10-21-2018, 01:16 PM
@Shinkasuru: I hope they weren't in the path of the hurricane activity down in Florida this past few months. That could really mess up a home, never mind doing a regular renovation.
@RickRichards: You're absolutely right that the portrait crop you did for the composition is 110% better. I tend to favor portrait compositions; I rarely ever work landscape. (Perhaps that's part of my discomfort with this piece is that it's just sort of out of my left field, so to speak?) Unfortunately, I can't change the dimensions, even if there are definitely much better ways to execute things. The commissioner wanted very specific dimensions, so that it can be used as a background for multiple things. It's stuck as it is. There used to be a fourth character in the composition, but that person apparently dropped out of the group, so the character was removed. I spread the remaining figures out a bit more to fill the suddenly vacant space -- I originally had them more like your figures are positioned, closer together.
You're also right about the values. I'm trying to re-work them slightly, but it's proving difficult. References for snow scenes are all over the place lighting-wise, which I'm not sure if it's due to the reflectivity of the snow itself or what? I've actually reverted to looking at paintings people have done of snow. They're a bit more helpful, but I need to deconstruct them a bit and figure out how they're working, I think.
@darktiste: Very true.
Anyway, this is where I'm currently at. Added in the Kel Dor male on the left side. (He still needs some work.) I'm aiming to have this finished before my renovations start, which will be this coming Thursday.
I've also been building up my cinematography reference libraries to start doing some composition studies. (And other general practice.) If anyone has any favorites that they think would be beneficial for me to check out (or artists/artworks that might also be helpful), let me know! :D
@RickRichards: You're absolutely right that the portrait crop you did for the composition is 110% better. I tend to favor portrait compositions; I rarely ever work landscape. (Perhaps that's part of my discomfort with this piece is that it's just sort of out of my left field, so to speak?) Unfortunately, I can't change the dimensions, even if there are definitely much better ways to execute things. The commissioner wanted very specific dimensions, so that it can be used as a background for multiple things. It's stuck as it is. There used to be a fourth character in the composition, but that person apparently dropped out of the group, so the character was removed. I spread the remaining figures out a bit more to fill the suddenly vacant space -- I originally had them more like your figures are positioned, closer together.
You're also right about the values. I'm trying to re-work them slightly, but it's proving difficult. References for snow scenes are all over the place lighting-wise, which I'm not sure if it's due to the reflectivity of the snow itself or what? I've actually reverted to looking at paintings people have done of snow. They're a bit more helpful, but I need to deconstruct them a bit and figure out how they're working, I think.
@darktiste: Very true.
Anyway, this is where I'm currently at. Added in the Kel Dor male on the left side. (He still needs some work.) I'm aiming to have this finished before my renovations start, which will be this coming Thursday.
I've also been building up my cinematography reference libraries to start doing some composition studies. (And other general practice.) If anyone has any favorites that they think would be beneficial for me to check out (or artists/artworks that might also be helpful), let me know! :D