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Aradiliel [2007-01-30 17:30:21 +0000 UTC]

Ah! The piece I so longed to see! The shading on the piece is really nicely done! My suggestion, as others have said, would be to make his eyes a tad bit lower. Overall, I think you did a wonderful job!

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Sirielle [2007-01-30 13:26:21 +0000 UTC]

Uh, forgive me misspells, I checked them but a lot slipped inside anyway

And I was thinking of too strong shadows on his chick, not chin - like a very thin person.

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Sirielle [2007-01-30 13:20:48 +0000 UTC]

Forgive me it took me so long. Indeed scanner and compression ate a lot, you may try to submit less compressed piece next time.

I like the way you sculpted his face - though he looks like sculpted. ~Avagueidea noticed it, either. And a few good points, including soem I haven't seen before I red the comment. I still struggle with shading myself. But I disagree about the chin - this is Tolkien's elf, not a fairy tale narrow chinned pointy eared folk. You can give him such features if you like them, but that's not a definition of Eldar. They are not fairy folk, but tall beings who were supposed to be the ideal human. At least that's the way I see them and I can't stand the way they look in the movie. I love the movie, but treat is as a fairy tale, not Arda.
I don't see pointy eared Eldar, but it doesn't mean you have to do the same, that's not my point. Allk I want to say is - every one of us have got their own vision. We have no descriptions like in D&D, apart such as here [link] (I just collected a few quotations under image to have them, in easy rich ). So no - no face shape definition.
But of course I second strong chin on Feanor's sons, so I am partial here even if it's not anatomically 100% proper, I like it.
If I was painting D&D elf, I would give him pointy chin and ears, which in fact I did, that's still a WIP([link] ).

Coming back to your Maglor. He is sculpted. You might want to do it all in such style - then hair and details need change - or soften the shading transitions. As Avagueidea said hair needs some touch ups - they are too flat now. Ears is too big to hide under such flat hair, it would peak outside. But you might give him more 'fluffy' hair - reracher, taht's the way I see elves - and Tolkien himself:

All the Eldar had beautiful hair (and were especially attracted by hair of exceptional loveliness), but the Noldor were not specially remarkable in this respect, and there is no reference to Finwe as having had hair of exceptional length, abundance, or beauty beyond the measure of his people.

Shibboleth of Fëanor: The names of Finwe's descendants, HoME XII.

It would spare you nthe problem with ear, too, you woudl have to mark where it is with shading.
You can do changes in PC, if it's risky on paper. Changing hair in whole is quite tough on paper... Test what would look better and maybe then try to fix it. I never work in pencils, so I would afraid to spoil things while fixing... Especially given the way I usually fix over and over again my works. It would leave holes if the canvas was real, not digital

A lot depends on the moment of his life you portray him. When I look at him it is tired man, so I would guess it's Maglor after the War of Wrath or at least weary elf in some less fruity moment in his life. He looks like there was not enough food - the shadows are deep on his chin. BTW, I love the way you put the lights on the farther chin's border!

Now I'll just open your image in PC and see what I can do more, I'll PM you with it

In the end - very interesting face. This is not chick with long ears described 'elf', this is real being with character

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Avagueidea [2007-01-29 04:07:44 +0000 UTC]

Everyone's being so nice! And I agree, it's a lovely piece, but, hey, when Advanced Critque Encouraged is checked, I feel that means something. So I am going to tare this apart a bit. I go into this with a reminder, i think the piece is very lovely. (just so you know )

The shadowing is very nice, it seems a bit harsh though, not quite gradual enough, makes it look a bit cut out of stone. The shadows on the bottom of his nose, under his right eyebrow, and under his head, seem sort of sudden and harsh.

The bottom of his head, where it connects to the neck, looks a little jagged and bumpy. Also, where his hair covers his ear, especially for a pointy one, it seems like it would make more of a bulge under the hair. It looks a little pinned down. His top lip seem to have a dent in it. Above the lip and the lip in general seems a bit sharp, like they come to too much of a point.

The eyes seem a bit high, not in the middle. Also, the chin seems a bit big. And it can be that big in people, but It doesn't feel quite like an elf trait to have it.

I hope I was helpful!

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Spectrolite [2007-01-29 01:47:14 +0000 UTC]

I love the shadowing you did with his skin. That's one thing I have huge problems with when I try to do realistic people. ^^

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Ghoulardo [2007-01-28 15:42:05 +0000 UTC]

It really is amazing your shadowing ability is astounding.

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