FINDING GOD

[Max Swinton]

Hello daggers.

I'd like to share a finished piece and get some feedback on it. It's called Finding God and it was originally painted for bloodsport 9 but I didn't manage to finish it to the level I wanted. This is a revamped, properly finished version.

HIGH RES VERSION
I'm working flat out on putting an illustration portfolio together and this is my first complete painting for that so please let me know what works and what doesn't etc.

Hope you enjoy it,

Max.

[Myriam]

Hi! This is cool, I like the rendering, there are just a few things that "bother" me:
1. I don't understand the guy's back of the head. Is he bald with some furry animal sitting on top of him or is this some crazy hairdo? I don't get it.
2. The halo is really disturbing. It's so sharp and clear, it looks like a halogen lamp, not like something ethereal or otherworldly. Maybe if there were some ray of light instead or if weren't so clear and sharp but more noisy and subtle... I don't know. =)
That's all. I like the colours and the story it tells. =)

[Piotr Jasielski]

You have a really good understanding of light. I am, however, not very comfortable with the composition. I think it would benefit the illustration if you expanded it a little up.

Anyway keep up the good work!

[Max Swinton]

Thanks for the comments Myriam and Piotr.

Myriam, He has hair, but the main light sources are coming from in front and to the far right and left of him and hitting the front and sides of his head. He's wearing a head torch with a battery pack attached at the back, so maybe the strap is not reading well and is confusing?

As for the halo, I went through various designs that included more gas like, smoky rings but in the end I thought it looked better as a very hard bright object. I wanted it to feel like a bare bulb left on in a house that's decayed around it.

Piotr, do you feel that it's too tight at the top? I'm OK with the composition, but I understand your point.

Of course now that it's finished I look at it and have to resist the urge to just go back in and change this and that and just accept it as done and move on. if any of it still bothers me in a months time I'll make changes.

Thanks very much for the comments, very much appreciated.

Best,

Max

[KyleScary]

This piece is great. I just need to chime in with my 2 cents, I have to disagree with Myriam, I think the hair reads really well, along with the headlamp, although it's not turned on? But I have to agree with Piotr, compositionally it could be stronger. Where my eye is drawn is basically immediately to the hair, which is located almost exactly in the top left corner of the image... and not so much elsewhere.

Anyway, just my opinion, looking forward to the next one!

[Max Swinton]

Thanks Kyle, this guys hair is getting a lot of attention, maybe I should specialize, i could be the guy you contact when you need some ambiguous/distracting hair painted.

The head torch is kind of on but it isn't shining any light because that really was distracting, his head was far too bright.

The composition was tricky and I feel like it could be better but overall it works well enough for me as it is. When I look at it my eyes go straight to the skulls eyes, but then again I painted it so I'm not equipped to judge it properly.

Thanks for looking and commenting, I appreciate it.

Max

[Kamiru]

Damn, is this all drawn? it looks so real!

[Max Swinton]

Thanks Kamiru. Yes it's all painted in photoshop. I used reference for the skull and the explorer which I lit and shot myself which helped me a lot with the lighting.

I aim for realism with my stuff, but not in the sense that it looks exactly like it exists, I'm going for a film still sort of feel. I find myself over detailing a lot of stuff and I'm still working on striking a balance that I like.

Max

[Zesiul]

Great story telling! If I had any words of critique it would have to be as stated above, a dry composition. Expanding it would help a load! Super amazing lighting btw.

[Max Swinton]

Thanks very much for the input Zesiul. I do see where you are coming from with the composition, but like I say I'm fine with it for what it is. Glad you like the lighting, I'm happy with how that turned out.

Max

[Rrabbstyjke]

All in all, great work Max! It reads great, the textures work, the lighting is gloomy and to the point.
Just to hear me talking, the only thing I would comment is that it may needs a bit more space on the left of the canvas, just to push the man into the composition a bit.
That's all, cool stuff.

[Max Swinton]

Thanks Rrabbstyjke, glad you like it. thanks for taking the time to comment.

Max