August 3rd Thursday
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@smceccarelli This version of Dorothy has so much personality! I love that you are moving away from the traditional color schemes and pushing the nautical/beach colors. The update to the Lion is great too! I understand exactly who they are now!
I'd suggest updating the scarecrow and tinman too. Maybe make the scarecrow's pose a little looser. He's maybe a more scatterbrained, forgetful kinda guy... maybe make him more frazzled or less put together (maybe literally falling apart?) Also, I'm losing the lit match on the tinman pose. Checking how the silhouette reads can help the pose be clearer. Maybe have the arm in the opposite direction so the tinman is looking directly at it.
Overall, the pirate designs on these are fantastic and really unique! I really really look forward to seeing these progress!! Keep up the stellar work!
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Your work is really beautiful, continue please!
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Work in progress...I am experimenting with a new process. Still many many hours to go!
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really fun idea and twist.
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It looks fantastic already
Nice canvas textures going on in the paintwork, it all looks very natural. -
@smceccarelli Love these characters!!! Great work!
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I love this so much!! Great action, dynamic, design, color and their interaction with the props and each other is so good!
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@smceccarelli I love your painting style, and the silhouettes of your characters. My only concern is that, with the exception of the Cowardly Lion, I don't know that I would get that the other characters are from the Wizard of Oz if you hadn't told me. Just a thought, for what it's worth. But I think your illustration style is outstanding.
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@smceccarelli amazing work so far. I love what you did with Dorothy her color scheme is perfect.
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@smceccarelli pro level work! this is really really great. Can't wait to see where you take this, you've got a very solid design and color foundation here.
One thing, it might be interesting to see the traditional Dorthy colors (blue/white) incorporated into your new design. The reason I say this is because I think it would make the boots really pop (the red footwear is iconic and it's getting a bit lost in the color scheme) as well as helping with the overall recognition of the character.
Along those lines: maybe sparkles on the boots? That might have been the next step and you're just not at that level of rendering on the piece yet but just thought I'd mention it.
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@mattramsey I was thinking that too. Maybe give her braids as well - those are iconic Dorothy as well.
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This is really great work, lots of character and personality!
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@Rebecca-Hirsch forgot about the braids. Yes you are absolutely right.
Looks like one of the earlier sketches did have the braids.
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And here is where I am - finished? Not sure about whether to include the typography or not. Thank you every body for so many positive comments and feedback! I really set off to do a portfolio piece this time, and I think I am happy enough with the outcome to include it.
@mattramsey you have a very good point with the boots and the color scheme - but I decided to stick with the red/green as an experiment in limited palette: it is training I really need. I did add sparkles to the boots though. I do not thing there is an "iconic Dorothy design". There have been so many different version of the WOZ characters along the decades, everything and anything has been done. I love Greg Manchess' version, in which Dorothy is a black-haired punk-gothic teenager and Toto is a bulldog (and which, by the way, was featured on the cover of Spectrum 17).
I am not totally happy with the Lion - and anything else you can spot that needs tweaking would be welcome!!
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Wow - amazing!! It's so beautifully painted, I love seeing it up close and just absorbing all the detail you put in there. Really well done! I love the textures, the way you've got that metallic texture on Tin Man and the lion's mane and cheeks also lovely brushstrokes. I could go on! ...but as you've asked for suggestions I'll make one - if I were to change anything, I'd make the Lion's cheek just cover his upper gums a bit more. There's something about his jawline and teeth that bothers me...but honestly it's a minor thing amongst so much awesome painting.
I like the typography, I'd keep it in there personally. Great piece all round!
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@Dulcie Thank you so much! I see what you mean with the Lion's cheek. I am also seeing a few other things to correct here and there, so not finished yet!
Pausing for a couple of days - it's the best way to spot mistakes for me.
Does anybody else also need "simmering time" on pieces, before deciding whether they are finished or not? -
Oh yes I need simmering time - during final pieces, though actually I need it most when doing character sketches..often I do a new one, and immediately think YES this is the one...then when I look at it the next morning think 'Oh no way the first one was better', or 'I need to sketch some more', etc.
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@smceccarelli I guess I would say that there is an iconic Dorthy. Imagine Manchess didn't have the red footwear. The only way we'd know it was Dorthy was the other characters around her--and really, we do need those because without them it could just be any punk girl. As soon as you see a monkey with wings (or the robot guy) it suddenly makes sense. If he would have only included her (and maybe her dog) I'm very confident he would have needed to add in other iconic elements such as a wicker basket, braids, a blue & white dress, etc or no one would have gotten the connection. He wouldn't need ALL of those items but there has to be some other elements there.
Another (not that anyone needs/wants one) example: Imagine an artist were to re-imagine Dorthy as a fat, balding, middle aged man sitting on a couch eating junk food. No one would have a clue that THAT'S supposed to be Dorthy. However, if the artist started adding in iconic Dorthy stuff, now the viewer gets it.
So really, the iconic Dorthy is the one first imagined by the movie (not the book which, relative to the movie, few people have been exposed).
All that doesn't really have to do with your (awesome!) piece but I'm just putting my 2 cents in.
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@smceccarelli Really great work. I love it. There are probably a few little tweaks here and there like maybe a bit more rending on the tin man's hand holding the match to help it pop out from his body a bit more. But overall it's really beautiful I love the cast shadows on Dorothy's dress. And the rendering on the scarecrow's pants is done really nicely.
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I think you've come really close to nailing this one. Would not be surprised to hear your name mentioned during the critique. Best of luck and great job!
