Sijun Forums :: View topic - Illustration...different from painting a picture?

Indian_Prophet · Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2002 6:02 am

This one is purely an illustration, not a painting. So I've decided to use some gradients versus hand doing it.

Anyone have any suggestions on improvement. This one actually has potential buyers, but I wanted to clean it up first.
Thanks

Indian_Prophet · Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2002 6:05 am

PS
I am working on better brows right now too..

lafolli · Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2002 11:46 am

Well I'm not too sure about the gradients myself... at least not straight gradients.. the shading for the suit doesnt look right for that space. It also seems like it needs something more; maybe you could do more drawing in a layer over the top, using just black lines for instance, to portray the lapels of his suit. Other than that its nicely done, and nice use of color for the face and the objects he's holding.

johnwun · Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2002 12:31 am

Hey I_P, Nice and clean start. I would like to address your question as to the difference between painting and illustration. It's a good one, and I hope the discussion gets carried on by better artists than myself. I'll probably come up with a better answer long after this thread is dead, but for an immediate answer, I think the difference stems from the inability of early printing presses to reproduce photographic images. I'm not a history major, so for me it's all about the software. I paint in photoshop, and illustrate in illustrator. The outcomes are drastically different. Insert some esoteric chaos vs. order philosophy here.
In response to your illustration, I find it a well structured blend of both worlds. If you have a buyer, then all the better... I agree with the previous post regarding the fade to white being a bit harsh. His feet seem to compete with his face. Perhaps if you fade to a grey that is the same saturation as the globe. I think darker shoes would work. Also his sleeves seem to want their own gradient. Good Luck. Hope this is what you were looking for. Please post updates as the come...

Indian_Prophet · Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2002 5:17 am

Thanks for the comments.

lafolli, I think you are right.

johnwun, yea, maybe it should fade to another color, I see it is a confusion between focal points because of the white.

Thanks for the illustration/painting insight.

Indian_Prophet · Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2002 11:12 am

ok took care of few things. Is this one a little better? I changed the hair to give it a more illustrated style and changed the eyes too. I also changed the gradient to gray. Do I need to do more yet?

Tinusch · Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2002 12:21 am

I think the white gradients are washing out the whole image, especially the one used for the suit. It also kind of separates the man from the rest of the image. I think you should try to stay away from the white gradients, to make the picture look less washed out and bland, and to unify it. I did a quick gradient on the suit to show what I mean...