Keeper of the Void

**Smeagol71** · February 3rd, 2004, 09:03 AM

Hello all! Here's my first real foray into the world of digital painting. I've done a few speed paintings here and there but never spent any significant time on any piece. So, fire away! My skin is thick and I know I have a lot to learn. That's what this board is all about, right?!?

**RickDMer** · February 3rd, 2004, 10:44 AM

Awesome. Its like you took three beautiful paintings and put them on top of each other. Great work

**foster** · February 3rd, 2004, 05:35 PM

hi dan, i think it looks good. you are right that it is a little stiff but as you said you will get more intuitive about the process and that will free you up to be much more suggestive.

the trees and face are the things that pull me in the most. the grass has nice color but the rest of the objects seem to be local in their color. you have picked a color like green and stayed with that family of green through out. color is relative to what it is situated against, the color of light and your willingness to push what is there. you need more warm and cool variation. you can also add some of it's compliment to give some life and vibration.

play with the larger shapes a little more for interest.

keep pushing and keep experimenting.

jon

**HugeHarHar** · February 3rd, 2004, 06:45 PM

An awesome picture. Everything just pulls together well and has a the composition is great. The shoulder pads could use some more cool shading to pull out the rest of values.

**Siftland** · February 3rd, 2004, 08:46 PM

First real digital painting? GEEE-ZUS! It's great! I love the sort of cosmic- yet quaint- feel to it. Good idea, the rendering is nice too, especially on the rocks/grass/trees area.

**Boom** · February 4th, 2004, 01:05 PM

very nice rendering and the theme is well thought out too, and not least very fresh amongst the stereotype fantasy you usually see around.

me likes very much!

**jilted_one** · February 4th, 2004, 01:13 PM

Really cool painting man. The basic molding of form if the three objects is really well done, but alas i have to agree with Forster, the colours need life, meaning some other warmer colour to collide with the green but i like the form and rendering it is well done, cool stuff man.

**Aikisean** · February 4th, 2004, 02:03 PM

Impressive painting. Reminds me of of Terry Pratchett's Discworld.

**Smeagol71** · February 12th, 2004, 09:12 AM

Thanks so much everyone for the suggestions and support!

Rick, Siftland, Boom: Your encouragment is very much appreciated, thanks!!!

Aikisean: Wow, high praise that I don't quite feel worthy of I must admit. Those Discworld pics are always interesting. Thanks!

HugeHarHar, Jilted: I think you guys are right on the money with your comments. I struggled with implementing exactly what you're talking about. Thanks for the comments and see below, I’d like your thoughts too if you happen to read this again.

Jon: Thanks so much for your comments. Your advice is insightful to say the least, and kind of scary, because I was thinking along the same lines but just don't have the experience yet to implement those thoughts. I think my mindset is wrong when approaching color schemes and I'm wondering if you can respond to my thought process. Let's take the shoulder pads for a specific example. As I started to paint them I think I approached them from too practical a position. I thought something like, "Okay, the shoulder pads are green, and the left side is more in shadow so I won't be able to see that side as much as the other. That means just a suggestion is needed in some areas for that side." The result is what you see, just a muted version of the lit shoulder. If I understand you and a couple of the other comments what I should have thrown into my thought process is the fact that other colors may have been used to cool down that side without necessarily being green. So not only should I just suggest shape and form on a more shadowed area by the amount of strokes and their opacity, but also use colors to either bump up or subdue an area even though it may not seem like the “natural” thing to do? I hope my thoughts are understood here, I feel like I’m rambling. But it seems to me (correct me if I’m wrong) that when painting you could be using colors that wouldn’t actually be visible or present in a “real” situation, but are applied in a painted piece to accomplish a goal. Sound right?

Sorry for the long-winded response everyone, but I’m excited about working through this stuff and want to get my head around it. Thanks so much for your time!!!