I absolutely love the part of Susan Kay's novel that details Erik's life in Persia. It's just fabulous. So I wanted to draw Erik in his prime, so to speak: younger and at the height of his game.
Let me tell you something, it is SO HARD to make Erik look younger. He just inherently looks old. It is really near impossible to make that corpse-like face look young. Plus, I always overdo it with the gritty details of his face, which does little in the way of making him appear more youthful. I don't think I really pulled it off here, aside from the hair, perhaps, and the fact that he isn't as emaciated as he later becomes. Which is really pathetic, if you think about it, but he IS described in Kay's novel as being skeletally thin for his entire life. I just imagined him a little more robust when he's younger, especially since he worked as a mason as a teenager, and would probably inevitably build up some wiry muscle.
I also picture Erik scarred all over from his time in the gypsy fair, which, according to Kay's novel at least, was certainly brutal enough to leave him severely scarred. But I think in Persia, he would use that to his advantage--after all, his job is pretty much to scare the crap out of whoever the shah wants him to scare the crap out of. And what's scarier than Erik himself? It's much like his reasoning years later at the masquerade ball: it's the one time where he doesn't wear a mask and goes out bare-faced, because his face is more frightening than any mask could ever be. What did he say? Something like, "I am going as myself!"
I love this guy. He's so nuts.
Also, yes. That IS an earring. And a ponytail. And possibly MC Hammer pants.
I hated the part where Erik is in persia!! The whole time I was just like "NOOO YOU ARE RUINNING HIM, EVEN MORE THAN HE WAS BEFORE!!". In my oppinion the only good thing about that part was that he got to know Nadir and his son, and that he still was young at that point
No, you've made him look younger - the set of his eyebrows looks younger to me. There's more of a youthful intensity to his gaze, as opposed to the sunken look of an older man. He looks slightly defiant, even. The way he's sitting is more that of a sprightly young man than a cantankerous opera ghost, too. I think you've done a fine job.
(Really, this leaves me feeling rather speechless because WOW what casual intensity in his expression and posture...but I thought I'd go for casual praise instead.)
Thank you so much! I really appreciate that! I want to try some more younger Eriks, just to challenge myself. But I'm so glad you caught on to that--I did try to convey youth via his posture more than anything else. He's much more spry.
Referring to your comment on how hard it is to make Erik look young, in my opinion it's in the eyes. You have to catch a glimmer of youth in his eyes. Not necessarily innocence cause well you know.... he really isn't.
(Really, this leaves me feeling rather speechless because WOW what casual intensity in his expression and posture...but I thought I'd go for casual praise instead.)
Referring to your comment on how hard it is to make Erik look young, in my opinion it's in the eyes. You have to catch a glimmer of youth in his eyes. Not necessarily innocence cause well you know.... he really isn't.
Hope that helps, keep up the great work