Swimming tigers (attempt 2)

[lizardillo]

Hiya,

After Melissa very rightly pointed out I was about to draw a scene of absolute carnage in my first idea of tigers jumping into a pool I have had a rethink. Thank you for saving me!

I do like the ideas of tigers love of water (and I just want an excuse to draw jumping tigers) so have changed the scene to a jungle watering hole, with all of the cubs jumping in and playing in the water but there is one cub who is scared of the water. It is wearing as many swimming aids as possible while it’s parent tries to coax it to jump in. The rocks behind will be multi-level with wet paw prints where the cubs climb up to the top again to jump off.

I have done a very quick sketch to show the idea of the concept. Please ignore any positioning and composition, also please ignore the fact some of the tigers look like cats, dogs and rabbits!

Does this show a story ok? I would like to use it as an exercise to draw environments as I never put backgrounds in my images. I will play about with the POV horizon line in the water. I would like it a bit closer to the water surface than this if possible.

Many thanks
Liz

[reelynn]

@lizardillo I really like this. It looks fun and cute.

[lizardillo]

@reelynn thank you

[reelynn]

@lizardillo I just noticed the one little guy who has all the flotation devices and looks scared. That’s a great addition to the story

[Melissa_Bailey]

@lizardillo what a fun concept -- your concepts always are!

Something to think about: the biggest figure is the parent tiger, which is also the most static figure. Because of how the scene is composed, my eye went there first.

Where do you want the viewer to look first? There are so many fun things going on -- what is your intended focal point? What if you changed the POV so that the leaping tiger cub or cannonballing cub is the focal point? What if the POV was from the shore instead of in the water looking over the shoulder of the parent tiger? Putting the cubs in the foreground might help you to tell the story you want to tell (focus would be on the cubs instead of the parent).

Again, love the concept! To recap, this is what you might want to consider doing: 1) change to the cubs' POV, placing them in the foreground, and 2) create a dynamic focal point.

Looking forward to seeing your finished illo!

[lizardillo]

@melissa-bailey-0 thank you
I mistakenly put the cannonballing tiger in the middle in this rough. I’m not sure I actaully need it. I would like the hesitant cub to be the focus. I would like to show the other having fun somehow. One of my illustration goals for this year is to simplify so I will try to not cram it full of more activity than is needed.
I’m thumbnailing some ideas tonight so I will try:

1. Parent tiger in foreground like this but with a dark value or even cropped a little out of frame, the top half of a cub head poking out of water looking back too so all eyes point to the scared cub with a higher value. I’m toying with the idea of having the cub being nudged in by its other parent and it digging it’s heels in trying to stop being pushed (hard to explain in words)
2. As suggested, from the shore. I’ll do some experiments with this POV and see what I can come up with. I thinking view from the back of parent on tiger pointing at other parent in water who is beckoning. Hesitant cub either clinging on to something (rock, parents leg??). Other cubs messing about in the water.

Apologies, these descriptions sound as clear as mud! Hopefully they will make more sense when I put pen to paper/screen.

Thank you for taking the time to input. I wish I could give feedback to other as well as you do

I actually have an illustration assignment from the mentorship program I’ve just started which is to ‘create 3 or more characters interacting with each other, showing emotion within an environment’ so I’m trying to combine that with this prompt. Worth a try!

[lizardillo]

Something like the enlarged version but with a lot more thought to the composition and value than this scribbled mess

The hesitant cub will be resisting a lot more than I’ve drawn it here. It really does not want to go into the water!

[Melissa_Bailey]

@lizardillo really liking the enlarged version!

In terms of simplifying, here's a thought: do you need to show the rocks in the background? Do you even need a background at all? Or if you feel that you do, could it perhaps be blurred/abstract green/blue leaves, implying that there's a jungle in the distance but not being detailed. With the strong markings and details of the tigers, this illo could quickly become busy.

Great idea, combining the prompt & assignment, by the way!

[lizardillo]

@melissa_bailey I was thinking of a blurred jungle background with some occasion leafy details . I’ve been trying to look at some background/environment concept art to get some ideas. I just need a few rocks on the left really for the Cubs to jump off and hopefully I can create a dark area behind the tiger in the water. A bit like this below, some foliage and a few dark tree trunks (no blue sky). It won’t be highly rendered, I’m not an airbrush user.

I’m all over Pinterest looking for reference. To be honest, the less background the better as I’m not sure when I’m planning on finding the time to do all this.

[Melissa_Bailey]

@lizardillo yes ... time! Mine's going to be a spot illo this month. It's all I've got time for.

[lizardillo]

@melissa_bailey good luck with it, looking forward to seeing it.

[lizardillo]

This post is deleted!

[lizardillo]

It's a complete mess but it's getting there! Still a lot of tweaks to go tiger in the foreground too upright, cub on the rock has weird back legs, one cub jumping in is too low, no idea how to draw a jungle - the list goes on

Will do the next drawover later. I need to look at some jungle plants.

Trying out Clip Studio Paint but finding this to be the wrong illustration to switch to a new app! Back to PS I think.

[Asyas_illos]

@lizardillo this is your best comp so far

[lizardillo]

Thank you @Asyas_illos

…Although I am struggling with it! I’ve drawn it over and over again with the tiger in the foreground cropped off in different ways and sizes and the positioning of all. But I’m just not happy with it for some reason. The whole composition isn’t correct and it’s just so busy. I keep trying the same thing over and over again which isn’t helping. I added a tree and I shouldn’t have added a tree.

I played around with a couple of other ideas around the same theme. I’ve sketched up a portrait version with the cub clinging onto a branch and being coaxed into the water (although having its tail pulled by one of its siblings!). It’s not quite technically correct, I’m trying to point the focus to the cub. I’m getting a better felling off this one, It feels a bit more ‘me’ if that makes sense. I’m not sure if anyone else has ever had this issue.

I think I need the cub that’s by the parent interacting a bit more tho. It looks a bit like a repetition of the adult. I need to show another emotion so I may do it laughing. The parent should probably be a bit bigger too.

But then I keep going back to the landscape one and thinking “actually, it’s ok, it’s a clearer story”. And then I change my mind. I really can’t decide

I marked out a thirds grid and I seem to have completely ignored it

Thanks, Liz

[Asyas_illos]

@lizardillo lol you have the opposite problem than me, you tend to over complicate with details and I find myself struggling to add even the simplest of details, your work always looks lovely in the end, I’m sure you will come up with something you are happy with and even if you don’t like it, it will still be awesome!

[lizardillo]

@asyas_illos thank you I love your style, especially your recent tiger illustrations. I don’t think you need to add lots of stuff as you are able to show the story without it. I would love to do that, I think I’m overthinking everything and feel the need to cram in as much as possible. I need to learn to chill out

[Asyas_illos]

@lizardillo and I didn’t mean over complicate in a bad way! There’s always so much to look at in your art and that’s always fun!

[lizardillo]

@asyas_illos I was thinking of how I over complicate the way I do things so no worries. I do love adding the details for people to see, I’m glad you like them. I do love a bit of silliness and a good pun.

To add to my dilemma I’m now trying to think of what swimming aids the cub would wear made out of its habitat as it wouldn’t have normal plastic inflatable ones

[Melissa_Bailey]

@lizardillo really like your concepts! Love how you put so much personality and humor into your work.

While I love all the details you sneak in, too, I agree with @Asyas_illos feedback: for this prompt, I think you're getting too complicated.

Hope you don't mind, but I did 2 draw overs of these concept sketches -- to show some suggestions for both compositions, instead of just trying to describe it all. Sometimes words can be hard!

First concept draw over:

For me, this works better cropped in--more focus on the characters. You don't need all that environment and you don't need that many characters. I suggest erasing the parent pushing the cub --it could be misunderstood and it's drawing attention away from what's going on in the water. Also, if this is for children's illustration, it's always better to show the main character having the agency to act instead of being forced to act. So if the parent is no longer behind pushing, then it doesn't make sense for the cub to be looking behind at what's going on off-camera. Showing Scaredy Cub looking at the water more effectively communicates the story. You might want to add his little claws gripping the rock, or wiggle lines to show him shaking. And please excuse my really rough sketch of Scaredy Cub's face -- yours is so much cuter!

Second concept draw over:

Again, cropping the composition will help. Of the two, this would be my preference, as I really like the emotion you're showing and the encouragement of the parent, even though we only see them from behind. You don't need so many characters, though. An odd number of characters is more visually interesting, and I question whether or not the birds are needed to tell the story. For the background, ask yourself what you really need to communicate that this is a jungle pond. You might not want to have any rocks in the illustration -- mostly jungles are vegetation, and it will also make for a nice contrast in your color palette, orange tigers against a background of blues and greens. This composition also begs for really dynamic lighting, which would add so much to the illustration.

Hope this helped and hope you don't mind that I drew over your work. Really looking forward to seeing your entry in Critique Arena!