Rendering Help

[DAMJAN]

Ok, I'm not satisfied with the way I render things especially in this piece. After playing Mass Effect,I wanted to create an environment located in the glaciers.
Can someone give me an advice on how to improve my rendering? To me the way I render, seems comic book like but I want that speed painting/painting feel.
I'm pretty good at sketching things out but my rendering skills are lacking. Please help. You can also give other critiques. If someone is willing to help and mentor me
in this area, we can start a thread in the appropriate section of this forum. Thank you.

[DonovanValdes]

Hello Damjan,

A few issues occur to me immediately with this piece, but since you asked for rendering advice in the 'speed painting' vein, I'll address that. I believe the problem is you're trying to suggest too much detail in the ice, and it comes across as busy and confusing.

The best thing I can suggest is: Take a reference photo of an icy landscape, and use those colors to try repainting your scene with a LARGE brush. Try a flat shape, perhaps textured. Paint in broad strokes, and suggest entire cliff sides with just 2 or 3 swipes. Suggest the buildings very loosely, but do not worry with minor details and perfect edges at this stage. Rather than building up the ice with hundreds of minor strokes, use your eraser to carve away the ice to get the interesting shape you want.

The goal is minimalism. Once you can get the basic shapes you want, you can always preserve transparency and go in later with detail.

Good luck.

[DAMJAN]

Thank you. What other issues you've seen?

[DAMJAN]

I guess my question is, how do I add detail/realism without making it look too busy/confusing.

[humboldt squid]

Focus on the lighting, proper lighting can take you a long way without adding in too much detail.

[DAMJAN]

thanks

[DonovanValdes]

Hi Damjan,

Concerning your question "how to add detail/realism" : My first post was aimed at encouraging you to NOT worry about detail until the rest of the piece is as solid as possible (hence the broad strokes, large brushes, etc).

It's a common tendency many aspiring artists have, to jump into details, and overemphasizing their importance to the piece. Since you mentioned speed painting as one of your goals, try checking out Jaime Jones or Craig Mullins or Ryan Church...their speed paintings suggest much detail w/o just by careful placement of brushstrokes, or creative use of a textured brush. You imagination often fills that detail in because the rest of the image is so strong.

In regards to your ice-view piece, I wonder how much detail would be visible from such a height? Probably not much. Much more important here is whether the composition, perspective, lighting and color are successful. Those are the things that will immediately, upon first glance, convince a viewer if your image is correct or not.

I worry that the ocean (and the entire piece) comes across very flat right now, especially since I see no horizon. The water doesn't recede with distance, and it makes judging the angle difficult.
Try re-imagining the shot with a slightly different angle, using broad brushes with a good reference shot for color and depth cues.

I hope to see an update soon. Keep working at it!

[DAMJAN]

Thank you very much.

[Trace007]

The lighting is what sells realism, as in accurate color and value. I've seen speed paintings with very little detail and rendering, but it looks extremely realistic because the artist had a good sense of lighting.

Look at reference and study the color and value. Detail comes after, if you need it.