Taronites

You know, I feel that the face is consistent with the style and changes like that would have to ripple through everything. Once one starts noodling like that, how ever much appropriate, it loses some of its spontaneity in my opinion. It's a slippery slope... no matter how much I understand the observation.
I kind of prefer the personality of the artist and his inner evolution from picture to picture instead.

Many thanks Knacki. I love the compliments and the observation about his face is very interesting. It was a very tricky business to find the right balance between sexy woman and horror killer, and I guess it's not that perfect. In my opinion the picture belongs more to mature section because of the bloody violence in it than because of the sexual content. I mean, it has to be sexual but in an agressive scary appearance. And she's not a fatal woman, but rather as a witch. In that purpose, the face had to look a lil bit sick, something showing her disturbed mind. That's what guided the choices when I re-interpreted the photo reference I used here (the girl on the photo has a very different body and face ) But it had to be subtile, and if the face seems to weird, I failed.

Anyway, keep feeding me, I appreciate !
As said Taron, spontaneity is everything and my explanations are more after shots. But I love to explore that unconscious motives after the work. I could not do it without external eyes. Thx again

A man of his word! i sure appreciate the company
Aww wow dba, thats an amazing re-work! The fog gives it some intense atmosphere and contrast and the white hair suits her much better as well!
i too am not sure about the triangle, though ... Looks too unlike the rest of the image ... Like someone else took the picture and sopped it on there, you know.
i agree with Taron, if it was more incorporated, it would be better, though probably it would not draw the eye as much as it does now ... Tough one
i do like her creepy face though, it's difficult to tell her real age like this!
Amazing in any event

Thanks Jim.
Definitely I'll have to reconsider that triangle. It should not draw the attention as much as it seems to do.

And yes, thanks, a woman of no age ! That makes perfect sense.

A new contribution to the nude topic, but not female this time. Parity is important!

It first started as a simple nude study and then it escalated, as usual First, I wanted to paint a very ordinary man, but you know how it is, we start painting each muscle and in the end we are left with a classic athlete.

To work comfortably while having an acceptable final resolution, I divided the image into two parts which I have worked separately in Verve and reassembled afterwards.
I thought to keep a large number of intermediate steps, I show you that very soon.

Very funny inversion!
Excellent mood!

OMG, I can't wait to see your steps, too! That is wonderful, dba, just wonderful! All the stunning, stunning details.... blows my mind. Alone the moldings, the filigree, alone the paintings on the side, sculptures...the lighting, the atmosphere...the dog (haha)... I gotta catch my breath again! NUTS!
You're amazing, dba! Thank you!!!

Thank YOU Taron ! Verve is really the tool I've been waiting forever ! And, believe me, I tested a lot of them. For example, most CG artists that I admire use photoshop with a quantity of incredibly sophisticated brushes that really give great results. Most of them share their brushes and I have some fun with them, sometimes. But, there is always in the result a sort of superimposed transparencies veils, something that makes the picture a bit too virtual, because of all these brushes without doubt. I do not know how to describe this feeling. Only Verve manages to give me a real sense of "weight" and thickness, the feeling I no more work with brushes but with the matter itself.
In fact, it is impossible to relate the nature of my meeting with Verve! Except, perhaps, with pictures

Thanks a lot Taron, and Pilou

Feels so good to hear that I'm not entirely crazy!
I also have a feeling of what I want Verve to evolve into. There are things I still need to explore and solve that I just know would take it up a whole bunch of levels. It helps a great deal to get such reports like yours, backed up by such phenomenal examples, to help me maintain the confidence for staying the course, you know. Fantastic encouragement!
I will also hook up a few more of the standards, eventually, too, such as custom patterns and such. However, I will try to maintain the nature of Verve and it's special edge. So much potential!
Again, thank you very much, dba, that's the fuel that makes it all happen!

No, just a little crazy, just what it takes

Ho, and i forgot to mention, I used only brush#2 with bristle & bristle size at 100%
it's my favorite brush, actually.