More studies and sketches for "Cinders" (Title TBC)

Hi everyone, 

I hope your week-end is going well so far!
Here, the sun is finally shining a bit, and I will try to take the opportunity to go for a needed run at some point. Living with my partner is wonderful, but I am still trying to figure out a healthy rhythm and structure that will allow me to fit in as much work as I used to, while also having the time to exercise, and spend time with him. 

Anyway.
Thank you for all your encouragements while I experiment with this piece.
I think my struggles with it are reflections of a larger introspection I have been doing the past couple of months.
I feel like I have definitely cornered the topics and concepts I like to create, but I am still tinkering with my overall visual style, and still don't feel sure about how I draw and paint my pieces yet.

I have been using this particular painting as a blank canvas to experiment with because, not only is it challenging me technically, but what it could express could go any of a number of ways, and I am trying those out to see which fit my objective the best. 

I apologise for the unusual amount of time this piece is taking me, especially as I am behind on it and the one for August, but I feel confident that my meanderings with it will bear fruit that will help me be happier and faster with subsequent creations. 

Regarding the above iterations, I am still happier with the first one you can see, in terms of the lighting of the hands and the design of the character and of the explosion cloud. The painting on the body got messy and cloudy after a while of me tinkering, especially on paper that is not designed for watercolour, although, as Timo mentioned in his comment in one of my Lense clips, I do like how the person appears somewhat translucent.
I prefer the overall character and the lighting in the 4th sketch. 

I still need to figure out a background, as I don't want to give in to the temptation of going for my usual darkness. It will be dark, but I want to e kind of scenery. Especially since I have decided to paint this piece on a bigger paper than initially intended, and it will mean that I will have more space for the explosion, and more background visible than on those sketches. 

But my biggest struggle is the explosion.
I am unsure as to whether I want it colourful, or minimalistic. I really dislike how I painted it in the 2nd study, so at least that's settled, but I am not altogether happy about the first sketch either. I am struggling with that one, and need to do more experimentation, perhaps on smaller sizes and thumbnails...

All in all, I definitely feel like I am getting there, and my goal is to have it painted next week, so I can get on with the Process PDF and close up the late July rewards, and start on the August painting and PDF. That next concept should be easier and swifter to put together, especially since I will hopefully have done some of the research legwork with this current piece.  

I hope to have July, August, and September painted but the end of the month, so we can go into October with a fresh slate.
Advance warning, rewards will be a little different in October because of Inktober, although I haven't quite figured out how I will organise things, but I will keep you updated. :)
As a little exclusive spoiler ; I will participating in Inktober this year, and have decided to use red and black ink, and follow the symbolic theme of "Fire". 

That is all for me for now,
I hope you guys are all well,

I will keep updating you as things go along, obviously!

Also, welcome to another month! Where did summer go, I genuinely don't know...