N D Hill's paint/sketch dump

**flippinmental** · May 18th, 2005, 11:49 AM

wow, i love these pictures you have a great style!
if i'm going to post i may as well give my some crits - the alien picture in the first post is birlliant but i think that the character seems a bit too "straight" i havn't seen the alien films so i dont really know what there like, but i'd imagine that they would be more active and wouldn't stand up straight like that - but i could very easily be wrong. Your a heck of alot better then me so take that with a grain of salt.
Anyway brilliant pictures!

**N D Hill** · May 19th, 2005, 08:51 AM

panda: Thanks bro. Yeah, wanted to shoot for something a bit different from the traditional worm with the head that splits open into three parts. As cool as that is, it's a bit expressionless.

flippinmental: Thanks for the crit man. I see what you mean. The composition is a little boring there as a result of a lack of proper planning. If I were to do it over, I'd change the camera angle to something low and angled up at the alien.

my latest.

**Lake** · July 24th, 2005, 10:27 PM

cool. painter?

**N D Hill** · August 23rd, 2006, 09:20 AM

Hey everyone.

This semester I'm taking part in an independent study in addition to my typical full-time course load. The focus is digital painting and online showcasing. I basically get to do what I normally do except now I receive college credit. One of the parameters is that I must frequently update an online digital sketchbook/blog which can be found at http://ndhill.po.gs/project.html

In addition, I'm posting pretty much everything here and at cgtalk.com in order to fish for replies which my instructor insisted that I pursue from the various online art communities.

anyway, here's my latest. It's a 45 minute self-portrait that I completed today as today's the official start of the semester here. Expect updates fairly frequently.

Feedback is very much appreciated either here or at the blog. Either way, I'd be grateful.

These three images were done as part of an independent study in digital imaging here at USM. I wanted to create a series of images that reflected on the theme of violence and how we perceive it. I used this project as an opportunity to really experiment with stuff that I should be more accustom to but, unfortunately, am not. The figure and dynamic gesture were a main challenge here as they're both elements that I'd consider myself a little week on. Because of this, I think it'll be a little while before you see another monster out of me. I think it shows how harmful doing too much of one thing for any extended period of time can be.

Anyway, attending a fairly "modern minded" fine arts program doesn't really give me the chance to receive any considered, aesthetically minded, technical feedback as it does here at conceptart.org so I'm interested to here what people think.

This first image was done fairly quickly as I wanted the important elements within it to retain a certain looseness. I wanted something that looked a bit like a classic Spaghetti Western movie poster.

And finally, a piece where I really tried to push a lot of difficult elements such as dynamic lighting, dynamic gesture and stable composition. I looked a lot at italian renaissance paintings and wanted to suggest subtle reference to the equestrian victory statue and typical renaissance paintings where multiple figures were contorted in a tangle of limbs and interconnecting forms. I sort of wanted the modern translation of the medieval melee.

Here's my latest commission I've been working on. It's a wraparound book cover for the novel 'Twilight of the Dead' by Travis Adkins which is going into its second paperback printing. The text I've added to the image will of course be replaced by something the publishers will have formatted. I was just asked to add it for display purposes.

This was done in Painter 9.5 and I had ample opportunity to put my Wacom 6D Art pen to use. I've been trying to work a lot more with the figure than I had been. This was an good chance to really have fun with it since I was painting zombies. playing around with zombie-character types, various exaggerated defects and affliction, etc. The best part was just sitting down at local bar with some friends and just making sketches of zombifed patrons.

Critiques and feedback are welcome and would be very much appreciated as always.

-Noel

**hurricane** · August 23rd, 2006, 09:56 AM

http://blackwash-studio.com/img/sketch15.jpg

elbow area on the standing police at the left is off, i think it's the length of the upper arm, as his arm is pointing towards us the length of it should be forshortend.

http://www.blackwash-studio.com/img/twi-cover.jpg
it's a great image, good colors and alot of power in it but every character in that pic is standing on the same depthplane... add people in the bg, push the cop back alittle... put someone in the foreground maybe?

last pic is sweet as hell!

anyways, thanks for sharing and give us more !!!

cheers!

**TheGnoll** · August 23rd, 2006, 09:56 AM

this is a gret start for a sketchbook.I must admit i grew quite tired of only seeing that skully bug face all the time, and its great you're very good with other stuff too!

The digitals look very good and "painterly", but imho you try working on your proportions and human figures in perspective, and on the background.And remember that shapes and values and lightning are extremely important but getting lost in lines and small detail can be fun, and relaxing, once in a while.
I'd like to see some pencil drawings too sometimes, but keep the thread up in anyway you want

ciao

**N D Hill** · November 10th, 2006, 01:49 PM

New graphite stuff.

**N D Hill** · February 10th, 2007, 06:36 PM

I've been busy making preparations for my BFA show. Here's some more recent stuff including in-class live model drawings/paintings and a scene inspired by Dante's Inferno.

**Texahol** · February 12th, 2007, 07:47 PM

the darwin oil sketch came out nice. maybe a little bit of an inconsistent light source for the jacket in relation to the face. and the forehead blob seems a bit too dark.

I really like your dante's inferno graphite. great rendition of that threeheaded monster. I really enjoy the composition as well. Dante's right foot isn't grounded. and it looks like all of your interest was spend on the monster and transformed ppl. leaving dante and his guide a bit rough. Maybe you left them rough so they wouldn't get too much attention...
values are fantastic, maybe a bit more darks.

keep updating, otherwise you'll constantly fall into the netherworld of page 2 and and beyond

**N D Hill** · February 25th, 2007, 05:08 PM

Texahol: Thanks. Will do.

Here's my latest... Complete with it's shitty prelim sketch!

**N D Hill** · March 25th, 2007, 01:07 PM

New shit.

**Moai** · April 3rd, 2007, 02:06 PM

Some awesome stuff in this sketchbook! I really love some of your creature and character designs; the Giger-esque crawler, the red cloaked flying brain guy, and the Shiva pic especially. Your pencil style is really nice, and your digital technique and handling of colors seems to have improved greatly since the beginning of this sketchbook.
Crits: keep on studying anatomy and all that, and update more often!

**RaistlinTheDark** · April 3rd, 2007, 06:55 PM

like the self portraits

**N D Hill** · April 9th, 2007, 11:53 AM

Moai: Thanks. I appreciate the feedback

RaistlinTheDark: Thanks.

Here's some new stuff for the show.

**N D Hill** · July 14th, 2007, 03:36 PM

New stuff.

**Texahol** · July 14th, 2007, 03:59 PM

I expect to see paintings of all that new stuff with hexagons on it.
lurve it.
especially these two:
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/att...1&d=1184441721
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/att...1&d=1184441767
that [mark twain-ish?] close up portrait uhm...so inconsistent. I think if you're going to do something up close and personal like that, use reference.
some of that other stuff is old, I'm assuming that one is too. Stop posting old stuff. KEEP IT FRESH LIKE HOW YOU'D EAT YOUR SALAD! [do you eat salad?]

**N D Hill** · July 30th, 2007, 06:17 PM

For Tex, a WIP of one of the two he picked out to be painted.

Below that are a few quick life studies and portraits. Oil on canvas paper. A couple are oldies that I pulled out of my portfolio but fit the theme of my post.

**Sleepy_Head** · July 30th, 2007, 08:49 PM

There is some good stuff here. I love the god in the golden under-pants. It's a great concept and a lovely painting.

Post more.

S

**N D Hill** · September 5th, 2007, 09:53 AM

My lastest. A follow up to the Beowulf and Grendel piece. Beowulf and Grendel's mother. The second is a quick Self-Portrait inspired by one of the greats, Mr. Andrew Jones.

**timpaatkins** · November 19th, 2007, 10:36 PM

Hey man, good looking stuff here, ive got my competition cut out for me!
Alive in 65!
Cheers TIm

**N D Hill** · January 23rd, 2008, 10:42 AM

Thanks Tim. I'm looking farward to seeing your entry as well. Speaking of which, here's mine. Plus an entry for C.O.W.

-noel

**N D Hill** · February 19th, 2008, 10:10 AM

Here's a WIP shot of book cover I've been commissioned to illustrate.

**enthombed** · February 19th, 2008, 10:47 AM

nice updates here, cool colors and cool concepts.

keep posting

**l0stinth0ughts** · February 19th, 2008, 11:30 AM

awww helllzz yea. this i am for sure keeping a good eye on. great stuff here. and some imagination you got there. as for critiqing goes i think you need a little touch with the brush strokes and more depth into the details. but for the colors and shading goes, your strength is good in those areas. just keep posting and ill keep checking in to see how your progresing

**vimmel** · February 19th, 2008, 01:41 PM

whoa, man this is a great sketchbook! sweet stuff man. I love the last one.

keep it up!

**Jorge Gecov** · February 19th, 2008, 02:25 PM

The creatures from post #33 are cool, looks like Giger stuff, the last update is ultra cool dude. Love it!
Hope to see it's finished soon.

Cheers,

**sjuskadur** · February 19th, 2008, 03:06 PM

Dude..... page nr 2 is awesome... its just so inspiring to see how far you have come in 4 years with the digital painting.... im just baffled!!!! there were somethings that i would like to crit but they are mostly on older pieces that you have fixed! ... so just dont stop dude youve got amazing ideas! (plus i love the giger influence one of my favorite artists ever)

keep it uP!

**N D Hill** · February 28th, 2008, 10:06 AM

enthombed: Thanks. Will do.

l0stinth0ughts: Thanks, dude.

vimmel: Thank you.

Jorge Gecov: Thanks. I want to finnish it soon as well. It's been one my most time consuming paintings.

sjuskadur: Thanks man, that means a lot.

...And here it is.

**RandAlThor** · February 28th, 2008, 01:57 PM

Hey N.D, very cool update. I don't really have any crits, im liking your use of colour, your compositions are working, the subject matter is inspiring and im sure i will be saving some of these for inspiration. keep posting ;-)