Fly no more
For some people sadness is a part of every day life. It's just there, hovering at the edges, waiting in the background, even when they're happy. Because they know nothing lasts - except sometimes bad things can last for a very, very long time. But not good things. They always end too quickly.
But sadness can be comforting too, when it's such a constant companion you get used to it, almost like a kind of security blanket. And sadness can be beautiful. Doesn't it make beautiful things more precious knowing they will disappear, and knowing it could happen at any moment?
The first sketch:
Scanned into Photoshop, coloring it up roughly at first:
The hard work begins, the part that takes 80% of the time, refining:
And the final again:
My name is Steven Stahlberg, I joined Steemit in December 2017. I was born in Australia, grew up in Sweden, but now live with my wife in Kuala Lumpur. I've lived here about nine years so far, and love it!
I work as a lead artist in a game company here. My two sons live in Sweden. I'm working on a graphic novel in my spare time. I use an older version of Photoshop with a Wacom Intuos 3, larger size.
I do self-upvote, but I wait so I'm not the first. I don't buy votes. Thanks for watching!
Links to some of my other art:
Maybe that little bird is giving its last beat of wings and that’s a very sad thing to witness.
The lighting, shading and the focusing is aaawesome!
That's an interesting way to understand sadness.
Wow that expression is soul touching, the lighting again is spot on, love the scatter of light through her hands. Acts a great foreground frame for the image.
Thank you!
Awesome Digital Painting @stahlberg 😁 👏👏👏
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wouw! Nice to see the building up of the work!
Thank you!
It feels like you just spoke up for me. Sadness became my motivation to paint and express my feelings. And I agree that it can be beautiful at times.. The painting is so awesome! The skin is so flawless.. How'd you do it? I can't see any traces of brush on the skin which is beautiful :D
Thank you! Well in Photoshop there are 3 or 4 ways to make things look smooth, first to apply it smoothly with an airbrush. Second to use more than one layer of gentle brush strokes, third to smudge and fourth to blur a selected area. I use each method, at different points, but most common is the smudge. :)
Ohhh I see. Yaahh smudge and blur is a good tool to make things smooth. Why the heck did I forget about that hahah! Thank you for sharing tips though! It's going to be helpful for me especially I am still new to digital painting. Looking forward to your future works!
Beautiful light!
Thanks! :)
sadness is the shadow into which you step to see the light. Bravo friend, it is a great work !
thank you :)
So touching painting!! Life is both dreadful and wonderful right
Thanks!
Yes it is
beautiful work and i like your philosophy behind it!
Thanks! yes part of me is emo :)
Totally awesome. The color and the light are beautiful. 👌