Transportation WIP

[NoWayMe]

I need help with lighting... my idea was to have the bugs kind of in a "ray" of sunlight, while having the background looking like a cool fall day. This is what I have so far. (this is just a rough lighting study - I will try to do the final piece in soft pastel) Is it reading well ? If not, any tips on how to improve it ?

[Elaine B]

@nowayme I like your idea and I hope this helps! I cooled down and lightened the background to push the duck forward.

[tombarrettillo]

@nowayme Not sure the lighting will read correctly with no reference as to why there is a shadow and where it is coming from. In a tree, you can usually see some of the branches and leaves (like in your previous tree house illustration) to relate where a shadow originates. In a flight/sky illustration, clouds are usually so large, that including one for shadow's sake would be very difficult. If you want the viewers eyes to focus toward the bugs, maybe change the color scheme of the duck to have darker wing tips that get lighter toward its body. Or, since you are placing the setting during Fall, I would make the scene a sunset, with the sun setting at about 10 o'clock in relation to the duck, and have yellow orange highlights placed to draw the eye to the bugs. And, now that I think about it, I would make the main duck larger in the scene, with it's tail overlapping the city. I did a rough paint over to show what I mean. Hope it helps.

[NoWayMe]

@tombarrettillo Thanks! It really helps! I will continue to work on it but I like the direction your going And I like the bigger version of the bird