Dangerous curiosity

[zimfin]

Finally got started on my first image. Just working out some lighting and basics for now. A lot of very impressive work in here so far folks!

[riotorange]

hehe yay! i love "explorers so caught up in their work they don't see the danger coming to eat them for lunch" artwork.

w00t! look forward to seeing your developments. i always enjoy your art

[zimfin]

Okay, making some progress here. A long way to go till it's where I want it but........that's fine.

[RoyCook]

Looks like a strong start but too me everything looks a little tall and thin as if youve rezised it squishing it inwards if you see what I mean? Maybe this is just me though. On the same note I would love to see more to the image as in building it outward at the moment just feels like a cropped area of a large image. As I said though great start will be watching it progress!

[zimfin]

Looks like a strong start but too me everything looks a little tall and thin as if youve rezised it squishing it inwards if you see what I mean? Maybe this is just me though. On the same note I would love to see more to the image as in building it outward at the moment just feels like a cropped area of a large image. As I said though great start will be watching it progress!

Thanks. Yeah, I know what you mean. I have been toying with the idea of extending the canvas to the left so more creature shows. At the moment, too many elements are close to the edges, the box, the tentacle, etc. Will see what I can do to resolve the issue.

[zimfin]

Extended the canvas on Three sides, ( Thanks RoyCook, I might have ignored the little voice in my head if you hadn't spoken up too!) and now I have a lot more breathing room. It is still very obvious, especially on the creature, where the extension begins but I wanted to get this up quickly before work.

[RoyCook]

Ahh yeah looks like it will progress much better now.

[harris-ejaz]

the composition is a bit... left heavy...

[zimfin]

A little more done on the creature but most time today was spent on the characters and their surroundings.

[riotorange]

aww i liked when it ended where the creatures head was, it looked *sneaky-er* but i think adding to it was the right choice, looking back now i see what you meant by it feeling sort of cropped.
Looking good so far, i know you just recently added the body in so i wont comment on how there's some weird bump shape to its neck that makes it look like it has mumps....oh. wait.

[Justice Von Brandt]

This is a cool idea
But the space man holding the flash light looks like he is going to fall over

[Nickillus]

Hiya Scott,
I got here at last. A nice head of steam you've built up already. Should be an atmospheric, nicely poised moment of tension by the time you polish it off.

I'm a bit nervous about whether the creature is coming out of a lake(?) or not yet. Somehow I'm not convinced by that, but understand it is a wip. That straight line you have going along the back could do to be broken up to describe some form behind which might help there.

I still think there's the opportunity to make this more dynamic too. The comp feels kind of horizontal for me at the moment. How about introducing yet more space and a strong diagonal? Still feels somehow cramped to me. Probably just me though.
I had a quick play to show wwhat I mean - many apologies for doing so without permission, and for the appalling job I've made of it. The comp/cropping is all wrong, but I think the creature could be made more menacing with more height added

[zimfin]

This is a cool idea
But the space man holding the flash light looks like he is going to fall over

Yeah, it is intentional, not that he is falling but that he is leaning back in surprise due to the tentacles I will have bursting from the eggs. He is not holding a flashlight though. That is mounted on his shoulder. He is supposed to be holding a scanner of some sort.

Nick:Thanks! Great to get a response from you mate. Never any need to apologize to me, you know that. I like what you did and I might well take your advice and change things. As things are, I hate the sand and water so might redo all of that. There was me hoping I would have time for another pic too! Fat chance now. lol

[zimfin]

Next wip from me. Taken Nick's advice and altered the composition. Thanks for that mate! Still loads to do and no parts are really finished yet as I keep jumping from one bit to the next! I will be changing the water, (as mentioned earlier) as soon as possible, work on the crystals, the creature, BG, etc....etc...

[MoonChilD]

you know what?
you should never draw things that looks like testicles...

[zimfin]

you know what?
you should never draw things that looks like testicles...

LOL. I thought about that, as they do resemble them for sure but I figured it would emphasize the theme of 'newborn' a little, in my eyes anyway and besides....whats wrong with testicles?

[MoonChilD]

ho nothing,it's just that ,you know it looks like testicles...

[Martin McKeown]

Nice concept there Scott.

However, think the guy standing up should be as dark on his back as the other guy, with harsher shadows on the ground.

[zimfin]

Thanks Martin. I see your point!

Next update from me. Worked on the water at last and some of the creature.

[miycko]

Nice painting, just one thing, i can see that the creature is lit by that light the scientis have set up, but the light is facing down right now so it wouldn't be able to light the face as much as it is at the moment, IMO.

[zimfin]

Nice painting, just one thing, i can see that the creature is lit by that light the scientis have set up, but the light is facing down right now so it wouldn't be able to light the face as much as it is at the moment, IMO.

Thanks. Yeah, you are right. You can't see it yet, (as I have not painted it) but I was going to use a Blue coloured overlay to show light from the crystals, I just needed to get details in first.

[zimfin]

Finally found time to work on this some more. Lots more to do......everywhere. Lol.

[Nickillus]

Hi Scott,
Lovely watery glints coming on with some super colours.
I'm a bit nervous about your ground plane and the way it seems almost to be level and in the backgound almost below the waterline. I'd be tempted to make it clearer that the land is above and sloping down to the liquid (it is isn't it?).

Maybe you could use the base of that nicely sculptural, organic column with the pods to show that. I've had another quick butcher and done an awful job of it - sorry. I've guessed roughly where your eye level is Nd marked a few radiating perspective lines. In keeping with your ground/water planes I think it might help to make your ripples more oval than round - kind of squash them down into perpective more. And I added a darkening layer to hide big alien Nessie in the gloom more. And I leant your standing figure forward more, because I thought he still looked very slightly to be overbalancing backwards.

All only suggestions - but involving a deal of jiggery-pokery, adjusting the stuff you have there already. Do ignore as required. Keep it going and make sure you finish and submit in time though, whatever you decide.

[MoonChilD]

may be easier to lower a bit the perspective lines
and tweak the front and back water accordingly

[zimfin]

Thanks so much for the paint-over Nick. This update was done before seeing this post so I added where my perspective lines were intended to be. I think I will try to stick to the original lines, (as yours seems really high to me) but I will alter the ripples and water accordingly as suggested. I knew they were an issue but did not figure it out well enough how to fix them. I will work on it today though.
It's hard to see, (with the perspective lines on) but I have a tentacle grabbing the scientists air hose and drawing him off balance.
I am not too confidant that the crystals are working well. They are supposed to be absorbing and reflecting light and I still have more background lighting, similar to yours, to add. Phew, loads to do still!

Oh, and I will be leaving darkening and further texturing with noise and so on until the end when I flatten the layers.

[MoonChilD]

your perpective lines are wrong the center spot shouldn't be in the middle ,never!
the previous spot was better (on the left)
and for the height it should be between yours and the suggested one

[miycko]

nice progress, i can imagine the scientist going inside his suit. i like the glowing blue light you have coming from the crystals, i feel like the purple of the crystals might be a bit too dark to lbe lighting the creature, maybe you can have a blue glow on it

[zimfin]

your perpective lines are wrong the center spot shouldn't be in the middle ,never!
the previous spot was better (on the left)
and for the height it should be between yours and the suggested one

Hmm, I guess that explains my problems. Normally I would work this all out in the beginning but this time I didn't and it is causing issues! Thanks for the feedback.

[zimfin]

nice progress, i can imagine the scientist going inside his suit. i like the glowing blue light you have coming from the crystals, i feel like the purple of the crystals might be a bit too dark to lbe lighting the creature, maybe you can have a blue glow on it

I know what you mean. I was worried that they would attract too much attention but was reluctant to change the creatures lighting. I will see what I can do.

[zimfin]

Okay, after all the great advice, I have tried to fix the mentioned issues. Let me know what you think. I have also tried darkening the image which looks fine on my monitor but please let me know if it is too dark on any of yours!