Can't decide what looks good/need digital painting advice

[grovylegirl]

So I've been bouncing back and forth on different coloring styles they're both painting but here is example 1

1. 
   
   This is done in medibang, with just the watercolor brush. It's not done and would still need to be worked on. This is my original style, well I tried painting a different way but it's pretty similar to what i normally do

2. 
   
   this one got a little more worked on. This is done in clip paint studio and this was my first time really trying this out i used the oil paint flat brush with the transparent watercolor. I was trying to go for this style of painting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYiKHzOWSu4

I was wondering which one was better and what each could be improved on. Also whenever I paint I always find myself over blending I think, like it takes probably 40 minutes to blend everything and still it's not entirely finished, do you just have any advice on blending better so it doesn't take as long and still looks nice?

Thanks!

[shazzbaa]

I think one relevant question is: how big is the final product gonna be? Because some details and differences that are visible at that size are gonna be a lot less important if your final product is, say, this size -

I feel like the biggest differences are (1) that you added some bouncing light into the oil brush one and (2) that the oil brush one has some texture to it. I think that's more of a preference thing -- do you want your work to have that slightly textured look? I tend to diminish the overly smooth look of default brushes by adding texture overlays to my pictures rather than using textured brushes, but either one works and they have different advantages.

Ultimately, it doesn't look like a different colouring style to me - just the effects of a different tool! The new brush does look nice, but I don't think one is objectively better; the biggest thing that makes the oil brush one look stronger to me is that bouncing light.

[Evan_Bee]

Totally agree with all of this. I will say the second pic just looks better overall.

[nessiefynn]

I like the texture in number 2, but I'm not fond of those pink highlights. They don't seem to really fit in with your color palette. If you want to get faster with your painting, I'd suggest doing speed paints. Try doing a simple digital painting start to finish in less than an hour, then try doing in 45 minutes, than 30. The easiest way to paint faster is to push yourself. Additionally, try to be looser with your brushstrokes. Start with large, soft shading and than work your way down into details and more crisply shaded areas.

[grovylegirl]

Are you taking about the shading for the blue light?

[nessiefynn]

Yeah, I think so. The blue light doesn't really look like blue light because you made the highlights rather intense, but didn't add any more shading to account for the light. You should consider trying to either toning down that blue light, or adding more, darker shading to the face opposite to the blue light.