Hey! I think this has been one of my favorites so far! :D I hope I didn't go overboard with the colors, but I tried to give the magenta tones a bit more presence on the character, especially on the skin, the raised hand, and the illuminated areas in general, while keeping slightly warmer colors in the shadows, such as inside the hood. I also tried to define the hair a little more and paint a more interesting shadow shape across the face. :) I also think a subtle glow around the magic would work nicely. Now, regarding what you mentioned about using references... I don't think there's anything wrong with using references the way you described. In fact, it's always recommended to use references for everything. However, if you feel like you're completely dependent on the reference and can't move away from it—meaning that whatever you draw has to look exactly like the reference—you can practice by changing things from your reference. For example, change the color of something, its shape or size, take the lighting from one photo and apply it to another, etc. It's an effective way to learn how to use references without becoming too dependent on them. Also, try drawing things from imagination. Practice rotating objects you see in 3D space, or look at your reference for one minute and then draw what you remember. These are exercises (that I should probably do too, haha) that can definitely help you. :) Hope this helps!
Peintres (1)
Wicked Queen of Hearts
Notes d'artiste :
Hi! My name is Chris! pengu.inks on socials. I’m a graphic designer and digital artist, and I’ve been working professionally, mainly in graphic design, for about 12 years now. I love to draw and paint, but one thing I’ve always struggled with is creating completely from imagination. Sometimes making art feels 100% like catching lightning in a bottle. Over the past few years, I’ve definitely skipped some steps in my artistic development. I know many software tricks to speed up the workflow but i definitely struggle way more often than necessary during the art process just because I don't know what do for form, or lighting, or line art, or composition, or a laundry list of other things. I rely pretty heavily on references, and I often build my own lighting set up in 3D before I start painting. It speeds up my workflow and helps me solve problems, but sometimes I wonder how much I’ve come to depend on those tools. Take away my digital tool belt and i would have definitely struggled intesely to recreate, or even conceptualize this piece. Anyway, here’s my entry for the playing card competition! She’s a wicked queen casting a love spell on an apple. I’ve been painting a suspicious number of apples recently, so naturally one had to make its way into this piece too. For this one, I used Procreate and Photoshop for the illustration, with Adobe Illustrator for the border effects. Let me know what you think! I can’t wait to see what someone else creates on the other half.