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QueenOfCostumes β 2011: Severus Snape
Published: 2011-09-07 06:57:18 +0000 UTC; Views: 2671; Favourites: 113; Downloads: 0
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Description
Severus Snape from J.K. Rowling's award winning books, adapted into movies by Warner Bros (played by Alan Rickman).Water soluble oils on stretched canvas
September 2011
This painting is unofficial and not endorsed by J.K. Rowling, her publishers, or Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All characters are copyright J.K. Rowling. Reference images that are used to derive hand-painted works are obtained from the Warner Bros franchise.
This hand-painted artwork shown is executed by Deanna Janssan and may not be reproduced, manipulated, published without the artistβs written consent
djanssan@gmail.com
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Comments: 40
lovely! and a good likeness, too 
ahhh...Snape is always awesome
How do you like working with water-misable oils? I haven't tried them yet. Is their spreadability similar to regular oils? What brand do you like?
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Thank you very much, Cynthia! I love using texture, and am just starting to realise how many different effects you can make with it, so I have a lot to learn!
I am very flattered to receive such a lovely comment from such a wonderful artist as yourself! Your Snape painting is amazing, the subtle variations in tone and colour are very inspiring, and i love the textured brushstrokes that contour the face. I'm on limited time at the moment, but i'll be sure to check out your gallery properly asap!
I LOVE water mixable oils. To be honest, I haven't tried traditional oils, but from what I've heard, they are thicker and less versatile than water solubles. I love WS because, as someone who started learning with acrylics, I love to dilute and glaze, so water mixables gives the earthy and full feel of traditional oils, but still preserve the layered feel that you can achieve with acrylics - the tubes last forever and dry reasonably quickly. I've had a lot of people ask me about them - I'd definitely recommend them, although I've only every used Windsor and Newton's brand.
thanks again!
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Thanks for the advice!
Oh, I am just starting out with painting, truthfully...pastel was my primary medium for years, and that's very different from mixing the correct colors, or using a brush! I have alot to learn about painting
I usually start a painting with acrylics, but for faces, I usually end up using oils. Reason being, oils have a perfect consistency for subtle blending (I use softer, more buttery brands like Gamblin). I love acrylics, but even with extender they dry too fast for me, I use them for everything BUT faces. (Because I apply my oils rather thinly, they do dry overnight)
That's why I was interested in your thoughts on WS...next trip to the art supply store, I think I will pick some up. Maybe they're the best of both worlds
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You'd never know you were a beginner! Yes, acrylics can sometimes be a bit brutal and artificial for portrait subject matter. Good luck with them if you do try them out, and Im sure you'll like them!
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Congratulations! 
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I really like this. It's a bit different from all the other Snape portraits
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Thank you so much, that means a lot! I don't like using reference at all, but unfortunately you kind of have to with fan art - so I'm very glad you think it is more personalised!
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really awesome 
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Thank you so much! Alan Rickman is a wonderful actor, I think he really brought so much to Snape's character. (The voice, for one!) I really appreciate your comments! As for the screenshot, this is the refrence I used: [link] (I usually put them in the artist's comments but forgot this time!) So I'm not exactly sure whether this is from a scene, or a Behind-the scenes pick either! I went for a bit more of a softer look than the reference, I'm still quite self-critical about some of the anatomy!
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I love the tint of his skin in this one! And his hair, and his nose! So perfect!
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Thank you so much! Very glad you like it, and thanks for commenting! Snape is not snape without his trademark nose, and greasy hair!
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I like how you can see those thicker clods of paint, it gives the picture so much more dept then it would have if all was smooth. Now it stands out and grabs attention
The light play on his skin is beautiful too, amazing work
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Thank you so much! I love playing around with texture, using it to direct the eye and frame the canvas. Very glad you like the effect! There was so much contrast in the reference, I was loving the many gradations between light and dark!
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The texture and details are amazing. I love how you've left the paint rough and raised for his hair. <3
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Thankyou! I only just started adding texture to the series, as I started with Hagrid, so felt the need to keep it consistent - I think I like the modern technique with the almost renaissance-like Snape! Cheers for commenting!
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You're welcome! <3
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Haha thank you very much, I was thinking the same thing about Snape's pose and the colours in the reference as I was working on it! We just finished studying renaissance paintings at uni last semester, so maybe that was fresh in my mind - Snape seems like such a renaissance character anyway! Cheers for commenting, and I'm very glad that you like it.
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you're most welcome, QueenOfCostumes
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sorry about the late reply, thank you so much again! I'm very flattered.
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You're very very welcome!
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Thank you so much!Glad you like it!
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Thank you so much!
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Absolutely amazing work. At first I thought it was a photo manipulation. He looks so real...
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Wow, thank you so much for your lovely comment! I've always loved realism, and I was working on a bigger canvas than usual, so I found that helped tremendously. I'm very glad that you think the realism overrides the texture and decoration - I've always wanted it to be more "ornamental" and supporting the facial detail! Cheers for commenting!
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You're most welcome (: Thanks for posting your work, it really is amazing (:
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Sometimes I forget how awesome you are and then you show me something like this that makes me remember!
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Really?? Oooh I need it to be my birthday now so I can see it!!
Also, with the Draco painting did you want me to bring it to the next family shindig so you can take a picture of it or want me to attempt to take one with good lighting?
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maybe to the next family party. I don't actually need it anymore (submissions were ages ago) but it would be much better for my portfolio.
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I'm sure I will
I'll bring it to the next one then that way you can get the right picture you want
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Wonderful! You captured his essence very well, and the technique is flawless! I think the eyes and the hair are my fave parts of this
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Thank you so much, I am very flattered! The reference image I was working from was a very expressive photo - I loved the way Alan Rickman's (wig) managed to fall almost gracefully around his head in tendrils, and how his expression was quite meditative and reflective, but still very solemn and "Snape-like" - I was hoping to transfer that character and expression into the painting through various techniques so that we saw the two sides of Snape that are explored in the last few books. I'm very pleased you like it, and thank you very much for taking the time to comment!
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The expression was definitely well done...very nostalgic and almost longing-imbued, but guarded in that classic Snape-like manner. You really see both sides of Snape, especially the side that no one saw coming...*starts bawling*
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wow, you captured everything I was wanting to express. You obviously understand snape's character very well! I was reading a forum discussion about "would lily be proud of snape?". What do you think? It turned into quite a heated discussion, because although I think that Snape has overcome many of the negative features of his character (and hence deserves pride for that), he only really "helped" Harry because of his connections to Lily.
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Very true, and I think I agree with you there. I also think that, beyond overcoming his own negative personality traits, he overcame a lot of trauma...James was a major tool to Snape, and pretty much stole Lily from him, and Harry was a dead-ringer of James. Just looking at Harry must've killed Snape on the inside, yet he continued to protect him no matter what, even when Harry was being a huge tool himself. That definitely deserves credit. That said, you are right (at least in my mind 
Snape is one of my fave characters from the series because he's so complex, and you don't really see his true colours until the very end. I mean, everyone thought that, after HBP, that was Snape's true form, but then it gets turned on it's head, and his whole being is, in fact, driven by the love he had for Lily. I couldn't have seen that coming for anything.
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i love how you do the skin and shadows on the face =]
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Thank you so much! I really enjoyed working with the high contrast and creamy tones, especially on a larger canvas to what I usually work on.
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