Misunderstood Monster WIP

[rcartwright]

I like one but the silhouette of the kid could read better so you know what she is holding

[Ailantan]

Yeah, i like nr 1 a lot too, it have very sharp values, but i also liked nr 2 with it storytelling

[Sas]

@nyrrylcadiz Another vote for number one. Love your ideas though

[Nyrryl Cadiz]

@sas @rcartwright @Art-of-B @Ailantan thanks ror the support guys. I’m very happy you like the sketches.

I’ve been working on sketch one and so far this is what i came up with.

I’ve also been working on number two. The one wih the with witch cat and mice hansel and gretel. I’ve been playing with the colors and i really like how .they’re turning out. Here’s what i’ve worked on.

Working on number 2, i’m finding myself liking it more and evevn considering using it as my entry. I’m not really sure though. What do you guys think? Should i keep on working on #1 or should i go with #2 instead? I would definitely love to know what you guys think. Thank you!

[Sas]

@nyrrylcadiz I love the colors you’ve used for number two! Although this one is really great looking too, my eyes kind of lean more towards number one because there’s more mystery in that picture. Also more to see, more to take in. My brain goes to wonder what will happen next.

[Ailantan]

I like number one more now

[Nyrryl Cadiz]

@Sas @Ailantan thanks! I guess i’ll have to work on #1 more as well. I still haven’t decided which to use but i guess i’ll just have to finish both and decide from there. Again, thank you!

[Nyrryl Cadiz]

Hi, guys! I know some of you might be mad at me for posting this since you prefer option #1 but i just can’t resist working more on sketch #2. It’s just more apealling for me. Also since i’ve been seeing a few entries similar to #1, a monster giving a flower/gift/something to a girl or vice versa, I’m afraid sketch #1 is getting too common. It’s a also making me recons9der if i should go through with it. My main goal for these monthly competitions is to have a new portfolio worthy piece but having a little exposure here and there also wouldn’t hurt.

So, below are some color comps for sketch 2. I’m leaning more to that pink one at the bottom. What do you guys think?

[Nyrryl Cadiz]

I’ve been trying to finish it, too. If time permits, i’ll make another piece similar to option #1 but with a slightly dufierrent concept. Then, i’ll let you guys decide which one i should use for the contest. I hope you like this. It’s still a work in progress. Please let me know your thoughts and critiques. They’re highly appreciated.

[Nyrryl Cadiz]

[Nyrryl Cadiz]

Hi, everybody! I’ve been playing around with this new sketch. Any thoughts?

[Nyrryl Cadiz]

Hi, everbody! I need your help. Which lighting do think i should go with? Option A is fun but perhaps it doesn’t sell the ‘misunderstood monster’ theme enough. What do you think of option B? Thanks everybody. Please let me know which one you guys prefer.

[Gary Wilkinson]

@nyrrylcadiz Very late to this, but first I wanted to say that I really like the piece you did with the flying dog

Going back to your original concepts, I think that 1 had the best read. I also liked 3 as I thought it was a nice snapshot into a bigger story.

I don't think that you needed to expand the frame to include the other objects and monsters in no.1, as it feels like there is too much story and the main concept has been lost somewhat.

the new sketch of the kid been told off by his parents is also very promising, but perhaps it would work better in portrait rather than landscape as the composition is getting divided up into quarters.

In regards to the cat and mice one, i'm not exactly sure what the story is about. On first read it kinda reminded me of the crazy cat lady from the simpsons who throws cats at the children. I don't know if you decided to veer away from the competition title (which is fine if you have a great concept) but is the cat good or bad and which character is misunderstood? Also why is the candy/chocolate she is holding in the shape of mice? Is it following the same story of hansel and gretel or is the cat witch (?) actually nice and the mice just got shocked and decided to run away once they saw the chocolate mice.

I love the design you did of the house, but it has much more detail than the foreground elements which I feel is causing issues with the composition. I would much rather see the characters much closer to the house and interacting with it in some way as it seems a shame to be just used as a background object.

In regards to the lighting, it depends on what is the story you are trying to tell. I don't think that either lighting scheme helps narrate the story and I would go back to working on it in black and white to do a few value studies first, rather than working on the details before the main idea has been told.

I hope this critique didn't come off as super negative. I think you have the skill set to get a great piece done and it feels like you are spending a lot of time working on the details before the foundation has been built.

[Nyrryl Cadiz]

@gary-wilkinson Thanks! You’re sharing you honest opinion and I appreciate that. I really feel lost on what to do with the piece. I felt there was really something not working and you straight up pointed them out. Again, thanks. It’s really nice to have a second pair of eyes on your piece. I guess I really am focusing more on the details rather than on the fundamentals. I was too excited to get started that i dove in and just winged it, hoping to figure things out as I go along.

I’m really scared to scrap it the entire piece though and start from scratch. Plus, i guess I’m too emotionally attached to it now. LOL... Would you say the piece is still salvagable?

Oh, as for the story, i guess it’s just pretty simple. The Witch wants to be friends with the mice and give the mice treats but the mice completely misunderstands her, thinking she’s trying to lure and eat them so they runaway.

[Nyrryl Cadiz]

In order to make the house less attention grabbing i added a low opacity layer over it. What do you guys think?

[Nyrryl Cadiz]

[Gary Wilkinson]

You would need to decided by yourself if an image should be restarted or scrapped. I have been in that situation many times and a lot of the times I kept working on a piece that I wasn't pleased with and wasn't happy with the final piece even though I had spent a lot more time on it than pieces that I did like. In the mushroom contest I had spent a lot of time on the original concept even though there was a feeling that something was wrong, so I just decided to scrap it and reworked it in a way that I felt was much better and I was able to paint in a more streamlined way.

My criticisms about your own painting are only my views, and others may see the work in a completely different light, but if you yourself feel as though you are stuck when you get into the detailing stage then it's usually a time to take a step by and ask if it's work the risk of time to continue or to restart and try to improve it.

In regards to the newest update of this painting I don't think that lowering the opacity of the house helps either way as it still remains the most detailed and well rendered part of the piece.

[Nyrryl Cadiz]

@gary-wilkinson i agree. I guess it all depends on me if i should scrap this piece or not. I really enjoyed working on it but i always felt something was wrong but not to the point that i hate it though. That’s why i’ve decided to not use this for the month’s contest. It just doesn’t work for the Misunderstoon Monster prompt but I won’t scrap it as well. I like it. I like the color choices i made and it’s a great bench mark for my current skill level. I’ll work on it some more so that i can post it on scoial media. I really don’t want let it go to waste. Thanks for your input, Gary! I believe they help me become a better artist.