Spectacular 2D Entry: Michaël Zancan

[OrO]

welcome:deal:

[zancan]

http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/10/9000/9000_1130755055_medium.jpg (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/10/9000/9000_1130755055_large.jpg)

For some deep reasons that I will explain later, I decided to depict a scene where giant humanized plants were growing up in a luxuriant garden under a large glass dome.
I have traveled to Nice (south-east france) to make reference shots of a big dome of such kind. I gave me a great insight into the humid tropical atmosphere I should render, good perspectives and viewpoints, but the building needed to have a very old look, yet fully functional, as if it had been built centuries ago and had been repaired and renewed along time, to continue to serve as a shelter for its precious inhabitants.
The gold age for wide glass dome was in the early 1900's. I got inspired by an event held in Paris in the end of September: the reopening of the "Grand Palais", after a 12 year period of enclosure. Built in 1900 for Paris' Universal Exposition, it has a very Belle Epoque look with an Art Nouveau feeling. It is today the widest alive glass dome from the era.

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to travel to Paris to make reference shots and sketches and the Grand Palais has closed its doors once again.

A few sketches fixing up the main idea revealed that I needed a consistent perspective basis to support the whole scene. Therefore I started to sketch up the building in 3D (using Cinema 4D software), considering the various real life references I had collected along with various sketches (such as the Gravier's Kiosk in Agen my native town).

Here's an early rendering of the 3D model for my building concept.

[zancan]

http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/10/9000/9000_1130755773_medium.jpg (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/10/9000/9000_1130755773_large.jpg)

The 3D model served as a trustable perspective basis, upon which I'll be able to draw the scene. I tried to distort the perspective as much as possible, something that I usually do when drawing wide scenes to give the viewer a more unusual look.
The counterpart of using 3D software is that you can't distort the perspective lines in an unnatural manner, you have to stick to real-life lenses, and fish-eye did not really leaded to what I wanted.
I placed avatars of the giants ( See I really s_ck at 3d modeling ..), and, playing with the camera, chose a satisfying viewpoint, allowing me to see the floor and the ceiling at the same time.
Due to exaggerated lenses distortion, the frontmost characters appear very weird. This shows the limits of detailing my scene in 3D. Time for traditional sketching now.

[DeeVad]

Hello,
I'm happy to not be alone south France man to participate the spectacular 2D challenge. Your Idea looks great, It will be a big work on painting, and I wait to see the sketch.
This could look really spectacular.
' ça peut déglinger ' as I often say in my native langage you'll understand.
Good Luck Zancan !

[zancan]

http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/10/9000/9000_1130757801_medium.jpg (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/10/9000/9000_1130757801_large.jpg)

I had already sketched various characters on paper. Now it was time to get everybody together in the building I had built especially for them.

Since I had a good rendering as a trustable perspective basis, I wanted to use it for my sketch.
I used a weird technic I had already put into use a few times: direct transfer from computer to paper. I don't know if I should be ashamed of this one, but it proved its usefulness a couple of times.Receipe: turn off the lights, allow just enough ambient light to distinguish the lines you will be tracing. Apply the sheet on the notebook's screen. Adjust the zoom factor so that it matches the sheet's. Transfer the line art the way you learnt when you were 5 year old.
*Okay*, I should really learn how to get those so-called "printers" to work one of this days ;)

Then it's usual sketching stuff, graphite on paper.
I must add something. I'm usually no CG artist, I prefer painting with oils, because it involves me as a whole, my body and all my senses, getting together with real materials, touchable canvas texture, odorant mediums, running, crouching, doing wide gestures in a intense and integral ballet. CG as a whole lot of exceptional advantages, but to me it always lead to a sort of frustration.
That the reason why I will be painting a real canvas in parallel of the computer painting. The oil painting, much longer to achieve, will continue a long time after the challenge is finished.
I've assembled a wide canvas ( 200x120 cm) and have already started to transfer the line art onto it (using dried pastels). This way I'll fill "filled" with this artwork.

[zancan]

Hello,
I'm happy to not be alone south France man to participate the spectacular 2D challenge. Your Idea looks great, It will be a big work on painting, and I wait to see the sketch.
This could look really spectacular.
' ça peut déglinger ' as I often say in my native langage you'll understand.
Good Luck Zancan !
Hello neighbor! :)
The sketch is there, I was late in posting the first millestones and just fixed this after a whole weekend devoted to the challenge.
It is going to be a very long painting work, indeed.
GOod luck to your entry too, and thank you for visiting!
( je ne connaissais pas l'expression "ça va déglinguer", sûrement issue du patoi toulousain!)

Thanks

[FrozZT]

Hi!
Beautiful lineart! I like your characters the most, lovely gestures and life in them!
Im looking forward to see how you will blend the colors of the skin with the vegetation!
I would also like to know some more thoughts behind it, background story?
I'll check back later! :)

[zancan]

Hi!
Beautiful lineart! I like your characters the most, lovely gestures and life in them!
Im looking forward to see how you will blend the colors of the skin with the vegetation!
I would also like to know some more thoughts behind it, background story?
I'll check back later! :)
Hi! I have tried indeed to give my characters a lot of sensuality / sensitivity, that's the reason why they will be only woman shaped. There's a strong background story behind that I'll explain in a moment!
I'm too longing for the colored version to be finished... *sigh* ;)

[zancan]

http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/10/9000/9000_1130925659_medium.jpg (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/10/9000/9000_1130925659_large.jpg)

Here's the basic coloring, in which I have set up the primary values and made a few arrangements in the composition.
Everything is organized in layers (about 10 layers for the moment). I'm using Photoshop CS.
Despite the underlying 3D-rendered structure, I couldn't get rid of perspective construction using vanishing points etc..
The suspended flower stand in the middle was removed to free up the space in the vanishing point direction.

Todo next: narrow the circles on top of the dome. Increase depth and contrast. Start to draw metallic decorations all over the building.
Then a huge work on drawing the vegetation.
I need to enlarge the color spectrum with blue and red hues.
The background sky will have big clouds with a break in the middle throwing a lot of light.
The characters will be shedding tears, meaning that they'll need to look wet (late steps)

Oh, also I need to explain the concept in details. Lazy me.

[PeterPuppet]

great colors, good work:thumbsup:

Keep it up!




peace, pete

[Slav]

well this image is outstanding ... i have nothing to say. just observe your work.

[Dutchman]

Wow Michaël! That's indeed outstanding spectacular! :scream: Really cool stuff! I'm looking forward for the 'healthy look' of the final (with all that green, it might get to look 'healthy', isn't it?!)! As far as I can conclude from your sketch you got a brilliant feel of color, shape and style! :)

It's really interesting to see quite allot people stepping out of the general theme, to get something more creative, more remarkable and more outstanding... Just 'different'! :applause: But as só much people do it, it seems thát kind of stuff is getting convential, and the other stuff to be 'special'... :scream:

Good luck on the challenge! I'm looking forward to updates! :thumbsup:
-Gijs

[mybutterflyiris]

This is really neat! Beautiful design and color choices. Keep going...I can't wait to see the finished one and here the story behind it

[Arc80]

Man, that's cool :thumbsup: :thumbsup: Very surreal and interesting idea. I LOVE IT. The angle is great too. No critzs, just want to see this one finish.

cheers

[cyberarts]

Good concept! I like what i am seeing so far. I can't wait to see your final version. I have no crists for now! Good job!

Good luck!:thumbsup:

[olimaxone]

woow woow! the skech is really good.i'm not worried about the coloring. your start is blowing me allready.with such a nice concept you've got 50% done to come up with one of the best painting around. keep it up!!!

[zancan]

http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/10/9000/9000_1131818436_medium.jpg (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/10/9000/9000_1131818436_large.jpg)

Hi there,

Here's an update of the coloring on which I've been working a lot lately, despite an overloaded schedule.
This one shows the perspective lines that I use to add new elements in the scene.
It's a regular perspective with a vanishing horizon line and a vanishing point at the bottom for all vertical lines.
I've been working a lot on specific parts and couldn't help but detailing a lot, beyond the visible. I've always been a maniac for details.

I'm working at 3600x6000 resolution, which is huge for my little iBook 12'' to handle, considering the multiple layers that keep on accumulating on the stage. And 12'' is rather small, my eyes suffer a lot from the long painting sessions. But in the end it's so much fun!

The deadline is not that far now, and I feel really pressured since there are millions of things to add to this painting for it to conform to what I have in mind! o_O

[Vectorius]

Very great sens of perspective!! congratulation zancan!! nothing to say about your work..that's very good so far...keep goin' on and good luck for the challenge.:thumbsup:

[Steve-h]

I really like this...for me its the lighting, just love that lighting! And the idea is a very original one as well, it's just a great angle on things.

keep going dude.

[rawwad]

Hey, I see there great composition and idea. Keep working. :D

[Kyena]

You'd deserve many more views on this. It's very interesting to see how you work digitally - specially since I am a big admire of your traditional works :)

Definately belongs to my personal favourites in this challenge.

[beelow]

Really, nice rendering great stuff, I agree with kyena, should definitely have more views, but I will keep up with this entry, truly amazing!

[LadyAkuma]

This is really amazing. The image has so much depth to it, and I can't wait to see it finished. I really love the colors as well!! I agree with Kyena; It's really something to see your digital process since know how wonderful your traditional art it.

[umbrellasky]

Wow! wonderful idea. This is so beautiful I love the lighting. Amazing work so far!

[THECLYKE]

amazing perspective drawing.....I also like your work flow


well done so far man.....Cheers

[Missy]

Awesome persepctive! i really like your idea, and how u work it out, visually it looks stunning!
keep up the good work! :)

[CryingHorn]

This is simply beautiful, I personaly like the girls face expresion, it's so sweet and gentle :love: Everything else looks outstanding too, very warm and inspiring work. :thumbsup:

[NinjaA55N]

absolutely marvelous job here! I love the piecefull idea of ur concept but I think it needs a bit more dramatic ilumination. But I see u have still some work (painting process) to do so probably u have this in mind as well. I will pay more attention to this thread now and I hope u'll finish in time! good luck :)

[zancan]

http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/10/9000/9000_1133296807_medium.jpg (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/10/9000/9000_1133296807_large.jpg)

Things are on their way , despite general fatigue and demoralizing events like a computer crash after a 3-hours-unaved-tiny-details-work. I can't see how I can achieve the artwork the way I'd like with the amount of time left, though. I'm gonna ask my boss a day-off, even if it's not enough I'll help.
Here are a few close-ups on some chosen parts. I've started to draw little droplets on the second character, but in the end there should be rain everywhere, because that's what it's all about: sunlight and raindrops, depicting a metaphor of a spectacular and rare feeling that is crying for joy. More constructive explanation to come along with the final image, promised!
I wish I was a super-hero capable of stretching time, or capable of convincing the jury to delay the deadline of about.. 2 months.. uhm. yeah.. that would make it.

[PSych]

WOOOW! This is really amazing:eek: :eek: :eek: and beautiful:bounce:

Good Luck!

[zancan]

http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/10/9000/9000_1133436072_medium.jpg (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/10/9000/9000_1133436072_large.jpg)

Strangely I hadn't thought about the mirror trick before, and flipped the image horizontally yesterday for the first time. It was like the artwork at first sight and the effect was outstanding. Of course many mistakes popped up immediately, and were added to the giant TODO list.
I think that this flipped view would suit my theme best, because the diagonal growing from left-bottom to upright conveys a more optimistic symbolism. Maybe I'll keep that one.

[G-FLUX]

This is friggin awesome man, Its perfect.

[Kyena]

I am soooooooooo happy you didn't give up after your crash Michael :love:
Thanks again for the css help too btw!

[Pat-Piper]

This is just so...inconcievably beautiful. I'm speechless.

[zancan]

http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/10/9000/9000_1133555118_medium.jpg (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/10/9000/9000_1133555118_large.jpg)

I have worked on the frontmost character, adding teardrops and details here and then.
I also sacrificed a lot of details in the background to make foreground stand out more, else the scene was too busy looking. (stupid me... I can't help but adding useless details). Still need to improve the lighting on the forehead branches, and cast the shadows coming from the building structure on the hand and on the forearm + many droplets.
I've figured out one thing concerning the digital medium vs the traditional medium. I always thought that I was more precise on real canvas, since they are much wider (this one is 2 meters high). But looking at how deep we can go into details with digital medium, I'm now doubtful. Hmm we'll see.

[Kapow]

I love the lighting on this piece!

Great work & Good luck!

Chris

[zancan]

http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/10/9000/9000_1133736697_medium.jpg (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/10/9000/9000_1133736697_large.jpg)

I think that this could be labeled a final coloring, since it apparently only lacks details on some parts.
Still I need to populate the ground with a more dense crowd of spectators. ( If you don't think this is spectacular, at lest they'll do ;) )
...plus raindrops everywhere, respectful to the perspective, it will help to define the volume, and give a sense of movement to this rather static scene.
But for the moment I'm 100% exhausted.. Goin' straight to the spectacle of my bed.

[FrozZT]

Hi!
I suspected this would be one of my favorites of the challenge since i saw your lineart... Love the harmony in the expressions of your characters. The front one is just beautiful, very sensual, graceful, emotionaly expressive and the plant element in them make them seem wise.
I hope you make it in time.. But still try not to stress it! :p

[zancan]

Hi!
I suspected this would be one of my favorites of the challenge since i saw your lineart... Love the harmony in the expressions of your characters. The front one is just beautiful, very sensual, graceful, emotionaly expressive and the plant element in them make them seem wise.
I hope you make it in time.. But still try not to stress it! :p
Thank you! I'm glad to see there is some support in here :) I'm quite satisfied with the characters, especially at close view , but I think the global lighting looks a bit... messy ? Tomorrow I'll work out this as much as possible, in the final rush.... ! cheers

[ogar555]

It's very... very...very... green... Arrrgh, no! I meant Good!
Can't believe i haven't seen it until now. You'll finish in time right?

[SoniaNotRed]

The green-house structure and the light are beautiful! :eek: And I'm very fond of the tree-women creatures concept.

I hope you get to finish this!
Best of luck! :thumbsup:

[MichaelZHsee]

wow:love:~didnt see this coming,turn out spectaculaly~excellent point of view and the lighting is simply beautiful.i want to see this finish mate~:thumbsup:

[MichaelCTY]

Hi Michael ,I am sure it is spectacular, really unique concept in this challenge,and the composition is really cool too, I :) am waiting for your final ,keep it up

[PixelPlay]

Wonderful atmosphere and mood you have here. Wasn't sure if you could pull this off when I saw it earlier but you have done it. Looking great. Best of luck!

[shemosus]

This is more than awesome...and more..it is touchy....

[zancan]

http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/10/9000/9000_1133823082_medium.jpg (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/10/9000/9000_1133823082_large.jpg)

Tears for joy in the garden of giants


I had this thought one day about the fact that feelings belong to oneself, and that it was foolish to pretend being able to share. Later I found that maybe, thanks to art, their was a possibility for the sharing to happen.
As an artist, I consider it's my mission to give shape and color to feelings that otherwise are trapped within an individual. With time I turned to be a quite "romantic" person, in the literary definition of the term, i.e. a person who is fascinated by the spectacle of his own feelings.
In the immense diversity of emotions one can feel, I choose to extract a striking and rare one and turn it to spectacle. This emotion is a joy so immense that it makes cry tears; smiling and weeping at the same time, the widest range of behaviors concentrated in one single emotion.
As a general rule: Contrast makes Intensity.
With this idea in mind (and the heart filled with this very emotion) I built that scenario in which some external people would be eventually the spectators of this very intense feeling.

" ... there was a bunch of beautiful seeds that ancient gardeners had planted one hundred years ago. Men built a beautiful glass roof to protect their growth. Gardeners fed them with love and with water, thus they grew up well.
Time passed and the old gardeners too. Men slightly became uninterested in nature and the building was left aside.
Men had chosen to have the Progress grow up instead of seeds. Abandoned, nature started to behave strangely; the weather became disturbed all around the globe.
One day a strange thing happened. A sun extremely bright was warming up the earth, and suddenly a warm rain started to fall at the same time.
Under this unique rain shower, the giant plants woke up. In front of astonished wanderers they unfolded their branches and extended their fingers to the sky.
Joyful teardrops flooding their wooden eyes, for once in a one century lifetime the giants plants were crying to the rain. "

--------------------
-I purposely chose an extremely positive subject, preferring birth to death, avoiding any destruction theme. I find Life (at any scale) much more spectacular that massive death, ( which has become rather casual these days.. )
T-he building was supposed to be built one century ago. I got some inspiration from the parisian Grand Palais that was built in 1900. I also visited a wide tropical dome in Nice.
-I wanted the giant plants' gestures to be very sensual, like the ones of a beautiful woman stretching come morning after a long and restful night. I studied the poses so that they seem like waking up, stretching and extending their long arms towards the sky.
-Their faces had to convey a sensation of pure joy, a joy immense that had been sleeping for years and was waking up suddenly with no effort. ( no wrinkle is visible, meaning that their smile is not due to the action of a tense zygomatic muscle!)
-The story elements carry some values that I use to care for: positivism, depth of heart, attention to nature.

Nature, female body and high sights are the things that make my own day-to-day spectacle. So it was a reaaaal pleasure to make. I hope it will also be a pleasure for you all to look at.

[MichaelCTY]

this garden is really emotional,really good introduction,and concept,flowers are beautiful
but with human structure and facial expression is much beautiful, good creativity
congratz on finishing this work:)

[zancan]

this garden is really emotional,really good introduction,and concept,flowers are beautiful
but with human structure and facial expression is much beautiful, good creativity
congratz on finishing this work:)
Thank you Michael. I really had a hard time on finishing it. I would have spent additional years to add more droplets, more spectators... but *relief sigh* ... it's over. My first finished CG painting in fact, weeee!

[zancan]

http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/10/9000/9000_1133825577_medium.jpg (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/10/9000/9000_1133825577_large.jpg)

A few close ups picked up in some of the most detailed areas

[zancan]

http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/10/9000/9000_1133825811_medium.jpg (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/10/9000/9000_1133825811_large.jpg)

A close view on the central image zone

[mybutterflyiris]

Just exquisit! Wonderful concept, execution, everything! I hope you win ;) :bowdown:

[MichaelZHsee]

man thats some crazy details~:wise:

[Jonasz]

holy crap, this is stunning! great vision && good work... wicked :).

[CryingHorn]

Hey man, really elegant work, one of my favorites for sure :bowdown:

[Zhaan]

Hope you'll win cause it's sensational !:thumbsup:

[Mythmaker]

Wow! Congratulations Michael - if this doesn't get placed I'll eat my Wacom! :D

[ahbeejieh]

Beautiful. As in :eek: Damn. You dont need luck with this! ~peace. :thumbsup:

[PSych]

Hi Zancan!

Thanks for finishing one of my favorite "SPECTACULARS":bounce: :bounce: :bounce:
Great work :thumbsup:

[Lync]

Amazing details. This is beautiful. One of the best!

Congratulations!:thumbsup:

[Fish-KAart]

:) Thanks for finishing atmospheric work! Has very much liked! Success ":applause:
Great work :thumbsup:

[Kyena]

you finished despite the crash!! yay :D

Those closeups are breathtaking..I really hope you'll make one of the final places Michael for both the story and the absolutely amazing showcase of your talent.

[zancan]

Thank you Tascha :) actually it was only an application crash that sent 3 hours of work to the trash. Nothing compared to the total amount of work, so it wasn't enough to make me give up! Queen of chocolate ... I'm getting hungry now ;)

[umbrellasky]

This painting is absolutely stunning. I adore the lighting, and colours. Such a abeautiful and interesting painting, so many details! This is one of my favourite entries for sure.

Good luck!

[xric7]

absolutely beautiful:thumbsup:
congratulations!good luck.cheers.:bounce:

[Kyena]

thinking of it again - I would vote for this as a judge simply for the fact that there are way too many death and distruction "spectacular" images..which is somewhat quite disturbing..

I like your approach much better.

[turtle-rn]

vé, il y a beaucoup d'images effectivement spectaculaires dans la section 2D, mais la tienne est ma favorite; l'originalité du concept, la vertigineuse impression visuelle, la douceur de la palette et la sérénité de l'harmonie générale (bon, j'arrête là.. ^^) la font nettement sortir du lot. si le jury ne se laisse pas trop influencer par la notoriété des concurrents (un travers un peu tenace par ici), je ne doute pas un seul instant que tu fasses partie des finalistes. :applause:

[RaviV]

Michaël Zancan, with out a doubt this CG Painting is the most spectactular thing i've ever seen in my whole life. It brings a bundle of such joy, love to me. Hopefully i will see more artworks like this from you, with out any touch of death, or anything negative.

:love:

[CryingHorn]

Hey mate, I'm really dissapointed that you didn't won anything :( Your's looked really impresive to me, good luck and see you next time :D

[zancan]

Hey mate, I'm really dissapointed that you didn't won anything :( Your's looked really impresive to me, good luck and see you next time :D
Oh, thank you very much for your support. I'm a bit disappointed too but there were so many really good artworks that did not make it neither. The judging must have been tough and I think it's fair. What's more subjective than judging art anyway? It's ok, and I love painting so much that no bad challenge result can ever alter my passion and my will. Cheers :)

[Notanymore]

When I clicked the link to the result page, I was expecting to see you there... And me too, I've been disappointed not to find you at the place you deserved.
But the winners are excellent too, anyway (especially the 3rd runner up), and as you said many entries were incredible and better (in my tastes) than some of the runners up, and didn't get any prize...
I suppose yours wasn't spectacular enough, in a graphical way. The judges had criterias that went beyond the simple beauty...
Sadly.

I hope to see you entering the next challenges, Michaël, following the progress of this piece was really a pleasure.

[Pat-Piper]

Oh, thank you very much for your support. I'm a bit disappointed too but there were so many really good artworks that did not make it neither. The judging must have been tough and I think it's fair. What's more subjective than judging art anyway? It's ok, and I love painting so much that no bad challenge result can ever alter my passion and my will. Cheers :)

I totally agree with what you had said and I feel just the same! Besides, I don't really need the prize, and I wouldn't know what to do with it. Being able to know ppl like you and surround myself with all the nice artists is the best reward in this challenge. But congrats on your lovely piece and I hope to see you next challenge! :)

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