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Griatch-art β No frowns in misery
Published: 2010-04-05 09:54:45 +0000 UTC; Views: 5723; Favourites: 82; Downloads: 0
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Description
I was really not planning to make another Jester picture, but this one practically drew itself ...Again, a more realistic take on the Jester. A study in rain, wetness and general misery. Not that such trivialities should put a frown on your face of course!
It was fun to play with the wetness of her clothes while trying to figure out to make her look completely soaked. The first image of her in this more realistic style is here:
MyPaint + GIMP in equal measures. Main painting work done in MyPaint (notably the rain for which MyPaint is really good), image completion, detail work and adjustments done in GIMP.
As usual, comments and critiques are much appreciated!
EDIT: Thanks to feedback, fixed some stray hairs and made her slightly less cross-eyed.
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Griatch
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Comments: 51
Thanks for the feedback, greatly appreciate that.
The mouth is kinda special I agree, but I'm pretty sure it's anatomically correct. She simply has somewhat large front teeth, which is why you get a slightly rabbit-like expression. The previous image of her (should) show the same slight overbite. It's quite possible the corners are a bit exaggerated though, this is true. I felt this made her more endearing personally, since it changes her expression quite dramatically I'm not sure I'll change it, but I see your point.
Fair point on the body language; the image gives double messages in this regard and one could certainly enhance either impression a lot. The fault of this is clearly bad planning on my part; I was originally a bit ambivalent on what situation she would be in and the rain is thus a rather late development -- this indecision is, as you point out -- visible in her body language.
I did however at the time experiment with narrowing her eyes against the rain. This, I found, is actually very difficult to do without making her either look angry or like a skew-eyed retard. 
Orange, or some other warm colour would give a beautifully vivid contrast in this image you're right. I fear it might also muddle the visible cold impression even further however - people are having a hard enough time accepting the reddish tints in her face as it is, despite sticking to a cold tone. 
Thanks again!
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Griatch
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To me, this work is perfect.
The cool colour shades of blue are well chosen, working in harmony with the rest of the picture. the detail of this work still astounds me, you can se each little raindrop and the shine and splash they create.
One of my favourite features has got to be her eyes, even though they are black they stand out from the other soft shades.
Her skin tone is very nicely done, using warm colours under her eyes and on her nose, and cooler colours where the shadows are and where the rain would appear to land.
Her smile is beautiful, turning what could be a very sad artwork into an almost happy one.
Well done Griatch, AGAIN!
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Thanks for the elaborate feedback. Glad you liked the warmer colours around her eyes and nose; people seem to have mixed feelings about that particular feature but I like it myself and will keep it like that.
As you say, this could easily be a sad picture - in fact both the colouration, the pose and the rain all suggests that. It's fun to play with such things and hopefully turn around at least some expectations now and then. Thanks for the comment and the fave, it's much appreciated!
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Griatch
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;U;
I really love your work, when my dad bought me this tablet he also showed me your page and i was amazed at how good you work was!
and a lot of people tell me that you 'cant create good work with GIMP', but you change that theory!
One day, I might be as good as you are.
~Jaysta, age 13.
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It's a strange thing, this with this and that art not "being possible" in one program or another. I've heard this too, as if the quality of GIMP is judged on what art is made with it (or not). GIMP, like Photoshop are tools, and both can be used to make both good and bad artwork.Certain things may work differently, but in the end [i]any[/i] pixel artwork can be made in either.
Judging art programs on the art made with them is like saying that a particular brand of brush sucks because noone has made a Mona Lisa with it. It's not the brush that sets the limits, but the artist holding it (and artists can improve).
Thanks for the encouraging words! The tablet is another great tool to play with for sure. Peeking at your gallery you have a good start and if you're just 13 you have plenty of time to work and play with all sorts of styles until you find one you prefer and can make your own. Keep it up!
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Griatch
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Never too late to comment I suppose.
I like this first in the series drawing and I find I have a positive reaction to it even though it is miserable to get caught in a downpour. In my mind you have captured a moment were she has been out in the rain for hours. She is still upbeat, but I also imagine the extra big smile is for someone opening a door for her and inviting her inside to dry off and to have something warm to drink. I'm such a marshmallow.
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Thanks, it's very interesting to see how differently people react to images sending multiple signals like this one. In different places on the web people have also reported "negative" emotions from this as well, in a similar vein that the sequel has. It seems to vary a great deal from person to person.
Thanks for the comment, I like the interpretation of someone just opening a door.
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Griatch
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Tackar! SΓ₯g pΓ₯ din profil att du inte vill bli tackad fΓΆr att ha givit favoriter. Tycker sjΓ€lv att det Γ€r lite onΓΆdigt med ett-ords-tack som fyller ut kommentarfΓ€ltet pΓ₯ ens galleri-framsid, sΓ₯ jag tackar hΓ€r istΓ€llet.
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Griatch
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hahaha.. 
Det var sΓ₯ lite sΓ₯!
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awesome is my paint a good download dude?
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Yes, it's a very good program if one is interested in painting. It has no photomanipulation features at all; it's really intended to be used in conjunction with GIMP for such things. But what it does, it does very well.
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Griatch
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All criticism aside, all I can say is that regardless what life hands you, a smile can warm the soul and shed the discomfort of life. Very well done.
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Thanks, I enjoy her smile too. It's interesting how even a drawing of a smile can make people actually start smiling themselves.
As for critique, that's the best way to improve one's art, it's great when people have opinions although I don't always agree with all of them.
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Griatch
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beautiful 
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Thanks. Yes, she's quite up beat this one.
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Griatch
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Great job! The feeling and mood you were trying to get across is definitely strong, and you can definitely see how wet it is in this picture. Each individual droplet of water is visible and nicely detailed. As one of the critiques said, her mouth could be a little different, however this is a small nitpick considering how amazing the rest of the piece looks. Well done indeed, Griatch!
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Thanks! I understand the point about the mouth although I'm not at this time convinced it's just not unusual rather than actually wrong. We'll see if I'll change it, thanks for the feedback, fave and encouraging words!
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Griatch
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even cold and wet the jester keep smilling
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Thanks for the comment and fave.
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Griatch
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I love the water, it's great, especially on her hat and dripping from her face. That hat looks mightily uncomfortable though *shudder* I'd hate to be wearing a cold wet lump on my head, she's quite a trooper for still smiling like that!
As for feedback, just two little things, one being that her eyelashes could be a little bit more delicate (as in thinner lashes). The other is that her mouth reminds me of this smiley :3 for some reason, lol. Ok, that last one was more of an observation ^_^ Going to stop looking now, it's making me feel cold >.>
PS: Nice hair!
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Glad you like the hair.
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Griatch
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No, I know it's what her mouth looks like, it's very clear on that image linked to in the comments. It's shape is just more exaggerated because of the angle here I think, makes the upper lip look bigger than it is.
Still liking her hair. Is that just free hand line drawing?
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Yes, something of an overbite together with angle does interesting mouths make.
As for your question, yes the hair is made freehand with an ink-style brush if I remember correctly. Some of the bulk was made with wider, normal brushes and there was also considerable erasing going on to make the background shine through more here and there.
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Griatch
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You erased those gaps into her hair?? Impressive. If I try to do that I pretty much screw up and spend double the time fixing it. And it's not like I don't spend a lot of time on hair
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Nah, it's not that impressive, really. ^_^; It's just a matter of creating a splotch of background-colour (blue in this case) at suitable locations in the hair. If the character is on its own layer this would be through erasing. Thinking about it, this was all done on the same layer so I think I just painted blue in there. Then it's just to draw sparse black hairs onto the blue to remove the splotch's edges and make the blue look like it's behind the hair and not in front.
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Griatch
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Yeah, that's how I do it as well...not as easy at it seems 
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You do make your hair different in style from how I do, that's true. Maybe it's harder to make light show through with that style.
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Griatch
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I was skimming deviantions when this one caught my eye. I knew I had seen the style before. Sure enough...
Anyway, really, really good! It makes my eyes tear up a little and smile at the same time. Molto bene!
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Hehe, thanks. As said, I hadn't planned to make another Jester image for a while, but she didn't agree.
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Griatch
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Awesome work
But IΒ΄m not sure about the hair above forehead, I think it wouldnΒ΄t get so messy in a heavy rain, water would follow gravity, making the hair a bit more "vertical".
But IΒ΄m not sure of myself, forgive me if IΒ΄m wrong
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I did some adjustments of hair strands, but for different reasons than this.
For straight, hanging-down hair I would agree with you. In this case I don't imagine there is a constant flood of water down her face however, it's soaking, but irregular drops. I was more aiming for the hair being plastered on her skin and I also imagine the fact that she has a hat moving around up there would ruffle her hair as well.
I don't think it's wrong as it is, but I haven't seen a jester in the rain in real life either, so ...
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Griatch
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wonderful job on the rain and wetness griatch!
I think she might be slightly cross-eyed though
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Thanks for the comment (and fave!). I have made a minor adjustments to her eye to make her look somewhat straighter (easy to overdo it, so it can't be much). Take a look, hopefully better now.
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Griatch
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Thanks! And thanks for the fave too!
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Griatch
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I immediately loved this image when I laid eyes upon it. And it brought a smile to my face. Fantastic stuff!
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Glad it make you smile, that's what I was aiming for. Thanks for the comment and fave!
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Griatch
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You're welcome, indeed.
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Thanks, glad you like it.
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Griatch
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Congratulations on the raindrops! Wait, I think I got a towel somewhere.
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Hehe, this one I first went to GIMP for cleanup, then back to MyPaint for the rain and water. Worked very well. Those new brush classes for organization as well as the ora-plugin for GIMP makes the process so much easier.
MyPaint sure is growing up isn't it? (To others reading, Matumio is the creator of MyPaint)
Thanks for the fave!
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Griatch
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Cheeks and nose look a bit too rosy to be actually chilled. I'd expect a little bit more pale, maybe avoiding red altogether. Might give her a bit too much of a cadaver feel, though.
I see one or two little things that could have been done different with the fabric, but I'm not real certain at all that they would be changes for the better.
It does look absolutely fantastic, though.
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Thanks for the comment Sith!
I did try without the reddish tones to her, and this does indeed result in a dead look. I personally feel the tints bring out the face better, but I agree it's a balance to find between too rosy and cadaver.
If you have any particular suggestions as to the fabric, by all means, let me know!
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Griatch
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The wetness is superb. She is indeed definitely soaked. Coldness... not so much. You cant really look cold without having a cold looking face... thin squezed lips with a darker tone perhaps. She looks like shes in a pleasant sort of rain, with mild chill from the wetness.
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I agree she looks disproportionately happy for the situation. To me, it was mostly the overall colours and the blueness of her skin that made the whole image look cold. I see your point but I don't think I dare go back and mess any more with her lips though.
Thanks for the comment and fave!
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Griatch
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