Death in Bathtub

**joseph** · March 22nd, 2005, 10:50 PM

I'm mostly a painter classic user, but in this one I tried to make photoshop do more of the work for me, I drew the wall, floor and wallpaper as seamless tiles in painter and then tried to use photoshop to apply them to the propper areas. I think that choice might have bit me in the ass.

**Bryceart** · March 23rd, 2005, 01:28 AM

Hi,
I dig the subdued colors scheme and the textures. The piece is falling a little flat visually. Perhapse you should suggest a stronger light source cast some deeper shadows so the piece has more dimension. Also, study how a form looks submerged in water, and how the light reflects off the water onto nearby objects. The two towels are too similar, it almost looks like one is copied and pasted from the other.
Keep going-push yourself-find that water reference and this will be a really cool piece. Good luck!

Bryce

**fukifino** · March 24th, 2005, 11:50 AM

I'm surprised there weren't more comments on this. I love the watercolor look you achieved with the primary subject. I think that's probably the best part of the piece. A few things bother me though...

The tiling on the floor is definately out of perspective and I believe the walls are too. Those definately need to be tweaked/fixed.

The figure itself...I'd like to see the water affecting the scene more. ie. her hair looks too solid...hair underwater has a whispy quality..make me feel that her head is submerged. Pull that hair out and float it around a bit. Also, I'm assuming the water is pinkish due to blood? If so, I'd like to see more of an indication of it's source. Show me blood flowing from a wound in a fluidy cloud. It doesn't have to be too overt, but just something to show that there is something else in the water, a cloudy swirl...some indication that it's fluid, that it hasn't completely mixed.

I think this would be especially helpful in clarifying that gash below her neck (assuming that's what that is..) which is very ambiguous right now.

**Nephthys** · March 24th, 2005, 12:15 PM

i .too, thought he pinkish tone might indicate blood flow.if it is, blood flow is nont contained to certain areas. it should be indication of it through out the bath water. other wise, i like the watercolor painterly feel you have going as well as the concept of the piece.

**BMunchausen** · March 24th, 2005, 07:01 PM

I thought she was supposed to have drowned herself - I didn't think the water was pink due to blood. It's bothering me (literal-minded as I am) that the water isn't at least blue-ish. I think too, you could "sell" the idea that she's under water by painting the way form is distorted by water as light is refracted through it. It'd be cool too if you maybe made her hair float in the water more obviously.

I think what this is lacking most now is drama. As dramatic a subject as it is, the values are overall in the middle gray range. It might help to make the thing lean further to the dark side of the spectrum - or light side, if you want to have it be sort of spiritual. (She IS holding an ankh, after all)

**joseph** · March 26th, 2005, 08:04 PM

Oh man... i hate to disappoint. Really it's my fault. The title could have done with a comma...

It’s just death, in a bathtub... Neil Gaiman’s Death, from the old Sandman series.

I'm working on it. You say "draw her like she's underwater". Like it's that easy.

**darth massacre** · March 26th, 2005, 08:47 PM

Don't think she's bleeding...technicalities aside.....

Just a suggestion on composition....could it be more interesting if the tub was more tilted on an angle rather than cutting the picture in 2? Maybe could experiment with it a little.....like said its just a suggestion

Also just some smaaaalll things I noticed (I'm nit picking coz its a brilliant piece

) The left wall has the wallpaper running in 2 pt perspective but the tiles on the lower part of the wall running in 3-pt perspective.

And some "floating" issues with the objects on the floor.

That's why I said I'm nit-picking

There are a lot of things going right for this piece. Let's see more.

**SirGreenSock** · March 28th, 2005, 01:27 PM

I like the feel of the overall scene. I agree with the aformentioned crits, and have only one personal nitpick.
I'm not too fond of the yellow-ochre tones you've used in various spots in the scene, to me the colour stands out and kills the colour balance in the piece.
Try warming it up a little bit, maybe work in some reflections (red wall reflecting red unto the tiles and tub, tiles reflecting back at tub and wall, etc).