(updated) Mermaid Photoshop painting

[MashPotato]

I would appreciate some crit and suggestions for improvement on this painting I just finished in Photoshop.  She is a mermaid loosely based on one of the coolest-looking fish ever, the lionfish ^_^


Thanks!

The original: http://crabshack.bythegoddess.com/ags/Lionfish.jpg

Latest version:

[Krysis]

Marry me!

Awesomeness! The notes do look a bit out of place but everything else is fantastic! Shouldn't the hair be wavy? And maybe you can add some tiny golden fishes around the image.. or bubbles. Still - awesomeness!

[Nikolas]

Don't leave the notes in.

don't marry Krysis, marry me!

Don't wait any longer, Ivy posted pics of herself, do the same!

It doesn't look really watery though... like Krysis suggested add bubbles, fishes, something.

Very nice, very nice

[Alynn]

Hrm... already mentioned but bubbles from the instrument. maybe make the background a bit more distorted, as if you were viewing through water.

[MashPotato]

Thanks for the replies ^_^ (and proposals *lol*)
I will take out the notes.Ã,  Putting bubbles in is a good idea, and I'll experiment with adding some small fish too.
I don't want to distort the background too much, maybe just in the light coming down by adding some wavy textures.Ã,  I'll try it out ^_^Ã,  I'll probably increase the light as well.
The hair should probably be wavier, but I wanted her hair to evoke the fanning of the lionfish's spines.Ã,  If I made it more wavy, I think it would lose some of that.

Thanks for the suggestions so far, keep 'em coming! ^_^

[Mordalles]

thats just beautiful. i wont even try criting.  :o

[buloght]

 :o I hate you

[MrColossal]

may I suggest:



make her more wet maybe?

[LimpingFish]

Things take are UNDER water usually tend to look "wet" when they get OUT of the water.

Or do they?...

Very nice pic, btw

[Redwall]

If it's based on the lion fish, do the spines still inject you with deadly poison if you get too close?

[MrColossal]

Things take are UNDER water usually tend to look "wet" when they get OUT of the water.

Or do they?...

Very nice pic, btw

I don't think realism is something one should be shooting for when it comes to this art style.

[LimpingFish]

 

To me, the highlights you added, Eric, though nicely done, detract from the matte "softness" that some fish appear to have underwater...



...and create a shell-like finish, making the bottom of the creature appear more like that of a shrimp or lobster.

imho, I would suggest maybe using a subtle faint gradient, of a contrasting and complimentary colour, along the darker sections as a possible highlight.


I would show you, but alas I cannot draw.

[MashPotato]

Thanks, everyone ^_^

MrColossal: Thanks for the paintover ^_^Ã,  Similar to what LimpingFish said, I think the shine is a tad too hard, but the suggestion of adding more highlights is a good one, and I will do so.

LimpingFish: I must admit I'm slightly confused by your highlight suggestion... do you mean add a slight orange tinge for the dark red/purple bands?Ã,  That might work, I think I've seen something like that in tutorials, but I know very little colour theory and have never used complementary colour highlights before... I will give it a shot ^_^.Ã,  Or did you mean something else?

Redwall: Yup, shark protection! ^_^

Mordalles: Thank you ^_^

Buloght: I hate you too

[LimpingFish]

Nope, thats exactly what I meant 

[Akumayo]

Redwall: Yup, shark protection! ^_^

I don't think it's shark's she'll be worring about...  we can rent diving equiptment...

[Gord10]

So cute If I drew this, I would make her eyes different, like the eyes of a female human. But guess you wanted her eyes to look like fish'.
And some more notes would be really good.

[Babar]

You could keep the notes, but you should change them a bit.  Right now they look very fixed and neat.
As to what you could change them to, I have no idea. make them liquidy and bigger perhaps?

[MashPotato]

All of a sudden, there are votes for the music notes! ^_^
Gord and Babar, I already took out the notes, but thanks for the input.  Please tell me if the bubbles are a good substitute.
Akumayo: Okay, the spines are protection against sharks AND scuba-diving AGSers


Here is the revised picture, not too many changes:


-added bubbles
-slightly stronger highlights
-cleaned up some lines
-the light source is more wavy
-gills
Feel free to make more suggestions ^_^

[The Ivy]

She's gorgeous.  It's a really unique way to draw a mermaid, I'm quite impressed.  I'm sure you could have a future in illustration, if you wanted.

I don't actually have any crits about the drawing, I just wanted to point out that I like the way you did the outlines.  It's very "edgy" in comics nowadays to do outlines in a darker version of the fill colour or even with a gradient in them, as opposed to just using black.  As I recall they're called "knockout" lines or something.  I keep trying to replicate the style, to limited success.

Do you use the pen tool to get those neat lines?  I try to use the paintbrush tool in photoshop and everything I draw turns out fuzzy.

[Darth Mandarb]

First off:

Bloody fantastic piece!  I only have some (tiny) issues with the lines around the "legs" area.  They seem to make the shape less smooth.  I'm not sure how to explain what I mean ... maybe less "organic" is a better way to say it?  Having said that, and considering this was done by hand in photoshop, they are almost perfect!

Secondly:

Feel free to make more suggestions ^_^

Here's a suggestion ... come work with us on Amulet of Kings!!

Keep up the great work!

Oh ... and I vote to keep the notes OUT of the image!