Garloids -WIP

[Symson]

Here's an illustration in progess. C&C welcome.

[smuli]

I like the pose and anatomy of the creature on the cliff. To be real nitpicky though, with the top surface of the rock slanting towards the viewer and that much of a forward lean on the creature, he'd probably fall off. On the composition, the two flying figures are bothering me a bit because they draw the eye to the big empty space where there's nothing else interesting to look at. You could either omit them altogether and leave that as a simpler area, or make them follow a path that takes the eye from the creature on the cliff, to the detailed head on the right. Apart from that, I like the composition though.

[Mr. Corlan]

Sorry to be curt, but there is no perspective here.

[Symson]

I like the pose and anatomy of the creature on the cliff. To be real nitpicky though, with the top surface of the rock slanting towards the viewer and that much of a forward lean on the creature, he'd probably fall off. On the composition, the two flying figures are bothering me a bit because they draw the eye to the big empty space where there's nothing else interesting to look at. You could either omit them altogether and leave that as a simpler area, or make them follow a path that takes the eye from the creature on the cliff, to the detailed head on the right. Apart from that, I like the composition though.

Thank you. Good suggestions. I will make adjustments.

[Symson]

Sorry to be curt, but there is no perspective here.

If you are saying there is no sense of depth, then i feel at this stage you are right. I hope to use atmospheric perspective to do that when i get to the color stage.

If not then I don't understand what you are saying.

[Stoat]

Judging from the crowd, our viewpoint is slightly above the other figures. But we simultaneously seem to be looking down at the rock overhang and up at the figure standing on it. I suspect that's what Mr. Corlan meant.

This, and the other illustration, have a real Hannah-Barbera feel. Somewhere between Jonny Quest and Scoob and the gang. That's neither bad nor good, I'm just sayin'.

[Symson]

I understand Stoat.

Because it's not a building it's hard to know what that ledge should look like. I purposely slanted it so we could see the top. It's not parallel to the ground. We are not above the crowd.

These beings can cling to surfaces. Which I didn't do a good job communicating since the figures in the background are seen as flying. So I have to make changes there to make sure I tell the story I want to tell.

[Mr. Corlan]

Yes, what Stoat said. Thank you Stoat.

Just because you're not drawing boxes or buildings doesn't mean you don't use linear perspective. How else will you know what size to make your figures and how to draw them correctly?

If your eye level is not above the crowd, you would see something like this:



So I suspect what you actually want is an eye level just above the heads of the crowd. But perhaps not.

Theoretically you could simplify everything into basic shapes and plot them in perspective, but for practical purposes, all you need are some rough guidelines and hopefully some reference appropriate to your viewpoint. Obviously, for your image, reference photos of mountains from a viewpoint near their base would be more useful than photos taken from an airplane. For figures of course it's easiest to get their perspective right if they are standing straight up, but even if they are crouched or posed however, you can still use some boxes and a vanishing point or two to get them reasonably accurate.

[Symson]

Yes, what Stoat said. Thank you Stoat.

Just because you're not drawing boxes or buildings doesn't mean you don't use linear perspective. How else will you know what size to make your figures and how to draw them correctly?

So I suspect what you actually want is an eye level just above the heads of the crowd. But perhaps not.

Theoretically you could simplify everything into basic shapes and plot them in perspective, but for practical purposes, all you need are some rough guidelines and hopefully some reference appropriate to your viewpoint. Obviously, for your image, reference photos of mountains from a viewpoint near their base would be more useful than photos taken from an airplane. For figures of course it's easiest to get their perspective right if they are standing straight up, but even if they are crouched or posed however, you can still use some boxes and a vanishing point or two to get them reasonably accurate.

I understand. Looks like i will be reworking this to take care of the various issues. Thanks.

[Symson]

This is where I placed the horizon line.


I went out last night to take some reference photos I could use as a guide to get what I want.

I'll be reworking this drawing today or tomorrow.

[Symson]

Here's a revised version.

[Theeroos]

The way the creature is standing on the rock doesn't make any sense. Even assuming he has some magical ability to cling to any surface, His feet and hands should still be positioned properly in regards to the way the rock is tilted. If anything, his pose suggests the rock is slating upwards, instead of down towards us.

[Symson]

Perhaps this diagram will help you Theeros to understand how the creature is standing. Yes the creature can cling to the surface. Since this is an illustration for a book I will have to rely on the reader getting that information. I've shown other creature crawling on the walls in the background to try to minimize the need to read to get that information. But since it's not Spider-man that information is not going to be immediately grasped. I'm obviously having difficulty conveying this information clearly.

[Theeroos]

Ah, alright, now I get it. In the drawing it looks (to me anyway) like he's standing on his hands and feet, (like a big ape) and then it makes no sense in relation to the slanting of the rock and his feet. I don't think most viewers will get what you're trying to show this way. Maybe play around with his arms, raise them up, or have them actually gripping the stone instead of dangling in the air (why would he bend his hands like that if there is no tension on them?) . In the diagram you made, his pose isn't necessarily wrong, but why would he purposely stand so out of balance by leaning forward like that? I can believe it's possible, but why would he? That in combination with the bending of the hands, and the viewer possibly not getting that they can cling to walls like that, it becomes very confusing.
Anyway, I think that the general viewer won't really notice the pose is all that odd (at least not in such a way that it bothers them) but they won't get that he is standing on an almost vertical plane with just his feet, so if that is your intention you should try and change it, or find another way to show what these creatures are capable of (:

[Symson]

The fact that the creature can cling is incidental to this scene. The main point is he is communicating to the tribe.

Thanks for your feedback Theeroos.

[Symson]

Here's WIP. The last stage before I go to color.

[Symson]

Early coloring stage.

[Symson]

Early coloring stage.