Curse

UnOrthOdOx · Sep 18, 2011, 12:58 AM // 00:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by bonjela

@UnOrthOdOx: Is that a bone minion? Looks pretty badass, either way!

Thanks. I just took the haunt's story of demonic creatures living in the mines underneath the city. The mine pick immediately sprang to mind, and I wanted it biped. Then I wanted it to look like a beetle, so made the segmented back and head, then designed the front to maximize the available lighting.

Like the green one posted earlier, it's inspiration has some roots based in the Dark Crystal as well. This one, the Garthim.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thistle Xandra

@UnOrthOdOx: wow, how long does it take you to make something like that?! That looks amazing! The glow looks so wicked :O

Depends on your point of view. It takes me about three hours of real work...but a heck of a lot of drying in between hour long sessions. So, 3 days and $60 in materials to make one. Just delivered, and the customer and their entire staff was thrilled.

bonjela · Sep 18, 2011, 01:50 AM // 01:50

Only three hours? That's pretty swift. It'd take me a heck of a lot longer to make something like that, but of course, I'm much less practiced than you are.

UnOrthOdOx · Sep 18, 2011, 02:16 AM // 02:16

It's the beauty of the medium. You'd be surprised how quick it goes together. The 'hard' part is learning how to support it structurally.

Oh_Frustration · Sep 18, 2011, 04:48 AM // 04:48

Holy cow, this has been on for quite a long time already! I'll try to find some time and inspiration to take part, but at least I'll try to stay active in the thread even if I don't draw anything.

Oh_Frustration (call me Frust if you like)
Dread!
Traditional art
PG will be created later.

Sura · Sep 18, 2011, 10:00 AM // 10:00

@Murke I really like your entry, the pose is awesome, she looks like she is hard at work on her stew

. The lighting is lovely as well, i love the backlight emphasizing her shilouette. But since you established such a nice lighting situation i notice some missing cast shadows: for example the bottom hand would cast a shadow on the staff, or the top skulls on the bottom skulls. I think the details in the top corners, especially the right top corner, are really distracting. As they are the areas with the sharpest and brightest contrast and lines, they draw the attention away from the figure.

I did an update on my entry as well, testing out 2 lighting situations. I am still undecided how i should light my figure. I tried side-top and bottom-front. Both have advantages and disadvantages. The side-lighting lets me show many details of the chair and looks prettier. The bottom-lighting would fit the halloween-theme better, since its scarier. But many details would be in the shadows, plus this kind of lighting is harder to do for me, so i am more likely to screw it up. Therefore i am still undecided. What do you think?

EtherealByte · Sep 18, 2011, 10:25 AM // 10:25

Hi guys,
I've never posted any artwork here before since I am not an artist and too lazy to draw usually.
I do love art however, despite not being very good at it and since I am jobless for the moment, I thought I might as well do something and maybe learn in the process. So here is my entry:

Name: Etherealbyte
Art Form: Fanart Sketch on paper
Idea: Nothing yet, still thinking.
Progress Gallery: Will set one up when I have something to show and update.
Real Life Prizes: [X]
Official Contest: [ ]
Workshop Awards: [X]

Oh_Frustration · Sep 18, 2011, 11:38 AM // 11:38

@Sura, I agree about the bottom one being more suitable to the theme and so I would say go for it. Since you apparently draw digitally, you have lots and lots and lots of room to play in. If you drew on paper, I'd tell you to do what you can do better.

Gotta say, the figure looks neat.

bonjela · Sep 18, 2011, 03:19 PM // 15:19

@Oh_Frustration & @EtherealByte: Hi!

@Sura: I think bottom lighting would work best here; not just because it's spookier, but because the angle enables you to draw the light source itself: perhaps a glowing necromantic rune circle or a mound of pumpkins or something. Having something beneath the chair would help establish its floaty-ness.

If you decide to go with bottom lighting, it might be a good idea to put holes in the arms of the chair, to allow light to bleed through and illuminate her torso a bit. Also, you can always toy with secondary light sources (maybe that gem on the chair above her head, or an ambient glow from the side).

Finally, some comments on what you've done so far: Looking good! I love concept, the amount of detail you've put into the chair, and the smug pose and expression on the necro. However, there are a few flaws in the construction; I hope you don't mind, but it's easier for me to show them by scribbling on your work:

Widowmaker · Sep 18, 2011, 06:31 PM // 18:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sura

The side-lighting lets me show many details of the chair and looks prettier. The bottom-lighting would fit the halloween-theme better, since its scarier. But many details would be in the shadows, plus this kind of lighting is harder to do for me, so i am more likely to screw it up. Therefore i am still undecided. What do you think?

Without a feeling for the rest of the image it is hard to say. But right now I'd be tempted to use both, but use a much softer side light to bring in a complimentary colour and provide some relief.

The chair would block a significant amount of the lighting coming from below her and you're in danger of making her either too dark or saturating her legs with light using only the one light.

Death By An Arrow · Sep 18, 2011, 06:58 PM // 18:58

@ sura I say a bit of both. Side lighting minimal with some contrasting colour, and then bottom light. Maybe a light source on the chair, so it isnt blocked, or perhaps some floating candles so it can light both her and the chair? I don't know what the scene is yet, but those could work well.

Sura · Sep 18, 2011, 08:38 PM // 20:38

First of all: thanks for the feedback and the ideas and suggestions

!
So I guess I will go for the bottom light version

! I will of course add secondary lights, but i was thinking about the main light at that moment. In the end I will probably add an backlight to emphasize the shilouette and some sort of side light or an ambient light to avoid very dark areas and to help me flesh out the figure. I am thinking about adding some self-illuminating lines, runes or gems on the chair as well.

I don't intend to show the lighting sources though, to be honest there will be no rest of the scene, this is the scene

(i will add some minions crawling around, but that's all, no background or floor planned). I am aiming for a very simple illustration of my necromancer on some fancy chair, that's just my preferred style. If during working on it I think that it is too boring or too simple I will probably add some more scenery, but right now that's not planned.
Examples of my style:

@bonjela
wow, thanks so much for the in-depth feedback! And no I don't mind you writing on it at all

. It's really helpful to me, some of the flaws you noted I was kinda aware of, but not entirely sure what the problem was.
Detailed response:

bonjela · Sep 18, 2011, 09:45 PM // 21:45

@Sura: Glad to help! By the way, I love the last two examples of your other works; how did you accomplish that textured look?

Some detailed response to your detailed response:

Sura · Sep 18, 2011, 10:01 PM // 22:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by bonjela

@Sura: Glad to help! By the way, I love the last two examples of your other works; how did you accomplish that textured look?

Oh thanks a lot Bonjela

! For the textured look i overlay textures (like paper textures for example) and use grainy brushes (chalk brush and such). I do know the flipping trick, but i fear i use it not often enough (mostly because my crappy computer takes really long to mirror the large files, lol)
And yes my legs still need a lot of adjusting (none of those examples show legs for a reason, i really suck at them), making the foot more relaxed is a good point, i don't want it to look strained.

Death By An Arrow · Sep 18, 2011, 10:10 PM // 22:10

I now look so much more forward to your piece Sura, having seen those examples of previous works

Do you by chance have a deviantart gallery, or another website I could check out? I don't believe I've seen your work before :x

If you arent including a lightsource, then I still suggest the downlighting. Its much more sinister and halloween-y. It may be out of your comfort zone, but i personally think it will look more impressive and fit the theme much better. Plus, if you screw up along the way, we can help steer you back in the right direction

Anywho: update on my stuff. Still dont have an idea, but I bought some acrylic paint today and tested them on the board. The colour is still quite vibrant on the board, so it should work. But I'm not sure if I would prefer working digitally or not, as painting with the acrylics is a little uncomfortable. I could use the digital practice, but ive still got all these board to use up :/ It will all come down to the idea, I think.

Sura · Sep 18, 2011, 10:42 PM // 22:42

@Death By An Arrow
I will go for the light from the bottom, at least i will try

. It will definitely be out of my comfort zone, but i did start the piece as a challenge for myself, so that's okay. I do have an deviantart account, but i have not posted any GW related artwork there yet (will do so in the near future): http://sigmauna.deviantart.com/.
For posting on the GW forums i created an wordpress account: http://surassketchblog.wordpress.com/ . There is all my GW related work, including WIPs.

About your project: i did see your post about the cardboards and thought that it was a great idea. But i have no good idea what you could draw on it, so i didn't comment on it. The only idea i came up with was to use them to imitate a stained glass window (i am not sure if that is the right word...) and paint an Mad King mural on it, like the murals for the various GW gods.

Death By An Arrow · Sep 18, 2011, 11:29 PM // 23:29

I knew I had seen your work before! I've seen the undersea vehicle painting before, very nice work indeed. Consider yourself watched

The idea of the stained glass mural could be very interesting. I'll work on some thumbnail sketches and such for it, and if it doesnt turn out I may get some base work for another idea

Sidenote: Verene, was it you who pumped out that stained glass piece for last years wintersday contest and managed to make honourable mentions/wins?

Verene · Sep 18, 2011, 11:32 PM // 23:32

It's funny that you brought up the stained-glass idea, Sura; that's what I did last year for Wintersday and I was considering continuing that theme for the Halloween contest this year XD

DBAA, I think the idea of doing something with the cardboard inserts, actually! I'd probably recommend seeing how they hold up to having primer applied to them so you have a base white surface to work on, otherwise you have to adjust everything to the fact that you're working on brown. I think it'd be neat to have each piece be part of one painting (like a grid), and then connect/hang them all together.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Death By An Arrow

Sidenote: Verene, was it you who pumped out that stained glass piece for last years wintersday contest and managed to make honourable mentions/wins?

Hah, I just mentioned that. Yep, that was my piece. I did it digitally in Photoshop, though; part illustration and part photomanipulation.

Death By An Arrow · Sep 18, 2011, 11:37 PM // 23:37

Primer... yes... [PURREYE-MOORE]. Oh yeah... I know.. what.. that...

>___>
<___<

do what now?

Verene · Sep 18, 2011, 11:41 PM // 23:41

XD

Primer is a special type of paint that you put on the surface and let dry before you start painting. It gives you a uniform surface to work on, and allows the paint itself to adhere better to it. It also helps waterproof the surface you're working on.

bonjela · Sep 18, 2011, 11:42 PM // 23:42

Primer? It's a film about time-travel.

*Runs off whooping and clutching her digital tablet*