Cinematography On Wood (Updated!)

[Orozc0]

I'm a crazy movie aficionado. I love the movies that pull you in with their amazing shots (colors and compo and all the artsy stuff) and vivid characters(well developed and sincere, no vin diesel(sorry)). Two of my top movies are Amelie and Lost in Translation. They touched a soft spot in my dark abysmal pit. Go ahead and call me 'emo'.

Anyways, I think these pieces complement eachother (maybe because they're the same size?) and yet have very different moods. Please crit the hell out of them. But do keep it rational.

I already posted these on my sketchbook thread but I wanted to see them next to eachother since I gave the first one away.. I made the first one 6 months ago and the second one 2 weeks ago, all with traditional oil.

Sorry about the glare, too much texture on the darks + varnish = bird sh*t.

[Erilaz]

The Amelie one is gorgeous. A nice stylisation without losing Audrey Tautou's classic features. A really pleasant look to the glass as well.

As to Lost in Translation (one of my favourite films btw), the heavy lines on Scarlett Johansson's face feel a little too harsh and make her a bit ugly. The likeness is there, and the background is nicely out of focus, but it doesn't have the same brilliant impact of Amelie.

Perhaps it's because Audrey Tautou has much stronger features that she stands out better, and that Amelie is a more beautifully lit film. Either way, they're both pretty damn good.

[davekang]

It catches my attention whenever someone creates their art works traditionally.
Digitals are part of popular culture of this era, but traditionals, they are timeless.

Having said that, I love them both but I will vote for your Amelie piece.
Vivid colour as you said, strong composition, and the perfect capturing of the character as well.
How big are these, Orozc0?

[JAG.]

fantastic work.. on two very fantastic films. nice work - JAG

[Justin.]

Amelie is great- good saturation, nice colors, good lighting- it really has that older, more classical film look to it. I think what's hurting the LiT piece is the saturation/contrast. The colors are very "pastel", and don't quite have a totally rendered feel to them. While I haven't seen the movie yet, I think it's a bit too blue-ish. Some more darks I think would help divide the FG/BG better.

First one is a keeper though.. or, I guess not since you gave it away. It is a much better piece, and IMO it seems more like you did THAT one 2 weeks ago, and the other one 6 months ago. No offense intended- the Amelie piece is so compelling and wonderful.

[emily g]

Love the Amelie one. The brushstrokes on her face are great.

[se7en_]

Agreed the contrast, lighting and brushwork in the first is much more dynamic. They are both very cool though, its a great concept.

[gorgnut]

I dig them alot, and i must say you have a fantastic taste in movies :]
I agree on what others said about the LiT piece..

Rock on.

[Boogieman]

These are really cool, both of them, but like the previous posters Amelie is my favorite. Her face is great and the background elements are well done too, I love the cat(?) to the right I do think the very hard edge of Amelie's hair could stand being softened a bit. But then again that hard edge gives you a more graphical feel that you might have been shooting for.

[Krigbrann]

I like Amelie better, just for the dark mood and fantastic expression. The glass does look pleasant. The brush stokes on the face make me jealous.

I'm sorry, I don't recognize the second piece so it looks odd to me. I think I'll just leave it be...

[masque]

in both pieces, i find the backgrounds in many ways more interesting than the subjects, which look a bit cut & pasted because of their mostly hard edges. the Lost in Translation BG has very interesting structure despite its general out-of-focus effect, and the Amelie BG has some delightful charm, though in a few places things are going on that aren't entirely intelligible. the portraits are both fairly competent likenesses, but lack some human appeal by being rather technical in rendering style. i think a little more of the BG qualities brought into the depictions would unify both and make the portraits more appealing.

[Chris Bennett]

I guess one has to figure out what it is that makes paintings 'speak' that is different from the way films 'speak'. Most films address the 'left brain' in that they are concieved as illustrated narrative. However some films, particularly the ones I am drawn to and I suspect you are too, address the 'right brain' in that they are concieved harmonically (mood, atmosphere etc) as opposed to melodically (narrative). Paintings are essentially harmonic. They are seen all at once or not at all. It is the reason we can tell instantly that we like something. Narrative does come in, but only after we have been won over by the instantaious 'harmonic' of the painting working as a unity.
Thus we must concieve paintings as a consort of shapes and values that are somehow significant and 'tell' the story in right brain terms - in other words as a significant abstraction regardless of subject matter. This is the reason your Amelie is the better painting.

[343guiltyspark]

I like the one from Amelie alot, I saw the movie a couple months ago and loved it

[Orozc0]

Erilaz - Totally agree with you. I will soften up Scarlett's face a bit. I did notice it wasnt a very flattering image, because she is such a gorgeous woman.

davekang - thanks. Oils live on! These are about 14x10? i think.

JAG. - Thanks.

Justin Oaksford - Yeah, I also spent more time on it. I've been experimenting with pastels and low contrast (inspired by Monet). I'll try to separate the bg and fg a bit more.

emily g - Thanks.

se7en_ - Thanks.

gorgnut - Thanks!

Boogieman -You found the demented cat! That's awesome. And yea, I was trying to play with the shape of her hair, It made the comp more dynamic.

MaxoftheSouth - Man you guys like dark paintings. Thanks for complement!

masque - That's a good suggestion. Unifying the piece my making it equally gestural. But I like hard edges... I think definition is important. The background shouldn't always be defined it's just there for ambience and mood. Right?

Chris Bennett -pld: . Awesome concept. So you are saying the LiT piece lacks basic design qualities. Unfotrunately it is too late too fix that, but I will improve it.

343guiltyspark - Thanks.


Having said that, I feel like the Lost In Translation piece is not doing justice to the movie so I am gonna work on it a bit more. I wrote down all the advice you guys gave me. Thanks a bunch to everyone and I will post the new one in a couple of days.

[Orozc0]

Also, any suggestions for the next movie painting????

[Arne S.]

Also, any suggestions for the next movie painting????

big lebowski!

[Orifice]

ooo, love them! the Amelie one is fantabulous. I'd like to se a Tennenbaums painting. or perhaps Napoleon dynamite. or reservoir dogs....

[Serpian]

I agree on everything everyone else said about Amelie, it's brilliant. Both the movie and the painting. BUT. One thing that caught my eye is that the legs of the person in the BG are a bit translucent. No big deal, really, and I don't even know it is intentional, but I just had to say it.

Otherwise, really great!

[sourgasm]

amelie is probably in my top ten movies. only recently dropping out of the top five. jean pierre jeunet is unbelievably amazing.

also, audrey tautou is my favorite actress. so you probably have some indication of just how much i love that first piece by now. heh. i'd prrrrobably give my left nut to have it hanging on my wall ;p

[Summer Pudding]

The Audrey Tatou piece is marvelous. Is it for sale?

Pete

PS: suggestion for a movie? How about Swingers? Great movie that.

[Orozc0]

Yes his legs are translucent! You're awesome.
Sorry but my Amelie is not for sale yet. I need it for a body of work.

Good sugestions guys. I love Lebowski, Tenenbaums, and Tarantino.

Has anyone watched Rushmore?

[rodrigo!]

nice stuff mate! i feel maybe some of the forms around the lost in translation face could be fleshed out a little softer and with more subtlety but i do like the bg's a lot.

artsy movies...i think you should look up the 'three colours trilogy', particularly 'red' and 'blue' (each movie is based on a colour from the french flag)...amazing movies...

and also "paris, texas" and "wings of desire" (the whole movie is like a poem...) by wim wenders. i feel these movies have totally changed the way i see movies... use of colour, metaphor and everything is beautiful imo

[undergroundsean]

great stuff man ! really good .

[Orozc0]

Thanks Rodrigo! I'll check em out.

Ok so I worked on the painting for two long nights. This is what came out.


I have a Thesis on it, if anyone cares to read it.
The movie Lost in Translation takes place in the other side of the world. These characters feel isolated and confused in what they have in life or rather, should have. This scene represents the painful parting of these complicated characters. Bob Harris with his heart in his throat desintegrates into a overwhelming digitized world. Charlotte full of mixed emotions says goodbye to this experience and is now ready to 'take on half the world'.

[asoir]

whoa! i didnt realise that bill murray was in the first painting (ghostly)
love the update, fantastic job!

[spudstudios]

shazam and abracadabra....awesome work!

[Sleep_Eden_sleep]

I like them both, but I adore the Amelie piece more. The balance of color is very well done. Her face is a bit animated, but still realistic. I can't really express what I'm trying to say, but I do like them very much.