Rabbit road race WIP (construction site thieves)

[lucy_gow]

I started working on this yesterday (based on my vehicles class assignment) and then read the full prompt today. Hopefully it's enough of a 'race'! The rabbits are racing away from a construction site after stealing. I'm planning to light it like it's sunrise (since bunnies are crepuscular) - with long shadows and stuff - but planned the composition and local colour today.

[Meekipink]

@lucy_gow Ooooh, you did it! Super cute!!! However, I do feel there's some perspective issues (since I remember you saying the bunnies were driving traffic cone-sized cars). Right now, the bunnies in their traffic cone cars look too big, as if they're driving almost regular-sized cars (the bunnies also look to be roughly about half the size of the men in your image, which is pretty huge for a bunny!).

You could fix this by either shrinking the bunnies (maybe making them 1/3 the size?) or drastically increasing the size of the construction site in the background. The main item throwing off the perspective is the tree closest to the bunnies. Since it looks so similar to the tree in the background, my brain thinks they're roughly the same size, which means the bunnies right near the tree must be huge!

I hope this makes sense. I want you to make top 16, haha, this concept is so cute!!!

[lucy_gow]

Thanks @Meekipink I see what you mean. I started noticing that problem after I uploaded this too. Thanks for pointing out about the tree (in my mind I was drawing a small bush, but it is so much more like a tree - at some stage I guess I forgot what I was doing).

I had a go at reworking it. I think I can use the tracks to indicate distance, if they disappear and reappear again, bigger. Also, maybe I'll use plants to my advantage by drawing some flowers in the foreground to indicate the small scale. Still lots of work to do, but there's plenty of time I guess. Thanks again!

[Meekipink]

@lucy_gow Wow, you’re fast! Oooh, this is definitely better. I’m excited to see this one coloured!

[mcschweitzer]

Yes, the rework is much better! This totally counts as a race! Great work! Excited to see the finished piece.

[kirsten-mcg]

Yes, I think this one is working much better! The one thing I would add is that at first glance it's a little unclear that the rabbits are stealing stuff from the construction workers. Maybe make the workers look a little more panicked? Waiving their arms and running after the rabbits? Just think about what you would do if a couple of rabbits ran off with your equipment and your boss was going to blame you for it!

[lucy_gow]

Thanks so much for your encouraging comments. I had another go at coloring in and gradually it morphed into this. I think I'm sort of happy with the design, but not sure if I should continue improving it or start over doing the line work and everything.

I don't think the storytelling is very strong, but that's sort of where I'm at – I'm working through the foundation curriculum on SVS learn and I'm not up to storytelling yet :).

[kirsten-mcg]

@lucy_gow I just showed this picture to my kids and they immediately got your concept! They had a good laugh at it. My son thinks that the rabbits disguised their cars as caution cones to hide until they saw a good opportunity to steal the stuff. I know storytelling is important, but sometimes it is fun to let the viewer come up with the rest of the story themselves. My kids certainly enjoyed it!

Maybe a question you could ask yourself if you want to add more of a story is why they are stealing the construction worker's stuff? Just an idea. I love the story just as it is!

[lucy_gow]

@kirsten-mcg It makes me really happy to hear they got it and found it funny. Thank you for telling me about that! I'll keep working on it.

[jenn]

@lucy_gow I think the linework, lighting and palette are strong, and the perspective looks great now too! I love the texture, and you captured movement well. I like how you used value to enhance the depth of the composition. As far as storytelling, it looks pretty clear. I think the tractor tire that they stole should be a lot bigger, though, right?

[lucy_gow]

@jenn Thank you. You're right. The tractor wheel would be bigger.
It might look funny to have them carrying it away, but they wouldn't have the strength. I think I'll add a wheelbarrow with a missing wheel.

Maybe they tried the tractor wheel first but left it at the scene because it was too big.

[lucy_gow]

This is my final picture (I took a while to finish it and post it because I've been a bit overwhelmed with my teaching work - I was asked to fill in full-time for a while at my school, and it is a lot of work for me). I ended up submitting this. I feel a bit self-conscious because you gave me such helpful feedback, and I know it could be better if I was better. Anyway, I'm happy overall and learned a lot! Thank you.

[PenAndrew]

@lucy_gow Wow, you have really developed this image from the first drawing. It is so much stronger. Great to see your work developing more and more, sorry I have been absent from the forum, got locked out!

[lucy_gow]

@PenAndrew Thanks you! Actually, I've been absent the last couple of weeks too. Sorry you were locked out! Welcome back.

[PenAndrew]

@lucy_gow Thanks Lucy, it has been good to have a break but I have been absent for ages!

[jenn]

@lucy_gow I love how it turned out!