Posts made by Nancy Gormezano

Nice, wonderful images and illustration. Sorry for your loss of your mother. May her memory be a blessing and comfort you in time

yeah, definitely bummer - such a fun image!

I love it too. And I am in complete awe of your amazing talent. However, the death guy is a little confusing. How would it look if you only had death's scythe showing perhaps? (moved it closer to old guy and cropped it a little closer?)

awwwww...so sweet! Many congratulations and many best wishes. Happy Birthday Aurelia Grace! Welcome to the world!

What a wonderful piece! Love the rambling of the scarf. However, I agree about the scarf going over grandpa's fingers and then back over grandmas chair. Perhaps make it so that the scarf goes behind grandpas hands - looking like it goes back down the arm of grandpa and grandmas chairs, and then back up the back of her chair.

Perhaps it might be fun to see the cat interacting with the scarf on the back of the chair so as to suggest it was partly the cat's fault for the path of the scarf?

Maybe the eyes of grandma could be looking down at her knitting? (or as other's suggested, not staring blankly into space, unless she is supposed to be day dreaming? trying to remember next pattern of stitches, listening to story?, reminiscing?)

And I miss the dog too! he was wonderful.

I repeat myself: wonderful image!

Charming, endearing work - ALL of it...(not just the last image)

@Dulcie Thanks Dulcie - AND Congrats on this month's win...FABULOUS image! And, as usual, your lovely, endearing style with clarity of story shines brilliantly.

@jacs Thanks Jac. You are right about about trusting the techniques and process demonstrated on this forum...Very tough also for me to move thru feeling awkward with new process versus doing it my ol' comfortable and as you say, intuitive way of working.

@smceccarelli Thanks for the feedback! Your image is amazing. I took a look at your website and I am totally intimidated. Your work is outstanding. I love your style.

Yes, focusing on lighting and value scheme would be a good idea for me to help clarify telling the story. And making it obvious. That will be my goal for next month's effort.

I am in love with patterns, textures, textiles, colors, complexity, abstraction. Up until I found this forum, had never even thought about storytelling (did mainly personal art, 3D modeling, animation dabbling), nor did I really think about readability. AND it shows!

So as an amateur (come from a software, engineering background), hobbyist, and OLD person, I don't really have a portfolio to speak of. But I keep my brain active and I enjoy learning, improving, conquering new skills. So, I am in pursuit of getting better, so that at least people might be able to understand what's going on in my images.

Thanks again for your feedback

@DanetteDraws Thanks Danette. You are so RIGHT ON in suggesting that I work on clarifying my storytelling ideas such that there is no confusion. I 100% agree. It is a problem in much of my stuff. Could be because I keep changing the story as I go (while laying out the 3d composition), rather than planning and sticking to the plan!

And you are right about the focal point...It is a problem in most of my images. I think I can help that by changing my lighting some. But truthfully, I have a problem with even wanting to have a single focal point. Somehow I want the eye to wander and inspect all of the image. But I definitely could do better in leading the eye. In this story I'm not even sure where I wanted the focal point to be? The tool? Lucy? the problem? (skunks). I guess I wanted the focal point to be the bear spraying the skunks with perfume, and that secondly one would notice the trunk, then start inspecting all the other items.

I did digitally paint over the first image - added texturing, the stars, lightened some areas. However I had not been too successful in doing more paint over, as the 3D conflicts with my hand painting style, so they didn't mix well. But I gave up too easily. I should probably push thru that.

thanks again for the feedback!

@Lynn-Larson Thanks Lynn. I was trying to go for a fabric stuffed animal look in the top image versus a "stylized" painted animal look as in the 2nd, as well as to suggest a "crazy quilt" idea. But I agree, I prefer the coloring, texturing in 2nd image of the animals. I think I might have been able to choose different patterns for the animals such that it would have been more easy on the eyes.

The first image (more detaiIed)is the image that I submitted for this month's contest. The second image (simpler style) is where I started and then I switched directions.

I know I should have gotten feedback before forging ahead, or changing direction, as I find it hard to stop experimenting, and interrupt the momentum.

I'm now liking my original version better (simpler image), and wish that I had pursued this further.

I'm gathering that there is some resistance? distaste? to using 3D software for illustration, but I can't seem to stop myself. I keep hoping that I will be able to come up with a style that makes the 3D look more hand crafted.

Any feedback is welcome and is much appreciated. First image versus 2nd? texturing styles? I know there are probably problems with the 1st image, in terms of knowing which creature is Lucy, and what kind of creature she is, and perhaps also as to what all the creatures are? I think it's clearer in the 2nd image?

Awwww....Marsha, I feel your pain.
And just like it took time to develop your skills at traditional media, it will take time to get the hang of digital.

Even though I started life out as a software, systems engineer (a bazillion years ago), I even find some image editing software, with their zippy-doo features confusing and awkward. It's not you. It just takes time to learn a particular app. Software designers are not always "human friendly". Though as the craft matures, it does seem to be getting better.

I use Photoshop, and Painter and have an Intuous pro? tablet on windows 7. But, I am not familiar with using the software you described. I suspect there is some commonality among them, but each will have it's own funnies. Just like oil, watercolor, pastels, etc each have their funnies.

I notice that you are in San Jose (from your web site). I live in Cupertino. So if you would like to get together, or come over some day, I would be happy to see if there is some way I could ease your stress, and perhaps answer some "digitally" type questions.

And yes. Unfortunately, patience is a requirement to this digital stuff...

nancy at intercad-inc dot com

Wow! love it! (I prefer the NOT vignetted version)

very beautiful work - especially like the "little bathtub" story images. I was impressed with the original sketches, but the rendering brought it to a whole new level - GORGEOUS!

I like your concept! Nice idea!

My main problem is understanding why there is an octopus wrapped around the mermaids hair? What's he trying to do?

Perhaps the 2nd octopus could be drawn to appear in between the mermaid and the octopus who is in trouble, where the 2nd octopus is pointing/motioning at the one caught on the hook, and maybe trying to get the mermaid to hurry up and free the one in distress? could have one of it's arms wrapped around her left arm?

LOVE! love love.

I haven't seen a notice for the video yet anywhere - BUT it is up on youtube. Not sure why it hasn't been announced, unless I missed the notice.

https://youtu.be/X-4c_hLfDaw

@Lee-White said:

Updated all of them. So that should be the entire unedited list of submissions. If anyone doesn't see theirs, feel free to add it to this thread. : )

uhhhh...still don't see mine....my insecurities are going full steam ahead! (EDIT: I do notice at least 2 entries that are shown twice however).

Is there a size and "weight" that is recommended? This is what I submitted. It was/is 1600x1000 917kb

Wonderful! Great to see all of them together! Looking forward to seeing the critique video on youtube.

@Lee-White - Are these ALL the entries? or just honorable mention? Mine is missing if it is supposed to be ALL, and I did get a reply from Aaron, that it had been received.

Wonderful colors, technique, characters, compositions!