AuthorTopic: Official OT-Creativity Thread 2  (Read 811653 times)

Offline Chris2balls

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Re: Official OT-Creativity Thread 2

Reply #1640 on: January 09, 2013, 10:01:27 pm

A study from life. I haven't done a lot so I'd be more than pleased if you have any pointers. :)
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Offline Charlieton

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Re: Official OT-Creativity Thread 2

Reply #1641 on: January 09, 2013, 11:34:10 pm
Dude, how'd you get ahold of my Micro? :huh:

Anyway, it's pretty nice. I'm sure you could put in more definition - straighter edges and the like. Unless you want it to look painterly like that.

Perspective might be a bit off? The left side looks a little compressed. It's also a lot "muddier" than the right side.
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Offline Chris2balls

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Re: Official OT-Creativity Thread 2

Reply #1642 on: January 10, 2013, 09:11:54 pm
Thanks! Yeah, I wanted to do a quick study, so I focused more on the shading and less on the lines... The perspective is out of wack as a consequence. I should've started off with a drawing of it to help me. What do you mean by "muddy"? The grey-ish stuff underneath the d-pad?

I did this today (~5h):

Self portrait from life.
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Offline Charlieton

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Re: Official OT-Creativity Thread 2

Reply #1643 on: January 10, 2013, 09:50:06 pm
What do you mean by "muddy"? The grey-ish stuff underneath the d-pad?
No man, I just mean the ill-defined areas around the bottom left corner (and a bit around the pad). It all kind of floats, giving me a "muddy" impression. This in comparison to the right side, which is all pretty clear and has straighter lines.

Probably am not using the appropriate words to describe it though. Nevermind! :D

Shading is all good though! It has good depth and it looks like the object that's being portrayed.
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Offline Facet

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Re: Official OT-Creativity Thread 2

Reply #1644 on: January 11, 2013, 11:44:17 pm
Chris: well observed portrait; matches your av. anyway :D

The Micro looks similarly nice, I need to do more too! Background is usually pretty important to still life; it's almost certainly not pure white, but I'm kinda gonna echo what Charlieton was saying in that my only real issue is that you're noodling a bit; rendering with scribbly lines/ lots of small strokes that detract in looking messy/muddy whatever (although 'muddy' is usually used in reference to over-mixed colours that have lost identity). Painterly (to me at least) is more gestural, economic brushwork; easier said than done in closely observed stuff though :P.

Something that works really nicely for stuff with lots of hard edges/ trickier overlapping areas (and which can let you paint more freely as a consequence), is to spend a few minutes in the beginning putting down local colours as flat shapes on separate layers and then locking the transparency. It might seem a little fiddly/counter-intuitive for observational work but it's actually really quick to define those shapes, very simply, once; and then you have the freedom to paint bigger and bolder without losing those edges. I sometimes chuck a gradient on those too, to give instant directional lighting and a value scale to colour-pick from. Quick example set-up:

« Last Edit: January 12, 2013, 03:50:42 pm by Facet »

Offline Chris2balls

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Re: Official OT-Creativity Thread 2

Reply #1645 on: January 12, 2013, 12:29:53 am
Yes, I was guessing that Charlieton meant something along those lines... I'm struggling with the brushes to get what I want out of them, so I'm practicing. I'm a messy person in general, so painting more economically and cleaner would be a good start! :)

Mhh, that's actually a good idea! I'll try to integrate that in my future studies. The point about bolder brush strokes in comparison to my small strokes is due to me being apprehensive of the edges, so that's something that'll definitely come in handy.

Thanks, looking forward to some studies of yours, Faucet :crazy:
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Offline Facet

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Re: Official OT-Creativity Thread 2

Reply #1646 on: January 12, 2013, 01:35:17 am
Dang, I hardly ever ever post my own stuff, do I? Will do, thanks :hehe:.
« Last Edit: January 12, 2013, 01:38:06 am by Facet »

Offline Ryumaru

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Re: Official OT-Creativity Thread 2

Reply #1647 on: January 12, 2013, 01:59:48 am
facet: yes we want to see what you're up to  :-*

Some deadbird concept art that was mostly me getting excited with fine art brushes:



Offline Facet

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Re: Official OT-Creativity Thread 2

Reply #1648 on: January 12, 2013, 11:26:30 pm
mmm, nice and textural :). Tarzan dude looks like the protagonist from your other project, Deadbird? I notice you fudged the feet somewhat; I find them pretty hard to get excited about too :P, forcing yourself to pay them their proper dues can be an eye-opener though. I've tried drawing bottom to top sometimes with decent results; it makes posing and balancing sort themselves out almost.

Was it these brushes? (Ditlev); they're rather good. I know there's the potential to make pretty much any kind of marks you want digitally, but chalks and paints really do just feel especially good to use; nice and toothsome even in the absence of tactile feedback.

I made some charcoal-type brushes recently by scanning in bits of my old work and it was awesome fun. I just made a bunch of floaty, Turner-esque kinda 'scapes at the time but I've been meaning to apply them to sometime more substantial. Here's a vague sci-fi thing:



Trying to get a palette-knife feel here:



And something more overtly digital and graphic to let my hair down some:



I really meant to do a still life today but I missed the natural light and it just isn't as much fun (or informative imo) by bulb. I do have an attractive platter of tropical fruit on hand & ready now though :lol:.
Chris, out of interest what kind of brush issues were you having?
« Last Edit: January 12, 2013, 11:59:02 pm by Facet »

Offline Ryumaru

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Re: Official OT-Creativity Thread 2

Reply #1649 on: January 12, 2013, 11:39:19 pm
Yes, yes, and yes. Maybe if I spent a couple days drawing a hundred feet I'd like them more, or at least be better at them.  Those brushes have made me super excited to open up photoshop now.

It's awesome to see your work facet, know we know where all that great critique comes from :D The charcoal brushes look beautiful and the portrait is very solid. Digging the digital illustration too!