Griffin - Photoshop

[Anian]

...not anything concerning your art, but I always had an image of griffin as having front legs kind of like "hands"/claws (like being a biped sort of and not a quadriped)...this kinda looks likesome actually cut of half a lion and half an eagle together.

Btw. I like the art, way beyond my skill level in any case. 

[Knox]

If you ask me, thats some nice lookin' shiat!!!

Good job so far!

[S]

The eagle part is too small (or the lion part is too big). It seems it has to make an effort for the eagle feet to reach the groud where the lion feet comfortably do so even when its legs are slightly bent. Also, the lion's back seems to connect with the eagle part far too high up. Make the whole lion bit smaller and do something with the eagle legs (bend those knees too) and the image will improve quite a lot. That will also make the wings seem more the right size, because they are actually too small now, especially if it's supposed to be able to fly.

Would you consider putting a rider on it? I know that griffins traditionally don't let people ride them (unless you are Harry Potter), but would it not be cool with a interestingly armoured knight-type person on it? That would make this into something more interesting and evocative than a just technically brilliant piece. We've seen griffins before, but putting a person on it, designing the saddle and all the other equipment needed to steer the beast could make this into a more unique and personal piece.

I'm sure it will be great even without a rider though - my first piece of advice is a lot more important! (I think it is vital, even if you're allowed to disagree...)

[loominous]

Think the texture is working pretty well, but think it's quite lacking in volume, particularly the far legs, which looks lit by a special light source under the stomach.

Even if you don't use shapes to construct the image, it might be a good idea to project a sort of wire frame model onto it in your mind.



Once you know the surfaces, lighting it is merely a matter of judging the how well their angles would reflect the light source.



Getting the values down in a rough state before you begin any detail work has a few benefits: first off, it allows you to design a pleasing light setup, one that pulls the focus to the areas you want (and subdues areas of less importance),  sets the proper mood, and brings out the best in the subject. This is a crucial but unfortunately often neglected step. It's the difference between party photos taken with a crappy camera vs studio photos. Secondly, it saves you a lot of rework, as you make the decisions with the greatest impact early on, basically giving you a blueprint to follow, instead of adlibbing it and having to ditch precious parts that turns out to not fit the rest.

Anyway, regardless of what approach you pick, good luck!

[Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens]

I definitely support Loominous' advice here.  As far as the wings go, you need to consider how wide the wingspan of an eagle is normally and try magnifying that to suit this larger animal.  Bald Eagles typically have a 7-foot wingspan which is massive for their size.  You'll probably need double the length you've got now for the griffin's wings to seem like they're good for more than show.

I found this on deviant art, it might give you some ideas for how to approach the wings.  It almost looks like he drew the wings on reverse, but maybe it will help you.

http://emmil.deviantart.com/art/The-Griffin-Tutorial-104738459

[Kaio]

Again, thank you very much, I really appreciate all of your help. Your comments made me think about my techniques and I agree now, that just copying photos isn't a big help if you want to become a better artist. I now do much more original stuff. Maybe I'll show it here in the critics lounge sometimes .

greetz