[Rinaldo]

Just toned down the marshmelowness (to the best of my ability at least) it wasn't reading like I meant it to.
Thanks a bunch for those tips Frost. Much apreciated.

[micke]

You have a interresting thing going...
Keep'em comming

-micke

[ceenda]

Rinaldo, I think you not only read spooge's armour tutotial but put the advice into action on these pics. They are very nice indeed!

The shape of the gun in the first one is especially well defined.

Don't worry, I get the 'can't draw' moods as well... though sometimes my posts speak more of that than I do.

[AliasMoze]

Rinaldo,
I think are are very close to a breakthrough here in the top image. The values look good. The shapes could be better defined. If you were to tighten up the image carefully, I think it'd be kickass. I would use the selection tools to select some big shapes and fix it up.

Personally, I like that you're going for simplicity in the values; just my personal preference. Keep it going. These are nice. Just wrangle in the shapes and whoa daddy.

BTW, I was going to do a version of your caveman-looking character. I turned out doing "hole in head" with that character on my mind. I like cartoony heads

------------------
AliasMoze
:) :) :) :)
"That activates my hilarity unit."

[Fred Flick Stone]

Rinaldo-are you working in black and white then converting to color as you go?

The top one kinda suggests this. One thing I can tell you, as it happens to me if I am not careful, is to start painting something without a game plan. This sometimes means doing an under drawing to work out all the values. Break out the ole number 2 and put it to paper first. Get your values worked out compositionally, not object to object. This kills the scene almost immediately if you are not aware of the big picture.

Not that you don�t already know this, but the guard image should probably be blocked in with the lasoo tool so you don�t get the bends in your architecture. All the columns are irregularily leaning into the image. If this is the design, then that is alright. It also helps in the beginning to see the image, and plan your composition. With a lot of horizontals and verticals, you need some other lie work to break up the monotony. Cast shadows across walls create nice diagonals, shadows cast across columns create nice archs across the colums too. And then the cast shadow pattern across the ground plane. Using the lasso tool, and planning your image before you paint it will be key in helping you not hit a wall. Just because it is photoshop doesn�t mean that the idea can come together on the canvas. Just like traditional painting, there is a certain amount of preplanning involved especially with the tools you are about to consume, that will ultimately lead you out the door to buy more. The real only luxury to photoshop is the endless supplies given to you. THe rest is traditional, the thinking, planning, drawing part of it.

In the guard image, try placing the figure into the scene, have him scouting down the stairs or something, maybe, in the pose he is in, you can turn his shoulders to the left a little more giving his pose a bit of a twist. This also helps. This isn�t a painting tip, but it will help you out with the frustrations getting in the way of the final painting.

In the SW piece, you cut the figure off in the same location as the guard. Are you going for a dynamic close up shot, or are you just painting a figure? If you are closing in on the action, you might want to find a better camera angle, tighter, lower, more focused on the hands and blade�as for the values, you gave his helmet the only real sense of volume. The arms are relatively flat lit, the warm and cool lights on him are equal in intensity, causing both sides to end up with the same value, thus causing his pasty look to him. On his helmet, since that is the closest piece of anatomy to the sword, I would think that the glow of the blade would influence the lighting on his helmet a lot more, possibly overpowering that green glow of the rim lighting on it.

In the guard piece, the color palette is a bit funky. All the colors are of the same cool family, blue green and purple. The tan color contrasting them is also a fairly neutral hue, as the other colors you have chosen in their specific value, causing the whole image to look a bit dull in its palette selection. Here preplanning is the key to keeping this from slipping. Figure out a palette early on, and stick with just those colors(hues) you choose. A good way to practice this, is to have your drawing ready to paint, figure out the values on paper, then pull out another artists work, with a color scheme you are attracted to, and use that particular palette to paint your image. It is the old clich� of, the wheel is already invented, why try reinventing it when you can start with the already existing blueprints�what you are lacking is a working library from your head to pull from. A working library is the mileage you have already clocked in with on hands work vs all the pictures you have looked at. Looking is one thing, executing is another. Your mind will not forget the procedure, including the colors you use and mix once you have done it. This exercise is like getting your school mileage in, only not in school where you would have already experienced this dilemma, or a specific teacher wasn�t experienced enough or had no idea to direct you in this direction. I am putting disclaimers everywhere so as not to insult anyone or anything you might already know. That is not my intent here.

One last thing I am going to mention, but this is a personal crit, try varying your brush size a bit. It might also be why you are having a hard time seeing other things in your paintings you need to correct. It is like the art studio, having a messy art studio will only frustrate the artist even more, messes are not an option. Not that this image is a mess, but noisy brush strokes act the same as paper all over the floor, don�t know where to start with the clean up. I know when I have an image that has that same type of look to it, I don�t want to look at it anymore, or I want to burn it, rather than looking through the already existing problems and correcting them.

Nice post. It is good to see you cranking out images in search of that path for your hand and art voice. I need to do more of this stuff if I am ever going to get over my dilemmas. Very inspiring�

[This message has been edited by Fred Flick Stone (edited August 23, 2000).]

[Rinaldo]

Sigh.........I don't really know what to say. My imagination is not on the ball at the moment. Hence the rather boring and generic pic.
I'd really like some feedback on this. I'm struggling with value and colour.
Its not as finished as it could be but I think everything is there.



I also wanted someone to maybe have a go at putting in the red reflections of the Lightsaber on this. I've tried a whole bunch of colours but nothing seems to be "right" there is a slight pink on there at the moment which works okish but it'd not really what I wanted.


I'm suffering from one of those "can't draw" moods. It�s starting to wear off today but the last couple I've been unable to make anything look good. Anyone else get that way?
Maybe it'd just me. My imagination gets a hold and convinces me that I can't draw
(probably better worded as Paranoia�heh�)


So as the saying goes "Rip 'em to shreds"

[Frost]

I really like the top one even though it's very rough, the costume looks like a swollen Staypuft marshmallowman however. The pillars down the hallway are lightened in value by the light affecting the volume dust/smoke in the air... but this effect is broken at the bottom even though there is no sign that the light is occluded judging by the lack of shadow on the pillars themselves. The lighting/shadowing on the guy seems to lack form, and is also a bit too monochromatic (you'll rarely get pure greys anywhere as the surrounding is always casting indirect lighting... the barrels look fine though.

The light saber one... well, I imagine a light saber would light up like a neon tube... which emits a rather diffused light... I might have a go at it if you like later on... (no promises here.)

I know the fase you're going through... in fact, I haven't really been able to shake it myself for LONG time now... where I am competant enough to see how bad my image is, but is unable in some portion to make it better -- very frustrating and discouraging.

They look fine... just keep painting,... =))


ed - (I can't believe I spelled "phase" as "fase" -- eek.)


[This message has been edited by Frost (edited August 23, 2000).]

[Rinaldo]

Wow some nice feedback! Thanks guys

ceenda- Armour tut? Why my good man I have no idea what you're talking about

AliasMoze-thanks for your kind words. I'm trying to keep things simple at the moment. I'll maybe go more complex when everything becomes a bit easier.
I was a bit embarrassed about that caveman. Wasn't sure weather the cartoony look was going anywhere

Fred- all good comments, all very useful. Thank you, thank you
I really should spend more time working out the images. This started as a character design thing on a black BG but I've noticed that I always do this, so I put a bit of that pink/tan in and couldn't help myself
I just played around and it started to make a bit of sense. So in the end the pic is embarrassingly silly. It's the sort of thing I always have a go at people for doing. It just looks stupid with the guy in his suit just standing there. There is no real interaction. I start things as a sketch and then work up bits that interest me. I don't think I've actually done a real painting that is well planed. But it is going to be my next step. Not that your comments on working things out are wasted. I probably would have made the same mistakes anyway
I somethimes do something that looks good (usualy a little bit of a pic or some effect). But I don't know why. I just leave it. Frightend that I'll mess it up. the pillars and volumetric lighting is an example of this.
I have a huge colour block. I've never really delt with it in any real sense before I started using a comp, and I've only been doing digital for about 4 months. I'll follow your advice and look at other art/photos. I'm a bit aprehensive about this sort of thing ("But if I cant work it out myself then I'm no good") However I suppose there is no other way of learning without as you say "reinvention the wheel".

Anyway thanks for the comments everyone. They make things much clearer. It's hard to know where you are without the crits.