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Kaidonni
09-18-2007, 04:55 PM
So, I decided to try another digital painting, seeing as how all my previous attempts were ending up as disasters...

http://img48.imageshack.us/img48/8061/planetwipmm2.th.jpg (http://img48.imageshack.us/my.php?image=planetwipmm2.jpg)

After a few hours of work, this is where I'm at. The painting isn't based on any reference material. Loosely based on certain celestial objects, but mixed with my imagination. My texturing in this painting has been far better than previous.

Now, the fortunate thing about the shadows is that I work on dozens of different layers for the planet and for the moons (each is in it's own group - so far, a planet and two moon groups). The shadow is on it's own layer, as is the successive painting and detailing. So, if I need to fix anything to do with the shadow I can simply alter a single layer, even re-do it entirely, without ruining the rest.

Unfortunately, while working on the moons, I realised I had only textured the planet in a single direction...now, it's very frustrating to toggle between layers and *try* to paint on the correct layer when backtracking through them and fixing this. I have a short temper... However, it'd probably be best to do entirely new layers and detail it more there.

I've been taking heed of one tutorial on planet-painting, and I always keep my original layers. When spherizing and working on the atmosphere, I've duplicated the originals and messed around with the duplicates, merging them, altering the blending options, etc. So, if I screw something up, hey presto, I can fix it without having to restart.

This isn't finished yet, though. I need to take a rest for now from it. A Titan-like moon would be preferable, though it might be too much to add in. There should be space in this for it. Plus I can quite easily expand the canvas size if I need any more room (which I suspect I do need). Then, I'll need to work on the background.

Before anyone says anything...the idea is that this is a side-ways view...a bit like those Apollo landing videos, where we see the Earth side-ways. ;)

Any advice and feedback is appreciated.
Kaidonni
09-19-2007, 12:11 PM
Reworked the planet a lot, from the ground up almost...

http://img236.imageshack.us/img236/4039/planetwip2it6.th.jpg (http://img236.imageshack.us/my.php?image=planetwip2it6.jpg)

I've expanded the size of the canvas just in case I need anymore room. I'll deal with the final canvas size and image size at the end, though.

Not sure about adding another moon, and I'm not certain about the positions of the current moons either. The next step is to add a starfield, and perhaps after that, I can focus on the positions of my planet and moons and any additional objects.
Kaidonni
09-20-2007, 04:18 PM
After further work on the painting, this is where I'm at...

http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/9468/planetwip4er5.th.jpg (http://img523.imageshack.us/my.php?image=planetwip4er5.jpg)

I decided against a third Titan-like moon because it'd seem a bit out of place for some reason...it'd just seem out of place alongside a Mars-like planet.

I might revisit the glow in the background. I tried a tutorial on starfield painting, but when it got to the clone stamping tool part, it just all went downhill, so I decided to go as far as I was comfortable with for this painting. For some reason, there were sharp edges when I tried to clone stamp (even with 0% hardness). They just appeared as I worked with the tool, and looked very out of place and undesirable...
Kaidonni
09-20-2007, 10:21 PM
No feedback yet? Man...is this somewhat a let-down, because I've always found it hard to get feedback on here before...
Kaidonni
09-22-2007, 05:59 PM
Still no feedback or critique? I'll have to remove the links soon, because this isn't a free dinner. I have never had much feedback on CG Society...if I can't get feedback, I can't remain here. It just seems impossible, like I'm being ignored. I've given feedback in the past - to people who've had little difficulty getting feedback. What is it with me and feedback? Are they two repelling forces?
DArcy1
09-23-2007, 06:08 AM
I can't speak for anyone else with respect to feedback; people have their own reasons. For me, I'd say that while the image is an interesting technical exercise in planets and texturing (and you've done a decent job), as a piece of art it's lacking. That is, it's like you just happened to be passing by the planets on your tour bus and snapped a photo out the porthole. Nothing wrong with that if it's just for your pleasure, but if you want someone else to be interested there has to be something there that grabs the imagination or the emotion in some way. Either a dramatic composition, or an image with a story behind it, that makes you as the viewer want to look again. In your place I'd either view this one as practice, or consider it as just the backdrop to the *real* painting in the foreground.

Hope this helps a bit.

D'Arcy
Kaidonni
09-23-2007, 10:01 AM
It does help a bit, thank you.

I did feel this piece was a bit sterile in terms of atmosphere myself.

I've also usually had trouble with digital painting in the past, with the texturing. This is really the first time I've managed to make it look like something proper, and not just a few blobs of paint. In the past, I felt like I was just going around in circles, but not this time around.

Of course, someone else could have also told me there wasn't enough atmosphere or emotion. I need honest feedback if I'm ever to improve, and if someone sees this painting, and thinks it is lacking in emotion, then they should just say. ;)

Thanks. :)
DArcy1
09-25-2007, 04:35 AM
Sometimes you don't get lucky with feedback. I usually only get a bit and my WIPS last months before I finish.


As for the textures, definitely go to textured custom brushes in photoshop. They are just so easy to make and once you start fiddling with scattering, rotation, opacity etc you'd be amazed at what you can do.

D'Arcy
DeusEx
09-25-2007, 04:16 PM
Look for some tutorials on making planets and such. Your peice seems too dark and the textures and kinda muddy. Look at what I made here (http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?f=31&t=543436), I used some tutorials and just some creativity to make my scene. A tutorial is for help, like a teacher.
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