hey first post--looking for as much harshness as possible

[mmmmmike!]

hey guys ive got a couple finished pieces but id really like some hardcore feedback. particularly the backgrounds on the first one, but also the anatomy (foreshortening, neck area, etc) and the bg comp sense on the 2nd.

anything welcome tho: )

http://www.mm-mmm.com/images/host/blog/gilgamesh.jpg

http://www.mm-mmm.com/images/host/blog/banshee.jpg

yoroshiku!

[Professor Az]

I'm having a hard time figuring out what is going on in the first one. Personally, I like the extreme foreshortening, but the whole flow of the picture is throwing me off.

Did the guy on the roof to our left leap onto the lion? Or is he a bystander? I really can't tell if those were motions lines over him or a correction of some sort. To me, the interaction isn't that clear.

[Brightdreamer]

I agree that the first one confuses my eye. In addition to being a tough read on what exactly is happening, I think part of the problem stems from the linework. My initial reaction is that there are just plain too many lines of similar weight and look in the foreground, making the lion's head/attacker's head area too busy. You might try thinning it out a little, or emphasising some shapes more. The twisting bodies, too, seem to get lost amid each other, and it's hard to initially pick out what goes where or belongs to whom. Maybe with some shading or color, the image might sort itself out... but that's just MHO.

[mmmmmike!]

all well put, thanks. i guess that im still thinking too much in color terms. brightdreamer, i think youre right in that i didnt define the mane well enough before going in with ink. anyone with other process suggestions?

[Simon.Rain]

about the perspective, here s the small problems I picked up

The blue line is the horizon an the red ones are for the perspective picked up from your drawing

first is the 2 point of perspective are too close together making the following things a bit out of order

- the side of the building ( the top and bottom lines ) on left doesnt folow the persective lines (1 and 3). The easiest way to fix it is to put the perspective point futher on the left.

If you are trying to make an eyefish lense effect, then the side of the building would not even show on the picture. Also with eye fish lense, the lines are always a bit curved.

- the top of the tiny building on the left also doesnt follow the perspective line ( line 2)

- the top of the building with the cylinder shaped tower also doesnt follow the persperctive line ( line 4 )

So those are small changes that would make the image a bit easier on the perspective side of it. I like the battle between the man and the tiger but it was a bit hard to understand at first

[gorillagrin]

In addition to the perspective issues and sorting out the two figures from each other, I'd change the building on the right. The way it flows right into the top of the man's hair, even at the same angle (line #4 in Simon.Rain's paintover), is creating an awkward shape.

I like the foreshortening and forced pespective and think it could work very well with more clarity as to what's going on.

[mmmmmike!]

word on th LH buildind, esp. guess its back to using a ruler:xpld:
there`s awkward shapes all over. that, i feel, is just lack of polish and levelling up. anyone with some artists they think handle those issues well?

[Silvertone]

Well, I must say I really like that loose ink, wash & brush line. But the poses in the first image are quite confusing. The second image I like but I can't tell what's going on with the head/face.

Using a ruler is ok, just freehand your inks over the ruled building lines, they'll still get that life to 'em.

[Simon.Rain]

or you can just use the ruler as a confirmation tool. you move the ruler from the persperctive point to see if everything is in perspective.

What goes on behind the scene isnt that important if at the end the image amazing.