Environments this week (changes 6/30}

[pelaiah]

Koi Pond changes with more detail. Thanks Deke!
http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l37/pelaiah/koiDSCN3221-j.jpg

Original Post:
I think these three are the most successful from this week's work.
The first two are painted from sketches, the third one is from a photo I shot last Monday. These are for a series of images for Washington State tourism. And the styles are supposed to be different. Hope you enjoy!

Eastern Washington Apple Tree
http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l37/pelaiah/P1016952-1lredbluecombo.jpg

Deep Gorge in Olympic Mountains
http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l37/pelaiah/deepgorge-2c.jpg



Koi Pond in Japanese Garden
http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l37/pelaiah/koiDSCN3221-g.jpg

[boomheadshot45]

i love 'em all, keep up the good work!

[Deke N. Wilkins]

Hi Pelaiah,

First one I think is the best. It has a solid composition and nice detail. The second has a strong LOTR vibe, like a fantasy landscape. The third has indeed a strong Japaneese feel, due to the red bridge. Not bad. I think adding a bit more detail here and there in the last two like in the tree image would make them stronger. Now they look like they are from three different artists.
Keep it up! ; )

D.

[BlueJackal]

Nice pieces. I especially love the lovely colors and atmosphere you put into these. And nice job caturing some of the beauty of Washington!

[pelaiah]

boomheadshot45: Thanks! I will do my best.

Deke N. Wilkins: I agree with you in regards to the detail. I want to put "lifeforms" in these, but the project calls for environments. I think I will work on the koi in the foreground of the last piece, as well as the light and moss on the large rock.

The second piece has a flat area where a structure would go. For my own enjoyment, I will eventually add in a fortress of some kind.

Yes, they look like different artists did them, something that haunts me from my days as a freelance illustrator. Whatever the rep brought me I painted, in whatever style they wanted! Don't know that I actually have a style. Each day that I sit down to work, something different happens. I enjoy the surprise ending.

BlueJackal: Thank you very much. I see you are posting from Japan, a country of exquisite beauty. I am told that many Japanese moved to Washington State because it reminds them of Japan.

Early in the process. This shows the original quick sketch I drew on Magnolia Hill, Seattle, plus the textured background and an overlay of a photo of one of my cherry trees. I worked back and forth from PhotoshopCS to PainterIX.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l37/pelaiah/3-P1016952-1c.jpg

Quick overview of complete process. I have always saved the steps of my work. Just a habit. Probably from years of working with clients. I never know when I might have to back track to an earlier version.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l37/pelaiah/process.jpg

[jcaffoe]

wow, I really like the color variation you're getting with these!

great work

[DrJme]

wow, inspiring style

[young paddy1]

great colours, a warm summers day just coming to an end, the lighting in the third is fantastic.

p.s. I prefer the apple tree in the large w.i.p. image to the finished one, but that's just me I guess.

cheerio

[pelaiah]

young paddy1 Thanks! I really love what they call the golden hour.
I always take time to go outside and watch the light.
Ha! I like the early stage of apple tree as well. I love the simple textures, but. . .

DrJme Hey, thanks. I didn't know I had a style.
Maybe someday something will gel.

easy tiger! color is my addiction, only I like it subtle and rich.
My personal inspiration are the Hudson River painters.
Saw some in a gallery many years ago and just was instantly hooked.
I have collected digitally as many paintings as I could find,
and they run as my screen saver.

[THUNDERCOCK]

pretty cool technique...my only crit is that it looks like you got lazy on the leaves in the upper part of the first pic. That would be a great place to implement some implied details....you know add a few slightly darker shadow shapes to sort of seperate some of the leave forms without having to paint every single leaf...But other than that I say keep rockin!

[pelaiah]

LOL! I thought the same thing right after I posted it. I was so busy adding detail to the rocks that I didn't notice that the overhanging branch was now woefully underpainted. And I thought it was "finished".