Collaboration!!!

[demotlj]

@kaitlinmakes I love the flow of the lines -- the repeated arcs in the flames and the elephants' trunks contrasted with the horizontal curves of the waves. It is so organic. I also really like the eye of the foreground mammoth staring at the viewer -- it makes it feel very poignant.

[burvantill]

@kaitlinmakes @kaitlinmakes this is coming along nicely . There are a couple of small tangents. I’ve included a marked up screenshot to show you. I want to love that elephant in the foreground but it’s the only thing that might not be reading well. I’m wondering, If you enlarge the next closest mammoth and remove the closest one, would that help or hurt. .
I can’t wait to trade.

[kaitlinmakes]

Hey yo! I totally know what you mean about the mammoth in the foreground - I didn't really have her planned out yet - just the shape - but tonight I'll actually work out the logistics of her anatomy and I'll also play with getting rid of her or replacing her with another shape.
Thanks for catching those tangents tangents tangents tangents - the constant battle.

[kaitlinmakes]

@demotlj
Thank you so much - It's so nice to know what works - I didn't even catch the horizontal vs. vertical communication not how the fire related to the elephant trunks. Happy accidents? but I most definitely will push those relationships in the final

[burvantill]

Colin is in the game! Do you think it's getting crowded down there?

[kaitlinmakes]

@burvantill
Haha, no - I actually love how you tightened up the whole image and allow some of the figures to crop out - it makes it feel less staged and more organic (the new IT word of the week).
I also LOVE the bears new pose! It reads more reactionary to the threat coming in - and everything being cropped in more shoots my eyes up past the attacking raccoons, to the bears eyes, up through the cage and to the raccoon with the arrow - which drives it all back again. Oh man! I'm feeling this!

[burvantill]

@kaitlinmakes sweet! I'm going clean it up so I can transfer it.... Tomorrow.
It's been a loooong day.
I really like your mammoths. I chose number 2 on IG. I agree with... I forget who it was, about the tusks. I can't wait to paint the fire!
I'm starting to get anxious, I don't want to disappoint.

[burvantill]

Time to decide if I will ink it or no.

[kaitlinmakes]

@burvantill
Dun dun Dunnnnnnn!
I've never watercolored with and inked line - so I'm up for the challenge if you go that route!!! So excited to play with this

[burvantill]

@kaitlinmakes it’s not hard. I use waterproof ink so it doesn’t run. . You can paint right over the top.
If I use it

[burvantill]

I’m having mental issues with my bonfire.

[kaitlinmakes]

@burvantill
Want to talk about it?

[burvantill]

@kaitlinmakes . No just venting. I have figured it out. I’m happy now.

[kaitlinmakes]

@burvantill
Nailed it

[burvantill]

@kaitlinmakes and I exchanged our pictures on Friday. So now I'm working on the mammoths. I took a pic an brought it into procreate for some value swatches. Please take a look and tell me your thoughts.. I like number 2.

[kaitlinmakes]

Wow - I am just so impressed with you rIght now - was this tough?
I like number 1 - I guess I visualized the front elephant being dark, but I like how it fades away with a lighter value.
My second favorite is number 2.
But I think you should go with your heart on this one - cause I'm terrible with values.
I hope you get some more feedback with this with the community.

[burvantill]

@kaitlinmakes lol thanx! I looked at a lot of forest fire pics. Some with animals in water. So I was able to get a little perspective on how the light works from the flames. I colored it in procreate too but I think I want to surprise you. Lol. I’m gonna stare at it again tomorrow to see if anything jumps out in a bad way. I haven’t decided if I’m going to ink it or not. Ink is my comfort zone and I want to push myself soooo we’ll see.

[kaitlinmakes]

Haha ok - if you post it on the forums in a new thread for feedback, I promise I won't look. Pinky promise.

[burvantill]

Done!
This collaboration project with @kaitlinmakes definitely challenged my comfort zone. She drew a dynamic picture and I had to not ef it up. I am happy with the end result. We had planned on showing our finished works at the end of February, but Miss Kaitlin got to go on vacation so we have put off the reveal until now. I have not seen how Kaitlin has finished my raccoons yet. I was told last night that she has finished so she should post it soon .
Here are the Mammoths:

[kaitlinmakes]

@burvantill I just absolutely love these elephants and look forward to either hanging the finished piece on my wall, or getting a print of it up there.
I think the way you handled it really showcases the emergency of the environment - not only does the light of the fire reach out into the waves of the ocean to press this - but your choice to go monochromactic (sp?) really engulfs (lol, thats a fire joke) the whole image in the intensity of the event - which is what I wanted when I went into drawing it - what else would be powerful enough to drive animals into the unknown? I apologize for throwing this to you, and am also so glad that you took up the challenge.

I have officially finished my end of the bargain - at the end of this I went with the "finished not perfect" because there is still 15% that makes my body itch. I'm excited to put it away for a week or so and come back to it to reflect on the image - but I know it's been too long, so I wanted to get it up.
This piece challenged everything I know. Stylization, craft, light and shadow, values, storytelling - there are a whole bunch of firsts in this image and this final image is heavy with layers of paint.
I changed a few tiny bits of the image - mostly because I was so out of my comfort zone, and trying to figure out how to paint a door in a semi-lighted tree without drawing too much attention away from the main scene blew my mind. Lol - I also chose not to light any of the windows, because one light source was all I could muster.
But there were beautiful moments and fun moments, and I am so grateful that we did this collaboration because I don't think I would have taken on such an indepth and lively image like this (and finished it) without having this challenge on the table.
Thank you Lisa.

I really tried to focus on values, focus point, color relationships, how to even show light and carrying out a constant treatment/stylization throughout.

Whew! It is officially cocktail time.