Advisor

[FowlerIllus]

A sci-fi poster I've just finished.

A royal figure shuttling to a secluded planet to meet with an old friend. I was hoping to convey a sense of power and wisdom from both characters, but in different ways for each. I was also looking for a good chance to design a benevolent alien and a female royal figure. I hope I've had some success, but I can't even tell at this point because I've been lost in the pixels for so long!

I would really like to expand my character and environmental design work

I've included a zoom shot of the central characters.

Comments are most welcome. I would love to hear your impressions.

Photoshop CS4

[Velocity Kendall]

Impressive

[Josu]

outstanding, really amazing rendering

[FowlerIllus]

Thanks very much. I appreciate you saying so.

[rollandinho]

very good job here! story telling, rendering, colors , i love the colors and this design is awesome! really nice

[FowlerIllus]

I appreciate it. I was hoping the story would be a strong point. I'm glad to hear it came through. Thanks.

[artmessiah]

This is nice. I like the tight rendering style, color scheme, and the story within the image.

[Geir]

I just love this one. The designs are great and the lighting is a stroke of genius.

[Smegma Soldier]

Beautiful work. The only thing about it that slightly bothers me is the woman's anatomy. Specifically her hips/thighs and waistline, which seem slightly "bulky" to me relative to her upper body. I am guessing this is a personal thing, and probably a reflection of what I personally am more used to seeing, so you may want to ignore the criticism. The other thing, and I only noticed it by shoving my face against the computer screen, is that the left arm very slightly looks like her right arm at the shoulder. Again though, these are extremely minor points and I had to look hard to find anything to be critical about.

I couldn't make anything even half as beautiful as this, so feel free to ignore the above. Great and inspiring job.

[Loathsome]

I really like this, it's very impressive. Very sharp and clear and very emotional. I love stuff like that!

But what doesn't work for me though, is how empty the left corner is. I think there should be something there to frame the piece better. Cause when I look at their faces, which is the focal point, my eyes kinda drift out into thin air. You could just make the silhouette of the mountains stronger and that'd be enough.

example:

[FowlerIllus]

Great comments everyone. Thanks so much!

OK, I promised that I wouldn't do this (and I hope the moderators forgive a revision being posted in the finished forum but I really liked some of the suggestions and I thought I would post a revision.

I've adjusted the lady's proportions somewhat and I've added some more detail to the upper left corner to block in the composition a bit more (great suggestion).

I also noticed that that distant guard did not have a reflection so I've added that as well. Thanks everyone. I really appreciate all of the kind comments.

[Dahami]

Beautiful! Really fantastic job. The detail in terms of reflections and textures on surfaces is one of the strong points, as well as the sense of depth created by the hazy atmosphere.

[Geir]

But what doesn't work for me though, is how empty the left corner is. I think there should be something there to frame the piece better. Cause when I look at their faces, which is the focal point, my eyes kinda drift out into thin air. You could just make the silhouette of the mountains stronger and that'd be enough.

Ususally I would agree wholeheartedly with you on this. But in this picture the emptyness works. Together with the lighting it gives the scene the tranquillity whitch is such a large part of the story.

[Smegma Soldier]

Nice! I think you fixed the left arm well. Looks like you added a bit more shoulder muscle, and that worked perfectly for me personally. Ditto the hips - I can't put my finger on the exact change, but there is more of an air of feminity for me. Well done!

[FowlerIllus]

The feedback on CA.org is always the most helpful and professional. Thanks to all for looking and giving your impressions.

[thegrayslayer]

Great piece of work. I checked out your other threads, and I reckon this is the best yet - moving in the right direction then. Looking forward to more posts.

~Slayer

[Blind]

Truly beautiful. I have nothing to add other than that the sheen on the clothes... is amazing. I'm not sure what it is about it, but you've managed to make the cloth look "other wordly", which is perfect for an image like this. Was it intentional? The way the cloth drapes, and the sheen I think it is, make it look like something you could never find on earth.

[FowlerIllus]

Truly beautiful. I have nothing to add other than that the sheen on the clothes... is amazing. I'm not sure what it is about it, but you've managed to make the cloth look "other wordly", which is perfect for an image like this. Was it intentional? The way the cloth drapes, and the sheen I think it is, make it look like something you could never find on earth.

You have made my day. The cloth was something I really spent some time on to get an interesting luster. Too much contrast and it looked like vinyl or latex or something, but too little and it just looked too plain. I was really hoping to suggest something sci-fi and alien. I'm so glad you commented. Thanks!

[Blind]

You have made my day. The cloth was something I really spent some time on to get an interesting luster. Too much contrast and it looked like vinyl or latex or something, but too little and it just looked too plain. I was really hoping to suggest something sci-fi and alien. I'm so glad you commented. Thanks!

Time well spent if you ask me! Spot on! So glad to hear this is something you were intentionally shooting for, rather than a happy accident. It's been a while since I've spent any time on these forums, but I'll certainly be looking for your work.

[tgfx]

wow what a great peace. Props on the work man. This is going right on my desktop. thanx and post some more.

[Just_Passing_Through]

I am not an artist in any sense of the word. I see things I like, and I just like them. I have no knowledge of the technicalities behind the work, nor do I care. It is the whole of the work that pulls some emotion form inside that gets me to take note. In this case, I "feel" a sorrowful goodbye, an epic goodbye. They will never meet again. The student has learned everything the master has to teacher and must now continue her journey. She will be a queen to her people, but in her heart, he will always be her teacher, but something more. He is an ancient, powerful being, wise beyond the ages. He is the only grandfather figure she has ever known. Duty and honer compel her to leave. She is the only student to pierce the armor that protects him from emotional attachment. His love for her is that of a grandfather for his granddaughter, his heart is breaking. All of this is in his face and eyes, in her posture and the way she holds her head, the way she reach up to touch his face. There is wisdom and power conveyed, but it is secondary, inferred even.
I'm not much of a writer ether, my words do not do justice to your work. I will simply end with, this image made my heart ache. Well done.

[FowlerIllus]

Wow, what an incredible reply. My sincere thanks for sharing your reaction. If this image has so affected one person, then it has succeeded beyond my hopes.

[Duman]

Beautiful rendering. Seriously, everything looks...right. Except for one area now that I look at it.
The woman is holding up her arm. Under her arm is the cloth of her shroud. The red cloth under there looks fine, the yellow section looks flat, especially when compared to other areas. Pop some detail and lighting in there and I would say your 100% gold.
Great work.

[JDB13]

Hey FowlerIllus, like that drawling a lot

I am working on a upcoming short/feature concept film and need a concept artist. Not sure if you would be interested in it or not. It is a sci-fi/fantasy that needs some creature/character/and environment designs.

My current project I am working on is Project Arbiter, a sci-fi WW2 film. You can check out our website by google/ing it to get an idea of the work we are trying to do.

Thanks for you time

Jesse

[FowlerIllus]

Thanks for your kind words. Please send me an email or a PM if you'd like to discuss working together. I am always looking for new projects!

[Jeff Lafferty]

cool piece!
Jeff