Steampunk Myths and Legends Entry: Alex Broeckel

#21

Particularly I don’t really like this whole myth/legend thing in steampunk style. I prefer just the plain steampunk theme. I was confused about the theme from the very beginning, so I waited a couple of days to start thinking about the myths, but honestly, this theme is very difficult and restrictive. I mean, you have to develop the story to support the steampunk machinery, but that’s hard with old myths (although a lot of people don’t care and just make robot versions of the characters without developing the story a little more)

If you have a good story, I think it’s worth trying a new concept. You have a wonderful scene here, you’re certainly a great artist.

#22

It might be possible to alter your image to confirm with an existing myth as well… Just have to figure out what it’s similar to, or what myth’s it could be from.

What about the story of Persephone? That could be Persephone on the ground with Hermes protecting her from Hades after being sent to bring her back to the surface world.

Just a thought so you don’t have to scrap all the work you’ve done thus far.

#23

Ray - keep going on the challenge. Your stuff is nice. We’ve go plenty of time.

#24

very cool ideas, see what comes up, have fun

#25

OK… first of all: thank you all for the nice encouraging comments. i was just a little bit frustrated because i liked the first idea so much… i´m not a fan of tweaking an image to much to fit it into a story (though i do that way too often)… so i decided to do something else…

giant octopi are an old seamens myth… so i decided to go for one of them… but my one will be made of steal and copper and powered by STEAM and in the middle of attacking a civil cruiser!
in the following color concept it does not look like a machine, but this will come later for sure… need some time to design that thing. hehe:)

#26

ok… heres my NEW try… Color Concept.

C&C welcome!

#27

hey Alex !
this one looks really COOL ! :buttrock:

the octopus is Great !

#28

Firstly, well done in not allowing the red mist to descend and quit the challenge :bowdown:

Secondly - the first concept was looking great, but this new concept is even better. There is a lot of drama and with the crashing water, dramatic clouds and huge scale of it I think you will get a much better final piece in the end… So it’s actually turned out pretty well that you were forced to change direction.

#29

I agree on that. Much better concept :thumbsup:

#30

this is definitelygoing to be awesome…
I will follow this one for sure!

#31

very nice colors and composition on the first idea, and a powerfull sketch of the squid/octopus creature. I’d go with the second one, it has much more dynamic, therefore I think it will turn out better. good luck!

#32

started refining and “designing”… have to change the Octopus a lot until happy… :slight_smile:

#33

Hey, I liked your first concept too, but I must agree that this second idea is a lot better as far as “story” goes. I’m gonna have to change my initial idea too to better fit the “myths and legends” (re)requirement. Good luck to you, and don’t let it get you down. :wink:

#34

Dont get discouraged and quit…you’ve already got a nice start going, and your concept is close to any number mythological sources to which it could be tied…a Jules Verne-esque Kraken, for instance.

Remember, as a working artist you are virtually never given the complete freedom to do exactly whatever you want…its always about taking someone else’s stipulations and making them your own. And with a little imagination, I think you’ll find the Challenge’s stipulations pretty broad. With a little imagination, you can come up with an excuse to do just about anything you want.

Hope to see more!

#35

can’t go wrong with robot octopuses. > <

#36

I love the composition/colours/drama of the octopus. :love: It has a rather Craig Mullins-ish look to it, which I like too. Please continue. :wip:

#37

hey guys… thanx for all the comments. i´m pretty sure now this image is going to kill me (detail wise) but i will finish it for sure…

:slight_smile:

#38

playing with details… thought it would be cool if there were circular saws on the sides of the tentacles with which the octopus is trying to cut the ship in the foreground… :slight_smile: its a bit to undefined now to see that i guess…

#39

simply cool!

#40

You could try making the saws larger and a different colour (silver?) to put more emphasis on them. Right now it’s uncertain where the focus of the painting is, so doing that might tie it down to the fact that it’s attacking the ship in the foreground (or the ship in the background? or both? It’s hard to tell).