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Shaded · Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2001 6:00 am

- The scimitar blade in its entirety looks awkward from the hilt up, like its twisted along the vertical axis. I am just unable to figure out how to fix it properly.

- I dont know what to do with the rest of the image. I original intention was to have him looking at some sort of horrible creatures back, perhaps contemplating an attack or a rescue or some such heroic task. But Im just drawing a blank [no pun intended] for the remainder of the canvas.

- i am DESPERATELY trying to keep my forms together, and I have been staring at this so long, I have no idea if I am accomplishing this or not. My strokes vary from bold to tiny, but..aargh. I think I will take a break for a while.

SporQ · Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2001 6:24 am

i like it a lot, its coming along nicely. even if i dont like the character himself very much, i think you are doing a good job with this piece. the red in the background sorta looks like a dragon head silloette, maybe bring that form out more? and if it was me, i would darken his skin quite a bit, it is supposed to be jet black. great work so far though, cant wait to see the finish.

Shaded · Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2001 6:42 am

Erg, about the skin, I made a horrible personalized decision to go with a tan brown because when I tried to get it darker, I failed so miserably, it stung...

SporQ · Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2001 6:52 am

no biggie, it's your piece, i still think it looks great

Fredrik Svensson · Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2001 7:27 am

Looking real good so far! I agree on the sword, to me the hilt looks like its turned slightly towards the viewer, while the main part of the blade is totally vertical.. perhaps lessening the curvature of the blade would look better?

On the background: Giving the dragon a more relaxed expression would work.. I get images from that goblin-dwarf fight from the Legacy book in my head though, I could definately see an ogre standing in ambush slightly below our hero, in turn getting ambushed himself.

No biggie with the skin imho, didnt Jeff Easley do drow with tan skin as well?

maceface · Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2001 7:53 am

wow love the pic! and it only gets better cuz the books about drizzit rule!

good job!

Probus · Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2001 8:05 am

looks good so far. my opinion is to bring more "tension" in the face and especially in the right arm, like he�s just about to attack the monster. too bad you have to change the sword, i think it looks really good!

Shaded · Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2001 1:45 pm

Thank you all for the suggestions. My brain unfortunately still refuses to work with my hands, though. I suppose I shall have to wait longer.

What I am dreading is that the picture will end up as simply as a bunch of elements packed together on the page. I really dont want that. If there is nothing that holds it together, then I might as well stop doing it now. I look at it and continue to wonder what else is off about it. Is the canvas size too tight? Are the textures - skin, hair, metal, etc, even moderately well defined? Does the composition make sense? Do you get an idea of what is going on in the picture, and perhaps the elfs mind, as you look at it?

These are the things that I am wrestling with, as I try and figure out where to go with the image. Currently, I am in a dead end alley. But again, thank you all for the suggestions. I will consider them all as I figure out what I am supposed to do.

Shaded · Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2001 5:39 pm

uh so I fixed the blade and changed the background. still no ideas on what to put into the rest of the image.

Lomi · Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2001 3:26 am

I gotta say that my favorite art posted here is fantasy art, especially D&D characters. I play D&D myself and have read alot of the forgotten realms books (including a few of drizzt). I have 3 suggestions:
1) Make his skin more of a dark purple almost black (dark elves are VERY dark).
2) His iris should be purple.
3) I think a snowy background would look good (with the appropriate lighting change on him).

Hope I helped a little

.

<edit>Oh ya and btw drizzt wears a mithril chain shirt</edit>

[ December 02, 2001: Message edited by: Lomi ]

Highfive · Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2001 1:53 am

Drizzt is a very cool character indeed and your painting just makes him looker even better esp. the blade design of his scimitar and the reflective breastplate (done with only a few strokes??).

I've tried looking really hard for the dragon everyone's talking about but I just can't see him. If you were looking for suggestions on what to do with the rest of the image, I figured he looked like he was approaching something burning, so...

Hope you don't mind this lame paint-over