[Gecko]

I ate half of my wacom pen after realizing how much I dislike the way I draw. I don't dislike it all the time, but when I'm drawing round, organic, etc. subjects, my blocky and straight brush strokes really get in the way. I was happy with this pic until after some comments i realized i have to try harder on it, resulting on the second image which i like a lot better, since that is most certainly not the usual way i paint.

Also my homepage provider sucks which is why i'm using geocities. woohoo.

edit: ahem, went around the image linking thing by making a html file.
http://www.geocities.com/ggeckok/

would be great to know which one you like more.

[ May 15, 2001: Message edited by: Gecko ]

[Frost]

The second is best in my oppinion. Nice sketches!

[Jezebel]

Gecko, I love both of them. It's sort of funny that you bring this up because I am having a difficult time doing just the opposite. I can't seem to work bold, hard strokes into my work. I have to really force myself and then it ends up looking... forced. The lighting and colors in these are beautiful. I'm a huge fan of your work

Beth

[Blitz]

Ive always liked your work alot as well. I think both images have their strong point. I like the bottom one alot for obvious reasons. The bridge adds alot of visual fun to it.
But I think a mix is there between the styles in the second one.

Your damn good and you kick my ass I think.

Seeyas around the forums my man.

Oh..and dont those Wacom pens Tast Good...Ive eatn two

[Painted Melody]

The second piece -- the way you work with greens is beautiful, a hard color to use in my opinion. Almost an impressionstic air to it.

~PM

[Dryfire]

don't wprry gecko, you still kick ass

[EviLToYLeT]

Second one looks great gecko. I don't know what it is about ... these small little blockings and circles, but they add an unparalleled amount of "detail" so to say. Good stuff !

[travis travis]

hmmm... well I'd say the styles are both kind of similar, I mean I don't notice that much of a jump with only these two images for comparison. the composition of the second scene is more interesting, but also busier, so which pic is more appropriate depends on what the pic is all about.

but you said:I ate half of my wacom pen after realizing how much I dislike the way I draw.

I'd like to see a picture of THAT! Does it have chew marks now?

You're a great artist BTW, and of course always concerned about something like all great artists... so have a cool one, on me.

[shardik]

i so dig the second one
bow chicka bow wow

[janne]

as i said before, great pic! and i like the second one more, but be careful with that kind of style... i'm afraid that style may break the pic if not used carefully. it's already looking bit busy as a whole. i don't mean that this style is something that you shouldn't go for, it's looking very good already. but perhaps you should combine these two styles?


janne.

[topeira]

both are great, geck , but i like the second one more.

great atmosphere. good tones

thumbs up

[BooMSticK]

Very nice Gecko. As usual I might add!

I'm not sure I understand totally what your problem is. To me it seems that you've drawn the first picture with rather controlled strokes and not done the same picture again with looser strokes for the second one, but rather instead building on top of the first one. So asking us to judge between the two isn't very fair, since the base for the second is very much the first! (Do you follow?) It would be much the same to ask - do you like the first one without the added bridge or do you like it with??? Not really a question about style, is it?

Maybe it's just me, but I don't really see where your problem is. Actually I think maybe that you should be more aware which portions in your pictures that should be blocky and straight and which portions that should be more loose. Being able to do this will certainly enhace composition and general perseption of you images. Mix that with you great sense of colors and you'll be quite an accomplished artist.

We all have moments where we're all exited being able to draw a certain thing just as envisioned, for just a few moments later to dislike every and each stroke of paint. Just don't let the uncertainness get to much hold, you hear!!!

This was much of a ramble, and it maybe doesn't make sense to you at all. But I hope you get just some of what I'm trying to say here...

,Boom

[Freddio]

cool cool

[Rhomb]

There's much sense what Janne and Boom said.
.... anyway, the second one looks more balanced to me.

-Ville

[Sedone]

I agree with a lot of what the others had to say. Listen to 'em!

[sear]

hi gecko,
both pics look great, but i guess the 2nd is best.
i agree with what other people said.
peace out!

[Awetopsy]

ooh ooh #2 #2

[Tron]

i like your portfolio!
it looks like you�r very interested in birds.
beautiful.[*]thing

[Bg]

Looks like a scene of an adventure game = beautiful

[klash.jr]

Hey Gecko! I took your picture and added a li'l texture and made it bright. Kool picture you painted sorry if i killed it...i work with a mouse =)



[ May 16, 2001: Message edited by: klash.jr ]

[Cicinimo]

That painting has an amazing atomosphere. The little bridge gives it a center of attention; love it. And then in my opinion, that touchup by klash is brilliant. He Gecko, you work in traditional paint alot?

[Gecko]

ughh..

can't reply now, too tired. thanks for all the replies, i'll try and get my comments posted tomorrow!

[Gecko]

frost, always there to offer some nice advice. I still remember how the chameleon pic changed my thinking. Of course boomstick had his helpful comments there as well. Thanks!!

jez: it shows in your work, you have lots of curly lines and soft edges, while my pics tend to have blocky lines with sharp corners that I have to work to get rid of. I think you could benefit from doing such practise as spooge's new oil head sketches, the rather round form of head simplified in just few straight strokes. Big enough brush with hard opacity or real paint where endless tweaking is not as convenient.

blitz:
hint: serve the pen with grilled rye bread.

painted melody: i guess with any one color, it's hard to get enough variation in the hues to not make the pic look like plastic.

dryfire heh, thx.

eviltoylet, that's exactly what i've realized only lately. Not doing so analytical and sharp strokes leaves room for random forming of texture and detail. Not every small thing should be planned and controlled.

travisx2, this is what i was wondering, for me the change of painting in the two pics is huge, and i wanted to know if it was just me or would everyone notice as big a difference. It seems the change is less obvious than I thought.
>>You're a great artist BTW, and of course always concerned about something like all great artists... so have a cool one, on me.

haha, having a cool pepsi right now. Oh and I was supposed to paint a pic of me eating the damn pen but im way too tired now. I need less vacation.

shardik :)

janne
combining the 2 is what im having in mind. Just I dont want to spend so much time in the beginning of the painting to lay down blocks that i have to paint over anyway to get rid of the unwanted look. Im seeing it as a step that can be get rid of with practise (although i dont want to lose it completely)

topeira, thanks!


boomstick: the reason i'm asking for, is the 1st pic is done with the way i usually paint, and the second one is something i tried over the 1st but havent done before (well in the makingfriends pic) so what I was asking is, is the 2nd picture going for the better. I realize I added the bridge and detail, but klaivu for example liked the 1st pic more, so i thought i'd ask others as well.


>>Actually I think maybe that you should be more aware which portions in your pictures that should be blocky and straight and which portions that should be more loose.

exactly! In this i just put paint just about everywhere on the pic, some places end up looking better, some places didn't change much and the result turned out a mess. I guess the problem here is both to get variation on my painting style and speed up the process my knowing which places should be touched and which are better left alone.

You are making complete sense, and forcing me to think about what am i actually trying to solve here :). thanks yet again.

freddio :)

rhomb & sedone & sear, yeah i think there are some valuable comments worth listening to here!

tron: i guess birds are simple enough subject for me to try :]

bg: this is all good practise for my future children's book :)

klash: thanks for putting in the pic, that extra texture is something i try way too seldom. I tried something myself but it's hardly worth posting. I'm wondering how such layers of noise and random texture could be applied without blending modes such as overlay that burns the colors out.

cicinimo: i've painted a little with oils, since last summer I've painted about 10 paintings and half that with acrylics. Trying to get a hold of the real thing.

i think that covers it... buh.