The Journey Begins Challenge (2D) Entry: David Freeman

#101

Hi David!
Interesting foreshortening… It is pleasant to me…
Only I would advise something to change with the girl in a cap-on mine hands at it small…: (
It is pleasant to me as you work
Yours faithfully LexLe

#102

Great faces you have done there, David! Actually they look like they are out to a war or something (there is something that looks suspiciously like a rifle gun on the boy’s back), I think having bigger backpacks on the kids would help. One of the kids could be putting something (like a can of tuna for example) into his/her bag while looking at the robot. This way we can sense that they are just starting out on their journey.

I like the faces!

#103

Hi David! Really great job! I like your characters very much! I think you succeeded in finding necessary expressions. Excellent details! Good luck! :slight_smile:

#104

this piece has really developed well, the characterisation is paricularly good, it kind of makes me think of a disfunctional futuristic version of enid blighton(well her stories are pretty messed up anyway)!

#105

checking back in to take a look at the progress of this piece – it’s coming along beautifully! really love the creative approach and the wonderful sensitivity of the style and color palatte you’ve chosen. very nice work – a pleasure to view…

#106

Nice work David, looking forward to seeing where they are going.

*Ed

#107

:slight_smile: :slight_smile: Wow…lots of feedback - thanks so much for the comments, ideas and advice…

Thanks adonhis - glad you like the robot. I was in two minds, but wanted this to be more than just three kids mooching around. I’m also trying to keep a degree of looseness to the image as I normally overdo the details and lose the energy of the piece…

Thanks again Bryce… glad you like it and the thread should be easier to follow now I know what the final image needs to look like… :slight_smile:

Cheers LexLe :slight_smile: Good point about the girl’s hands - I need them to probably be a little larger and to definitely look like they are holding the stick…

Thanks Jeromoo… mmmm definitely starting to look like Rambo or something with all the kit the children are wearing, but I wanted it to look like the journey was going to be a real challenge. I really like the idea about the can of Tuna and agree with what you said about the size of the rucksacks…great advice thanks again :slight_smile:

Thanks Atris

The faces were really tricky and I’m relieved they are looking sort of believable at long last. Thanks again for dropping by.

Cheers Vitreous… like the Enid Blighton gone weird idea…absolutely spiffing

Thanks again jevinart…hope to have more soon :slight_smile:

Thanks EdP-Art …I’ll be glad to see where they are going too!!

Thanks everyone for the support and advice…more soon :slight_smile:

#108

Mr Freeman, aka David…congratulations, man! This is one stunning piece you’ve got here. The lighting and colors are just perfect, so full of live and theatrical. Like everyone else note, their faces are very well done. One minor detail that I noticed: the middle boy’s goggles don’t seem to be adapting to the curve of the forehead, and they seem to be a bit assymetrical or offcenter.

Fantastic! I’m really looking forward to this one.

#109

:slight_smile: Thanks a lot for your comments and advice andreasrocha…

Yes there are still details to sort, but I’m getting there. I’m lucky that I’ve had a lot of reference for the characters - mainly sketches which I’ve drawn from life which I must post before the end of the challenge.

I normally don’t get time to draw people as I’m still a little slow at getting them to work, so this is very enjoyable.

I’m hoping to put in a few hours tonight, so will hopefully post another update very soon

:slight_smile: :slight_smile:

#110

Amazing work of you, David, as we are used of you! :cool: :buttrock:So things about your most recent update(s): I really like the way you render down the metal of the robot! It makes it look very realistic and integrated into the rest of the scene. Also the girls fabric ‘hat’ looks really nice with all those different color spots!
And -just as every ‘fanboy’ who posted before me ;)- I love the childrens faces. They look so realistic and full of personality - in the way you draw them I could even regonize them out of a 1.000 ones! :applause: And last but not least: the lighting of your work looks very well thought and realistic!

I’m very curious and looking forward to the further progression on the compostion. To me it now looks a bit out of balance, but maybe that’s going to be compared with the details on the architecture ór maybe I’m going to get the idea of ‘intending it to be so’. We’ll see! In every case I’ll be looking forward for further progress! All the best with it & Have a good night :wink:
-Gijs

#111

I really loved them. The way you deal with hightlights and shadows is very impressive. Good luck in the challenge ^^

#112

:slight_smile: Thanks Dutchman - you’re way too kind - but I’m pleased that you like the work so far

I’m still working on balancing out the composition and hope I can sort this out over the next few days… Thanks again and I’ll try and update tonight, but I’ve just had a couple of beers, so I’ll have to see…mmmm :slight_smile: :slight_smile:

Cheers PATTY SCHERER… definitely getting there… more sooner than later … :slight_smile: :slight_smile:

#113

Hey Freeman it looks great. I like the light ans shadows, also some details like the character expressions (specially the girl in the left and the boy). I’m agree with LexLe about the right girl, her arms looks too small…anyway all is excellent. Keep going.

#114

It’s looking good, David. I like the robot there. The book looks great too. I agree with Snowan about her arms - the hands should reach past her waist - but I know you’re still working on it. Can’t wait to see the robot after you’ve done more passes on it too, it’s going to look even better! Keep going (and post those study-sketches of the kids, please!) Keep going…

-mike

#115

:slight_smile: Thanks snowan

It’s funny that the girls arms appear a little small - I think the main problem is that the girl I sketched is aged 2 1/2, but I’ve made her up in term of clothing to look older, so the proportions I sketched seem wrong (or maybe I’m just need more life drawing practise - but it’s a good excuse).

I will sort this out asap… thanks again for the great advice

Thanks Mike (walrus) … I’ll make the robot my next priority after performing arm lengthening surgery on the girl. mmmm I think you are right about that…,… oh and will post sketches soon, though I’m doing some effects / compositing work to pay the bills, so won’t be able to do that until later tonight… :frowning:

#116

i know you’re about to work on the girl but here’s my impression anyway…

it seams like everything on the right side of her body is a bit too small. (my right, her left) and the hand looks a bit wierd without seeing those other fingers. hope that helps. i’m looking forward to seeing another whole pic post.

thanks,
~B

#117

He He He… oh dear … I think you are right anzibon…

I got so carried away with the details that I’ve gotten too close to this and it really helps having you advice… could be a late one tonight

:slight_smile: :slight_smile: still can’t get the smilies to work so happy faces all round :slight_smile:

#118

Oh dear, it’s been so long since I’ve been here! I hope you forgive me!

Coming along fantastically, but then we all expect that from you. :slight_smile:

A few crits… I can’t help feeling that the kids’ arms are too short and also I think the robot would look a lot more dynamic if you tipped his head up a bit to look at the boy beside him, so there’s more communication between the characters- right now, they all look a bit spaced out (mentally) and that’s not conducive to the story you want to tell…you want it to look a bit ‘famous five-ish’, right? I think having them interact a bit more would be good for the story.

#119

the details on the characters are very great, always a good pic

#120

:slight_smile: Thanks Theresa aka paperclip… good advice

I’ll definitely sort out those arms tonight. Still working on characters, but I wanted the characetrs to be thinking about the journey ahead, so more reflective than communicative - but I see your point and I’ll have a look at this tonight.

Hope you’ve decided to carry on with your entry!! :slight_smile: