Hi! So you got a good concept here, and I do see what you mean with the arm placement. The front arm is too small and close to the chest, so by making the arm longer and protruding the elbow, you get the perspective of it being in the foreground. Doing the same with the second arm by protruding the elbow gives the Archangel a feeling of readiness and eagerness in a fight to fulfill his commanded duty from Heaven. I also recommend fixing the highlight and shadow, as lighting is a bit off. The wings are great with highlights and shadow, but the Archangel and his armor are a bit all over the place. I mapped roughly defining shadow and light. Keep up the great work!

Archangel Michael

Artist's notes:

Hi everyone! Following up on my previous demon study, here is an pencil drawing of Archangel Michael. I’m striving to push dynamic anatomy and perspective, but I really struggled with the two-handed weapon pose. My main question is: How can I better handle the foreshortening of the limbs and keep the weapon’s shaft aligned correctly through 3D space, so the pose feels powerful rather than stiff? Any critique or paintover on the pose, foreshortening, or wing attachment would be hugely appreciated! Thank you!

Comments 1

@erintheforemastjill945 days ago

Hi! So you got a good concept here, and I do see what you mean with the arm placement. The front arm is too small and close to the chest, so by making the arm longer and protruding the elbow, you get the perspective of it being in the foreground. Doing the same with the second arm by protruding the elbow gives the Archangel a feeling of readiness and eagerness in a fight to fulfill his commanded duty from Heaven. I also recommend fixing the highlight and shadow, as lighting is a bit off. The wings are great with highlights and shadow, but the Archangel and his armor are a bit all over the place. I mapped roughly defining shadow and light. Keep up the great work!

@ikuzui4 days ago

Thank you so much for the detailed critique and the paintover! The arm adjustments make total sense—popping the elbows out really adds so much dynamic tension and depth to the pose. I also see what you mean about the lighting now; my shadows were definitely a bit contradictory on the armor and face compared to the wings. The sun and color-coding breakdown made it crystal clear. Really appreciate you taking the time to help me improve. Cheers!

@erintheforemastjill944 days ago

Replying to @ikuzui

Anytime! You are doing great work. I cannot wait to see the finished piece. Keep up the great work!