Painted for Issue 25 of Digital Artist Magazine. The article is about making a fantasy animal blend with a real world setting, so you would have to look twice to be sure you are seeing what you really see. I imagined being on a hike, glancing over to see this fellow, and when you look again, he might be gone.
This article talks a lot on painting leaves. The way I did it is basically paint every single one. I am sure there are better ways, but this works for me. Was pretty rushed toward the end, but I enjoyed creating this piece. Thanks to balaa for her advice to attempt a more dynamic angle for once.
Created in Painter 10
This article talks a lot on painting leaves. The way I did it is basically paint every single one. I am sure there are better ways, but this works for me. Was pretty rushed toward the end, but I enjoyed creating this piece. Thanks to balaa for her advice to attempt a more dynamic angle for once.
Created in Painter 10
Category All / All
Species Unspecified / Any
Gender Any
Size 1110 x 792px
Beautiful... I love the background. It reminds me of where I grew up <3
I wish I could favorite this 100 times. I got to see the beginning of this made and am super impressed with the ending. AMAZING work! The magazine picked the right artist for the job
This is gorgeous. I really love how you did the coverts on the wings.
Those leaves had to take quite a while! I think they look lovely, though.
Those leaves had to take quite a while! I think they look lovely, though.
Wow! You created a really a convincing , and deep environment! No selective focus, no blurring but a forest one couold walk through. wth ll the trimming, definatly a superior work. Lovely rocks, well done lighting. excellent work!
Scott
Scott
Holy crap.
I do a lot of walking in the woods and this seriously looks just like it, stunning work.
I do a lot of walking in the woods and this seriously looks just like it, stunning work.
Really love how it turned out! I was starting to wonder what happened to this :D
Still love those rocks, I think I learned a thing or two watching you work on them, and the leaves look awesome! Time well spent
Still love those rocks, I think I learned a thing or two watching you work on them, and the leaves look awesome! Time well spent
That golden forest is phenomenal in its detail! Absolutely stunning artwork, Vantid!
I agree with you, it totaly looks real. That is one of those days when you are walking in the woods and you glance to the side an see him but take another look an then hes gone deals. Its just stunning.
This is a GREAT use of angle; it makes this far more dynamic and really plays into your concept of 'glancing over'. Great work!
Balaa was right about the angle. *wag* And what a glorious result.
Critique: the forest floor seems a little too even, even for one swept with a carpet of leaves. To me, that lends the scene a certain air of stylisation; it keeps it from being quite as immersive as it might be.
But meanwhile I can salivate over light on limestone. Truly you are amazing.
Critique: the forest floor seems a little too even, even for one swept with a carpet of leaves. To me, that lends the scene a certain air of stylisation; it keeps it from being quite as immersive as it might be.
But meanwhile I can salivate over light on limestone. Truly you are amazing.
This looks like it was a picture taken from one of the parks a few miles from where I live, it makes it very surreal! Awesome job, I love the leave work!
godammit vantid, just as I was feeling good about the thing I was working on you go and post this! hahaha
but really, it turned out wonderful. excellent job :)
but really, it turned out wonderful. excellent job :)
I lost my jaw due to this pic....saying this is beautiful is such an understatement D:
Love the light and color through the leaves. Mad props lady. You certainly achieved the 'look twice' idea.
You can tell how amazing it is because you can picture yourself there so well. It with the right music is very inspiring.
Um... okay, first, this is lovely, and second, I'm an idiot -- what fantasy animal is that meant to be? I'm seeing it as just as an imagined/stylized bird of prey of some sort, but maybe I'm missing something obvious.
A gryphon! He has a cat spine/hip bones, and big ears. Plus he is enormous.
I thought this was a photo when I looked at the thumbnail.
Fantastic textures on...well, everything. In the end, I am glad that the dynamic angle was pushed as well!
wow. love the lighting and details on the bird. lovely leaves and rocks too.
Yeah, I was gonna say it looks like you painted all the leaves separately. Sheesh, that must have been painstaking. But the end result is breathtaking.
This is absolutely gorgeous <3. I love the angle and the background ^^. I see what you're saying, since at first I didn't realize the fantasy element of the hawk. Definitely had to look twice, and was glad for it. Beautiful work!
This is simply stunning. I definitely feel like I could be hiking in the mountains in fall and catch a fleeting glimpse of this guy.
Fantastic :) I really love the perspective you chose for this image. It brings me back to when I go hiking in the Appalachians in autumn.
I would love to set this as my background, but its in too small a resolution.
Hmmm.
Also, very nice work. Well done job like everyone else has already said.
Hmmm.
Also, very nice work. Well done job like everyone else has already said.
Magnificent. This really catches the eye, and, like you said, I had to look twice to notice it wasn't just a normal hawk in the picture. Gorgeous detail too.
Wow its finally done! I watched for hours when you worked on this! superb! :D
Another commenter said that the BG reminded them of where they grew up.. and wow, same for me! This would make an amazing print (it's also the first time I've ever wanted a print featuring art by someone online o.o).
Very nice perspective, loving the way you captured leaves on autumn trees (how they start to look as if they're floating around the trunks the further away you are from them.. at least that's how it's always seemed to me in person). And the painterly, almost soft style of the background really compliments the sharp details of the griffon wonderfully. Great picture!
Very nice perspective, loving the way you captured leaves on autumn trees (how they start to look as if they're floating around the trunks the further away you are from them.. at least that's how it's always seemed to me in person). And the painterly, almost soft style of the background really compliments the sharp details of the griffon wonderfully. Great picture!
Ah, thank you! This painting seems to remind many people of fond memories, which makes me feel great as an artist because I painted it with my own fond memories in mind.
I somehow overlooked this in my inbox! :O Was wondering when you'd post it, and there it is! It was great to see you work on this :)
This is amazing! I love the whole concept of realism vs. fantasy! And the colors goodness the colors *__* Amazing job :]
The thumbnail fooled me into thinking it was a photo with a drawing pasted on top of it.
I think that is something amazing to achieve, especially since it drew me to the image, and to find out how detailed it was. The beautiful work that was put into the bark, leaves on the ground, and even the boulder amazes me. (I like that boulder. That's a /nice/ boulder.)
I think that is something amazing to achieve, especially since it drew me to the image, and to find out how detailed it was. The beautiful work that was put into the bark, leaves on the ground, and even the boulder amazes me. (I like that boulder. That's a /nice/ boulder.)
Thank you so much! I had a lot of fun painting the boulders.
Reminds me of playing in the woods as a kid. And being an animal perching on a rock. Just being.
Holy... I don't think I've ever seen such a beautiful piece of art x.x <3 How'd you get so much detail in it D:?!
Thank you so much! The piece is huge, and the detail is actually really smushy. Here is a detail at 100%: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1629405/autumndetail.jpg
You are entirely welcome ^^! Smushy or no, it is still incredibly beautiful <3 I love stroke-y pictures, they look so natural ^^!
People tell me I'm one of the most patient people they know. I don't know how you could have the patience to paint all those leaves! O.O But it looks amazing. <3
Positively stunning, Vantid! Autumn can truly be a majestic time of the year. You capture it so well!
Thanks, dude! And I agree, autumn evokes powerful emotions in so many of us.
This is utterly gorgeous. Beautiful!
To address what you said about doing a double take and not seeing what you thought you saw the first time, don't you hate when something odd like that happens? In this case, I'd probably still be wandering around the woods until I'm old and gray, hoping to find a glimpse of him just to reassure myself that I'm not crazy. :)
To address what you said about doing a double take and not seeing what you thought you saw the first time, don't you hate when something odd like that happens? In this case, I'd probably still be wandering around the woods until I'm old and gray, hoping to find a glimpse of him just to reassure myself that I'm not crazy. :)
Holy crap, woman, that's amazingly beautiful... I absolutely love the detail you put into it. It's not so hyper realistic that it looks like a photomanip, it keeps that nice painted feel to it which I adore. The lighting is perfect too, very stunning @_@ I miss art like this.
This is like the perfect thing to show off for the season!
This is stunning! Sometime I'll have to find you at a con so I can get a print of this!
I don't know how this slipped by me and I didn't favorite it RIGHT AWAY! I used to hike in some areas that look almost exactly like this... it's like a memory taken straight from my brain but with added gryphon! It makes the gryphon that much more 'real' and this image will be stuck in my mind. I bet if I get up that trail again I'll be on the watch for strange critters.
I also loooove the angle you used on this. Everything about this artwork is spectacular but the angle really drew me in. It makes you feel a part of the woods, instead of an outside observer of a drawing.
I also loooove the angle you used on this. Everything about this artwork is spectacular but the angle really drew me in. It makes you feel a part of the woods, instead of an outside observer of a drawing.
:O
I want a print of that - I want a giant print of that. It came out amazing, Vantid!
I want a print of that - I want a giant print of that. It came out amazing, Vantid!
Spectacular!
His tail is what threw me off. I'm accustomed to gryphons having lion tails.
His tail is what threw me off. I'm accustomed to gryphons having lion tails.
I love this image! So beautiful. Very glad I was able to pick up a print of this from you at TFF this past weekend! Hope you had a great con!
The background reminds me of the Uruk-hai ambush scene from the first LOTR movie, where the trees had beautiful autumn colors to them. As well as the random mossy boulders and fallen trees found here and there.
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