The new forums will be named Coin Return (based on the most recent vote)! You can check on the status and timeline of the transition to the new forums here.
The Guiding Principles and New Rules document is now in effect.
Duder, Mr. Alduar, the last character design: The sword's blade doesn't look like it's parallel to the handguard. I think it's because of those diagonal lines you have some way down the blade.
Threst of the stuff...well, I can't pat your ass any harder than I already have.
Wait. Now someone's going to do that eyebrow emoticon thing.
earthwormadam: thanks! machines couldn't paint abstractly, they'd be too perfect methinks:)
lardalish: thanks! glad you dig
cakemikz: you are absolutely right, good gestures come with practice, and I don't have much practice and truly a small amount of practical anatomical knowledge, I got bridgman's big book of life drawing for christmas, and I've been reading it on the can.. haha. But yeah, I also need to do more drawing from life and to be more inspired by things i see in life... thank you for the well thought out crits and possible solutions!! I always appreciate your posts. The second abstract started with 2 tomato slices.. good eye
ape2001: hey.. thanks, I updated my profile. absland4... not sure, somewhere around 1700-2000 pixels wide I think... Unfortunately i must point out a mistake you made.. it is light-time transverse and time reflexes... i can't believe you got them mixed up :P
tam: hm... good call. hehe eyebrow
two new w.i.p.s
struggled a lot with this one
this one started with a blown up portion of my secret santa... I just love having two horizons in one painting... heh. I do like flat color
yay! i updated my site, you can see it at brushbook.com
earthwormadam: thankens
magictoaster: you should be inspired and work harder.. if you think the work is stronger than yours, I am constantly inspired by all the living and dead and incredibly talented bastards out there that are infinitely and seemingly unapproachably more skilled than I am... you just need to develop a philosophy of inspiration and keep on working no matter what. oh and life... if you aren't inspired by life you may as well stop painting... because there is almost infinite learning to be done.. you can draw that lamp 30 different ways and none of them are perfect but all of them are valid and they all can be explored 300 different ways for infinite. then draw the human face.....
I like the second painting in this grouping a lot, though there are some strange issues going on in there. First, the scale of the two figures in the foreground seems really odd. The guy closest to us is considerably smaller than the guy behind him, and not just because he is bending over. His arms feel quite a bit smaller and the only explanation would be that he is a child, but he doesnt give off that feel. The next thing would be the neck of the dinosaur weaving through the tree branches, it seems like an odd angle and it again creates some weird scale issues. The main problem is that the branch his neck is weaving in front of, is actually coming at us off of the close side of this tree, and not going away from us. So it feels like it should be in front of his neck, not behind it.
I don't have much to say about the other one, it is much more abstract so I can't really comment. But I do like that second one a lot apart from those issues.
Bridgman is great to study from but make sure you are putting it into practical use, and drawing from his books as well when you can. And if you are really feeling adventurous you can pick up some clay or something and try sculpting anatomy from his work or just in general. Sculpture will give you a much better feel for the three-dimensionality of musculature and will better prepare you to draw it without reference and in quick sketches accurately.
I think in the second painting with the 2 men, something about the original painting looks more dynamic than your photoshop attempt. Dont get me wrong I think it looks very good, but compositionally im drawn to like the original more.
Dont know how much of a helpful critique that is but..
Edit: if i had to pinpoint elements, its the possition of the man on top, and the way the trees are laid out, it seems as if the photoshop version is a bit more normal, the guys standing amongst some ordinary trees, while when I look at the painting, his possition has alot of energy, backed by abnormal trees (the one that seems to be growing horizontally before it grows vertically) just seems to work better for me.
cakemix:) you're right... the scale is all the fuxxed up... It is because they are on different ground planes, but there is no logical reason for them to be on different ground planes... it works alright when there is no visible ground, but once I tried to push it more towards realism it lost its balance. yeah... the dinosaur was an afterthought, and really much of the work I did was unnecessary and did not add much to the painting... just "tightened" it. I really want to do a full musculature sculpture with all of the tendons and attachments of muscles at some point... I think that is a very good step into really understanding human anatomy. thanks for the crits mat
ksblair: yeah, I just rambled at cakemikz about the differences in composition and the bad choices made. it's amazing how people have a sense for composition, they may not be able to make a good composition, but any joe schmo off the street will tell you which painting feels more natural... thanks for the comment!!
Love the city, its awesome. Your stuff looks more mullin-like every time I see it, but the city stands out as unique to me. I just like the feel of it, I guess. Not saying that like Craig Mullins isn't amazing and mullin-like isn't a huge complement, though.
ksblair: yeah, I just rambled at cakemikz about the differences in composition and the bad choices made. it's amazing how people have a sense for composition, they may not be able to make a good composition, but any joe schmo off the street will tell you which painting feels more natural... thanks for the comment!!
Hmm, well im not trying to just be another "Joe Schmo", sorry to come off that way.
iruka: Hm... yeah, I just try to control my contrasts... while using texture and traditional techniques in digital medium and so I guess I'm painting like mullins. hrmm... I really don't want to paint like mullins because I know he must be sick of the imitators, as is everyone else.. there can be only one mullins. anyway.. thank you very much for even mentioning mullins and myself in the same breath without saying blasphemy... or bastardization
ksblair: i didn't mean it that way... what i meant was... i am amazed by the fact that people without any artistic training whatsoever can many times choose the better composition just by universal laws of what is appealing to humans... such as a beautiful face... babies can recognize beauty... sorry!!
Composition would be meaningless if someone with no training had no sense for it.
This new piece here is looking good but it lacks any real focus. Of course, your intention is for the warrior in the foreground to be the focus, but there is no part of him that stands out to me. This rough look can really pay off, but I think you have to prove to the audience first what you are capable of. If you look through a lot of Mullin's work you will find that while generally very loos and messy, there is usually a fairly tight part of the focus. I think here you need to go tight in the dudes face and you will have an amazing painting.
I have to admit I was a bit skeptical at first because your work looked very heavily influenced from a lot of different artists. But usually only one artist at a time. You definately seem to be settling in on something, and the sheer consistancy that you produce quality images is impressive. What and where are you studying anyways? Illustration? Maybe this was mentioned earlier, hell I may have even already asked it...but I forgot. You have a great eye but I think with some good traditional background your work could really shine.
Also I feel like I recognize your avatar from another forum though I cant think of where.
cakemikz: you're right, I actually went back to that painting and cleaned some stuff up, but I've been having some mad trouble painting the face how i want it... I will take another pass at it in a few weeks probably
I'm studying right now at the concept art school in san francisco... And my brain is being constantly punched in the face. I'm working harder here than I ever have... learning a lot from it... I post on conceptart.org+sijun as well as a couple others
a couple of sketchbook pages.. doodles and life drawing and whatnot
aaa! love the recent stuff that city especially has such a interesting atmosphere it's fantastic. and as was mentioned the consistency here is impressive on top of the compositions themselves, keep it up man!
I'm assuming that character is jumping, in which case his pose is all wrong because it looks like he's standing.
That's because he's standing.
Good stuff Alduar.
srsizzy on
BRO LET ME GET REAL WITH YOU AND SAY THAT MY FINGERS ARE PREPPED AND HOT LIKE THE SURFACE OF THE SUN TO BRING RADICAL BEATS SO SMOOTH THE SHIT WILL BE MEDICINAL-GRADE TRIPNASTY MAKING ALL BRAINWAVES ROLL ON THE SURFACE OF A BALLS-FEISTY NEURAL RAINBOW CRACKA-LACKIN' YOUR PERCEPTION OF THE HERE-NOW SPACE-TIME SITUATION THAT ALL OF LIFE BE JAMMED UP IN THROUGH THE UNIVERSAL FLOW BEATS
Excellent as usual man. I'm really diggin' the samurai one the contrast is kickin. Also is that inspired from that new Chow Yung Fat movie? Golden flower er... whatever it's called?
That one digital painting of an exterior shot of a building in night with the blue sprites is sublime. I'm a sucker for such beautiful lighting.
Those doodles you've done (especially the one with the hands) is the sort of stuff I'm striving to do, so you can understand how gorgeous I think it is.
Holy crap! I saw those on CA and thought they were fabulous. Had no idea you'd done 'em! I'd read "Mr. Blonde" but my memory didn't click, and I didn't realize that was you. Wonderful stuff, can't wait to see more.
Something that I like to do when viewing Alduar's work is set up a scenario in my mind that would explain such a scene or event. Put together a story or offer an explanation of sorts.
I'm probably the only one who does this around here. Way to be a loser Godfather
ohmygod
Yes, I realize it's been said a million times, but you are amazing. I used to have one of your older pictures as a background, and it was a sad, sad day when I lost the pic.
But now I've found it again! Yay!
Anyways, I really have nothing constructive to say. You are amazing, inspiring, and etc.
Also, godfather: You're not weird, I do it, too. In fact, I saved the one with the monk traveling across the field to use as inspiration for a story.
Good God, man. How do you get such soft even tones, do you use different hardness pencils? The faces are really awesome. I try, but I can never get that much variety in faces.
Posts
Threst of the stuff...well, I can't pat your ass any harder than I already have.
Wait. Now someone's going to do that eyebrow emoticon thing.
I'd say they look like light reflexes and these things are most of the time transverse.
- great animation focused website http://www.catsuka.com
lardalish: thanks! glad you dig
cakemikz: you are absolutely right, good gestures come with practice, and I don't have much practice and truly a small amount of practical anatomical knowledge, I got bridgman's big book of life drawing for christmas, and I've been reading it on the can.. haha. But yeah, I also need to do more drawing from life and to be more inspired by things i see in life... thank you for the well thought out crits and possible solutions!! I always appreciate your posts. The second abstract started with 2 tomato slices.. good eye
ape2001: hey.. thanks, I updated my profile.
tam: hm... good call. hehe eyebrow
two new w.i.p.s
struggled a lot with this one
this one started with a blown up portion of
my secret santa... I just love having two horizons in one painting... heh. I do like flat color
INSTAGRAM
I love the colors and composition on this one!
earthwormadam: thankens
magictoaster: you should be inspired and work harder.. if you think the work is stronger than yours, I am constantly inspired by all the living and dead and incredibly talented bastards out there that are infinitely and seemingly unapproachably more skilled than I am... you just need to develop a philosophy of inspiration and keep on working no matter what. oh and life... if you aren't inspired by life you may as well stop painting... because there is almost infinite learning to be done.. you can draw that lamp 30 different ways and none of them are perfect but all of them are valid and they all can be explored 300 different ways for infinite. then draw the human face.....
a couple oils!
inspired by jeffery jones
original oils
I don't have much to say about the other one, it is much more abstract so I can't really comment. But I do like that second one a lot apart from those issues.
Bridgman is great to study from but make sure you are putting it into practical use, and drawing from his books as well when you can. And if you are really feeling adventurous you can pick up some clay or something and try sculpting anatomy from his work or just in general. Sculpture will give you a much better feel for the three-dimensionality of musculature and will better prepare you to draw it without reference and in quick sketches accurately.
Dont know how much of a helpful critique that is but..
Edit: if i had to pinpoint elements, its the possition of the man on top, and the way the trees are laid out, it seems as if the photoshop version is a bit more normal, the guys standing amongst some ordinary trees, while when I look at the painting, his possition has alot of energy, backed by abnormal trees (the one that seems to be growing horizontally before it grows vertically) just seems to work better for me.
ksblair: yeah, I just rambled at cakemikz about the differences in composition and the bad choices made. it's amazing how people have a sense for composition, they may not be able to make a good composition, but any joe schmo off the street will tell you which painting feels more natural... thanks for the comment!!
a few new ones
Hmm, well im not trying to just be another "Joe Schmo", sorry to come off that way.
ksblair: i didn't mean it that way... what i meant was... i am amazed by the fact that people without any artistic training whatsoever can many times choose the better composition just by universal laws of what is appealing to humans... such as a beautiful face... babies can recognize beauty... sorry!!
updated
This new piece here is looking good but it lacks any real focus. Of course, your intention is for the warrior in the foreground to be the focus, but there is no part of him that stands out to me. This rough look can really pay off, but I think you have to prove to the audience first what you are capable of. If you look through a lot of Mullin's work you will find that while generally very loos and messy, there is usually a fairly tight part of the focus. I think here you need to go tight in the dudes face and you will have an amazing painting.
I have to admit I was a bit skeptical at first because your work looked very heavily influenced from a lot of different artists. But usually only one artist at a time. You definately seem to be settling in on something, and the sheer consistancy that you produce quality images is impressive. What and where are you studying anyways? Illustration? Maybe this was mentioned earlier, hell I may have even already asked it...but I forgot. You have a great eye but I think with some good traditional background your work could really shine.
Also I feel like I recognize your avatar from another forum though I cant think of where.
I'm studying right now at the concept art school in san francisco... And my brain is being constantly punched in the face. I'm working harder here than I ever have... learning a lot from it... I post on conceptart.org+sijun as well as a couple others
a couple of sketchbook pages.. doodles and life drawing and whatnot
I cleaned up these images a bit.....
That last one, however, is fanfuckingtacular.
excellent work as usual, only going uphill from here
What became of this series?
Weird
Great to see the process of the landscape!
churs
Good stuff Alduar.
My Portfolio Site
My Portfolio Site
Wow!! Thanks for the heads up I wasn't sure I was just making assumptions now I know better and like they say knowing is half the saddle!!
Mr. H.G. Blob: laziness and forgetfulness happened. sorry
hey! my classmates have made a thread with some work in it on CA.org, you should check it out!
http://conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=95009
here is some stuff I've doodled outside of class and work..
and a higher resolution version of one of the images from our studio post!
That last one took my breath away.
You are seriously an artistic genius.
Those doodles you've done (especially the one with the hands) is the sort of stuff I'm striving to do, so you can understand how gorgeous I think it is.
i would love to own prints of these
I'm probably the only one who does this around here. Way to be a loser Godfather
Yes, I realize it's been said a million times, but you are amazing. I used to have one of your older pictures as a background, and it was a sad, sad day when I lost the pic.
But now I've found it again! Yay!
Anyways, I really have nothing constructive to say. You are amazing, inspiring, and etc.
Also, godfather: You're not weird, I do it, too. In fact, I saved the one with the monk traveling across the field to use as inspiration for a story.
oh and some tshirt ideas: I'm completely addicted to legend of kage
thanks y'all.. the sketches are on recycled paper -earthbound sketchbook
cakemikz: hey man! didn't know you went to Watts... cool mate