my concept art

[RSLM]

creature




WITCH




ANGELO




COMBAT UNIT




FOREST




space creature




"FOUND IT"


POST APOCALYPTIC WORLD




TIGER TANK


MY DEMO REEL
MY BLOG

[JaneLasso]

nice hair =D

[art1488]

Maybe right place for this pic in CRITIQUE CENTER & W.I.P. SHOWCASE
imho this sketch looks like rough pic

[pimpwacker]

Maybe right place for this pic in CRITIQUE CENTER & W.I.P. SHOWCASE
imho this sketch looks like rough pic

I have to agree

[Icedearth15876]

Great work, they look for the most part finished guys so i think he's fine here.. Add a few finishing touches and you got it.

[art1488]

This tank far not "Tiger"... Its more looks like some armored "Behemoth"...

[RSLM]

Creature




MY DEMO REEL
MY BLOG

[RSLM]

jets


creature


MY DEMO REEL
MY BLOG

[RSLM]

MY DEMO REEL
MY BLOG

[Stoat]

It's is actually very, very hard to mix bits of photos and bits of drawing and have them sit easily together. In fact, it's hard to make a paintover look halfway decent. Better to internalize your reference and draw the whole thing together. Even if the result has errors, it'll have more of you and your thought processes and struggles in it. And that's always going to be more interesting to look at than a photo of a naked lady with wings painted on.

[ferrando]

are you using a blue ballpoint pen out of preference?

[RSLM]

Stoat
I use a lot of photo references just to make it quick, I really don't like spending too much time for 2d picture, I prefer to do drawings (concepts) as fast as it possable. I can spend a lot of time doing 3d, but when you are doing 3d at least it make sense, when you doing 2d too long it's just waste of time, (except matte painting, just my opinion). I realise, I'm not quite there yet, but from every completed work I'm getting closer, I think. Ideally I want to learn to make good looking concept, from rough thumbnail sketch to complete art, in less than one hour.

ferrando
Yes, I really like to use ballpoint pen in my sketching, it's more contrast than pencil, and it's always with me everywhere. Also I don't have to do big scale when I draw with ballpoint pen (in order not wasting too much time).

MY DEMO REEL
MY BLOG

[Spivak000]

RSLM- Make sure when you are drawing or painting female breasts that you position the nipples correctly. In a front view, women's breasts do not point straight forward, but in fact they angle outwards sometimes as much as 90 degrees.

[mimer]

the thing is, with the angel for example, youre not using photo reference, youre using a photo, so why the rough sketch?

[RSLM]

mimer
first I did the sketch, and than I made a concept using photoreferences, (I had to change pose).

[NeecHMonkeY]

Are the photos you're using in your work your own? They look like glamor shots...

[RSLM]

NeecHMonkeY
internet full of pictures of naked ladies :-)

MY DEMO REEL

[NeecHMonkeY]

NeecHMonkeY
internet full of pictures of naked ladies :-)

Then you're going to run into problems - you don't own these images you are using and if the person who does own them wants to take legal action against you, you've got nothing on your side to protect you.

Unless you've sourced these images from a site that freely allows the use of it's images in any way another person wants, you're basically trying to sell yourself using another person's hard work. I would even hazard a guess that the Admins of ConceptArt.org will frown upon you posting these images here.

[RSLM]

This post is going to be big,
it's about using photography in creating concept art.
First I want show people what exactly was photo references and what is not in my projects.

in project "combat unit"


I used parts of this lady and her hair.



in concept art "witch"


I used the pose of this lady, also the guns

I had that idea in mind, I was internet surfing, found that pose, made thumbnail sketch, liked it. After that I started to make a big one(I always do thumbnails first, if I don't like the idea I never even start it,) I have a lot of photo refs of my own, and I never use internet pictures if there is copyright on them.

"angello" only background sky is photo ref.
"found it" no photo refs at all
"underground creature" no photo refs at all
"post apocalyptic world" parts of background is photo ref.
"tiger tank" parts of background is photo ref.
"space creature" no photo refs, inspired by Stephen Hawking documentaries.
"forest" no photo ref inspired by bacteria photography
and even when I use photo references it's always edited it's never "copy paste thing"

here is Fallout concept art examples,






here is Avatar concept art


I don't know for sure but I feel there is some photography involved.
This mean the best artists don't like waste of time.
Yes I can make perfect painting, completely hand made (with all correct anatomy and lighting and everything) but it's going to take forever, and I don't have that much time :-) In my opinion it's more important what's in the picture, not how it's done (personally I don't really like technically very well done concepts with poor ideas). And it doesn't matter what instrument you're using, pencil, ballpointpen, photoshop or maya.
Of course it doesn't mean I don't admire the people who can do great concept art completely from head, without using any references. (check this out)
I'm just learning from project to project.
From every project every artist getting better and better.(it's not other way around for sure) Even if something doesn't look good at the moment... it's like scientists say "negative results are still results", And I always take well constructive criticism.
Thank You all for comments,
I have to apologise for my English, it's not very good.
I hope I express my thoughts clearly.

MY DEMO REEL
MY BLOG

[wunts]

hey the pictures great, its amazing.

[RSLM]

creature




MY DEMO REEL
MY BLOG

[TASmith]

Who painted the fallout pics? And where'd you get the graphics of the photos used?

[RSLM]

I posted Fallout pictures and Avatar concept as examples, it's written on the post.

[NeecHMonkeY]

Craig Mullins painted those 2 images from Fallout 3 and the Avatar image is from Dylan Cole. Both artists do indeed use photographs in their work - the big difference is that they either own the photographs they are using and can do with them whatever they want or the people they work for provide them with photographs that they own the rights to.

[RSLM]

NeecHMonkeY
:-)
in this project "young hunter"




I used this reference

This picture from my own photo references gallery, it's completely my own.(by the way it's my younger brother is posing).
I've got several references collections, one of completely my own photographies.
another is collection from internet (mostly it's just parts or details, and I never use pictures with copyrights on them).
third collection is concept art of other artists, I use it only for inspiration.

for many my 3d work I used a lot of internet staff, mostly for textures.
for example for my 3d model of chevy malibu 2010.




I used my own license plate as texture map.
but tires texture from internet, and also background is GM photography(also the car is still chevy :-) ).

in another my 3d work "BMW 750"

Everything is mine exept license plate (I found it online) and I never even change it, also BMW brand doesn't belong to me :-)

in my work "motorcycle"


almost everything is mine (sketching, design, 3d modeling)

but rear tailight texure map, it's modified tailigt texture of BMW(if I'm not mistaken)
so did I brake law with this?!... :-)


I'm trying to work as much as possible (and being productive).
If those proffesionals can use photography in their concepts, I think I can do that too.

MY DEMO REEL
MY BLOG

[mimer]

I could be wrong here, but when i see "photo reference" used here, it usually means youve got a photo to look at while you make your image, not that you have parts of photos in your actual picture. Theres nothing wrong with making collages like that, and like you showed, professionals do that when putting together concept pieces. Just be honest about wether youre incorporating photos into your images or if youre just using them for reference.

Also, like previously mentioned, make sure there isnt any copyright attached to the images you use, the nudes for example look like photos that would most likely be copyrighted, unless theyre stock.

[RSLM]

I have to mention this already third time on this page.
I NEVER USE INTERNET PICTURES IF THERE IS COPYRIGHTS ON THEM
internet full of free cliparts and millions of pictures.
Some of pictures have copyrights and I always pay attention to it.
I always trying to be completely honest, that's why when people start questioning my work, I never denied that I used internet pictures.
I admited it, and I posted work material in early stages and pictures I actually used.
I'm using photography and cliparts in order to save time.
I'm trying to learn to do matte painting quality hi res concept art in reasonable amount of time. Hopefully it'll work.

MY DEMO REEL
MY BLOG

[Kosmai]

good looking work!

[ThabisoMhlaba]

I think one of the gripes here, is how effective the image comes across with your use of the photos. If you notice when Craig Mullins and co use photo its really tough to notice and and it blends into the work quite well. Understandably a concept artist might want to use photos directly in the work in order to speed up the process but the danger there is that, the style and feel of an the work is lost pretty quickly just because people are put off by an image in there that doesn't quite match everything else.

The design and idea are important but so is the feel and the quality of the work.

[RSLM]

ThabisoMhlaba
Agree, it'd be perfect if the idea of concept and the quality of techique both are very well, that's why I posted my work, because here I can get constructive critique, and constructive criticism will reflect well on my future works.
I'm learning, it's never late to learn. Craig Mullins use photography and he's one of the most influentual artists in our time.
But I'm not trying to be like him, I'm trying to find my way. I want to learn to make matte painting quality concept art (completely photorealistic), in reasonable amount of time. Because in production, if concept artist making concept after that another person have to do matte painting. I want to have both qualifications in one (good example, that Avatar concept posted above). Life is short, you have to draw fast, you have to learn fast. It's actually not that easy mixing photo and hand painting (even though it may seem it's not difficult).
I'm sorry for my English, I hope I expressed my thoughts clearly.

MY DEMO REEL
MY BLOG