08-11-2014, 03:59 AM
Wow, tonnes of value studies recently! Getting a cool weather break is so nice, it must be crazy hot for you.
I think you are on the right track with the efficiency, if you keep at it. You are already pretty good at defining those form planes, so you should try to make better use of that. (I like how you handled them in your self portrait a couple of posts back, the structure shows through well.) So perhaps it would help to slow down and try to put them in with fewer, more accurate strokes, hitting in the value shapes. It might take a little longer at first, but the end result is that it will take less time to get things down, even though you are moving slower. It is something I've noticed watching pros paint and draw actually; they move pretty slowly, but because they think so carefully, they turn out results in less time. (It is super hard to get the hang of though, or I am finding that myself.)
Also as a very general suggestion, master studies (or little detail snippets out of master works) can be a good way to get a feel for brushwork too (among other things).
For the composition in the last one, the strong left-right flow of the action and pose flows pretty well to start off the picture, it can definitely be built on if you are inclined to. I have a couple of suggestions that might help the composition. The figure looks a bit cramped against the left edge of the image - I think extending the canvas to the left might help give him a bit of space to fly in on. The top of the monster's head and hand also lines up rather neatly with the mountains behind him - so maybe changing the placement could add interest and form some diagonals. (For instance, the mountain could be raised a bit in order to let its silhouette create a line to the focal point.) The last thing that could help is the hand placement - it might add more depth to let the monster's fingers overlap his face as he reaches out for the guy attacking. Keep experimenting with composition though, it is a tricky topic!
Otherwise, cool action shot, and good start to the rendering of the monster's face too, it looks delightfully fleshy.
Great set of updates, loving all the effort.
I think you are on the right track with the efficiency, if you keep at it. You are already pretty good at defining those form planes, so you should try to make better use of that. (I like how you handled them in your self portrait a couple of posts back, the structure shows through well.) So perhaps it would help to slow down and try to put them in with fewer, more accurate strokes, hitting in the value shapes. It might take a little longer at first, but the end result is that it will take less time to get things down, even though you are moving slower. It is something I've noticed watching pros paint and draw actually; they move pretty slowly, but because they think so carefully, they turn out results in less time. (It is super hard to get the hang of though, or I am finding that myself.)
Also as a very general suggestion, master studies (or little detail snippets out of master works) can be a good way to get a feel for brushwork too (among other things).
For the composition in the last one, the strong left-right flow of the action and pose flows pretty well to start off the picture, it can definitely be built on if you are inclined to. I have a couple of suggestions that might help the composition. The figure looks a bit cramped against the left edge of the image - I think extending the canvas to the left might help give him a bit of space to fly in on. The top of the monster's head and hand also lines up rather neatly with the mountains behind him - so maybe changing the placement could add interest and form some diagonals. (For instance, the mountain could be raised a bit in order to let its silhouette create a line to the focal point.) The last thing that could help is the hand placement - it might add more depth to let the monster's fingers overlap his face as he reaches out for the guy attacking. Keep experimenting with composition though, it is a tricky topic!
Otherwise, cool action shot, and good start to the rendering of the monster's face too, it looks delightfully fleshy.
Great set of updates, loving all the effort.