cutesy/creepy neo natal ward

[lincoln.renall]

CURRENT WIP SHOT - Updates at the end:





Hi
Thought i would start up a thread for the other piece im working on.
my base idea is an alien Neo Natal ward, with weird robotic arms lifting newborns up so that their expecting parents can view them through a kind of viewing deck.
hope to have the central focus as an oddly creepy and cute looking alien baby with tentacles and slime etc, being lifted out by some kind of robotic midmife...with multiple arms (to handle all the tentacles)
the tricky part will be getting the composition right so that you can also see the expecting parents behind glass waiting for the midwife to bring forward their baby.
anyway - an odd concept, hope to upload my base rough mockup soonish :-)
Cheers

[lincoln.renall]

heres some initial roughs- very much a WIP:
have started in reverse, looking at the focal point first....trying to flesh out how this robotic spider-like midwife might work, hope to use the glowing eyes to bounce light down to illuminate the creepy/cutesy newborn.
if i get the view point right want to show some mecghanical arms and tracks on the cieling...might have to model the room in sketchup once i have a better feel for its design.


and then starting to look at the background: just very much roughed in for now, trying to get a feel for where the observation widows will look best.
eventually want to add other robots holding different alien babys up to the glass in the background. floor might have some kind of chamber with a trail of slime leading to the foreground baby....thats the idea for now - lots will probably change as i work on this one i think.

[hala]

It's looking solid so far, the idea of the mechanical midwife is great
Since you said the bg is just rough and you plan on changing it I won't crit at this point.
But I totally dig it so far.

[Black Spot]

I like the expression on the newborn - like it's totally bewildered with this new world. The 'face' of the robot is pretty good too.

[lincoln.renall]

cheers guys - yeah, the background is quite ugly at the moment - really just a placeholder while i think about composition.
thanks black spot - im hoping to make this baby's face area a primary focal point, then have a secondary focal area in behind where you can see the parents at the window with some excited or adoring type of expressions, so its good to know that the baby's face is starting to look goodly.
lots to do still though

[Nickillus]

Oh yes!
Like the idea and the way you're handling it.

[lincoln.renall]

thanks for that Nick :-)
I was checking out you portfolio....niiiiice, Im pretty sure Ive seen a lot of your work before - I have a few copies of Imaginefx Issues, so probably from there. Its now bookmarked !
Cheers for the comments
Lincoln

[lincoln.renall]

just some more progress shots:

started messing about with a base idea for the room/environment made quickly in sketchup, mainly so i can use the lines to help out with perspective:
idea being large sheet glass viewing windows tilted forward.


then a first stage integration:


not fully happy with the way these diagonal lines are going to work at this stage, and also wanted to have a darker mood with some blueish light:


considering changing the window design to be more of a curved shape, to eliminate those distracting diagonals, probably going to have some top lit lighting coming from the upper centre area.
anyway that's where im at for now...pretty close to nailing down the composition before i start into the proper painting.

[RoyCook]

I really like the lighting in that image and yeah I think a curved window would look better or maybe even just a single long narrow window as the as yeah the diagonals in the horizontal composition are a little distracting for now. Very promising start!

[lincoln.renall]

thanks roycook
yeah i did away with the diagonals - were adding too much confusion.
heres an update......started playing about with the pending parents...getting the first look at their new baby/son/daughter/squid thingy :-)



plan to add more waiting "aliens" in the distant windows etc.
also there will be some kind of overlay for the glass - at the moment they pop out a little too much - possibly will change the lighting in the viewing room a lot, might add some lighting near the glass.

and a little closer in view:


Have also been playing with the vertical comp....having more levels to the 'facility' instead of a floor - so the baby is being carried over a void - but not sure which version i like yet -welcome any thoughts....heres the alternative background:

[AhChu]

what a cool idea :0 iIm a fan of the 2nd one, not as much distracting detail on the floor to pull the eye away from you characters. Very cool pic either way

[acb]

damn thats one hell of an idea @_@ well done

[Leonor]

I like that I couldn't help but go aww at this and feel guilty that I find the aliens bodies kind of repulsive because they look like loving parents. I like the newborn's expression too. I'm watching this one develop.

[Ian Barker]

The parents really make this piece. Nice work so far.

[carakhan]

it definitely is cutesy creepy. Go tentacles! I like your idea to get more depth in there, start thinking about your background too. Are there more structures outside? Or just the open sea? It'd be cool to get some scale in there, like a giant humpback in the background. I think the overhang outside the window is hindering you a bit, it looks like its supposed to follow the curve of the ward, but then it looks like a horizon line or something in the middle. One last thing (sorry!) you should bring some more light into this. There's not much in the way of shadows now, and its flattening your otherwise awesome painting Your robot is wicked! Ok I'm done now. Can't wait to see how it comes out!

[Aureaus]

This looks rely good. I like the colors and perspective.

[inmygucci]

haha i'm loving it! except i think that the dad's face looks too human, unless that's what you're aiming for. i was thinking maybe making the mom's face may look a bit more feminine.

[tengu nz]

killer idea

[lincoln.renall]

Hi all

Thanks for all the great ideas and comments

Ive been out of the loop for a while - unfortunately my dad passed away but now im back and working and trying to finish this concept...a good distraction wore than anything.

anyway, here the current progress:


Im still pondering some of the perspective difference between fore and mid ground.

have flipped some of the robots reflections, and plan to add a kind of siren / light on top of it, which should introduce some nice bounced light ?

started to tinker with the lighting, which i need to push further, want to have a gradient on the back ground, dark down bottom, and a reverse gradient in the foreground, dark at the top, as the light is obstructed by by the door.
possibly will add some steam rising up the central shaft??

started adding in the slime from the hatch where baby has been delivered.

plan to add more people/aliens in the far window-poslibly a child pointing.

anyway, still a shit load to do....but ideas are welcome :-)

[Leonor]

Sorry to hear about your dad.

The piece is looking fantastic so far, except that I find the slime too red and too bright. You solved the compositon and background problem very well. I see a great contender here.

[lincoln.renall]

thanks leonor
yeah...im still fiddling with the slime, only just added it, at the moment it looks at bit more like the consistency of chewing gum....so im pondering how i will treat it, could be either sticky, or more slimey - i which case i probably need to make it more sagging or transparent etc....either way, it will get some more editing.
cheers

[Justice Von Brandt]

It looks a ton better now!

[Black Spot]

Sorry to hear about your loss.

This piece keeps getting better and better.

[miycko]

i like the way your painting's progressing, it's got a realy creepy feel to it, which i hope is what you were going for. the facial expressions on both the parents and the babies faces are great

[Jason C-M]

I agree on the expressions. I'd love to see the baby's silhouette changed a bit on his top half, one of his hands reaching up in playful exploration, maybe?

I'm really fond of stork 7

[lincoln.renall]

heres my second concept - both are nearly completed - just some fine tuning to do....this concept is a lot less sci-fi i guess, but i wanted to try something that didnt involve freaky spider robots and aliens :-)
heres a couple wip shots:

base roughed in mostly......


closeup on the man/baby....


and the current image status:

started adding more detail to the foreground rocks mainly.....the man/baby still needs some work too:

[Huey Yeng]

Your second piece looks more solid to me. The environment is impressive but the anatomy of the guy looks odd to me especially his right shoulder. Also it looks like his upper part of the body looks bigger than the lower part.

Keep it up. There is lots of potential in the second piece.

[lincoln.renall]

Thanks hueyyeng:
yeah i know what you mean about the shoulder - theres still some weirdness going on with the area below the shoulder blade ....have also been fiddling a lot with how the light will hit his shoulder and back....tricky :-)
also i think your spot on with the size of his upper body....i was wondering, so its good to get a fresh set of eyes on it...has confirmed what i was wondering.
cheers

[lincoln.renall]

an update:

back finishing off the first concept again:
mainly changed the slime to a large umbilical cord, with a mini spider type robot on cord cutting duties.
also have added the distant mother and boy in far window.
and the steam vent in mid ground to make the robot/baby pop forward a bit.
still tweaking the lighting a lot - a bit of finishing to do still.



heres a closeup on the umbilical:


heres a closeup on the background character area:

[Huey Yeng]

Good progress just keep in mind that you should ensure that foreground is in focus.

Currently the focus is not consistent. Remind me of my good old digital camera where it detect and focus on the wrong area if I let it set to auto mode.