Newborn - Spider and children/ universe-mother / mountain-child

[Vaejoun]

Just reserving for final pictures.

Projects so far: i will edit it the I make some more changes.

http://conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=710863&stc=1&d=1246322879

http://conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=708466&stc=1&d=1246070602

http://www.conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=725667&stc=1&d=1247756716

[Vaejoun]

Ok, step 1 so far. I came up with the idea of mixing such a cute thing like a newborn baby with one of the most feared creatures: A spider.
Tuning it up a little... about 10meters or so and giving it a female body at the front, than is stretching down to one of her babys, sitting there and looking up to her. On the back of her the other babys start climbing up on her body.

At first I was a little concerned about this, if its not too much focused on the mother, but when I looked around the other sketches I felt fine again. ^^
I hope I can do at least one other work.

Thats the sketch and 3 thumbnails.
I learned my lessons and this time I will only work on thumbs until I am totally sure of how I want it to look. I am still experimenting on the colors, but I think I will use a warm palette, although a cold one has its charm too. But since its supposed to give a motherly-warm fealing, warm colors should be better.

[Black Spot]

Great idea and your composition is looking good.

[hala]

I like what you said about thumbnails--I think I might use this method in the future.So thanks for that tid bit.

I agree with your choice of colors--tho I like the cold one, it is too harsh for what you are trying to convey. Keep us updated :)

[Vaejoun]

@Blackspot: Thanks

@Hala: No problem ^^ I am permanently endangered to loose myself in details so this method should work quite well for me.

I added a 2nd color thumb that shows what usually happens when I am working too much on one picture. I play with the layers until I get a total flash over. Maybe its good for the picture, but for me its a signal to stop for today and sleep one night over it or get some feedback if its too much or not.

[latigid]

Hey Vaejoun have to apologise pretty new here and thought i was going to a second page but actually gave you a rating of 2 :( so sorry for that! If its any consolation i really like the composition of the piece and would have given a 7 at least. Please forgive my stupidity

[Nickillus]

Love the creepy idea. I'm not sure that even warm 'motherly' colours can make it comfortable, but I think that's great. Spiders that big - brrrrrrrrrr!
Like the thumbnails too. Definitely a sensible plan that should work well to get you to the right combination of comp amd colour.

[Dorkthrone]

The composition here looks very promising. I would love to see this fleshed out.

[Ian Barker]

Composition looks good, although I would extend the canvas to the left a little bit, and have a rock formation framing the sunlight.

[Vaejoun]

@latigid: No problem, I did that too on other works XD

@Nickillus: Yea, I really hope to get a good mix between a warm feeling and a horror on the other hand.

@ninjacat11: I am working on it ^^

@Liffey: Thx, I will try that out on my next sketch.


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So far. I cleaned it up a little and added the babys. I like it that you never really see details of the faces, that gives the red eyes a really nice horror-feeling. Added some webs, so that the brats have something to hold on and give the cave a homie feeling.

I only have some problem with the light. I like the strong version because its so flashy and gives the feeling as if it was outside the cave. But I am afraud that too much "special effects".

[Dorkthrone]

@latigid: No problem, I did that too on other works XD

@Nickillus: Yea, I really hope to get a good mix between a warm feeling and a horror on the other hand.

@ninjacat11: I am working on it ^^

@Liffey: Thx, I will try that out on my next sketch.


---

So far. I cleaned it up a little and added the babys. I like it that you never really see details of the faces, that gives the red eyes a really nice horror-feeling. Added some webs, so that the brats have something to hold on and give the cave a homie feeling.

I only have some problem with the light. I like the strong version because its so flashy and gives the feeling as if it was outside the cave. But I am afraud that too much "special effects".

Actually, I like the stronger version. Just be sure to put some good contrast in it.

[Ian Barker]

Just gotta say that the web hanging off her leg looks great, and I like how you have those creatures (I think?) on her back.

[hala]

I love it so far, my only crit is that the baby she is reaching for is a little hard to see.
Really enjoying this so far :)

[Vaejoun]

@ninjacat11: Thx I will keep an eye on that. Although its kind of tricky because I have to work on a laptop at the moment and so its hard to tell how dark the color really is. It changes with the angle I look on the monitor. T__T

@Liffey: Thx, a good ps brush is the one you dont recognize as such ^^

@hala: I am working on that. Its difficult, because of the low pic size. (1k pixel wide is not much even with 300 dpi) I think I will make it (the baby) a little bigger so that you can see it better.

[Ghostbrush]

this is looking so good already

[Ian Barker]

Okay, I just realized that all those things on the right are babies... pretty weird man, but also pretty awesome! Really liking the direction on this.

[Vaejoun]

@Ghostbrush: Thanks
@Liffey: I like it when you can look at a picture and dont discover everything on the first sight.

So I experimented a lot on the legs of the spider what would be the best arrangement. But at the end I went back to the original verion.
Now I started to work out things. For now the background and the rocks at the left although I am still not completey happy with them. I think I will work on them later again. Oh yea and the baby is overdone.

And I have already some new ideas for other pictures

[hala]

the baby is better overdone tho--we can clearly see what it is now, and helps the composition even more to bring us to taht focal point of the spider and the baby.maybe sharpening her arms reaching for the baby might makeit more cohesive and intentional that the baby is so clear amongst that soft lighting :)

[Vaejoun]

@Hala, The arms arent the only thing I sharpened out. I also did the rest of her body, except her back and the outer legs. And of course the part in right corners.

Here is the result. I think its as good as finnished but I will look on it later again and see if I can find some things to improve.

[Vaejoun]

Worked it over a little more. Played with the colors, boosted the saturation...
the only prob is still the value...cursed laptop. In 2 weeks I can check it on a real pc ^^

[AhChu]

Holy cow what a funky pic, the only thing that might need abit o ftweaking would be maybe a dash of detail on the far left leg, and maybe refining the babies head on the bottom area of the pic as he is the next thing that grabs my eye after maveling at mummy spider. awesome stuff, are you going to start another entry aswell?

[Vaejoun]

@Ah chu: Thx. I am working on it. It should be finnished in the next days.

And yes, i have some other ideas. Finally made some uploadable sketches:

An idea about resurrection: Tearing of the old flesh... well not much of a story, but an impressive picture.

And a funny one: Can men bear a child ? Yes ! but you better prey you dont. (Just to be sure, its a piece of *hit that came to life in the toilet)

I also had thoughts about "planet birth" but it seems to be kind of a popular topic. Maybe I get another good idea.

[Baron Impossible]

Nice work on the spider although I can't help thinking the glow is somewhat overpowering. It would look better IMO if it were softer and illuminating the cave from below, throwing shadows upwards. Good job, though.

[Vaejoun]

@Baron:
You are right T_T
Even though I used the thumbs at the beginning I overdid it again.
How do you avoid that ? Usually I tend to make the lights a lot to bright and a lot too saturated. I just dont know when to stop.

Here a fast paint over and a thumb of the actual piece

[Vaejoun]

Damn... Doublepost

[Vaejoun]

WTF ? Tripplepost ??

[DefiledVisions]

I really enjoy the spider piece, it's coming along nicely! Keep rendering it. The strong lighting really conveys the mood and motherly warmth, though I think the lack of detail to the right (the babies and the shadowy area) brings down the piece. Maybe add some more ground detail into the bright area, to still grab attention when you render the piece more.
Some symbolic flowers, butterflies or something standing for innocence. Just some thoughts, keep it up!

[Muscari]

personally i feel the light has pros and cons. it looks great and you can really see the work done, but it's looking a bit overpowering. have tried using a softer light (like the previous thumb you did), kind of how the light filters through clouds or windows in dark rooms?

kinda like this --------> http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b266/Mortos_der_souleater/IMAGE_228.jpg

just my 2 cents xP

[Vaejoun]

@Defiled visions:
Thx, nice idea. I tried some red lillys. Standing for innocence and purity.
(White ones dont work in the picture)

@Muscari: Nice thumb. I worked today and tried to give it a "soft light" with some kind of foggy air.

At the end I played a little more with it, so here are 3 versions. I really like this now, so if theres no BIG mistake in it I think I am nearly done.

[Baron Impossible]

Much better now - 2nd one my fave

[RoyCook]

I think the combination of the left side of 2 with the right side of 3 is a winner!
Great work by the way and sorry for being so picky.

[Vaejoun]

@Baron: Thx to you and all the others I came so far. Otherwise it would be the super flash version or worse ^^

@RoyCook: I will try it out.

Actually I am totally astonished how much I learn with every project that I fight trough to the end. I always think that I am done with one of the first pictures, but when I put it here I get so much new things to think about and to remember while working, that the picture gets to a whole new level.
Thank you all for the great crits and giving me the will to finnish this.

[corspufo]

I like the image and I like the idea behind it. sweet stuff! I really like the contrast in values and color. It's easy to read and has a good flow to it.

[Nickillus]

Some lovely lighting effects and textural touches in this, Vaejoun. Great gossamer strands of spider web too. Still creeped out by it and can't help thinking about how spiders have odd habits like eating their mates and/or having their young eat them.

[Vaejoun]

Thank you both.

I finally had an idea I like for a 2nd picture.
Its about the birth of a planet. What if they would be really born ? That needs a picture for a surpreme mother of the universe.

Heres a first fast sketch

[Black Spot]

Neat idea and cool start.

[stevethomas]

Creepy.
Cool, but definitely creepy.
Love the composition.

[Vaejoun]

@Black Spot: Thx, heres the actual picture.
I am still working on the details like stones, starts and so on.

@stevethomas: Then my picture works just fine ^^

[SinnerMan]

OOH, the birth of a meteor!
That's what happens when you eat too many cosmic burritos:P

[Vaejoun]

@Sinnerman:
I had the vague thought that it might look too mich like a meteor instead of a planet, so I changed the lower picture part.

I spent most of the day on it. Any crits ?

[hala]

My monitor settings suck, but I wish the mother was a tad bit more clear--only a little bit because the subtlety of her whole body is absolutely beautiful and works with the composition. That might be just a personal pref. tho ;p

Otherwise this is a very stunning piece--love the changes compared to the last version of it--definitely looks much better. :)

[Puck]

The pregnant planet maker is looking good - although I think I prefer the versions with the rings in the lower right corner.

I really really like what you're doing with the spider mother, but I still think it could use tweaking, just some slight compositional changes so that it flows better.

I did a quick paintover of things I think could be improved. The top image is the original with a line over the top that represents the flow. The second image is my paintover, and the third is the paintover with a gesture line. This is just my personal opinion, so please feel free to ignore it completely (I may be completely wrong, or perhaps I’m just trying to throw you off course so I have a better chance of winning muhahah)!

707761

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What I would changed is:

Add baby heads to the lower left foreground to frame it on both sides.

Smooth out the pelvis join to create a better flow through the image (my eye starts on the baby, goes up to the spider mother, follows around the sweep of the body, notices the babies on the back and the foreground babies and then settles again on the centre baby - this is a really nice flow, but I think it could be made easier to follow in a few small ways).

Positioned the legs into expanding rays to focus the image on the centre and create simplified negative shapes, and darkened and softened the top of the legs to not draw attention away from the centre of interest. Maybe that back leg threatening the baby could even go past and behind the left most leg a bit?

Also, I prefer without the flowers.

-------

Regardless - It's looking really good - I love how there's so many things to see in the image that you don't notice at first. Well done.

[Black Spot]

When I looked on another computer, you could hardly see the mother's torso; maybe it's a bit too subtle at the moment. Also the planet looks huge in comparison to her and she's carrying it very low. I don't know how close to a real pregnancy you want to get, but check out some real pregnant women.

[Vaejoun]

@Hala / Black Spot:
Sadly I am still working on a laptop. So I cant check the real value, I am just guessing.

I will try some more with the belly, and the surroundings. Maybe I can still improve it.

@ Puck:
Thx. I am still kind of unexperienced with the "flow". Its just too much guessing.
I will try out what you said and see how it works.

Well the body-flow may be better in your version, but it looses its spiderness.. it looks more like a really big leech with legs ^^°
I will still experiment some more.


And the redone Univers-pic:

[shamandalie]

Wow i love both your paintings! I like the concept of that spider and child thingy, like it came from a freakish fairytale.
The meteor paint is also awesome. The eyes are like stars. Got nothing much to critique except to keep it going!

[Vaejoun]

@Shamandalie:
Thx for the flowers ^^

After some testing, doing and redoing, I came up with this, its still sketchy, but I like it that the legs dissapear into the foggy air -I finally got the light right. YEY !! Now to the details.

I totally forgot to mirror and turn the picture from time to time, that definately helped. ^^ Stupid me

[Black Spot]

Very atmospheric.

[Ian Barker]

Excellent, this is definitely one of my favorite entries so far. One thing I would change is the mother's eyes. With all that black, they look very menacing. I'd try to make them convey a motherly feeling (if that's what you're going for).

[Baron Impossible]

The gas cloud around the planet is a nice touch and the hands add a bit of surrealness to the whole thing. Looking good, although not sure what all the space up top will be used for.

The spider pic is great, well done!

[Nickillus]

Hey Vaejoun,
I know it's a bit late to start thowing ideas about, when your spidery piece is so beautifully progressed. I'm just wondering if the baby was reaching up to his/her mother as she reaches down, it might strengthen the message of mother-baby bond.???? Can't help thinking she might be going to eat the little morsel. Love what you've done with the mist and depth of field effects.

Only just noticed the other piece today. Interesting idea. Kind of pottery class for the gods. Here's one I made earlier . . . Nice, convncing light effects in this too. Impressive stuff.

[graphicgolem]

Two great pieces work!

I like the spider/babay one best - yoiu have really nailed the lighting on this one now - also like the way you have toned down the details on the spider - the texturing on earlier peiuces was lovely but it was also quite distracting from the central theme. Bravely done! You have managed to pull off a quite difficult image with the space one - this could have so easily gone very wrong (if I was doing it that is) - but you have managed it very well - the lighting again is excellent!

[Vaejoun]

@Blackspot: Thx

@Liffey: I like the dark eyes, they give her the feeling that its still a monster and add contrast to the centre.

@Baron Impossible: Thanks, your pictures look very good too. ^^
- What do you mean with "space up to will be used for" ?
Thats the part for her body head and the milkyway.

@Nickillus: Thanks for the comment, I really like that you think that way. It was my goal not to solve the picture completely. At the end there are no details on the baby that could tell us, if its really one of hers, so you can keep on asking yourself what might happen ;)

@graphicgolem: Thx a lot, I was doing my best. The only thing I dont like about the spider picture is that it took so long XD But at the end it was worth it.


Heres so far what I think is quite the final version. Maybe I will look over it in a couple of weeks again and find soething to change, but for now I have the feeling that its done. I brought in some of the details on the back and just a little less fog in the legs. And a touch of blue-violett as a contrast to all that orange and red

[jackcrosby]

wow its realy coming along i love it i wish i was as good at choosing colours
i love the subtle change from the intence yellow to the deep reds bravo cant wait to see it finished

[Pixelestial]

Of all the "newborn planet" pics floating around, yours is my favorite. Beautiful and ethereal. Keep going. ^_^

[B.Rockwell]

Oh man, I would totally make that my wallpaper if we had a little bigger size on the spider one. Cool solid concepts on both as well, I know it's all newborn themed but these are some of the more interesting takes on it I've seen.

[kudiah]

amazing work. I love the perspective and lighting, and composition.

I really l like the lava cosmic womb one at the top of the post.

[Vaejoun]

@jackcrosby: It wasnt like this from the start. It was a lot of experimenting and redoing.
@Soulweaver: Thx
@B.Rockwell: Maybe after the contest is done I can upload a bigger verion or try to sell it for print.
@kudiah: Thanks

Ok, actually I am breaking my head for new ideas. I had a few nice ones, but the idea is not the problem, it is to bring it from the head to the paper ^^
I have an idea about a mother who just gave birth to her child laying on the bed with the baby and beside her stands the death and reaches out for both of them.

I also thought about Jesus, the most important child in world history, but that would be a little dump. It would be a lot of story, but not mine ^^°

So for now I like this one:
Archeology can be a very thrilling area. You read your newspaper and suddenly read that they discovered something totally amazing you would have never dreamed of it would exist.
A few weeks ago a giant snake "Titano boa" was discovered.
The creature doesnt exist for us until they are discovered and so likely born into our time. I just made the sketch below and I am still thinking what they can discover: A giant seems a good idea, alien or dragon are too way off for my taste. Maybe some other strange creature from prehistoric.

[oren90]

wow you're incredible
it is an amazing piece of art :)

[Queen Nehalania]

Thats amazing. I'm in love with both pieces. Keep up great work!

[The Severed Wrist]

I think it's a stunner of a beautiful painting!

[CreatrixArts]

This spider piece is so beautiful Vaejoun. The colour scheme is really warm and even though the spider mother looks menacing you've portrayed her in a kind and loving way. The composition is perfect- I love the texture of the ground and the light is so soft. I love it!

[Vaejoun]

@all: Thanks a lot, If I am lucky, the jury thinks the same way. ;)

I took the sketch for the 3rd picture a little further.
But its still not for sure. Maybe I dump it and start with another sketch.

[Don Pipo]

I like your Spider-picture al lot! Your thread was very, very helpfull.
Wish you best of luck!

[pearlyking]

The spider concept was really good, and you've got some other nice sketches going too.

[Vaejoun]

Thank you both.

At the moment I a trying to find out, how dark my picture really is.
On my laptop I can see a lot of the details in the dark areas, but when I look on another monitor it is so dark, that you can barely make ou anything in the dark parts.

How about you ?

[CreatrixArts]

@ Vaejoun

I can see the pic just fine on both my LCD and CRT monitors. Have you tried auto adjusting/autodetecting your monitor settings in Photoshop or just adjusting your monitor brightness?

[Vaejoun]

At the monitor I was just trying over the monitor settings. On th elaptop its more a problem about the angle you look at the picture.

Didnt know you can adjust the monitor with PS.

[_MOTH_]

the spider is great well done

[Phill99]

Outstanding!! one of my favorite threads by far. Can't wait for more

[tengu nz]

great idea

[Muttonhead]

Cool. i think the spider piece is the strongest so far. Nice flow, great colors. Reminds me of Beksinski. I think the red glow behind the back part of her thorax?? (whatever you call the ass-end) could be accentuated more to bring out the edge of that shape...

[Dorkthrone]

The grainy look of the third sketch you have is intriguing. Seems kind of like old film.

The spider is probably the best of the two concepts.

[jimmydd7]

Amazing works and I love the spider one. The third sketch is kool and looks like have a great story behind it.

[miycko]

Your entry is absolutely awesome. Great colour balance in both pieces got my eye on this, can't wait to see what you come up with for your third idea.

[Vaejoun]

_MOTH_ : Thanks
Phill99 : Good to hear, thanks
tengu nz: Thanks
Muttonhead: I think I will look over the pictures once more before the Deadline
ninjacat11: Thanks, I like the mood too, but I wasnt sure enough on that piece to work it out.
jimmydd7: Thanks, even though I am not sure which sketch you mean ^^
miycko: Thanks, lets hope the judges like it too ^^

Since my last post I worked on another piece. It was pretty tough because I has I already worked out when I found out that it just doesnt work. I should have spent more time in the thumbnail-phase. T_T
Then I overworked it a couple of times and this is what came out.

Story ? How about this:
A knight travels through the world on his search for the holy grale. Hunting the dream of human imortality, glory and fame.
On his way he passes through a valley and sees the birth of a mountain-child. A beeing, that posseses by birth, what humanity longes for since existance: immortality.

Open for crits

[Vaejoun]

no crits on the last one ?

[Nickillus]

No crits yet Vaejoun. It's a lovely idea for how mountains are formed. No sure you even need the knight though, except maybe to give the sense of scale. For me it would work without because the idea comes across quite clearly and is strong in its own right.

[zimfin]

Great stuff so far.
On the last one I agree with Nickillus, though for me the problem with the Knight is that I think he would look more in place sitting on the horse. Also, the tree branches on the left seem odd to me. Not sure if it is the spacing or the lighting on them?

[Josif]

beautiful ideas

[mohdmubasshir]

love ur ideas :)

[artina]

those are amazing.