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CuriousCucumber — Cisko Blumes in the deep
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#digitalart #mermen #secretsanta #curiouscucumberart #iressart #mersantaexchange
Published: 2019-01-02 22:29:55 +0000 UTC; Views: 1061; Favourites: 75; Downloads: 0
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Description
I took part in a secret santa event inAnd , you were my lucky victim!
Sorry for the long wait, hopefully you've had a wonderful holidays and even better new year!
Enjoy some shiny orbs and fancy bubbles!
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Comments: 29
Hello from ProjectComment!
This piece has immediately caught my eye because of the clearly readable shapes and color and value hierarchy.
I like the composition, because you have arranged an asymmetric figure around a symmetric centrally located light source. The face is balanced by the heavy hand. The tentacles make the figure 3D rather than 2D.
The merman squid-inspired anatomy is stylized and yet very convincing, I like his symmetric hand (and I am curious what the inspiration was for it). The figure is well-divided into simplified shapes, and it works well with cell shading with complex gradients. The only problem I see is the bottom of his ribcage: the very bottom is too pronounced partly because of the light from the orb, partly because the skin fold under it is black, solid and has a shadow
underneath. Another suggestion I have concerns the tentacles. You did draw the suckers to show different surfaces of the tentacles, but they look more like a design than real things. To emphasize dorsal vs ventral surfaces of the tentacles, I suggest making them more triangular rather than circular in cross-section. It would fit well with your shading style.
Air bubbles are a nice addition to the picture. However, the blurry ones in the foreground bother me a bit. I like that you focus on the face plane and everything closer to the viewer is blurred, but the blur looks too ‘artificial’. I have no idea how to solve this problem. Maybe making them more transparent with slightly softer edges might be good, or not (I know nothing about digital art, so ignore 
I want to compliment specifically the color scheme: the colors are very bright, but the gamut is well-mapped and therefor the piece looks very cohesive. I also like the patterns on his chest and arm, they look very aquatic.
It has been a great pleasure to view this piece and comment on it. I am sure that DuxNuclear was delighted get such a gift.
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Thank you for your lovely comment
I can't take much credit for the awesome character design for this was a gift - but this dude was tons of fun to work with!
I was going for a little bit of an experiment for simpler shading than what I usually use and happy to hear it paid off.
I was hesitant about the bubbles too - I wanted to add them to emphasize the space and water element and there were actually a lot more of them in the beginning
I suppose they could be a little more transparent...
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Hello, I’m commenting for ProjectComment !
What a wonderfully painted scene! I think the light and darkness are in perfect balance in this, thus creating a rather realistic view of deep underwater light. To me it looks like highlights are where they need to be, and shadows are in good contrast. The color choices compliment the underwater environment, deep red skin was a fascinating, and fitting, choice.
Additionally, the anatomy looks very successful, especially his upper torso. The shading on his right hand looks so realistic! Your imagination of octopus-humanoid character is on point, the tentacles flow very naturally from the torso. Overall, I think if this kind of creature existed, this would be what its anatomy would look like! Also, great work on the hair! It looks so flowy and detailed.
One could argue, that his face isn’t 100% accurate, though. Profiles are always hard to nail down, and I think in this case the face part (discount the hair) might be a bit long compared to its width. Personally, I would maybe move the eye a bit to the left and push the angle of the nose in front of the eye deeper. Also, I think if this creature has ears, it would be natural for the earlobe to peek out from under the hair. In humans, earlobe is approximately at the same level as the nostrils. But I love the expression, and his glowing eye!
As I said before, the tentacles glow very naturally, and I like the texture. However, depending on how realistic you want them to look compared to a real octopus, I think the suckers (I think they’re called?) should be more prominent, and 3D. When you look at a picture of an octopus, you can clearly see these suckers popping out of the skin of the tentacle.
Overall, fantastic job! Keep it up ^^
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Thank you for your lovely comment!
I can't take much credit for the design though, since this dude isn't mine 
As for the longer face - partly it was due to the reference image and partly because I wanted him to look more alienish (you know, flatter features ... or Voldemortish!) than human (at first I wasn't even going to give him a nose but did in the end)
no clue though if he has ears.... hmmm
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Ah I see, you still did amazing job with the design ^^
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It was super simple but very efficient one layer style
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Hi! I'm from
I just gotta say that I saw this and I had to double back because This. Is. Beautiful! The use of color and the luminosity and the fact that it visibly looks like it's in water is phenomenal! I love the reds and the blues and, again, the luster that bubble gives in the center is just the right amount of POP! (Ha. Pop. It's a bubble.) I do want to say that I want to know more about this character, and the inspiration behind it. They look like a human, lobster, octopus hybrid that lives in the Twilight Zone and it intrigues me. I think one critique that I have, which is nit picky, is that I feel like the face should be illuminated more. To me it looks like the eyes are glowing as well? So, to me that makes me think that, since the eyes are also a light source, that the two light sources should clash on the face or something. Again, nit picky. But I love this it's absolutely beautiful. I envy your lighting and coloring skills.
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Thank you for your lovely comment >u< feedback much appreciated! Underwater pics are challenging but fun
I tried to make the eyes look more shiny and lighted but it somehow ended up looking creepy, hence I kept them as it is...though you are right about the face, it could use some more highlights.
He was a fun character to work with
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Hey, hello! I am from
So, overall I like this mysterious piece. The title and overall atmosphere of the piece just gave that impression away. Also, your color schemes are really well picked! It is hard usually to make reds and blues accompany each other, but I think you did a good job here. The slight green touch on the (I am assuming are the tentacles) are really well thought for, but I think some of that effect was lost because of your oversimplification of texture. When you are not going for a cartoon style look (here you are, so it beats my advice), try to keep an eye out for that. Lots of references do help and do not be afraid to use them! That said, the red is a little bit saturated here on the overall part of the torso, which kind of to me seems a bit harsh on the eye. Try desaturating it when working with shadows? Implement it with some other colors that naturally desaturate this. Overall, I hope this helpes. I am not trying to be mean or anything so sorry if these words seem a little bit too harsh!
You've got a good idea here!
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Could you clarify your comment on oversimplifying the texture please? Do you mean the patterns on his arms and torso - or the round things on the tentacles (that are suckers and not an actual texture)?
I was going for a simpler approach here than I usually do and focused on the light the most. The red might a bit bright, but considering there is a powerful light source I think it makes sense that some color is visible.
I also didn't want the whole image appear only in shades of blue but to have something complementary to stand out - especially when his base color is bluish green that was to blend in the background quite efficiently.
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Sorry if I made this all confusing!
I have meant about the tentacles= mainly because you drew them just replicated lines that do not really give the idea that those are tentacles. Maybe if they were not so pointy and even in all areas? Tentacles do tend to twist so maybe if you had that shown it would have been even better
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But they were pointy in the reference pic ^^
oh well, can't say I'm a master in octopus anatomy anyways, this was a good first try!
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Use several references, it always helps! But in the end what you want to draw and how you draw it is always what matters ♡
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Thank you >u< the mersanta was a great idea!
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I'm happy you enjoyed it!!
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Thanks
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-Shrieks- I love it!!!! Thank you so much for this! You made Cisko look absolutely fabulous!
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I'm happy that you like it
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looks super cool!!
but it's hard to tell which finger is the thumb and which is the pinky X3
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He had pretty long fingers in the ref pic
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