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Submitted: April 12, 2011
Image Size: 1.1 MB
Resolution: 994×890

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Kicking my own assby `alicexz

I saw this before/after meme floating around and really wanted to do it!

The Before piece is from August 2008, approximately 2.5 years ago, when I first started digital painting with my very first tablet, a tiny Bamboo Fun. I remember I referenced an actress's photo for the hair and thought I did ~such a good job~. Looking back I think the entire piece is very stiff and awkward. I drew everything in Adobe Photoshop, a program I was already familiar with for other graphics work. This was the first completed painting I did with a tablet, and also my first upload [link] to DeviantArt.

So the After piece is a work I have finished today, April 13th 2011, a portrait of the same character also painted in Adobe Photoshop, on a Wacom Cintiq (a wonderful gift given to me over 2 years ago by my boyfriend, when he saw how interested I was in digital painting.) His investment paid off - I personally feel I have improved a lot (not just because of the fancy tablet - I still use a regular tablet for many pieces), but because I have tried out a ton of styles and techniques and spent many many hours practicing digital painting in these past 2.5 years... I fully believe it will be a life-long interest and hobby of mine.

What I've Learned:
- Never be timid with color choices.
- Don't use the same boring brushes all the time.
- Never draw a zillion individual strands of hair - hair has volume and mass, and should be "painter-ly" not "line-y." This is not to say that hair can't be detailed - but details come after basic form.
- Black is the least interesting color and should be used minimally in paintings - nothing is ever just BLACK. Shadows can be cool or warm. Always be aware of the multitude of colors at your disposal.
- Don't outline in a painting. PAINT IT. It must have volume. If you're going to outline, you have to outline everything (aka, just make it lineart, and then color under the lineart.)
- Try new techniques all the time. You'd be surprised at what you can come up with just messing around!

Things That Haven't Changed:
- I love doing portraits above all else.
- Ginny Weasley is really fun to draw.

I hope this was at least a little bit interesting/helpful to everyone! I'm sure there's bound to be at least a couple of people who like the Before piece better, they are very different styles after all.

love 66 66

joy 19 19

wow 23 23

~~mad 0 0~~

~~sad 0 0~~

~~fear 0 0~~

neutral 3 3

~technoattic7 Jun 4, 2013 Hobbyist Writer

(On the after piece) Do you have the soul of Leonardo Da Vinci? Because that is just... that's Marvelous! The raw emotion in her eyes, the texture of her skin, and the beautiful silhouette of colors! I dare say the Renaissance Masters would be envious of this divine work. Madame, you are the best I've seen in a long time. Bravo!!