January 2015 - Dylan Pierpont

#1

Alrighty! Finally got a chance to jump in this month. I’m still very new to matte painting and architecture is especially challenging for me, so this should be a fun experiment :slight_smile:

I’m leaning towards #1 at the moment. I’ll probably have to change the skyline a bit to really layer in the buildings. I do like how #3 opens up the scene a bit more though, and adds some foreground elements on the bottom of the frame. So maybe a marriage of the two idea would be a nice compromise.

Thanks for checking in! Looking forward to seeing everyone else’s solutions!

-Dylan

#2

They all look really good to me! If I had to pick one it would be number 3, it just works on so many levels. Really awesome sketches!

#3

Thanks, Aaron! I think I might do that. Keep the bulk of the comp in 3, and pepper in elements from 1. I really need to address the right most vanishing point of the street. Kinda just terminates into nothing really, haha. Might have that street turn a corner or something instead.

#4

Nice job Dylan, I too like number 3, as for the street terminating, streets in london in the new part are gridded layout, however in the old parts you nice curving bends. Think the curving bend may help you out. Nice use of light as well.

#5

The London bridge in your first sketch would be great to have in any option you choose, it really helps reinforce the perspective too, and push scale a lot!

Speaking about the perspective its very awkward in this plate because practically every building converges to a different VP. I just worked mine off the main building which seemed to work to some extent then just fiddled with the transform on a few buildings in the far distance which helped.

#6

@Richard: Awesome, thanks for the tip. You and Aaron know better than most of us how the cities are laid out. Appreciate it!

@Aaron: I agree, I’d like to keep the bridge. It’s such an iconic shape for that part of the world and helps to reinforce the setting. I had to double check my dates just to be sure that it was constructed pre-1887 (started 1824) so we’re all good :wink: Good call on the vanishing points. I’ll be sure to keep that in mind moving forward.

#7

haha clever! I wouldn’t even have thought about it. But I think I must disappoint you…
I was a little confused because I just went to the tower bridge exhibition this year and I remembered a different number: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_Bridge#Construction
I don’t know what your sources are but according to this the construction started in 1887 and went on for 8 years…

Your thumbs itself look great already, my favorite is #3 too.

#8

GGaahh!! Blast you internet, fooled me again! Haha. I just did a quick google search for “London Bridge Construction” and came up with March 15th, 1824

TOWER Bridge on the other hand, like you said, started construction around 1886-1887. My foolish american mind thought the two titles were interchangeable :confused:

Boy! You learn something new everyday. Thanks Erik! Haha

#9

I like the first one the most, the grading is nice, fees very cinematic and the air feels dirty from all the chimneys and factories that would be pumping out smog during this period.

I also like the lighting you have coming off camera from the street on the left in the second concept, contrasted against the darker mid-ground building, it adds another layer of depth.

The sky in the third is nice too, very gloomy and imposing, I like the foreground elements in the first and second too, that foreground piece in the first one pushes your eye into the canvas which is good.

#10

Thanks much Drewsen! You’re really touching on all the aspects I was trying to push in each thumb. Good to see those ideas translated alright :slight_smile:

#11

Looks fantastic all 3 of them, but my personal favorite is the last one.

#12

Awesome sketches Dylan. You have a good hand

#13

Really nice WIPs Dylan, I like the foreground pole jutting out from the side of the building in the first one. Creates a really nice directional element in the composition.

#14

Your compositions are very good, but I prefer the 2nd by color…

#15

@ tntb: Thanks much! That’s what I’ll move forward with :slight_smile:

@ bbbx: I appreciate it!

@ Hemal: Thanks Hemal. I was liking that idea too. But Once I started adding in the right-side elements I’m not sure that the scaling is going to work the way I had hoped. Would you agree after seeing this update? I think I’d have to make that object REALLY foreground for the scaling to work properly.

@ Thanks so much Nicolas.

So I blocked in the rest of the assets for the final shot and, after re-watching a few episodes of Peaky Blinders, added a new color grade. I think I like the direction it’s headed. I’m not completely sold on the bottom right handrail thing. I might remove that element and consider what others are doing with carts/barrels/crates/etc. Or maybe extend the street out the bottom right frame and toss in a new lamp post. Thoughts? Lots of work ahead with new window treatments, signs, lighting on the tower bridge and other structures, atmosphere, painting out the cafe tables/people, etc. Excited to see where this one goes :slight_smile:

Everyone else seems to be crushing it. Love all these updates!

#16

Nice update! Yeah I think that the foreground object worked so well because the building it was attached to was closer to the camera. I like this version more though. I agree about the handrail, I would just get rid of it. Also the fence and bench on the left aren’t really reading correctly. I think it’s because the camera in the plate is pretty high up off the ground, and so I think if those fg elements were actually there, they wouldn’t even be in the shot, unless there was some type of hill or something.

Overall it’s looking great man. Never heard of Peaky Blinders, gonna have to check that one out next! I’ve been watching Ripper Street and am really liking it so far.

#17

I’m thinking you’re right. I did feel like the FG area was elevated a bit from the middleground (mostly because of the slant of the right handrail) But if I remove that element then the bench and gate on the left side is going to feel majorly out of place. I might just let that area be cobblestone and add some puddle reflections for interest. Might help it feel slightly less cluttered as well. We’ll see. Going hard on this final week before I head out of state on Friday!

Yeh check it out! It’s a great show. It takes place about 30 years after our prompt here, but visually it feels similar and it’s fun to look at. Not a bad story or cast either :wink:

#18

Just plugging away. Avoiding all the hard spots to fix until the end. You know…the responsible thing to do :wink:

#19

Progress, progress, progress.

#20

You’ve put a tonne of work into this, really love the level of detail you’ve gone to particularly in erecting the London Bridge back there. My only CC would be to slightly reduce the chimney sizes behind the plate building just to put more focus on the bridge! Awesome job man :smiley: