Balcony at night

[deschamps]

Most of the work I've done so far hasn't had much of an architecture base to it (mostly just creatures) so this is my attempt to start thinking in that direction. I'd like to get any thoughts about it before I take the next steps to finish it. I wanted something that would be interesting for a night scene. I looked up some gothic architecture and found the Saint-Denis Basilique plus a few others and let them influence me. Thanks everyone!


http://www.ericdeschamps.com/ill/imgs/BalconyV234.jpg

Heres a few of my preliminary thumbnails and sketchs.

http://www.ericdeschamps.com/ill/imgs/balcony_ideas.jpg

http://www.ericdeschamps.com/ill/imgs/balconyV1.jpg

http://www.ericdeschamps.com/ill/imgs/balconyV2.jpg

[tegehel]

nice. I would darken the bottom, background and sky quite a bit to help the eyes concentrate on the lighten area.

I think it will make the mood even more attractive. I think the detail in the lighten area is very successful. I might add a tad more details in the half circle above the character and darken the space between the doors.

Those European (influenced) churches and cathedral are truly fantastic.

C.

PS: Ahah, ton autoportrait #3 sur ton site est 'achement cool. Jolies peintures, aussi. cool. (I'm assuming you speak French because of your name, but then again you're in N.C., so I'm not sure anymore...)

[jester]

Thanks a lot, esp. for posting the preliminary sketches which help me to understand how you developed this. As a learner, this is very valuable!

:nod:

jester

[deschamps]

tegehel,
Yeah, I'll definately work on the darks. Also, I hope to add a good deal more detail. Like those 2 protrusions from the balcony will eventually be scuptures. I'll add as much ornamentation as I can, without it taking forever.
My french is weak. But I got jist of what you said....Thanks!

Jester,
I thought you might be interested in checking this out...
http://www.ericdeschamps.com/ill/imgs/Balcony_perspective.gif
Its the perspective lines, put together in illustrator for the balcony.

[Jensen]

I really like how it's coming!

The figure's rendered excellently. The angle of the shot is very interesting too. The color choices are great. The profile of the building is pretty much a straight line, besides the pediment. Try varying it up a bit. Check your references for some help, but it definately needs more elements to break up that line. Check the perspective line on the roof panel of the door. Also, it might be nice to see through parts of that railing of the balcony to see the orange, lit-up floor. That could shine some interesting designs on the surrounding architecture with the lighting through those cracks and spaces. The windows need some work...perhaps reflections of the city, curtains behind them maybe...nothing to detailed but suggest that some of those things are there. I'd also suggest a few buildings in the city below, with correct perspective, just to help emphasize the scale of this building. And I don't know if you've done it already, but I wouldn't darken anything more than it is.

Great work! I look forward to seeing your progress!

[jester]

cire600, thanks a lot for the link. It's really enlightening!

:nod:

Jester

[Atomick]

Gaaahh, it's all been said! Gorgeous, and it's great to see the thought process leading up to the final piece.

Hey, in regards to Teghel's response about the darks, a friend and I were discussing Georges de la Tour, the total master of candlelight scenes - look at "The Penitent," especially (doing a GIS/Google Image Search will totally turn it up)...very daring use of blackness and darks, makes his subject matter really pop. Your piece is evocative in the same way.

Great work!!

[deschamps]

Thanks for all the advice on this one everyone. Sorry for the delayed reply. Here is a slight update. I still have a whole lot left to tackle. I am really curious to see if I can pull off an overhead view of the town in the distance. Maybe I'll take a break from the building facade and try that.

http://www.ericdeschamps.com/ill/imgs/BalconyV33.jpg

[tegehel]

aaaah much much better. The lighting's very nice. gj.

C.

[tyboogie]

this painting is rad cire--no crits

[R_M]

The study sketches are great cire600!
Maybee you could sharpen up a bit the architecture , and then it is ready for the finally finished section.

[deschamps]

I am still pickin at this one whenever I can. I think seeing some of the roof helps it out a lot.

Any suggestions?

http://www.ericdeschamps.com/ill/imgs/BalconyV6.jpg

[ZippZopp]

that is HOT!!!!! i love it....fantastic job on it, i love the way you've handled the lighting!

[Carnifex]

wow,that last one is cool.BUT if you ask me i think the balcony and the floor the figure stands on are a bit aslope.otherwise it's very cool.

[BluePencilArtist]

Great job on lighting............
:chug:

[AndreasM]

Bringing some of the rooftop into the picture definately improves the painting. The details of the balcony is awensome, though, I think you need to work some more on the lower parts.

Me likes:)

[deschamps]

Thanks for all the help everyone... I have finally posted this one over in the Finished section!

http://www.ericdeschamps.com/ill/imgs/BalconyV4.jpg