a peek at progress

[egypturnash]

Sometimes my art has a definite color scheme in mind from the sketch onwards. Sometimes it doesn't. It doesn't always end up with the colors I initially envision, mind you - the original sketch for 'Complicity' has 'BLU' written in the middle of what became a very definitely not blue dress.

I have different ways of picking the color schemes. Sometimes, I will start sketching in loose shapes under my scanned rough in AI, and tweak the colors until I start to like it. This is about the only time I ever use the pencil tool.

This is what I did for today's bus doodle.




The original sketch had me thinking pale girl, midtone window, dark details and bordering. But as I was picking her flesh color I decided to be more varied in my ethnicities, and made her a lot darker. I haven't decided how to properly contrast her flesh with the window yet; maybe a muted reflection spanning the center, to pop her body out and to help say 'this is glass'. Although glass that dirty probably wouldn't reflect at all.

Now that I've seen her as black, it looks horribly wrong to pull the flesh color up into lightness. I might also try pushing the window's hue further away from her body, though that brings in its own problems - the cool brown tone harmonizes well with her flesh and the slate-grey of her dress. The window can't be too light, because that will ruin the grimy feel I want. It is, verily, a conundrum. I shall let it sit and come back to it sometime tomorrow.

Comments

[kamenkyote.livejournal.com]

To me, the color that doesn't quite fit is that of her dress. It seems a little too bright to me, though I know the dangers of talking color on two different computers. Would dulling it down work at all?

Love the lettering. It has a Lautrec-poster feel to it.

-T'

[ursulav.livejournal.com]

Verily, those mesh gloves rock.

[perlandria.livejournal.com]

Hmm so you have a french theatre poster color scheme going on there. Umm a very sepia orange?
And it is hard to read that she is wearing two gloves on her left hand. I have no idea what she is holding.
I agree the white petticoat is very pulling.
But the picture is lovely and, as always, kicks the ass of anything I could have done.

[ultraken.livejournal.com]

While this would break the "flat" look you usually go for, you could brighten her skin on the "lit" side and leave the rest alone.

[shatterstripes.livejournal.com]

I do intend to have some modelling on her body, to show the shoulderblade I thought was important in the original sketch. This is just playing with the color scheme, and is not the final paths by any means - I probably should've put this up at a more thumbnail-feeling size instead of whatever size Save For Web happened to default to.

[martes.livejournal.com]

Nice pic.

[wolphyn.livejournal.com]

I think it works as-is except for the too-close hues of her hair and the divider and the fact that the divider comes right up out of her head.

'S really nice.

[wolphyn.livejournal.com]

Ah, sorry about that--just read your previous posting of this image.

[brodycatsmouth.livejournal.com]

I have to nitpick here...I think you've got a bit of a mania for darker skin nowadays. I truly enjoy your racial variations in your drawing, because you can tell what a person is by their features. However, I looked at this picture during the sketch phase and I envisioned it as having the smaller features of Caucasians. I mean, look at that nose! The dissonance here isn't sitting well with me, if such a thing can be said for art.

Now then, if your intent was to throw the juxtaposition together to make us study the picture, then I am in error. But I must say I am baffled by your color selection. I must admit that the colors themselves blend very well, it's just the skin that puzzles me.