ART WAR | 2D | Kirottu Oksa | gabriela

gabriela 2017-02-08 22:27:43 UTC #1

Name: Gabriela Bacila
Email: junkb0x9265@gmail.com
Website: https://www.artstation.com/artist/gabriela

Theme: Fantasy

Hi all,

I know I'm a bit late to the party but I'm finally getting down to actually post this thing I've had in mind lately. I hope I'll have the time to take it to completion.

I'm going to draw a creature/spirit who controls the forest in her territory and turns people who go in that area into trees. The transformation is slow and excruciating.
The name of the character, Kirottu Oksa, literally means 'accursed twig' in Finnish.

Got inspired by the idea in the movie and book The Ruins where the vines on the ruins lure people to come to them and then they creep into their bodies like parasites. I decided to give that a fantasy twist.

I started drawing everything directly on the concept sheet a few days ago. I will soon post an update to the concept sheet below in which I will show the character's 'clothes' so to speak. The head I will use in my final illustration will probably be a combination of the three I have already drawn. I haven't done any other sketches except for the composition for the final illustration (currently working on it).

Also, I have some reference images for face, pose, twig crowns, and color palette. Do I have to show those as well?

gabriela 2017-02-10 00:59:46 UTC #2

Finally done with the composition for the final illustration. I found some reference images for the poses of the characters, blocked them in, each on separate layers, and then moved them around the image trying to arrange them according to the golden section. Tried different positions of the golden spiral but the arrangements based on those looked off. I still couldn't get the format of the illustration to fit exactly in the golden rectangle, I had to make it a bit wider so I won't chop off too much of the characters on the sides.

The main focus point might not seem that 'focused' so to speak judging only by the values in this composition sketch because i haven't sketched in her suit as well. It will have a lot of details that will provide a nice contrast in color saturation and greater tonal range as opposed to the rest of the painting.

gabriela 2017-02-15 17:41:57 UTC #3

Some color studies I did based on the reference images. Looking at how an object's color is affected by its surroundings and and light intensity and also how atmosphere influences both color and tonal range (the three spheres in the upper right corner).

locksley 2017-02-15 20:18:52 UTC #4

composition looks great all of its great but yea

berrysquare 2017-02-15 22:21:53 UTC #5

Ooo, I never thought on taking a color reference! Great idea! The composition is looking good. Keep up the good work!

gabriela 2017-02-18 00:48:56 UTC #6

Thanks for the encouraging words guys!

I was blocked for a few days trying to give the character's skin a tree bark texture. I found some reference of some trolls whose skin texture seemed hard and somewhat wrinkled and I tried to apply that, combined with a tree bark brush that I used a bit on the face. I think that if you consider the wigs poking out of her head this could pass for wood texture. I will finish the twigs tomorrow, plus some finishing touches on the face. I chose the uppermost head version from the concept sheet I posted earlier but I got rid of the skull, it looked out of place now that I gave it a second thought.
Then I'll move on to the full body trying to apply this texture that I struggled with for the past days; I think it will be easier now that I found out how to render the skin. I hope it won't take forever because I can feel the deadline looming over me...