Daidoji Tametaka

#1

This time I’m looking to remake the samurai Daidoji Tametaka. I wanted to do something totally different from the current iteration of the card. I was inspired by the flavor text to paint a samurai that was old and weathered, but always ready. A sentinel always on guard. I wanted the background to introduce Crane Clan elements as well, and had read up no the Crane Clan gardens. So I incorporated a manicured tree into the illustration (using a bonsai as reference). The tree also acts as a counterbalance to the samurai, and I believe creates a circular composition when combined together.

crits appreciated!

#2

Good idea, but you’ve created a circle the the eye follows around in a loop, and never rests.

Try this - make the canvas taller, and put his head right in the top quarter of the circle implied by the shape of the tree, in the center, so the branch arches over his head and frames it.

I would also do the entire figure, people cutoff halfway are always a bit visually jarring.

#3

Thanks for the crit! Some other comments have also suggested issues with the trees, so I’ll do something to sort that out. Not sue I can do much with the canvas size because I’m trying to stick to the proportions of the card art, so thinking I’ll rearrange the elements some.

#4

I would suggest maybe incorporating a bit of atmospheric perspective between the tree and the figure, so that the tree isn’t so dominating in the composition. It’ll also increase the sense of dimensional space in the image.

#5

Took all of the crits I got here and from other sites and came up with this. Rearranged the elements some so that the composition is no longer an endless circle/loop, and now the tree is framing the samurai. pushed back the tree a little bit with a tinge of atmospheric perspective whilst adding some more branching to make it look more real instead of a cardboard cutout. It’s not perfect and needs some cleaning up, but I think I’m on the right track. Any more last minute crits before I call it quits on this?

#6

Personally, I’d probably push the tree back even more in terms of exaggerated atmospheric perspective–it’s still looking too much like it’s in the same z-depth plane as the figure. If you decrease its contrast more by adding a new layer and use the blue from the background and fill it in, with about 60% opacity to the layer, and then have the drifting leaves drift forward towards/circling the figure, it’ll look more interesting. It’ll increase the space between the tree and the figure but without being actually pushed back/resized, and the drifting leaves will add to the sense of dimensionality because the leaves gain contrast/saturation as they drift towards the audience and the figure.

#7

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