Grand Space Opera 2D Entry: Adam L. Richards

[CodeNothing]

#1 Girl


Heres my first comp. I was going with the concept of "iconic images of conflict" and imediatly thought of the nazis marching through france. I put a sci fi spin on it by showing a little girl on the sidewalk clutching the hand of her robot nanny. She is in a crowd of people watching the troops march through her town. The newspaper the man on the left is holding will show an article about the invasion and the TV behind her will be a live news broadcast of the invading army marching through the street.

#2 Overwealming forces


Heres my second comp. I have a lone female soldier defiantly standing up to a massive army. Her fellow soldiers in the foreground all have looks of defeat on there faces. I realy like the icon of defiance in the face of overwealming odds.

I did about 10 thumbnails after these but didnt like any of them enough to post. Id like to see which of these apeal to people more, and im deffinetly going to come up with a few more concepts before i build up on these any more.

[SideAche]

Nice Concepts. I like both of them. As for the compositions, I think they still need some flushing out. The girl in the first one is smack in the middle, I suggest moving her to one side in order to open up the composition to better tell your story. The second one is good for an establishing shot, however your story centers on the girl. If you want us to empathize with her, show more of her. Have her possibly turning back so we can see the emotion in her face because of the pending doom. Good start, welcome and good luck. This is a good forum with good people.

[CodeNothing]

thanks for the advice SideAche! :) Yea i think i should change the comp of the first one to a 3/4 view and pull out a little so you can see the marching soldiers in the picture. because now im thinking its too confusing to have to look at the TV behind her to figure out whats going on in the scene.

heres some new concepts im throwing around, honestly i think i still like my first idea best. but i dont wana to commit to anything too soon. sory about the cross sections, i was in the mood to do big comps and i have a small scanner. and i couldent find my camera.

#3 Hide


this is a soldier hiding with a little kid while alien troops are searching for them. He is all out of amo and is now just waiting with his knife. Theres large ships overhead with spotlights searching for them.

#4 Opera


In this one i took "space opera" litteraly. I took insperation from the character Teluse from "moulin rouge". Basicly there is an actor who's only passion in life is to entertain and bring beauty and life to the world. When the war broke out the theater was dystroyed, and now he is standing on his empty stage with tears running down his face watching the bomber ships pass overhead.
I just wanted to stay away from the glorified "hero" style imagry for a couple comps, try to tell a story outside the soldiers point of view.

#5 Sniper


I just couldent live with myself if i didnt at least attempt the pin-up soldier girl! so i decided to give the sniper girl a chance. Basicly whats going on in this pic is the sniper character is having her picture taken among all the dead aliens she just killed. She wanted to make sure the tower in the distance was in the shot so she can show everyone where she shot them from. I wish i had scanned it bigger because i realy like the crazy look on her face.
Im not too terribly excited about this comp, but a realy hot friend of mine offered to pose for the final if i decide on this one... hmmm..... :twisted:

[CodeNothing]

well im trying to decide between #1 and #5.

#1 has good story telling possibilities if i widen the shot. So im working on new compositions there.

#5 would be alot of fun, and probably catch peoples eyes better, but the story telling is kind of weak.

right now im leaning towards #5 because im in this to have fun and learn from the experience more than being a competitor. I dont have enough experience with photoshop to have much chance of competing against the other amazing work ive seen here so far.

[YeeWu]

Hi, I believe you aren't allowed to host your own images. You'll have to go here:

http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/grandspaceopera/submit_entry.php

You can upload each image (from concept sketch to final color) that way.

Anyway, I would have to agree with Sideache. I think #1 would be really hard to get the epic feel going since the composition is zoomed in so tight. The same would go for #3 too, I think. In terms of having enough room in the composition to work with, #5 may be the best at the moment. The storytelling may not be as strong, but I think you could do a lot of visual elements that would suggest a more epic feel. The composition would benefit from off-centering it, and adding a little more space for you to work in the background.

Good start :)

[CodeNothing]

Thanx!

didnt realize how to post things, ill do it through the proper forum from now on. Thanx for the advice. :)

[CodeNothing]

http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/6/5359/5359_1101870635_medium.jpg (http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/6/5359/5359_1101870635_large.jpg)

Ive been sketching out ideas all afternoon. this is the only one that jumped out at me.

[SideAche]

Hey Adam, I like this last one. I might make the figure in the foreground a little bigger and higher up in the composition. Also, maybe, give him or her a defensive stance. I really like how you have placed the viewer in the image, as if I'm with the person in the foreground. I can see lots of scifi stuff around. I think this one has great potential to depict confrontation. Keep em comin. :beer:

[CodeNothing]

http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/6/5359/5359_1101876770_medium.jpg (http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/6/5359/5359_1101876770_large.jpg)

i think im gona settle for this one. I widened the shot to show the character in the forground holding a sword in one hand and a pistol behind his back.

and its raining now too.

[cabertevon]

I agree with SideAche... Nevertheless...it's a great start.

[bonestudio]

I'm sorry to say that for me it looks more like Highlander than Space Opera... You could add spaceshifts in the sky !

[NathanielWest]

The background is awesome. I can feel the vastness of the city behind them, but I personally don't like the gun idea. The reason is that the story is over before it begins. I know that he's going to surprise her and kill her. So I think you shoud just show a duel about to begin, and leave it at that. Who wins? Let the viewer decide. It makes it much more captivating in my opinion. Nice image overall. Great sense of lighting you have here!

[Shinwa]

I like the composition...Although I agree with Nathaniel that you should let the viewer decide and not show a gun...Although I think that knowing she may get shot is dramatic and sad....but if you are going that route, then maybe don't give the man a sword at all...just a gun. Not sure if that helps, hope so.

[Shinwa]

so where is your stuff! deadline is comming!!!

[CodeNothing]

i duno, i started with this competition then a ton of school stuff and all kinds of crazyness started happening. although i guess i do have 2 days of nothin much better to do.... mabie ill make a last ditch attempt. :)

[cabertevon]

Just do your best man...

Godspeed.

[CodeNothing]

http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/6/5359/5359_1105857352_medium.jpg (http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/6/5359/5359_1105857352_large.jpg)

this comp is good. I think ill use it. Its a jiant cruise ship being shot down by 2 smaller fighters. Theres a \"country boy\" down on the ground witnessing the jiant ship crashing into his fields.

[CodeNothing]

http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/6/5359/5359_1105857686_medium.jpg (http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/6/5359/5359_1105857686_large.jpg)

This is a massive cruise ship i designed last week. The concept was to have a mass transport vehicle that is capable of going anywhere. This thing can fly in the sky or through space and is capable of vertical landings and take offs so you dont need a big ol' runway wherever you go. Its the high class ticket to the most exotic locations in the world.

[CodeNothing]

http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/6/5359/5359_1105857804_medium.jpg (http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/6/5359/5359_1105857804_large.jpg)

Heres my value sketch. Im gona try and get the color studies done tonight and hopefully block in some shapes on my final.

[CodeNothing]

http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/6/5359/5359_1105858539_medium.jpg (http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/6/5359/5359_1105858539_large.jpg)

Heres the line art i am using. not realy detailed, but i have a more painterly style about me to i just need basic proportions and measurements...

[CodeNothing]

http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/6/5359/5359_1105874361_medium.jpg (http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/6/5359/5359_1105874361_large.jpg)

Color comps, I love the 2nd one. Im 99% sure thats what im gona go with, but im gona sleep on it because its 3AM right now. :o)

[kengi]

value sketch gives the picture nice night mood. i don't see it in color versions... im suggest to do it darker, monochromatic !!! :twisted:

scary, lonely walk in the night and a big bang crash of the space ship... could be nice.

not too much time, but you can do it!! just over paint the valu sketch :thumbsup:

[CodeNothing]

http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/6/5359/5359_1105923069_medium.jpg (http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/6/5359/5359_1105923069_large.jpg)

blocked in some color, tried to take the advise of Kengi and get darker and more dramatic like my value comp. The monocromatic thing probably would be cool, but i just cant tear away from these colors. :o)

[daadaa]

hey, great concepts and sketching... i just thought itll just cool if the ship has just started to dig into the ground with a trail of mud flying behind it, but even with its current state it looks great! hope u finish on time and gud luck!

[MichaelPhilip]

Very nice. The colors are very good and dramatic so dont change it. Poor boy, he's dangerously close to the impact:)

Good luck

[CodeNothing]

http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/6/5359/5359_1105925458_medium.jpg (http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/6/5359/5359_1105925458_large.jpg)

trying to work with some awkward clouds around the ship. I also changed the trees on the right to cherry blossom trees, i like them and i think it will balance the color a little better. I realy want to capture some heavy wind in this picture, so mabie ill add some pink leafs floating in the foreground last minute...

[CodeNothing]

http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/6/5359/5359_1105944576_medium.jpg (http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/6/5359/5359_1105944576_large.jpg)

added the engine fire, worked on defining the figure in the fore ground a little. having trouble with the grass... i dont know if i should make a grass brush in photo shop or just imply it with a normal brush....

[CodeNothing]

http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/6/5359/5359_1105956002_medium.jpg (http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/6/5359/5359_1105956002_large.jpg)

detailed all the clouds and grass. I added a rim of grass in the forground so it looks like the character is more on a hill and farther away, i thought the ship was looking too small.
its gona be a long night!

[CodeNothing]

http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/6/5359/5359_1105967337_medium.jpg (http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/6/5359/5359_1105967337_large.jpg)

almost there.... a slurpie, a starbucks, and a pizza later im still pounding away. and gaining pounds... LOL. not much left now. but im sure i could mess with details for weeks if i had the chance.

[CodeNothing]

http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/6/5359/5359_1105971326_medium.jpg (http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/6/5359/5359_1105971326_large.jpg)

well as far as 6:00 AM is concerned, im done. The clock says i have another 9 hours, so im gona see how i like it after 5 hours sleep.
not bad for 2 days work. im satisfied.

[CodeNothing]

http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/6/5359/5359_1106000492_medium.jpg (http://www.cgnetworks.com/challenge/entries/6/5359/5359_1106000492_large.jpg)

final coloring. just a few tweeks here and there.

[CodeNothing]

UGH!! i cant figure out how to submit the final ZIP. I go to the "sumbit final image" page, and it tells me how to save the file properly, but doesnt have any link or instructions on how or where to send the zip!

I think the deadline has passed, but the timer went back to having 1 day 8 hours on it?

if it passed thats fine. I wasnt intending on winning anything with 2 days of work, but id like to know for the next challenge the proper way to submit the final zip. :shrug:

[CodeNothing]

woot! figured it out. all is well. :)

[conundrum]

congratulations, yet to reply to your thread but its a great entry. love the colours and composition, its made for a ver simple but effective painting good luck

[CodeNothing]

THANKS! yea, i was extreamly short on time so simple is deffinetly what i was going for. :)

[MDN67]

Very nice pic, congratulation for the final result, the sky is very nice and i like particulary the paint of the character, good work and good luck

[CGTalk Moderation]

This thread has been automatically closed as it remained inactive for 12 months. If you wish to continue the discussion, please create a new thread in the appropriate forum.