"Madam Red" final version

[aruarian_dancer]

I decided to pretty much stick with the WIP version of the composition. Scratched the idea of doing any background because I like the stark contrast the way it is. I incorporated the original gradated wash idea into Madam Red's figure as planned. Aside from that, subtle shading was added and a few lines cleaned and corrected -- overall very minor.

Comments

[neocloud9]

...Awesome. :D

[aruarian_dancer]

Thank you!! :D

[keelieinblack]

Gorgeous. She looks so untouchable, yet wistful. And curious as I am to know what it would have looked like with the planned background, I like that you chose to go the other route--besides the contrast, there's a nice twist in having a simple but striking design and color scheme for piece featuring a character who's so complex. :D

I remain amazed at just how fast you can complete some of these!

[aruarian_dancer]

Thank you!! Did you see my post from ... um Wednesday, with the scan of the sketch done on a printer paper with a pencil? In that original fuzzy stage, I was planning to have a field of red spider lilies pretty much from top to bottom and do the same gradated color underlay in red. If I didn't come up with the idea of the foreground spider lilies, I think the composition would have worked, but after I put these three stems in, I thought it would be redundant and overly complicate the image without adding to it. I also simplified the red spider lilies by doing a colored silhouette rather than drawing the details like the single stem that she is holding. These flowers are complicated collection of individual flowers, but the overall effect as a whole has such a great visual impact

[keelieinblack]

Ah, I see! The other version would have been interesting too (and, knowing your talent, would have turned out just as lovely *g*), but I like this one as well--and trying to do both probably would have made the image too 'busy'. It's a wonderful piece, as I said, and I think all the elements (colors, arrangement, pose, choice of flower) work very together multiple levels to convey the intent you were going for.

(Hey, don't apologize! I don't know about everyone else, but I'm one of those people who loves it when creators talk about what goes on behind their work. Decisions they made during the process, things that they decided to change or leave out...every work starts with 100 possibilities, after all, and no matter how spectacular the finished version is, I'm always eager for a chance to learn more about some of the 99 others that didn't make it. XD )

[aruarian_dancer]

Did you notice that she was facing the other way when I did the sketch? I did a horizontal flip during the digital phase and liked her facing left so much better than right. It's weird. I used to think I made the figures face left because I'm right handed and profiles are easier to draw if I make them face left. But there seems to be more to it than that...

I'm finding out that I really like doing stylized drawings like these, which are so far from just copying manga/anime in their normal surroundings. It's extra nice when Madam Red struck a pose for me in my head and everything just flowed from there. This one was my lucky drawing, considering how things just fell into place and I didn't really have to do any problem solving. Record quickie. XD

[liralen]

Yes, that original RED is very spectacular. *grins*

YAY. I do like the gradients on her skirts... but I'm glad you stuck with the stark simplicity of this.

[aruarian_dancer]

Thanks! Me, too. I think what I wanted to say about her was said effectively without the addition of any more elements.

This pic's going to look really nice next to my piano since the wood is cherry with deep red hue. :D

[liralen]

OOoooo... yes.