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Fyrisvellir — Pspynett's Birthday
Published: 2011-01-04 02:05:53 +0000 UTC; Views: 1192; Favourites: 14; Downloads: 12
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Description
This is a late birthday present for ~Pspynett . It's her character, Pspynett, receiving birthday gifts from her magpie friends. I imagine they're probably giving her berries, or something.
Anyway, I'd welcome any critique! The lighting is awful, I know; I'm still trying to improve my understanding of light, and this is the first time I've attempted such strong sunlight, so be gentle.
It's also my first attempt at painting with grass and leaf brushes, so I hope the vegetation looks okay.
For the grass, I used *Katikut 's grass brushes.
For the bushes and trees, I used =charfade 's vegetation brushes.
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Comments: 29
Really nice, the amount of details is great. I think though that the fur blends a little too much with the background. You should consider the contrast on the fur, it's 100% white and I don't think that there is anything except the sun that is 100% white in the real world. Not naturally at least. Other than that, it's a fantastic blend of details and colours.
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Ah, I see what you mean about that. I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for the feedback, it's very much appreciated!
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Here is your critique as promised here: [link]
First Impression
First off, I belong to several groups so can on certain days get several hundred deviations flooding into my inbox begging for a viewing. So my criteria for selecting what to view (as I don't have time to see every deviation) is based on the thumbnail impressions. Does it grab my attention immediately?
And Pspynett's Birthday certainly did because it was evident from the start that this was a superior piece of work just based on the composition and the quality of workmanship that could be discerned from just the thumbnail alone.
I will not comment too much on the subject matter as that is purely subjective. But ... if a picture tells a story then my only quibble would be what the magpies have the bag. Your text gives some clue as to what this might be (berries) - but I had to read your explaination to get that information. There is no clue from the picture itself. This is not a major point, but something you may want to think through a little more next time around. The basic question is from your viewer's point-of-view. A good artist should not need to explain a picture's story - the picture itself should be able to answer them by itself (unless the artist is deliberately provoking the viewer to think on some deeper meaning).
Colors:
Colors are in harmony, nothing stands out uncomfortably. They suit the scene and sets the mood nicely.
Vegetation:
Your rendering of the grass and leafy vegetation is very well done. There's depth and variety; a richness in the details that makes the scene believable. Only minor quibble is that the bark on the dead tree trunk is too similar to that of the live tree behind it on the right side of the picture. If you wanted to take it further, there could have been some visual cues in there to reinforce that the dead trunk has been dead awhile (given its condition you are trying to suggest by the way it is drawn).
Texture:
Even without expanding the image I could see a lot of details that you put in to create different tactile qualities to the image. In the clothing, fur and other materials. Minor quibble is the magpie in the foreground. Looks a tad furry rather than feathery - or it had some issues with a hair dryer?
Lighting:
I've never been to fussed about picture lighting (and this comes from someone who did a lot of stage lighting) - the important question is not whether or not the lighting is technically correct but whether or not it works with the image. In this case it does. It helps to define the forms, frame elements and sets the mood "just right". With lighting - go with what your eyes/heart tells you looks right - you are fully entitled to do that as an artist. It is your version of "reality" that counts in the end.
Overall:
Nice, nice picture that is warm and touching. The amount of attention you have given to it does show and is very sensitive giving the picture an overall soft and "feel good" impression. Perfect for birthday present to a friend and superb as an image in its own right. Good job!
My 2 cents worth
Cheers!
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Wow. That's definitely the best and lengthiest critique I've ever received!
You've really thought it all through! Thanks for taking the time to really examine my art, and for providing me with such an in-depth analysis. I really appreciate it!
You raise some good points, and you've given me a lot to think about. Thanks so much for taking the time to give me your thoughts and advice!
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You are most welcome
When we went through art classes in high school, we had a very good art teacher (quite a famous artist in his own right) and this was how he taught us - he made us think and push ourselves harder. Ultimately, as he pointed out, although we ourselves can be our own hardest critic, Art itself is a shared experience. To emphasize this point, he actually actively promote graffiti - which we got to practice on (allocated) locations on the school's ground. Point to that exercise was that if you messed up ... hehe ... the whole school would be laughing at you for the rest of the school year. That taught us A LOT about "art"
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Heh, wow, I wish I'd had art classes like that in secondary school!
I suppose you're right about each of us being our own hardest critic, but I tend to assume other people are just being nice when they praise my work. I mean, I'm nowhere near as good as most of the artists out there, and I would eventually like to go into illustration. Still, your critique was extremely useful, so thanks!
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Sorry to reply on a comment not meant for me, but I just wanted to say that your critique was very well thought out and in depth, and I think you brought up many interesting points that the artist can take and expand upon. That's all.
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If you go to the CuteDesigns journal, you can get a piece of your artwork critiqued. That is, as long as you've submitted it to the group. It's totally worth it!
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That's awesome! I would try it, but...I'm too scared. xD;
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Why scared? You've seen the type of critique you get. It's not rude, it's constructive, and it's very detailed! :3
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Bah, that's cuz your stuff is awesome. :<
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My stuff's not that awesome. In fact, you're one of the artists I'm extremely jealous of. Dx
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BAH. Don't be jealous of me, silly person. You draw much more awesomely than I do.
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Then you're delusional.
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I am not delusional, you are.
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YAY. <3
This is gorgeous, I can't imagine how long it took you. At least you're using brushes now rather than doing everything by hand... But that log texture looks hand-done, you crazy thing. o___o So much of this is so awesome! The dappled light from the trees, the downy feathers on the magpie at the front, the foilage, Pspynett's wings and the iridescenty-ness... The log just looks so real, too. And really cute composition and idea. :3 They're probably bringing her a few things she doesn't want, too. x) And the lighting is really good! If I have to crit at all, I'd say the lighting is maybe a bit bright for the sky, but you could change that by lightening the sky. Actually, a good idea with paintings is to mess around with the levels and hue stuff a bit when you're done, you can often find mistakes or fix lighting problems really quickly. ^^
So gonna get a nice shiny print done of this. <3 Thanks a million, you're very awesome.
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Thanks!
I was originally going to put Pspynett in a snowy scene, what with your birthday being in December, but I figured something sunny and warm would be much nicer. It took a while, which is unfortunately why it's late. 
Anyhow, glad you like the idea! They could be bringing her some sticks, thinking she could build a nest, or maybe some small, dead birds. Or worms. 
I see what you mean about the sky. Thanks, I'll mess around with the hue and levels the next time I paint something like this. I'm gonna be getting some environment concept art for TYC done soon, so I'll keep that in mind.
You're very welcome!
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Looks beautiful!! Like, seriously awesome! The leaves and grass look pretty good, but I'm always a fan of the long and arduous task of drawing in every leaf and blade of grass, as you well know. xD Anyways, Pspynett looks awesome though her arms look a bit long for my tastes even though they seem proportionate to her body. The lines are a bit harsh around the edges, but that might stem from the hard lighting. Other than that, it looks amazing! 
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Thanks, Mookie!
Yeah, I think I would've gone nuts if I'd tried painting every individual leaf and blade of grass. 
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Haha, you've seen my art, though...I spend ages on the most minuscule detail noone will ever notice. xD I think that the arms might be just a bit thin..that might be the problem, though I sometimes draw my arms a bit too..chunky. 
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I'm well aware (and very jealous) of your devotion to detail, Mookie. If I tried that, though, I'd probably end up scratching my eyes out. xD
I think you're right about the arms, yeah. I'll bear that in mind for the next bright piece I work on. Thanks for the help!
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Haha, do not be jealous of my devotion to detail. If I do not include the level of detail in my final pieces, I would claw my own eyes out!!
Just remember, people have fleshy arms normally. Girls more than guys. *shrugs* Maybe at some point in the future I'll try uploading a sheet of helpful hints to assist people with anatomy.
If I can help, I'll try! XD I'm glad you found some of my advice helpful!
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Well, I suppose it always means you come out with some damn pretty stuff!
Hey, yeah, you should totally do that! Actually, would you ever consider making any anatomy tutorials? That would be invaluably helpful!
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I wanted to wait to be asked for any tutorials before trying to do one..:< So yeah! I'll give it a shot!
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