Firstly, I just want to say well done for conquering your early reservations re. blogging etc and your OGR encourages me too, because of the sense that you're thinking about branding already, what with the Victorian-style template. I must say I'm excited about the idea of you co-opting Reynold Brown as a kind of inspiration and muse, because it puts your adaptation very much in the 'pulp sci-fi' category, which instantly gives you license for use of strong colour and a certain sensationalist flavour. While your Photoshop classes etc. are giving you an over-view of brushes and painterly techniques, I don't think you should shy away from thinking in more 'graphical' or poster art terms; the difference, for example, between depicting a bird like this:
My point is that if you're thinking in retro or vintage terms, embrace that and push that idea boldly through everything you produce. For example, you might consider a more 'vector' style approach to coloration - so less painterly and blended, and more defined and graphical; the difference between this:
In terms of your thumbnails, the idea of working much more so into the world of the Time Traveller's workshop is a nice idea - and in this way you're doing the job of a concept artist - putting meat on the bare bones available in the original text. This is a moment for some real world reference and period research - avoid genericism by folding in lots of period detail. That said, if you're going for this 1950s feel, you could justify updating the book to that era too - so instead of looking at Victorian stuff, you could look at 1950s period detail. My point is that maybe your visual concept could be used in a more robust way still - i.e. that you now approach the design of your spaces from within the headspace of 1950s person - so the machines of the Morlocks have a 50s feel (because you're looking at 1950s influences by which to design them).
A general point - because you've got the opportunity to design all these objects that are not 'real world' - the architecture of the Eloi and the machines of the Morlocks etc., I really want to see you designing these elements - I don't just want you drawing this stuff from out of your head, but rather treating each invented element as something that needs it's own mini-visual concept driving its look. The great thing about The Time Machine is that you've got opposites to work off - the civilised Eloi and the brutal Morlocks - this means you can have contrasting systems of shape, colour and form for the two worlds - sharp differences. I'd like to see you really drilling down into these differences and working up a credible world.
I see there's a lack of actual digital painting on here, Rhys - time to pick up the pace - likewise all those film reviews. If you don't keep on top of your weekly tasks, you will find it increasingly difficult to manage your deadlines successfully. With 2 weeks before your first undergraduate-level crit, I'm going to suggest you pick up the pace and get a move on - I'm excited to see the influence of Reynold Brown in your spaces, so get on with it and produce something decent.
OGR 12/10/2013
ReplyDeleteHi Rhys,
Firstly, I just want to say well done for conquering your early reservations re. blogging etc and your OGR encourages me too, because of the sense that you're thinking about branding already, what with the Victorian-style template. I must say I'm excited about the idea of you co-opting Reynold Brown as a kind of inspiration and muse, because it puts your adaptation very much in the 'pulp sci-fi' category, which instantly gives you license for use of strong colour and a certain sensationalist flavour. While your Photoshop classes etc. are giving you an over-view of brushes and painterly techniques, I don't think you should shy away from thinking in more 'graphical' or poster art terms; the difference, for example, between depicting a bird like this:
http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/0Tmc6KH1jv4/hqdefault.jpg
and something like this:
http://nogoodforme.filmstills.org/images/Charley_Harper__Cardinal.jpg
My point is that if you're thinking in retro or vintage terms, embrace that and push that idea boldly through everything you produce. For example, you might consider a more 'vector' style approach to coloration - so less painterly and blended, and more defined and graphical; the difference between this:
http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2012/210/d/d/iron_man_digital_painting_by_di_londra-d590k3t.jpg
and this:
http://th07.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2013/036/d/6/iron_man_vector_art_poster___by_sherbertmelon_by_sherbertmelon-d5tz0t4.jpg
In terms of your thumbnails, the idea of working much more so into the world of the Time Traveller's workshop is a nice idea - and in this way you're doing the job of a concept artist - putting meat on the bare bones available in the original text. This is a moment for some real world reference and period research - avoid genericism by folding in lots of period detail. That said, if you're going for this 1950s feel, you could justify updating the book to that era too - so instead of looking at Victorian stuff, you could look at 1950s period detail. My point is that maybe your visual concept could be used in a more robust way still - i.e. that you now approach the design of your spaces from within the headspace of 1950s person - so the machines of the Morlocks have a 50s feel (because you're looking at 1950s influences by which to design them).
A general point - because you've got the opportunity to design all these objects that are not 'real world' - the architecture of the Eloi and the machines of the Morlocks etc., I really want to see you designing these elements - I don't just want you drawing this stuff from out of your head, but rather treating each invented element as something that needs it's own mini-visual concept driving its look. The great thing about The Time Machine is that you've got opposites to work off - the civilised Eloi and the brutal Morlocks - this means you can have contrasting systems of shape, colour and form for the two worlds - sharp differences. I'd like to see you really drilling down into these differences and working up a credible world.
I see there's a lack of actual digital painting on here, Rhys - time to pick up the pace - likewise all those film reviews. If you don't keep on top of your weekly tasks, you will find it increasingly difficult to manage your deadlines successfully. With 2 weeks before your first undergraduate-level crit, I'm going to suggest you pick up the pace and get a move on - I'm excited to see the influence of Reynold Brown in your spaces, so get on with it and produce something decent.