Help with picking a thumbnail

[Kevin Longueil]

@lmrush Top right is my favorite composition - looks very nice to me

[MirkaH]

I want to sign up for the course so bad, but don't have the extra funds. It looks like an amazing class though. Have fun.

[Sarah LuAnn]

That course looks so fun, but I can't justify it with a baby taking all my extra time. When I squeeze in time to draw I feel super accomplished.

I'm putting in another vote for bottom center. Looks like a fun idea, I'm excited to see where you go with it!

[lmrush]

@Sarah-LuAnn It won't be long and you will gain more and more time to paint, you will see, it goes by so fast soak up all those snuggles, Luke rarely wants to cuddle anymore!

[Gary Wilkinson]

I like the top right sketch, although I think it may look even better if there was some movement in the tail to balance out the composition due to the strong movement in the waves. Perhaps if the whale was curling into the boat from the left side (with its tail leaning to the right) it would help the eye flow towards the boat, does that make sense?

If you don't mind me also comment on future values/lighting, I would say that if there is a warm light on the boat that contrasts with the cool darks of the water (with a touch of rim lighting on the whale) then it would look awesome, but that's getting a bit ahead of myself

[drawingmelee]

@lmrush It's hard to pick one thumbnail, they are all so much fun! My favorite is the second one on the bottom row. I love the way you drew the boat on the water that way: very dynamic!

[eleArts]

Whenever I'm creating thumbnails for a new project I strive to play with perspective as much as possible. For example, the last thumbnail seems to be an action scene, so I'd want to push the perspective forward to illustrate movement. By slightly overlapping the whale in the foreground with the boat in mid-foreground and the sky with waterline in the background will create a forward motion creating an exciting action scene for your final illustration.

[DOTTYP]

I love the 5th one for the angle of the sea and boat but maybe with the angle the whale is in the last one (horizontal).Hope this makes sense!

[lmrush]

@Gary-Wilkinson thank you so much all advice totally appreciated!!!!!

[lmrush]

@eleArts thank you so much awesome tips!

[andyjewett]

I like the dynamic of the vertical compositions... probably your fifth thumbnail.

[lmrush]

@DOTTYP yes thank you makes total sense

[lmrush]

@evilrobot thank you for your input I really appreciate it

[lmrush]

@Kevin-Longueil thank you kevin

[lmrush]

@drawingmelee thank you

[lmrush]

@andyjewett thank you I appreciate your input

[lmrush]

Thanks everybody for your input on my thumbnails. I finally got a chance to sketch it out I would love your insight before I take it to paint. Thanks!

[lmrush]

My thought is to keep it to two colors gray blue and salmon, the boat will be salmon like the krill, the idea being the whale thinks his boat is a large krill

[holleywilliamson]

@lmrush what a fun composition. I just don't like that middle whale going straight up and down. A little angle would be nice I think. Also I what do you think about that middle whale being the one to hold up the boat. It feels a little weird that we can't see the rest of the whale that has the boat.

[MOO]

@Rich-Green I don't see the Lee/David course. What is the title? I just redrew all my book pages and need to redo them again, I think....AAAgghhh!!! As my son says, they look a little flat and the eyes need more expression than just being circles......He has a pretty good eye and I always ask for his opinions on my work because I know he will be honest and he seems to get children's books. If I could wow him, I'd feel so accomplished