Riox's Sketchbook

**Riox** · January 2nd, 2012, 04:39 PM

Hey all, I have decided to start a new sketchbook for the new year.
Here's a link to my old stuff if anyone is interested Old Sketchbook

Check out my new stuff on last page.

**Riox** · January 4th, 2012, 05:58 PM

Hey guys, just dropping in with a few thumbnails from today. I know the quality isn't good but thats because I'm not used to designing environments, let alone cities.

These are for a little project I'm doing this year, to break me out of my comfort zone. Subject is "Deep Sea City". I'm uncertain on which of these to take forward, so any advise would be great, cheers.

**WRappiii** · January 11th, 2012, 10:52 AM

I like 1st and 3rd on thumbs on the left and the last thumb on the right. I look forward to seeing it finished

That elephant study is brilliant too!

**Riox** · January 14th, 2012, 09:42 AM

WRappiii: Thanks for the feedback. I have decided to mix 3 & 5 from the second sheet. Hope you like

Hey Guys & Girls

Here's a quick update on my Deep Sea City image. I'm struggling with the detailing and lighting on the buildings.

Any feedback on this would be great, cheers.

**Trixtar** · January 14th, 2012, 10:08 AM

Cool!

I'm not good enough to give any great feedback to you, but I really look forward to see the finished piece.

Great looking thumbs

**razz** · January 14th, 2012, 12:28 PM

Have you seen Feng Zhu's video tutorials? They would help you out with environments and much more. Here's a link.
About your Deep Sea City image, one thing that pops into head right away is that there's no clear foreground > middleground > background. It's underwater, you want atmospheric effects. Do find a lot of reference, it helps a lot.

**Riox** · January 14th, 2012, 02:29 PM

Trixtar: Hey, don't knock yourself down, the way I see it is every comment is a good comment. Thanks for dropping in.

Razz: Hey, thanks for finding time to drop in. I do know of Feng Zhu's DVD's, the guy is a legend. I actually watch his basics of perspective again before starting this image lol

About the unclear foreground, middleground and background is that due to values or is it the over all compostion? The idea was that the rocks on the right and look out point on the left are the foreground. Then the road, gateway and the first part of the city are the middleground then the rest of the city at the back.

Is there any way I can make the seperation clearer?

**razz** · January 15th, 2012, 04:35 AM

Riox, it's a value thing. You have elements in the picture that belong to FG, MG and BG, you just need to separate them. And try making the glass sphere on the left smaller, now where the glass meets the rock it also meets the end of the canvas, creating a tangent, that's something to avoid. Not that I'm anyone to teach you, but it's just something I would do

Oh, and it's not Feng's DVDs I'm talking about, it's the free videos on youtube. Quite a few hours of tutorials there with some invaluable info. Do watch those!

**dierat** · January 15th, 2012, 05:19 AM

Love the elephant in the first post. About the depth issue, typically you want the highest contrast (lightest lights and darkest darks) in the foreground to improve the sense of depth and emphasize atmospheric perspective, which should be even stronger under water because we're looking through water, not air, at the buildings in the distance. I imagine it would look similar to a foggy morning (which is kind of what I see when I look at your second thumb on the second thumbsheet). I would also suggest vamping up your light source because right now it's feeling pretty dull overall.

**Riox** · January 17th, 2012, 01:47 PM

Razz: Thanks again for the great feedback. I have taken on board what you have said and hopefully that comes through in my image. I think I just need to practice more with my values because they have always been my problem.

Dierat: Hey, Cheers for the feedback. I'm glad you like my elephant. About my City piece I do believe that I have put in enough atmostspheric perspective in there now, but if not please let me know.

Right guys and girls, this is my finished Deep Sea City image. I have reached the limit of my knowledge with this image. Also I really can't look at anymore so, I'm calling it done.

Hope you like. Feedback appreciated, cheers.

**Kiwizoom** · January 17th, 2012, 02:13 PM

Your elephant study seemed to be pretty strong in shading. I imagine it would look good with further editing/color washing on it. I think stricter shading like that will only do you good in future paintings if you have subjects which are strongly formed as that.

**Riox** · January 18th, 2012, 05:27 PM

Hey everyone just dropping in with a quick animal/colour study.

Feedback appreciated, cheers.

**KiBa** · January 18th, 2012, 06:52 PM

great variety in the thumbs for the deep sea city.

The final image still has some depth issues. There needs to be some kind of middleground, in my opinion. And you need to play with the values a bit more, especially in the city part. The sight needs to be more blurry, because of the vast distance

**Passhunate** · January 18th, 2012, 07:42 PM

The study of the elephant looks very well done. I did somethings with your image. I hope I did not fudge it up. To me it looks like it has more depth but idk. I'm just starting to get serious.I hoped it helped a little.

**AlexTooth** · January 20th, 2012, 06:03 PM

Great updates man, Elephant is real solid, nice work.

Great progress on your environments, as I remember your very first ones!

**Riox** · February 1st, 2012, 06:39 PM

Hey, sorry for late replies.

Kiba: Thanks for stopping by my sketchbook. I'm glad you like my image and I know what you mean now about the depth issue. I have always struggled environments and thats one of the main reasons why.

Passhunate: Wow thank you for the paint over. You definatly haven't fudged it up but you have helped me understand depth a lot. As I mentioned above these types of images allude me. Hopefully I can look back on this image in a year and think my word what was I thinking. :o)

Alex: Hey man, cheers for dropping in. Yeah I remember those bloodly things too, they often haunt my dreams lol. Only way is up!

Hey guys, apologies for lack of updates but I have been on holiday recently and not had much time for work. Got lots of reference photo's though :o)

Here's my latest, The Forest King and his pet.

Feedback welcomed, cheers.

**tsabu** · February 1st, 2012, 07:24 PM

Very nice enviros! i like them a lot!

Your Forest King is slightly weaker - i like the colors, but character itself could be more readable. Looks more as a lich\undead\zombie than forest king to me

Maybe upgrading hes equipment could help?

**blindshot** · February 4th, 2012, 03:03 PM

Thanks for stopping by my sketchbook! I've really enjoyed paging through your work.

Excellent composition in the whale piece. Your environments in general are quite strong. I'm seeing a few issues in the Forest King piece, though. The concept could benefit from using a more dynamic angle. "Kingliness" would be portrayed better if the viewer was looking up at the figure rather than being level with it. Also, as Tsabu mentioned, the colors are nice, but the King sort of blends into the background. Perhaps if you were to saturate the colors in the king, add a little red or blue to give the flesh more life, he would stand out against the vegetation better.

Anyway, really good work here. Looking forward to seeing more!

**Riox** · February 20th, 2012, 07:40 PM

Tsabu: Hey, Thanks for the feedback. I usually got back to an image after a couple of months, so when I look over the forest king I'll bare your comment in mind. I wanted to try keep him bare but I don't think that really sells the King factor.

Blindshot: Hey Blindshot, cheers for your feedback. As I mentioned to Tsabu I will come back to this image later and have a do over. I think you both make great points that I will definatly take them into consideration. I have hopefully already applied some points to my current images. Let me know what you think.

Hey everybody, just dropping in with a couple of new images. The first was done for an IFX weekly challenge, the topic was Abomination.

And the second is a WIP for a personal image "The Phoenix Dragon" I'm hoping for some feedback on anything that stands out on this one.

Feedback appreciated.

**Riox** · February 22nd, 2012, 06:05 PM

Hey guys, just got another animal study for you. I'm enjoying doing these studies and I'm learning a lot from them. Hopefully this will help when I start to render my phoenix dragon.

Hope you like.

Feedback appreciated, cheers.

**NickyBeats** · February 22nd, 2012, 07:56 PM

hey Riox!! ! !! !!!

been a while since ive seen you around! awesome start to your new sketchbook here! i love that guy in the forest with the root feet! looks awesome!

**-D_art-** · February 23rd, 2012, 05:27 PM

nice start!! i really like your paintings, escpecially the see environment and the forest king, and you captured the light very nicely on that last one. keep it up!

**Riox** · February 23rd, 2012, 07:23 PM

Nick: Hey man, cheers for dropping in. Glad you liking the new stuff, hopefully I can keep the standard up hehe. I always seem to trail off at the end of the year, lets see if I can keep this sketchbook going...

D Art: Cheers for stopping by my sketchbook. Nice to hear you like my stuff.

Hey guys, just dropping in with a quick photo study.

Hope you like. Puppy Power!

Feedback appreciated, cheers.

**Riox** · February 26th, 2012, 06:13 PM

Hey guys, just dropping in with another update.

Here's my finished Phoenix Dragon. I wanted to keep it loose to give the image life, what you think?

Feedback appreciated, cheers.

**Mr.Ebony** · February 26th, 2012, 10:06 PM

You're very good at landscapes. Might need to follow you, I could learn a thing or two!

**Riox** · July 15th, 2012, 02:55 PM

Mr. Ebony: Thanks for the feedback. I feel I lack in the environment department so it's good to know people out there like them! Cheers.

Hey guys, it's been far too long. I have been crazy busy over the last few months, I got married in May and I've got myself a new job and now I'm house hunting. Everything is happening all at once and I could be happier. Still all this hasn't left much time for painting :o(

I do have some sort of update for you all. It's not much but it's all I feel happy with posting. Hope you like.

Studies

IFX Monthly - Immortal

Personal Project

WIP - The Cell

feedback appreciated, cheers

**Callergi** · July 15th, 2012, 03:17 PM

Hi. U have a nice sketch book going on.
Congratullations for getting maried and having a new job, way to go

On the feedback side:
I like ur images and I think u should go further by separentig more foreground from midground and background, using saturation and value differences
ex: -the immortals legs and the background
-A I. the feet could be brought in front of the fog, one more one less, idem for hand and nec/head
- The Dock, spaceship and rocks who's ni front and whos behind?

In AI - i think he would fall on his back from that possition, maybe a little rotation to the right would balance him

The image I like most is the the one with the winged-ciber-dog from Abomination theme, really cool

**Riox** · July 15th, 2012, 06:37 PM

Callergi: Thanks again for the feedback, hope you found my comment useful.

Here's a quick Prometheus study from tonight. I bloody love this film so expect more of these...

Feedback welcomed, cheers.

**Aquaticdog** · July 15th, 2012, 06:46 PM

You have lovely rendering skills! keep it up

**JoshDArtist** · July 15th, 2012, 07:04 PM

In the latest art drop, I love the sci-fi one and the ruined city scene... great progression overall.
You aren't afraid to use black, which is good at times... but I'm wondering (like in the last progression of images - post #26) if an introduction of a cool or warm "dark" might serve the image better... or highlights here and there in the darkness..
Just a suggestion, and a technical one at that...

Cant wait to see more!!

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