sanguineFenrir's Strange "Art" Thread & Long FAQ (Taking Requests!)

[sanguineFenrir]

Yes, that was pretty much what I went through in school. Most instructors abide by a "know the rules before you break them" doctrine, which has its merits, but it becomes questionable when you have outlier students (such as myself) who can't grasp those "rules" because of how they are presented. 

 

For reasons like these, I actually wind up hating most art (or artists) in general. I think part of the reason anime is looked down upon, besides the "animation is for children" viewpoint, is because it's relatively abundant in modern culture and a lot of students have interest in it. The amount of anime-styled art seen on places like DeviantArt is staggering. Anime's not a bad thing, but eventually every artist I see looks the same after a while. (Another big reason I left, besides dissent from people elsewhere, was constantly having that sort of art shoved in my face.) 

Having no place in the fine arts community and no real desire to, I avoid that as well.

 

I have a deep, deep aversion to looking at other people's work or reading their writing, which is why I avoid lingering in this subforum if I can at all help it. Because of my current methodology, my art process is largely mechanical. (I do it so other people can have colored images, if they like, not necessarily to improve.) I can do these colors without really trying or having to think about it, just like I could, some time ago, write dissertation-grade, highly descriptive, classical air prose without thinking about it.

 

An update on the queue again:

 

 

I am waiting on LeCard's avatar for reference so that piece is pending. For Murlona's piece, and possibly Ryanti's (but not necessarily) I will need CS5 to make a composite. Corel Painter does not have the sort of image-warping tools I need. 

 

EDIT: Photoshop is working. We're in business.

 

Situations like these make me loathe my dependence on software, because I can't produce things that are high-quality or complex enough without it. I don't want to produce anything that isn't of reasonable quality.

[sanguineFenrir]

Posting an update regarding yesterday and the future schedule:

 

Yesterday was an entirely wasted day that was mostly spent completing the client install, and then frantically refreshing the beta forums in hopes of receiving news about the "No Valid Service" account issue. Unfortunately, I went to bed sometime after 11PM and woke up now, 7 hours later. No art was done yesterday.

 

As the issue was resolved, I am happy to report that I am now downloading the beta update, and that I'll see you all in about four to five hours if there are no complications (DSL is a pain). I should have some time to work on art once I have breakfast, but it is entirely possible that I may have to go back to sleep due to waking up so early--in my current situation and waking cycle, I require slightly more sleep than the average person.

 

Art for the three people that put in requests should be done sometime after beta, but before the early access period. Having to wait until beta is over is actually a good thing for you, because I can screenshot your characters wearing better armor and in better positions if you so choose. I'll also be taking some scenic screenshots, which should provide new material.

 

Here's the status of individual requests and any projected issues:

 

1. Rogier: Should be easy to get the linework done today if I can stay awake, at least. We are in the same guild, so I may be able to find you and take a picture of you wearing actual mage armor once we both level. May not be a portrait, so it may take longer--but should be easy.

 

2. Murlona--Easily the most difficult of the three. Unfortunately, Photoshop was not as helpful as I'd supposed--and I'm probably going to use the female concept art of the scholar and draw Murlona in myself with some extra details manually. Since this is an armor set whose details we don't have freely available, I don't mind tracing SE's concept--it's SE's anyway, and about the best reference one could ask for. 

 

I had hoped that using multiple references would be easier, but I may have to impose an additional restriction on that for now. Fear not, you'll have a book and some bloody scissors.

 

3. Ryanti--May be harder depending on the details of the references, but the extra details should be very easy to add. The link to the blue linen coat on the wiki is broken or otherwise edited, so I may have to improvise a color scheme in blues. Hopefully I can get a pose down.

 

If any of you would like new references, or if future requests would like live references that aren't very old, you can find me in Gridania most likely. Send me a /tell and we can set up a meeting so that I can take new screenshots.

[Murlona]

Oh, dear. I'm sorry to be the complicated one. I'm not on Balmung but I'll gladly take extra screenshots if it'll help any in referencing her. The little details of the AF don't concern me, if that's an issue.

[sanguineFenrir]

@ Murlona: I just saw your post now, due to beta. It should be alright, and as I said before, I've worked out something  to use--better yet in that it won't be a total trace.

 

I am posting yet another update to let everyone know that I preordered and have early access now. I'll see all of you on Saturday, and hopefully the restrictions will calm down by then. This means that I will be able to take requests and finish them soon within a day or so until Friday evening. After that, the time will drop off for a bit. I'll still respond, but expect it to take substantially longer, especially since I am sharing a keyboard between my computer and PS3.

 

The three of you that have posted requests are currently my top priority, and I should have you all done by Wednesday at the latest. Unfortunately, my plans to gather screenshots did not work out very well because Balmung was locked down so much.

[sanguineFenrir]

Here's LeCard; not as best as my usual, but I'm getting back into things. I experimented with shadows around the face, which looks better from far away.

 

 

 

Murlona is next.

[LeCard]

added to the wiki. looks good, and it has sort of a stained glass from a distance feel (or maybe the image you get from the light shining through stained glass...)

[sanguineFenrir]

 

 

 

This one took me a very long time. Sorry for the delays.

 

I used an old technique for the background that's actually a modified watercolor brush, and I think it contributes to the moody atmosphere. Since Murlona is a butcher of sorts, she also has a knife...

 

I took some liberties with the fairy as well, since a pastel sprite doesn't exactly fit the character. It's more of an imp now.

 

Ryanti is next and should wind up being done today or tomorrow, depending on what I end up doing. (Early access must needs arrive soon...)

 

If anyone has any advice on how to lessen the amateurish bent of my lifework, I am open to it--a long mental war is being fought over that...

[Ari Kagon]

LOVE LOVE LOVE IT! Keep them coming!

[Murlona]

Oh my goodness. It looks fantastic! I love the background. What you did to the fairy is awesome. Thank you so much for taking the time to work on it.

[sanguineFenrir]

Update: Ryanti's linework is ninety-nine percent done. It's very messy due to being a partial composite (I had to draw some things myself), but I should be along with the colors in short order. 

I am considering doing the background in pastel, because that is smoother, as they requested.

 

Friendly reminder: today and tomorrow are good times to submit requests, if you want them now. Requests will always be open and will always eventually get finished, but following early access/release, there will be a larger turnover time.

 

If requests dry up, I might also populate this thread with non-Final Fantasy work, should I choose to do any. I have plans to do Torn Sky at some point, particularly if I can ever get my lines to improve.

 

You can also request colorings of your own lineart, if you're an artist.

[sanguineFenrir]

 

 

The colors were quicker to do than I supposed. After uploading, I realized I forgot to pale the coat buttons... but otherwise, I think it turned out well. My linework looks almost passable colored.

 

I'll probably wait to do Torn Sky until after my lines improve--besides that, my queue is open.

[sanguineFenrir]

After seven months of inactivity with this thread, I decided to try drawing again... and not trace for once. The result?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Isn't that just amazing? It kind of makes all the other images in the gallery look terrible in comparison. I spent way more on the lineart than I did the colors (and I even found a brush set that seems to work well.

 

I'm still taking requests....