Muttonhead's Newborn

**miycko** · July 13th, 2009, 04:37 AM

that's some really great pencil work & i like your choice of colours, great work, waiting to see more

**Baron Impossible** · July 13th, 2009, 05:34 AM

Being honest, I'm not keen on those colours. As well as obscuring that wonderful line art it seems to be the wrong mood for what's really a light-hearted piece. I'd be tempted to try a more natural combination, reminiscent of a sunny day, with bluey shadows and more saturated orangy sunlight.

**Murgen** · July 13th, 2009, 01:56 PM

Hmmm I was really enjoying the piece as black and white, or rather just a line drawing.

Looking forward to see where you are going with the coloring. As it stands now, and I know it's just a quick color pass, the color has completely overwhelmed the intricate drawing.

**Muttonhead** · July 13th, 2009, 11:27 PM

Colrouphobia - Thanks for the suggestion!

Dirt Syndicate - Thanks man! Your design work is killer! If I rode skateboards, I would definitely hire you to do mine. Using one of your images form your website as my desktop BG right now actually.

Chris - You flatter me too much! Thanks a lot man.

Vaejoun - Thanks, I will do my best not to disappoint!

Wilbur - that's a thought, I may try that on the next pass. Thanks!

miycko - Thank you kindly!

Baron - You can't trick me that easily... in this arena we are rivals, are we not, so why should I trust anything you suggest??

Haha, well, we'll see.

Murgen - Thanks for the warning... what do you think of the new direction?

Here is another attempt at a possible color pallette. Still just quickly laying in base colors, so don't worry about details and sloppiness. I usually do this first to get a start with how I want the overall color scheme to feel before getting to the nitty gritty.

**TheDirtSyndicate** · July 14th, 2009, 12:57 AM

haha, awesome man. thanks
what image is it?
i've actually got a TON of bkg images i've created throught the years that i dont have online anywhere. i used to design shit when i was bored and the easiest aspect ratio to remember and work at was my desktop aspect ratio. these days its not as easy with all the new displays... hd, cinema, etc.
anyway, thanks. i like where you're guy is headed there... maybe looking a bit too pale, but im assuming thats just an early stage in your process....
take a look at my entry when you get a chance man, finished it up on sunday, i'd love to hear your thoughts.

**McLean** · July 14th, 2009, 01:05 AM

Hey Sean, I think this is looking great so far. I know its early in your process, so everything I'm about to say is either something you've considered, or something that will be irrelevant by the time you're done.

But I'm going to give it a go anyway.

First thing that I notice is how none of the colors really seem to influence the surrounding colors. There are none of the cools below found in the sky, none of the warm sky in the creature, none of the cools in the creature in the castle. To me it feels a little disjointed at this stage. So I took the liberty of goofing around with it in photoshop and seeing what happens. They aren't radically different from your last study, but they might make you think of something you hadn't considered before.... or not. I know you got this under control buddy.

**Randis** · July 14th, 2009, 01:05 AM

man, this is going to be a hell of a pic! Looks awesome!!!
Great job!

Tho, i am not sure about the colors...
Looking at the building it seems to be a sunrise or evening setting (always a great mood) but the colors of that monster don't fit, he looks like he is under water. you have some clash of warm and cold colors here. And there is this glow around the one tentacle, it looks like ... stink? but very cartoony kinda...

I'd picture the monster in a very pale color, like a ripe fat maggot, skin thinm blue veins showing. something like that....

**Huey Yeng** · July 14th, 2009, 01:21 AM

Looks awesome Muttonhead. Maybe some moody clouds here and there to enhance the atmosphere.

**GriNGo** · July 14th, 2009, 03:29 AM

lookin amazing muttonhead!

**Baron Impossible** · July 14th, 2009, 06:19 AM

Oh yeah, and - and - I think it needs some serious lens flare and a couple of Poser people pasted in the foreground and a metallic filter to emboss everything!

Don't get me wrong, it looks great, I just think it could look better with sunnier colours. If you're going down this path, though, I'd strongly suggest lighting the little statue as a secondary focus, in a similar way to the big fella, thereby connecting them story-wise. After all, the icon plays a big part in the story (which is why I suggested have the people gather round it) and the way you've made it an anthopomorphic (!) version of of the big fella is inspired; you don't want to lose that connection.

**Leighton** · July 14th, 2009, 06:22 AM

This drawing is fantastic. When I first saw it I was reminded a little of Charles Laughton in Hunchback of Notre Dame - maybe if it was remade by Guillermo del Toro.

Can't really comment too much on the color version (because what I know about color theory isn't worth knowing), but the pencil version alone looks like a winner.

**Nickillus** · July 14th, 2009, 11:44 AM

Having had a good trawl round your excellent website full of strong drawing and bold colour, I know you can pull this into an image I'll feel compelled to download and dribble on, Muttonhead. That's not good news for my monitor of course.

I know what the guys mean when they say about the colour not really being needed over such a superb drawing, but once you get it under more control it should look fantastic. I'm finding it hard to imagine it finished too at present with such bold, colourful swathes flowing around.
I like Baron's suggestion about picking out the statue to explain the message more. That would be a good move in my opinion. He nows his stuff that bloke doesn't he?

**WOMD** · July 15th, 2009, 04:07 AM

nice job dude. i like the idea very much. the piece is trully amazing. soft bubble forms and flesh combined with architecture..there is contrast.nice job on the sketch. for the colors now.. you should think about the aerial perspective. the first thing i thought when i saw your piece was "maaaaan that's huge...it is really far in the background." at the moment the monster is being pulled to the top with all those intensive colors. and the six-armed statue is being pushed back. you should think about lightning the statue more. i saw your works. i think this will end up beautiful. good luck

**diissar** · July 15th, 2009, 06:54 AM

hi Muttonhead,excellent work man,keep it up!!!

**Muttonhead** · July 15th, 2009, 08:04 AM

Thank you thank you everyone! Yes, the statue will definitely have to be lit to make sure it is read clearly. Here is another color pallette pass, I think I am going to start working in this direction, keeping all of the comments in mind.

**ArneSReismueller** · July 15th, 2009, 10:03 AM

damn, this is cool! how long did you draw on that church-building?

**WOMD** · July 16th, 2009, 03:02 AM

wow ! I definitely love the second one. waiting to see how will this work out. keep working man . I wish you best of luck

**Muttonhead** · July 17th, 2009, 11:56 PM

Woah, been a little slow going this week. Lots goin on.

Anyways, here is some progress. Thanks for all the great feedback!

**Cryptcrawler** · July 18th, 2009, 03:40 AM

Great job on this mutton, hee hee I really like this creature.
Love the color choices you made, that cool value in the upper left really helps him sink into that church even more, since it goes from cool to warm like that, it really helped the illusion of him crushing that architecture.

Sweet work, looking forward to more.

**Ghostbrush** · July 18th, 2009, 05:15 AM

really great work Mutton, the pencil sketch is adorable, really crisp and clean, easy to read, hope all is well and that finish this piece, its pretty damn epic!

**WOMD** · July 18th, 2009, 06:17 AM

Wonderful work, man! Maybe put some flower bouquets infront of that statue

but honestly I think we have a winner !

**Steve99** · July 19th, 2009, 09:58 AM

Arghh... I want to kill you! It's an amazing and strong image!

**sketcheth** · July 20th, 2009, 02:47 AM

Wow that's a beaut...what's most impressive to me is really the original pencilling...that's some fine draftsmanship! Quite the color palette, I like! Kind of reminds a little bit of the end of Watchmen.

**Artofinca** · July 20th, 2009, 03:28 AM

stunning artpiece

**Dromer** · July 20th, 2009, 04:25 AM

Wow, that really blew my mind. I love your Lovecraftian style from this pic and your blog. Chaotic but very clean. I'm speechless, and I want to throw the towel in the ring.

**Seaport** · July 24th, 2009, 05:58 AM

Great stuff, love the pencils and the last updates ace, especially that middle tentacle

**Joshua.Crawford** · July 24th, 2009, 08:28 AM

Aw man!! Your in this?? That sucks :p.Good to see you again.Still amazing with the sketches I see.

**DeadInTheAttic** · July 24th, 2009, 11:01 AM

Really impressive. I wonder what this will look like at the end.
But obviously one of my favorites

I'd go for some other colours, but that's subjective. I'd make it look more sepia, brownish; keep the lines as good as possible and making it look like an epic, ancient painting, a bit desatured and so on. For your drawing really is superb.

**Josif** · July 24th, 2009, 12:04 PM

impressive and complex work... so many details and grand architecture. great visual impact in rounded bio form combined with impeccable straight line of architecture