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New artwork for critique


simonc

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Here's a piece I've been working on over the past few months (and a few details as I'm unsure how much of it can be viewed once uploaded.) It's not entirely finished, but wondered what you all think and what you would recommend I improve on.

Enjoy!
 

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ibclare

Queen Bee
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It's fantastic.

What did you do to get the sketch effect on the background buildings? It makes them look like wood or tin cartoons.

I look forward to seeing the finished product. I hope you are saving psd's of some of the states as you go. Just a thought. Anyway, don't you dare not come back and show us your final piece. After all, think of all the oohs and ahs from your colleagues in PS will shower on you.

As for critique, I'll come back and look at this more later. Just want you to bask in praise for a bit.

The one thing that does stand out to me is a lack of contrast and separation from the FG and BG. In other words, the Queen sits a little too flatly on the buildings. I suppose that is the intent, but I still think, since she's not a billboard (or is it?), that there should be a little more distinction (lol, no pun intended).

Maybe just a touch more highlight, especially on her face. Perhaps a small blur to the BG (but not to lose the details; it is very interesting). And keep the sharpness within her Majesty's outline. The degree of darkness over her right shoulder is a little incongrous and seems too wide. Maybe a slight shadow that extends along that side.

It is very surreal and I may be way off, especially if the flatness is what you were going for. But these are just my observations. There, lol, I critiqued it after all. But accept my praise. It is beautiful.
 

simonc

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Thanks so much Ibclaire for the praise/critique and yes I promise to show the finished version (although I find completing these type of images to be incredibly difficult, prefering instead to tinker with them for months on end, but I have an deadline for this one, so this is not an option) The wood/tin cartoon effect that you refer to comes from layering different photos of rusting metal, decaying brickwork, and old wood on top of the source imagery using different filters. I agree about the lack of definition between foreground and background, it was on my list of things to tackle (especially her body....I'm thinking the head is sort of ok, but still needs more work.) A lot of the flatness arises from the fact that it was only a last minute decision of mine to superimpose the union jack effect, but I will look to ammend this issue in the final edit. Could you clarify the darkness on the right shoulder that you talk of....is that the right side of the screen as we see it? I just want to make sure I don't attempt to alter the wrong side.
 

IamSam

Administrator
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Simon,

This is absolutely brilliant! Incredible attention to detail! I love the use of the cranes and lifts both in directionality and in color! I also love the involvement of the Graffiti and how it binds the overall composition of the image. The only thing that could make this image any better for me would be if you told me you actually photographed all these images yourself!

I could spend hours looking at the details!
As Clare said, I believe the area over and beside her right shoulder is a little too dark.
I can't wait to see it when your done! You should post it in close up sections.

Keep up the incredible work!
 

Paul

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This as made me realise just how bad Britain as become, sad as that is...
Excellent work my friend, and those who live in blighty will not understand my comment, unless you have lived and left the place now looking at this brings it home.
 
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I really think this is a brilliant bit of art, gladly hearing it is not finished yet though, as it looks unfinished. The thing I think that would really bring this piece from brilliant to perfect, is finding a way to get the lines on the image of the Queen, to mirror the lines of the edges of the buildings. I'm not trying to be rude, but my eye's are drawn to Liz's pearl necklace for some reason, I don't know whether you wanted it to be so prominent in the ensemble.
 

ibclare

Queen Bee
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Chad, do you mean like displacing the edges of her form?

"Liz?" Being on the other side of the pond . . . an affectionate term for the Queen?
 
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Maybe it would make more sense to place the buildings in a way the the edges match her outlines, rather than the other way around. Just so then her image looks more as though it is created by the buildings and cranes and such, instead of her looking like an image overlaying another image. I suppose it all depends on what level of detail was meant for the picture, and whether this was in fact the effect that was intended by the artist.

Liz is short for Elizabeth, which is the name of the Queen, of which she is the second. I neither call her this out of affection or hate, as I like to stay as indifferent with the British/ German Royal Family as possible. I do however find it slightly weird that people should be born into such power and wealth in a so called democracy, instead of being elected, or earning their positions.
 

simonc

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Thanks Sprucemagoo1, I know exactly what you mean about the buildings matching her outline, I had initially thought about this and trialled it out but found it too cumbersome a task, as the shape of her silhouette contrasted too dramatically with the conventional square shape of most buildings. Perhaps I could aim for a a 50/50 compromise, as some of my favourite details are around the silhouette and I wouldn't want to loose them all entirely. I'll revisit that idea later on. I'm at a bit of a loss of what to do to detract the eye from her pearl necklace though.
 
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I think the reason I'm finding it so eye catching is because the rest of her looks made up of lighting, and the pearls look like solid objects. But as we have all said, it is looking very good thus far. Keep it up.
 

ibclare

Queen Bee
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Liz is short for Elizabeth, which is the name of the Queen, of which she is the second. I neither call her this out of affection or hate, as I like to stay as indifferent with the British/ German Royal Family as possible.

Uhnm, yes, I knew both those things; just wondering about possible terms of endearment. And as far as being born into power, just remember how long into history this extends. Luckily England is no more a feudal nation, though sometimes it seems like our efforts to be less than just that are futile. So Liz and her family are throwbacks.
 

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