This past Friday I found I had some time to work again on the demon. When I color fantasy art, I find it easiest to finish the face and hair first, and then let the style of that area dictate how the rest of the picture will be colored. This works for me because I feel the most confident with the face and hair, and if I get that area to look decent, I have a guide to keep me on course with the more challenging areas, the body, clothes, and background. I need to make a mental note to include her tail...it will be a classic devil tail, possibly draped over the coffee table.
I'm not sure what the final look will be, as far as the ratio between smooth and textured areas, tight and loose areas. I'm not sure if there will be dramatic light and dark, or generally flat lighting. This picture is unfolding on its own as I chisel my way through it. With enough experience I'll know what path to follow and just plow on through, but for now I'm meandering about in dense, uncharted woods. At this point persistence and faith in an eventual good outcome is what is keeping me going...I'm beyond the original starry-eyed inspiration. But I enjoy a good fight, so I carry on when I have a break from working and painting.
One of my goals is to finish this within a matter of weeks, or months at most. I spent over a year (off and on) working on the faerie imp. I really don't want to drag this on that long...I have more sketches to color!
Notice the new hand? The hand in the original sketch took a little too much anatomical liberty. I took my own left hand and twisted it painfully so that it looked roughly like the position I was going for in the sketch. I couldn't get it exactly in that position, but it was close enough that I could use my hand as a reference for an improved demon hand. I don't have the long nails, though...they won't stay long because they keep getting dried out with paint thinner.
