[octavian]

Hmm, interesting stuff Chris... I see all those things too. I've been thinking about contrast= the difference in values. contrast increases the closer you are to the object. atmosphere decreases contrast. Plus trying to think about values in Craigs way/explanation. Thanks for the comment.

Lunatique: yeah man, I've actually been worried about him even though I don't know him. Not like him to update right? He hasn't even updated his site. I hope he's good and busy with work making lots of money. BTW, hows your work going?

I'm really breaking the rules guys.. sorry.

[qinmenfei12]

well,tons of English really make me,hoooooooo
Chris-Mayernik>>>>>>thanks!long time no see your guy!keep going
octavian>>>>>>>never lose heart!!

[Matthew]

any of you that have experienced the speedy to be slow and with difficulties to post lately? I tried to post the other day and my IE got screwed up and did hang itself and it happened again when I tried to post this.
Maybe my computer mailfunctioning or maybe we need a new speed page?
let me know if this has happened to you too.

I miss pierre and his works, I hope he will finish his site soon.

full contrast quicky something, something.


.

[Sumaleth]

qinmenfei12: remember to credit the original artist when you use reference (in that case, sparth).
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Art Links Archive -- Artists and Tutorials

[buzzz3d]

Max Kulich: Great flygirl, love her face. Only thing that stands out a bit for me is her back, I think it looks a bit too wide or something, can't put my finger on it. Thanks for the step-by-step of that butterfly-girl, really helpful.

annisahmad: Wow man, lot's of good ones from you lately.

Reakshun: Great thumbs, especially the top right one.

Viag: You have an unique style, very dynamic.

Spooge: I love that tunnel-image. Always great to see how you indicate the features with a few graphic brushstrokes. Thanks for the value-tips in that post and that 2minute paintover.

Watmough: Great texture. I hope you weren't behind the wheel when you painted that I love how you use watercolours.

Fridayeve: You really have a way with painter, very dynamic brushstrokes.

Reto: Really like that piece inspired by Matthew.

Swarm: Great stuff.

Octavian: Keep it up. I really see improvement in your posts.

Pato: Yummy!

qinmenfei12: Love that artrage-piece on p606

Matthew: Keep posting bro!

2 speedies from the last samurai

[Matthew]

oh yeez I became really digital smitten again.
Last one, me better hide again.


thanks again for all the comments guys.
.

[Pato]

annisahmad, Bjornar and buzzz3d - thanks!
Matthew - Very beautiful! I am loving your bold use of colors and shapes.

Templars are cool, but I didn't like the Ridley Scotts movie.

[gizmodus]

this thread is SO inspiring!!! great work everybody.

matthew: cool design. i like the colors.

[bokirazarac]

Respyre, Sparth, thanks for the comments. What a prolific thread!


Another Carnivale study...

[Capt. Fred]

octavian, i feel you're not progressing, in spite of the time you've spent working on improving, then the only reason can be that you're not working in the right way (if there is such a thing). I woulnd't like to suggest that you're not 'practising' effectively, I have no idea how you work on top of which it's not my place to say.

Part of the reason spooge, wasssup and sparth's stuff looks so awesome is becuase the big bits/forms/generalities are always so right. Once the big bits are right, the image works, so I personally, don't give up on the big bits until they look as right as I can make them, which may mean hours of stagnation in terms of refinement and detail, but seems to pay of a million times in the end.

if you do a high pass filter on your mayan guy and hardlight that over spooge's over paint, then you can see that your detail work is fine, just need to spend more brain power and time on the big forms. Stay there for as long as it takes. But you could take a look at my pic and be completely justified in ignoring the above!

gozmodus, great work! love the structural-ly one.

floral wallpaper from google images.

[Supervlieg]

Some interesting stuff on how to improve. Im like a sponge right now. Lets hear more!


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"Although all of this remains quite questionable"

[Bjornar]

Pato: you're welcome! Nice work you've got on your website, and some useful links as well!
gizmodus: I love these environments, rich atmosphere in all of them! My fav is your first, the ghostport one.
bokirazarac: NICE.
Supervlieg: I love that!
Nice work all!

I know you've seen this before, but here's a wip where I'm trying to fix specular values. Sorry about this, but a guy at the polycount msg boards pointed out issues about my work, and I did try to improve that (thx a lot poopinmymouth).


There's another factor I've learned as well, when the sky is overcast the shadows and ambience tend to become warm, as the light bounces back in a certain value. And when the sun is up the shadows are cool.

Another tip to Octavian would be to do more line drawing, perhaps more life drawing. As we all know, Spooge D has really awsome line drawings, the basics need to be right to get the finished product look good. It also helps in the composition, when you master the drawing side better. It is also a good idea to sketch the compositon several times until you are pleased. It is also very helpful to look at the paperdrawings in the mirror, or if you're fully digital, to flip the image horizontally. I always discover some issues when I do that. The drawing skills are the skeleton of all good artwork, and without a skeleton it all goes wrong. It is also a good idea to get out of doing just speed-paints, perhaps do more detailed one once in a while. And it is always healthy to try avoid thinking art all the time, spend some more time doing other things, work out, go fishing or spend more time with your loved ones. That's going to do wonders, because your eye always need rest, and will be fresher when it comes back to the artwork.

These are just some thoughts, perhaps you're doing all this, but I just said it anyway I need to pratice more myself, so perhaps I'm just talking to myself, hehe..

[Max]

Hard to keep up with you guys, this thread is moving fast lately, great stuff everyone!

Bg: thanks a lot! - nice images!
annisahmad: thank you, loving your latest pices!
Chris-Mayernik: thanks, yeah, your right abour the arm, kinda messed that up. love the your spaceship!
jo: thanks, I love that face, great!
Petri.J: thanks a lot! like that guys face!
Bjornar: thanks! great stuff too man!!
swarm: wow!
Matthew: ver nice stuff!!
octavian: great work on the guy with the sword!
Pato: love that girl!
viag: great, thanks!
jr: cool!
Synnical: wow, welcome!
buzzz3d: thank you! I might improve some parts, thanks for critique. I'm glad the tut is helpful : )
gizmodus: great stuff!
Capt. Fred: fresh colors, nice girl!

Homage to Wassup and Pringle
That's what happens when I try to paint environment...messy

[spyroteknik]

this place is going out of control, superb workrate, and more importantly, interaction, *goes mushy*

now, poop (really need to start painting again)

[Synnical]

Octavian: thanks! I think sometimes we just have to take a step back and focus on the big things, and try to keep it simple. (not that I can offer any advice, but that's how I feel..) and much like Bjornar said, get your mind off of it if you are stuck, and allow your mind to reset itself
MaxK: good stuff!
Bjornar: you might want to check the girl's shoulder and arm, they seems disporportional the way they are connected.
Supervileg: love the robot!
gizmodus: great sense of depths in those, lovely.

well, I just saw the Batman Begins trailer, and had to draw something. I hope the movie turns out good.

[Chris-Mayernik]

Max Kulich :thats pretty sweet max. I like that lighting.

bokirazarac: your latest is awesome. I love those values.
blaa...

no ref

[Disco_Science]

You guys are crazy... ^-^

[Naeem]

buzzz3d> thanks! nice work yourself. great to see u back
matthew> very nice and bold.
pato> you're welcome. beautiful work!
bokirazarac> great colors!
max> thanks man. i'm really enjoying your works too. everyone here's doing awesome.
spyro> nice work. ur values r good..
chris> u amaze me. spectacular use of color right there! great work man.
disco> nice creature

with ref. 40 mins. speedpainting exercise with seth1.


*EDIT*
well, seth told me to elaborate on it, so i did some random 'elaborations' on the jet and this is what i came up with .

[Pringle]

Thanks max, I'm honored.

Sunday evening boredom.

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http://pringleart.com

[jo]

retro > thank you, glad you like it. Im loving that intense orangy red.

matthew > I think anatomy is something that really can't be "taught" as much as it has to be studied.. with exception for things how muscles are built up and works. Kinda like Rey Bustos stuff : http://www.reybustos.com/05b/b.html. Studying anatomy can be hard without good reference, but there's is lots of it around on the net. If you haven't seen them before you can get some images from here: http://www.freedom-of-teach.com/products/prod_detail.php?sect=products&pid=det_anafig3 and use as a kind of "map" along with some images from the bustos site. Use these and cross-examine them with pics off the net (of bodybuilders or whatever), it will make it easier making out which muscle goes where/does what. I think it could help, just knowing the major muscles helps alot. As for "realism" I think it's mostly a thing of getting everything right. And amplify it as/if see fit. Or maybe buying a decent camera? Maybe you know all of the above, in that case just ignore it. (It was just in case you didn't.)

octavian > "No, unfortunately we are doomed to forever suck it." ;( Seriously though, just taking myself as a crap example : 1-2 years ago I could hardly pick up a brush / use colours without accidently killing someone - I've gotten a long way (only minor crippling). But since painting isn't my strongest side in art I think it would be better to point to drawing, which is. 3-4 years ago my "lucky mistake"-rate was high enough for me to be mistaken for a good drawer. However, I never "killed a darling" (erase something that turned out good), fearing that I wouldn't be able to "nail that angle of a nose one more time", or similar. Nowadays though, I find myself redrawing things several times, no longer fearing "not nailing it again". Now I think more in the lines of if I can't nail it twice or as many times as I want - I'm basically just fooling myself as an artist. Cheating myself of the skill I'm actually drawing to gain. Thinking like that has made me put in the extra effort needed to advance in drawing, so now I'm hoping the same will suffice for my painting. I'm not "all that" or anything, but if even a lazy monkey like me can progress anyone can. I don't think anything stands between you and say mullins except a swedish wife, a house on hawaii and years and years and years and years and years of drawing & painting.



Reffed off pilot, since the un-reffed one sucked it.
(Painter didn't crash once!)

[Godwin]

Annisahmad: why don't you try something without an overlayed texture?

Great speeds around here, and I'm also taking notes.
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Derelict Studios|Godwin's Space

[Chris-Mayernik]

no ref.



dang.. I have a long long ways to go.

[Disco_Science]

Casual Assassin^-^


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(|_|)
(0.o)
(_._ )*

[Petri.J]

Thanks Max.
Btw. Spooge. Have you been asked to make a learning video for The Gnomon Workshop? I know that there's already Dusso's tutorials, but I was just phondering if they hired you too.

//edit: Ref from Photoshop CS samples
I don't know how I should've done this. Perhaps using custom brushes? It just seems to lack feeling and texture.


//edit2:
Just phondering..

[seth1]

Chris-Mayernik: Amazing man your lighting wicked...

Blah not a speedy....

[octavian]

I wanna say thanks SO MUCHO to everyone who responded to my depressive ramblings. I won't ever give up, mainly cuz I can't.. but I am taking a break for a while... mainly to work on my thirty page paper for finals.

I will utilize everyone's comments in my future work. This place is so inspirational.

Take care guys.. see you in a few weeks unless I find the time.

[bM]

Yukk, hangover and lots of work... so i did two speedpaintings
instead. hehe. Each 1 hour. References used, but no tracing
or colorpicking..

hugs.

20050529
From movie Deadbirds (sucks ass)


Firemen

_________________
Sincerely
- Nicklas Forsberg a.k.a bM
- http://www.nalf.se

[Bjornar]

Max, that environment is sooo cool. Love the helmet of the quy as well.

Jo: reading your post made me laugh, that's just so spot on, I can identify with that sometimes. Hehe, don't we all want a swedish wife I like that pilot.

Pringle: I love the way the blacks are forcing the eyes attention to the man with the sword, that's a nice and effective composition.

Disco: hehe that's funny that beaked monster, and that warrior has color! Your work is coming on nicely.

Synnical: Thanks for the advice, I'm changig the girls arm now. Love that Batman pic. I'm a bit dubious about the Batman Begins movie, the previous ones have been dissapointing, they've been overdoing the superhero stuff in my opinion, this movie looks like it is focusing more on "realism", like the first batman movie.

Petri.J: I like the color values. The one with most light is my favorite.

Nice one seth1

annisahmad: Nice flying machine Btw you might wanna check the symmetry/perspective of the wings. And the foreshortening in general. The other wing is broader and shorther than the other...

Cool stuff all the rest!!

And Octavian good luck with your papers, hope you'll be back soon refreshed. Remember that I think you will advance on a subconscious level, although your not doing art all the time.


I also found that using the mirror one sometimes can use one self as reference, playing around with light sources as well. Time will also make you better if you listen to skilled ppl's advice. Like the stuff you said Chris-Mayernik about light and how the values work.

[daryl]

you guys are inspiring!


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homepage:blog

[Capt.FlushGarden]

Really incredible pages latelly! wow!


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www.johnliberto.com