A crappy imaginary piece, critique please!
3yr
Antti Kallinen
So this started as a lion sketch but i went with the feeling. This is kinda my first imaginary piece, not a lot of references use. I dont like it, but im still happy that i did it. Its still work in progress but i feel its mostly rendering now. Things im unhappy with: Turned in to line drawing style. Didnt plan it much, not a lot of construction on so lacks depth and form. Contrasts are all over the place. Things i am happy with: I kept at it even tough i wanted to burn it. Used some imagination, tried to make it realistic. Started shading ok, and tried to draw what looks good not what would be realistic.
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Antti Kallinen
So i noticed i`d twisted reality with the first arch :D had to try to fix it, did some other things too.
Jonathan
3yr
I think the dramatic effect here is much more powerful. Good job.
Christopher Alaimo
Oh I love this!
Jonathan
3yr
Nice job. The composition shows some really good decisions. The choice to make the background quite realistic affects the decision not to be "realistic" vs "what looks good" on the lion. That having been said, drawing lions from imagination is really commendable. I think some of the moves below may bring the contrasts into a cohesive whole. For me, I think that a little more time on the anatomy of the hindquarter, leg and the face of the lion would bring this to life. Aaron Blaise may offer some good reference in that effort. The dark shading in the middle of the body sort of bifurcates the lion's form, it cuts the animal in half, one might look at how that shadow could ease/lighten as it proceeds vertically around the body. remember that body is cylindrical/rounding while layering back, even in the shadows, look at how your own body looks as you curve to one side, it layers almost like a stack of coins or one ball resting in front of another. The rear of the lion may need more contrast with the immediate background, the wall is perhaps too similar in value to the lion's hind end. Well textured architectural background; make sure the perspective is consistent; the trees beyond in the archway and above the frontal masonry ruin may be too abstract and light, using as much detail there as you have in the masonry could help to push the lion and architectural ruin forward in the image. If you alter the rear archway to make it a niche instead of an opening, that could do a few things for the image, however, that may not work symbolically, if there is something you are trying to say with the opening. What a vaulted (half dome) niche would do visually is provide an opportunity to shade above the lion's head with darker tone to push the head volume forward in space. if you cut a little black construction paper in that shape you can test it first prior to drawing it . Again, darker trees in back above would also place the front arch in space more clearly. As it is, the open light zone above is difficult to discern whether it is a wall material change or recedes to something else. For me the 6B pencil/graphite stick is a really useful tool. I hope you find this perspective constructive and useful. Best,
Antti Kallinen
Thanks, really good critique! I need to take some time to read and think about the things you brought up. The niche idea and darker foliage/sky/upprer area is starting to seem great. Even a dark niche could drive the same point as a light "doorway", i just want there to be a space blocked by these creatures.
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