Tower

[KodiMynatt]

suggestions always welcome took about 30 min on photoshop cs
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v482/KodiMynatt/tower.jpg

[madster]

The values are really too dark to even discern what it is, much less what details you may have painted to make this interesting or distinctive.

Presently, all that can be seen is a tall dark shape with some red strokes, some brighter red spots on it, and some stuff sticking out the right side (as viewed).

It could be a Vegas Dancer with a wild techno costume and headdress, or a really bizarre hair comb, as much as a tower.

You should try to have the design be easily viewable, with any "mood" expressed by dark values kept to a minimum, if you want the viewer to appreciate any effort you've expended in making it.

Right now, it's just a tall, dark, lump...

~M

[Woodrodius]

I disagree entirely. Not showing the viewer every little detail can be a way of attaining otherwise unattainable complexity. This shape is quite dynamic, however it is wasted without a proper background and environment to give it both scale and some lighting. But since this is the work in progress forum, I assume you'll be adding these next, right?

[KodiMynatt]

yeah, I will be adding a background soon, thanks for the comments from both of you. Even thoe they are somewhat contradicting :nohope:

[astrocity20]

I should look better with the bg in place, but right now I like it. Though the design is a little off putting to me because in a way it looks like some sort of gun arm. :bashful:

[KodiMynatt]

here is a more abstract piece I made
I didn't want to make another thread for it
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v482/KodiMynatt/k.jpg

[Shamagim]

umm, finish the tower before starting a new piece, otherwise you might end up making lots of lots of imcomplete work that might stay as that forever.

The tower: i did read it as a tower, is to detailed ( in shape) to be anything else, cause it gives it a little effect of scale, you need to finish this one!! :)

The butt rose thing: ummm......to tell you the truth, i know is yet undefined, but i dont quite like it, it would be far more interesting if you add secondary elements..of cource is work in progres and you will define the elements you already have there, but repeating myself, it can be much more interesting if you put some more work on the composition ( for example, what if 2 of the 4 there could be the other half of the body.......or making a second circle with similar elements, like hands, or maybe 2 cirvles and a element in the middle, the head......of cource that wouls be the obvious thing to develop :) )


Good luck

[KodiMynatt]

yeah, I really have trouble sticking with one thing. I have alot of problems setting up a good comp. I'm not really sure how I could place it in a setting if you have any ideas or hints that would rock. perhaps you could sketch a possible layout?

[KodiMynatt]

I tryed several background couldent get anything looking good so I worked on making it more into a structure, not sure if I like how it is turning out :(
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v482/KodiMynatt/towerext.jpg

[Mindflaw]

not sure if I like how it is turning out

I think this one could turn out great if you give it some time and love :)

You could try this approach: play along with different sizes of the "canvas" like how much of the total space is the tower going to fill? what ratio should the width and height be. E.g now the height is the longest and the tower is taking up almost all the space (since you just want to show the tower). Maybe try to make the width the longest and the tower taking up less space. Then you could drag the tower to different places until you find a place you think feel right. Then put in the horizon line decide whether it should be night day or other, and then fill in a colour for the ground then one for the sky( edit: with a brush not with the "bucket tool" or the like) . I think that will create a basic sense of depth and thus making it simpler to continue to build the background. Try to think if you want a hightech landscape etc so you know where you want to go and just decide where the light is coming from and work from big shapes into details.

Keep going :confident

[KodiMynatt]

my main problem is when I zoom far out from the tower it just looks like a black blob and looses all detail. I will make do what you said thoe and see how it turns out :)

[Ian Mack]

my main problem is when I zoom far out from the tower it just looks like a black blob and looses all detail. I will make do what you said thoe and see how it turns out :)

Perhaps it needs some light sources? As Madster said, it's little more than a dark shape.

[madster]

I threw this into Photoshop to adjust the levels, and just as we've all noticed, your overall values on this piece are waaaayyyyy too dark.

Here it is with a less eyeburning background (if painting digital, try to NEVER work on a white background. Tint it some color, if only a pale gray...), and the levels shoved way over to the left to bring out details...
http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/4800/tower9kk.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Now, a lot of the effort you put into this becomes more apparent, and it takes on a lot more interest.

The top is much better developed than the bottom, although the red dish-type shape looks promising.
Your use of low opacity brushes of too large a size also becomes apparent...

I would suggest you try to get some decent lineart in place before you color your work, and try to better define those details that you can then go back and add deeper values to.

[KodiMynatt]

I wonder if I should salvage this piece, I know I give up easy but with know base lines I think it would be to my advantage to start fresh. here is my problem. when painting in photoshop I have alot of trouble drawing lines thats why I just color with large brushes to create the form. Do you have any suggestions on how to create the base? I know that is a elementry question but, in photoshop my line is squiggly.

[Woodrodius]

I threw this into Photoshop to adjust the levels, and just as we've all noticed, your overall values on this piece are waaaayyyyy too dark.

Here it is with a less eyeburning background (if painting digital, try to NEVER work on a white background. Tint it some color, if only a pale gray...), and the levels shoved way over to the left to bring out details...
http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/4800/tower9kk.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Now, a lot of the effort you put into this becomes more apparent, and it takes on a lot more interest.

The top is much better developed than the bottom, although the red dish-type shape looks promising.
Your use of low opacity brushes of too large a size also becomes apparent...

I would suggest you try to get some decent lineart in place before you color your work, and try to better define those details that you can then go back and add deeper values to.

......

Madster, you just got rid of all the drama of the original image. The only part of your post I agree with is a neutral background color.

[Woodrodius]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v463/Woodrodius/towertry.jpg

Here's a quick little paintover I did. Keep the dark, but punch up the highlights and midtones a bit. I went with a redder background since this tower seems like it should be in sillouhette. Just an idea for you.

[KodiMynatt]

A friend helped me with this

http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/7839/towercopy7ti.jpg

[Idiot Apathy]

I like the overall feel of this background but it's clearly a filterfrenzy (blah!) and the cloned mushroom cloud is a weakspot as well.

[Mindflaw]

THis turned out pretty cool although most people at this place hate when they can see that you used filter and photos, but thats just a matter of opinon this one imo the use of filter worked out just fine :) I agree with idiot apathy the cloned mushroom is the weak spot.

And yes if you make the tower smaller you have to work on it more and bring out the highlights that get lost etc. THe tower has imo a nice shape so it works quite good as a silouette.


Woodrodius your take worked nice as well... it's kind of the opposite in mood.