Vector Painting with Xara

[Gamerprinter]

Ok, its not really painting, rather I am drawing shapes, applying a gradation of colors, applying transparency and feathering and stacking this color shape layered on top of others. It achieves a painterly style, though I am not quite adept at it yet, but have some grasp of the technique.

I have the needs for a cover illustration for my next upcoming patronage project for Kaidan - Obake: Bestiary of Kaidan (a monster book). My plan is to have a kitsune (fox demon on the left side), a bakeneko (demon cat) in the center bottom), a yurei ghost woman (at center top), and this image which is an Ao Nyobo (split mouthed woman; accursed) at the right side of the illustration.

I may yet commission someone to do this right, but I wanted to experiment. I used a photo of a geisha for reference.

Thoughts?

GP

ao-nyobo.jpg

[Ramah]

Eep! Now that would scare the crap out of you. Although, it would probably be more unexpected when she opens her mouth to eat you if she only had lipstick in the usual place so the width of the mouth was kinda hidden under the white paint.

Interesting technique and the results are really cool. Good stuff.

[Gamerprinter]

Thanks, Ramah! I was somewhat inspired by your wonderful paint work.

She would normally have a folding fan in front of her face, looking at you demurely with her eyes, asking "Do you think I'm beautiful?" then she pulls the fan aside and eats you...

OK, here's an update, I have my yurei ghost girl behind the Ao Nyobo. I still want to 'try' and create a kitsune. My problem is trying to create hair and still look painterly.

My goal in this project is to include both iconic Japanese monsters as known in the west and iconic Japanese monsters that are rather unknown in the west - plus my favorite monsters.

GP

obake-illustration.jpg

[ravells]

Totally cool and scary!

[Steel General]

Lookin' good so far GP!

[Diamond]

That looks awesome, man. Now I want to watch 'The Grudge' again...

[Gamerprinter]

I think I'm going to call this illustration complete. I've named it: "Three Ladies of Kaidan".

I ended up with a satisfactory version of a kitsune.

Enjoy!

GP

3-ladies-of-obake.jpg

[Ascension]

The teeth sort of wrap around the outside of her skin whereas they really belong inside the mouth, where you might see some jaw bone or a gap between skin and teeth. Otherwise, looks good. If these are just conceptual rather than finals then forget what I just said.

[Gamerprinter]

Eh, in the Japanese version, the skin is split open with the teeth showing, no lip and very little depth of the cheek. On this illustration there is a shadow over the upper death caused by the lip on the outside. So this version is better than existing illustrations of Ao Nyobo.

It might be a concept, it might be a final, or it might be just an intellectual exercise. As the final list of monsters doesn't really exist yet. Since this is a patronage project, the patrons get a say on which creatures are included and the Ao Nyobo 'might' not make the cut.

Really I was just experimenting with creating painterly work in Xara Xtreme Pro...

Edit: here's where the illustration belongs. Concept cover for Obake: Bestiary of Kaidan

GP

obake-concept-cover.jpg