"Archangel Gabriel: Rest between the Announcement--Enlargement 2" by Richard Thomas Lankes aka ´Dirty da Vinci´

::blinks:: Shouted? Does that mean Rich is deaf? SHOULD I TALK LOUDER?! <--- *points out that she's shouting here* ::yelling as loud as she can, which really isn't all that loud at the moment, but hey...:: THIS IS VERY BEAUTIFUL.. IT'S *NOT* CRAP!! Y'HEAR ME?

If this is crap, then I and most of the people I know in these woods are below crap. (Note some exceptions: Stephanie Law, Nambroth, Beldarr, and others). You should think about the consequences of your words; if you aren't any good, you're indirectly insulting all of us poor little admirers and talent wannabes. Not that that's a bad thing, we could probably stand an insult or two to shrink our heads. Anyway, just something to think about.

Crap Shmap.

*sniffs*
If this is crap... what is my art?

*runs away screaming*

*sniff*
(( there's something in my eye ))

It looks like she's going to open her eyes and jump off the monitor any second now.... *waiting*

What do you mean your stuff looks like crap?? The only thing that I can find as being "unreal" is your ability. DAMN. I would VERY much appreciate ANY and ALL pointers you could give me. I'm getting into drawing on account of your truly amazing work, but just can't get the "life" into it. I'm rather...crappy (honestly). Please, anything you could advise me would be nothing short of gold. Keep up the out standing work.

The trick with contrast is familiarity with its effects on detail and the way the eye perceives them.

Excersize: Use a white grease pencil or crayon to do a series of quick studies on black paper of a *small portion* of your subject on black paper; draw only a shoulder or hip or cheekbone if using a model, or a section of a still like a car door, chair leg, reflective thing sitting on a matte thing - whatever. Do it over and over rapidly. Then render your entire subject on a fresh dark surface. With this excersize try to work only in CONTOURS - not shading or sketching - and don't fill in the shapes you outline this way, rather just look at what details your eye noticed in each iteration of the excersize. It's like a piano player doing scales - they all play scales throughout their careers; keeps 'em fresh and facile.

In this piece, your composition works well with the light contrast, making the breasts sort of a surreal surprise as one's eye tends to rest on the forehead and eyes.

You obviously haven't seen my gallery.

your artwork is so not crap so drop it ok??

oh! your bio in the main page is very outdated too

i wonder how you can get away with so many non fantasy pictures. or at least what i think wouldn't get past the moderators.

*Sighs* That is it. I refuse to persue an art career!
Your shading is wonderful. Don't think otherwise. Your work is fabulous. I'm so jealous it's not funny.