[Socar MYLES]

This image is for the cover of a d20 sourcebook called, I believe, Second World Simulations. (www.second-world-simulations.com, to give credit where credit is due). The title is supposed to go at the top, so I left the ceiling quite light & boring.



These are some random details. Blarr.





[ February 25, 2002: Message edited by: Socar MYLES ]

[Jucas]

I like it all right, but it doesn't do it for me. The mode it creates reflect the colors bland and boring, nothing pops out and nothing catches my eye. I sweep across the page once and then I'm done. I need something, I wish I could give a contructive crit but I dont have a thing. Sorry. I will really try and come up with something if you are interested.

I probably sound harsh, but I am only giving my opinion. My voice is not intended to enrage or hurt, but rather give my point of view.

I will just say this. A cover should scream "Buy me now! I am damn sexy!" (not in a silicon breast type of way mind you. This cover doesn't do that for me. While it is a technically very well done peice it doesn't excite me like the other things I have seen you do.

[ February 25, 2002: Message edited by: Jucas ]

[Pat]

I'm liking it ok, but I think it still needs some touching up. The perspective/scale on the bed looks a little whacked --as if the bed slopes too far to the left side. You might also want to extend the bottom a bit as well... if the cover is a full-bleed, once it gets art directed, printed and trimmed the bottom of her feet might get cut off.

-Pat

[ February 25, 2002: Message edited by: Pat ]

[vurx]

I'm a long time fan of gorblimey.com I've been checking in ever since you were on http://www.suffocate.org/ (which doesn't seem to be there anymore)

I like your picture and your rendering a lot.

I know this isn't a call for C&C but I thought I would throw my initial thoughts out...

This should be a classic 2-point perspective indoor scene where all perpendicular lines intersect at their respective vanishing points.


This is a picture I am working on for a children�s book storyboard. Yes, the door is about 3 feet from the wall; it�s a magic door, in the story.

However the vanishing points you are establishing intersect all over the place. The papers on the bed are of particular interest. My first impression was that it�s a huge woman in an oddly shaped rhombus room.

The rendering is great, like I said, but technically speaking, its not a strong piece.

-- vurx

[Socar MYLES]

Ugh. It would help to upload the right version, too. *sigh* I'm just NOT on the ball tonight.

The giant woman actually happened because my computer likes to slow down horribly once an image gets more than 2-3 layers...so I decided to draw the woman in another document then add her. I accidentally saved a version before I scaled her down as the final version.

The bed is still whacked, unfortunately. I don't have a version with THAT right. I was trying to give the impression of a cover up at one side and down at the other (uneven & messy, in other words), but it just looks like half the bed's floating in the air.... Bugger.

The one thing I don't agree with, vurx, is your mention of the pamphlets. They are not lying flat--they are propped up at that angle by the wrinkle in the bedclothes.

(All in all, though, this isn't my favourite of my work either. It's a rush job based on a very bad sketch (not mine)...I hate working from other people's bad sketches, & just couldn't drum up any interest in this....)

[ February 25, 2002: Message edited by: Socar MYLES ]

[Lunatique]

I don't know if you are looking for C&C, but I'll mention a few things I noticed. If you're not looking for C&C, just disregard what I'm about to say.

1)The muscle structure on her forearm seems wonky(it's also too short). On a rugged girl like her, you'd noticed more definition. The structure of her face is off. Her eye/cheek area protrudes too much. Her arm is too short. The elbow should reach as far as a person's waist.

2)Her hair is not rendered with any sense volume--I see just curly lines. As a mass, they would still have form and shape.

3)The mirror reflection looks hurried. Needs a bit more definition.

4)The lighting wouldn't be that diffused. You have a bright day outside, and a couple of small wattage bulbs, but the strongest light is still outside, and the bulbs should cast really warm colors(almost pale orange/yellow)

5)I think there might be some perspective issues in this piece.

I hope my C&C didn't bum you out. They are meant to help.

[Bob the Newt]

stick to rats

[Lunatique]

Bob, that's uncool. Cut it out.

[Socar MYLES]

Don't mind Bob...I'm onto him. Every time I post a rat, he puts: "rats. you draw rats."

Every time I post something else, he puts: "stick to rats". He put it in either my dog or bird thread, I think.

Anyway...who cares, you know? No skin off my nose. If I saw this picture, I'd probably advise myself to stick to rats, too! (Just kidding.)

[Merekat]

Myles, I do like your piece but as everyone pointed out, it does need some work. Perhaps some stronger lighting might be in order? I see a very strong light source from the portal, but the room and especially the woman is rather flat and unreflective of the scene. I think some more vivid colors would be good too, but the main thing that bothers me is the lighting. Back lighting is okay, but your scene seems to flatten out everything with the particular lighting you used. if you wish, I might have time enough to take your piece and rough in some lighting to show you what I mean. I'll do my best to get to it if you want.

But I do like the scene. Just needs some tweaking. ;}

[Socar MYLES]

It's kind of you to offer, Merekat, but unfortunately pointless. The deadline has passed, and it's too late to change anything.

As I mentioned above, it was done based on the art director's sketch, so I couldn't really change too much even if I did have time.

[Morbid Guy]

O.k, firstly let me say, I think this piece has much potential. I understand that you don't want to take it any further, which is fine. I won't offer anything else up here.

In order to learn and grow as an artist if that is your goal, I think you would benifit greatly by listening to what people are saying to you and take on board some of the
crits, instead of rebuteing all the advice being offered. I found many valid points here being made about your work.

I think instead of blaming everything else, 'my computer likes to slow down', 'other people's bad sketches', maybe you should accept that you have weaknesses, and look hard at them in order to improve.

Maybe you could go from being mediocre to great if let yourself open up to learn a little. I really liked your work a lot when I first saw it here, it seemed to sparkle. But it seems to have gone downhill
lately. It's a pity really.

Just my opinion.

[ February 26, 2002: Message edited by: Morbid Guy ]

[Socar MYLES]

I didn't rebut any of the advice. In fact, I copied it to a Notepad file to use it future pictures. I just said I'm not interested in redoing the picture, nor have I time at the moment, and explained why I had initially uploaded the wrong version.

Read before you rant, Morbid Guy.

[Socar MYLES]

Okay, I don't want to make a big thing of this, but I do find your comments very hurtful, Morbid Guy. I never made any excuse for my work--maybe it sounded that way to you, but that was NEVER my intent. I should probably have noted that I wasn't really looking for serious critique on this, since I won't have a chance to redo anything, but I don't usually get many crits anyway, so I didn't bother.

When I mentioned that I used a different file to draw the lady, I did so because I had uploaded a version of the image when I had just pasted her in and not reproportioned her yet, rather than the final version, and I hoped people would look at it again once I had uploaded the correct version.

I did not mean to "blame" the bad sketch, either. However, this image WAS done from someone else's sketch. When I posted it here, I was very proud of the way I'd managed to pull said sketch together, and make something reasonable out of what had been given to me. When I did this picture, I was told everything, right down to what colours to use, and when I was finished, the art director said it was precisely what he wanted. So, although it isn't to my taste, and nothing I'd ordinarily want to paint, I was proud of my hard work, and the way I'd managed to follow instructions and meet the deadline.

Anyone who knows me well knows that I take crits and comments very seriously, and always remember them for future work, even if I don't make changes to the work at hand.

At the moment, I'm literally having to finish a painting every 1-2 days to try and keep up with work. I have been very ill, and am trying to finish contracts that have already passed their deadlines. I'm not abandoning this because I'm lazy or because I don't want to learn--I'm abandoning it because it's done and paid for, and I have no choice but to move on to the next picture.

As for my work having gone downhill lately, this is the only thing I've posted lately. I know it isn't my best. But it's no word of a lie or excuse when I say that it WAS done in a great hurry, as everything is these days, and that doesn't mean I've lost interest in my work, or stopped caring. I just seriously do not have time.

So I am very hurt that you take this as some attempt at self-justification. I know I have weaknesses, but now isn't the time to dwell on them. I posted that I don't have time to make any changes partly so that those who took the time to write their thoughtful crits wouldn't think I was ungrateful, since I am not going to take their advice with respect to this image.

Anyway, please think before you write something like that in future. If you've seen my previous work, you'll know that I DO follow advice and take critiques into consideration. Why should I change now? Would it kill you to give me the benefit of the doubt, and consider that I might actually be telling the truth, not making excuses?

If I sound sad, it's because I am. Critiques don't hurt or offend me, but rude, offhand remarks like yours do.

[The Magic Pen]

Hey man I think that looks cool !!

[jeshannon]

I like that Socar !! its very different from your normal stuff and it shows you can branch out and do other things, I like the muted colours and I think you've done a good job all round !!! Cheers !!

[Morbid Guy]

Socar I'm sorry to have upset you. Looking back at what I said and the way I said it
I do agree that I was too harsh with my comments to you. To tell you the truth
I had a bad day earlier and I think this had partly poured out into my reply. I shouldn't have taken it out on you. I hope you get better really soon and again Sorry.

[ValarianROOT]

I feel like I�m beating a dead horse by adding a reply, but of course I�ve already decided to anyway... I LOVE the mood of the room. All the translucent textures, cracks in the wall, and the forest in the doorway: all of these things IMO ROCK in the picture. As for perspective issues... sometimes a picture can still stand if it's not 100% technically accurate. Little quirks like that are what make a person's "style." Any messed up perspective in a room that looks like this adds to the feel that it is dilapidated my nature. The bed looks like some of the old matrices some of my friends from the trailer park had: broken legs on one corner, worn out old matrices, etc. Kind of sad in real life, but adds to the feel of this picture. It has a very escapist feel to it. Like, "my real life is crap, but I�m someone great just through that door."
Honestly, I don't say this to offend you but, in my lowly opinion, it would be better off with out the girl in it. Why: The figure seems too centralized (I understand that you are working from someone else�s layout, so it�s not your problem). The reflection of the girl would not appear where the figure in the mirror is, as seen from the angle of the viewer (again not your problem). So, taking those two points into consideration, the painting could very well stand on its own just as an environmental study. Just remember I said I LOVED the background. I also know from your other works that your compositions are awesome.
And hey I�m glad to hear you�re so busy, it means that people appreciate your talent.
Signed,
Justin "wishy-washy" Nitz

[ February 26, 2002: Message edited by: ValarianROOT ]

[Jucas]

I could see why you would want to throw this in the closet in forget about it, since the deadline is passed and you didn't really get into the peice anyhow. But I really think you should redo this piece "socar style" make it better, make it how you want it to be. I think over all it would be a good execise and neat for a portfolio, in the sense showing what you can do with it.


Anyhow I for one would love to see were you could take this. But why not open it up to everyone? Lets see what everyone can make of this.

[Socar MYLES]

The embarrassing thing is...that's not really a mirror--it's supposed to be a window with some guy standing outside it...but I was in such a rush I just put that messy silhouette, which everyone mistakes for a reflection.

Morbid Guy - No worries...everyone has a bad day sometimes.

[Lunatique]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Socar MYLES:
The embarrassing thing is...that's not really a mirror--QUOTE]



Made me laugh.

BTW, I've had paintings pending for approval at epilogue for a long time now. Are the art editors on vacation(I know you are not an art editor, but a story editor)? Just wondering. I've emailed epilogue about it, but no replies.

[ February 27, 2002: Message edited by: Lunatique ]