CGAN Feb 2015 - Letting off Steam - WIPS

Forgot to put this in the last post. Idiot that I am.

I've slapped some colour on mine and made a start on trying to pick out some edges in the robot. Not really happy with the girl as it is. Haven't fixed the hand yet and I think the face needs a rework ... but not yet. If I fail to finish then that will be the culprit but think I'll be OK.

Great updates, oaktree & valence! They are both looking great. ... Hope to get back to mine soon as well, but the freakin weather here has had me working through the nights, and more moving in tonight. Heck, this was supposed to be a 3-day weekend for us, which turned out to be a no-day weekend now! :angry: ... I can't wait til Spring!

Oaktree, I agree with Valence about your colour scheme! Love it. That background is like a Steampunk Turner

Valence, I like where yours is going too. The style reminds me a bit of Smolin's steampunk images just now. And I think the girl's face looks fine.

Looking awesome Oak and Valence, I really am digging both of your updates ! I had some time to finally get more done on mine. WIll post more feedback later. The eye's have it See what I did there ?

Charlotte wrote: The style reminds me a bit of Smolin's steampunk images just now. .

I was totally thinking that too!!

Mic: That's better!! Thomas the Tank Engine steampunk!!

Hope you don't mind, but there's a distinct possibility that I am going to nick this idea and give it a go myself at some point in the future!!

It is coming along famously!! Really liking the limited colour palette.

Thanks Dom, you're really motivating me this month, i'm pretty happy with how it's turning out
Would def like to see your version of TTE Steampunk, glad I inspired you, my train was inspired by the one in the Dark Tower Series, so they could be evil cousins!

Oak: Really like how your progressing on yours, I work the same way just put something down and when I see more I work up the detail until you have a solid idea that works, any way that inspires you, it's good to keep things rough in the beginning so you can change it all easily if it's not working, although I really love the airships and the colors, I can see all kind of buildings and stuff there, keep it going, looking great so far !

Dom: Optimus looks really great, the metal texture and lighting coming off of it look awesome. I would focus more on the other central character, that is def you're focal point, I think it would still look funny to give the kid an optimus helmut too. The background will definitely come to you once the forground is done.

Valence: Really great update, the design of the robot is really cool, and I like the women, the expression on her face adds a lot to the storytelling. Its amazing how well you can sketch an idea then bring it to life so quick!

Cherry: Looking forward to your next update, hopefully with the parrot also done a little, looking great so far!

Dave: Can't wait to see all that detail in yours with color, it already looks amazing in b&w !

Thank you for your comments and encouragement on my painting Digital Dave, Charlotte, Valence, Domtopia and microscopi.

Valence you asked about software and technique the software is an old version of photoshop cs3.
The technique is more difficult to explain. The colours are just a random selection I thought would be OK for steampunk. A base layer was put in using a graduated fill bucket both tones where quite dark with the slightly lighter one in the upper part, this was put in just to get away from a white ground. I used a good large soft edge brush to put on random blocks of colour as if it where straight out of an oil tube onto canvas, brush mode set to normal opacity and flow both set high. Then I used a smudge tool set to about 70% to just smash the paint about a little as if I had a pallet knife but not with a hard edge. The brush I use to smudge with is a broken edge brush, set quite big and strong to get some large marks. Occasionally I set the paint brush to dissolve and apply a colour that is quite close to the colour on which it is being applied then when you use the smudge tool you get a swirling effect like a little like clouds. It is the same idea that you can use to get smoke only for smoke you would use say a dark gray and a light gray, paint both in the same area with the brush set to dissolve and then smudge them together depending on how you do it you can get some real dense smoke coming out of a chimney, through to some wispy smoke coming of a candle.

As I mentioned in my first post this is something I tend to do when I'm frustrated and so analytical ideas and logic are not really much in evidence it is just smashing paint down pushing it about and then looking to see if any thing offers itself up as a form to give you an idea and start detailing. Sorry this entry is a bit long but I hope it answered the question.

Right. Unless someone can see something that needs to be sorted in this, I'm calling it done. Thanks for the suggestion Mic. The Optimus Prime helmet was a good idea and saved me some work on painting the face!



If any of y'all have comments or criticisms, then please let me know, as there is still plenty of month to make changes! Thanks guys!

*looks at exhaust pipes* shinies!