Angel Feathers for the Wings.....

[Ross Macintosh]

The feather does have a mystical quality about it.

I'd suggest trying to release it's shadow - give it more freedom. My attachment is a quickly drawn example of what I'm talk'n about. The first shows a conventional shadow. For the second I converted the shadowed grouping to editable shapes and then ungrouped so the shadow is a seperate object from the lollypop. The shadow could then be skewed etc. independent of the lollypop. For your feather you try moulding the shadow...

Regards, Ross

<a href=http://www.designstop.com/>DesignStop.Com</a>

[Old Dog]

Your story of your relationship with your mother has inspired me to tell mine.

I am 54 years old and I can truly say, that my mother has been the best and closest friend I've ever had.

I lost her two years ago this coming June completely unexpectedly. She was not ill a day in her life. She had just undergone hip replacement surgery and was recovering quite well after just three weeks. Then one warm Sunday morning, while watering her house plants, she just dropped dead. We believe it was a blood clot from the surgery, but no one really knows.

I was, and to some degree still am, completely lost over this sudden loss, and the only comfort I was able to find was that when I went into her studio after finding her, I discovered, wet with paint brushes and an unfinished canvas on her easel, and it let me know that she was doing exactly what she loved more than life itself just minutes before she passed away. What better way to finish one's time here on earth? That unfinished canvas hangs on my wall today.

My point being, we never know when someone dear to us will leave us. If you have issues with a parent or loved one, put them aside and find a way to come together. Tomorrow may be to late.

It appears that you and your mother have done this, and for you I am very happy.

Please post your finished piece here in the Xara gallery, whether it is done completely in Xara or not, for me is not an issue. I don't think it is for anyone else either. Just add a little note to your post stating such, and I think it's fine.

We'd all love to see such a personally motivated work of art.

Good luck with the finished piece, I'm certain your mother will love it.

Regards,

Jack

[Crow Haven]

from Ross...very useful about how to change shadows more to get better effects, I didn't know how to do that--but have note of it now! Thanks Ross!

Hi RAMWolff! Yes, if somehow I come across that book again (it may still be with other boxes of packed books---I'm a avid reader and have "tons" of books [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img] ) I will send those poems to you [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img] .
Merry Be, Merry Part [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img] !

---As The Crow Flies---
Maya

[RAMWolff44]

Ross, I understand about the shadow thing, but you have to realize that this feather will be cloned 3 dozen or more times to be placed in a pattern to create an angel wing. So I am not sure as to what to do about the pretty purple/pink shadow I gave it. I was actually thinking of converting it back to maybe a lighter gray or something, so that there is a line of delineation on the side away from the light to make it more dimentional and so they all look a bit more individualized.

Also something that haunted a dream I was having about finishing it last night, I an concerned about the shapes. I know that I can elongate the feather and it will look fine or squash it and it will not loose detail either, but the shape itself!! I is going to have to be curved more in certain areas. I know that an envelope is what I probably need. It only needs a bit of a bend here and there but I'm not sure. Any suggestions??

Jack, your story about your love for you mom, well I'm an emotional person, we'll leave it at that. So wonderful to be that connected to a person but, yes, it is painful to loose them too. I lost both my adoptive and biological fathers in a 2 year span, Bob (adoptive) passed 2 days before my 38th birthday from a massive stroke and my biological father (Richard, who I was named after) passed 5 days after my 40th birthday from cancer. Strange eh??? Interesting thing about them both, they were brothers. Yes I was adopted by my Uncle and Aunt that couldn't have children when I was 3. Mom (bilogical, the one I'm doing the angel for) was quite busy being young (I was born when she was 17) so she wasn't ready to be a parent, but Marijo (adopted parent) was, so it all worked out just fine. So imagine having 2 sets of parents?! I have lost my adoptive mother as well from alocoholism back when I was 18. So I cherish my one last living parent very much and I am thankful that our issues have been resolved, thank God and the Goddess for that!!!!!!!!

Maya, you too??? I read just as much as I am on the computer, it's amazing I have time to work a job [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] If you ever do dig that book up, I would be SO happy and greatful!!!!!!

Saw 'Queen of the Damned'. I liked it, I give it 4 stars!! 'Interview with a Vampire' was better!!!

RAMWolff [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]

[dafipp]

RAMWolff,
Fantastic job on the feather. The colors are awesome. I know you are looking for ways to improve it. The only thing that is apparent to me is the quill at the tip. I believe that the quill should end short of the tip and the tip be composed of only the fine parts of the feather. I would stop it about where the seperation on the lower side is. Hope this helps.

Dale Fipp...

[Crow Haven]

Wasn't sure if that was about the pagan part or the book-reading---but YES [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img] covers both. People are often so confused about it (pagan) and frequently think I'm of some other belief unless I tell them. I respect others' beliefs---also found to be surprising to some I guess...well, then some peoples' imaginations just go wild and they may envision that I paint my body blue and dance naked under a full moon [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] (you ought to try this in warm weather, however, [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] paint is optional )...I rarely can be caught wearing shoes unless going into town [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] ...yes, I can be rather amusing... [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]

I think the feather will work well for the major first flight feathers (first 5 or 6) with just a bit of resizing. The smaller feathers closer to the shoulder--at least on an actual bird--would be very short and very rounded at the tips ("U" shaped) so it may be an idea to also create a shorter feather of this type to resize also, if the mould tool doesn't give satisfactory results...it would also give a bit more variation in the feathers as would be natural. Just a thought.

Anne Rice novels--I've read most of them--favorite one is, "Tales of The Body Thief." Also "Interview..." was great. Haven't yet seen "Queen of The Damned"...too spooky, etc...for hubby [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] so may have to wait on it.

---As The Crow Flies---
Maya

[RAMWolff44]

While I am thankful for the advice, and your right there.........The quill part of the feathers won't be visible, so that is not a concern. But if I decide to design a quill pen, I will most definitely re-do that part.

Maya, and anyone that's listening, there is a fantastic book on wildlife painting. It's more of referance guide to getting textures and forms right. It's called Painting Wild Life Textures Step by Step by Rod Lawrence, published by North Light Books. I was amazed at the detail at explaining different, seperate areas of furry, scales and feathered animals of all kinds. A question to Maya or anyone: Is there a book that has more of this kind of information, illustrated really nicely??? Not an anatomy book, but one that give examples of birds, wolves, goats, ect.... in explaining the different body parts in illustrated views??? The info on birds wings is really great but not quite what I want. Of course an angels wings folded down are nothing that a bird of any species that I know of. So it's all compromise and imagination. My mind is mostly there but the area that extends from the top fold to the long hanging fold, I am not sure how the feathers should look.

Anyway, babble, babble, babble........

PS: Here is an one of the examples from the book, probably the most useful of all the examples in the "wings" section of the book.


Thanks again.

RAMWolff : )~

[Crow Haven]

I don't have any books that would show what you're after, unfortunately...I usually resort to looking for animal photos if the real thing isn't available to study. I ran into the same problem with the decorative door poster I made, though, and just "winged it" as well. I cropped out a section of the top wing bend for the attachment.
As it was purely decorative I really didn't give it a lot of detail as I would have if it were a canvas and a "serious" painting...so keep in mind this was just a "slap on the paint" project, and the wing shape may not be at all like you need...

[img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img] ---As The Crow Flies---
Maya

[dafipp]

I've stepped all over your beatiful angel feather. I was afraid that you misunderstood which part of the feather I was suggesting you change.

Maya,
Beautiful decoration!

Humbly,
Dale Fippinger

[RAMWolff44]

I take absolutely NO OFFENSE to the instruction.

I will have to redo that part. Thanks so much for pointing that out. Below is the continuing work in text. Whew!!!!!

I managed to seperate the wings from her back area, took me hours, So now she looks like a choir singer [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] (no halo, no wings, ect...) It's amazing using the zoom tool with the freehand tool, combined with the slice shapes tool to cut away areas with exact precision. I actually corrected a very pixely area that didn't do to well in the export from PhotoPaint (the checkbone and chin area, vital in my book to look good).

So next thing is the re-do the feather, create some fluffy upper feathers, the smaller ones that Maya pointed out to me that may need to be fashioned. I tried to resize the one I did, but it just didn't look right. So....more feather creation. Now that I know what I'm doint it shouldn't take me all day or night. Goddess, I hope not [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_eek.gif[/img]

Maya: Is that part of the poster that you painted?? She's really pretty!! I would love to see the full length sometime if you could pull it off. Perhaps a digital picture??? But only if you feel comfortable or have the time or inclination.

RAMWolff [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]