AuthorTopic: (WIP) Man on a Steep Hill  (Read 6241 times)

Offline Zack

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(WIP) Man on a Steep Hill

on: December 17, 2009, 12:39:23 am
Need some advice on this piece that is more or less finished, but a new set of eyes could improve it. Basically, it's a man on a steep hill with a branch in his hand which relates to the name "King of the Hill".

What I need help with is the background, reducing colours (If possible) and any other nitpicks that you may have with this pixel. Any help is appreciated very much.

Offline bitterbug

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Re: (WIP) Man on a Steep Hill

Reply #1 on: December 17, 2009, 01:30:01 am
I don't have any experience to offer advice, but I just want to say I really like the style :) Very cool!

Offline Zack

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Re: (WIP) Man on a Steep Hill

Reply #2 on: December 17, 2009, 01:55:44 am
Thank you bitterbug, I appreciate it.  :D

Offline Jad

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Re: (WIP) Man on a Steep Hill

Reply #3 on: December 17, 2009, 09:57:34 am
Superquickie: more contrast between guy and background? (how interesting that this applies to my last artworkything too)
' _ '

Offline Mathias

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Re: (WIP) Man on a Steep Hill

Reply #4 on: December 17, 2009, 12:46:53 pm
Give the "hill" eyes looking up at him.
Why color reduce? It's only 24, that's not in need of reduction IMO. Any less colors it'll most likely be less smooth due to lack of AA colors.

Offline EyeCraft

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Re: (WIP) Man on a Steep Hill

Reply #5 on: December 17, 2009, 01:24:26 pm
I say the colours need more harmonising, particularly the greens on the hill. At the moment they're very distracting and lead the eye away from the figure. My suggestion: get more blues into the hill and bring more saturation and oranges into the man. Sky is dull and feels like it washes out the piece. Lighten it up, maybe even add a touch more saturation.

A few little jaggies in the dim clouds outlines. AA on the branch is kind of banding, maybe find another tone to add to the AA?

Shading on the hill doesn't really make sense paired with the silhouette. Doesn't seem to fit the implied volume. Treat the hill more like an actual solid and shade in accordance. Maybe give the hill some slight texture as well? Just an idea.

Feels like more could be done with the subject. If it's king of the hill, why not give the guy a bit more of an expression on his face, maybe a competitive glare, or a slightly primitive-man face structure?

Give more of a sense of perspective to the background. You have aerial perspective, yes, but the way you have the nearer plan going up over the far plane (mainly on left) in a couple of places works a little to break that sense of distance.
Possibly give more dynamic to the distribution of features in the background. Have sections of negative space (such as the majority of the top left corner), then balance a pack of clouds against a mountain cluster on either side of that and the subject. Maybe even add a sun. Just ideas to bring more visual interest to the composition, everything feels very even in the background at the moment and it kind of makes the eye just skim it.

Looking forward to seeing more  :)

Offline Zack

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Re: (WIP) Man on a Steep Hill

Reply #6 on: December 17, 2009, 03:17:39 pm
Thanks for the suggestions!  ;D

Well, here is a colour update that followed your suggestions. The thing is, is that I did not do layers so It is kind of confusing to put back the AA to the new colours which is also used in the human and such so while doing so I went up 3 colours, I believe, and I don't know how to get back down cause I can't find which colours don't belong.  :blind:

I agree about the background, so I'll do that after I get the colours in order. Also, how would a competetive face look like? A smirk? Thanks for the suggestions. :)

I don't know about the purple hills, so I will probably change it to something more appropriate... (I also noticed that it is fairly distracting as well and ugly to look at, so that's a no-no)

If anyone knows how to quickly narrow it down to the colours that look mostly like eachother without having to visually find each and every pixel, could you let me know? Thanks. :P

Offline EyeCraft

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Re: (WIP) Man on a Steep Hill

Reply #7 on: December 17, 2009, 03:31:48 pm
Great!

What software are you using? You need something that displays the palette and lets you change colours and see them update in the canvas. I normally start manually sorting colours in the palette by value and then comparing their HSV values. If their values are similar enough, I copy one of them into the other and merge them into a single index.

The purple hills are interesting. I think at least their value is a big improvement; they seal the bottom of the piece nicely and push the eye up to the subject. New greens are good!

I imagined the face basically being a stern brow, white eyes (lids pulled back, you kind of already have this), but an otherwise calm face. I think it'd be funny, almost satirical. Maybe a slightly pouting mouth, too.

Offline Mush

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Re: (WIP) Man on a Steep Hill

Reply #8 on: December 17, 2009, 09:28:37 pm
Here's an edit on the hill:


It gives it a little more volume

Offline CrazyMLC

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Re: (WIP) Man on a Steep Hill

Reply #9 on: December 17, 2009, 09:34:25 pm
Aaaahhhhh, ridges, so thats how he got onto the hill!

The places just under the ears almost look like cheek bones, or they could his neck. Can you clear that up? :/