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LaReforma1857 [2020-01-09 18:51:24 +0000 UTC]

She looks so gorgeous! 

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StephOBrien [2018-09-28 20:02:04 +0000 UTC]

Hi, I'm here from  .

I like Akiko's color scheme, especially with the contrast of soft green and stark black. The zoomed-out version strikes me as being serene and proper, but also a bit melancholy, while the bigger version hints at a different side to her personality through the gleam of mischief in her eyes. She looks like she's trying to keep a straight face and placid smile, but some funny secret knowledge is attempting to leak through into her expression.

The thin lines of paler grey in her hair give it a nice texture, especially in the zoomed-out version. I'd recommend having more of them in the zoomed-in version, because having too large a patch of hair all the same color makes that part of the hairdo look like a single flat object rather than a collection of strands.

The light direction is obvious and consistent, and you did a great job of remembering to make objects and people cast shadows on each other, which is something many artists forget. The only spots where the shadows seem to be missing are in the hair decorations near the back of her head, and the green and pink flowers toward the back of her kimono.

The umbrella is nicely drawn; perspective work like that can be challenging, but you made it look natural and convincing. The one part that seems off is the shadows on the inside of it; Akiko's shadow is wispy and doesn't seem to be shaped like her, and I'm not sure why there are shadows at the base of the cone inside the umbrella, where it meets the part of the umbrella that flares out. (Guess who doesn't know her umbrella terminology?)

I'm a bit unsure about the white marks on Akiko's face. Your reference sheet mentions white makeup, but the arrow seems to be pointing at the back of her neck, so I'm not certain whether those marks are makeup or highlights. If they are highlights, I suggest making them cover more of her face and fade smoothly into the non-highlighted parts, instead of being hard-edged streaks.

Speaking of highlights, I recommend adding some to the black parts of the clothing as well. The band of color in the middle of her outfit makes it clear where the sleeve is, so there's no confusion about the placement of her various body parts, but it would still look more realistic if some light fell on her kimono instead of the black parts being immune to light.

The anatomy looks mostly good, except for two small issues:

1. The fingers look a bit short. Granted, they're at an angle, so there's some foreshortening happening, but they still seem a bit too short compared to the palm area of her hand. And unless it's a deliberate choice on her part to keep her fingers perfectly rigid, they'd have a bit of a curl to them in that position; fingers don't tend to stick straight out by default. Is there some cultural protocol demanding that her fingers be straight in this context?

2. The disconnect between her jaw and her ear. Jawlines go all the way up to the base of the ear, but hers vanishes shortly after the chin. This makes the side of her head look kind of flat and shapeless.

Other than that, her anatomy looks pretty accurate.

I hope you find this feedback helpful! Have a great weekend.

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