Looking for Feedback
-
Sorry it's been a while. This is a piece I just started working on. It's still sort of in the sketch phase, and I'm looking for some feedback. I'm also still trying to figure out exactly what to render as the debris the sky.
-
Hi! Very dramatic piece, nice low canted angle and great composition! First thing that I am thinking is that if you bring down the background values just a touch, that white lightning will standout from it instead of blending in. I also took a very soft brush and just outlined it for that glow effect. Very cool sketch!
-
I would add swirling clouds, small leaves and general detritus! Great image, very dramatic.
-
I agree with both Nat and Robin...and this is awesome!
-
so dynamic and extremely strong compositionally. I think the texture in your sketch work is interesting and adds to the sense of movement here. I would avoid doing too much tiny detail in debris, as it could be distracting from the point of highest contrast and focus: the eyes. Just my thoughts! Excellent work!
-
Thanks for the advice everyone. Here is where it's at now. Does the bottom right corner seem really empty? I keep wanting to put some debris or something there, but I just haven't got it to work. I've been putting things in the sky, but then dialing it back to where it becomes unrecognizable. The line between defined and distracting seems really fine, but maybe my eyes just zero in on every change I make.
-
@Xovq i wish i could offer you stronger advice, but I really am taken with this image and I personally like the space in the bottom left, it allows for a moment of rest for my eyes, and serves as a way to help keep me engaged in the image.
-
You're right. I flipped the image around and immediately realized that the area needed to be bare. There's so much energy driving into that area from the other side of the picture, the image almost seems to be falling into that space. Anyway I started adding some color to it.
-
ugh! this is so good. Dude I love the contrast with even just that little bit of color added. This is gonna be a killer piece!
-
Looks fantastic!
-
Here's an update. I've improved the colors a bit. It keeps getting lighter and lighter, and every once in a while I have to go back and darken the foreground character. I'm looking at it now and thinking the shirt is still too light.
I was excited to see that there was a video about making images with several objects. I feel like it helped me a bit, but I was having trouble grouping objects, since most of them are only recognizable by their silhouette. When they start overlapping, the become a little less recognizable. I don't know that it counts for #draw50things given that most of it's not very visible, but there are definitely more than 50 different things in the upper half of the background.
-
just looking at this new image again, if he has lightening coming from his eyes, shouldn't there be more drastic highlights around the top edges of his shirt where the light hits closest? it might make that area pop more.
-
@Xovq I definitely like the colors--except for some reason, the "purple" lightning just isn't doing it for me. Not sure what is off except that maybe this is TOO powerful (and saturated maybe) that it is dominating the image.
-
It looks like something I would see on a training card like a spell or trap card. I like the conceptual art brush look on the first one. I would only refine them a bit to get rid of those overlapping transparency strokes. Great work!
-
So I realized that my monitor wasn't calibrated correctly and that last image is a lot more red than I intended, so this new image should represent more closely what I was going for.
The purple lightning is darker and less saturated now, but I'm not sure that it's working yet.
I improved the lighting from the lightning, but I think his shirt has gotten too light and is blending into the background. Should I make the background lighter, more purple lightning to distinguish the contour, or something else maybe?
-
I have not tuned in on this piece so far, and I have to say it is shaping up to a great image. There is one thing confusing me though: you keep referring to a "purple lighting". I guess you mean the purple streaks behind the figure, but these do not read like lighting at all. They are actually the darkest element in the image nearly, so they read like streamers or maybe some fluid (blood?) pouring out of him. If you want them to read as lighting, they need to become the lightest or second-lightest element in the whole image - which would probably mean considerably darkening the background. I agree with @MirkaH that adding the effect of the white light on his shirt would add to the realism as well.
Looking forward to the final: this would make a great book cover! -
Honestly, I called it lightning because @mattramsey called it that. It's more like this dark otherworldly energy. I was kind of going for something between lightning and fluid for the shapes.
I'm actually doing this primarily as a print to sell at conventions, and secondly as a portfolio piece.
-
I'm not sure if anyone's pointed this out yet, but there is something about that lightening on the right that's reallyyyy bugging me. Maybe because it's going against the round curve of smoke in the background? Or maybe it's my animation background rearing it's ugly head, but the energy is flowing in a completely different way than the lightening on the left side of the piece. I think, even if you just "flipped" the taller flash it would feel better. Or maybe I have no idea what I'm talking about.
-
I'm not sure I see what's looking weird to you, @Perrij, I tried curving the end of the lightning up a bit and also tried flipping the other bolt over. To be honest, I don't know that it makes enough of a difference to me to change it (or repaint the background anyway.)
.
(original, curved, flipped) -
oh wow, my mistake, I was referring to the purple flowing stuff. I don't know why I called that lightening. But yeah, I don't think it's worth it to repaint. Only if you had everything on different layers would it be worth trying out. Sorry for the useless feedback :'DD
