The Samurai

[Noah Bradley]

Hey folks. Here's my latest illustration I just finished up for class. We had to do a movie poster image, so I picked Seven Samurai. Didn't really try to stay too faithful to the movie itself, but rather try to capture the general mood of the film, while also trying to make a good portfolio piece. This was a real rush job (only started it... yesterday), but that's life.

Though I won't have time to correct things before class, I'd love to hear any thoughts you've got on it.



Thanks for looking!

[DarkSenshi]

You started this yesterday? I really have no critique for this. I'm just stating my amazement in that you have accomplished in a single day or two what I probably couldn't do in a week. Nice work!

[DAMJAN]

Nice stuff, is that snow in the background that's sticking out? I'm talking about those white blocks. Whatever it is, at that distance, it should not have such a high contrast or clarity. I'ts too sharp and I would tone it down.

[Kek]

I haven't seen the movie so I don't know if it's appropriate, but seems to me like the samurai could be more prominent. I understand that you may have placed them low in the composition to allow for the landscape and title text, but you might consider giving them polls, flags, or spears that reach up into the composition and catch the viewer.

The way the river perfectly leads into the samurai kinda bothers me. It creates a tangent that could be offset just a little.

[Falchion]

Those're some really large buildings...

[zerdron]

I can't say a critique, even if it's still a W-I-P..it is outstanding.

[Lhune]

Change the course of the river, keep it flowing to the left to end somewhere inbetween the samurai. I also strongly agree with the flags and spears suggestion, I think that'd look really good.

Personally I would like to see the samurai stand out a bit more. Make the background a tad lighter, perhaps have the sun shine over the landscape and the samurai seemingly covered in shadow.

Hah, it's also amusing how I'm commenting on this picture and my random playlist decides to put on a Last Samurai soundtrack.

[Sunny]

I think its really cool. Great work so far. for critiques I would say to identify the buildings more with shadows. Right now my eye is drawn there immediately but I dont see buildings. I only know they are buildings because I know they are samurai so I assume those shapes suggest Japanese or Chinese style buildings.

It might be nice to have some more light in the foreground too. Right now my eye only wants to look at the top white area so when it gets down to the bottom for the details theres nothing to consume. So my eye whips back up. It would help if my eyes had something to search through. Even if its all dark still.

[dpaint]

Great piece Noah,
As everybody says, add some cool ambient light (skylight) to the foreground to draw more attention to the figures and make the scene feel outdoors.

[Slothboy3000]

For a days work that's pretty good! The buildings do indeed need to read correctly, though. In the film it's a farm, but right now I'm not sure whether those are straw huts or Japanese style buildings (I know you're not sticking 100% but to me it's not reading much like either).

[Vaejoun]

Looks really nice and promises a lot.

I would like to have something in the pic that tells me, that we are in Japan. The samurais are really hidden in the shadow, and hard to be identified as such.
Maybe an alternate light source coming from behin ? As if they just went trough a high pass in the mountains.

Curious to see more. I will look in here again this evening. ^^