Scene: Flowers


#21

The curious, maybe wistful attention of the robot on the flower is definitely present and successful-- the head tilt does the job quite well.

However, it took me a while to figure out that the robot was supposed to be a war machine-- when I saw the smoking arm, I thought to myself ‘what happened to its other hand, and why is it looking at some flower if its hand fell off?’ …the arm doesn’t look like a weapon, and the robot itself is made with too many rounded edges and boxy shapes to look at all warlike. Also the eye being so large and softly glowing makes the thing look far less forbidding than it might otherwise.

This image definitely has some focus problems-- the eye, the flower, and the smoke from the arm are all arguing with each other for which is going to draw the viewer’s attention. Each is about the same size, and each is of a similar pale white-yellow hue that is further echoed in the other flowers on the ground, spreading out the attention.

You want to create a story here… so you need to subtly emphasize each key element of the image differently to affect which the viewer will notice first, and what each will mean.

I would suggest making the eye smaller and sharper, but keeping it white-yellow, to associate it (and therefore the robot’s wondering thoughts) with the flower. The flower itself could be made the brightest thing in the image, the purity of its white emphasized, and stronger than that of the other flowers so that they don’t distract (they could be stomped down, or maybe burned through in a patch, or simply dimmer, whatever you prefer).

I also agree with what the others have said about the environment needing more of an air of violence-- the clouds behind the robot do look like smoke on second glance, but on an initial look they are easily mistaken for stormclouds. I think a sullen, oppressive red glow towards the horizon could really give the background mood more kick. The weapon arm, as well, could have a red glow to it, perhaps a more immediate, brighter orange than the sky, but of a hue that associates the two. Spread the smoke from the arm out a bit, so that it has a broader, more diffuse nature to it that doesn’t have details that echo the flowers… and then either make it more apparent so we notice the weapon first, or make it dimmer so that we notice it only after the flower, depending on how you want the viewer’s eye to travel.

How does the story go? Are we seeing a smoldering, frightening warrior kneeling in a field, and then slowly coming to realize that it has paused to look at a flower… or are we seeing foremost a moment of wonder, and then slowly coming to realize that it is taking place in the hand of a killing machine on the field of battle? So far I think we’re started down the path of the latter… whichever it is, keep it clear in mind, and make sure every element of the image reinforces the story.


#22

Watch Iron Giant for an emotional robot. You always know what the Iron Giant feels like.


#23

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