My wife’s reaction when I showed her this one: “YAAY ELVES~~!”

Photoshop speedpainting, no reference, about 1 hour.

Photoshop painting from reference, about 4 hours. Started out as more portrait practice but then I keep getting carried away! The pose obviously is after Vermeer, though the colors and painting style are not. Rather, I’m just trying to paint with more colors, instead of the pure monochromatic approach of my other recent studies.

From this reference photo by Aimee Fitzgerald (though I don’t think I quite nailed the intensity of her stare).

Another speedpainting from reference, about 2.5 hours.

Digital painting of a nude grey elf, about 8.5 hours. Started out as just a regular nude but then I gave it the grey-violet color scheme and the pointy ear, so I guess she’s a dark elf now. (As for which kind of dark elf — drow? Dunmer? Noldor? — I leave that up to you.)

I originally intended this to just be a quick speedpainting, but then I kept finding things to work on and before you know it eight hours had passed. But I’m trying to push my digital work in a more painterly style, so it was nice to work on something longer that also felt very loose and energetic.

Another Photoshop speedpainting, this time portrait studies. About 1 hour for the first one and 1.5 hours for the second.

(From reference photos by Marcus Ranum)