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Speve-o-matic · Posted: Tue Dec 25, 2001 2:45 pm

I came back from a weekend at a local game farm, and was inspired by the distinct look of the Kalahari.

I also browsed through a book of photographs from South African game reserves, to find some reference.

Any comments/crits/suggestions would be helpful. I'm perhaps going to do a series of 6 or 8 of these . . . I'm enjoying it so far.

Sukhoi · Posted: Tue Dec 25, 2001 4:44 pm

I like the motif really much!! A few problems wich I see...

A sense of scale doesn't really come thru to me. I see that the rock is huge but I don't believe it, really. Perhaps this has something to do with the narrow field of view??!!

I like the style you have utilized painting the rock very much. I don't think the guy has the same strength though. I like the rough style better, which also emphasizes the nature of the cliff face in some way. I think the bottom line (of my oppinion) is that the piece as a whole seems a little flat. Perhaps a wider field of view and some desaturation would help, I dunno...

Great stuff though

Sukhoi

CyberArtist · Posted: Tue Dec 25, 2001 8:37 pm

It's very flat. The sand dune in the front looks like it's a card board cut out, and the top of the rock has much of the same problem. There are some nice parts in the mid section, but again it's somehow lacking depth.

Radiater · Posted: Tue Dec 25, 2001 10:38 pm

Hey Speve-o-matic,

I think the colour choices are great. I think if you gave the transitions between the colours more sense - to project some kind of 3d structure - it would give the viewer a better idea of the scale.

Also, putting the rock right in the center of the piece is kind of an uninteresting composition. My 2 cents.

Radiater.

ps. I was just in the Pilansberg (Sun City) and Drakensberg area on vacation last year. Love visiting those game parks!!

Speve-o-matic · Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2001 3:11 am

Thanks for the comments so far.

The sand dune area still has a long way to go and as far as the rock goes, I'll probably start detailing it in a less chaotic way and give it more structure.

As far as composition goes, I suppose I could also mess around with that . . .

Thanks

Speve-o-matic · Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2001 7:42 am

Did a bit of work on it.

Changed the composition, added more detail to the sand bank area at the bottom, added more detail to the rock face itself. Still more to do, but I just want to see if you think I'm going in the right direction with this.

More crits/comments/suggestions always welcome.

sacrelicious · Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2001 12:13 am

I'd say that's a step in the right direction.

Radiater · Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2001 10:42 pm

Yup, definitely looking better.

Sukhoi · Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2001 5:12 am

Yeah!

I had to try! I hope you don't mind?!
I can't help to be confused as to what works best, the flat surface rock without explanation of depth, or the one with. It looks good both ways I think, it's just a matter of what you feel as an artist I guess...
Good stuff.

Sukhoi

Speve-o-matic · Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2001 5:26 am

Thanks for the helpful comments so far.

Been away for 2 days or so . . . just been playing around with the image for 20 minutes or so, looking back at the previous suggestions . . . I thought I'd just post what I've changed so far, before I try some ideas that Sukhoi has spurred.

I desaturated the rock. Broke up a few of the definite brush shapes on the rock face.

Removed the staff from the guy, it looked cheesy.

Added a bit more subtle colour variation to the sand at the bottom and a bit more detail.