RtC: B&W Research

When last we left our hero, he had just taken on a quest of insane proportions...

So far I've been spending most of my time on the body. It's just a logistical issue of needing access to certain parts. Once I get the front chest painted to a point that I'm happy with, I'll attach the head and work from there. This project is difficult to say the least. My photos (as usual) seem to be really lacking, so it's hard to really tell that it's only black and white. I keep meaning to spend some time upping my photo quality but somehow I end up spending the time painting instead. This project is pretty challenging given that I'm also reading a really good book on color theory at the same time. (I'll have a review for it in a couple weeks after I finish it.) Trying to just represent materials through light value alone and no hue or intensity is quite challenging. To that end, I spent a fair amount of time the last couple days doing a little research on black and white photography, or rather the subject of that photography and how they turn out. Below are a set of photos I found particularly interesting along with the referencing links for them.

I liked this photo because of the deepness of the shadows in the creases of his skin, and for the reference of the transition between skin and his beard. Very helpful.

Uh, yeeeahhh... This is just a really sweet photo. Really inspirational. Not really applicable for this project, but it really inspires me to stick with the B&W thing so it's here for that reason alone.

The way the light falls over this guy's chest and arms is a really good reference. If the model I was painting had more visible flesh for doing some freehand I would totally use this as further reference for tattoos.

Raw unadulterated emotion. This photo caught my eye for that alone. The expression deepens the creases and thus the shadows on the face. Really helps convey the feeling of rage.

Ok, it's getting late and my muse is striking, so I need to paint now before I get too sleepy and/or my muse bails on me. I still need some good reference photos for metals but I'll continue that research tomorrow. Happy painting all!