Keep it up, and do some in color you silly thing. I really like the pose here, it's not terribly expressive but it is interesting without being overstated. I'm not sure it suits the suicide thing, but were you maybe going for a lonely feeling? I'm getting a lonely vibe, but not very strong since he's essentially sitting up straight (or to the side, point is he's not slouching) and looks more dazed or wistful than anything else. I only get that vibe because of the theme of solitude; one Nekka, one rock, one bird, one cloud, it all makes it feel very empty, but even more like one scene from a vast plain (maybe because there's so much sky?). I like this one a lot, actually, and I'm so happy to finally see more from you.

My main criticism is the composition, and it's a very minute detail that screams at me. Hopefully this will make sense; the bird hurts it for me because of where it is and where it's facing. I think it would help if it was flying away from Blank (opposite from where his feet are facing I mean), was a little bigger to define it's shape more, and further away from the other elements of the image. I just feel that it's a vital part of the image and that's not being emphasized enough.

By the way, a REAL friend would critique my paintings. Just sayin'.

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I hope you're not one of those morbid fellows, Velveteen.

Oh, if you're going to be a crybaby about it.

I really do appreciate the feedback- i'm pleased to have acheived what I was trying to do, at least on some levels. I was actually thinking about doing this one in ink and duotone in order to blow the contrast out and make those shadows black, but getting the pose right was hard enough in pencil, and I didn't want to muss it.

In the end, being a chicken drove me away from the true potential of this piece, and I may do it again someday.

I wanted it to be as empty as possible, and I felt the bird drew attention to that open, lonely sky. I didn't want the clouds too dark, because it was meant to seem like a very hot day, but without something up there, it was just an empty page.
I do need to work on my perspective though- the bird was indeed essential, and lazy.

I think the ultimate goal with the pose was to express how little he cares about what's happening. In the past the thing I hated most about touching on this subject was how dramatic it ended up being, and that dispelled the atmosphere for me. He doesn't care what he's done to himself, but the overwhelming shame keeps him from facing the viewers. He wants to be alone, and has nothing more to say.

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GIVE THESE PEOPLE LOVE~!
[link] <- a man of innocent sickness.
[link] <- my partner in crime!
[link] <- you want this.
[link] <- i'd so marry her.

That's self-contradictory. He doesn't care about trying to commit suicide? Trust me when I say you have to be REALLY unhappy to attempt that (you're overriding the most powerful instinct you have), and plain old apathy will only make you consider it at most. Also, you say he doesn't care, but he's extremely ashamed? Thing is, suicide IS a very dramatic thing, and it only really seems acceptable to people who themselves consider it. To any third party that thinks the suicidal person is better off than they realize, it will seem like melodrama. I myself know what it's like and know that having a bad life isn't the only motivator, but I certainly wasn't considering suicide out of boredom. I didn't care much for life, it felt (feels) like going to a movie you were told was really good but ends up being sub-par. That sounds flippant, and on it's own it just means apathy and a lack of motivation, but couple that with being made to live a life you didn't even want and you have... Well, angst.

What I'm getting at is that dancing around cliche seems to detract from this. It pains me to say this, but this pose actually just conveys that his arm is hurt and he's calm about it. I love the pose, but I didn't get what you were going for.

Also, you say he's looking away from the "audience," but that requires him to be aware of such an audience. I assumed there was a fourth wall, so that makes the shame theme unnoticeable.

I really like this image, I'm just saying the message didn't translate well for me. SO you know what? I'll add my own message and love it anyway

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I hope you're not one of those morbid fellows, Velveteen.

RALLY HO! Please do. Love it however you can. Because that's far more than I can even really ask for.
I'll keep trying to clarify and define what i'm going for in the future. I guess just because the experience I have with not wanting to live is so dreamy and unattatched to reality that Blank becomes an airhead about it, too. I've come into contact with several kinds of severe depression here and there, and Blank's is one developed out of detatchment. The world isn't the way he wants it to be, he feels overwhelmingly worthless, and so he withdraws completely into himself (or tries to).

In a way I guess it's even more dramatic to have him looking away, aknowledging that he's being watched by us, but it was an important gut feeling not to be able to see his face. That calm detatchment was supposed to contrast with the tense atmosphere of the situation, creating... I don't know, perhaps a sick feeling? All of these 100 theme peices have been begun and executed solely on gut feelings, so it's hard to put logic behind them. I just wanted this scene to be a huge downer to exaggerate the bright energy of Light.

Thank you for giving me an excuse to gush about what was in my head

--
GIVE THESE PEOPLE LOVE~!
[link] <- a man of innocent sickness.
[link] <- my partner in crime!
[link] <- you want this.
[link] <- i'd so marry her.

Oooh, I like his hair in this one......and the rock....and the clouse...

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I tea.

Just don't confuse apathy with depression. Apathy is a lack of drive and compassion, depression is dissatisfaction with one's situation.

Anyway, I think you could have better communicated a certain degree of nonchalance if you tone down the amount of attention he's paying to that arm.

Why am I critiquing my favorite one so much?

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I hope you're not one of those morbid fellows, Velveteen.

'Cause you're nice and I appreciate it <3

I don't know, from what you just said, it seems to me he's got apathy and depression going on. I might be on crack. Just saying.
I know i've mentioned like eighteen times he's supposed to be all, "I don't care about this arm", but the gesture is also supposed to say, 'Yeah, you can pretend this doesn't hurt, but you are upset inside, you asshole. You can't get away from this'.
Contradiction. So much contradiction. What am I doing. xD

--
GIVE THESE PEOPLE LOVE~!
[link] <- a man of innocent sickness.
[link] <- my partner in crime!
[link] <- you want this.
[link] <- i'd so marry her.

Why thanks, I wish my hair were as nice and straight as his. I could be cool.
Thanks for all the like and the
<3

--
GIVE THESE PEOPLE LOVE~!
[link] <- a man of innocent sickness.
[link] <- my partner in crime!
[link] <- you want this.
[link] <- i'd so marry her.

You're sending mixed messages. Gee, what a surprise

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I hope you're not one of those morbid fellows, Velveteen.