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Oh heavens, a blind person couldn't have come up with this. And I do the sketching thing too. Here is the sketch for this entry, along with the usual checklist of things that need fixing (I just write them down as I see them, since I'm usually in the process of fixing some other horrid thing, then make sure they're all fixed before calling it done). And that's one of the cleaner ones. They are usually, er, encoded so that only I can tell what they are supposed to be.
How do you know when something is done? Should I add more? Is there to much? Then what about lighting and shadows :( That is what I really find hard at times. Right now I'm doing my toy entry. I think I got a great source but making it look like a toy well that is the challenge I guess. I looked at past entiers and there were some really good ones.
For me, it's done when I finish my list, show it to someone else, then finish the list they give. And I like every shape to support the main subject.Lighting--try looking at your image in black and white (add a hue/sat adj layer set to -100 sat to toggle on and off). If the brightness/contrast/shadows are wrong, it's usually pretty apparent in B/W. And I haven't tried this yet, but if you then use that layer to temporarily boost the saturation to ridiculous levels, it may be easier to spot if one element is, say, a little too yellow.But keep track of where all your light sources are, then make sure they affect each surface the way they should.Fantasy lighting is so much more forgiving, since you can dramatically color with less worry about photorealism. Like that sphinx--just reds and yellows in the whole image.I'm sure everyone has their own method that works for them.
Wow that is some great and I think useful information. Going to have to try it. I all was seem to get them wrong and have to do it again and again. See you are among the best. :)
Aw, thanks. :)Here's another fun thing to try. Create two light sources of different colors that go nicely together (they can even be "off screen," as long as you keep track of where they are), and have them both hitting your main subject from different angles. Or just create one light source that's different from the ambient light. Left to my own devices, I go nearly monochrome, but this helps break out of that a bit. It's also a usually good idea to plan your light so it accentuates something interesting, like a face, rather than something less interesting, like an ear. (Been there, done that.)Like this (lightning and the spear/glowing ball) or this or this. You could have a huge ship in space lit by a nearby star, and also the glowing engines (either it's own or from other ships). Some combination of this technique http://fx.worth1000.com/tutorials/161386/lighting-a-giant-elephant and colored soft light/hue/overlay/etc layers (and a million other adjustments) usually works.
Cool links thank you. I saw the giant elephant one before. When I had dail-up so I didn't check it out that much. Still working on the doll entry. Only about 4 hrs left have to get this finished. :)
Yea, the too much, overworking an image problem. It is hard sometimes to know when to stop. I find it best to stop working, put your image to bed for the night, then the next day take a fresh look like seeing for the first time without a preset agenda. Like you are seeing someone else's work for the first time while voting in a contest. Really evaluate the image like someone else did it and critique it. What would you do differently, changes or none. It is a personal preference that you have to make to please YOURSELF and no one else. It is art, a part of you, something YOU need to enjoy. Oh yea, and have fun!
Wish I could do that. Go to bed and stop thinking about it. I turn off the computer, go to bed and I'm still thinking about it. I wake up during the night thinking about how this or that should be. Then I wake up in the morning and it's the first thing I start thinking about. Second only to the bathroom. :)
You would be surprised just how much your subconscious can influence your creativity...if you let it. Sometimes when you stop pushing and just relax, the best ideas come along. Maybe a couple shots of whiskey, a few beers or glasses of wine (are you over 21?) will help turn OFF your brain for a while. If your under 21, I guess just a whole lot of warm milk will have to do. But then you'll have to go to the bathroom even sooner and start thinking again.
Well over that magical age of 21. LOL Not a big drinker. May be if I go to dinner, which has been like for ever. Have one more arm to go. Then try to clean things up. If I were to have a drink it would be a mixed drink. May be rum and coke or something along that line.
It's alive. :)Thanks, I was starting to wonder if it was still on. I to am still working on an idea.
mirroring helps too. flip it horizontally and usually things that are wrong stick out like a sore thumb. putting rule of thirds , grid on it helps too, to see if things are where they are supposed to be of if the crop is right. if you are having trouble keeping it out of your mind log on tohttp://www.rotten.com* >:)----*you will never have trouble keeping your mind off of it after a few pages. You also may vomit and never sleep again, but heh...ymmv----
Grid? Master, how can I turn on a grid in CS3?
make sure your rulers are on the imageview/rulers or ctrl-rthen left click on where the numbers are and drag out a ruler line to 1/3 and 2/3 of the way across, then repeat from the topor draw lines on a new layer with the line, pen, or paintbrush tools
Hmmm...I have a bit of an idea for this. Let me see if I can finish the other stuff I've gotten myself into, but I might have to sign up.
Okay, I'm in! Couldn't resist the pull of a fun idea.
I was asked to clarify what was wanted, this is what I replied with some examples:===All images in the contest should look like they are on the cover of a new sci-fi or fantasy novel, or movie trailer type of thing. More likely more on the SCIENCEY side than fantasy, since fantasy isn't TECH. Plastic, steel, chrome, computers, robotics type of things.Good ideas would be big-ass weapons, Spaceships that could squash cities, Giant robots run by people (simple robots are boring, put them in a tech environment for a higher score, use atmosphere, if the robot is way in the background stomping on something I will not be impressed, I want more work with the city too) , War machines from other planets that make you crap your pants, or a scene where the whole CITY is one gleaming machine.Pretend you were watching star wars or reading a novel set in 2575AD something like that, the picture you are making would fit well into a world in that type of movie, or book.Tiny little nano-robots are not what we are looking for. The idea we are going for is more "wow that's a big _____ run for you lives!" or "wow, that's a whole lot of high-tech crap there!"minimum:http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1luLRXKoJM8/SS1qf0CXDCI/AAAAAAAAJsM/ZV-Q5i0Z-4U/s400/big+ass+gun.jpg big:http://www.critical-hits.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/space-marine-picture-02.jpg bigger:http://rookery5.aviary.com/storagev12/2469000/2469185_6374.jpg really big:http://features.cgsociety.org/newgallerycrits/g18/1718/1718_1108529616.jpg etc:http://www.igorstshirts.com/blog/conceptships/resistance_concept_ships.jpg http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/7/4590/4590_1105826646_large_tiff.jpg http://features.cgsociety.org/stories/2005_02/grand_space_opera_winners/header02.jpg
This forum is a mess but I think i found all the sign ups so far:TygersonburnininJohn93036ARMSDragonTat7solipsism----Xeinnex(out)
Ok... seems I may have some time up my sleeve- sign me up Soli
Im still in on this. working on my idea. Im hoping it will be BIG. :)
Should I, could I? I've never done a Fantasy HxH before and would love to do one... Oh well, count me in.
Sorry, change of plans, gotta go on a business trip and can't make it. I had a really great idea in mind but will have to save that for later. :(
Match Posted
Thank you!
Thanks Pix! Happy chopping you guys.