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sdl — Invitingly Delicious
Published: 2011-08-15 08:10:32 +0000 UTC; Views: 8117; Favourites: 285; Downloads: 79
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Description
Before you ask - yes, there is a man's face reflected in the cherry. That's my ugly mug you're looking at.
This was my entry to the August lineart coloring contest [link]
And it won! [link]
Line art by the incomparable Ploopie
[link]
Flats by sunrisetillsunset [link] were extremely helpful
Wall Clock stock by ~objekt-stock: [link]
Necklace light beams brush by Obsidian Dawn: [link]
All other textures mine (and special thanks to a special friend who showed me tricks on how to make semi-realistic ice cream textures).
A special thank you to BlairSanne for her invaluable suggestions on how to improve this (and now also Gracey Anne Iseki and several others to whom I am extremely grateful)
This has challenged and taught me more, and on more levels, than anything I've played with in a very long time. I wanted everything to appear deliciously enticing, including our pixie. So for me, her boots and clothing couldn't be just leather and/or cloth. I wanted an almost edible, or latex-ish, appearance for her entire outfit, all in the colors of sweets - dark chocolate for the boots, regular chocolate for the leggings, and rich, chewy, glowing caramel for her top.
Warm Above, Cool Below - For a temperature contrast, I stayed deliberately with warmer colors, primarily red, brown and gold tones, pretty much throughout the upper part, with the ice cream and the blue dish and the floor carrying all the cold below.
Our pixie's face had to be beautiful enough to haunt me (and it does now). Eyes, otherworldly. Gray-blue and piercing, like metallic water, including the whites. For pupils, starburst shapes. I changed the shape of the eyes and mouth ever-so-slightly (but still within the lines) - just enough to give some additional personality and character.
If you'd like to see how I did the basic strawberry, I've uploaded a Photoshop file with all the basic layers I used to get myself started on the one on the right (it's all about the seeds, man).[link] Have fun!
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Comments: 296
You're right about the angle of the background - didn't see that, thank you.
For my art, every day is a bad hair day. I'm a total novice at hair, experimenting, trying different techniques, trying very hard to learn. The shine is actually something I already toned way down, based on another comment, and the glow does bother me. I have yet to fix that but I will.
There are two light light sources imagined for this image, but you're right, the light source reflections are all over the map, not just for the spoon. Another thing I've done a lot of guessing at, and must learn more about.
As for the old wood with the varnished look, I have an old table that is just like that. It's an antique that has been through hell, and the "varnished" look is actually a natural patina sheen from where it's been smoothed from so much touching, usage, and buildup of different polishes and waxes used over the years. The grain is somewhat rough, so only the high points get polished.
Thank you very much for taking the time to make this critique. I do take it very seriously, and it does help!
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It just takes lots of practice 
Light sources can be very tricky but you do a pretty good job of it as well, I can maybe suggest studying how light bends over different materials in everyday life, It's been what I've been doing to learn.
You're welcome I'm always happy to try to help
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Real lief = another way of splelling(sp?) real life.
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Like I said to another deviant, if you could see me in real lief you'd laugh. I run into the kitchen, grab a shiny thing, hold it up to the light, set it next to other things...and then run into my computer and get it all wrong! Rinse and repeat.
Yeah, it will take time, but I'm bashing away at it, and thanks again!
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xD I study it as I do things normally. Like.. cooking or drawing eating..
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Now i have to say i love this! but as a critique lets see what i can do!
First i must say that the way you have used the texture within the background and wood is wonderful! The girl herself blends well with the sauce that drips from the ice scream it looks like she has been made into the ice cream! Also the texture in the ice cream itself with The sticks in the background is nice but... i feel that the texture in the fruit is somewhat lacking it does not feel that it is as textured as it should be, such as strawberry's. they are a little more rough and there leaves should have a slight fur on them, the texture to the blueberrys seems to make them blend into the background. It seems that you have used a filter maybe? I think that it does not work in some area's as it all seems to blend such as the sticks and the background wall
I have to say that my favorite parts are the girl herself, with the cherry, sauce and glass bowl with that clock as i feel that you have taken your time with them. I am not sure what that thing behind her is, maybe a pie or something? (behind her head) I think the side texture does not match the topping, i think that it could be blended better, the texture of the crust should appear more brittle i think? Not sure on that one
Overall this is a fantastic image! Makes me hungry looking at it
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Thank you for your in depth, thoughtful and constructive critique!
First, the strawberries. Wow, they are difficult for me to paint, but I'm studying them, and I'm learning. Blueberries are easy to texture and color, but strawberries have some very complex rules, because the seeds are sitting in the middle of "pores". Haven't got it down pat yet, but I'm trying! I liked your thoughts on the leaves - I hadn't spent a lot of time on them, but I did start to roughen, shade a little better, and blend the edges in more with the background.
The 'filter', as you called it, was my attempt to create reflections of the fruit in the polished wood. It was a little too bright, and ended up looking like poorly drawn fruit. Hopefully that's a little better now, and I will continue to work on that, thank you.
The part behind the girl is just a biscuit. I went out on a limb and changed it from the traditional dry cookie to something a little more colorful and flavorful, by adding salt crystals (or sugar, if someone prefers to see it that way) and a jellied fruit filling. I don't think I put enough brown flecks into the texture I created for the side, so it ended up looking more like soft cake than brittle cookie. I'll work on that for sure! Same with the top layer, and how it transitions into the side.
Overall, a fantastic critique, with good direction, so thank you again for taking the time!
Steven
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This piece is so nice! I know you didn't make the line art e.deviantart.net/emoticons/w/w… " width="15" height="15" alt="
So I will only critique the colouring.
To start with the the girl. She looks really nice, and you almost made her a piece of the ice cream. You could do much with this, and I guess you have chosen the right one, to make her a part of it. You could choose for bright other colours, so she wasn't a part.
The icecream looks amazing. The chocolate looks just really like real chocolate, it just looks delicious. The icecream looks also very realistic. Also looks very eatable xD The whole colouring is just perfect. The spoon, the reflection is so good!
I can't really say bad things about this. You just coloured it so nice! Yup it is really good. The reflection of the food is also good. Strawberry's dont shine that much as the chocolate. You really thinked good about this one!
So the conclusion. It is just very good coloured! Every shading is good and the lightning is also so good! Just perfectly coloured!
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Sav, thank you so much for taking the time to do a critique on this. Do you know how awkward it is to click "Yeah, this is fair..." after such a glowing review! And you nailed it, by the way - I did want her to be part of the ice cream, rather than apart from it, and let her more or less blend in, as if she was an edible part. Anyway, thank you so much.
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oh looks so yummy enough for me to want to eat your sweets but i wont eat her lovely picture she looks great also
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My eyes broke on this, I literally could not stop gaping until i had swallowed the whole icecream!!
Incredible!
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Oh my Lord this is gorgeous! I love the textures and the lighting face in cherry...nice! I find I always struggle with lighting...it's usually trial and lots of error with me >.<
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Cheers, and join the club! (or welcome me to it) - because almost everything I did here was based on LOTS of trial and error. I knew what I wanted to see, but wasn't all the way sure how to get there almost every step of the way.
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now this is sweeeeet!!the face in the cherry....clever!!!
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Gorgeous coloring! I love the way the textures compliment the shading!
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Thank you, Alicia! The textures and shading in this were very challenging for me, but also the most fun I've had on something like this in a long time.
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I am jealous of your coloring....its amazing! The shading, lighting, its all good!
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Thank you! Hey, take heart - if it makes you feel any better, I had to learn how to do most of the textures in this image from scratch. I literally poured chocolate syrup over ice cream, and stared at it for a long time, to see how light and colors interact. Strawberries, blueberries, the hair on the girl, her outfit, you name it - almost everything in the image was a first for me, and a big learning experience. You can do the exact same thing - just approach everything separately, and learn from and imitate only the best examples you can find.
And thank you again!
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Wow,you did a fantastic job on this. Love the syrupy transparency and colours.
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Very nice
I especially like her face and the hair
Great coloration
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This looks so amazing. And I have to say, adding your own reflection into a piece is amazing^^
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Nice, the coloring work on the lineart is great, the table and the spoon are kindda out of perpective, but still it's a very nice work.
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Ah, you got me - both the spoon and table perspectives have been bothering me, and I haven't had time to fix either of them! Cheers for the response!
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I've never won a contest like this before, thank you very much!
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The detailing in this picture it amazing! All that ice cream sauce looks so real I feel like eating it now! Love how you've painted the reflective elements and that cherry is awesome. I can even see a reflection in it. lol. Looks like a reflection of a man?
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Yeah, a cherry probably wouldn't have enough surface smoothness to reflect like that, but I couldn't resist having some fun with it. It's me in the reflection. 
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hahaa..Yeah I guessed right then! I voted for yours in both too. 
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Thanks! The lineart was by , but I had a lot of fun painting her.
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Oh... Well it is nicely painted. XD
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