Portfolio Illustration suggestions

Heather Boyd

Hi, for me it might be the positioning of Alice. I have recently read the book this past summer, I don't remember this scene (as I mean it's less iconic).

However the first fall down the rabbit hole has always been a favorite because so many illustrators have put their own twist on it and you are able to put in gesture, action, prop design and maybe the odd unexpected make it your own thing. I think if you made the background (hole/soil) a darker value the character and the props would pop out more, and it could help create depth.

Like @TessaW I also like a lot happening in the tea party. Little details and smaller stories, all contributing to whatever feel/atmosphere/mood you like to create. Perhaps a small story with two smaller characters and another character faintly interested but decides to mind his/her own business. What fun that would be!

TessaW

@asyas_illos said in Portfolio Illustration suggestions:

I went off the rails here I think… I don’t even know what to say. I am about 3/4 way through this and I am just not happy at all with it. I don’t know if it’s the colors, I may have gone a bit crazy. Or the characters, I played around with several expressions and styles but I always ended back with these, and I still don’t entirely love them. Please help!

Overall, I really like how it's shaping up. I like your colors, textures, comp, shapes. What's your plan for finishing up? At this point, the thing I feel is lacking is that your focal points don't have quite enough emphasis that makes them feel like true focal points. They look a little unfinished, but I don't know if that's just because you haven't but the final touches on them yet. I kind of feel like it's that way for the falling Alice illustration as well.

I wonder if part of the reason it feels like this to me is that you are using a very small value range with just a tiny amount of dark value. I don't necessarily think you'd need to change your overall value structure, but you'd need to emphasize focal points in a different way. You are kind of doing that with texture, but I don't think it's quite controlled effectively enough to make up for the lack of value range.

I wonder who your style influences are? I'm wondering if your style influences use limited value ranges as well. Maybe we could get some clues from them on how they manage their focal points?

Asyas_illos

@tessaw thank you for the encouragement! I would like to do a queen one too!

Asyas_illos

@tessaw I saved the original but I I think I’m going back to scratch. From the sketch anyway and start over on the color. I want to carry over a lot of the colors from the rabbit hole illustration into the tweedles yet transition to more blues and purples.

Asyas_illos

@heather-boyd thanks for the feedback! The tweedles scene is from the original Disney film I’m not sure it’s literally in the book as I have not read it since high school but I didn’t totally want her as the focal point anyway in this particular illustration. I will tweak the lighting a bit for the rabbit hole illustration maybe that will create a better focal point. Thanks!

Asyas_illos

I re-sketched the tweedles and I think I’m happier with them now, but I’m still going to rethink my colors.

Asyas_illos

Ok honest opinions please! I struggled with this a lot for some reason, with character design and color. If you have anything suggestions on what I could’ve done differently please let me know

Lisa Clark

@asyas_illos I think maybe there is something missing story wise. Are they playing hide and seek? Why is Alice in the log? It would be good if that was more clear. I like that you switched tweedle dee and tweedle dum to be little kids. That's a fun change from the Disney version. I am excited to see what other illustrations you do with the Alice in Wonderland story!

Asyas_illos

@lisa-clark thank you for your feedback! She is supposed to be searching for the white rabbit but you aren’t the first to say that so maybe I should find a way to incorporate the rabbit somewhere. Thank you again very helpful

Asyas_illos

A couple of you mentioned why is she in the log? what’s the story? While I figured it was obvious because of the movie, I wasn’t thinking like an illustrator and it was lacking in story. So I added the rabbit in two different poses because that’s who she’s been searching for, but I’m not sure which I like better. I asked my kids and got mixed answers. Any thoughts?

holleywilliamson

@asyas_illos super cute style, I just think the view of Alice’s bum is very awkward, but I think the view of the rabbit’s bum/feet running away works

Asyas_illos

Ok I think I’m gonna call it on this one and I feel much better about it. Thanks for the feedback everyone who spoke up, it really helped me!

Lisa Clark

@asyas_illos So much clearer! I love it. That made all the difference!

Asyas_illos

I initially wanted this one to be a spot illustration but I got carried away… again