You're really learning to keep your paintings clean and still showing a plenty of color detail, something I keep trying and finding ways that don't work (failing)
during the saturated colors in your environments are looking really good i would like to see more saturated ones at the props. the lamps are nice but i miss some more color
Some wonky anatomies . . . also I'm too slow to fit in the hands, feet, and face most of the time imo that stuff really grounds the figure and makes it come to life. MUSS PRACTICE MORE!!
wow, your lines have such awesome flow. It's like you're going straight for capturing the dimensional form and ignore any temptation of focusing on one area too much or adding details early.
Great work on the studies Jessica, I agree with Blasoid. Your lines flow very well. And im excited to see your concept doodles. Keep up the awesome work.
Jessica, those figures are ultra lovely. I'm always impressed! If you pushed that kind of figurative skill into character designs and concepts you could be one of the greats very quickly.
Wow, fantastic figure drawings. I'd like to see some more character concepts like your first post. You should design a WoW style armor set Nothin to really critique on yet...keep at it
Thanks Joseph, Selaznog:) I'd love to work more on character concepts sometime! atm though, portfolio work calls x]
Here's a concept I've been working on. It's based on a scene from one of my favorite books, First King of Shannara by Terry Brooks. The characters are searching for a powerful relic in an ancient fortress called the Chew Magna, located in a mountainous region. I'm looking for some feedback as I continue to work! Eventually I would like to turn this into 3D. Thanks in advance!
A massive fortress stood before them, its stone blocks so ancient the edges were worn smooth and its surface so cracked it seemed as if spiderwebs had covered it over. It was a wondrous construction, a balancing of towers atop battlements, an interlinking of parapets that cantilevered forward and back at every turn, and a spiraling of catwalks that suggested the intricacy of tapestry threads woven on a loom. The castle rose high and then higher, until its farthest reaches were barely discernable. Mountains ringed the castle, opening to the sky through the ceiling of clouds and mist. Trees and scrub grew thick along the rock walls at higher elevations, branches and vines drooping inward toward the castle spires, letting daylight slip through in a ragged seam. It was from here that the light took its odd cast, spilling down through the filter of the leafy canopy and swirling haze to coat the fortress stone in its watery illumination. (196)
Inch by inch, the mountains were reclaiming the ground on which the fortress had been built. One day they would close about it for good. (196)
He glanced up again at the trees and scrub and vines growing high above them on the cliffs, and realized that the mist was almost a rain. He could feel the damp on his face. He looked at the fortress doors and windows, black holes in the gray haze. Iron hinges and locks hung empty and useless; the wood had rotted away at every turn. Moisture worked at the stone and mortar as well, wearing it down, eroding it. Tay walked to the wall of the nearest tower and rubbed his hand across the stone. The surface crumbled like sand under his fingers. This ancient keep, this Chew Magna, had the unpleasant feel of a place that would collapse under a strong wind. (196)
First thing coming to my mind is: perspective seems odd.
You wanted it to look huge and chose a low perspective, but it is not really low. Camera should really be on the ground for such a three point perspective and horizon way lower. Horizon seems to be somewhere in the door, but you look on top of the person. The fore, and middleground don't really come together for me.
For the subject in itself I would have more likely chosen a portrait ratio instead of a landscape, as you cut off a good and interesting part of your castle.
Perhaps block it out in 3D and draw over it. Helped me some time!
Thanks so much for the feedback acapulco! I definitely see how the perspective is wrong now, so I will fix that, and also many people have been suggesting that I use portrait format so I will change that too. I'm just so used to painting environments in widescreen, but I need to learn that it really just depends sometimes :P
konstruct - Thank youu, I have another figure drawing class this semester, so more drawings coming hopefully:]
If anybody else has feedback for my environment, feel welcome x]
I'd suggest removing the staircases in your last concept. Fortresses are built to make it difficult to enter, putting stairs leading right up to the main gate towers really defeats the purpose.
Great work as always all around, love the figure drawings especially.
No problem! I really enjoy the new concept, I agree with acapulco the stairs are throwing off the perspective a bit. Also maybe have a pathway leading up to the building. Keep up the awesome work and cant wait to see this in 3d!
I'd like it if the castle seemed more precarious to traverse - the writing descriptors lend themselves to something older and abandoned, with everything being over grown and fallen into disuse.
Replies
Inspiring, I need to get over my fear of landscapes.
Futzy - I paint over photos a lot haha xD
Other stuff:
I love your style and I love your subject matter! Keep up the great work!
A few places you could use as inspiration:
Santorini, Greece
Rothensburg ob der Tauber, Germany
Innsbruck, Austria
They're all very pretty and unique and have such great atmosphere.
Brittany - Thanks so much for the locations!! Gorgeous
If you want to know anymore I'd be happy to help!
Like the environment concepts also here
Let's see some mooooaaarrrrrr.
lalalala LIFE DRAWING!
Some wonky anatomies . . . also I'm too slow to fit in the hands, feet, and face most of the time
Currently working on some random concept doodles - I shall post them soon!
Here is a behbeh dwarf! Needs paint!
Here's a concept I've been working on. It's based on a scene from one of my favorite books, First King of Shannara by Terry Brooks. The characters are searching for a powerful relic in an ancient fortress called the Chew Magna, located in a mountainous region. I'm looking for some feedback as I continue to work! Eventually I would like to turn this into 3D. Thanks in advance!
A massive fortress stood before them, its stone blocks so ancient the edges were worn smooth and its surface so cracked it seemed as if spiderwebs had covered it over. It was a wondrous construction, a balancing of towers atop battlements, an interlinking of parapets that cantilevered forward and back at every turn, and a spiraling of catwalks that suggested the intricacy of tapestry threads woven on a loom. The castle rose high and then higher, until its farthest reaches were barely discernable. Mountains ringed the castle, opening to the sky through the ceiling of clouds and mist. Trees and scrub grew thick along the rock walls at higher elevations, branches and vines drooping inward toward the castle spires, letting daylight slip through in a ragged seam. It was from here that the light took its odd cast, spilling down through the filter of the leafy canopy and swirling haze to coat the fortress stone in its watery illumination. (196)
Inch by inch, the mountains were reclaiming the ground on which the fortress had been built. One day they would close about it for good. (196)
He glanced up again at the trees and scrub and vines growing high above them on the cliffs, and realized that the mist was almost a rain. He could feel the damp on his face. He looked at the fortress doors and windows, black holes in the gray haze. Iron hinges and locks hung empty and useless; the wood had rotted away at every turn. Moisture worked at the stone and mortar as well, wearing it down, eroding it. Tay walked to the wall of the nearest tower and rubbed his hand across the stone. The surface crumbled like sand under his fingers. This ancient keep, this Chew Magna, had the unpleasant feel of a place that would collapse under a strong wind. (196)
You wanted it to look huge and chose a low perspective, but it is not really low. Camera should really be on the ground for such a three point perspective and horizon way lower. Horizon seems to be somewhere in the door, but you look on top of the person. The fore, and middleground don't really come together for me.
For the subject in itself I would have more likely chosen a portrait ratio instead of a landscape, as you cut off a good and interesting part of your castle.
Perhaps block it out in 3D and draw over it. Helped me some time!
konstruct - Thank youu, I have another figure drawing class this semester, so more drawings coming hopefully:]
If anybody else has feedback for my environment, feel welcome x]
Great work as always all around, love the figure drawings especially.
needs some birds for more scale elements
Spiffy664 - I totally agree, I'll continue updating the concept until it matches that old, abandoned feeling. And birds, good idea haha x]
Also, some more figure drawings just for funsies