Curse

Phaedra Firesoul · Sep 29, 2008, 09:17 PM // 21:17

Those are amazing! I especially love the war with the lioness!

StarrTheInsane · Oct 22, 2008, 04:28 PM // 16:28

And as usual, to prevent my collection from disappearing due to inactivity, I managed time for another piece. This one, an entry for the "Evening with a Mesmer" contest.

Grim is doing his best to show the ladies a wonderful evening in his home in Vabbi, a loft overlooking the Elon.

The vabbian air-conditioner (blue crystal to the right) was something I really wanted to include here, because Eleni wears such a heavy dress and loves cold/ice/snow. Vabbi would have made her miserable, so Grim's cousin Aidan built this indoor cooling device.

There's a lot I could talk about with this picture, but have fun exploring it.

powercozmic · Oct 23, 2008, 12:31 AM // 00:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by StarrTheInsane

There's a lot I could talk about with this picture, but have fun exploring it.

Starr's modest

There's so much amazing detail in this picture. The crystal even has the water magic symbol on it. Even the earrings of the mesmers are exact to the tiniest detail. So much attention to accuracy and detail, it's amazing !

StarrTheInsane · Nov 01, 2008, 05:50 AM // 05:50

Looking forward to learning more about the charr in GW2, I would bet there will be a small portion of the community that devotes a good deal of thought and research into the subject. As a bit of a side project, I've begun a charr study.

Hailfall · Nov 03, 2008, 01:28 AM // 01:28

You sure you are not going to open up for commissions xD

I would love to get my necro done by you

Moonlit Azure · Nov 03, 2008, 02:58 AM // 02:58

I'd love to buy a commission from you, I'll never understand how someone can draw so well.

StarrTheInsane · Nov 03, 2008, 03:00 AM // 03:00

Well, I'm not officially doing commissions due to school right now. I have been picking up a few here and there when I thought I might have some time.

I did manage to get a picture of a painting I had up last fall. I can't get any better shots of it, it's cursed and destroys good cameras

so I had to settle for a webcam shot.

If you would like, I can keep your necro in mind for a future project and get in touch with you when I get some time. No waiting list or anything like that. I'll just let you know then and you can say yes or no.

Hailfall · Nov 03, 2008, 04:12 AM // 04:12

Thank you

That would be really nice =)

and that piece looks awesome!

Pog Mo Thon · Nov 03, 2008, 10:58 AM // 10:58

Ooo looky what i found

Amazing work as always starr

Keep it up.

(i know famous peoples)

StarrTheInsane · Nov 03, 2008, 03:58 PM // 15:58

Hiya, Pog, you found me! If I'm famous then you are too. Your picture actually has your screen name on it.

Konig Des Todes · Nov 09, 2008, 03:47 AM // 03:47

Very nice work Starr. Too bad you're not doing commissions at the moment.

I'd love one of my main characters for a wallpaper (or just my Necromancer for a wiki page picture).

Although I probably couldn't pay for it right now - short on funds due to... well you know what Starr

Elder III · Nov 09, 2008, 05:13 AM // 05:13

nice work friend, very nice indeed

Tender Wolf · Nov 22, 2008, 06:59 PM // 18:59

*gasp* You're not doing commissions?

*falls over and cries*

lol Anyway, wow this is some outstanding work! I'm glad I took the time to look for your thread. I was so surprised to get that commission of my in my inbox! I'm honored that you took the time to make it, and not only that but you also took the time to read my story about the upcoming arrival and make that into a commission. I am truly honored and grateful. Thank you so much! I didn't see it here on this thread, so I thought I'd contribute to it and post the lovely picture you made for me.

Everyone, this is Tender Wolf with her new baby (it's not actually born yet, and no one knows if it's a boy or a girl, but you will find out soon enough - it's due in February.

) hehehehe

Yay!!!

StarrTheInsane · Nov 22, 2008, 07:13 PM // 19:13

It wouldn't have been much of a surprise if I posted it here first.

I needed more things that were not Guild Wars specific for one of my classes, so I took a break to draw this up. I find this shade of green is a nice baby color and not a gender specific one, but it also gives some hint toward rangers where I could not include armor.

And I made myself NOT use the smudge tool for this one...which...you know I abuse...

Mahu · Nov 22, 2008, 07:19 PM // 19:19

You work is amazing.

Tender Wolf · Nov 22, 2008, 07:38 PM // 19:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by StarrTheInsane

It wouldn't have been much of a surprise if I posted it here first.

I needed more things that were not Guild Wars specific for one of my classes, so I took a break to draw this up. I find this shade of green is a nice baby color and not a gender specific one, but it also gives some hint toward rangers where I could not include armor.

And I made myself NOT use the smudge tool for this one...which...you know I abuse...

Yes, I love the green. Like you said, it's not gender specific AND it goes with the ranger! I was so intrigued by the details of the people that I skipped over that part.

rofl But anyway, again, thank you so much and very outstanding work. *contemplates making an art contest so people can draw me and the winner gets lots of money*

*goes to make money first*

lol

Bestian Trueflight · Nov 22, 2008, 08:40 PM // 20:40

I have to say, your art is staggeringly good. And also (I mean this in a good way), not *too* different to mine in style; which means that hopefully, there's a chance that in a year or so, or with some guidance, I can create similarly brilliant pieces. Which brings me on to my question(s) - how do you get your lineart so smooth and tidy? Even if I ink a picture with pens, they still scan in as scratchy, messy and untidy, which leads to nightmares when it comes to colouring.

Also, can you give me any advice for colouring/shading? I mostly use the burn/dodge tools, but seem incapable of achieving the effects you do. It may be in part due to the tools I have - a rather old version of paintshop pro, as opposed to photoshop.

Thanks in advance,

~Alex

StarrTheInsane · Nov 22, 2008, 10:26 PM // 22:26

Ugh, lineart...right now that part takes me longer than anything because somewhere in all this I've missed an important tool. For me, it means alot of drawing and erasing at 200% *face melt* My hands shake a bit, so I never quite get a smooth line no matter how quickly and surely I draw my line.

As far as burn and dodge, totally love those. I use so many layers for coloring it's not funny. Different materials need different settings, don't be afraid to try them out, and keep your color layers apart until you're sure you have the effect you want. For example black lace over satin, don't merge the lace until after you've dodged some shine onto the satin underneath. Sometimes you'll get a really bright metallic sheen or a matte highlight, sometimes a greyish shadow or a darker but still vivid color just by changing the settings.

And I smudge like a fiend. I set it to a softer brush and move it down to 50% so it doesn't just smear the colors, and then I can buff it down gradually until it's smooth, think of it like sculpting. Between the shadow and highlight, you're manipulating the sharp edge until you have the perfect curved surface.

Bestian Trueflight · Nov 22, 2008, 11:41 PM // 23:41

Fair enough. So the solution to poor lineart is persistence, then? ^^

Hm, I think I really need to get hold of photoshop and a tablet. Whilst burn, dodge and smudge are all in psp, they behave rather differently - think of it as a artist being able to paint reasonably with his fingers, but he's a tad better off with a proper brush.

Morag D · Nov 23, 2008, 09:20 AM // 09:20

persistence is your friend^^
Lovely picture, Starr! I see you've taken up GW-nouveau as well

looking great. I had exactly the same problems doing the lineart, and looking at a few tutorials, that's apparently the way many people do it. So it's pretty much about not losing your nerves and binning the whole thing