Index
Shades of Project Grey Future (http://clockworkmansion.com/forum/index.php/topic,6170.msg284731.html#msg284731) (2009/06/17)
Dorcan and Daryil (http://clockworkmansion.com/forum/index.php/topic,6170.msg288167.html#msg288167) (2009/07/14)
Joshua a'la Deus Ex (http://clockworkmansion.com/forum/index.php/topic,6170.msg289642.html#msg289642) (2009/07/26)
Something Wicked This Way Comes (http://clockworkmansion.com/forum/index.php/topic,6170.msg295979.html#msg295979) (2009/09/11)
Project Future 83, detail & outtakes (http://clockworkmansion.com/forum/index.php/topic,6170.msg300599.html#msg300599) (2009/10/17)
Project Future New Year (http://clockworkmansion.com/forum/index.php/topic,6170.msg307494.html#msg307494) (2010/1/3)
Seth, Angels and Dorcan's youth (http://clockworkmansion.com/forum/index.php/topic,6170.msg318199.html#msg318199) (2010/3/23)
Ride in the Woods (test version) (http://clockworkmansion.com/forum/index.php/topic,6170.msg329096.html#msg329096) (2010/05/30)
Ride in the Woods (finished) (http://clockworkmansion.com/forum/index.php/topic,6170.msg329165.html#msg329165) (2010/05/31)
Flightsuit Josh (http://clockworkmansion.com/forum/index.php/topic,6170.msg335300.html#msg335300) (2010/07/25)
Torris (http://clockworkmansion.com/forum/index.php/topic,6170.msg335300.html#msg335300) (2010/08/06)
Dorcan, Road Warrior (http://clockworkmansion.com/forum/index.php/topic,6170.msg335559.html#msg335559) (2010/08/08)
Basilisk (http://clockworkmansion.com/forum/index.php/topic,6170.msg338768.html#msg338768) (2010/09/16)
Nigel's Nightmare (http://clockworkmansion.com/forum/index.php/topic,6170.msg342008.html#msg342008) (2010/11/04)
Niall plays shirtless bass (http://clockworkmansion.com/forum/index.php/topic,6170.msg344135.html#msg344135) (2010/12/10)
Sethir redone (http://clockworkmansion.com/forum/index.php/topic,6170.msg348797.html#msg348797) (2011/03/16)
Kipiru suggested I post this elsewhere than just the birthday thread. Traditionally I've resisted creating a thread for my art so far because I don't do a huge amount of non-PF colouring and my figures suck. But I figured I may as well after the huge amount of effort that has gone into this piece from all parties. So here we go.
Shades of Project Grey Future (for Ren's 22nd birthday)
(http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k216/tapewolf/projectfuture/Ren2009thn.png) (http://www.project-future.org/stuff/things/Ren2009.png)
(Excerpt from the larger image)
http://www.project-future.org/stuff/things/Ren2009.png (2MB!)
Notes
This was a joint venture by myself, Kipiru and Keaton the Black Jackal. It took me a while to come up with a plan, not knowing much about Ren's characters and what they want out of life. I tried to figure out how to get information from him in a somewhat elliptical manner and may possibly have tipped him off in doing so. Suddenly I came up with this idea and presented it to Kipiru and Keaton for their comments. It took longer still to execute. Original planning began in early May if memory serves, shortly after Keaton's birthday. I missed Ren's birthday last year and didn't want to mess up like that again.
Kipiru did the line-art. There was an earlier version which was done on a single A4 page, and I might present that here too if Kip doesn't mind. It had a couple of flaws and at the end of the day the characters were packed a bit too closely together. Kipiru decided to redraw it all, but using an A4 page for each panel and leaving the compositing up to me. As a result, the effective resolution of the strip is something on the order of 5000x10500.
Each panel was done individually and the whole was assembled in ComicLife, exported at a paltry 150dpi. I dread to think how big the 600dpi version might be.
The colouring and backdrop was my work. The bricks were taken from an actual photograph by my brother and made into a repeating texture with GIMP. I was originally intending to use the graffiti from that photograph on the wall as well, but there was too much fisheye distortion for it to work. I also did the highlight shading on the sword and Daryil's pants.
Keaton did the shading except for in panel 3, we ran out of time there. I could do a better job of emulating her style, but with luck I'll have a revised version of the page with the proper panel this evening. I also adjusted the contrast on Daryil's pants, making them possibly too shiny. Stuff it - he's an incubus and he likes shiny things.
Critiques are of course welcome, though given that this is the work of three people it may be tough to figure out who the critique is directed at :P
The words! They fail me! :O I cannot describe how awesome this picture is. Tape, Kip, Keats - you guys did a magnificent work. :] Thanks, guys. c:
Also, the writings on the wall cracked me up. Though some of them seem inconsistent (and they are aware of it themselves). :B
..If I eat that cake, nothing weird would happen to me, right? :.
Quote from: Ren Gaulen on June 17, 2009, 09:06:31 AM
The words! They fail me! :O I cannot describe how awesome this picture is. Tape, Kip, Keats - you guys did a magnificent work. :] Thanks, guys. c:
Glad you like it. It was fun to do, though definitely a labour of love. If you're interested, I can send you the pieces as well - but there's a lot of data involved for the multilayers.
Quote..If I eat that cake, nothing weird would happen to me, right? :.
Probably not, though with Daryil it's sometimes hard to be sure.
EDIT: Aargh, I've put the speech bubble in the wrong place on panel 4...
The comic is full of hilarity and awesome. I really can't define anything that I could say could be changed for the better. Line art, color, shading, I like it all. :januscat
Quote from: Ren Gaulen on June 17, 2009, 09:06:31 AM
The words! They fail me! :O I cannot describe how awesome this picture is. Tape, Kip, Keats - you guys did a magnificent work. :] Thanks, guys. c:
Also, the writings on the wall cracked me up. Though some of them seem inconsistent (and they are aware of it themselves). :B
..If I eat that cake, nothing weird would happen to me, right? :.
Glad you like it Ren!
Wow. I can't believe it's not delicious cake Soviet Russia yaoi heresy! butter!
Looks pretty awesome guys. It made me giggle.
Thanks. If anyone's interested, this is the first draft:
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k216/tapewolf/projectfuture/renbday_originaldraft.jpg
That certainly came a long way. Dariyl's expression is golden, however. >:3
In case anyone is interested, I've been redoing some of the cast pages on the PF comic, specifically Daryil and Dorcan. Ren provided the bare pencil sketches which I've inked and coloured, and they results can be seen here:
http://tapewolf.deviantart.com/art/Lord-Ikaarion-Daryil-127348712
http://tapewolf.deviantart.com/art/Dorcan-Ja-Fell-129397186
...at some point if anyone's curious, I can post the original pencils, but right now I need to go to bed.
I'd love to see the pencils.
Dorcan's right knee (facing) seems disjointed and fatter than Dorcan's left leg. Otherwise, good work on the musculature.
"also available for parties"- that killed me :mowhappy
Quote from: WhiteFox on July 14, 2009, 09:07:03 PM
I'd love to see the pencils.
Here you are:
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k216/tapewolf/projectfuture/DaryilSketch.png
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k216/tapewolf/projectfuture/DorcanSketch.png
Quote from: GabrielsThoughts on July 14, 2009, 09:55:17 PM
Dorcan's right knee (facing) seems disjointed and fatter than Dorcan's left leg. Otherwise, good work on the musculature.
Well, for the most part that's Ren's doing. The kneecaps themselves were my fault as the line-art was a bit rough and I didn't have Ren to fall back on to ask questions.
when you colored/inked you moved the knee back to where the frames linked, instead of where the knee actually was in the sketch... unless you've fixed the knee in the sketch after my suggestion. If that is the case, nice fix.
Quote from: GabrielsThoughts on July 15, 2009, 04:24:57 PM
when you colored/inked you moved the knee back to where the frames linked, instead of where the knee actually was in the sketch... unless you've fixed the knee in the sketch after my suggestion. If that is the case, nice fix.
I'm still not clear on what you're referring to - are you talking about the kneecap or the totality of his leg around knee height? Because the problem with the kneecap is that I couldn't figure out exactly which of the lines to follow and tried to average them.
(http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d12/GabrielsThoughts/Dorcan_Ja__Fell_by_tapewolf.png)
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d12/GabrielsThoughts/Dorcan_Ja__Fell_by_tapewolf.png
(http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d12/GabrielsThoughts/DorcanSketch.png)
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d12/GabrielsThoughts/DorcanSketch.png
It's a minor detail, the kneecap appears to be facing the wrong direction for the shin bone. one could do it, but not without twisting the knee uncomfortably.
it's hard to illustrate 3dimensional skeletons in two dimensions.
Quote from: GabrielsThoughts on July 15, 2009, 05:31:07 PM
It's a minor detail, the kneecap appears to be facing the wrong direction for the shin bone. one could do it, but not without twisting the knee uncomfortably.
Actually, your knee and ankle can't twist at all, at least not more then a few degrees. The ankle can pitch and roll, but not yaw. The best you can do is to pitch and yaw, and stand on the edge of your foot. The calf can't twist the same way your forearm can, either.
BTW: the inks really preserve the fluidity and energy of the pencils. Very nice.
Quote from: GabrielsThoughts on July 15, 2009, 05:31:07 PM
It's a minor detail, the kneecap appears to be facing the wrong direction for the shin bone. one could do it, but not without twisting the knee uncomfortably.
I'm still not seeing it as a major problem. Something I'll try to improve on in future, but I'm not seeing it as bad enough for a recall, and I'm still not quite sure how it should look.
As of PF page 60, Ren decided he was going to go for the biker look for Dorcan, hence the gloves. I guess I took it to heart here, and so I'm rather tempted to try and wriggle out of it by saying that the knees are padded (I was strongly considering colouring them differently).
However, the embarrassing truth of the matter is that as soon as I'd posted the first version to Photobucket, I realised that I'd completely forgotten to shade his right knee at all and added it quickly. This is actually the second try, the first go was even worse. :B
QuoteBTW: the inks really preserve the fluidity and energy of the pencils. Very nice.
Thanks. There is a bit of a trick to that. What I usually do is take the original pencilwork, double the size of it, increase the contrast until most of it is sufficiently dark, and then use a threshold filter to convert it into a 1-bit monochrome image like this:
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k216/tapewolf/projectfuture/DorcanSketch-mono.png
From there I will clean it up, fix the breaks in the lines and by this means gradually convert the pencilwork itself into the digitally-inked version. While this sounds like cheating, it does actually take a long time and a lot of effort to do properly. Sometimes one figure takes as long as an entire pre-inked comic - but it's more faithful to the original image than if I had traced over it. Keaton's 18th birthday present was done this way and it took about three days until I was happy with it.
I think the first time I used this technique in anger was for the 'Male Keaton' picture:
http://tapewolf.deviantart.com/art/Notaek-106884865
As an aside, I did once try to trace Ren's lineart, on the very first strip, I think, before I'd got the hang of colouring it. This was the result:
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k216/tapewolf/projectfuture/josh_comparison.png
...while it looks a lot cleaner, it also looks like I drew it and not Ren. I couldn't stand the look of it, in much the same way some people hate recordings of their own voice.
Quote from: Tapewolf on July 15, 2009, 06:30:27 PM
Quote from: GabrielsThoughts on July 15, 2009, 05:31:07 PM
It's a minor detail, the kneecap appears to be facing the wrong direction for the shin bone. one could do it, but not without twisting the knee uncomfortably.
I'm still not seeing it as a major problem. Something I'll try to improve on in future, but I'm not seeing it as bad enough for a recall, and I'm still not quite sure how it should look.
Actually, now that Gabriel pointed it out, it does look really awkward. The kneecap should be facing the same direction as the toes.
Quote from: Tapewolf on July 15, 2009, 06:30:27 PM
What I usually do is take the original pencilwork, double the size of it, increase the contrast until most of it is sufficiently dark, and then use a threshold filter to convert it into a 1-bit monochrome image like this:
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k216/tapewolf/projectfuture/DorcanSketch-mono.png
Why not scan the image at a higher resolution?
Quote from: WhiteFox on July 15, 2009, 07:30:13 PM
Actually, now that Gabriel pointed it out, it does look really awkward. The kneecap should be facing the same direction as the toes.
I'll see what I can do. I think I now see what needs to be done.
Quote from: WhiteFox on July 15, 2009, 07:30:13 PM
Why not scan the image at a higher resolution?
You'll have to ask Ren that one. Judging by the size of the pencil strokes, I suspect that a lot of the sketches are physically rather small, hence the scanner may well have maxed out anyway.
Either way, the actual piece of paper is about 1600 miles away, so I can only work with what I'm given.
Is this better, knee-wise?
http://www.project-future.org/stuff/things/DorcanCast50.png
up thumb. tooth ping. excellent!
Quote from: GabrielsThoughts on July 16, 2009, 11:42:27 AM
up thumb. tooth ping. excellent!
Cool. I'll update the FA and DA versions this evening, so there's still time if anyone sees another issue with it.
EDIT:
Okay, the changes have gone live.
It's 2:45 am so this probably won't make sense, but basically it's a rendition of Joshua Oswald (from Project Future), as Agent JC Denton from the classic Warren Spector game, Deus Ex.
As usual, Ren did the pencils, I did the inking and colouring. The background was mostly poached from Ren's birthday present last month. Hope you enjoy it, it was certain fun to do.
(http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k216/tapewolf/projectfuture/JoshDenton25.png)
http://tapewolf.deviantart.com/art/Joshua-C-Denton-130890458
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/2567006/
Brilliant as usual Tape, your coloring and Ren's drawing. But what's with the old men stuff :erk
Quote from: Kipiru on July 26, 2009, 02:13:21 AM
Brilliant as usual Tape, your coloring and Ren's drawing. But what's with the old men stuff :erk
This is the original intro, in case you've never played Deus Ex:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKp0DP1O4bs
This is the edited version (which will only make any sense if you've seen the original) :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vxi7JRJrod4&fmt=22
Quote from: Tapewolf on July 26, 2009, 06:14:11 AM
Quote from: Kipiru on July 26, 2009, 02:13:21 AM
Brilliant as usual Tape, your coloring and Ren's drawing. But what's with the old men stuff :erk
This is the original intro, in case you've never played Deus Ex:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKp0DP1O4bs
This is the edited version (which will only make any sense if you've seen the original) :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vxi7JRJrod4&fmt=22
*tosses link at Tape* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6j8jMn2Kcgs :shifty
I like it. Especially the bricks and the shirt. Did you use some special tool to color the bricks?
I think the hair could use some shading considering that everthing else already has some.
Quote from: Gabi on July 26, 2009, 03:18:21 PM
I like it. Especially the bricks and the shirt. Did you use some special tool to color the bricks?
The bricks were taken from a photograph of some graffiti. I used GIMP to tessellate them, and a certain amount of colour-correction was applied.
QuoteI think the hair could use some shading considering that everthing else already has some.
One day I'll figure out how that works. At the moment, it makes things worse, not better.
By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes...
(http://www.project-future.org/cast/p_keaton.png)
Large-size versions:
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/2698946
http://tapewolf.deviantart.com/art/Something-wicked-this-way-come-134616581
...strictly I did this a few weeks ago, but I didn't really want to publicise it until we finished chapter 9 of Project Future. This has now happened, so here we are.
This is of course, Keaton the Black Jackal's character. You wouldn't like her when she's happy.
EDIT:
The original lineart was done by Ren as a test sketch to experiment with a new costume for Keaton. I decided to ink and colour the pencilwork to practice for her appearance in the comic, and it turned out rather nicely, if I do say so myself. We were originally thinking of a purple dress as was done for the birthday present, but it just didn't have that 'You're dead and so is your soul' vibe that black lends it.
Wicked? Sure, but she still looks cute. :3
Okay, since Keaton and I put a lot of effort into these and they basically got shrunk right down and stomped on by the text, and they weren't quite the right shape for the panels anyway, I've taken a leaf out of Amber's book and uploaded the backdrops to FA. I'll add them to DA shortly as well for the benefit of people who don't want FA appearing on their logs.
These are the bottom three panels of Project Future page 83, for those who are interested:
Attack of the 'Cubi (panel 5):
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/2925934
http://tapewolf.deviantart.com/art/Attack-of-the-Cubi-140586388
Preaching on a Soapbox (panel 6):
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/2925955
http://tapewolf.deviantart.com/art/Preaching-on-a-Soapbox-140586100
Shooting the Messenger (panel 7 - contains blood):
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/2925966
http://tapewolf.deviantart.com/art/Shooting-the-Messenger-140585801
There's also a couple of out-takes which people might find amusing:
http://www.project-future.org/pf83kent.png (Dorcan visiting Kent)
http://www.project-future.org/pf83lsd.jpg (Lucy in the skyyyy with diiamonds...)
EDIT:
The sea-wall picture I used as a reference was stolen from here:
http://kent-england.net/folkestone/beach.html
...the result of a google search for 'Sea Wall'
Cool work all around. I like the dead messenger. He really looks... well, really dead looking.
Quote from: Tapewolf on October 17, 2009, 03:52:41 PM
There's also a couple of out-takes which people might find amusing:
http://www.project-future.org/pf83kent.png (Dorcan visiting Kent)
http://www.project-future.org/pf83lsd.jpg (Lucy in the skyyyy with diiamonds...)
(Tune: Puff the Magic Dragon)
Dorcan the cyborg cubi, lives by the hydroelectric-power-dam...
Okay, so maybe it doesn't scan that well.
Whenever I'm adding flat color to a B/W scan, I fill the background with some random color to see if I've missed any spots. They usually come out looking like that. :3
Quote from: WhiteFox on October 17, 2009, 06:12:15 PM
Cool work all around. I like the dead messenger. He really looks... well, really dead looking.
There's a story behind that. It would strictly break the rules for me to tell it, but I'll ask Keaton if she's happy to mention it.
QuoteWhenever I'm adding flat color to a B/W scan, I fill the background with some random color to see if I've missed any spots. They usually come out looking like that. :3
What I was actually doing was adding an overcast sky using a plasma cloud generator (since Jakob is wearing his trench). That was before I removed the chroma component but I took a snapshot of it like that because it looked kind of amusing.
Eventually I decided that a blue sky with some cover looked more appealing.
Quote from: Tapewolf on October 17, 2009, 06:20:30 PM
There's a story behind that. It would strictly break the rules for me to tell it, but I'll ask Keaton if she's happy to mention it.
Damn right I'd be happy to mention it!
Okay, storytime. Basically, I tried drawing the dead body when I was at school. When Algebra II was done and I was allowed to waste some time, my Algebra II teacher took one look at the panel I was slaving over and asked, "What are you drawing?"
"A dead body," I answered.
Mind you, this Algebra II teacher is actually very talented. She's an excellent artist. Once she saw that I was struggling with the leg's perspective and how the body was slumping, she walked over to the whiteboard in my room and doodled a crude outline of a slumped body for me to use as reference. ANNNNND THAT'S HOW THAT PANEL WAS BORN.
Did I mention that my teachers are generally really awesome people?
PS: Tape, thanks for getting all this colored. You know how I feel about the panels, but I'll say it again: great job. c:
Now that is the best kind of teacher.
This is basically a holding page for Project Future but it took long enough to bring together and turned out nicely enough that I figured I'd upload a more detailed version.
(http://www.project-future.org/strips/comic/strip095.png)
Left to right the characters are Ashley, Niall, Azrael, Jakob, Daryil, Dorcan, Kipiru, Ren and Keaton.
Line art by Ren, inking, colour and composition by myself.
On FA (low res):
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/3217379
On DA (high res)
http://tapewolf.deviantart.com/art/Project-Future-New-Year-2010-148982180
Very nice! But where's Joshua? Is he spending New Year in a cell?
Quote from: Gabi on January 03, 2010, 01:06:18 PM
Very nice! But where's Joshua? Is he spending New Year in a cell?
So it would seem, unfortunately.
So very cute! :boogie :giggle especially the three dancing ^_^
Hmm, I've neglected this. Here's a couple of things I've done recently, newest first:
Sethir
(http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k216/tapewolf/projectfuture/SethirSketch2-33.png)
This is Sethir Clandover, a bounty hunter type who I'm currently RP'ing as in the 'Steam and Steel' RP, in a slightly modified form. Thanks again to Ren for the lines, it was fun to colour.
DA/FA versions are here:
http://tapewolf.deviantart.com/art/Sethir-Clandover-158208613
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/3600168
Dark Angel Cover
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/3567866
http://tapewolf.deviantart.com/art/The-Dark-Angel-cover-157471466
...this is the cover of the new Project Future backstory, "The Dark Angel". Lineart is by Spooks.
Dorcan's youth
See also Project Future p97 (http://www.project-future.org/strip.php?strip=97), which these flashbacks are taken from. What I'm presenting here are higher-res versions for those who are curious.
FA versions:
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/3283427 (flashback 1)
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/3283425 (flashback 2 - rated mature for violence)
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/3283421 (flashback 3)
DA versions:
http://tapewolf.deviantart.com/art/Dorcan-s-Flashback-Pt1-150715954
http://tapewolf.deviantart.com/art/Dorcan-s-Flashback-Pt2-150715841 (again, needs login)
http://tapewolf.deviantart.com/art/Dorcan-s-Flashback-Pt3-150715740
...and for those who can't or won't log in, here's a copy of panel 2:
http://www.project-future.org/stuff/things/DorcanFlashback_2-50.png
This is a preview of an upcoming piece, "A Ride in the Woods" we'll probably use it as filler for Project Future, but I did want to do this for its own sake.
http://www.project-future.org/SN_scene.png
Now, there are two parts of this which I'm not happy with and would like some feedback or suggestions on.
Firstly, the tree trunks suck. Any suggestions or tutorials for doing tree trunks that actually look kind of like trees and not some kind of wooden cliff-face?
Secondly, aside from where it borders the earth, the grass is too flat. Any suggestions for fixing that?
Wow! I love those textures! I don't quite understand the image, though. Is that an incomplete illusion/hiding spell or something?
Quote from: Gabi on May 30, 2010, 08:35:42 PM
Wow! I love those textures! I don't quite understand the image, though. Is that an incomplete illusion/hiding spell or something?
I don't want to show the complete figures until the image is ready, but if they were removed it looked weird with the shadows, tracks etc.
Also, people would immediately go 'you haven't done that bit' where some of the grass is completely flat under the bikes.
Okay, I was hoping for a little more feedback on the grass and trees, but hey, it wasn't up there that long.
Anyway, I think I may have cracked this now. Here's the finished picture.
(http://www.project-future.org/stuff/things/Sal_Nem_thumbnail.jpg)
http://tapewolf.deviantart.com/art/A-Ride-in-the-Woods-165980277 [Higher res]
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/3937624
I may have mentioned that there are a couple of hidden cast pages in my comic. This may or may not be a coincidence.
Line art is by Ren, as per usual. He did a good job designing the racing suits and the bikes.
The original image is 4500x3000 in case anyone wants a wallpaper for their 6-monitor setup.
Forests, as far as I can make out, are mostly foliage with tree trunks in between. They rarely present a solid wall of trunks, or block all light (Unless you're in DEEP rainforest). If you want to add some depth, use overlapping layers of trunks and foliage.
A few decent ref pics, courtesy of Wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Brussels_Zonienwoud.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Biogradska_suma.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:0904_Pusz_Wkrzan_ZPL.JPG
Quote from: WhiteFox on May 31, 2010, 10:07:51 PM
Forests, as far as I can make out, are mostly foliage with tree trunks in between. They rarely present a solid wall of trunks, or block all light (Unless you're in DEEP rainforest). If you want to add some depth, use overlapping layers of trunks and foliage.
Right. Part of the problem, the reason I decided to try and do it by hewing the trees out of a solid block was because every time I tried to draw the trunks discretely, it looked
terrible. So I figured it was worth trying anything else.
This, out of interest, was my primary reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Stj%C3%A4rnfall.jpg
...I guess the lighting on that shot is a bit poor.
Quote
A few decent ref pics, courtesy of Wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Brussels_Zonienwoud.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Biogradska_suma.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:0904_Pusz_Wkrzan_ZPL.JPG
I might try and revise it. Out of everyone I asked privately, one person liked the trees and the others didn't have any suggestions.
I could see the problem, but, as you say, I didn't have any solutions.
I find it interesting that both participants are riding "crotch-rockets" rather than cruisers, and big ones at that - based on the helmets and the riders, you're looking at something big; even a 1200 cc isn't that large. But that's purely commentary. Other than that, it's pretty good.
Quote from: llearch n'n'daCorna on June 01, 2010, 08:14:51 AM
I find it interesting that both participants are riding "crotch-rockets" rather than cruisers, and big ones at that - based on the helmets and the riders, you're looking at something big; even a 1200 cc isn't that large. But that's purely commentary. Other than that, it's pretty good.
I don't see 'Cubi going for something that isn't at least slightly flashy >:3
But yes, it struck me early on that they are a bit oversized, Salomere's in particular. I tried to frig it a bit with the perspective, but it was a bit too late to change the core design by that point. I'm also a little irked about the rear wheel on Neremath's bike, but whatever.
FWIW, they were supposed to be nominally 1100cc, though since they're powered by aneutronic fusion, such comparisons are a little murky.
The rear wheel contains an outer-rotor induction motor with the stator in the hub.
This is a quick hack to improve the trees:
http://www.project-future.org/stuff/things/Sal_Nem_scene.png
...any comments?
Quote from: Tapewolf on June 01, 2010, 08:30:33 AM
This is a quick hack to improve the trees:
http://www.project-future.org/stuff/things/Sal_Nem_scene.png
...any comments?
They look great, although the contrast between the texture of the trees and the characters against them is a little weird to me.
Quote from: RJ on June 01, 2010, 09:11:35 AM
They look great, although the contrast between the texture of the trees and the characters against them is a little weird to me.
Yes, that had occurred to me in a nagging sort of way. I might try simplifying the bark later on.
Good to see you around, by the way...
I do have to wonder why they've strapped their tails down with bungee cords. In theory, a dog can wag its tail in the back of a moving pickup truck whit out any problems. if it's a safety feature, the tale would likely be torn off or pinned down in an accident, and if safety is a concern then shouldn't they be waring muzzles or helmets so their tongues don't flop around?
Quote from: GabrielsThoughts on June 01, 2010, 11:07:29 AM
I do have to wonder why they've strapped their tails down with bungee cords. In theory, a dog can wag its tail in the back of a moving pickup truck whit out any problems.
True, but it's less likely to get sucked into the rear wheel in a pickup truck.
Quoteif it's a safety feature, the tale would likely be torn off or pinned down in an accident,
Unlikely - the tail is constrained vertically, not horizontally. As mentioned, the purpose is to prevent it dropping into the wheel-well and getting mangled, so if the rider does come off the tail will simply be pulled out of the strapping, since it's only held in place by friction.
(For another artist's take on this, see: http://kaceym.deviantart.com/art/Midnight-Rendezvous-27530113 )
Quoteand if safety is a concern then shouldn't they be waring muzzles or helmets so their tongues don't flop around?
They've parked and are dismounting, hence the helmets are off. But they are both in-shot if you look closely.
EDIT: One possibility I considered was an action shot of them actually riding, but I also wanted to be able to see their faces, and having them ride helmet-less was a big no-no.
Quote from: GabrielsThoughts on June 01, 2010, 11:07:29 AM
I do have to wonder why they've strapped their tails down with bungee cords. In theory, a dog can wag its tail in the back of a moving pickup truck whit out any problems. if it's a safety feature, the tale would likely be torn off or pinned down in an accident, and if safety is a concern then shouldn't they be waring muzzles or helmets so their tongues don't flop around?
"do not stick hand into rotating appliance"
what a wonderful Occupational health and safety inspector you'd make. :U
I guess all the relevant comments have been made, so only the silly ones are left.
So... Oh, her tail is orange! I didn't know that. By the way, are her ears cut/reshaped or are they naturally that shape and size? I know that many people cut their doberman's ears, but they're usually bigger if left uncut.
And if you keep advertising the hidden cast pages they won't be hidden anymore. :P
Quote from: Gabi on June 01, 2010, 12:40:55 PM
So... Oh, her tail is orange! I didn't know that. By the way, are her ears cut/reshaped or are they naturally that shape and size? I know that many people cut their doberman's ears, but they're usually bigger if left uncut.
Well, the tail is supposed to be brown/tan like her face, like Dorcan's is.
As for the ears, I should probably fix that. I did notice it earlier on, but we had almost two weeks of 'What colour should her leathers be...?' and I guess I stopped noticing it.
Quote from: GabrielsThoughts on June 01, 2010, 11:07:29 AM
I do have to wonder why they've strapped their tails down with bungee cords. In theory, a dog can wag its tail in the back of a moving pickup truck whit out any problems. if it's a safety feature, the tale would likely be torn off or pinned down in an accident, and if safety is a concern then shouldn't they be waring muzzles or helmets so their tongues don't flop around?
You mean like the helmets they're holding in that picture? :U
Quote from: Gabi on June 01, 2010, 12:40:55 PM
By the way, are her ears cut/reshaped or are they naturally that shape and size? I know that many people cut their doberman's ears, but they're usually bigger if left uncut.
That should be fixed.
EDIT:
Damn, I meant to add this....
(http://www.project-future.org/stuff/things/Salomere_colours_thumb.jpg)
...I spent nearly two weeks trying in vain to pick the right colour for Salomere's leathers. I'm still not 100% sure I got it right.
http://www.project-future.org/stuff/things/Salomere_colours.png [high res]
Quote from: Turnsky on June 01, 2010, 11:52:42 AM
Quote from: GabrielsThoughts on June 01, 2010, 11:07:29 AM
I do have to wonder why they've strapped their tails down with bungee cords. In theory, a dog can wag its tail in the back of a moving pickup truck whit out any problems. if it's a safety feature, the tale would likely be torn off or pinned down in an accident, and if safety is a concern then shouldn't they be waring muzzles or helmets so their tongues don't flop around?
"do not stick hand into rotating appliance"
what a wonderful Occupational health and safety inspector you'd make. :U
If I was an engineer in a world where a rotating appliance could easily shred a limb like a a hand in an activated blender/garbage disposal I'd have either designed protective casing for said appliance or made the device hover on a pocket of air, magic, magnetic forces, etc.
If you want me to give you an ear full of snark feel free to continue wisecracking and I'll get back to you at my earliest convenience if ever. God bless you for your concern about what "I'm" doing, but think TW would more appreciative of your undivided attention.
@tape I can't decide if I like blue, orange, or green.... perhaps if the flack jacket had a mixture of black and white padding.
Quote
If I was an engineer in a world where a rotating appliance could easily shred a limb like a a hand in an activated blender/garbage disposal I'd have either designed protective casing for said appliance or made the device hover on a pocket of air, magic, magnetic forces, etc.
yes, and that's why they still, to this day, advise people who work around belts, chains, wheels or anything that moves, regardless of guards, to not wear any loose fitting clothing, long hair (tied back or cut short), or anything loose that could still get caught.
For what it's worth, the elastic? simple, effective, and more importantly, cheap.
Quote
If you want me to give you an ear full of snark feel free to continue wisecracking and I'll get back to you at my earliest convenience if ever. God bless you for your concern about what "I'm" doing, but think TW would more appreciative of your undivided attention.
oh i could, i really could, but you're not really worth my time these days, it seems that you're just baiting me a tad... You could've just ignored me, y'know.
as for Tape: really all i've said has been said, it seems, for what it's worth, You and Ren are making quite the duo lately.
Today Tapewolf and Ren do art.
Tomorrow
TROMBE~
Quote from: GabrielsThoughts on June 02, 2010, 12:29:02 AM
I can't decide if I like blue, orange, or green.... perhaps if the flack jacket had a mixture of black and white padding.
I went with blue since that is her favourite colour. Red and orange went nicely with her hair, though.
Quote from: Turnsky on June 02, 2010, 07:34:23 AM
as for Tape: really all i've said has been said, it seems, for what it's worth, You and Ren are making quite the duo lately.
Thanks, that is much appreciated.
I forgot to post this here earlier, so here's two updates.
Firstly, Joshua in a sort of robot flight suit. This was a pencil sketch by Ren, which can be found here:
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/4044224/
This is my version, inked and coloured:
(http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k216/tapewolf/projectfuture/josh_flightsuit-bg500.png)
I think I made it a bit too shiny, I had no idea what the material was so I chose some midway point between armour and leather.
Full-size versions are here:
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/4213242
http://tapewolf.deviantart.com/art/Flightsuit-Josh-172655809
Today's picture is of Torris, who curiously enough, murdered my own character. Or so they say.
(http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k216/tapewolf/projectfuture/TorrisScene500.png)
...this is a blow-up from Project Future page 129.
Full-size versions are here:
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/4272711
http://tapewolf.deviantart.com/art/Torris-slayer-of-Johan-Cross-174245684
Another shiny motorcycle picture.
(http://www.project-future.org/stuff/things/DorcanRoadWarrior500.png)
Full size versions here:
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/4281111/
http://tapewolf.deviantart.com/art/Dorcan-Ja-Fell-Road-Warrior-174475095
Here is our intrepid android incubus Dorcan, pushing a fusion-electric bike through its paces. There is also an alternate version of this I did as a joke while trying to decide what colour to make his leathers. I'll upload that tomorrow or something.
For those who are wondering about the rash of motorcycle pictures and suchlike (*), it's summer and on the way to work I'm starting to go "Hmm, maybe I should have learned to ride..."
That train of thought usually ends up with "Yeah, but you'd have got yourself killed." I guess it's fun to dream, and injuries are something that Dorcan, at least, doesn't have to worry about so much.
This was made from pencils provided by Ren after much poking and pestering. Sorry about that once again!
Thanks also to Keaton for her help on the background layout and perspective stuffs. Now if only it didn't look like he's on the wrong side of the road...
Alternate version
(http://www.project-future.org/stuff/things/DorcanRoadWarrior500-dbc.png)
A weird idea I had while trying to work out what colour the leathers should be.
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/4281984/
http://tapewolf.deviantart.com/art/Dorcan-in-doberman-leathers-174510526
(*)Referring in part to this picture (http://www.furaffinity.net/view/4229880) which should keep Lizardbeth in sushi for the rest of the year
Quote from: Tapewolf on August 08, 2010, 10:13:58 AM
A weird idea I had while trying to work out what colour the leathers should be.
"Feels like I'm wearing nothing at all~"
You really love motorbikes, don't you?
I like the motion effect on the background, and the colors on the letters.
As for the previous pictures, I like the Josh one. The one you did of Torris looks a bit weird to me, like Torris and the background don't quite match. Still, nice brush strokes effect.
Jesus, do you colour in MSpaint or something? How do you managed to get such jagged lines from Rens artwork?
The shading and highlights make everything look flat. Since they follow the top and bottom edge of the linework, it looks like a Photoshop bevel. Realistic lighting conforms to the surface of the object, and implies volume and depth.
The lines look fine to me... I have no clue what Altei is talking about.
Quote from: WhiteFox on August 21, 2010, 10:21:47 PM
The shading and highlights make everything look flat.
what shading? all i see is the highlight he's added for the sheen of the suit, which doesn't really fit into the rest of the unshaded/highlighted piece.
Quote
Since they follow the top and bottom edge of the linework, it looks like a Photoshop bevel. Realistic lighting conforms to the surface of the object, and implies volume and depth.
Generally one wants to avoid looking like a photoshop layer setting, there really is a fine line between having depth and having cling-film wrapped on it.
Quote
The lines look fine to me... I have no clue what Altei is talking about.
i do, actually, but this may stem from tapewolf working from a lower resolution than what other folks may be acquainted with, for example every single pic of mine is usually done on a canvas of roughly 3k pixels wide, at 300 or so dpi. so when it's all shrunk down (foxfire for example is at 3000x4767 pixels) the aliasing isn't noticed whatsoever.
Quote from: Turnsky on August 22, 2010, 09:21:35 AM
Quote from: WhiteFox on August 21, 2010, 10:21:47 PM
The shading and highlights make everything look flat.
what shading? all i see is the highlight he's added for the sheen of the suit, which doesn't really fit into the rest of the unshaded/highlighted piece.
Since they follow the top and bottom edge of the linework, it looks like a Photoshop bevel. Realistic lighting conforms to the surface of the object, and implies volume and depth.
Yes. That's the bit which I can't get my head around, which is why I don't usually shade things fully - it makes them worse because I can't seem to make it work. It's a known problem, and it's been something of a brick wall for some time now. Bitching about it won't help.
QuoteGenerally one wants to avoid looking like a photoshop layer setting, there really is a fine line between having depth and having cling-film wrapped on it.
Firstly, which picture are we discussing? Of the Dorcan motorcycle pictures, the one which had most effort put into it was the red one. The grey and tan one has a quick and dirty recolour hack for the bike and somewhat rushed highlighting on the suit - it was done as a joke and was never really intended to be a piece of fine art.
In this picture and the 'Ride in the woods' one, I have been trying to ease off the cling-film effect because I'm aware it's been a problem. Personally I think it has been improving and I've been meaning to redo Sethir because looking at it now, that one was pretty bad.
Remember though that the plastic parts of the suit are supposed to look plastic ;-)
Quotei do, actually, but this may stem from tapewolf working from a lower resolution than what other folks may be acquainted with, for example every single pic of mine is usually done on a canvas of roughly 3k pixels wide, at 300 or so dpi. so when it's all shrunk down (foxfire for example is at 3000x4767 pixels) the aliasing isn't noticed whatsoever.
Yes. Dorcan and the bike was done at around 2k by 1.7k. I'm somewhat restricted to the resolution of the line-art I've been given - having them in higher res would be nice for that reason.
The composite image with the background is 2.9 by 2.1. The 500 pixel thumbnail looks better, so that might be a better comparison to Foxfire, or DMFA - which uses the same basic techniques. In the 1280 version, I played around with different scaling algorithms and so forth in order to minimize the aliasing, and knowing what to look for I can't really see it happening in this picture. Alt must be extremely sensitive to it.
Now that I think about it, I did 1280 because I was hoping to make it approximately wallpaper-sized. I figure that if someone really wanted an artifact-free rendition, they are perfectly able to scale it down themselves...
Some time ago (August 2009) Ren did a pencil sketch of Bas. Somehow I found it again the other day and decided it needed to be coloured. Thanks to Bas for his help with the fur patterns, and Ren for drawing it and suggesting the background and stuff.
(http://www.project-future.org/stuff/things/Bas-small.png)
http://www.project-future.org/stuff/things/Bas-small.png
Larger versions here:
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/4485115
http://tapewolf.deviantart.com/art/Basilisk-179487221
Awesome stuff Tape and Ren :3
It's like a lens flare, except it's burning into my soul and making me cry.
I'm going to give you all a little reminder about how the Tower of Art is supposed to work, as per the rules stickied in it:
The tower of art is meant for detailed feedback and critique of posted art. This means no useless asspat posts, and no useless "I think it sucks" posts. We've been lenient on this in the past, but lately it's been starting to become a regular occurrence that these kinds of posts show up. If this continues I'll start to crack down in here, and bans will start flying around. I trust that from here on in, you'll all endeavor to offer something constructive when you post. You wouldn't want me to start cracking down in here, would you?
Fix it.
Quote from: Mao Laoren on September 21, 2010, 12:01:48 PM
The tower of art is meant for detailed feedback and critique of posted art. This means no useless asspat posts, and no useless "I think it sucks" posts.
I just want you to know: this made my day.
@Tapewolf: The streaky not-lensflare background is centered on the middle of Bas' head: this makes the image as a whole look very static. It might look more dramatic if it were shifted to side or the other.
It does imply a horizon line without actually being a horizon line, which is kind of neat.
I notice that his garment is two toned... nice touch.
The the wings would have more definition and depth if the gradient on the forward membranes didn't line up with the gradient of the membranes behind them. This would give a visual cue that the forward and backward parts of the wing were on separate planes, and add some depth.
@Ren: the fingers of the wings don't have any bones or joints, which doesn't seem to jive with the attention to anatomy on the rest of him.
Quote from: Mao Laoren on September 21, 2010, 12:01:48 PM
The tower of art is meant for detailed feedback and critique of posted art. This means no useless asspat posts, and no useless "I think it sucks" posts.
This.
With respect to Pal, while you obviously meant well, some idea of what makes it look decent in your opinion would have been nice.
In terms of critique it's possible to go too far in the other direction as well - goodness knows I've done that myself too much in the past. Thing to keep in mind is that most people do this kind of artwork for
fun, not necessarily to try and make a career out of it. Ass-pats aren't helpful in the long run, but draining all the fun out of it is not good in the short term either. The rules have been designed with both these things in mind.
EDIT: And no, I'm not going to try and enforce them personally on my own art thread here, that would be a conflict of interest.
Quote from: WhiteFox on September 21, 2010, 06:32:07 PM
@Tapewolf: The streaky not-lensflare background is centered on the middle of Bas' head: this makes the image as a whole look very static. It might look more dramatic if it were shifted to side or the other.
I did have it off-centre at one point, but I didn't like the effect. I figured it would look better with a bit more symmetry to it.
FWIW the effect was accidental at first. I was trying to put together an abstract background, but I tried doing a spiral with a groove width of about 2 pixels and owing to the rasterisation algorithm not being perfect, it produces an effect reminiscent of laser light. (This was a common thing in the early 1980s on the ZX Spectrum, so I guess I liked it from a nostalgia point of view :P )
QuoteThe the wings would have more definition and depth if the gradient on the forward membranes didn't line up with the gradient of the membranes behind them. This would give a visual cue that the forward and backward parts of the wing were on separate planes, and add some depth.
Right, I hadn't noticed that. I don't normally use gradients, but Bas specified that the wings start almost black at the top and fade to red. If I do Bas again, I'll try and take that into account in future. There aren't any references for the wings done in this style so I was shooting in the dark somewhat.
Depending on the program used, I'd recommend, at the minimum, using a lasso tool for each of the "sections" of the wing, and angling the gradients from the top to a natural "bottom" for each wing. It'll give a slightly more segmented look, which probably would seem more natural for the wings.
That said, it'll take some playing with it to get it to look right. Might also require a bit of airbrushing over the top to even it out.
(http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k216/tapewolf/projectfuture/Nigels_Nightmare500.png)
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k216/tapewolf/projectfuture/Nigels_Nightmare500.png
Nigel was born with batlike wings on his back. Now in his early 20s (about 50 years prior to DMFA) he is training to become a warrior. His deepest fear is that he'll grow up to become a Demon.
The high-res version may not be 100% safe for work owing to graphic violence. IMHO you can't quite see what's going on in the thumbnail.
These may require logging in:
http://tapewolf.deviantart.com/art/Nigel-s-Nightmare-184949261
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/4736123
For those who can't be bothered to log in:
http://www.project-future.org/stuff/things/Nigels_Nightmare33-v2.png (1500x900)
...I think the biggest issues here have been trying to deal with the focus for the backdrop, the reflections in the moat and trying to figure out what the blood should look like.
At that angle, the water probably won't be reflecting much other than the wall it's in front of.
As for the backdrop, I imagine it be best to keep it unobtrusive, and let the figure have the focus.
Blood, typically, has one of three looks that I'm familiar with:
-As a pool of liquid, it can be somewhere between almost dead black and light crimson, and has strong, highlights, and a sharp edge. I'm not sure what makes blood darker or lighter, though. Oxygen content, or something. :B
-As a smear or smudge, it's usually crimson or lighter, and loses a lot of it's strong highlighting and sharp edges. All the blood in the pic right now looks like smudges.
-When it dries, it turns brown as the copper in it rusts. This can take a while, though.
(Note; I don't really have a lot of practice drawing/colouring the stuff, but as a diabetic who tests his blood-glucose levels four times a day, I see it a lot)
Anywhere blood is dripping or flowing, as it would from the impaled bodies, it'd be liquidy. Splatters, as opposed to smudges, would be mostly liquidy too.
In some places it might have the look of both: the axe might have a smear on it's face, but a dripping blood down the edge. Or a smear through a rivulet coming from the bodies. Using a gradient from one shade to the other works well for spots like that.
A few patches of oxidized brown blood would imply he's been slaughtering things for a week or so, without pausing long enough to clean it off. Busy, busy, busy.
Quote from: WhiteFox on November 04, 2010, 07:21:38 PM
At that angle, the water probably won't be reflecting much other than the wall it's in front of.
Yes. The bulk of the reflections are hidden under the grass. Water is something I still suck badly at drawing.
QuoteBlood, typically, has one of three looks that I'm familiar with:
-As a pool of liquid, it can be somewhere between almost dead black and light crimson, and has strong, highlights, and a sharp edge. I'm not sure what makes blood darker or lighter, though. Oxygen content, or something. :B
Part of the problem is that it's a lot of blood freshly dumped onto some grass, particularly in the case of the unfortunate guy on the left. I did try to add some highlights to that but I'm not greatly impressed by the way they turned out.
Quote-As a smear or smudge, it's usually crimson or lighter, and loses a lot of it's strong highlighting and sharp edges. All the blood in the pic right now looks like smudges.
Originally it was considerably brighter.
See, for example: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/4714992/ (WIP version)
...there was a lot of back-and-forth between me, Ren and Basilisk about what the blood should look like. In the end we basically ended up with a compromise between artistic and realistic.
At the end of the day, none of this has actually happened anyway, hence the title of the piece... :P
Quote from: WhiteFox on November 04, 2010, 07:21:38 PM
-When it dries, it turns brown as the copper in it rusts. This can take a while, though.
Technically, "rust" is specifically referring to iron turning into ferric oxides. Copper oxidizes, but does not rust. And blood has iron in it, not copper.
... but that's just being excessively pedantic. ;-]
Quote from: llearch n'n'daCorna on November 07, 2010, 05:11:29 AM
Technically, "rust" is specifically referring to iron turning into ferric oxides. Copper oxidizes, but does not rust. And blood has iron in it, not copper.
... but that's just being excessively pedantic. ;-]
Iron, not copper... I must be a dunce. Live and learn: thanks for mentioning it.
The background itself looks like a photograph, and the colors are impressive, but my nightmares are much more violent than Nigel's. MUCH much more violent.
(http://project-future.org/stuff/things/Shirtless%20Bass500.png)
http://project-future.org/stuff/things/Shirtless%20Bass33.png (Higher res)
...colouring of a sketch commission Ren did. (See also: Daryil the Goth Fox (http://tapewolf.deviantart.com/art/Goth-fox-will-eat-your-soul-188934558) on DA, and also on FA here (http://www.furaffinity.net/view/4913341))
EDIT: The original pencil is here: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/4916768
Constructive criticism would be appreciated on this (and Goth Fox as well, if you are so inclined, but mostly on Niall).
In particular I'm not sure about the perspective and the background looks a little sparse, it could probably to with a table next to the 2" machine.
The highlights were done with a mouse and on an LCD monitor so they'll probably look really weird when I get home and see it properly.
Rock on. \m/
But yeah, nice work on the colouring, Tape! I like how it turned out! :3
I know it's a commission, so liberty was limited, but it would have looked better, I think, If the bottom half of the wings was white- the pattern of his tail.
Quote from: Kipiru on December 10, 2010, 02:04:30 PM
I know it's a commission, so liberty was limited, but it would have looked better, I think, If the bottom half of the wings was white- the pattern of his tail.
Something more like this, you mean?
http://tapewolf.deviantart.com/art/Daryil-the-Seducer-188934893
...I came very close to doing that, but it doesn't match his current appearance in the comic.
As for the commission bit, that's Ren's work. i.e. he was offering $10 sketches and now that I finally had a way to help pay him back for all he's done towards PF, I grabbed a few.
What I had also considered doing was joining the vertical lines at the bottom of the wings. I had intended to experiment with that, but forgot.
This was actually done a month ago, but I didn't think to post it here. Comments would be welcome, though.
Basically, this is a retread of a picture I did a while back, of Sethir Clandover. I was never very happy with the head in that one though, and the suit was far, far too shiny. Basically it was done as a rough draft that somehow became the final version.
While I had meant to redo the highlights in a more modest fashion, I didn't really want to do that until I had the head redrawn.
(http://www.project-future.org/stuff/things/SethirMk2-15.png)
Large-size versions are here:
http://tapewolf.deviantart.com/art/Sethir-Clandover-revised-197822177
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/5276423
There are also some scraps and outtakes here:
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/5276510/
The old version can be seen here for comparison:
http://tapewolf.deviantart.com/art/Sethir-Clandover-158208613