Halloween illustration WIP

NoWayMe · 21 Oct 2015, 03:12

Hello everyone!

I have just recently discovered this forum, and I was really excited to see so many great comments/critiques being shared! I thought I would share a rough sketch of an illustration I would like to paint in photoshop for Halloween to get feedback and see how I can make it better!

mattramsey · 21 Oct 2015, 03:28

very clever idea and really good and interesting sketch. I like your illustration style.

What if you pushed the angle to look more over the vampire's shoulder? Might be more dynamic.
Watch out for most of your figures being the same size (except for the very large monster). The boy, the vampire, the monster with the pumpkin, most of the creatures in line are all about the same size. The vampire probably should be a lot large since he is closer.

Thrace · 21 Oct 2015, 04:14

What a wonderfully creative concept, I love it! The only thing that stands out as wrong to me is that the monster who just received his carved pumpkin would be walking away from the table and not the chair I think?
I can't wait to see this painted!! Great work!!

Kevin Longueil · 21 Oct 2015, 14:57

Looks Awesome..really nice work - only thing i would say is the little bit of pentimento (first chance iv'e had to use that word in a sentence!!) below the front legs of the chair did something for the drawing that the current chair legs do not - the little scrolls that you erased showed that the chair met the ground plane lower in space than where the currently do - this was the proper perspective i believe - but when you erased and shortened the legs it made the chair tilt back in space and it looks like its perspective and that of the table do not match (even though the table is roundish) so i think if you lengthen the front legs a bit all will be well....could be wrong though ... i really think this is a nice piece!

Jonathon B · 21 Oct 2015, 10:51

Love it, I agree with Kevin on the chair legs. He seems to be floating a bit. I want to see what you do with the monster at the very back of the line. Nice character design. The big guy is my favorite.

NoWayMe · 22 Oct 2015, 01:15

Hello again!

Thank you all so much for the comments! I really appreciate the help!

I modified a lot of the things that were suggested; the only thing I'm not sure how to modify is the monster walking away with his pumpkin! If he walks away from the table, we would see his back and then we wouldn't see the carved pumpkin... I guess maybe the vampire delivers the pumpkin to the chair!

I will probably change some more things as I go, but I really think this version is better than the first! Any other suggestions ?

Thrace · 22 Oct 2015, 03:20

It looks so much better since you cropped it and changed Dracula's head. If you wanted another option with the one walking away he could turn towards Dracula and lift the pumpkin beside his head to show that 2 heads are better than one, haha! Dracula kind of already looks like he stopped working for a minute to glance his way. Very nice work!!

Kevin Longueil · 22 Oct 2015, 07:43

@NoWayMe - it looks better but i am still reacting to it as having something wrong with the perspective - - i took out most of the competing visual cues except for the tilt of the chair arms which could be part of the chair design - when i erased the horizon line it helped a lot - here is what i am seeing - the group of monsters waiting exist on a differing plane than the chair and the table - the candle tops - the candelabra feet - the axis of the chair - the horizon all compete and are slightly out of whack with each other - the table top has a long axis that is parallel to the bottom of the page which would make the horizon parallel also i think - but the rest has a forced perspective as though the vanishing points are not too far away and we are looking down at the scene - i imagine the bottom of the ghost that is sitting on the floor is basically roundish and similar to the table top in shape - if that is true we would see much more of the top of the table than we do...pretty sure i am rambling at this point - anyways i erased visual cues - lowered the group - raised the boy - ...what do you think?...i love forced perspective though - maybe you could paste your image onto a larger document and add vanishing points and check all of the locations and axis - ...blah blah balh....i do love your drawing! especially your line weight variation - looks very good - and awesome characters too!

NoWayMe · 22 Oct 2015, 11:24

@Kevin-Longueil Thank you so much for taking the time to do this! I see what you mean, the perspective does look better with the changes you made! I will rework that this evening!

Thanks again!

Ace Connell · 22 Oct 2015, 11:48

Dayum! I just checked your blog - your art is incredible!

Ace

Thrace · 22 Oct 2015, 13:41

I checked out your website as well. You are so gifted! I think your studies are haunting! I have never used that word but it just came to me when I was looking at them. Your hands and feet are amazing! If I could draw like that I would do nothing else.

Will Terry · 22 Oct 2015, 13:54

Very fun illustration! I love the expression on that kid.

Will Terry · 22 Oct 2015, 14:01

@NoWayMe I have a few ideas that might help your composition but if you've already started i won't slow you down...let me know and I'll do a draw over

Dulcie · 22 Oct 2015, 19:12

This is lots of fun and I love the monster designs - agree that the latest composition works better - will be great to see the finished version

NoWayMe · 22 Oct 2015, 21:34

@Ace-Connell Thank you so much! I checked your Twitter and web site too! Love your sharks for InkTober! Inking is something I really struggle with, I should really do inktober to practice it! I love your caricatures too!!!

NoWayMe · 22 Oct 2015, 21:35

@Thrace-Shirley-Mears Wow! I think this is the nicest comment I've ever had on my drawings! Thank you!!!

NoWayMe · 22 Oct 2015, 21:41

@Will-Terry Oh my! Please go ahead and draw over!!! I was so happy when I saw your post a little earlier today! I have to say, I have been a big fan of your work for a couple of years now! Your video series on "How to illustrate children's book" and "How to design a drawing" on Folio Academy are by far the two best 30 $ I have spent in my life!! I know I still have a lot to learn on composition however and I would love to have your input on my illustration!

Kevin Longueil · 22 Oct 2015, 23:31

I second that! - if folks have not heard of Folio Academy before you should check it out - Will Terry has some great lessons there - really excellent stuff.

mattramsey · 23 Oct 2015, 14:05

@Kevin-Longueil said:

I second that! - if folks have not heard of Folio Academy before you should check it out - Will Terry has some great lessons there - really excellent stuff.

I had not--thank you for mentioning it (and @NoWayMe as well).

Will Terry · 28 Oct 2015, 17:12

Thank you Kevin - I'm not working with Folio Academy anymore but now I'm pouring all my efforts here into svslearn.com ...