I think this piece demonstrates where I have improved, but also highlights where I need more work.
Before I self-critique, I will post the images.
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Click to see full-sized imageThis was the first time I really tried to do blending which you can see on the staff specifically, but there is definitely plenty throughout the model.
The skin was the tanned skin tone triad from Reaver which I was trying for the first time. It's definitely tanned. I think it ended up too dark.
It was also the first time I tried painting gems - the two on the staff were too flat and not enough contrast, the one in the head band (in the detail) had more contrast and close up looked pretty good, but I think it needs just more contrast still.
Eyes weren't good... and I think overall, the contrast of colours in the clothes was getting there, but sadly I sort of used the clothes to figure out the blending I wanted to use on the staff, so the blending isn't that great or smooth and I could see brush strokes more than I wanted.
Overall, I was happy with the piece, it was attractive, looked great in the little contest lineup. I could have painted more basically and stuck with what I knew, but I was happy overall with the outcome of trying so many different things and having a moderate amount of success.
One thing that did annoy me was that the vallejo "matt" varnish even when applied pretty thin made the whole thing really pretty shiny and that was sad.
Any criticisms and thoughts would be appreciated.
I am also posting my next piece in WIP and it's a WHOLE different animal. So I would appreciate feedback there too because I am trying to something very different from anything I have done before.
