So this is the first of many posts each week showing the process of a painting. This week we are going to show the thumbnails for the Agents of Artifice contest piece. This is a crucial step, it determines the entire direction in which the final is going to come out. It is a huge decision making step. The three best options I have come up with vary in style and perspective. The scene is one in which a summoned dragon is facing off against a group of summoned mechanical tentacles reaching from the ground. The battle take place in a courtyard in the middle of ancient ruins. The first thumbnail shows the fight in a dramatic horizontal angle, the second is tough to make out but it is the fight from more of the tentacles perspective and the dragon breathing flame towards the viewer. The third is a verticle piece in which the tentacles are pulling the dragon down which shows more of how the battle ends, because the dragon does lose.
I like #2 the best. I think it has to most movement and interesting view point. I like the extreme angle. It can be really cool playing with different positive/negative design elements of the tentacles coming into the view frame. #1 and #3 feel a bit too static. I like the distance and scaling of things in #2. You can get some good depth and interesting composition lines in there. It ups the tension i think. Try to keep the struggle of the battle in mind. Maybe some of the tentacles are curling around. Some are broken off or being broken off. some are straight and taught because they are pulling on the drake. Good Stuff!
ReplyDeleteIt's between #2 and #3 for me. I'd like to see you bring some of the drake's action, and the extreme perspective from #2 and combine with the nice design of the tentacles in #3. The position of the drake in #3 and in #1 look a lot like a crucifixion...it would be a lot more powerful and dramatic if the drake really looked like it was twisting and fighting in the air. Here, it just sort of looks pinned. Also, I'm curious where you got the idea to make the tentacles mechanical - was that in the text? It's definitely not how I pictured this creature, however, I also thought a drake was a giant bird, sooo...just be sure you're depiction of the tentacles doesn't conflict with the text. Lookin good, my friend! I'm excited to see where this goes!
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