Hoping for some helpful crits

**chevy28360** · July 24th, 2012, 01:18 AM

I've just started about six months ago with painter and it's been equal parts fun and challenging! This is really my first attempt at developing an interior shot of anything and I'm waaaay out of my element. I was trying to depict an engineering section of a ship/facility, and found myself really struggling to come up with something. I did quite a few thumbnails, but even so this piece feels like its all over the place. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

**chevy28360** · July 24th, 2012, 01:21 AM

I don't see the picture in the thread, not sure if I did something incorrect so, here is a second post.

**Giacomo** · July 24th, 2012, 06:43 PM

Looks OK. My immediate thought is that the lighting and color feel a bit weird--if it were me, I'd try to keep the setup a lot simpler. Basically, work out large areas of color and light before worrying about little stuff like the painted yellow stripes on the hardware to the left. One possible approach is attached below.

**chevy28360** · July 24th, 2012, 08:15 PM

I had the feeling that I had so many light sources in the piece that it made things too scattered to the eye. I'm not 100% sure this is what your saying tho. Are you saying that I should keep the lighting more simple? Or are you saying that I should concentrate on rendering the pieces that are meant to be in the foreground more?
To be honest, I think regardless of which one you mean, they are both right! And thanks for the reply. I think I really need an extra set of eyes on my stuff to help me improve.

**Giacomo** · July 24th, 2012, 08:25 PM

Originally Posted by chevy28360

Are you saying that I should keep the lighting more simple?

Yes, I am.

**Lightship69** · July 24th, 2012, 08:30 PM

Hi matey

Here's a thought, have a look at some references like for example manga cartoons with spaceship interiors, star wars, and even the clone wars cartoons and see how they solved the problems. Just have a mad dig around for some inspiration, even a submarine film like Red October or crimson tide would be good, there are all sorts of dials and flashing lights in them not to mention the battle stations red lighting.

Just a thought, all the best with the work.

**chevy28360** · July 24th, 2012, 10:13 PM

@giacomo I hear ya mate.Looking back on it, I've got like six or seven major light sources happening in this piece. Which is really ridiculous for a study. It will take quite some time to master interiors and environments before that would even begin to be practical. And even then, it probably would only be a disservice to the piece as a whole by creating far too much for the eye to look at making stuff look jumbled up. Thanks for the advice.

@lightship69 Your definitely right. I need to look at a lot more references. I think maybe it would be a good study to find a concept piece that is in the style I like, and sort of emulate it. Not exactly of course, I don't want to plagiarize someone, but to use the composition elements and lighting schemes to practice the feel of what I would like to convey. Or do you think I should just use reference's more loosely as inspiration.

**Lightship69** · July 26th, 2012, 05:54 PM

Reference is reference mate you use it as you see fit (legality aside) use as much or as little as you feel you need. I agree with you on the plagiarism though if you are practicing and developing then I would say copy as much as you like and learn as much as you can from it but never pass it off as your own.

I would say start easy and copy some of the consoles and scenes from the first star wars film (with Alec Guiness) they seemed functional and yet not overblown, or here is a free idea use the mostly enclosed console style from the prison sequence where they rescue Princess Leia and use them on an Enterprise style bridge!

all the best with it matey.

P.S. For heavens sake try and tell a story with it as well don't just create a static scene with no life or anima to it please!!