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Torstein Nordstrand · Posted: Mon Aug 19, 2002 7:50 am

Hi people,

This is a summary of things I've studied the last month, including several b/w head studies (light, selective contrasts) and a b/w Bougereau mastercopy. I'm also trying out a limited b/w PS technique just using one round smooth brush, starting huge and going down progressively in brush size to do details.

I'm considering digging up Painter and doing a full colour version, to work more on my (unfortunately lacking) paint texture/colour skills. Before that though, I'd be very interested if you people have any thoughts on everything so far - especially lighting and composition.

Thanks

[ August 19, 2002: Message edited by: Torstein Nordstrand ]

[ August 23, 2002: Message edited by: Torstein Nordstrand ]

neff · Posted: Mon Aug 19, 2002 11:01 pm

looks like a good composition, hope ypo could sharp it more with the coloring

eyewoo · Posted: Mon Aug 19, 2002 11:52 pm

The lighting appears to be coming from both within the central subject matter and from the right, which is cool to my way of thinking...

At this point it's a little hard to comment on the subject matter since it is so rough, but it sure looks like a great start.

Torstein Nordstrand · Posted: Tue Aug 20, 2002 10:36 am

NeFF: Thanks! Yeah, colouring will make it easier to look at, I'm sure. Concerning details, I'm trying out using three levels of sharpness, where the foreground hands are most blurred, and the "family" will get most detail.
We'll see if it works or not, though :P

Eyewoo: Actually, my line of thinking is that the space the people are sitting in is filled with light originating from a righthand source. The light bounces off the walls though, so the whole room with figures will be lit. That's part of the experiment - outdoors night versus indoors firelight. Thanks for the comment

Here I've pretty much finished the outside (hands+cloth), and I'm working on the inside... I'm not sure where the colours are going, but it will get lighter. I'm trying out a dramatic red grounding to lay all the light and colour onto. Any more comments would be helpful!

Electro · junior member Member # Joined: 05 Aug 2002 Posts: 33

I must say I like the B&W version alot more..

Golongria · Posted: Wed Aug 21, 2002 6:15 am

I really dig both versions a ton...but they need to be sharper...it would look badassa if you just made everything more clear...aside from maybe the hands since they would be out of focus for the viewers eyes.

B0b · Posted: Wed Aug 21, 2002 7:46 am

prehaps hes p1ssed?

Blind Tree Frog · Posted: Wed Aug 21, 2002 10:09 am

quote:
Originally posted by Torstein Nordstrand:
[QB]Hi people,

This is a summary of things I've studied the last month, including several b/w head studies (light, selective contrasts) and a b/w Bougereau mastercopy. I'm also trying out a limited b/w PS technique just using one round smooth brush, starting huge and going down progressively in brush size to do details.

Off topic, but i used to have a screen saver that would do that. Would draw a given picture with strokes of a large size and slowly shrink that same stroke down to 1 pixel as it drew the picture.

Torstein Nordstrand · Posted: Fri Aug 23, 2002 6:36 pm

Phew, I'll soon be calling it quits on this one, I'm losing all feelings towards it. Colours are so confusing... it's just getting more and more messy.

I hope the image reads clearer now though. Who's pissed, by the way?

If anyone can tell me just one thing they would have done differently, I'll be most pleased. Everything I've done lately is driving me nuts because it only shows I'm not good enough.

Please give me a hint if you got one, m'kay?

Guy · Posted: Fri Aug 23, 2002 7:03 pm

no don't quit now! it looks really good. perhaps adding bit more of a yellowish colour to the cave walls since the light is coming from fire right? and maybe also refine the 2 humans clothes a bit. they look too fuzzy compaired to the faces, but it's really looking good. i like the colours you choose so far.

eyewoo · Posted: Sun Aug 25, 2002 2:24 pm

This maybe off the wall... here's a quick paint over... It may be changing the subject matter too much, but here it is anyway...

Rabbet · junior member Member # Joined: 25 Aug 2002 Posts: 2

I like all of them, my favorite is the B/W one though... It's just a style I like. Art is pretty much all personal preference though. So unless your doing it for a client, make it what you want.

Whenever I do something "ARTISTIC" for me, I don't usually ask for critics, because... It's mine. It's what I want it to look like. So keep it your own. Have people tell you what they would change... If you agree, or they think of something you didn't, then change it if you want.

If i'm doing it for a teacher, or client though.... Well... It's whatever they want.

Torstein Nordstrand · Posted: Thu Sep 05, 2002 4:28 pm

Woha!
The WIP section suddenly got busy again...

I've finished the piece now, it's posted in the Finished section, please have a look!

Guy, you're right on everything :P I at least took heed on the lightning, thanks!
Rabbet, I liked the sketchiness of the b/w too, but I cannot limit myself to my own preferences, can I

I need critique, especially on the variables that are common for most paintings - composition, colour, anatomy, light abuse, eye sore-ness, all of that. Style is something else, I think. Thanks for the encouragement nonetheless!
Eyewoo: Special thanks for the paintover, Eyewoo. I do alot of paintovers myself, but am too shy to post them afterwards

Doing away with the stark outside blackness was a good trick, though it changes the "break-in" theme too much. Hmm... you don't do much contrasty images, am I right? I tend to abuse "auto-levels" on my sketches, which is a bad crutch sometimes. Food for thought...

Thanks a bunch!