City in the sky WIP

**Leoz** · December 14th, 2012, 11:48 AM

Would love some crits!

**Leoz** · December 14th, 2012, 06:41 PM

Update!

**Lectriece** · December 14th, 2012, 08:18 PM

I'm glad you have the city expanding off the edges of the canvas, I think it really helps it feel larger.

If the light source is the sun- the light feels a little too cold for me. I'm having a hard time distinguishing the scale of the buildings in silhouette, they remind me of skyscrapers, but feel like very tiny ones. The value for them might be a little too dark (compared to the buildings on the left side of the image which are lighter). The ship is a little hard to distinguish (what it's made of, what the things on the sides are, what powers it), it needs a little more implied purpose. In just about the center of the image there's that courtyard area that only has that one structure in it- consider adding more structures if you want it to feel more like a market place.

Some questions to ask yourself, if you know all these answers then check the painting to see if it's reading clearly.
Who built this city?
Why is this city here?
What is the city made of?
What's the population of this city?
What's the primary method of transport?
What's the focus of the painting/what are you trying to communicate to the viewer?

Do you have some references for architecture? It seems like you're leading Tudor/timber framing, make sure you communicate the supporting beams on the buildings.

**Leoz** · December 14th, 2012, 08:32 PM

Hey! Thanks alot for the reply, I really appreciate it.

About those questions, I havent thought about it really.
The only clear thing I had in mind was that I wanted to create an quite epic medieval/fantasy city
built high up in the sky were flying ships is used to get around.

I didnt have any reference for the architecture, i got some inspiration from this though : http://daily-steampunk.com/steampunk...ialAirship.jpg

**Lectriece** · December 14th, 2012, 08:59 PM

The questions I asked help influence the way the city is built and how it will be viewed. I like the concept, I think adding some more specifics about where you want people to look will help make the piece stronger.

Your inspiration is pretty cool, but all of your shapes read western rather than eastern at the moment. Eastern arches tend to be rectangular, while western (roman) arches tend to round in the shape you use, which is good if you are going for a European look. I think narrowing in on some real world reference will help you pinpoint your shapes. I suggested Tudor because of the building in the foreground on the right. You might want to find some reference for the architecture because it's coming out as plain. Tudor tends to be referenced a lot with medieval inspired environments, so that may be the direction you want to go. I would check into styles that happened earlier in the middle ages if you want to go for a different feel. Additionally, you may want to play with color schemes a little bit for the buildings themselves, saturated and bright colors lend more towards a modern aesthetic so if you want the environment to feel more medieval you may want to try adding in some more earth tones.