lowpolymatts sketchbook--->21st November

[lowpolymatt]

Really enjoyed this one, took a mullins masterpiece for the initial colourscheme reference then just played and this is what came out...

I quite like working in this manner..

Photoshop 45 mins

[Madoliane]

I checked the DSG forum during my lunch hour and didnt see your entry...I was rather disappointed so it was great to see this at the end of the day.
I'm really loving your DSgs....keep up the good work.

[lowpolymatt]

So this is where I started... 2 images in my head..


Which led to this scribble...


and this...

and this...now I LOVED this image when I first came up with it...gruesome, lots of impact and had a lot of response from the UK guys about how it was a bit gritty for the contest..


This one was a bit of an odd one...but I liked it..



and these two are other idea's along the same lines...

Now Im at a point where I'm not sure where to go...I have a lot of ideas but nothing screaming at me...and todays DSG got me thinking about going a bit more 'open plan'...but we'll see! It's all fun innit!

[lowpolymatt]

[lowpolymatt]

First EVER serious try of painter...not as bad as I thought, very similar to photoshop but also very different. I kinda could get into it. The key I think is finding a set of brushes you can do everything you need to with. I've not found those yet...but that'll take tim I guess. If any of you out there have favourite brushes that you'd recommend, please recommend them to give me a kick start on this before I decide it's not for me.

Anyway, it's a painting of the lass from Lost in Translation...I know it doesn't look anything like her...but this was more of an exercise to see if I could do anything remotely decent in Painter...

Anyway, tell me what you think yeah?
Ta
Matt

[lowpolymatt]

Upon waking up, I thought I'd look at this again...cropped it, edited a few small details (eyes looked way too wide etc) and added a little contrast to boost the saturation a touch. Better I think...I think for a first attempt at painter it isn't half bad...I guess I'll keep on and see if painter works for me.

[lowpolymatt]

Lunch.Photoshop.15mins.

Couldn't spare any more time due to meetings etc...grr!

[buzzz3d]

Hi Matt.
Just wanted to say that I really like this image, even better than the WIP below it, probable because the big shapes and the lighting are working. A lot of Craig Mullins paintings I like because he can be very subtle with the lighting and contrast in the face. The rough sketch has that and in the WIP below the face is is already overworked for my taste.
Just wanted to let you know
About Painter, a few cool brushes are oil pastel, palette knife, round camelhair, and the waterblenders Just add water and grainy water.
Just have fun and see what you like.

[lowpolymatt]

Hey Buzzz (with the 3 Z's!) I much prefer the one you're on about too. This was going to be my final choice for the image I was going to work up...I'm still tempted by it. On the other hand, I've also started to work up another which I dont want to reveal just yet....IF I were to work this one up (which I may well do anyway as I really love it) then I completely agree with you on the subtlety of the lighting. I guess I felt it didn't have the 'wham bam' for a piece thats going into a contest like this...but then I don't think any of my work I've done for this does, but then thats why i like them...I guess I was a bit worried it wouldnt pack the punch it needed to wo the judges. BUT...If I work it up, then maybe it'll catch their eye...I dunno....it's my hot fave...cropped in a bit and focusing more on the morbidity of it maybe. Anyway, we'll see...keep your eyes peeled Everyone keeps telling me to work up all of my wips as a 'set'. I just dont want to compromise myself trying to deliver all of that. Only a week to go so it'll be interesting. I'll post some more WIPS tonight once I get back from life drawing.


Thanks for commenting on it, it means a lot to get some good feedback...

Matt

[legacy]

wow man, you definitly have alot more emotion conveying from your characters (well people anyway )

love the sketches and that battlefield piece is awesome.. .

keep em' coming!

[lowpolymatt]

Thanks Legacy, glad you like it...more to come soon

[lowpolymatt]

I started life drawing class tonight. First time I've been to a life drawing lesson in...13 years to be precise...

I have a long way to go but I'm pleased with my first piece. We (my wife and I) were totally unprepared for the class as we were told they'd have equipment and they didn't so it was charcoal and paper all the way...(we didn't even have masking tape to tape the paper up!)....but hey, we both gained a lot from it even if there was less tutoring and more just getting on with it...

Anyway, here you go...

[lowpolymatt]

Minor Update...Jst some sketches from today...one from the DSG then the others as follow ups...

[lowpolymatt]

Some wip stuff from my dallas entry...I spent a while trying out new ideas on this one last night...Still dont like it much. Here...



I like this bit, it felt a lot more natural to me...I would like to try and work more like this...Here...



but it didn't really work when I applied it to the foreground....(Although it looks better zoomed on). Here...



Edit: Anyone got anything at all to say about my recent wanderings?

[HexKrak]

You've got some awesome stuff here. I wish I had your grasp of colour, well and everything else.
Specificaly, the Dallas entry is coming along very well, but the guys in the back ground are rather difficult to read.
The dsg entry was awesome, I like the way you did all the skeletons. Some seemed to have some distinct personality. Crit would be that the cape seems a little technical to me, but it does have tha majestic, or powerful feel to it.
Other than that I very much agree with legacy that your pictures are depicting alot of emotion. Very well done, keep it up.

[lowpolymatt]

Thanks for the heads up Hexkrak...the Dallas Entry is still a WIP, I have a few of them on the go but I can't decide which one to go with. I may well post the other one/s this weekend for people to give me their opinions of.

As for the Necromancer, well I am going to work this one up. Just not right now as I dont have time....

glad you like the stuff I do, thanks for commenting.

See ya in the DSG
Matt

[Madoliane]

I'm not sure my comments count since I see you paint every day but I've been looking at these WIPs and the one with the girl over the table.....the guys in the background, I like a lot but I always find myself straining to see them...I've now figured that they have their backs to the picture.....perhaps make this more obvious ?
I dunno....just been trying to look at it with a more critical eye than an adoring wife's eye !

[lowpolymatt]

Just playing...

Madoliane...good point...I think because I drew them that way I can see it...but you're right it's not all that clear. I'll have a look at that tonight...

[yboris]

good work! I've been exctremely busy with college (20 credits) and before that I didn't have time either ... maybe this semester I will finally begin to "put out" some artwork
I like your style - the "loose" strokes and I'm pretty impressed with speed - I don't think I am able to do anything decent in under 2 hours. I have much to learn ...
are you doing all this for fun/hobby ?

[lowpolymatt]

hey yboris...

I do it for fun. My work is art related in that I work for EA as a modeller. But the 2d stuff, that is for me because It's been way too long since I really did any, so the last few months I've been re-training myself to do more 2d art and I think it's starting to pay off...good luck with the college work and make time for your art!!!

[lowpolymatt]

Well I posted this over in 'Its finally finished' to see what people thought but no one has commented on it yet really, so I'm posting it in here to see if any of you folks have anything to say...and to kep a record of it I guess. I know it's not so much a daily sketch but this and the other bits n bobs I've been doing for the dallay beefdome have been my bread and butter art for the last couple weeks so in a sense they are my dailies...

Anyway, crits and comments always welcome...

I'm off to life drawing tonight so that should be good. I'll post some stuff once i'm done!

[spork891]

It's pretty cool man, but dare I ask what is going on here? Looks pretty brutal...

[lowpolymatt]

The subject is Dark Ages + worm + Crescent....I took the dark Ages bit and did some reading up on what happened in these times. Turns out that its called the dark ages because not much record of it was kept except by monks. The reason being because warring tribes in Europe were sacking and pillaging towns and villages in a brutal rampage across Europe...which is why not many records exist, they were all burnt or destroyed in the process. Along with this, there was a lot of death and raping and general hysteria...

The pic is supposed to show a simple village girl who's been killed by a couple thugs after they've had their 'way' with her...or something along those lines. It worked a lot better when she had the sword through her back pinning her to the table... I guess it is a bit distasteful, but then I was trying to portray the morbidness of this age where history got a bit lost.....(they really were dark ages for all involved).....

So there you go...I don't think many people saw past the shock of the image which is probably why I've had little response to it....

hey ho-never mind..

[Dennal Floss]

Your TD entry is coming along real nice. I enjoy the way you post your progress, just goes to show that a piece can go almost anywhere at anytime when you work hard on it.
I lke the fact you took away the blade ( don't know if it's a permanent modification). A rape scene is already pretty gruesome, that blade was too much and made the piece go from dramatic/tragic to hardcore/gory ( well maybe not gory but...)
One crit and query on the hair and the hands : If the cold backlight is coming from the moon, then I imagine that the warm light on her legs is a fire. Then wouldn't the hands and hair get more of this light ??
Nice mood in the background, very creepy.
Keep rocking !!

[lowpolymatt]

Your TD entry is coming along real nice. I enjoy the way you post your progress, just goes to show that a piece can go almost anywhere at anytime when you work hard on it.
I lke the fact you took away the blade ( don't know if it's a permanent modification). A rape scene is already pretty gruesome, that blade was too much and made the piece go from dramatic/tragic to hardcore/gory ( well maybe not gory but...)
One crit and query on the hair and the hands : If the cold backlight is coming from the moon, then I imagine that the warm light on her legs is a fire. Then wouldn't the hands and hair get more of this light ??
Nice mood in the background, very creepy.
Keep rocking !!

You're spot on with your assesment of the lighting. I tried it and found it made such a hit on the subdued nature of the lighting that adding too much to the hands and hair kind of killed the subtlety...but yep it should be stronger really....or the fire light on her knees should be less. I may well go in and tweak it a little but I think this one need a full rework to get it how I pictured it in my head. Thanks for the crit.

[lowpolymatt]

ok, firstly...is it ok to post DSG entries in a sketchbook? I mean...as well as in the DSG.

well anyway secondly...I've been trying out painter 9. So far it's very nice. I'm still running into the same problems I had in 8...and I want to see if anyone can offer any advice on it.

When I paint in painter. I find it really hard to find the right kind of brush to do what I want. I can just about cope with it all and work my way around the problems I encounter but....well there must be an easier way...you know? In Photoshop I have about 4 brushes I use constantly...my bread n butter brushes...but I don't know what those are in painter. Anyone got any suggestions where to start and 'how' to use those brushes? Because I really really want to get into painter...I know it will be a good move for me....it feels right, but it's not doing what feels right....

So here's a pic I did in painter today...It's not my usual style...mainly because I cant get my usual style yet in painter. The brushes I'm using so far dont feel accurate enough or 'smudgy' enough....Also, this has 'outline' which I tend to try and avoid...and go for just painting how I see it..plus there's not much blending as this is mostly on one layer...when i blend it kinda smudges everything....tips?

Ta
Matt


Painter 9 Demo : 2 hours

[lowpolymatt]

I just did a quick test using glazing oils to blens things together....kinda works...this is the sort of gubbins of info that im missing on painter...

[lowpolymatt]

Bout an hour and twenty minutes in Painter 9 Demo...I like it...but I still have trouble with the brushes...this was done solely with the artist oil bristle brush....nothing else...kinda interesting. Wasn't really aiming for a finished look...

I shall have to investigate more..

Oh and some skribbly sketches to follow soon!

[spork891]

I've never used a wacom tablet before, it seems like it would be hard to coordinate your hand movements with the brush moving around on the screen... is that the case?

I really really want one but they cost SO much. :-)

[Marie]

I don't thinkt he darkages one was too much of a in your face shock, I think you got your point across without instant image shock, which in itself is an achievment. You got the shocking point across in a very smooth manner, that makes the viewer look at the picture for a sec and formulate not only what happend but emotional feelings about it too. After looking at the difference between the one with and without the scythe, I actually like the scytheless one better. Because its at the same time less and more dramatic, I think it delays the realization a bit longer and also gives less of the "they killed her" feeling and more of the "eek they "tortured" her then killed her..." feeling.

The fact that you kept it simple, and nothing too graphic, just "implied" that something graphic and horried just happend is great. What especially makes it for me is the two men in the background walking away. They look like buddies, with this great comraderie going on after a fun time!... that contrasted with the girl you can't miss in the foreground is just great. It, to me really simply says so much about the times.

I also like what you did to the last version, texture wise, adds a gritty feel to the whole thing... gritty world it was.

Also, I never commented on this, but just seeing how you've progressed from beginning to end overall in your artwork is very inspirational, noticeable movement and improvement in sketchbooks such as yours is very inspiring... I think it what keeps some of us going when we want to throw our pencils at the wall.