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Post by Himmapaan on Apr 4, 2011 19:18:41 GMT
Thank you so much, Helge!  I did indeed include an otter in the original Luka cover illustration, and had envisioned it to go on the spine of the book, but unfortunately it had to be removed for the final jacket, as there wasn't enough room. Judging from the extremely good quality of the other prints I've bought from dA, I think I can safely say that you won't be disappointed with a print of the Citipati.  |
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Post by Himmapaan on Apr 5, 2011 21:26:59 GMT
Finished. This is about a third larger than the original.  Here is a larger copy, about twice the size of the original. As usual, the resizing has made mischief with the scan. Either everything gets blurred or it sharpens things too far to a granular effect with no subtlety. I'll replace these with better resized files at some point (if I don't forget). Photographed with a penny (same size as a US Cent).   |
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Post by Horridus on Apr 5, 2011 21:38:11 GMT
It's beautiful, as one might expect. (Are those pterosaurus or theropods, by the way?) I hope our non-Britisher members can appreciate just how small a penny is, and the crazy amount of intricate, tiny detail that there is in this piece (again, as usual)! As usual, the resizing has made mischief with the scan. Either everything gets blurred or it sharpens things too far to a granular effect with no subtlety. I have this issue (although my cruddy scanner screws with the colours as well) when scanning either books or my own lousy doodlings ;D |
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Post by hkhollinstone on Apr 5, 2011 22:24:19 GMT
The detail is phenomenal! I can't believe it, you're an incredible artist Niroot!
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Post by Seijun on Apr 5, 2011 23:17:28 GMT
fat sauropods make me feel happy |
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Post by Pangolinmoth on Apr 6, 2011 0:46:30 GMT
Wow Himma, That is fantastic! So when are you going to contact James Gurney about the fourth Dinotopia book?
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Post by Blade-of-the-Moon on Apr 6, 2011 2:27:24 GMT
Looks great ! Really reminds me of the Sideshow Apatosaurus as well...just excellent work..and so small as well..I couldn't do that at all... lol
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Post by stoneage on Apr 6, 2011 2:57:35 GMT
Wow Himma, That is fantastic! So when are you going to contact James Gurney about the fourth Dinotopia book? REALLY! |
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Post by bokisaurus on Apr 6, 2011 5:16:07 GMT
Finished. This is about a third larger than the original. Stunning as always! Still can't believe how small they are. Are you every going to do an illustrated dinosaur book? MORE please!  |
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Post by Himmapaan on Apr 6, 2011 9:31:20 GMT
Thank you so much, everyone.  I feel a little better about it than when I posted the second progress earlier (I find there's always a stage in which things look worse before it looks better again towards completion), but I still think it's lacking in spirit somehow. Oh, well, keep at it... I have this issue (although my cruddy scanner screws with the colours as well) when scanning either books or my own lousy doodlings ;D In my case, it probably isn't helped by my neither possesing Photoshop nor knowing how to use it. I have to resize things online -- which is fine for photographs, but not so good for artworks. Oh, and I leave the viewer to decide what those winged creatures are. If they are pterosaurs, they would have to be very small -- perhaps Anurognathus? ;D Then again, they could be in the distance... Wow Himma, That is fantastic! So when are you going to contact James Gurney about the fourth Dinotopia book? REALLY! I think James Gurney has already published the fourth Dinotopia book: Journey to Chandara. (You both must get it, by the way. In fact, everyone should ;D) Are you ever going to do an illustrated dinosaur book? I very much hope to do something of the sort one day. Even if 'just'* a storybook of some kind. *I use quotation marks because it is never 'just' some mere thing. ;D |
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Post by Blade-of-the-Moon on Apr 6, 2011 18:11:02 GMT
Something in the vein of William Stout's Dino books seems to work really well...do your art and have someone write up short stories for each piece...I'd buy it easily. ;D
I think when it comes to the spirit of a piece you have to consider what emotion the artist felt while doing and what he/she is trying to convey to the audience. For me this one looks more like a scientific piece. The animals portrayed aren't really reacting to anything or each other ( they both face different directions for instance ) . It's a beautiful piece, I love the detail and everything about it , but it doesn't say much you know ? That maybe where your discomfort is rooted. For the opposite your " Airing " piece has a lot of emotion. The Olorotitan has expressive eyes and is reacting to the people around him..he reminds me of the elephants sultans would ride..very regal. The people also help the scene since they are also showing emotions as well. The different feels of the piece also merge wonderfully.
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Post by Himmapaan on Apr 6, 2011 20:14:00 GMT
Yes, I mentioned very similar things in this post on the last page. It also relates to what I said a page earlier. A more 'serious' illustration needn't necessarily be dull, of course, but the trouble is, it often can be. Conversely, one might choose the rather too obvious route of violence and gore in order to inject some drama into a scene. With this one, though it was never requested, I deliberately added the youngster and had them both looking backwards (to the rest of the herd? Something else?) precisely to give it some sort of narrative, however small, without straying too far from what was originally asked. The tense approach I spoke of was perhaps compounded by the consciousness of knowing that the piece is for somebody else. Of course, none of this is in any way the recipient's fault, far from it. Rather, that I need to have enough confidence to approach these more serious pieces the same way I do the other not-so-serious (and downright silly) ones. It's something I experience now and again with my work; the moment some prescriptive boundary is placed upon something, the easier it becomes for the artist's heart to desert it. As a matter of fact, I've been having such an experience with my current book.  Publishers -- more precisely editors and designers -- need to understand the huge difference it makes to the quality of work when they allow the artist the right degree of freedom. |
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Post by Blade-of-the-Moon on Apr 7, 2011 3:32:05 GMT
Agreed. I've done several projects where it feels like I'm being caged in. I much prefer a loose idea or concept to work with instead.
Doing something for anyone other yourself can feel too much like work..I've given VERY few pieces away. I'm fine making copies but the originals are like my kids to a point. lol
Now that you mention they're each looking the same direction I feel something more...really though it looked to me they were looking in different directions.
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Post by Himmapaan on Apr 7, 2011 11:08:31 GMT
Of course, when you're answering a brief, that's what you do. The real work is work. If you're illustrating a turn-of-the-nineteenth-century English novel, you're not going to be doing whatever the devil else you want; but hopefully I made some sense about the 'right degree of freedom'. ;D
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Post by Blade-of-the-Moon on Apr 7, 2011 18:15:02 GMT
Aye, you did. ;D
But I can imagine the cases where you would be shackled more..as I've done some similar pieces...they're just not as fun.
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Post by Himmapaan on Apr 7, 2011 19:12:01 GMT
Speaking of which, I'm doing another fun/silly piece now (I just had to), and it involves you.  ;D In the best way of course. ;D |
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Post by Griffin on Apr 7, 2011 21:02:28 GMT
Absolutely lovely as usual.
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Post by Blade-of-the-Moon on Apr 8, 2011 0:57:27 GMT
Speaking of which, I'm doing another fun/silly piece now (I just had to), and it involves you. ;D In the best way of course. ;D Glad to be of some inspiration ! lol ;D |
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Post by Himmapaan on Apr 11, 2011 20:32:15 GMT
Absolutely lovely as usual. Thank you. ____________ I said I was doing something involving Blade-of-the-Moon. It was inspired by this quote: You hadrosaur guys and gals would seriously freak if one actually walked out near you eh ? ;D I can't blame ya'. I'd be the same with an Allosaurus..running up and hugging it's leg...of course..then it would eat me. But...still..best few minutes of my entire life... lol I couldn't get the image out of my head, so...   Except Blade doesn't get eaten here. ;D I have to apologise to him in advance for any shortcomings in his cartoon portrait. The only reference photographs I've been able to find featured him in full clown make-up, so I did the best I could.  Also, I'm not sure the figure of him works terribly well in the last 'panel'. It's the way he's being thrown up by the tail that isn't wholly convincing. But I'm afraid I'd already stolen more moments from work than I ought for this, so it will have to do. |
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Post by postsaurischian on Apr 11, 2011 21:29:46 GMT
;D Hehe - I love the Allohug comic!
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I feel a little better about it than when I posted the second progress earlier (I find there's always a stage in which things look worse before it looks better again towards completion), but I still think it's lacking in spirit somehow. Oh, well, keep at it...
Publishers -- more precisely editors and designers -- need to understand the huge difference it makes to the quality of work when they allow the artist the right degree of freedom.
;D In the best way of course. ;D
