Graver

This is pose #6 of seven (damn,m that just went a bit nuts there for a while) for a piece for Buckeyestar featuring... yup, Invincibelle and some very ebil ebil people.

The basic idea behind it is Invince is having a bit of a nightmare in which she is almost literally torn between several individuals. After a good bit of mix and matching posses to see which sleeping pose and which "OMG, help!" posses worked best, we finally settled on this one, though it does need some more work. The big fella's hand that is pulled back to punch her, for instance, needs a lot of help. I'm hunting up some better reference material for that, and with all due luck, I'm hopping to have the pencils done and out for this piece by the beginning of next week.

Yay nightmares!

Oh and i suppose a link would help, huh?

HERE it is then, sheesh!

Okay, I managed to get some more work in on ol' Bill and Lil here. I have the two main figures about how I want them and now it's just a matter of getting the background in real quick and then revisit the figures to make any adjustments that need to be made.

My part of this should, if all goes well, be wrapped up by the end of this weekend *keeps fingers crossed*

You can find the updated version...

HERE

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Alt+Space FTW!
I never work on my paintings square with the world. I've not played in Photoshop much in part because the rotating it is so important to me, and the pixels would distort with each canvas rotation if I did.

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Seriously!! I so didn't know about that! MY God, this will make things so much easer for me! Hell, I would end up just rotating the canvas like 90 degrees, wait for all layers to rotate, then make my few marks in that direction, rotate back 90... god, this will be much easer (I was also afraid that it would distort the pixels my self).

As for learning curves and all that, i actually find that Graphire has a much larger learning curve the intuose. It really didn't take me any time to get the hang on my intuose (and it has a roughish surface too... not that slick plate that graphires have) however, trying anything on Stars graphire just drives me up the wall.

For me, like others, the hardest part is just not flipping and turning the tablit to get a better drawing angle XD. Now, all of my preliminary sketches and posses are done all digital with my tablet. The fact that i can erase anything, rearrange parts already drawn, etc, make it a very valued time saver in the conceptualizing part of a piece!

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I signed up.

>.>
<.<

I'm a bit wary, though... The board's User Agreement said something akin to "anything potentially NSFW is potential grounds for legal action."
Now granted, that is a translation as I interpret it, but the way it was worded has me wondering...

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Eh, don't worry about it. They's just covering their behinds in case someone started a discussion board for neo-nazi child pornographers with pictures no less Besides, i think someone would have to report you to the porboards people for the activity you were engaged in, etc... and i don't see a lot of random people visiting these boards

Thanks all!

well, I've updated with a li'l bit more added to the piece. I did some work to Lil as per some observations made, added in the roughs of the carnage, and started getting the details down. You can find it.... HERE

More as it comes.

wow, now that has to be the most characters I've ever seen you stuff into one work. Great stuff... and I love the purple arua explosion thing coming out of the top middle fella against that statue, it just looks neat.

*chears all around*

Okay... so I finnaly got me an alt over there on liberty. Whiloe I was wanting to avoid remaking my main (I'm taking a bit of a break from her and wanted to try the "if I were a suppea hero shtick". So, seeing as how Graver was already taken on every server last I checked I went with the more totaly extreem version... Graver X, made him due to a costume idea I've had bouncing in my head for a while, and got him to lv4 real quick like.

Oddly enough, while I was wanting to try out some new things and all, the whole, "if I were a suppa hero" ended up putting me right back in the Illusion power set (I wish more AT's had an illusion like set I really do love it soooo much). Either way, my global is @graver (bet you couldn't figure that one out ) if that'll help tracking me down. So... now for the task of actually joining the SG... hrm

Now, about the mentioning of setting up boards for this li'l venture. One thing that we can do is go to a free board hosting service. The main SG that I is with set ours up on proboards. They are painfully easy to set up and they make skinning them child's play... plus you get a funky address like artSG.proboards.com

Okay... you guys, just stop it! Do you realize how many posts that was for me to read??? Well, it's a lot... a looooot.

But this idea... it does intrigue me. Granted, i play about as much as I post though, so, um, might not be around much. I always seem way too busy. Half the time, i'm scampering about like a cat chasing a light trying to get everything done that needs doing on Monday only to learn it's Wednesday

Still, I'll get me one of those character thingies made over on... wait for the scroll... um... scrolling... scrolling... Liberty.. ah.

About the whole going as your name sake thing though... my name sake is just a screen name. I have no character named Graver (and can't seem to get one... it's always taken. How the hell I got it as a global I'll never know). I know Absinthium is my main but the thought of playing a 'troller through the pre 20's again makes me sob like a little boy wearing a pink frilly dress on stage. And to be honest, my screen name is closest to my other main screen name, Graveboy. I'll see if I can get that one unless I'm just really supposed to make Abby again.

Little Timmy ran stumbling through the front door gasping breathlessly as sweat ran down his shock white face.

"Oh my god, Timmy! Honny! What happened? Are you alright?" his mother cried as she rushed to him.

Little Timmy just shook his head, his baleful eyes stared back behind her and out the window. Slowly she turned and screamed. It had returned!

And it returned with...

THIS

More to come as it, well, comes and junk.

Edit: fixed link... damn my tiered scratchy wont focused eye typing!

Hrm... so it's the randomness! Well, if a tweak another one, I'll be sure the watercolory nature of it remains a bit more. That indecision (and the fact that I still feel that tweaking the paintings is laying about the painting... but it does make a whole new picture... so... hrm) is why i posted both versions and, in the end, it's the watercolor version that's getting sent to DonnchadH anyway

Really, thanks for letting me know what's working and what's not. Being so close to the work, i can never tell.

Edit: and OMG, yay for Moonspell. I didn't know they had a new album out!
*bounces merrily off the walls all the way to amazon.com*

Oh sweet freakin' piece! I love the primitive style of it and the texture used for the background. Love it!

Trully love the night lighting you used, very sweet!

Ummm... I reckon I like the changes... it looks damned good, but it looked damned good before (can't remember exactly what it looked like before...)

I love the reds and purples in the sky and the red second light

I feel your paint, DJ. Some numb-nut signed up on DA with Graver back on '02 and hasn't logged in since then I just ended up tagging a 13 on the end.

Now, have you tried ---------------------------------DarkJedi-------------------------------? It's long, it's eye catching, and I think it might have a tremendous annoyance factor if you wanna cash in on it

Yes, YES! All of you, save those pennies, SAVE THOSE PENNIES and soon my ingeniously evil plan shall come to fruition! Today the rent, tomorrow, the electric bill! Mwhahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Seriously, thanks for the comments, guys! I still feel iffy on the whole digital touch up of the paintings, but there will most likely be more in the future. While, stylistically, I do dig the original look of the flames, the color was off and they just didn't have any punch or glow to them (that is so hard to get in watercolor if you're not really really careful). The main issue I'd have with touching up the works i do is the fact that i have no idea when to stop tweaking something... it can always look better after all. Eh, I guess I'll cross that bridge when i come to it.

KnightSilent, about the story... I'm not entirely certain. I was working form a description of a scene that DonnchadH had that sounded like it has a much larger story to it. This is all he sent me:

Evil DonnchadH seated himself in his throne watching the ebb and flow of the battle in front of him. On his right in the arena toe to toe stood ED’s greatest threat DonnchadH (Justice) with another dimensions version of himself DonnchadH (Liberty). Firing out fireballs in the general direction of Eckankar was Flaming Mistress. She carefully watched his lizard like form moving stealthily amongst the pillars and spikes.

As the heroes began to win the battle, Evil DonnchadH unleashed his master plan, and suddenly the souls of the dead, hero and villain alike, shot out from the evil eye that imprisoned them.

Alternate Scene

After battling it out the four remaining participants battle around there fallen comrades. Eckankar and DonnchadH are fighting a losing battle against the superior heroes. Called upon for help Evil DonnchadH sets his master plan into action, and the souls of the fallen villains and heroes rise to join the battle.

It just seems like he has a much larger story going on here

Pretty nice! Almost has the look of a gret propaganda poster for the Peoples Republic feel to them. I would agree that the red is a touch too intense. You might want to take it down a notch, especially in the first one. The character there doesn't have enough going on with him to compete with that red. The second might not need it as bad (and is my favorite of the two).

The screened portraits in the background are a great touch!

oOOoo that looks great! I love the layout and the colors and the texture you used for the background is quite nice.

One thing which could stand a touch of improvement in the white line border on the lower half of her outfit. As it is right now, it almost makes the lower strap (the one going from her lower ribs to her waist) look a bit too stiff, like it might be a board that got shoved in her panties. Maybe just a little bit of shading on the white lines on her lower belly and the upper abs (where there's shading on her body) will help and it will also accentuate some of those great curves her body has as well. Maybe a touch of the same shading on the white lines around her neck as well...

Still, it's a great piece, but it could be spectacular

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I think it is the influence of Sassy. Women can be ebil like that.

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TA: "In the service of Mighty Thor, I have donned the Darkest Assassins Cowl, that we might strike out into the ***..."

Sas: "Wait just a minute!"

TA: "Wh-what?"

Sas; "Are... are you really wearing that out? Again?"

TA: "What? Ya, ya I am! It's the Cowl of the Thunder Assassin, the Righteous Agent of.."

Sas: "Ya ya ya, I know, but, look, you wore that on our patrol last night, and the night before, and the night before."

TA: "So, I like it. And besides, it's comfortable, broke in."

Sas: "Hrmhum. Like those ratty old socks are broken in?"

TA: "Hey, this is a classic look! It's the assassin look. It's what the public expects!"

Sas: "Well, it's just a little embarrassing to always be seen in public with you looking like that?"

TA: "What?! You're embarrassed to be seen with me?! If I'd known that's how you felt..."

Sas: "No-no-no! Not with you, with that." (she points to the cowl) "Besides, you have beautiful eyes, and wonderful cheeks, and... those lips..." (the cowl hits the floor and those distinctive wet slobbery sounds could be heard)

TA: (after a minute or two) "So, I really do look better without the cowl?"

Sas: "Oh, damn, yes! Rugged and dashing!"

TA: "Well, alright then! I've decided i won't wear it tonight, and maybe not tomorrow night either! So, now, let us strike out into the forboading night filled with villainy and da...!"

Sas: "Wait!"

TA: "Wh-what?"

Sas: "So, um, you're wearing that armor out tonight?"

TA: "well, I..."



Seriously, though, damn, TA, that's a great piece you got there. I love the changes in the characters as well... very nice!

...or tiki party madness. The style reminds me of the style (damn if I can remember what it's properly called) that came out of the 60's tiki party scene thing and has went through a bit of a revival lately. Nice acquisition there!

Okay, I do believe I is completely finished with DonnchadH's piece, The Arena!

With this one, however, i decided to do something a bit different (mostly due to BillZBubba) and do some post production tweaking of the image. I'm not too sure which I like better, though i am leaning towards the tweaked version as I was able to correct some things that were bugging me.

Either way, you can find the molested and unmolested versions of the painting through the fallowing links along with a whole heck of a lot more words and junk from me... like there needs to be more.

The Arena

The Arena (unmolsted)

:Paint: And now, I gots to get back to work... it never ends! :sob: Someday, I'll be caught back up and can take some leisurely strolls through the forum again... some day... some day.

Wow, that makes my brain hurt just looking at it... hurt in such a good way. Amazing!

During some of the time I've had between working on Rowr's piece, DonnchadH's piece, and moving, I managed to get a piece featuring Battle-Angel for Darkjedi wrapped up last night as a bit of a thank you for being so patent with me in our art trade

The Watch

Now, it's back to the grind stone with me... more on DonnchadH's piece soon to come!

Yes, damn that handle indeed... indeed.

Oh, and i have a bit of an update to this li'l WIP... the Inks

Thanks all for the comments and there's more to come very soon...ish.

oooOOooo, sticky.

Well, Aaron, you can definitely decide whether you like or do not like a piece of art. Hell, in my book you can decide what is and is not art, though unless your real good at changing minds, you can only decide what is and is not art for you. However, when you're talking about art with others, unless they see the world exactly as you do, then you do need to be a touch objective.

There has to be certain points and measures that all parties in the conversation know, understand, and agree upon to have any kind of meaningful discussion about the artwork. Else, all involved might as well just be talking about their favorite colors. This is usually done based on the works formal elements, though artists intent and underlying philosophy (and success of communicating said philosophy) can play a big role as well. By looking at and discussing works of art from an objective viewpoint (critiquing) you can come to appreciate that artwork and it's place in the world (or come to realize it's just bad art) without having to change your subjective view of it (though that might change a touch anyway).

In short, you hate works of art all you want for any reason you want and still appreciate those same works. I personally hate impressionistic works.. never liked them and my reasoning is truly lame (it's fuzzy blobs of pastel paint kind of depicting lazy French afternoons, whoopty-fricken' doo) but I can still truly appreciate the paintings for what they are and what the artists were struggling with and attempting to do. I can also then understand why others truly love the works and have meaningful conversations with them about the works merits and flaws. There's a lot of good art out there that I really just do not like because it's just not my cup of tea (like a good country and western song with great soulful lyrics sung by man with a golden voice and melody that would make angels cry, great song, but not my cup of tea). There's also a lot of really bad art that I love. Oh, i can look at it and a part of me cringes and slinks away from it's hideous mockery of art that it is, but damn it, it's just so freakin' cool!

Um... I'm rambling now. Shutting up in
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wow thanks guys for the kind words on this one... i'm glad it's well received

And to Sarrate, yup, those is faces, but i don't really know if they were intentional or not. i never planed on them to be there, but when i started seeing them form in the paint, i went with it. That's one thing i really like about watercolor.

When I'm laying the paint down, it always goes on splotchy for such is it's nature. This leads to interesting unplanned for patterns to form and staring at them is like staring at woodgrain (or clouds, or ceiling tiles, or any other pattern thing :smirk)... you start to make "sense" of the patterns and you start seeing stuff in it... i just like emphasizing what i see.

For Rowr, the whole dead swampy trees in the light of a full moon with werewolves running around screamed haunting faces in trees and any other kind of horror cliché out there, so... faces :shrug:. That and I just like putting faces in trees (and as random reflections in dark windows, glasses, shadows, etc)... it's an old habit

Oh, and, EchoedRespite... I'm a nut about detail. Hell, it's the details that will kill me some day... love them to death. That and in this piece, i really really wanted Rowr to fight nazi's... that was my first gut impresion of what i wanted to do with her... something nice and full of pulp. Since the 5th have yet to make their long anticipated return, I settled for the legacy they had left... and then Starchasm mentioned using a warwolf and that was just too damned perfict (a cat and dog fight, come on!).

When i got done laying everything out, I found I had this nasty negative space down at the bottom and no idea what to do with it. Since i still really likes the idea of Rowr tearing into some nazi's, I settled for the luger and knife to tie that part of the innitial idea back into the piece and get rid of that blank negative space... I can't wait until we can whale on some nazis in a proper way again.