WIP critism / feedback "Wizard's Nest"

[Cati]

It's a great start! I like your picture and the idea behind it very much. If you plan on keeping the wizard's nest as small as it is at the moment perhaps you'd need to create some depth to the picture by other means. It needs perspective. Hot air balloon is a good idea and it could be just what the picture needs. I'd suggest however that you place the balloon a lot closer to the viewer so it creates a feeling of distance between the viewer and the target. You don't even have to draw any ropes attaching the wizards nest. You could crop the picture so that the wizards nest is a bit closer to either side of the picture - not exactly in the middle.
You could make the clouds in the foreground a bit darker and becoming lighter in the distance. As you are viewing the wizards nest from one side would it look nice to see the bluest sky in the background or just hint of it... just that the viewer can see how far up in the sky the nest is.

I didn't understand the question about jpg so I'll explain more. I hope you are not saving it as jpg while working on the picture. Just save it as jpg when you're presenting the picture in here. Meanwhile save it as the default of the program you have. PSD for photoshop. That way you don't risk losing layers. (I'm sorry to explain this to you if you already knew this) ;-P You can get it more high quality by increasing resolution.. pixels per inch/cm. If you're planning on drawing a balloon perhaps it's best to finish up the larger areas of colours first and then increase the resolution and size when you start working on details.

Hope to see more progress.. Keep it up ! :-)

[rkgfx]

Thank u verry much for your feedback! I will use it! About the house.. i am not sure if i keep it like this. I slept a few nights now, and maby i go for some more rocks and make the hous a little bigger like a smal tiny castle..

I know how to work with safing files and how it works with layers :). I mean when u want to safe it for the web, to show your drawing. Is there a way to safe the jpeg in the best quality possible. Is PGN a better safe?

[CybrGfx]

Hi, rkgfx!

You are right, it is best to get input as early as you can, to help solidify in your mind what you are trying to create, and the best way to convey your message to your viewer.

Your main focal point is so tiny on such a gigantic canvas, that you are already at a hurdle, even though you have put your main focal point almost dead center targeted on your canvas. You are now trying to to come up with things to add to the canvas to draw attention to your focal point.

It doesn't work that way. You add things to enhance your focal point, and direct the eye around the canvas, not to try to fill the giant empty space you have left because your focal point is too small and too insignificant to carry the composition. Do you have any compositional sketches for this scene, or are you trying to compose it on the fly?

If you paint a balloon into this scene, you will be adding another focal point and a very dominant one. Especially if you make it larger than the tiny speck in the middle.
I thought the detail a better size for the larger image. That nest should be the detailed focal point. What sort of materials is it made of? How are the steps carved? Etc.

If this intended to be a landscape, what are the shapes of all the surrounding mountains? The lines they create should help direct the eye all around the canvas. A balloon could work, depending on the surroundings, but will still make the nest the secondary focal point, again leading to the size question...
_____________________________________________________________

Regarding the "save as" question, always try to save as a .psd, to reduce artifacts, and preserve layers, as was previously mentioned.
To keep your works a managable size, so that you don't have to wait 30 seconds for an effect to update, it is easier if you have a rough comp of the entire scene, and then work on the separate elements at a higher resolution. You then assemble the elements into the gigantic file, which far reduces the strain on your computer's processor, and Photoshop's cache memory. Make a quilt of all the portions of the gigantic size image you want, and when each one is done, it is much easier to join the edges and then save.

~Cyber

[rkgfx]

Hi, rkgfx!

You are right, it is best to get input as early as you can, to help solidify in your mind what you are trying to create, and the best way to convey your message to your viewer.

.....

Thank u verry much for your quality feedback! I have some things to think about ow! I made this on the fly.. it was a speedpaint ectualy but i ended up with this haha! I think go with a detailed version and skip the baloon. Thx for your reply!

So if i understand u right, its a smart move to pick a peace in your drawing an do this in a new window.. so the computer does not have to load the whole drawing in the memory. When i am done, i past this in the original..right?

Roy

[rkgfx]

It's a great start! I like your picture and the idea behind it very much. If you plan on keeping the wizard's nest as small as it is at the moment perhaps you'd need to create some depth to the picture by other means. It needs perspective. Hot air balloon is ...

Thx for your feedback to! I have made a post on your feedback but a admin has to aprove it first before u see it :)

Cheers ;)

Roy

[CybrGfx]

So if i understand u right, its a smart move to pick a peace in your drawing an do this in a new window.. so the computer does not have to load the whole drawing in the memory. When i am done, i past this in the original..right?

RoyYes, but do not have the original open until you are ready to paste. You can make a very low quality .jpg copy under "Save for Web," and keep that open for positioning purposes if you need to, but try to work on a very detailed object separately, with no other windows open. Wnen complete, you open the giant image, paste it into it, and close it again. You then start on the next giant resolution portion of the image.

~Cyber

[Roykorpel]

Yes, but do not have the original open until you are ready to paste. You can make a very low quality .jpg copy under "Save for Web," and keep that open for positioning purposes if you need to, but try to work on a very detailed object separately, with no other windows open. Wnen complete, you open the giant image, paste it into it, and close it again. You then start on the next giant resolution portion of the image.

~Cyber

Thx Cyber, i did not try this techniqe before! I will now! :D

[Roykorpel]

Okey, i cut a peace out of the drawing, and blowed it up 3x the size! I hope i can fix this back in my original hehe.. I have changed the house and the looks of the stairs.. i want to make the house a bit more spooky.. working on that right now..

http://forum.clan-beware.nl/uploads/1202163280/gallery_6_31_252487.jpg

[Roykorpel]

new details:

http://forum.clan-beware.nl/uploads/1202163280/gallery_6_31_8490.jpg

I think i am done with the house so far.. up to the next targets..the rocks

[CybrGfx]

Looking good, but your shadows aren't consistent for your light source, the sides of the house in shade are too light. That cast shadow from the roof needs to extend across the entire section of the house on the LH side of the canvas, not angled as you have it. There is no light hitting the porch, and your attempts to do so make the lighting look hokey and contrived...
Also the LH side of the house needs to be a dark of a shadow as that coming off the roof ridge.

This then brings up again, the purpose of this work. What is your intended subject? The wizard's nest, or the landscape around it? You have an extremely huge canvas, with a center target focal point that is very tiny. What are you intending to fill the rest of that canvas with?
Do you have any compositional sketches or roughs of the entire picture?

[Roykorpel]

Looking good, but your shadows aren't consistent for your light source, the sides of the house in shade are too light. That cast shadow from the roof needs to extend across the entire section of the house on the LH side of the canvas, not angled as you have it. There is no light hitting the porch, and your attempts to do so make the lighting look hokey and contrived...
Also the LH side of the house needs to be a dark of a shadow as that coming off the roof ridge.

This then brings up again, the purpose of this work. What is your intended subject? The wizard's nest, or the landscape around it? You have an extremely huge canvas, with a center target focal point that is very tiny. What are you intending to fill the rest of that canvas with?
Do you have any compositional sketches or roughs of the entire picture?

Thx man! I have some new work to do hehe! Whats the best. A new layer on overlay and do the shadows? I dont have sketches. It was a speedpaint first and ended up in this. I had some luck. I think i am going to use this for the gnomon workshop contest february. Personal transport. I thinking about drawing a small little boot, for 1 person only (with a little cartony sign near the boot) For crossing the others side where the house is. A little mist on the water..and i think i have a nice setup. What do u think? :)

I will move the house with thr rocks a tiny bit to the left!

[CybrGfx]

You should be having a layer for every element beyond your basic shapes of color. Shadows. Steps details. Rocks. House. Water. Mist. That way, any changes you make before final assembly can be done without having to adjust anything else. Layers are your best friend, even more than the Undo key.

Sorry, but I see no water. I see no background. All I see is a lot of white space, with one rock formation in the middle. I LIKE the idea of moving it over a bit, and the idea of a floating/flying boot for one with a catchy phrase signage sounds like a good concept. You should do some compositional sketches and get your composition tightened up before working any more on your details.

~Cyber

[Roykorpel]

You should be having a layer for every element beyond your basic shapes of color. Shadows. Steps details. Rocks. House. Water. Mist. That way, any changes you make before final assembly can be done without having to adjust anything else. Layers are your best friend, even more than the Undo key.

Sorry, but I see no water. I see no background. All I see is a lot of white space, with one rock formation in the middle. I LIKE the idea of moving it over a bit, and the idea of a floating/flying boot for one with a catchy phrase signage sounds like a good concept. You should do some compositional sketches and get your composition tightened up before working any more on your details.

~Cyber

Thx Cyber, i will do that! Your a great help. I will do things diffrent in a new drawing. I keep this tread up to date when i find some time to draw again! :)

[Cati]

Hey Roykorpel,

Hope you didn't stuck too much into the details. Your idea really inspired me and even made me do a few quick mountaintop sketches of my own. :)
Just to encourage you: don't get bogged up by drawing in the every last detail if you're planning on making the target look small in the picture anyway. With right composition and colours you can save a lot work (+nerves) and make the painting more appealing to the viewer. Concentrate on the whole first and then add some details if you feel like it.

[Roykorpel]

Hey Roykorpel,

Hope you didn't stuck too much into the details. Your idea really inspired me and even made me do a few quick mountaintop sketches of my own. :)
Just to encourage you: don't get bogged up by drawing in the every last detail if you're planning on making the target look small in the picture anyway. With right composition and colours you can save a lot work (+nerves) and make the painting more appealing to the viewer. Concentrate on the whole first and then add some details if you feel like it.

Thx Cati for your comment and what a great feeling do u give me telling me that i inspired you with this drawing. :D

I must be honest that i dindt had a lot of time this last days with work, feeling a bit ill, and a lan party upcomming this weekend. But, i pick up the drawing on the lan party.

Did u have some sketches online?

[Cati]

Glad to hear you'll continue your work soon. :) Have great lan party -weekend!

I uploaded a couple of pictures for you. They're really quick sketches, nothing too fancy..
Hope you like them..
Here are the links:
sketch 1 (http://koti.welho.com/klouhio/kuvia/top1.jpg)
sketch 2 (http://koti.welho.com/klouhio/kuvia/top2.jpg)

[Roykorpel]

Glad to hear you'll continue your work soon. :) Have great lan party -weekend!

I uploaded a couple of pictures for you. They're really quick sketches, nothing too fancy..
Hope you like them..
Here are the links:
sketch 1 (http://koti.welho.com/klouhio/kuvia/top1.jpg)
sketch 2 (http://koti.welho.com/klouhio/kuvia/top2.jpg)

Cool, nice colors alreadly

do u going to work them out?

[Cati]

Thanks! I hope they can bring you at least some inspiration to your Wizard's Nest project as well.. I'm not going after the detail with these although they'd make a nice start. I was only after the mood and colours. :)

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