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Lexxy's Stuff: IMPORTANT QUESTION bottom pg1
Lexxy
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Might as well make one of these cos I'll probably be needing it as the fall wears on. The following is spoiler'd because it's a lot of blah blah blah most people aren't gonna care about YEAH!
tl;dr: I'm trying to beef up my portfolio for grad school, so I'll be posting things here for feedback from you crazy awesome dudes and dudettes. I have a hodgepodge portfolio kinna thing going on here in case you want to see the kind of stuff I already have. I'll tune it as I go. Don't laugh too hard D;
First up is this thing Tam posted in the doodle thread that lured be back to the AC, which is a Mucha inspired gaming poster (neeeeeeerd):
(rough comp sketch, for those who are interested)
Unless you can somehow convince me there's something I can do to this that would drastically improve it, I'm probably not going to touch it again. I MIGHT do a little tidying once I've finished more pieces. Maybe. But for all intents and purposes, it's finished.
This one's still a WIP, though. Getting close to done, but it needs halp:
(colored comp sketch)
I'd like to flesh out her arms more--they're really twiggy compared to the rest of her--and work on the light refraction on the water so it looks more like water and less like I ran a shitty difference clouds filter over it (which I didn't, but if it looks like I did I might as well have) among other things. The water really looks godawful on screen, put it prints real nice. Gotta find some kind of happy medium.
After I'm done with that (or maybe while I'm still working on it, I'm kind of impatient) I'm going to take a stab at doing this thing I posted in the doodle thread in oils:
I was originally going to do it as a grungy digital painting, but I think it would be good practice and beneficial to my portfolio to try to do more work in traditional mediums.
So... there's some stuff I guess. Thoughts and crits welcome :> More to come later as I have time to work on it.
I finished up my second major (studio art) last May and was lucky enough to get an art-related job fresh out of school, at which I've been working for almost a year and a half. While it's given me invaluable experience, it makes me very unhappy and unsatisfied and is absolutely not something I want to continue to do for any longer than I have to. So, a couple months ago I decided to try to get into an MFA program for next fall where I can focus on my craft for a while and come out with credentials that might snag me a better day job more conducive to getting my own projects done and gradually building up a freelance base on the side.
Unfortunately, my portfolio is far from adequate, so while I pick schools and look for scholarships and try to make sense of the many and varied application processes, I need to try to minimize the suckage as much as I can before the supplementary materials deadlines. Most of what I did in school was figure drawing, and no MFA admissions panel wants to see a portfolio full of plain figure drawings. Everybody does those. And I never took painting, so not only do I have next to no fully composed pieces, I have almost no paintings. Just three color acrylic figure studies from my drawing classes. While I do draw pretty regularly, it's almost entirely digital (which I feel is somewhat looked down upon) and even my commissioned pieces are hardly illustrations because I'm a lazy bum with an aversion to environments so I don't even have that.
Edit: Most of the programs I'm applying to are interdisciplinary, but in most cases I'll need to enter through a specific department, and I don't really have enough metalsmithing pieces (yet) to get in through there, so I'm going to be trying to appeal to the drawing/painting dept.
Unfortunately, my portfolio is far from adequate, so while I pick schools and look for scholarships and try to make sense of the many and varied application processes, I need to try to minimize the suckage as much as I can before the supplementary materials deadlines. Most of what I did in school was figure drawing, and no MFA admissions panel wants to see a portfolio full of plain figure drawings. Everybody does those. And I never took painting, so not only do I have next to no fully composed pieces, I have almost no paintings. Just three color acrylic figure studies from my drawing classes. While I do draw pretty regularly, it's almost entirely digital (which I feel is somewhat looked down upon) and even my commissioned pieces are hardly illustrations because I'm a lazy bum with an aversion to environments so I don't even have that.
Edit: Most of the programs I'm applying to are interdisciplinary, but in most cases I'll need to enter through a specific department, and I don't really have enough metalsmithing pieces (yet) to get in through there, so I'm going to be trying to appeal to the drawing/painting dept.
tl;dr: I'm trying to beef up my portfolio for grad school, so I'll be posting things here for feedback from you crazy awesome dudes and dudettes. I have a hodgepodge portfolio kinna thing going on here in case you want to see the kind of stuff I already have. I'll tune it as I go. Don't laugh too hard D;
First up is this thing Tam posted in the doodle thread that lured be back to the AC, which is a Mucha inspired gaming poster (neeeeeeerd):
(rough comp sketch, for those who are interested)
Unless you can somehow convince me there's something I can do to this that would drastically improve it, I'm probably not going to touch it again. I MIGHT do a little tidying once I've finished more pieces. Maybe. But for all intents and purposes, it's finished.
This one's still a WIP, though. Getting close to done, but it needs halp:
(colored comp sketch)
I'd like to flesh out her arms more--they're really twiggy compared to the rest of her--and work on the light refraction on the water so it looks more like water and less like I ran a shitty difference clouds filter over it (which I didn't, but if it looks like I did I might as well have) among other things. The water really looks godawful on screen, put it prints real nice. Gotta find some kind of happy medium.
After I'm done with that (or maybe while I'm still working on it, I'm kind of impatient) I'm going to take a stab at doing this thing I posted in the doodle thread in oils:
I was originally going to do it as a grungy digital painting, but I think it would be good practice and beneficial to my portfolio to try to do more work in traditional mediums.
So... there's some stuff I guess. Thoughts and crits welcome :> More to come later as I have time to work on it.
Lexxy on
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I think the floating lady is looking good. the water should be rendered to be more reflective. I don't see anything wrong with it, though it's possible that you wouldn't cross your legs like that when floating? I don't know.
I won't lie, he's a fucking dreamboat.
Curious is all.
Lexxy, the Mucha one is a goddamn near perfect. I think youse doin' real good with the second one, but daaamn that neck is long.
Reflections like this will give you a feeling of movement (though they don't exactly have to be that reflective, and that extreme in contrast, it's more the shape of the ripples and little dips and hills vs. the cloud like murk effect you have going on here. If you're looking for something more still like, Ophelia style, then I would suggest removing the ripples altogether and making the edge between where her hands , knees, and hair are meeting the water more extreme. I get that sense in the neck and breasts, but in the other areas it's kind of vague. The hair especially is kind of in a 'am I totally under the water or not?' limbo that comes across kind of confusing.
P.S. Mucha rocks.
Mustang: Don't worry, I don't really go for jocks ;D
Godfather: I won't say I'm here to stay, but I'll be around for a good while. I'll be needing all the help I can get while I work on my applications, then once those are in I will suddenly have MUCH LESS TO DO and will be in need of entertainment and the e-company of rad people. I reckon I won't disappear again till I get ready to move.
Tam: He's bringing Lexxy baaaaaaack~. Her head is angled up, but yes it is long. I like long, elegant necks deal w/it.
Charis: Good things to think about. Definitely going for the calm, clear water look, but I'll play around with it either way.
artistjeffc.tumblr.com http://www.etsy.com/shop/artistjeffc
And reminds me a bit of Tara McP's work. You may already be a fan.
Looking forward to seeing more!
That's all.
INSTAGRAM
NaC, EA: Danke :>
F87: Yep. IU has a great metals department, and I had to take a few 3-D medium classes for my studio major, so I did that! All I have are old, inconsistent pictures (I need to clean up my pieces and re-photograph them uniformly for my portfolio sometime soon) but I have a few of my projects up on my website. It's something I want to continue to do, if only as a hobby, so I'm trying to find schools that have a metals dept even though the focus of MFA studies will likely be drawing/illustration.
As for the water though, I think it'd look more like water if it interacted with the girl some more. The parts of her that are deeper in the water should be more obscured/darker, maybe even invisible? And definitely separate the boundary between above and below water with a very light color (probably white)
I like this refference: here and also the way this artist paints water:LINK
Dingdingding! This is part of it, anyway. The other part is for self-improvement; two intense years of me focusing on my work. Most of the programs I'm looking at are studio--there aren't many highly ranked illustration MFAs, and I really enjoy doing studio work. It really improves the caliber of my work across the board.
Yes, I can work on my craft independently. Or take local classes. Or online courses. But I work full time at a job that is both unsatisfying and creatively draining. No time. No energy. Plus I live at home (paid below industry standard, don't make enough to live on my own in spite of being salaried with benefits) which isn't bad cos I get long well with the fam, but it's not an environment conducive to getting any work done. So I need to move forward, and I feel like this is a good way to do so.
Also applying to as many scholarships, fellowships, and other free monies I can get my grubby mitts on. I know how expensive that shit is D8
http://www.amazon.com/Proven-Strategy-Creating-Great-Art/dp/1929834195
That book has a pompous title and I dont really like his paintings but the information and process hes goes through to work out his compositions is pretty invaluable. Ive attended the Illustration academy and I think its the only book on composition Ive heard any of them recommend.. and composition is about all they teach there.
I'll get back to my lily lady eventually, and you'll hear more about my grad school prep later when it gets closer to the materials due date and I'll want input on my portfolioliolioooos, but I just got a call for entries for the Communication Arts Illustration annual and I'm conflicted. I'd really like to enter, and am thinking of submitting my Game Nouveau poster (maybe with one or two more small embellishments), but Mr. Prox was looking at it earlier and took issue with theme-style continuity and some other stuff, so I don't know if it's solid/good enough? I have ideas for other illustrations in the works, but I've got a lot of other things going on and don't know that I have time to fully finish an illustration JUST FOR THIS by the time it's due.
So what say you, enter poster y/n?
And you better fucking circle the y
Aaargh @n@
kind of reminds me of the artbook scams that would publish your work, but then ask you to pay for a copy of it
i mean i may be blowing hot air here but you should doublecheck to see if this book is legit/worth your time and money
They are too close to spec work for my liking and astute designers and illustrators should employ their moral judgement accordingly. I will personally never enter one.
There are so many illustration & design books, periodicals and websites that, providing they are actively producing commercial work, most artists will eventually be "published" in one form or another without the need to pay money for the 'chance' to be.
But if you feel it would benefit you, then I wish you well in the endeavour.
Hell, a lot of internship and artist-in-residence opportunities (and even Graduate programs) I've recently applied for have had entry/application fees from $10-$35. I mean, if you think you have a good shot at it, why not? It can be worth the publicity.
Can the Marauders of the Dune Sea really wait for you to follow your artistic ambitions?
haha
artistjeffc.tumblr.com http://www.etsy.com/shop/artistjeffc
The likely-hood of getting a job via such a thing is beyond slim to none.
However, it is entirely your prerogative. winning, etc would be a nice thing in owns merit.
I like the piece greatly. I am curious what exactly"took issue with theme-style continuity" means. A reference to Mucha's works being floral and natural in nature, as compared to the arcane/gaming that you did? Hes palettes were also more earthly. And I would recommend trying something other then the grey, personally as well.
The lily piece has a few issues. could be taken several differant ways. Notably the water doesn't seem to be there atm. Either the water needs to be blackish making the bottom not visable, and the water on her body more of an effect. Or let us see the bottom, and all that goes with that. Sharper rendering perhaps. some contours, detailing.
http://mbirkhofer.deviantart.com/
Many thanks for all your two cents :>