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Description
Traditional line drawing (9" x 12") colored in PS CS2. Total work time: 12 hours. No references.

This represents the epitome of my digital skills at the moment, even though I can see where and even how I might take this one further than it is. Only a bit further, however. Technically, as several good viewers have pointed out, this is just a glorified "coloring book" image. My answer to such a comment is: "At least I'm comfortable doing that much, which is a start."

Edit (June 11, 2007): I've done this using channels, not layers. It keeps the file size small, which keeps my computer from crashing so often. I haven't figured out a way to use lots of layers without the process becoming very bulky. I'd certainly welcome tutorials on such a thing at this point.

On the other "Amazon Slaves" themed pieces I've put up, viewers have commented on "three things" that I have tried to address with this one. "A," the title. Julie and Tana here are not Amazons (warrior maidens), but are, in fact, university undergrad students involved in a field-trip catastrophe in the upper Amazon Basin, Brazil. To reflect this, I have changed the title from "Amazon Slaves" to "Slaves on the Amazon," but to be honest, neither title sounds really good. So, I'm open to suggestions for a series title, if you viewers have any. "2," There is no shading. I've toyed with two ways of dealing with that issue, but haven't found my own niche as of yet, so I'll keep messing around with it until I do. Any suggestions you have will be appreciated, but it will pay to be fairly technically thorough in describing steps, as I still feel like Photoshop is such a foreign country to me that it might as well be the surface of Mars... "And 'D,'" There is no real texture. I am struggling with the idea of keeping it a digital drawing, rather than diving into a painting, which is what my natural inclination says to do. I'm trying to avoid going with my "tried and true" methods and forging out into new territory, so whenever I start some technique for texture that feels like what I've already done in oil painting, I stop short and back off. Again, any suggestions and tutorials you can link me to at this point will be helpful.

Finally, this is to be my real entry into the monstersandmaidens club's May-June contest: "Jungle Jeopardy," in which case "Annie the Anaconda" will fulfill the role of "monster." Hopefully I'll have this polished up, shaded, and texturized better than it is right now by the time the voting starts...

And, while I was numbering my points two paragraphs ago, I couldn't help but slip into a rather humorous movie quote--an "A+" grade goes to whomever can guess the title of the movie I was quoting with the bold stuff.

Enjoy!

Description
Traditional line drawing (9" x 12") colored in PS CS2. Total work time: 12 hours. No references.

This represents the epitome of my digital skills at the moment, even though I can see where and even how I might take this one further than it is. Only a bit further, however. Technically, as several good viewers have pointed out, this is just a glorified "coloring book" image. My answer to such a comment is: "At least I'm comfortable doing that much, which is a start."

Edit (June 11, 2007): I've done this using channels, not layers. It keeps the file size small, which keeps my computer from crashing so often. I haven't figured out a way to use lots of layers without the process becoming very bulky. I'd certainly welcome tutorials on such a thing at this point.

On the other "Amazon Slaves" themed pieces I've put up, viewers have commented on "three things" that I have tried to address with this one. "A," the title. Julie and Tana here are not Amazons (warrior maidens), but are, in fact, university undergrad students involved in a field-trip catastrophe in the upper Amazon Basin, Brazil. To reflect this, I have changed the title from "Amazon Slaves" to "Slaves on the Amazon," but to be honest, neither title sounds really good. So, I'm open to suggestions for a series title, if you viewers have any. "2," There is no shading. I've toyed with two ways of dealing with that issue, but haven't found my own niche as of yet, so I'll keep messing around with it until I do. Any suggestions you have will be appreciated, but it will pay to be fairly technically thorough in describing steps, as I still feel like Photoshop is such a foreign country to me that it might as well be the surface of Mars... "And 'D,'" There is no real texture. I am struggling with the idea of keeping it a digital drawing, rather than diving into a painting, which is what my natural inclination says to do. I'm trying to avoid going with my "tried and true" methods and forging out into new territory, so whenever I start some technique for texture that feels like what I've already done in oil painting, I stop short and back off. Again, any suggestions and tutorials you can link me to at this point will be helpful.

Finally, this is to be my real entry into the monstersandmaidens club's May-June contest: "Jungle Jeopardy," in which case "Annie the Anaconda" will fulfill the role of "monster." Hopefully I'll have this polished up, shaded, and texturized better than it is right now by the time the voting starts...

And, while I was numbering my points two paragraphs ago, I couldn't help but slip into a rather humorous movie quote--an "A+" grade goes to whomever can guess the title of the movie I was quoting with the bold stuff.

Enjoy!