The Journey Begins Challenge (2D) Entry: Nate beckwith

[MeshMonkey]

http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/10974/10974_1142302804_medium.jpg (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/10974/10974_1142302804_large.jpg)

well here goes. Playing with comp.

[rblitz7]

Oh man! excellent concept! :thumbsup:

[anzibon]

are the islands in the bg floating above the water?

if so that's a pretty neat twist on a landscape. but i might just be missreading the sketch. i really dig the feeling of movement. i can just feel the camera panning up to follow the mice as they rise.

good stuff,
~B

[beelow]

Nice sketch dude, I like the idea so far, keep it coming, good luck!:thumbsup:

[Mythmaker]

Great concept sketch - I really like the feel of this one - the way it flows! :)

Good luck! :thumbsup:

[MeshMonkey]

http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/10974/10974_1142937805_medium.jpg (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/10974/10974_1142937805_large.jpg)

still playing with comp and working on concepts of the floating Forest castle thing, i want it to feel abandoned and over grown, so i still have alot of work to do..

[authentic]

I like the concept and the island is excellent.

[walrus]

This looks nice so far, MeshMonkey! Good pencils and concept. While you're still in the rough concept stage, you might do more the make the scale of the city more clear: It's got trees on it, but the trees are all teh same approximate size as a sailboat (which then makes the floating city look more like a floating city-block.

Also, what about moving the mouse-balloon a little to the left so that it's not on a tangent with the city and shadow? And lastly (hope you don't mind the comments!) have you considerred flipping the image horizontally so that the action reads left to right?

Anyhow, good luck with it... this is going to shape up nicely! :)

-mike

[MeshMonkey]

Thanks eveybody, comments are always welcomed!! thats the point of all this right!? :P

Walrus hit it on the head about the scale of the trees on the island. Should look to be a few city blocks but not a city. Flippling horz helps too, i have that action on F6! :P

thanks for the comments everyone!

-monkey

[Arc80]

I really like the style dude and the idea as well. very whimpsical with a nice composition.
keep it up. cant wait to see more.

goodluck

[i-popba]

Ohh.!! Nice sketch man..!! love it

[Samanthie]

I like this alot! Nice feeling of lift and speed with the balloon. I'm looking forward to the coloring stage! Good luck to you.:)

[MeshMonkey]

thx for the comments everyone, i hope to get more time soon to work on this.

-monkey

[anzibon]

i love it. rather than answer my question about the island, you address it in the peice. that's what i'm talking about!!! the more i see this one the more i like it. hope you're feeling the same way.

later,
~B

[MeshMonkey]

http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/10974/10974_1143104037_medium.jpg (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/10974/10974_1143104037_large.jpg)

should be getting close to my last concept, might do another castle/island. I still have to do the line work, but i'll do a color test 1st.

tried to fix the scale appearing correct, hope this comp cleared things up.

[MeshMonkey]

http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/10974/10974_1143104406_medium.jpg (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/10974/10974_1143104406_large.jpg)

changed the comp back towrad the 1st sketch i made, mostly to see the differences between them.

[Samanthie]

The latest concept is very good. I don't know if it needs another castle though, at least to me the image is very well balanced as it is. I think you have something really special here and am looking forward to more. :thumbsup:

[MeshMonkey]

http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/10974/10974_1143444669_medium.jpg (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/10974/10974_1143444669_large.jpg)

well i guess this is both line and color. Just did a pass on the ballon's lines, and some color test for the midground and background. Not sure on the ballons colors yet, thinking browns and reds. The ballon fabric i want all hand stiched mis-matched farbric but all in the red and brown area. lot of work to do! :P

[anzibon]

nnooooo.

bring back the old composition. you were right the first time. that S curve of the island is excellent. your eye just flows through the hole thing and it gives a sensation of peacefulness. even in B&W.

hope you consider it.
~B

[MeshMonkey]

thx! your totally right, im changing it now, thought the same thing when i looked back at the 1st few versions..

[MeshMonkey]

http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/10974/10974_1143498450_medium.jpg (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/10974/10974_1143498450_large.jpg)

not happy with the colors, yet. im soo rusty... :P

added the village back in and think this for the better.

[MeshMonkey]

http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/10974/10974_1143535596_medium.jpg (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/10974/10974_1143535596_large.jpg)

playing with color in the forground. still not happy with color.

[MeshMonkey]

http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/10974/10974_1144190017_medium.jpg (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/10974/10974_1144190017_large.jpg)

some more color test, was trying for something darker yet more colorful. I like the idea of purple and blues for the overall color. Light direction is still up in the air. :P I started out upper left but some of the color tests that i liked it was in hovering over the ocean. Maybe if i riase it up to light the castle better.

[MeshMonkey]

http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/10974/10974_1144190126_medium.jpg (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/10974/10974_1144190126_large.jpg)

ok i was out of town and wasnt able to to post this. Another color revision, trying some moonlight.

[adonihs]

i really love the 1st and second one, awesome job and concept man. why dont you try a color concept with some oranges and reds for taste? i think thatd look pretty sick too.

[Arc80]

This looks tight man. Love the overall designs. The top 2 colour comps really works well for me.
keep it up man. cant wait to see more updates.

cheers

[MeshMonkey]

http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/10974/10974_1144199222_medium.jpg (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/10974/10974_1144199222_large.jpg)

just a quick color change to see what would happen. adonihs suggested orange and browns so here goes. i kinda like it.

[MeshMonkey]

http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/10974/10974_1144199519_medium.jpg (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/10974/10974_1144199519_large.jpg)

just wanted to see what a blue sky looks like, i really like that green though, like right before a bad storm or tornado.

[authentic]

I prefer the 2 last one. I think that a night or afternoon ambiece is not in the fact that a journey begin.

[MeshMonkey]

http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/10974/10974_1144312216_medium.jpg (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/10974/10974_1144312216_large.jpg)

combined the orange and green and blue concepts into something in between. ITs all really flat right now but im starting to dig the overall colors.

Changed the ships back to what they were in the beginning. :P the perpective on the last version of the caslte was clashing with the village. I want the floating castles/lighthouses to be related to the ruins near the village.

[Nomad]

Looks exellent :thumbsup:I love the mices :love:


BTW welcome to the "floating islands fans" haha ;)


Great work so far :bounce:

[MeshMonkey]

http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/10974/10974_1144733945_medium.jpg (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/10974/10974_1144733945_large.jpg)

still a loonnggg way to go! Working with this large a canvas is a lot of work! :P Trying not to get lost in the details.

Everything still is kinda flat. Will add more and more shadows later.

Touched everything but the main characters and sky, saving those fer last.

The grass in the forground im not sure about, i wanted it more flowing and more cartoony, might try a diffrent take on that.

[LexLe]

good work! good coloring !:thumbsup:

[Nazirull]

Cute theme...ehhehe...reminds me of American Tale......i think composition wise still can be improved....its a nice theme but strengthening the composition can make a big diff.

Try portrait orientation and do a 'wide lense' look and see wut u think....kinna put the waving mom mouse and the house small at the bottom and the focus is the balloon at the centre and central mice characters.....

And at the top is the epic porpotion BG....but mmmm...i dunno how to get the sense of depth....

Great! Cheers!:D

[MeshMonkey]

LexLe: thx! :P

Nazirull: I agree with you about the lack of distance and depth. been racking my brain to figure out a way to add some. Still might be more apparent when i finish the color wip. But i think the overall comp does need work. ill try and few tests! And thx for the Crit!

-monkey

[MeshMonkey]

http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/10974/10974_1144741115_medium.jpg (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/10974/10974_1144741115_large.jpg)

tried to tighten up the scene. might try one more before i have to climb up my tree and sleep.

-monkey

[anzibon]

i don't know if it was on purpose or not, but you managed to make the floating islands make sense. the water is poisoned and that's why nothing grows on the mainland. bad ground water. kind of a stretch. but so are floating islands. :wise:

cool pic. i think maybe you should keep these islands, but push em back a bit add back in your old island. much more interesting design. and i hope you can paint back in some of the nice swirling feel you had for the grass in your sketch.

cheers,
~B

[MeshMonkey]

anzibon: agreed! i do miss the other island...As for the grass ive been trying to get the swriling look back was my favorite part of the skecth really. :( And your on the right track about the mainland! :P

[MeshMonkey]

http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/10974/10974_1144799262_medium.jpg (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/10974/10974_1144799262_large.jpg)

well, whats more unrealistic then floating islands? That they are sea turtles of course. just playing around. any thoughts?

[MikaelPersson]

Really nice concept this. I like it a lot.

I must say that I like your second composition (post #2) the most. The other ones seems like you have spent too much time playing around with different ideas in photoshop.
Go with your first gut instict.
Though your turtles are a nice touch.

[authentic]

The turtles could be a good idea. It has to see how you will do it. But I liked it how it was.

[Srulo]

It Does make the scene a little more fantasy-ish. If you want to continue with the turtles I think you should change the shadows to be on their opposite side. It looks to me as the Light comes from the left to the right (yours), but I can be wrong. Anyway, Great pic!

[MeshMonkey]

http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/10974/10974_1144899541_medium.jpg (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/10974/10974_1144899541_large.jpg)

really like the turtles so far seems to do alot of good. Might make them come from the other direction, but it makes the lead turle look like hes in shock at the skelton/village in the cliff.

[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.