[Hippie]

Ok, this one is going along really smooth so far. I have not rushed myself, I started with a sketch and began painting from the background to the foreground just like I know I should.

Now I'm looking at this and wondering if the mountains in the background look ok or if I should go back and work on them. (Since I have to ask then I KNOW I will go back and work on them.)

Anyone have any suggestions to help me out.
Not just the background any comments or crits are good to hear.

Three images, showing sketch to where I am now. Hope they don't take too long to load.







[ June 24, 2001: Message edited by: Hippie ]

[ June 25, 2001: Message edited by: Hippie ]

[Vgta]

Looking pretty good, I likes it.
The only thing that is really bothering me is his left shoulder seems like it's not part of his body. Best thing I could suggest is go infront of the mirror and see how your shoulder deforms when you strike the same position. And play a little bit more with his fingers, like as if he were really coming after the viewer.
I have no problems with the mountains though.
Maybe you could add some thunder in the bkg or a full or blood moon?
Well hope that helps, want to see more.

[iface]

hi pal,

the mountains are ok, maybe not very defined..
the thing you should pay attention i'd said that it's the position of the ghost's arms, they seem to be too rigid, try to bend them a little and give more movement, also to fingers..
another tip would be that the picture is very empty at the bottom, where the floor is.. Get closer the figure at the background or put something here at the bottom, for example...

the coloring you're doing seems to go very well.. keep working!

[Hippie]

Well, it's around midnight now and I'm still working on this. Thanks for the comments.

Vgta, iface, good points I will work on the arms and hands of the front figure.

Hopefully I will have made enough changes to post something tomorrow.

Now just a few more minutes.....then off to dreamland and hopefully some more idease for my portfolio.

[NukleoN]

Hey there,

The drawing is pretty cool, but I think it is the composition that bothers me here, mainly with the ghost like creature and its position, I think this could be much more dynamic.

Good job so far tho.

[ScoobyDoo]

I agree that the image elements are great, but that the composition is lacking.
In the lower right hand region, there is nothing. Nothing to draw the viewers interest towards the center either! Its full of this very scary imagery but is lacking "punch" or drama.

thats my 2cents...

[Hippie]

I agree with the composition comments.
Here is the image as it stands now.
I have been working on the background and the robed figure, and I will redraw the ghost and try to add an element of more dynamic composition.
I cropped out some of the space at the bottom and hopefully I can think of another element to put in the bottom right, perhaps another ghost. Anyone have any ideas?



thanks for the help.

[Hippie]

Well, here is the updated version.

Thanks for all the comments.
After reading about the composition problems, and agreeing, I took the ghost out of the image thinking I would put it back in with a better pose. After painting over it and finishing up some more of the background, I now look at the image and don't think it is really neccessary. Although I still would like to have something menacing in the image. Bah, I'm not sure. I like the way it is now with the change to the walkway, making it drop off. So I would like to ask for comments from everyone to see if anyone agrees or disagrees about the ghost.

thanks again you have all been very helpful.

[Kiz]

I knew i would love it here. YOU PPL HAVE AMAZING TALENT!

[Jezebel]

One more thing... what if you had the door open? Like as though this figure has just emerged from this dark void or is trying to lure you in.

Right now the door is kinda bright and almost... not cheery looking, but it's not very scary. If the door were broken and falling off it's hinges I think it would be more effective.

Beth

[Hippie]

Hey guys, and ladies.

Thanks for the comments.

Kiz: thank you for the compliment and welcome to the forum. Can't wait to see some of your work.

exo13: what do you mean your not worthy? Everyone has an opinion and I really would like to thank you for yours. I agree with you about the slope of the walkway and have been trying to figure out what I can do to change it. Thanks for confirming something I was seeing as a problem but wasn't sure about.

Jezebel: WOW! thanks for taking the time to do a paintover. It does help to explain what your saying. Ok as to what you were saying....

First: I completely agree about needing texture, I will work on that.

Second: yes it is all saturated, not the way I want it to end up but I wanted to make sure everything was almost completed then I like to go in and add my darkest darks and brightest highlights. I do like the way you darkened the edges and made the staff the primary light source I will probably do that.


Third: yes I was planning on making the staff brighter but I hadn't thought of makeing it the primary source. Now that you have shown me I really like it and will use it. (hmmmmm do I have to give you credit on the image now? )


Fourth: I like the idea of breaking the door, I was trying to find a way to make it darker but at the same time still be recgonizable. But smashing will add some different angles to the image which are really needed to throw off the vertical look of it a little bit.

Oh and one more thing.......you ain't no goober.


Thanks again everyone for the comments I will work on this some more and try to post tomorrow.

[Jezebel]

Credit? You crazy or somethin'? Of course not, it's your picture! lol

I'm glad you like the suggestions, can't wait to see it finished!

Beth

[Hippie]

Ok here we go again.

I think I'm almost finished with this one.

Let me know what ya think.

[Jezebel]

Much cooler! Has a lot more mood and atmosphere now methinks

Beth

[M_shady]

hey hippie, hope i spell your name right, i can't see the messages when i am replying. anyway, i wanna reply to your latest message incase no one will. man looking through the beginning to the end of the painting, i say you done a great job. I like jezebel's (hope i spell your name right) suggestion, and your take on it in your final rendering. I think the doorway and the pillars looks really tight. man it really makes the piece way better. good job!

[M_shady]

lol, after i posted my message i c jezebel's reply appeared aboved mine. good timing. i am a slow typer. someone beat me up. zzzzzz.....

[exo13]

Really cool. I like the composition of the image and the dark background and rocky base to the tower. The only thing I'd do (forgive me I'm not worthy) is make it so that the ramp doesn't look so 2d and so that it's doesn't look like it's dropping off at a 45 degree angle. I don't know, there's just something about the lines and shadow that make it look like that. I may be wrong. Again, Great work.

[Jezebel]

Heya... I was trying to think of ways to improve this image but I'm not very good at explaining things I guess. I tried to do a paintover but it came out kind of cheesy. I did it really fast but I think the suggestions but still look nice if done well.





First thing I did was added some texture to the walkway and the pillars on either side of the door. I just slapped on images of dirt and concrete rather than hand-painting to show you what I meant. It looks kinda cheap but you get the point Right now those areas are really smooth and sorta smudged out looking. It'd be cool with some ruggedness to it.

Second thing I did was try to make some areas darker/lighter than others. Right now the lighting/saturation of your image is pretty much the same all over so the figure doesn't really "pop" too much. I'm not sure if that's what you wanted though. But personally I thought by making the edges of the paintings darker that he looks a bit more scary.

Third I gave the staff a brighter glow. This included putting little bits of green highlights around where the guy is standing.

Again, I did this fast just to sorta show you what I meant. I don't think this version looks better than yours but I think maybe if you tried to tweak some of these things yourself in your own style that it would help the picture.

I dunno, I'm a goober

Beth

[Hippie]

Jezebel: thanks I think it looks much better too. Thank you for your help.

M_shady: thanks for the compliment. I appreciate others resonding to my posts.

So I may work on this just a little bit more to tighten up some areas. But other than that I'm thinking it's finished. Any more crits??