I need your help PLEASE!

[Capprotti]

Here's the first cover to my comic that I scanned a couple of weeks ago. I've done revisions since then, but the overall painting is the same. The problem I'm having is how to make the tube look like a tube. What can I do to really give it a convincing tube effect. Any paintover's would be greatly appreciated. Thanx.

http://216.71.84.80/devineillustration/ZFCover1.jpg

[CleptoCat]

I think reflections on the tube would be a possiblity. Also try giving the tube a base. If the base has a cylindrical feel to it that could carry though. Really nice start though

[Capprotti]

hey thanx for your help Clepto. I had thought about putting a top on the tube, but I ruled that out. I didn't want to put a base because there's so little room at the bottom for it, but I just tried it, and it really helps. Good lookin out!

[EVIL]

you know those plasma spheres right, why not make a similar effect and make some of those plasma beams from the baby the finger tips of that guy

[Donnerwetter]

To me it seems that the bright area at the top is flattening it out. Try searching for, say, lava lamps on google image search. The edges are bright but the center is dark.

With that principle in mind, I made this hasty paintover.
I sort of trampled over the tubes, but they need highlights like the baby.

http://members.cox.net/141n/tubeop.jpg

[CleptoCat]

Tried to do this to help out.

http://www.dragonthree.com/ZFCover1po.jpg

BTW nice coat

[Thrash]

http://www.chaingunstudios.com/ArtGallery/dsg/slides/ThrashCoverRepaint.jpg

I like the image so I wanted to give you some help. I don't know if this fits in your overal feel, but I gave it reflections and some seams in the tube.

If it was fluid, bubbles could be cool to.

[Blue Severin]

if you look through a drinking glass, it distorts objects on the other side. Maybe the arms shouldn't line up with his elbows because of distortion and bent light. I hope I'm explaining this clearly enough, but if not, get a clear glass of water and look through it, the bending of the light makes it so that the objects behind the glass (clear cylinder full of liquid) don't line up with whats not behind it.

[Capprotti]

Evil - Ha ha, that's a pretty cool idea. I think I might mess with that for fun. But since it's liquid, it might not go over too well :D

Donnerwetter - You're right, now that I look at it, the light at the top is flattening it. I think I'm gonna tone that down. I shoulda just looked at the lava lamp in my room :D Good idea man. Thanx.

CleptoCat - I'm messing around with a base as we speak. It helps out a LOT.

Thrash - Your image looks way cooler than mine :D Nice work, I probably won't do the rings in the final, but I love the way they look. How did you do them exactly. And as far as the bubbles, that is going to be a last minute addition, but they were intended from the start.

Blue Severin - I didn't even think of light refraction when I did this. I wish I had. You're totally right, he would be really distorted if that were an actual tube of fluid. I think I might do that after the deadline (which is tomorrow :D)

Much MUCH thanx to everybody, you saw a LOT of things that I didn't even think of that will make this much more believable. I hope I can return the favor some day. If anyone else see's anything, I'm not done yet, and I'd like to hear what you have to say. Thanx again guys.

Mike

[Al Ian]

Add light reflections on the outside of the tube

Also glass distorts light, so the man behind it would look like iuf you were looking at him through a drinking glass. Go get one and see what I mean.

[Thrash]

I probably won't do the rings in the final, but I love the way they look. How did you do them exactly. [/B]

In photoshop 7 - I used elliptical marquee to make the roundish shapes and then used them as a selection to copy then to a new layer, multiply the back part and lighten or overlay for the front part of the seam. Erased them as needed.

I kept going, but the quality droped a little. I added reflections of the baby and some distortion...

Good luck with your quick deadline.http://www.chaingunstudios.com/ArtGallery/dsg/slides/ThrashCoverRepaint02.jpg