CC06 Halloween: 'Trap + Screech'

[RottenPocket]

I'm curious about the comments on tangents. Do you mean the repeated patterns? The way lines pull out from the centre of a spiderweb and how links in a centipedes body curve are natural patterns. Tangents and patterns that spiral outwards exponentially are supposedly an example of the perfect design or the golden mean. It's curious that people consider that uncomfortable to look at but I do like drawing things slighty off, chipped or rough. It wasn't intentional but seems like it was a happy accident.

[Hobitt]

I think people ment that , when one form touches another and doesen't overlap it or overlaps it very little it flattens out the picture. Here i pointed out most of the tangents i think.More info http://gurneyjourney.blogspot.lt/2009/05...ncies.html

[Eyliana]

Yes, I agree with Hobbit. I quite like the cropped version you posted on the previous page, it makes it more inimate/creepy. The tangents that bothered me the most were the one from the hair andt he bug and the elbow and the bug. Although Hobbit managed to find a few more :D

[RottenPocket]

The post linked and in posts I searched myself it seems like it's a topic on composition where sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I could easily explain much of their examples as forms of what I know as visual tension, redirection and balance of individual elements being connected without being arranged into an orchestrated whole. Artists use tension points to redirect the audience around their design, running with energy or winding it up. Many will use them to their advantage, to break things into more complicated, more interesting images rather than an aesthetically sound impression. Discomfort doesn't phase me, I don't expect a creepy crawly to soothe people, and you could do a paintover to show an alternative at risk of not having the same impact, but if the only complaint is that it appears flat, I can work on it.

[Hobitt]

Alright its your call then, just making sure that you are not doing these things unintentionally. Looking forward to the finished one!

[RottenPocket]

Heh, well since your last I've actually gone back to painting and added more points deliberately along with a few other forms of tension. If this is the reaction I'm getting I'm for it.

[RottenPocket]

dun... I thought the deadline was today but, got my days confused... I've done all I could do. Any crits would be used for the next round.

[neopatogen]

I love the circular comp! Don't know anything about the holidays and mythology that you mentioned but the piece looks interesting anyway.
And the creature is awesome. I think you wanted the banshee to be the main focal point, but I would add a bit more light to the creature, at least to its focal area. And some cast shadows, like from the creature's legs to the cocoon.
Also, the left foot bugs me because the toes are too symmetric and the left leg gesture is almost a straight line. My eyes just keep returning to this foot and staring at it. Btw nice texture on those legs!
Another thing is that the spider net looks too digital compared to all the rest. Have you tried using pencil tool presets in PS or some pencil brushes?
The banshee's right  foot looks fine, but I just wonder what foot anatomy you had in mind. Raptors and birds usually have an additional finger behind, for balance, so from this angle it would probably be seen like here
 
.
 Although, as your banshee is fictional and probably even does not walk much but mostly rides the creature, maybe she doesn't really need that hind finger.

[RottenPocket]

Fictional characters are no excuse for being unrealistic, i didn't really look at any ref for the bird-legs, so thanks for pucking up on it!

The lack of other's knowledge on the origins of Halloween may be my downfall. Someone refered to the bag of goods as a fruitbasket so I guess the gimicky Halloween wins out on the autumn harvest celebrations. Not that I'm complaining, I rock my costumes :D

The view is weird, I was going for an ambient downward glow, and they're nestled in the webbing like on a trampoline or something. Went a little crazy with the hair because I was aiming for it to look like a mess of cobwebs, like you get stuck on a duster. Not sure if that worked. I completely missed adding drop shadow from the legs onto the bundled person.

Thanks for pointing those things out, I will look out for them next time.