need some critique - update post 3!!

[mirskov]

my first post in this section! I introduced myself in my sketchbook but I figured i'd do it here as well.

I'm 24 and live close to D.C. I received a Bachelors in Communications and Design but sad to say it had nothing to do with drawing. It will be 2 years of me drawing this winter. I'm a full-time graphic and web designer but on my own time working hard trying to make a career switch.

This board has helped me a lot.

Thanks for checking it out. And please feel free to critique.

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These are from imagination but with ref used for some things (except the portrait - it's reffed all the way)

"Experiment" - a bit inspired by "Perfume"
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Eat mo chickn'
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guillotine
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shapes study
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[digitalkarma]

you have a really nice line work my friend,,,,,and also a good style,,, it doesn´t matter the fact ,,,,,,,,,of your recent studies as a web designer,,,, just draw and design whit your heart..

[mirskov]

Well I bombed my first post. It's been about 6 months but here's an update.

Please let me know what you think

General- Concept
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Live Portrait Painting
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3D Polygonal Modeling
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Underneath It All
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Shaman - Concept
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Pirate Stealing Princess
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[Kirtz]

Mirskov,
I remember seeing your LMS3 piece yesterday. I would have to say I really want to know what's under the cloth, which means you did your job telling the story at least.

After looking at these for awhile I definitely would say some of them have a lot of potential. As a whole they have a sort of unfinished nature to them. They look mostly like potential filled underpaintings. "Experiment" definitely has the potential to be the best illustration of the bunch if it was brought to a more finished state.

You also have some expressive mark making going on that's pretty good. The "Live Portrait Painting" is a good example of this. Also you seem to have a good grasp of painting forms with shapes and outlines instead of using linework. Sometimes this style of painting doesn't work as well for figures that you wish to be more detailed. However it does lend itself well to sketching and preliminary work as that's what your pieces look like.

"Experiment"- Like I said before this piece looks like the underpainting of a finished painting. It looks like it would be fun to get in there and just start painting away on stuff. You definitely nailed the dominant element with the bright orange goggles.

There's really a lot of wasted space in your composition on all of the corners. You could add objects with lines that draw the viewer's eye towards the mad scientist.

Example: more hoses hanging in the top right corner to help fill space and add interest. Machinery in the top left corner that comes up pretty close behind the figure. Also maybe a chair in the bottom left corner, some objects on the floor. Give the environment just as much as the character. It should really look like a mad scientist works here. He's got a beaker and some papers, but his desk should be crowded with other beakers, test tubes, science manuals. Just brainstorm what this guy would have in his workstation/abode.

You wouldn't need to paint this stuff up as nicely as figure should be. Which brings me to the figure. He's just kind of boring really. The helmet is on it's way to being cool, but his lab coat has no details. Think about what kinds of crazy stuff he might be wearing or have strapped to him. Also I would show his shoes touching the floor. That will help ground him on the floor.

Also the piece doesn't have a really well defined light source. You might pop this up and then think about secondary light sources.

Also you'll want to think about your color for it. Warm vs. cool, etc. I'm not sure how you pick your colors, it looks like you struggle with it. Your understanding of color seems to be mainly limited to base colors. Example: you shade your red with more red. The table is brown, the glass tube with the woman is green, etc.

In the majority of good paintings objects are made up of more than just the base color. A red object might have a slightly different colored shadow based on the environment. Shadows usually have higher hue saturation than the parts in the light, and highlights use have less saturation than the base color.

I highly recommend Jeremy Vickery's "Practical Light and Color" DVD from the Workshop. They have a copy of it here at work and I watched it a couple months ago. It's a great color concept dvd for beginners as well as a great refresher course for professionals.

Here's the link: http://www.thegnomonworkshop.com/dvds/jvi01.html

Well I hope that helps some, as I write it my mind is losing track of what I said or didn't say, haha.

If I was too harsh I'm sorry, but I'm normally a blunt kind of guy about art stuff.

I look forward to seeing your progress in the future.

-Jon

[mirskov]

Jon

thanks a lot for such a useful post. I really appreciate it. It helps me to get critiques like this one. I totally agree on getting lazy and putting out mediocre when it could be so much more. It's my lack of milage and there's no way around that but drawing more and more. I agree with more brainstorming and your color crit as well .. I'll try to get my hands on the dvd. thanks for your help!

digitalkarma - thank you for your encouragement as well!!

[Vinnieart]

I like your style a lot. Great work!

[dustorian]

Not crazy about the style. I need details in the art to like it.

[Pickles]

On the Contrary, I think its the lack of details that are the most appealing to this work, I love it. Good work man!