help w/digital painting please

[scottg]

I'm just trying to get some advice on where to take my digital paintings. I feel they lack something in style. I love the way sparth's work looks.As well as barontieri. There work has that watercolor fill to it. Whitch is the traditional medium I use. Please help. Some if not all of these are in the sketchbook section . Hope thats not a problem.
http://nefandus.com/monster005-bandw.jpg
http://nefandus.com/monster005-color.jpg
http://nefandus.com/monster-001.jpg
http://nefandus.com/monster003.jpg
http://nefandus.com/monster004.jpg
http://nefandus.com/monster006.jpg

Thanks in advanced for any help.
scottg

[sparth]

not that bad scott.
try to make a few tests using layers and the blending system. many possibilities. first create new brushes, (the possibilities are endless) then make a few custom textured surfaces, and add them to your pieces in overlay or screen, or any others.
take the digital tool for what it is, an enormous multi path device, where whole new techniques can be tested, where layers and abtraction can provide valuable answers to your own interrogations.

the third hulky figure ain't bad at all. if you want to go further, try adding slight, gentle textures in there. play with textures, it might help. however, textures must be used as textures only, and must not gain more attention than the subject itself.

sparth

[scottg]

wow. thanks for the responce Sparth and the advice.I'm going to try them now.

thanks again.

scottg

[Elwell]

Ditch the borders. They're adding nothing but distraction.

[scottg]

elwell- thanks and done. Dont know what I was thinking with those :crosseyed

[Jonny]

I think borders could work but mainly you want to work on your composition. Some of the compositions bother me and the cropping doesn't really help the character out. These have some nice moods to them. Maybe to get a more naturalistic feeling you could work on softening your core shadows and edge work and make sure the lighting makes sense.

[davi]

I don't see much of a problem with the way you digtally paint, most of the stuff is coming off great, but i could see some more work in the technical aspects and elements of art; form, shape, values, contrast, etc etc...

if you want to end up with style... the only suggestion i can give you is to PLAY, paint alot and find yourself.

[Jason Manley]

if you use a lot of watercolors....a cool thing to try digitally is to make it look like you know a water color looks like. make us think it is watercolor. your digital paintings are too photoshoppy for my tastes...but that is just a response....if you are a traditional media person I would rather see you getting that feel here than the photoshoppy feel.

just opinions....


J

[gasmask]

i agree with manley, i would definetly work with the traditional stuff, if you get good at that, movin onto digital will be a piece o cake. Its like at art center and good schools like that, they have the kids take tons of painting for a good 2 years before they take digital paint classes so give paints a try, plus doing them traditionally really makes you feel good when you see the progression. Look at some of your 5 fav. painters, and try to study how they work, its ok to copy when learning too, in fact thats a great way to learn is things like master copies where you take a painting that say john singer sergent did and you copy it to the T. Then apply what you have learned to your own designs.

[scottg]

Thanks guys. This is great. Getting all of these responces and advice.

Looks like I have some work to do I'll post some test stuff later.
thanks again.
scottg