May WIP - Greenhouse Situation

[ellenseal_art]

Hey! Thanks for taking a look. I've been plugging away on my May entry but I'm having the hardest time with composition/background. A million thumbnails later, I've landed on these 4 options but I'm still struggling to choose.

My concept is that the traveler (& her trusty weasel) have taken cover in a greenhouse because it's either night time or raining (though I'm unsure I have the skills to draw a rainy background). She starts to get a creepy feeling but hasn't actually seen the evil plants behind her yet.

Do any of these 4 options stand out to you? Or should I continue the thumbnail stage?

[Kim Rosenlof]

@ellenseal14 I really like your idea! I like B the best.

[Jeremy Ross]

Hi @ellenseal14, what a fun piece! Personally, I like “D” the best because the main characters draw my attention the most. I feel like you’re using rule of thirds nicely.

Can’t wait to see your final piece!

[ajillustrates]

@ellenseal14 Personally, I like A the best because I'm not afraid of centered compositions, and because it's the only thumbnail that has evil plants on either side behind her, which makes stakes higher. You could even have her little sidekick looking off to the right, which would sell that they feel surrounded.

[Kevin Longueil]

@ellenseal14 I've struggled with the fact that i like A best too - it is a centered composition but i think it looks perfect. This would make a very nice book cover if you extended the canvas up and down a bit to an 8 x 10 ratio. I am wondering if i am thinking that because it is centered?? - super nice drawings!!

[ellenseal_art]

@Kim-Rosenlof @Jeremy-Ross @ajillustrates @Kevin-Longueil Thank you all so much for your feedback! Looks like 1 vote B, 1 vote D, and 2 votes A. At least I can eliminate C.

I like A but was scared to go with something centered - great idea to flip the sidekick though! I'd also probably arch the plants a bit more towards her to frame her.

On the other hand, I like how she's moving through the space in D. Both options are from different points in time - so this would be when she's just arrived whereas A would be after she sits to rest (maybe I'd add the bitten apple in there from B so perhaps they're pissed at her for biting a fruit...)

Hmm...decisions decisions. Thanks again!

[TaniaGomesArt]

I like A the best for what you are trying to tell. It's the one where I feel the danger of the plants the most. I'm personally not bothered with centered compositions, but if you think is a problem, you may extend the canvas vertically a bit and kind of make the plants bend a little, like they are trying to get to her. But I like it as it is to be honest.

[ellenseal_art]

@TaniaGomesArt Thank you! A is one of the options I'm leaning towards so that really helps.

[KevinTreaccar]

A and D are my favorites. I like the surrounded feel of A, though her head disappears into the darker wall to me since her hair seems to be a similar tone. I think I like the contrast around her head in D and wonder if bringing its door to A would make A a clear winner.

[ellenseal_art]

Thanks everyone who helped me out with this one! Here's where I'm at now. Any last minute things I should fix that I'm not noticing?

[ajillustrates]

@ellenseal14 Looking lovely! A recommendation to think about: add some lightning out the wind to joing the rainstorm, which would justify putting some dramatic halo-backlighting on the monster plants, girl's hair, and pet's snout.

[ellenseal_art]

@ajillustrates Haha...I'll try it! Lighting is not my strong suit so I'm unsure I'll pull it off. Worth experimenting with though - thanks!