[Lunatique]

A new painting I'm working on. Trying to decide between the two outfits for Foxglove.

1) Classy Chinese Qi-Pau

2) Sexy Chinese Du-Do with short skirt





A little background on the painting:

I composed a piece of music called Magnetic Pulse/Agent Foxglove Has Infiltrated the Compound, and it was basically score music befitting a spy thriller flick or TV show. The imagery I had in my head while composing the music became the inspiration for the character Agent Foxglove.

Who is Foxglove:

Agent Foxglove was a former CIA operative. She was declared MIA three years ago while on an assasination mission in North Korea. Later, she was believed to have become a rogue agent, and promptly listed as an assassin working for the enemy. There hasn't been any confirmed sightings of agent Foxglove since her declared MIA three years ago.

Agent Foxglove is a quarter Korean, a quarter Chinese, a quarter Japanese, and a quarter French. She speak fluent English, French, Chinese (Mandarin, Cantonese, and various other dialects), Korean, Japanese, Spanish, German, Russian, and Turkish. She is trained in all major forms of martial arts, an expert marksman, an expert in chemicals and poisons, and rumour has it that she also possesses E.S.P., and that gift has been exploited by the enemy and develped into deadly psyonic powers.

The real truth is, no one knows where agent Foxglove is, and who she's working for. But hold on tight, because we're about to find out. . ..

[Steven Stahlberg]

Cool composition. Definitely the Qi Pao, makes her look like a true assassin with a heart of blue steel, the Du Do makes her look more like some skank who just stole her boyfriend's gun and is shooting someone for a prank or something.

[Lunatique]

Yeah, I'm leaning towards the Qi-Pau too, simply for the elegance.

The Du-Do is more eye-catching and make her pop out more, but I think in the context of the narrative, it might be a little too much. On the other hand, in either outfit, Foxglove is a drop-dead gorgeous piece of work that no red-blooded male would walk by without looking at twice. So, the Qi-Pau wouldn't necessarily make her less noticeable.

As far as dressing down to make the hit more successful--I think it really doesn't matter. Even as attention catching as she is, men tend to have this instilled sense of decency--where if they gawk at a chick that's smoking hot, they compensate by turning away slightly embarrassed--maybe making a few comments/jokes to the other fellows--and then they might turn back and gawk again. As long as there's that one to two seconds of opportunity while they turn away, Foxglove can carry out the assasination.

[Impaler]

Qi-Piau with a high-cut slit down the side, so she can actually use her martial arts.

Or maybe a sexy business pants suit with some eastern styling.
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QED, sort of.

[Steven Stahlberg]

Couldn't help it, had to paint it, and Rob said it was ok to post it. About 2 hours in PS.

[Lunatique]

Like I told you in email, it rocks! (although very different from what I had planned)

I love the simpler, more graphic look. It's like a whole different style for you. I can see you gave extra loving care to Foxglove's curvy assets. Heheh, wouldn't expect anything less from you.

[Capt. Fred]

Cool!

I don't what's going on though. Looks as though she is just walking past, but then she's drawn a gun and the guys don't notice/care.

I know it will become a fantastic painting, just wanted to understand the scene, because it seems to me as though it's not making much sense � just me?

Look forward to the paint luna, and steven - great!

[Steven Stahlberg]

Well maybe I misunderstood the whole thing, and Lunatique will laugh at me, but I'd like to tell you my interpretation, that inspired me so much about this scene; it feels like a moment out of a movie, and a pretty cool one at that. It's that split second before something really important, sudden and irreversible happens.

The bodyguards have seen her approaching, but paid no heed - she looks exactly like any other pretty young thing, out shopping or to meet someone. Sexy but expensive, wiggle in the walk, empty head, the whole nine yards. As she passes one of them looks away for other imagined threats, and the other hands his boss a phone. (Nice touch Luny. Maybe it's a friend of hers, watching from across the street, calling at that exact moment to distract them.)
That's when she pulls the already cocked gun out of her handbag and takes aim in one smooth motion, without even breaking stride (which might have warned them). Maybe one of them will turn in the next instant due to some instinct, but it will be too late - the guards go first, pop pop, then she stops and turns because now she can take her time. Double pop in the head of the mark, perhaps another couple shots in the bodyguards to make sure, gun back in bag, keep walking to the car waiting at the corner.

[Lunatique]

[Spectra]

Classy dress all the way.
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[Bishop_Six]

Very cool scene, Lunatique. I vote for the Qi-Pau dress. Like Steven said, the other is kind of skanky. The elegance and class of the Qi-Pau immediately makes her more of a likable character(to me, anyway), and not just the typical female eye-candy you see everywhere. When I read Steven's interpretation of the scene(very nice painting, btw), it was what I imagined in my mind except for when she shoots the guards. I imagined her moving in such a smooth, continuous motion that, by the time the guards recover from the shock of their boss's head exploding, she has already re-concealed her weapon and disappeared into a doorway.

I can't wait to see the finished painting.

[Yarik]

I'm going to try one explanation too Lunatique..


1)
The Boss owes someone thousands in gambling money/ land development promises. The boss might be a congressman who is very corrupt.

2)
The boss double crossed someone, in this case he is still a bad guy, and now who ever he double crossed is out of jail and this is his first paypack.

3)
The boss (the fat guy in the middle), grabbed her ass. And the assasin is a Feminist worker.

[Lunatique]

I'm a little stuck on this piece--there's a bit of a perspective/framing problem:





I like the first version's closer framing where you see less of the far away background, but as you can see, it is technically incorrect according to the vanishing line and the correct size of the red figure.

The second version is technically accurate, but I don't like the fact you see too much of the far away background (sky, tall buildings..etc).

Is there a solution to this?

[Sukhoi]

Hi Lunatique.

I guess you could do the image as it would appear if viewed through a tele lense. With things in the foreground being the same comparable size bit out of focus or something.
I would perhaps also lend to the assasination theme because of the gunscope feeling one would get from the zoomed view.

Sukhoi

[Lunatique]

Ok, this is my current remedy to the problem. I fudged with the scale of the sidewalk tiles, the building down the road..etc. They are not accurate according to the horizon and vanishing point, but they give me the framing that I want. In this case, aesthetics wins over accuracy.



I'll probably do something about the pole being right behind the guy in the middle. Maybe move him a bit to the right?

BTW, the perspective problem was discussed in this thread, and lots of helpful ideas were explored: http://forums.sijun.com/viewtopic.php?t=38263

[Frode]

Looks really great... I agree with the dress.
I don't know if anyone has mentioned it... but how is she suppose to run away on high heels? Or such a tight dress for that matter. Maybe she won't... but then this'll probably be her last kill.
Or she'll use her high heels to kill the rest.

[Odds]

Or she'll persuade them that she didn't do it with her sexy looking ways.