Creative Composition final projects

[kirsten-mcg]

Working on the final assignment form Creative Composition. The prompt is “Quickly the little salamander scampered down the forest floor and hid from the squirrel!” The concept I’m playing with is a game of hide and seek. I added another character! Some very rough thumbnails and then a slightly more refined sketch.

[kirsten-mcg]

And a cleaned up value study. I think I’m going to watercolor this one.

[Chantal Goetheer]

@kirsten-mcg love the concept! How the salamander is holding it's giggles and mouse is urging to stay quiet. It makes it much like hide and seek. Im not quite sure where my eyes are drawn first based upon your value study. It seems a bit busy? Right now the background trees take up (too much?) attention because of their thick lines I guess. Looking forward seeing this in colour!

[ArtistErin]

I love that you posted the initial stages of rough thumbnailing. I can see where you're going with your refined sketch, can't wait to see how it evolves!

Making a final illustration usually does take evolutionary turns from the initial thumbnail and it is refreshing to see how you take it from beginning all the way through to final work. Your sketch looks clear enough to me and thank you for sharing your process

[Kim Rosenlof]

@kirsten-mcg This is really cute and I love the hide-and-seek concept.

[kirsten-mcg]

@Chantal-Goetheer the background should be less busy when I paint it, because the thick lines will be gone. You’re right that I do need to pick a focal point though. Right now I can’t decide where I want the viewers eye to go first, the salamander, the mouse, or the squirrel.

[ArtistErin]

@kirsten-mcg I suppose the story would be intriguing, to understand why the salamander is giggling under his breath? And of course the mouse is trying to shush him, I'm just curious what the story might be?

I used to love playing hide and seek as a kid! The excitement of being found, watching someone looking around and being the one looking at this composition I wonder how you would describe this anticipation visually?

[kirsten-mcg]

@ArtistErin that excitement is what I’m trying to portray! Specifically I was thinking about how funny it was when the seeker walked right past and then went the wrong way. I’m not sure if there’s a better way to get that across though. .

[ArtistErin]

@kirsten-mcg lol yes!!! It takes such skill to "capture" the essence of something like this in one image. You almost need a few more maybe spots to show the progression? I would love to see how you draw the silly situation you just described! Just rolling over laughing here, cause I was JUST playing hide and seek, ha ha ha and I'm outing myself here, I guess I'm still a little kid, the anticipation was so great, when I found my boyfriend hiding in the pantry I almost jumped out of my skin when I opened that door.

[kirsten-mcg]

@ArtistErin haha that’s the best! Never grow up too much to play hide and seek. I play it with my toddler, only she usually ends up shouting out where she’s hiding as soon as I get done counting.

[Anaid J.]

Hey @kirsten-mcg great job here! I really loved your master study, it looks so similar to the original one! And also the values are on point, loved that!

With the composition, I like how you showed us the initial thumbnails so we can see how everything starts to develop. Something I have to do more of is thumbnails, because I always try to jump right into an illustration and then I end up hating what I did hahahaha. My only question is: are you planning on giving the salamander and the squirrel a lighter value than the darker ones in your big thumbnail?

[Chantal Goetheer]

@kirsten-mcg same here

[kirsten-mcg]

@Anaid-J I actually did a 2nd value study after the one I showed here, and yes they were both lighter. Now I’m starting to watercolor it though and the values I had planned on aren’t coming through yet. I might have to do digital value adjustments after I’m done.

[kirsten-mcg]

This is the point where I always feel like quitting. Trying to decide if I should start over, or do value adjustments after I finish.

[kirsten-mcg]

Sooooo, I started over. And I’m glad I did! Feeling better about this version.

[Chantal Goetheer]

@kirsten-mcg love to see your process and progress of the piece!! Did you have to re-draw all the line work again too? And love to see the wip of a traditional watercolour piece!

[kirsten-mcg]

@Chantal-Goetheer I did completely start over with a new piece of paper. I have a light table though, so I was able to just trace it again. It wasn't too bad.

[kirsten-mcg]

@ArtistErin @Chantal-Goetheer and @Anaid-J finally got this one finished! I did end up doing some digital edits on the values in the end because the original didn't have quite the contrast I was looking for. Thanks for your help and encouragement everyone!

[ArtistErin]

@kirsten-mcg

[ArtistErin]

@kirsten-mcg This is even better! The salamander pops more:). Super clear composition! ️️️