Since I wouldn't be here without Red, it seems fitting that I put up an image for him first.
I did this as a birthday gift just over a month ago, and this was actually the first real figure image I've ever done that was neither stick figure nor amorphous blob.
Most of the time I was working on the image (which was several hours, sadly) was spent on the hand(s), particularly the left one, obviously. I had in mind a kind of "come here" pose, and I had the hardest time with that. So much so that I didn't even try to do the other one after one poor attempt. You can see that not only is the other hand more defined, it also has a sharper look that's incongruous with the rest of the image. For some reason it didn't look right softer- it didn't seem as clear. The whole thing was airbrushed, but I could've been more consistent with it at least. I also would've liked to have defined the hair more, but I was caught up with the hand and honestly tired of working on it and didn't want it to be a late gift besides, so I never did finish that, and I probably won't ever get back to it, either.
The part you would think the most complex - the bikini - that was actually probably the simplest. I couldn't have spent more than twenty minutes on making the pattern and then fitting it to her body. In the original image, though, I did have her naked. But as I was working I was having a discussion with his finacee, Nadia, about textures and patterns and how I didn't think they were as difficult as they looked, so I sort of just added that in to make my point.
I'm also not happy with the eyes; they look rather flat (though everything but the hand and the breasts seems almost flat anyway), but I found it impossible to draw them any more realistic than that. Something else to work on.
Overall though, I'm happy with it. It was something quite new for me, doing a figure, and a nude one at that, and on the bright side it's pretty obviously female, so I can't have failed too horribly. And Red liked it, which is what counts. Happy, uh...35 days after your birthday, Red.
Woo! This is a great first attempt, Janus! The face is so pretty -- I love the calm, but kinda saucy expression. The hair is also lovely and soft looking, and it's great that you went so far as to make a pattern for her....swimsuit? Underwear? ^^;; But what I'm most impressed with is the figure itself. Yeah, I know, the hands and arms don't really look right, but the proportions of the head, neck, and torso are great. You avoided many anatomy mistakes beginners tend to make. Also, the pose is so natural and realistic. Even though you didn't draw the whole body, you can tell from her torso that her weight is shifted and resting on one leg. She might even be walking. Great work -- can't wait to see more!