Looking for Critique please :)
-
@miriam Thanks for the reference images. love the one curved towards the sea.
-
I'm still working on it but I have made some changes
-
@jason-bowen
I dont' think a specific software or material (such as brush or paint) create good art, it's mainly the artist (your mind!). I have professional concept art friends that after years using digital art (photoshop, z-brush, maya), they went back to traditional. And they think that their traditional art is somehow better than the digital stuff they do. Photoshop is just a tool that allow them to mass produce concept art for a very demanding game/cinema industry (i.e. easy to modify the layers, easy to erase and redo something).If there is a very special reason for you to just use photoshop, then go ahead and master the software, it is always good to learn something new. But mastering photoshop is not the same as mastering the basic principles of colour/lighting/composition/storytelling. That's why I asked about the sketches. Even when I do my traditional paintings, I do a lot of planning: think about the story, sketch the characters, plan what they are supposed to be doing, sketch the scene, test some colours, and then I move on the the big piece of watercolour paper.
If you are lacking internet to find references, just go outside and take some photos with a handphone (I hope you have one!). If you need references of human-style poses, hands, faces, just take selfies (or ask someone to photograph you in the pose you want), this is sometimes better than finding references only because you can be more specific about your own poses and photos.
-
@diego_biosteam thanks for your tips.
-
@jason-bowen
I thought he was running from another tree at one point. -
@jason-bowen
I'm not sure if you mean the 2nd or 3rd pict. (of the ones AFTER the 2 of the Lone Cypress) but I like those two--with the ocean behind them. They both have an obvious look of being windswept, but still look old and tough at the same time. The first one looks beaten down by the wind, so I don't think it matches the story as well as the second & third ones, since he left out of loneliness, not to escape the wind. The fourth / last one just looked so interesting I wanted to share it, even though it doesn't really fit your story.Keep in mind that in most cases, the wind will be blowing off the sea (maybe the 3rd tree is on a peninsula or small island?), so you'll want to have your leaves and branches leaning inland.
-
@jason-bowen
I don't know how to say it, but I think you should redesign the tree character. I don't really think "tree" when I look at him. He looks like some made-up plant-based character to me. (I think it's mostly from the hips and stomach. I can see roots turning into legs, and branches into arms, but something in the middle doesn't make sense to me.)I've seen other paintings that you've done, and I think you can do better, so I just want to encourage you in your best work, and you seem like someone who can take some "tough love". Just my own opinion though!
I like the craggy angry faces on the other trees. I also think the forest trees look like one style (more graphic / flat) and the main character looks like a different style (More detailed / cartoon), so I would want them to match.
-
@miriam you should see some of my other drawings lol
-
@jason-bowen
Your oil paintings are really good. Have you watched the digital painting classes? -
@miriam I have yes, I've binge watched almost every video on here. Just need to practice. My plan is to focus on this book and learn more as I go on photoshop.
-
@gary-wilkinson This is so much more dynamic. Great choice.
-
Don't get caught up in the idea that your illustrations need to be dynamic especially if you are here to improve your work for children's illustration.
