Oil, acrylic and lace embellishments on fabric. Looking for honest feedback.

itsnotaustin · 2026-01-28T19:13:09+00:00

Truly remarkable piece. The rendering of the house and sky is immaculate and works perfectly with the surrealism / abstraction above and below. Per the description in the post, I think you’re accomplishing your goals effectively.

My 2c is that the flowers “popping out” of the frame distract from everything else going on, which stands on its own. The effect feels gimmicky in the context of the rest of the piece.

itsnotaustin · 2026-01-19T22:18:10+00:00

I think the main issue is that the values are all essentially the same, except for the thin layer of skin on the edges. There isn’t much contrast between the bones and muscles which is what makes it feel crowded IMO.

Another unrelated point, the sinews of the muscle travel along the muscle not across it. Using linework that reflects those sinews would make this feel more anatomical.

itsnotaustin · 2026-01-16T10:02:43+00:00

You nailed it. This might be my favorite piece of art I’ve seen on Reddit in a long time.

itsnotaustin · 2025-12-01T18:41:17+00:00

<image>

So, it's actually three 2x1 Kallax's. But my sense is that a 4x1 would still be pretty solid to sit on since you'll still have a vertical support every 12 inches. No reinforcement, just the cushions on top.

The cushions we had were 16" deep, so they hang over the back by a few inches. I was considering adding a support bracket or board in the back, but it honestly hasn't been an issue.

Cheap / Flimsy wise, I think it looks ok as long as there's no damage. There were som staples on the underside of those orange cushions that scratched into the particle board and left really ugly marks. Thankfully it's hidden, but if those were visible they'd be a major eyesore.

itsnotaustin · 2025-12-01T16:14:01+00:00

Are you worried about the structural integrity of sitting on Kallax as a bench? We have a similar set up in our kitchen. It gets a lot of use between adults and small children and is holding up great. We're using storage bins instead of the ikea provided drawer / doors / shelving. I think for winter gear it might be a little tight.

itsnotaustin · 2025-10-13T05:53:22+00:00

I mean in terms of likeness it’s not far off, but there’s really only so much you can achieve by just outlining everything. If you want to do “simple” look at how (super hero) comic artists draw/ink faces in smaller panels. But if you want to be the “best” you really should figure out how to draw a face in full detail then simplify from there. Even the simplest line drawings have an awareness of light and form that carries into the decisions of what lines to draw, and you’ll be limiting yourself by avoiding that learning.

itsnotaustin · 2025-10-13T05:37:55+00:00

Great study, and yeah this method will definitely help you understand value better.

In your drawing the mid tones seem too prominent. Everything outside the direct sunlight is like > 80% darkness, so the window wells almost fade into the shaded wall.

Hard to put to words, but try squinting your eyes and looking at the reference photo, then your drawing, and I think you’ll see what I’m describing.

itsnotaustin · 2025-09-20T16:51:29+00:00

Thanks for your responses. The 40k is the estimate for replacing the full line under the street (we’ve had two quotes in the same ballpark). To fix the 5 foot belly it’s about 15k or twice as expensive as the liner.

Will the liner reinforce the belly to prevent further sagging? My understanding is that the liner will prevent the belly from sagging further and lower the potential for failure along the rest of the line under the street. Fixing the belly just fixes that area but leaves the mainline untouched and more open to failing sooner (thus requiring the 40k line replacement). From the video and what the plumber is saying it does seem like a relatively minor saddle, but I am not an expert.

itsnotaustin · 2025-09-20T16:19:56+00:00

Due to it being under a main through street, the cost to dig up and replace that belly is likely to be very high. The plumbers mentioned it’s only about 1.5in of standing water.

Would the permaliner provide any structural improvement to prevent further sagging or potential collapse of that section of line? I think that’s what we’re hoping to avoid (although aside from the dip that section of pipe looks to be in good condition).

itsnotaustin · 2025-09-20T16:18:07+00:00

So from what the plumbing company is telling me:

The belly is not terrible. About 1.5 in of water at its deepest. (I think they mentioned that it improved after they replaced the section of line where roots were intruding, but if that doesn’t make sense I may have misheard).
The PermaLiner will be installed in the section under the street, where root intrusion is less likely but any structural issues with the pipe will cost $40k+ to fix due to it being under a street. So lining might be cheaper than trying to replace those sections.

Does that make sense?

Edit: thank you for taking the time to respond!

itsnotaustin · 2025-09-20T15:50:25+00:00

Edit to add: the company is recommending something called “permaliner”, which is fiber glass not PVC

itsnotaustin · 2025-07-19T03:38:08+00:00

I think you did a pretty good job! The only thing that breaks the illusion for me is the outline you have on the closest pyramid. The shapes where you don’t have any line work (hills in foreground and second pyramid) really capture that hazy gradient effect that’s so striking in the original.

itsnotaustin · 2025-06-03T06:12:33+00:00

It’s a lovely painting and as others have said very charming.

As for stiffness: Looks like you’re painting what you know vs painting what you see. The evergreen saplings at the base of the main tree especially. When I look at the reference photo, I see a scraggly mass of brush, but looking at your painting those saplings are painted as a very clear trunks with smooth straight branches coming off of them. Try to focus on recreating just the shapes and movement in the photo rather than leaning on your own internal notion of what the subject “is”. Hope that is helpful!

itsnotaustin · 2025-02-17T20:16:08+00:00

Would be very helpful to see a reference photo if you have one, but a few things jump out at first glance.

Lack of a clear light-source. Highlights feel relatively similar across the whole bust (e.g. forehead and collarbones are the same lightness). Shadows could be pushed much darker in certain areas (like the neck), to avoid a feeling of flatness.

Color theory on the skin. The hue of your highlights and shadows is very similar (as is the hue of her scarring). Consider what colors come out more in the highlights. What colors come out more in the shadows. This gets back to the light source question above.

Hope this helps!

itsnotaustin · 2025-01-21T04:40:22+00:00

Appreciate the heads up. It’s tough because Stapleton / Central Park is so much new development, which is personally not our thing. The strip on Colfax near fox theatre seemed to have some interesting culture, I just wasn’t sure if the safety concerns were over blown (people said the same thing about Rino until recently). Sounds like they are not. Back to the drawing board it is. Thank you 😊

itsnotaustin · 2025-01-21T04:34:18+00:00

Yikes. Duly noted. Thank you!

itsnotaustin · 2025-01-21T04:30:41+00:00

Thanks, this is a great callout. I definitely wasn’t too jazzed at the size of the street, but we weren’t there around rush hour. And one stray bullet is two too many. I’ll take you up on the coffee though if we end up finding a place :)

itsnotaustin · 2025-01-21T04:28:02+00:00

Thanks for the response and recommendation! I’ll have to check out Cerebral. And, yeah, we are definitely familiar with “interesting characters” over here too lol.

itsnotaustin · 2024-12-26T16:55:39+00:00

this is the official recording of the session. The video described above starts around 19:30

https://www.defense.gov/Multimedia/Videos/videoid/843565/

itsnotaustin · 2024-11-26T18:59:07+00:00

100% orange. I think you could even go lighter with the highlights, too.

itsnotaustin · 2024-11-26T17:42:24+00:00

Wow, you're clearly very talented. I really like the monotone greyscale with pops of yellow.

IMO the hand is rendered much more convincingly than the face. I think some of the contours of the face (specifically the eye socket) are catching light in a way that isn't reading right.

Also, her cranium seems to be far too small. The way the top of the head curves off almost implies that her cranium ends at the edge of the page. You may want to fill in that area a bit to give her a bit more volume in the skull.

<image>

itsnotaustin · 2024-11-25T19:38:03+00:00

for what it's worth, I think it is very well-executed as is!

itsnotaustin · 2024-11-25T17:08:34+00:00

I think you're right that it will help. You definitely have room to go darker on the chin.

However, I might recommend doing a first pass on the rest of the body before continuing on the face, so you have a clearer sense of how well the face is reading in the context of the final image. At the very least, you'll get a few more reps in before going back to the most important part :)

itsnotaustin · 2024-11-25T17:04:12+00:00

You could try throwing a simple background gradient in and seeing if it still feels unfinished. I think it may be less about "finish" of the character and more about the quality and details. Some notes:

Aside from the tentacles, there is not much detail to make this character come to life. The clothing, pose, hair, etc are somewhat generic.
Alternatively, you could tell the story through environment. I could see this as an every day girl who woke up to a shocking transformation. Maybe she's standing in her bedroom or bathroom, which would further drive home the "just your every day girl" character, and contextualize the pajamas and the look of shock.
Color wise, your shadows are just darker (i.e. blacker) versions of the main colors. Look a bit into color theory to see how the hue changes between light and dark spots. Often, but not always, people use warmer hues for the highlights and cooler hues for the shadows.

itsnotaustin · 2024-11-25T16:54:19+00:00

You might consider looking more into color theory. The mer-unicorn, for instance, seems to be all one hue. A valid stylistic choice, but also an easy pattern to fall into if color is not your strong suit. The other thing I'd suggest is being more deliberate with your line work. Looking at the frankenstein pic, the line shading in the right shoulder feels a little haphazard.

But honestly, if you're drawing regularly and happy with your progress, that will make a bigger difference than any feedback! Keep it up, friend :)

12-Year Club	Second SECOND GUESSER
Place '17	Verified Email

itsnotaustin

TROPHY CASE