Newborn - Birth of a Storm.

[davidherd]

Hiya folks, I wouldn't really say I'm new here but I haven't posted (or participated) much lately so I'll dig in for this one!

Latest wip:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3423/3730896153_a21fc5de2f_b.jpg

[Final Image Placeholder]

[davidherd]

At last, after much doodling I'm going with the concept of 'The Birth of a Storm'. My first few indecipherable doodles on that topic are:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2666/3696999885_40c6f70540.jpghttp://farm3.static.flickr.com/2518/3714355422_46bd82249f.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2550/3713542903_3d22d9413e_b.jpg.

I'm off to put all these scribbles together digitally and start producing some proper compositional sketches . . .

[davidherd]

Rough compositional sketches in progress

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3515/3717649974_e3f541c584.jpghttp://farm3.static.flickr.com/2615/3719349495_d9cd38529b.jpghttp://farm4.static.flickr.com/3510/3720045270_c96a1a5af3.jpghttp://farm3.static.flickr.com/2669/3720479730_2194c4fa74.jpg

[davidherd]

A wee update. Wip of course.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2656/3725564317_e8d02031c3.jpg

I’ve started to try to define what’s going on more clearly. Mostly this has involved eradicating original scribbles and refining the shapes. I’m starting to get a real strong feeling of how the piece will be lit now and I’ve started to indicate this which is why I thought that this stage was worth posting. You can see quite clearly that I still have not made a decision about where the storm mother character should go but I’m confident now that this will work itself out as the painting progresses. Other weaknesses are that the tree is not very tree-ish at the moment and needs some serious love and attention and I still haven’t nailed a significant foreground element that will help the composition.

[Pedes]

Intriguing, I'm waiting to see how it will progress.

[davidherd]

Intriguing, I'm waiting to see how it will progress.

Thank you Pedes. Intriguing for me also to see how it develops.

Update: Added wise men spectators but I'm not sure how well they are working. Feedback appreciated (on any aspect of it).

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2442/3726406632_7d79fbcf6e.jpg

[master.mind]

hey, i like the colours and the mood is awesome so far, but those wise men are destroying your composition..
if they have to be there make them smaller and turn the brightness down..almost black and put them in the foreground..


looking foreward for more


good luck

[miycko]

mmmmm, birth of a storm, cool idea, i know it's still in the very early stages but it might be worth it to have a look at some pictures of storm from x-men for some inspirstion and at some pictures of storm clouds.

[master.mind]

...me again.:mod: maybe you could extend the canvas ont the top a bit...

[davidherd]

Ok, great stuff thank you for the feedback.

@miycko: I'll probably avoid looking at Storm from the X-men as I don't want to be too influenced by her look and I have a heap of cloud reference but thanks for reminding me to go back and look at it again :-) I definitely need to. Thank you.

@master.mind: Thank you fella! Both suggestions spot on. Wisemen ditched in the meantime until I find a better way to incorporate them and I've extended the canvas top and left which is feeling way better already. I don't know why I didn't do this earlier, my canvases usually change shape a few times during a paint. It gives me a lot more scope to try to be epic! Thanks for stopping round.

For comparison:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3499/3725749255_2cc61a3183.jpghttp://farm4.static.flickr.com/3423/3730896153_a21fc5de2f_b.jpg

[Phill99]

This is turning out really great!! very nice brushwork, I'll be watching this one

[LillyCat]

Love the movment that the brush strokes make with this painting..and the colors are really nice. You have a wonderful style!

[Seaport]

I do like this idea. Is your storm going to produce rain as that could look pretty spectacular pouring through the holes and running down tree? I must admit I like the little wise guys on the left and the way the whole composition looms over them. Not sure what the big black blob in bottom right is going to be? does keep drawing my eye away from the main themes...

[rickardwestman]

hey! this one looks great! really like your colours! question: are there two small characters in the bottom left corner? they could be a cool thing, otherwise, what is the size of the tree? love the movement of the storm burst! you really get the feeling of the force that is coming out of that tree. keep up the good work!

[Baron Impossible]

Dynamic piece, looking good already. Old trees and storms are a great combination :)