[spooge demon]

Aliasmoze posted an animation BG painting a while ago and asked for crit. I liked the second image, so I did this when I had time.

Why post so small! Lets see it. Everyone here has cable or something, yah?

My crit is

1) Loose the edges more where the main surfaces contact each other. They �shield� each other from ambient light and therefore have a very similar degree and type of light in the area where they join.

2) Might cast light rays at an angle that is not square to the perspective. Also, if my drawing were tighter, you could see the section line that the cast shadow makes over the platform. Also, the light goes up the wall, further indicating a change in surface.

3) I moved the bottom vanishing point further out. It was too distorted for the other VP�s

4) Feels like the exact same material in floor and walls. Even in primitive castles I bet there would be some difference, and if there isn�t, do it anyway. Can make it subtle, but important.

5) Reverse the grad on the far wall.

6) The alcove relief is not in perspective and flattens out. Try to show that it goes back. You are seeing too much of the right wall.


I know they would fire me if I turned this in, but I had to have a little fun with it.

[sear]

sear likes it.

good job.

[Dhabih]

hahaha you're so cool.

i never realized about the "shielding" at the contact edges. awesome tip to keep in mind



[This message has been edited by Dhabih (edited November 08, 2000).]

[YourMum]

Oh man! This is very romantic one. Whos painting is it there on a wall? Looks a bit renessance styled. Hehe.

-Juha-

[Ramiranda]

OH,This is great Spooge.You�re incredible.THX for your time and for this great advices.Someday i�ll paint somethyng like this i hope...

[Rinaldo]

Wow, you are the master spooge.

Can I ask why the reflection of the window in the floor is blue? (assuming that's what it is) I think it adds a lot to the piece but I wouldn't have thought it up myself.

[eetu]

rinaldo let me muster up my courage and try; it's the reflection of sky outside. it's so bright outside that it burns to white when looked straight thru the window, but when seen reflected from an e.g. 10% reflective surface you can see the actual color.
because the eye/camera inside is accustomed to the relatively dark indoor scene this 'burning' happens a bit more easily.

hmm. :)

eetu.

[plant42]

I posted this once already, when you were offering to make a tutorial.
I'd really like to know how you manage to pick your values. It seems you have an inhuman knack for instantly picking the perfect color for a yellow-orange light diffused through a window, diffused through a dusty room, reflected off a stone floor and it's shadow color.
Madness. How?? :\

And of course, awesome job. You make me want to shoop.

[Francis]

I think he just studies alot, paints a whole freakin bunch, and observes everything whenever he's not studying or painting. Or he's made a deal with the devil. Or he is the devil!

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Francis Tsai
TeamGT Studios

[TheMilkMan]

God _amn....how the hell do you do that. I have been working as a texture artist for like a couple of years now and I could only dream of having that kind of color scense...Spooge you the man..and good tips to keep them in mind I will try that.

[AliasMoze]

Hehe. I posted the image small, because of shame.

Spooge, I'm gonna have to start sending you royalty checks because of all the great info you give me. Plus, it's wonderfully ego destroying to be the "before" picture

1) Eureka. You're right; can't believe I haven't noticed this before. I am generally way too tight, so this will definitely help.

2) Yeah. I think this painting was the first of this scene. While I was blocking in the light rays I was telling myself "you shouldn't be doing this", but I left the light rays perpendicular anyway. I agree it would have given me more opportunity to describe the other surfaces.

3) Hmm. Yeah, the perspective was going into the 3-point realm, which I should have avoided. It's weird when you have BG's like this that characters are walking around in.

4) Yes. This was simply a blunder. Would definitely have improved the image

5) Yep. Check

6) I agree. The shape was giving me problems.

I can say that this info will be incorporated into the next batch of backgrounds I do. So, this advice is greatly appreciated. This was exactly the kind of thing that helps me out, seeing a great art mind interpret the drawing. Thanks, as usual, Spooge.

Francis, I think you hit it right on the head. I had to do about forty of these recently and it taught me a whole lot. Having to sit down and paint in large volume really makes you learn. I wish I had more time to play with painting. I need Spooge's brain; wish I could rent it out.

[This message has been edited by AliasMoze (edited November 08, 2000).]

[Eckhardt]

Hi Spooge,

I have to look again and again. What a wonderfull painting. I cannot believe my eyes.
Thanks spooge.

cheers
Eckhardt

[Solitaire]

Spooge, do you use photoshop or painter for this kind of work....
I often read about people using painter for such kind of artworks here - but I haven't known about it until yet...

...err...just forgot - great work; as always

[This message has been edited by Solitaire (edited November 08, 2000).]

[opticillusion]

Excellent critique Spooge. This teaches so much to the inexperienced painter. Image is great - mood and lighting especially...great work

[Muzman]

could be a tute in this (unless the theme of "Spooge re-does someone's work" is getting a little old.)
Plenty of good content fodder here, I think anyway.

[Magpie]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Francis:
I think he just studies alot, paints a whole freakin bunch, and observes everything whenever he's not studying or painting. Or he's made a deal with the devil. Or he is the devil!

---

Francis is probably right. Lots of work and experience. Lots and lots.

Or he's the devil.



------------------
Magpie

[pierre]

Very beautiful Craig. It is saturated with atmosphere.

I am also very interested in how you go about your colors in your paintings. I guess everyone has their own way of "blending" their colors and that things can be hard to explain considering that many things may happen through instinct while you paint. But a small explanation to make us any step wiser than we are now would be great.

I have always been wondering about that aspect of your techniqe. I try to use the same technique as when I paint for real, which is seeking the hue first, then its value of blackness and/or whiteness.

Pierre

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http://www.crosswinds.net/~pierrehannah

[Flexible Elf]

I like how the light angles toward the throne. It really gives the picture a nice mood. And that bluish reflection.. man does that ever give the floor some texture.

-Flexible Elf

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http://www.geocities.com/flexible_elf/Main.html

[Isric]

Spooge, have you ever read Tad Williams 'Memory, Sorrow and Thorn'? This image really captures the atmosphere of that story

[garuda_x]

yeah....

[spooge demon]

eetu, I could have not said it better myself about the floor.

Plant, I really don�t know how to answer your question easily. Start from the middle value, and then it might help to go to the values that you know you have to have. In this case, the windows are close to the lightest value and the carpet in the light is close to fully saturated and bright. The upper left is farthest away and shielded the most from any light source (direct or reflected, but 90 percent of this image is lit by reflected light) so make that your darkest. So you have light, dark and middle. That gives you some idea of where the rest should go. You have to be very sensitive to where the light is coming from, whether it is a point source or a diffuse source, and what temperature it is. No problem! Takes practice.

I did like the painting on the wall. Here it is at 100%



AS far as layers goes, this was done pretty simply, no fancy or numerous layers. I did �bleed� some warm red around the lit carpet. I work on a new layer until I am sure I have not screwed anything up, then merge it down. Turn it off, looks better? Throw it away and try again. Looks good? merge it down, make a new layer and keep going. It is just a different version of undo.

Keep in mind to keep lit areas sharper, edges crisper, with darker areas having softer edges.

This is Photoshop as usual, I have been playing with painter, but geez, I have trouble with 50 interactive variables. I know what I want, and controlling all that stuff to get what I am after is frustrating and time consuming. I sense that people who use painter find a few tools and brushes and modes that they like and stick to them.

Pierre, I am surprised that you think of hue (color) first. I always think of the value first. Digital has helped me think well about color, because it is so quantifiable. Many traditional artists find their way with paints, �I use Windsor cerulean blue for skies, rose madder for skin and orange for cats� and never really think about abstracting it. If you fall into formula, it can be limiting. If you understand more about color, the more you can play with it. The first step is to know that value and color are different. You can do so much just by playing warm and cool differences. On that site about Zorn I read that he used a limited palette, I believe it.

No Isric, I have not read that one

[A.Buttle]

Well, if he is the Devil, then I think I probably have some spare souls around here somewhere... Maybe we could make a deal? I really want some fries...

------------------
I wanna get with you, girl!...
And your sister, I think her name's Debra....

Joe Dillingham

[email protected]
Three Times A Day

[This message has been edited by A.Buttle (edited November 08, 2000).]

[Frost]

Spooge: Awesome image. Very nice lighting and thoughtful reflections and spacial effects. Your experience definitely shows with working with all of those so well. I have a question however... if you were to clean it up a little, how hard or soft would those lighting strips from the windows be on the floor? I take it it would be rather sharp but have a diffuse quality to it around it, say full intensity in the portion directly lit and outside those edges around 40% decreasing outwards... in any case, I'd like to see a version of that center window cleaned up to see more clearly, if you have time.

I'm always amazed at how colorful your images are even though the values are well calibrated, something I have big problems with.

Thanks for the help, great paint over!

[dreddawg]

Spooge, great painting and tips. Request: when you get the opportunity, could you post every image you've done (along with the text) on your site. It would be incredibly helpful to myself and others. Including my students who come to your site often. And if it's too much to ask would you want someone on this site to collect the info for you and send you everything. I would love to see them all together. Maybe it's time for that ART OF CRAIG MULLENS Vol. 1 Hardback :-) Where do I send my 50 bucks?!