiply" mode so the color can change that way too without me selecting a different swatch every time ^_^.
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I am a fan of the overlay mode and multiply. Softlight's in there, too. XD
Generally I'm a dunce so I forget to close the things when going to use Photoshop. I pop open the good ol' DS and play my games until it loads or something. The text tool takes forever to open so I give up and sometimes write by mouse
I find that it's easier colouring the picture at the largest scanned size possible so that finer details aren't missed. Usually it takes forever to load but the outcome is gorgeous, so it's well worth the time wasted
You have tendonitis? D: I hope it doesn't hurt as much as I'm over-imagining it. It's unfair, especially for artists, to get pains like that ._.
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I used to play piano, clarinet, and type up lots of papers back in senior high so both my wrists developed tendonitis then, but after resting up during college, it's gotten a lot better. It'll hurt if I put too much strain on it, that's why I'm glad I got a tablet 'cause painting with a mouse really hurts after a while ^_^. I'm just happy that it hasn't developed into carpel tunnel, then that's something to be really bummed about ^_^;
And I agree, coloring a picture at a large resolution is always easiest ^_^. You can edit the smallest details possible and clean up unnecessary pixels, etc. Sometimes I forget how big one of those scans can be though ^_^;; There was one time when I accidentally opened a scan in the regular paint program that comes with the operating system, and I was like ... "It's all pixels... where's my image?" I had to scroll halfway in from top & left to find it lol ^_^;
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Haha! That's funny and sad but a good story to share 
I haven't gone through senior high or college yet but I hope I don't develope those symptoms ._. I play piano, too!
But ahem. Back to art!
I really like the Angel's expression. It's thoughtful but a little melancholy; just the right mix.
Oh! Did you know? If you're not afraid of needles, acupuncture is a good way to cure the pains and straining of muscles. It's not very tight on money, either, but y'know, if it ever gets a little hard to bear, always consider options ^o^
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If you remember to rest up your hands & wrists, and do simple hand exercises now and then, your wrists should stay in good working condition ^_^. I used to perform in several recitals, competitions, and exams each year so I would practice up a storm. I tend to write while using a lot of pressure too, so all of the strain wasn't too good for me. Just remember to keep your hands relaxed now and then -- especially since you play lots of instruments -- and things should be fine. (BTW I love Chinese instruments ^_^ The sound they produce is so nice. No idea how they're played, but they're beautiful).
I may try out acupuncture someday, but my wrists don't hurt really all that much anymore so I'll probably consider it someday if I get joint and muscle pains. My grandfather is a fan of acupuncture and he says that it helps him out a lot.
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-nods- I see!
I think I get too much rest at times XD I get the occasional eye strain and the occasional crick, but I'm hoping nothing bad will come from it.
I don't like what we have to sacrifice to make art ._. Seems like unusual cruelty. Radiation? Disease? Raccoon eyes?! What the world's come to, these days...
Wow I think I've over-spammed your art comment dialogue 
Ack, recitals and competitions scare me. Especially if it's a solo thing. I wouldn't mind performing as a group for a competition... but on my own is just brutal.
And acupuncture is really relieving, so yes, I can see how your grandpa is a fan of it
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Oh, I don't mind the comment spam; rather, I welcome it lol ^_^ You're fun to chat with you, so bring on the spamming ^_^
I like performing in a group too, because you have your companions and friends with you on the stage. It's a lot of fun to go traveling with all the members of the ensemble and perform together. Everyone becomes this big happy family ^_^. Ah, the good ol' days~ Makes me a bit nostalgic ^_^
Performing alone can be nerve-wracking, but after doing it a lot of times, it gets easier. To practice playing solo, there are times when I'd go up to the piano and play the recital piece(s) once as though I were in a real performance and then wait a while before trying it again. I also play in front of my friends, or use the school piano for change of environment. I used to also play in the shopping malls, dinner parties, and the local hospital here so I can get used to playing in front of people. Maybe try volunteering to play in front of people sometimes to get used to that feeling, and then playing solo in front of a silent crowd will get easier ^_^
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XD Playing music in front of a crowd is pretty different from public speaking. I'm alright with the second part but the first part is a little nervous.
I seem to prefer playing in a string quartet. My friend and I just started playing strings this year, so we're very excited whenever we get to play together. The one problem we constantly face is the need to get other two members because our current members don't seem very commited
Do you compose music?
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Nope, don't compose music at all. It's too time-consuming and I like playing more than writing ^_^
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XD I'm trying my hand at writing a theme for one of my OCs. I'm stuck, but that's okay. At least I got somewhere.
Hmm... you know, I think the courage to talk and perform in front of others is just like putting up art on Deviantart. You need to have the courage to toss your abilities to a harsh judging world, and such.
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Perhaps, but it could also be because one is proud of something they've worked hard on and want to share it with others. I think it's the same no matter what type of exhibit or performance one is giving.
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That's true. Wise words
Heey, I have a question. Who is it in your display picture? I can't seem to make out his features but it's a familiar face
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I forgot his name, but I used him as my icon the first time the manga came into serialization. He's a pirate captain from Hino Matsuri's "Wanted" manga.
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Aah! Okay
How long has this conversation dragged? XD I think we've gone past the 1 reply mark 8D
On a totally attention deficit side, I really want to make cosplay costumes ._. Need to get myself a sewing machine of some sort XD
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We should probably move this conversation to notes ^_^; This image now leads with the most comments lol.
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Oh! I'm sorry! XD
I'll send you a note then :3
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