06-22-2013, 08:06 AM
@chantal
Great points thanks very much. Will add a little ledge for the viewer to be resting on :)
Cheers!
I didnt use a perspective grid in this which is probably why i had problems with everything feeling very 2D and static, will use one for sure in my next painting.
I think i detailed the second closest rocks too much as they pull focus a bit too much when they arent focal points. I'm often finding it hard to draw focus to something without having my classic pointy rocks! Need to get out of that lazy habit.
I never thought about using objects that go betwene two different 'layers', that would help for sure great point, I really hated how 2d this looked.
By 'big to small shapes', I assume you dont literally mean the focal points should be smaller than everything else? I think i understand what you meant, as in the focal points should be a more complicated and detailed shape than the surrounding ones, using smaller shapes to form it.
As for pallette, I was actually using one of Feng Zhu's sketches as a reference for this, though to a very much lesser skill level of course! I thought that colour picking was kinda cheating and that I should probably learn to find my own colors, but that doesnt seem to work too well for me so I think i may give getting my starting pallete from a photo or drawing and work from there.
I'm always looking around finding really awsome lighting situations and thinking 'wow thats really cool, I'll see if i can use that sometime', i usually take a pic too :)
I dont really post on my sketchbook as much as I should, behind the scenes I am actually doing studies and work, these paintings are kinda my down time fun thing to do, though i usually get very irritated how terrible they turn out :( I need to do more however, I'm going to make a check list of these things then keep to a strict schedule to focus on one a day, (i will actually have time now, after exams!)
I will do a study of each of those every day and post it in my sketchbook, starting monday (if i dont, you have my full permission to kick my ass). Any reccomendations as to where to start? Ive mainly be doing things like mountains, rocks, waterfalls, sunsets. I may start doing some urban stuff to get perspective nailed, as well as some different and more dynamic angles.
Thanks very much for the comment, it really is much appreciated, will keep you posted with what I do. Cheers (btw awesome youtube vid :D )
Great points thanks very much. Will add a little ledge for the viewer to be resting on :)
Cheers!
(06-21-2013, 11:23 PM)monkeybread Wrote: Composition, perspective, values, depth, overlap, shape design, scale, pallette harmony, life. These things you need to work into every enviro to get it to look less amateurish.
The comp is very plain...it's a big U with the primary focal point being a somewhat brighter area in a sky of plain gray. Pick a couple of focal points and concentrate detail there only, leave it looser in other places. There is very little interesting to view and move the eye around in terms of silhouette and shape. Set and use a perspective grid and play with more interesting viewpoints than just flat side on. Are you drawing actual grids? Your sense of lighting and depth has definitely improved so now you can start thinking about controling your values even more. Use overlapping elements to help sense of depth and use elements that cross between depth levels so that it doesn't all feel like you are only layering separate 2D cutouts. Same is done with atmospheric perspective, fog, clouds etc use these behind things to pop their silhouettes out when you need to. I think for you, you really need to focus on composition and push the shapes you use to construct your landscape. Think basic....I'm only going to use triangular forms...I'm only going to use circular forms...or a combination...repeat these in various sizes and scales throught the image. Go from big shapes to small shapes, when going from outside to the focal areas of your painting. Use Reference! Photo and other artist reference to colour pick from to help you get a starting palette if you have issues at first, and stuff for ideas on shape language and design. Be observant in the world around you...make notes when you see something cool.
Start applying all of these to your work. Do more studies. You probably shouldn't just do random sketches all the time and expect to be get better quickly because it doesn't work that way when you are first learning...or at least it will take a lot longer to get better using this approach than if you actively practice the specifics. Perspective, value sketches, lighting studies, colour studies, composition studies etc. You only learn the fundamentals by doing and aping and then actively trying to apply them. Eventually you will get better at conjuring all these up together into a decent concoction. I'm sorry I know it wasn't a direct crit on this piece...but this kind of stuff is what you need to know and do right now.
I didnt use a perspective grid in this which is probably why i had problems with everything feeling very 2D and static, will use one for sure in my next painting.
I think i detailed the second closest rocks too much as they pull focus a bit too much when they arent focal points. I'm often finding it hard to draw focus to something without having my classic pointy rocks! Need to get out of that lazy habit.
I never thought about using objects that go betwene two different 'layers', that would help for sure great point, I really hated how 2d this looked.
By 'big to small shapes', I assume you dont literally mean the focal points should be smaller than everything else? I think i understand what you meant, as in the focal points should be a more complicated and detailed shape than the surrounding ones, using smaller shapes to form it.
As for pallette, I was actually using one of Feng Zhu's sketches as a reference for this, though to a very much lesser skill level of course! I thought that colour picking was kinda cheating and that I should probably learn to find my own colors, but that doesnt seem to work too well for me so I think i may give getting my starting pallete from a photo or drawing and work from there.
I'm always looking around finding really awsome lighting situations and thinking 'wow thats really cool, I'll see if i can use that sometime', i usually take a pic too :)
I dont really post on my sketchbook as much as I should, behind the scenes I am actually doing studies and work, these paintings are kinda my down time fun thing to do, though i usually get very irritated how terrible they turn out :( I need to do more however, I'm going to make a check list of these things then keep to a strict schedule to focus on one a day, (i will actually have time now, after exams!)
I will do a study of each of those every day and post it in my sketchbook, starting monday (if i dont, you have my full permission to kick my ass). Any reccomendations as to where to start? Ive mainly be doing things like mountains, rocks, waterfalls, sunsets. I may start doing some urban stuff to get perspective nailed, as well as some different and more dynamic angles.
Thanks very much for the comment, it really is much appreciated, will keep you posted with what I do. Cheers (btw awesome youtube vid :D )