September Cover

[Thrace]

This is an illustration I just completed for an online children's magazine I illustrate for every month. I am not sure about the apples in the trees. I would love any thoughts for improvement. Thanks!

[Reid Smith]

What is the name of the magazine? Would love to see more...

[Thrace]

@Reid-Smith said:

What is the name of the magazine? Would love to see more...
It's just a small magazine that I do voluntarily. It's called Kids Imagination Train.

[Steve Young]

Good choice of colors, the image feels a little flat, moving your main character to one side of the image would help with the image feeling too static. I think the problem with your apples is the are all copies there is no variation within them to create interest.

[Thrace]

@Steve-Young said:

Good choice of colors, the image feels a little flat, moving your main character to one side of the image would help with the image feeling too static. I think the problem with your apples is the are all copies there is no variation within them to create interest.

Thank you so much for the advice! All of my images seem flat to me how do I change that?

[Fabienne]

@Thrace-Shirley-Mears Hey Thrace, this looks nice so far! Show some apples complete and color 1 or 2 with a color gradient (yellow-green, red-orange). You achieve a more 3-dimensional look when you move down the objects below the horizontal line, add shadows and don't forget the perspective lines. Maybe add some blade of grass as well.
Have fun and keep on going.

[Thrace]

@Fabienne wow! What a difference just that little bit did!! Thanks!! I am learning so much just from being in this forum, it's like being in school.

[Fabienne]

@Thrace-Shirley-Mears You're welcome my dear!

[Thrace]

Here is my update. Are the apples any better?

[Maile McCarthy]

@Thrace-Shirley-Mears I really like the updated image. The whole thing flows so much better for me with the ladder moved. Adding some trees or something subtle to the hill behind the mouse might create more of an illusion of depth. Just keep them low-contrast to the sky so they don't create a distraction or interrupt the really nice negative-space you've got going on.

For the apples-- I like the idea you have with tucking them up under the leaves, but having so many like that feels distracting to me. Maybe just one or two. And I think you can add that shine to the new apples too, to create more harmony with the rest of the tree.

[Thrace]

@Maile-McCarthy Thank you so much for the advice. I will work on it!