Sorry I'm so late with this, I finished it saturday but for some reason I thought monday was the due date, and then I realized monday night I had to go to a passover seder. Anyway, this is my sketch. I really like it, I tried to incorporate as much of the unicorn tapestry as I could: the pomegranate tree (I'll paint the leaves in later), all the different flowers, and I tried to make him less a horse and more a hybrid goat-horse. I do need to know what you all think of the girl. I made her looking at the unicorn as a compositional thing, eyes going toward the center of interest. But technically she can't be looking at the unicorn. You could make the argument that she is reacting to the hoof noises on the roof, or plants growing in from her ceiling. Should I change her face to be looking at the hoof prints on the side of the building (which will be growing flowers and grass as well), or keep her as she is?
http://www.elisa-alba.com/blogfiles/owenuniover.jpg
ReplyDeleteHere's my little drawover! Looks good, just a few things I see that could be improved on. Would love to see a color comp!!! I bet it would be pretty :B
Unicorn - bigger ears, moved the eye to the left slightly, it would be nice to have some movement in the hair and tail.
Top of image - I know you're going for a typical size book cover but that's an awful lot of sky. Are you planning on putting in a fake title or any cool clouds? because without clouds or something thats a ton of blue. I would lower it a bit if you're not putting anything back there. Art directors don't need to see book covers necessarily at the exact size... they know you can easily paint some more sky to make something fit. It's more about the concept than the dimensions.
Hoofprints- I feel like they are too close together, like he's taking super tiny dainty steps, more regularly paced hooves would make more sense.
Windows - I know you had a vanishing point, but it looks strange and the windows look like they were just tilted up. if you make the top of the windows a straight line or slightly tilting down it would work, and it doesnt mess up the rest of the lines.
Girl - I think she should just be looking in a general upwards directions, not necessarily at the unicorn... I would give her a more surprised expression though... or does she know the unicorn is there and is a unicorn? or is she like "woah! whats that!!! magical things?" If she knows its there and its her unicorn than smiling works.
Hey Owen. I really like the idea you have for this! In the thumbnail I liked the way the unicorn was so big in comparison to the building and I think that contrast was reduced in the drawing. I did a drawover but changed some proportions too ...
ReplyDeletehttp://dl.dropbox.com/u/1192024/owenunicornsketch2.jpg
The ideas I had were ... Unicorn bigger (and less hidden behind roof, girl (and cool round window) bigger and more "in" the picture - really leaning out window, open window frame that breaks up the roof line but still lets us see the hoof prints, Unicorn and girl closer together (by squashing the roof down shorter, the tree a little fuller and rounder (another round shape to echo the round window - and the fruits are round too), some kind of contrast around girl, some kind of dramatic sky/clouds, and maybe go nuts with the chimneys in the background (contrast between the "natural" Unicorn and the pollution possibly.)
I agree with Lis about the perspective kind of falling apart below roof line (how about more cool elaborate window frames like the round one), and some wind in the mane and tail, and more expressive ears.
Hope I didn't overdo it but I love this concept.
Huh, it's funny, whenever I enlarge your drawing to look at it closer, I keep trying to scroll down, like I want to see more of the building. I think what Craig did with changing the windows helps make the bottom of the image a lot more comfortable, and adds some interest.
ReplyDeleteIn your thumbnail, I liked that the perspective of the building was head-on. It made it seem like more of a book cover image.
I like both Craig and Lis's suggestions. At the very least, I'd lower the sort of "fencing" around the top of the roof - it looks like the unicorn is in a pen or a cage - was that your intention?
You could definitely play more with what the girl is doing, like you said in your description. I'd like to see more of her somehow, so that her character and expression are really part of the piece. You could go in so many different directions with this, it's so fun to think about! What if the girl is playing with a toy horse? What if she has opened the window and is leaning out to touch the place where the hoofprints are in wonderment?
You can do a lot with this piece, it's a really fun concept!
Ooo i really like the opening of the window in Craig's suggestion (and beccas), more interaction between the two characters would be good! even if its just her touching the prints or looking up and actually almost able to see.
ReplyDeleteWELL, it seems a lot has been said already. I agree with what everyone is saying here so far. I really like Craig's draw-over. I think for me if you only change one thing, it's got to be the girl. She looks totally terrified to me...which i'm pretty sure you're not going for. I think if you have her leaning out the window, maybe her head on her hand. Give her a bit more of an expressive dreamy look. And yea, what the rest of them said!
ReplyDelete