Group run through creative environment design week 1 art and feedback

[Nathalie Kranich]

@BichonBistro I actually like your first one best! Maybe it would help to avoid perspective and just do 2d straight on silhouettes? I haven't tried silhouetting perspective but I think it would distract me or make it harder to discern the most important features, as the perspective would block out and lose all the strong edges in some cases.

Other than that my process was probably pretty intuitive, after doing a few building studies for practise recently.. I think I tried to actively think of: interesting location (in a tree, on legs, on a mountain cliff, on a dock, etc), and usability, like poles to hang clothes off, convenient places to open windows, necessary platforms...
I also tried to isolate buildings in most cases, so I avoided grouping too many houses together to avoid doing like a village silhouette? Don't know if that's helpful. I think simplicity in the approach Is key here, and being loose and daring with stylised shapes helps a lot!

[Erin.Cortese]

@Nathalie-Kranich Wow, these are incredible!

[demotlj]

@BichonBistro I think your silhouettes are great. I'm not super at thinking in 3D myself but one thing that Jake Parker said that has helped me is to start with the footprint and build up.

[Heather Boyd]

@BichonBistro

I like the following : 2nd row 1st column, 3rd row 1st-3rd column.

I would avoid pushing buildings to the edge in the 3rd row, 3rd column because I can't identify the overall shape of the buildings (sides and the bottoms) -ensure there's a white frame around.

I did not worry about putting them in 3D except for the last 2 of my first attempt (based on references).

Wing ding it - it's really of a helpful process except that I scribble (I found a grainy cover pencil brush on Corel that I love -it helps because I like softer edges when I am sketching -it's a small tip but use a brush you like and are comfortable using.)
That and don't over think it -think of it as a time to play.

Buildings were challenging for me too. If you go find mine - I prefer trees because they let me be more fluid/organic.

Last tip: the first time through each house took me longer time -up to 15-20 minutes/ reference search and the second time through each took roughly 3-7 minutes (did it all in a day).

Keep going!

Instead of you trying to find my houses, place them here (first group -reference for most and second group did not -except I thought of star wars in my head for some lols).

[murielle]

@Heather-Boyd There is a tree that looks like a pine tree, and now I wonder why I couldn't come up with that.

All the silhouettes are good.

[murielle]

@Nathalie-Kranich Not kidding, you've become my new favorite

[BichonBistro]

@Nathalie-Kranich @Nathalie-Kranich the reason the first one looks so good is because that is Jake Parker’s example

Thanks for providing such clear feedback on your approach—location and usability are 2 concepts I would not have considered: it was just a blank page staring at me to create something from basic shapes. I am going to try that thinking, thanks!

[BichonBistro]

@Heather-Boyd @Heather-Boyd thanks so much for providing your exercises (I do get lost in this forum!)—wow the 2nd group without reference and so quickly has so much energy.
I don’t even want to admit how long this is taking me . The third row went a little faster, so I am going back to the drawing board with all these hints in mind, especially not taking the silhouettes to the page edge. Thanks again for helping me not give in to the temptation to quit!

[BichonBistro]

@demotlj Thanks for this tip, Laurie—I realize I don’t have a footprint, which is probably why I am filling too much of the “page” with each silhouette. Boy, silhouettes are a lot harder to implement than it appeared at first glance, right?

[Nathalie Kranich]

@BichonBistro I'm so sorry I only realized that when I saw some others XD I don't have the exercise sheets myself! Your forth row ones seemed to get better, with more negative space, I feel. The others just suffer like you said yourself from shapes blending together, but as long as you keep that in mind I bet knocking out some more thumbnails will soon proof much easier!

[Nathalie Kranich]

@murielle hahaha cheers XD You have some really cool stuff on your website, I like the water colours and drawings a lot :3 you got an instagram to follow you on?

[murielle]

@Nathalie-Kranich Yes I have instagram https://www.instagram.com/artbymurielle/

[BichonBistro]

@Nathalie-Kranich yes, more negative space needed! yours are great examples
unexpected overnight guests last night, but getting back to it tonight, thanks!

[Nathalie Kranich]

@BichonBistro I look forward to seeing more then! I'm still trying to find some time to get started on the week 2 exercises, but they look rather time consuming. Some people did some really detailed studies - I think I'd rather paint a 100 more thumbnails. XD

[Buddy Skelton]

Figured I would try to catch up to everyone and get started on this class. This is what I have so far. Feel free to make any critiques. I decided to do both an objective and subjective view for exercise #4.

Also, extra points to anyone who can guess what I was going for with #8 on exercise #3. Lol.

[braden H]

@Buddy-Skelton Nice work!

#8 is totally a boot, yes? There was an old woman who lived in a shoe and all that ?

You certainly chose an interesting design for the objective and subjective view. Keeping something consistent at that angle is tough!

[Buddy Skelton]

@Braden-Hallett You got it! Bonus (imaginary) points for you!! Lol. But yeah, doing the perspective on that one was kinda challenging. Still not sure its sound in that aspect though.

[ArtofAleksey]

@Buddy-Skelton i dig this, no pun intended

[BichonBistro]

@Heather-Boyd I keep looking at the work here and try to figure out “how did they come up with that?!” It’s becoming clear I may still be on the first 4 exercises by the time everybody else has finished . I tried to work quickly in an attempt to “play” in #8 and not run off the page. In #13, #14, #15 I tried to think of a location (but forgot about usability) as @Nathalie-Kranich suggested.

The “beach-house” seems to have become yet another village that bears no resemblance to the house that was in my head-it is almost as if my pen is on auto-pilot, detached from my brain! #14 was supposed to be a lighthouse next to its adjacent lightkeeper’s residence, but the actual residence shape was so boring I couldn’t think of a way to make it interesting aside from adding on projections that don’t make sense and again, I trailed off the page. #15 is supposed to be a gingerbread house, where I noticed my tendency is to work top-down, rather than establishing a footprint and working up as @demotlj suggested.

Thinking trees may be less frustrating as @Heather-Boyd found, but am already quaking at the thought of turning a silhouette into an objective drawing (still wrapping my head around that concept, as I’ve never heard it before)

Back to the week 1!

[BichonBistro]

@Buddy-Skelton another group of WOW exercises that inspires awe!