The Trojan War: Illustration

[CybrGfx]

This has a decent concept behind it, but it could use some clarification and tweaking before your progress further.


Helen. Of Troy. THE Helen? Daughter of Zeus, face that launched a thousand ships, left her husband and daughter to run away with Paris, leading to the Trojan War, Helen? Given to Paris by Aphrodite, possibly abducted and/or coerced willingly or unwillingly, Helen? Needless to say, I'm not a believer that Helen was all that "in Love" with Paris in this situation...Just something you may want to consider in your rendering.
Why does Paris look like some "hobbit," "country boy," "woodsman," when the clothing of ancient Greece is so well documented? It's classic mythology, are you bad at fabric drapery? All the more reason to do this "authenticly..." You instructors would most likely be impressed more than with these clothes.
The "artsy" diagonal horizon looks so contrived. This piece is already almost saccharine sweet with the concentration of shapes enswaddled with all that horses mane. That slanting line is just too over the top.
Your anatomy needs tweaking. The arms are too small, the horse is too small to be carrying two people. The poor thing's back would break.
http://www.igallopon.com/images/2006/57/doubleDuty.jpg
http://www.lpequestrians.com/Double%20the%20Fun!%20Rosemary%20&%20Kaneesha%20copy.jpg

How many total images will you have to make, and how fast do you have to make them? Have you figured out a general overview, or are you going image by image?
You need to work on getting all your thumbnails and roughs going now, just to try to achieve continuity between all the works. Similar to a comic storyboard...

Should be a very interesting project.

~C

[PhoenixFlame]

Hi CyberGfx,


Yes I do need to be clearer about the concept:

I'm using the play "The Trojan Women" by Euripides as a base for my illustrations. In this Helen of Troy is made to fall in love with Paris by the God Aphrodite. Although I think I will stick with the idea that Helen isn't totally innocent.

What I'm producing is a proposal for a book. Each illustration will be accompanied by some writing. I will be producing around six illustrations. I have thirteen weeks to complete this project so will have to work quickly. I have some ideas but they're not as solid as this one (that's why I thought I'd get this one sketched out first). However, once I've finished this sketch I shall try get my other ideas to the same point before rendering.

As to my update, I've given Paris Greek attire and hopefully improved Helen's clothing too. I've made the horse bigger, changed the horses's pose a little (tried to make him appear to not be galloping so fast). I've changed little bits here and there (thank you for that reference of the boy and girl on horse back btw! I couldn't find such a good reference myself).

Yes it was all a bit too contrived (I did kind of think this myself) so I've tried to make it look less so. Thank you for your help and let me know if you see any further problems (-:

I'm really enjoying this project so can't wait to carry on!

[CybrGfx]

Much better already!

I like the fact that Helen doesn't look so "gooey-eyed," now. As you wrote, Helen was made to fall in love with Paris by Aphrodite...I'm all for a good love story, but that was always the one part of this tale that bothered me...The Gods and Godesses could make one fall in love with a rock, if they chose, so I always felt poor Helen was more a pawn than an actual participant in the entire mess...

Since you are planning a series of a dozen or so, a suggestion. Make that horizon line a bit stylized, for example, a green stripe with a blue stripe above it, a wee bit of white between (sky and ground), and angle the tips of both ends. Then use this same stylized horizon line with each illustration. Simplifies the dickens out of your background concerns, and provided a sense of continuity for the entire series...

Looks good. Time to darken in your linework and start coloring this one. Tick tock.
~C

[PhoenixFlame]

Well I showed my tutor my progress who suggested some of the anatomy was out still... so I did a further sketch and have now started colouring this one. Hmmm I don't know at the moment though, I'm just not feeling that this is a great image... has the 'wow' factor as such. Maybe this is because it's not finished. If anyone has any suggestions for how I could give it this 'wow' factor (or just some suggestions for colours etc.) this would be great (-:

CyberGfx: I havn't played with the horizon line yet but I shall definately look into doing that. It'd be a good way of keeping all the illustrations as one style

I've started sketching out a few of my other ideas, however they're not quite at the stage I want them for critiquing... (I'll no doubt put one of these up on monday).

[PhoenixFlame]

I know I havn't posted in ages... that's because I was totally unhappy with this illustration but now I have started again. Any critisism is very welcome. However, I was wondering if anyone had any tips for the sky?

[Jiayong]

I like the horse especially and the waves of sand in the background. Think they're quite nicely painted.

As for the color of the sky, well it really depends on what mood u're trying to portray. Do you want it gloomy (grey), romantic (sunset), full of hope (blue sky w white clouds)? Seeing that the sea of sand is already brownish-yellow to begin with, to keep things consistent, u might want to consider a couple of dark brown mountains in the distance, with a sunset dying the sky orange-yellow. You can even consider dying one side of the sky (away from the sun) a dark ominous brown / black / grey to symoblize the impending peril the awaits the two characters. I'm not sure what time of the day Paris actually stole Helen away, but i assume logically the nearer to night-fall the better. So it would be quite consistent.

A pity you changed the pose of Helen. I liked the previous sketch of Paris riding the horse with Helen between his arms, which hints at a protective perhaps even possessive meaning. Paris wants Helen real bad, so much that he's willing to risk war for her. That's the meaning you want to put across. A secondary point about Helen is that she's supposed to be gorgeous (if my memory serves me right). Right now, her face is a little asymmetrical -- her nose and mouth should be shifted a little more to the right of the picture. One key components of attractiveness in women is fertility, especially in ancient times. Therefore, Helen's hips should be more prominent and curvier. Her clothes should be thin and soft enough to reveal her curves.

I like the speed at which the horse is running now, because speed is of the essence when you're eloping with a king's wife. But i don't really see a reason for the horse to leap into the air unless he's avoiding some obstacle you've yet to add in. The horse might also do good to have a saddle on it, rather than a piece of cloth. I'm not too sure if I'm historically correct here, but they should've invented saddles by then knowing how painful it is to ride a horse without one.

As for Paris, you might want to consider making him look a little more anxious OR naively happy. The reason for the choice is again depending on what meaning you want to portray. Do you want to portray Paris as an naive man who puts love above all else with no consideration for the consequences his country has to pay, or as someone who's well aware of these dangers but is taking a calculated risk to rescue the love of his life? Choice is yours. But still an expression is better than no expression at all.

Other points are anatomy. Paris' feet are too small, shoulders too narrow, neck too thin.

Just some suggestions. Hope they help or are at least worth some consideration. Looking forward to your updates. Cheers. :)

[PhoenixFlame]

Thanks a lot for your help Jialong! I shall get working on the piece and hopefully have an update soon.

You're right though I do need to think about what time of day it is, how the sky would appear etc. And I shall definately think more about expressions (as well correcting my anatomy issues!). I do have a lot to learn about art... is crazy that it's only in the last year that I realised this. But hey I havn't given up yet!

[M31]

There are problems with the anatomy, especially the faces. Helen's nose and mouth look a bit off to one side. Perhaps you could have some friends pose for you?

Personally, I preferred Helen sitting in front of Paris. That way, it looks more like she's being carried off, willingly or not.

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