[Bg]

Advices, ideas, what colours should I use...?


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Timo Vihola
http://www.mbnet.fi/~badgers/

[Affected]

I wouldn't know, but I damn well like that small sketch in the bottom... the knight looks really great in that.

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Affected

Democracy is a lie

http://affected.xs.mw

[TeAnne]

WOW what a great drawing.

[micke]

Maybe you could make a sunrise or something
using red-yellow purple.But i think it looks quite nice with the yellowish colours.

If the view was more from the back it would
make the dragon look more menacing. The pose on the knight could be more dynamic and dramatic. Legs more spread from each other.
More balance like he is ready to attack or waiting for the dragon to make it's move
Hope this can help.

-Mikael


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-Mikael Noguchi-

http://www.katode.org/noguchi/

[This message has been edited by micke (edited July 19, 2000).]

[Freddio]

Yea I agree with Mikael that would look cool

[Bg]

Here's an update.
Which one do you prefer 1 or 2 ???
Micke, now legs are further from each other as you can see from the small image.



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Timo Vihola
http://www.mbnet.fi/~badgers/

[This message has been edited by Bg (edited July 19, 2000).]

[ceenda]

Hi there Bg.

I like the colour scheme in 2 better. It looks as though it is dawn and the battle could last all day!!!

We'll be waiting for the final pic.

[Affected]

I prefer 2 - more tonal variation.

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Affected

Democracy is a lie

http://affected.xs.mw

[Rinaldo]

I just dig those little sketches you've got going.

I think what micke is talking about is the sorta thing you might find in a book like "how to draw the marvel way" the figure looks like he couldn't do shit if the dragon decided to take him out. He's not on the balls of his feet. If you've done any martial arts or studied any sort of fighting you should know what I mean. if not (hey I haven't) then go gets some books on that sort of thing or just use common sense. put yourself in that postion and try to move fast. I bet you'll be slow as a slug. I dont pretend to be an expert on sword fighting but I did fencing once and it was definitly a side on job. There are a few front on fighting styles but they are generaly very agresive. I'd imagine that this knight would be fighting side on, he'd be on the balls of his feet and look like he's ready to move like greased lightening at the drop of a feather. As he is now I think I could blow on him and he would fall over (and it looks like he might not even need that interferance)

hmmmmm....that came across a bit harsh. I really like the drawing, but the pose is problematic. It is hard to know how he would fight as the armour would be weighing him down. he would't be moving around too much.
I'd also tend to put the sword in alower position so that the guy could stab/impale the dragon, as opposed to just slashing it.
I dont think he'd get very far as is, dragons tend to have fairly resiliant skin.

I'm sounding like a bit of a sap here. I mean a knight could't take on a dragon anyway so why is the realism of it important?

It's got a lot of charm as it is and I personaly hate that marvel way of doing things, but it should be a little bit more idunno....Dynamic?

I prefer no. 2 btw

Great stuff anyhow.

[Affected]

Actually, the very thing I like about the little sketches is that the knight looks so feeble and inexperienced... Doesn't stand a chance against that great big dragon.

[Rinaldo]

Yeah.. I was trying to put my finger in why I liked it so much when it was obvious that there was about to be some serious one way carnage.

It's kinda like a story book image very.....poetic....for lack of a better word.

I love it when this happens. I have been overcome by an image to a point wher I can no longer spout logical rubish.

Sincere apologies if you wanted a kick-ass knight bg.

[spooge demon]

Maybe the pose could be more dynamic like this. Grab a broomstick, go into the bathroom where there is a full length mirror and look at your pose. Be sure to lock the door. See the inclination of the torso forward? The legs are spread and knees bent.

I was looking at Fred's Darth Maul and was kinda interested also in lighting in the desert. I have heard some say that the flat lighting of midday is boring, with no color. I kind of like it, the strong fill can really help out.

[proximo]

For the first time i , i saw that that was a helm on the guys head .. b4 i thought it was a paper bag or somthing ahahah .. i mean it kind of looks like a bag on his head nice pic btw..

[Bg]

Affected, you realised what I was going to paint more humorous than serious pic.
Spooge, your painting looked great. I don't understand how do you can make so realistic characters so fast.
What kind of legs should i do to the dragon?


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Timo Vihola
http://www.mbnet.fi/~badgers/

[This message has been edited by Bg (edited July 20, 2000).]

[psi burn]

spooge i love that! did you make that really quickly? the position of everything on the body is so lifelike, like a batter winding up for the pitch

[Joachim]

Bg, I really like both the color examples you've made !

But I also agree a lot too what spooge said. More dynamic and action.

spooge, that pose is great, espesially the feets, how they look so planted too the ground. Did you do the pose yourself, look on a pic or from you're head ?
Maybe he could swing the sword even further back too ?!? or, will that make it too "frazetta-conanish" ?!?

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Joachim
web:
http://home.online.no/~j-barrum/

[This message has been edited by Joachim (edited July 20, 2000).]

[spooge demon]

B. G. I think your color comps area very nice I wonder if some of the color variation is from compression. That suggests an interesting idea . Paint something, and size it down to 100 pixels, and then size it back out That way you can see your foundation without the distracting details. Blurring just wipes out your edges.

I did my knight guy pretty quick, about 30 min. There is a rhythm to the strokes that helps the feeling of action. It is interesting that you commented on the feet, J, because I was thinking that his right calf muscle mush be detached cause his foot is on the ground. Should be on the ball of his foot. Try to almost put your knee on the ground and keep your foot flat. OUch... I thought of his position like a ready position, staring the dragon down.

I didn�t use any ref for this, that�s why I made errors That and didn�t think enough.

Rinaldo, I like the way you are thinking about things. I can see that the marvel way is getting a bit worn out.

The one thing I think is a little strange overall is the cropping of the dragon. Try to include more of him? The figure and ground relationship is not that dynamic. Two figures surrounded by a lot of space. In my sketch I tried to add some secondary interest all around because it is just sand. Just something to think about as you paint the final.

But in light of what I was agreeing with Rinaldo about, maybe don't take this advice. What I am enjoying in all this stuff is thinking about how to make it interesting, or in larger terms, what makes a picture interesting. How to solve the problems that the "marvel way" solved but in a different way.

But I understand that you area struggling with the basics and all this fancy stuff is not what you should be concerned about. So go with the marvel way for now but really think about how it works so it won't limit you later on.

[Bg]

This is made before Spooges comment, I haven't read his reply yet.


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Timo Vihola
http://www.mbnet.fi/~badgers/

[micke]

Spooge, that was exactly like i meant with the pose. It looks very real. Fantastic!

Bg: I really like your colours suggestions.
I like nr.1 best. It gives a"final battle"
look to it Even if you are going for a more
humour-look to it, i think it still might need a more dynamic pose. if not, the point of the action will be lost.But that's just my opinion.
Good luck with finishing your piece and remember to show us the finished result
Cheers,
-Mikael

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-Mikael Noguchi-

http://www.katode.org/noguchi/

[Bg]

Does this look any better?

[ceenda]

Bg: The pic just keeps getting better & better!!!

I like the knight's stance; cautious yet ready to advance.

There is one thing and I hope you're not too annoyed but there is something about the dragon's arms/hands that don't seem quite right. Kinda seems like he should have a little pair of boxing gloves like Yoshi from TEKKEN.

Perhaps putting the hands on the wings might be suggestion. Either that or make the arms bigger or lengthen the claws.

I think that the viewer needs to feel that a monster has a realistic aspect. I mean, the monster should be able to hold the knight in his small front claws whilst taking a bite(yeek!) if you see what I mean. At the moment I don't think the dragon could reach to bite out of something he would be holding in his claws. Like a T Rex for instance.
Nick

Somthing about this pic has a kind of atmosphere I've not encountered many times in pics like this before...

... a presence I've not felt since... [deep breathing]

[This message has been edited by ceenda (edited July 21, 2000).]

[Rinaldo]

Top stuff its coming along quite nicely.

I have al sorts of headaches if the picture I'm working on suggests something else, or gets me thinking along other lines. Which way do you go?
Its especialy frustrating if the picture turns out to be not what you want but still really good.
I'm not linking this to your pic Bg...just thinking aloud

The biger versions look a bit different to the thumbnails. Maybe the size of the dragon and knight are different. Anyway I am not getting the same feeling with the bigger versions. Did you resize and continue painting or simply repaint?

On dragon hands. I really don't know. I've drawn plenty of dragons in my day but I have learnt to side step the arms. either don't include them at all or make them humanish. It's a bit like the T-rex, he sorta looks all tuff an nasty until you see those pathetic little arms
Some conmventions I have observed are to make the wings more "arm like". Or to make the Dragon walk on all fours.
Try putting them more on the sides...might work.

Hey Spooge, I think you kinda worked out a good pose there, He's not going all head-between-his-legs Mavel style. but still in possesion of a lot of movement.
I'd be much more on my guard if I were that Dragon

I like the simple placement of figures for what it is. Nice and simple. There are obviously a lot of direction this subject could go. The idea that you've got going is good Bg. I'd say finish it off and then try out some other stuff. You simply can't fit all the ideas that have been braught up in this thread into any one single pic.

I'm getting Dragon pictures in my head now (this always happens...can't resist a dragon)

Just a thought; Spooge if you put the shaddow of the dragon in that pic of yours it might look interesting. More scary becase you wouldn't actuialy be able to see what it was

(more thinkin aloud)

[Bg]

[ceenda]

That'll be the one Bg, that'll be the one...

[Rinaldo]

Oh yeah well I disagree with both of ya!
How much of this knowlage of swordcraft is idle speculation eh?

Hehe... I chalenge the to a duel.

[Draggyboy]

draw it in this sequence.

draw it before dawn;
draw it at sunrise;
draw it at mid sun;
draw it at early evening;
draw it at midnight;

lol, the knight and dragon never moved, guess they can't figure out each other's move

hehe :P

[Bg]

If anyone sees errors in this pic, please let me know!!!

Now I'm working with 2500x1723 image, but this pic is ready when I resize it to 4000x2756 and paint everything cleanly, add details and so on...
I will send next stage in 40 hours, it will be bigger.



[This message has been edited by Bg (edited July 21, 2000).]

[n8]

hes got a fatassed helmut...hehe...o yeah...with spooges pic...if ya get rid of the sword and give him a flute or sumthin hed look like the piped piper..hehehe..

[TurboYVR]

he's got a helmet the size of his torso, and it doesn't look like there are any eyeslits. It's like wearing a bucket. Sorry if this sounds too critical.

[Rinaldo]

Yay....... better arms and no dodgey compression.

So is it finished, or is this yet another insight into your creative process?

The armour would maybe reflect a bit more? A bit of contast would force it into the third dimension with more vigor.


I was mistaken by thinking that the smaller ones were different sizes. Checked it (Sorry)

Top stuff.