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Don't-Draw-It-If-You-Can-PhotoSource-It

polycounter lvl 10

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  • MagicSugar
  • MagicSugar
  • Muzzoid
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    Muzzoid polycounter lvl 10
    What exactly is your goal with these?
  • Mehran Khan
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    Mehran Khan polycounter lvl 9
    don't photosource it if you can't hide it/if you can't make it look like it's not photosourced.
  • MagicSugar
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    MagicSugar polycounter lvl 10
    @Muzz, my motivation is to show my experimentation with photo sourced style of producing concept art.  I was inspired to start this after reading WETA's Hobbit Art-of books which contains a variety of styles one of which is using photo source (example, using actor's face who's non-dwarf in height photoshopped to a costumed dwarf-double's body).

    Also, I've read and watched Shaddy Saffadi's arguements for using photos and 3d block-ins in his studio and associates' production art.  This is not my current style but  I want to explore it.  I want to have a direct experience with this technique to judge for myself if this is a style I should do more or include in my work-seeking portfolios.  I'm aware of the bias-against amongst artists but I'm also noticing  the increasing demand and acceptance for this look.
  • MagicSugar
  • yukonwanderer
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    yukonwanderer polygon
    @MagicSugar - do you have a link to any of saffadi's photo stuff?  We use this technique (differently than how you've done it) all the time in our architectural concept renders. I went to his website but couldn't identify any photo stuff.
  • MagicSugar
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    MagicSugar polycounter lvl 10
    @yukon, I've only seen Shaddy's process tutorials (on his website and youtube).  I'm not aware of actual photos his studio use for their work. But artist who've done work for him, some have Gumroad tutorial videos where they use photobash techniques.  But I'm making up my own process and not exactly following somebody else's techniques.


  • MagicSugar
  • MagicSugar
  • moof
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    moof polycounter lvl 7
    Don't most artists who do this basically paint 80% then photosource when they need 'parts' for their picture? 

    If you want to establish a solid concept, I think you need to be able to abstractly capture a mood and setting before you even add any photo elements in. 
    I'd ditch using photos for your background, and try to paint most of your world elements at least to a simplified level and only then start layering more photo elements in. Seems like you're starting with a photo and adding more photos, and stitching em together with paint. It's kinda frankensteiny atm. 

  • MagicSugar
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    MagicSugar polycounter lvl 10
    Thank you for the feedback moof.

    These are all personal exercises.  I'm not pretending they're going to be anything but.  There are technique constraints and what I'm deliberately doing is not to fight it.  Constraints like: random image sources, design mismatch (values, colors, focus, everything), edge control, pixel incompatibility (it gets worse when you have to re-scale).  I'm realizing two possible start approaches so far...pre-figure the idea, composition, or story before I search images OR live with what you've got (make up the story, design, or composition on the fly).  Can't find the perfect image, use the next best one's discovered.  Not the original perspective in mind, live with what you've got.  Right now, I'm leaning towards the freestyle approach.

    Also, an added personal challenge is to progressively rely less on paint stroke editing and use the sourced image pixels more.  

    Maybe when I've hit my 80th attempt I'd figure out an "ideal" balance, less MEME-like and more like a visually harmonious concept piece.




  • moof
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    moof polycounter lvl 7
    sounds good ;D 
    I have to say I kinda do dig the fact that you're working from a perspective of anti abstraction. Meaning that, instead of trying to figure out what you're making, you know what you're working with and work back from there trying to make the image whole with your sources. I think the ideal is to make that process artistically satisfying which could take quite a lot of experimentation fo sho. good luck!
  • MagicSugar
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    MagicSugar polycounter lvl 10
    Photoshop exercise.  

    Doing the bullet holes was an accidental surprise.  Source image was one 2d black and white bitmap, it wasn't even a real alpha map. 

    EDIT: Tip...even if you didn't include any actual pixels from photosources in your final presentation and you've even composited and edited them with other maps, double check anyway for lingering metadata.


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