Isolation contest WIP

William Meany

Hi, Branden

Nice work! My eye goes to the fallen bicycle first, and the nice vignette of the arguing cyclists. I don't notice the boy in the foreground until later. I don't know which is the focus, but Changing the foreground character's hair color to something lighter may give it more contrast and more visual pull.

xin li

@Braden-Hallett I love the value design of the image. It is very unexpected, becautiful.

braden H

Work progresses!

EliaMurrayArt

@Braden-Hallett that tiny knot in the wall is just. excellent. like a teeny tiny eye watching over his shoulder.

Miriam

@Braden-Hallett - This looks great & the values are adding a lot! I like how the book is lighter than anything else in the treehouse. I agree that the detail of the knot in the wood is such a nice bit to add. It's also fighting with the book for attention though, since they are the only high-contrast points in the dark area. With the knot's hole being brighter, my eye keeps being tugged that way. Do you think you could tone it down & still have it blend with the grass below? Or maybe we could assume a leaf gets in the way & that's what shows through the hole? Just some ideas.

I like how you frame the image with the gradient at the top, the tree on the left & bottom, and the sidewalk to the right. It helps the eye start at the center, and then I naturally look down & get the payoff of the quiet reader.

aprilshin

Love how you're handling the grass! So subtle, but so good!

braden H

Right under the wire again. Sorry for not responding to everyone, my month got... Busy. But I finished it off! Hooray!

I hate it

theprairiefox

@Braden-Hallett I think your darks are too dark. My wife did not even see the boys until I pointed him out.

braden H

@theprairiefox said in Isolation contest WIP:

I think your darks are too dark. My wife did not even see the boys until I pointed him out.

Fair enough! You're almost certainly right. There's always next time since I think I'm doooooooone with this one for a little while

Coley

@Braden-Hallett if you can hate something this good then life ain't so bad 🥴

Btw I have a love/hate relationship with my piece so I kinda sorta get it

LauraA

@Braden-Hallett Fascinating! Do you often hate your pieces by the end? I sometimes wonder if working hard to finish a piece in time inclines us hate it, and what we can do about that. That said, you are about ten times quicker than I am!

I love the Go, Dog! Go! "big dog party" aspect of this one, and I identify strongly with the child in the tree house. In fact, I strongly suspect that someone is about to come ask him/her why he doesn't go join the fun and thus ruin his peace . Great work, as usual!