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Fun Stuff => MAKE => Topic started by: Falcon Imperator on 15 Nov 2007, 21:41

Title: Criticisms?
Post by: Falcon Imperator on 15 Nov 2007, 21:41
I may or may not put this in my portfolio for applying to college. It needs some touch-ups, but the general idea is there.

http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/1579/img0436dt6.jpg

Any comments or criticisms are welcome. I know that the amount of fog there makes it look empty, but I really don't know what to do with the space. Also, it was taken on camera, as my scanner is pretty bad, but it's preserved for the most part.
Title: Re: Criticisms?
Post by: KharBevNor on 16 Nov 2007, 06:41
The fog doesn't match the contours of the mountains properly.
Title: Re: Criticisms?
Post by: ThePQ4 on 16 Nov 2007, 08:05
This isn't going to be helpful, but just a personal clarification: Is that a -giant slug- under that tree??!!
Title: Re: Criticisms?
Post by: Falcon Imperator on 16 Nov 2007, 08:19
That's a tree growing out of the giant slug!

Hmm, I'll try to make the fog a bit more convincing.
Title: Re: Criticisms?
Post by: Sherwood WindRunner on 18 Nov 2007, 19:26
It's very nice, very original (It's a tree slug. Heh he heh.....). It's nice overall, but coloring and some sort of drawing in the valley would be nice.




Title: Re: Criticisms?
Post by: Emaline on 22 Nov 2007, 20:28
I had this conversation about this picture. If you read the first half, be sure to read the second half as well.


andlemonade (10:11:26 PM): I think the picture is bad
andlemonade (10:11:39 PM): It isn't as original as everyone claims, and looks unfinished
andlemonade (10:11:55 PM): If they put it in their portfolio that is what everyone will say to the
andlemonade (10:12:12 PM): They will just past it over, and ignore it as an unfinished piece.
andlemonade (10:12:49 PM): It's difficult to make an piece of artwork look finished, when not using color. I should know because I prefer working without color
andlemonade (10:13:30 PM): Overall, the picture needs to be darkened
andlemonade (10:13:41 PM): And I just want to reply and say that is looks like shit
Evil Leet 06 (10:19:52 PM): well you can't just reply and say that, you need to explain it
Evil Leet 06 (10:20:00 PM): plus it will also open you to scrutiny
andlemonade (10:14:27 PM): I don't really care what people say about my work
andlemonade (10:15:23 PM): For three years my work was highly praised. I won awards, had openings, my work hung in a number of galleries.
andlemonade (10:15:44 PM): Then I changed towns, and schools, and failed my two art classes
andlemonade (10:15:59 PM): I was told my work was horrid
andlemonade (10:16:07 PM): that it'd never hang anywhere
andlemonade (10:16:31 PM): That I wasn't good enough to be in one of the shows I had been in for the last three years.
andlemonade (10:17:07 PM): I know that what someone says about your art work means very little, if not nothing.
andlemonade (10:17:16 PM): It's their own opinion.
Title: Re: Criticisms?
Post by: FrozenToast on 23 Nov 2007, 01:36
Hi  :-D

I like the sketch, I quite like the slug "slash" tree thing and the shadow on the rolling hills (or mountains) is well done.

However that’s it, it really does look unfinished and I believe that’s down to the fog and what appears to be a clear sky. If this was done in colour then I can imagine it would look good and I know I myself would like to see it in colour. However you’re doing it in pencil and I can appreciate the difficulty of this sketch. How can anyone sketch fog or a clear sky?

I would suggest trying to add something to these areas. Maybe a few tree tops peeking over the top of the fog, a few birds fly off in the distance and maybe even some snow on the top of those hills.
But I leave that up to you.
Title: Re: Criticisms?
Post by: Falcon Imperator on 23 Nov 2007, 09:09
Thanks for the replies. It's definitely unfinished, obviously if I'm submitting this in a portfolio my standards are going to be much higher than what I have there. I'm going to add a lot more weight to the drawing, and I'm still thinking on what to fill that blank fog area with. My lazy side says to leave it because the emptiness is part of the picture, but then I realize that it doesn't work so well like that.

I'll definitely change up the fog area though, this is actually one of the few times I've drawn fog, despite being in San Francisco.
Title: Re: Criticisms?
Post by: Emaline on 23 Nov 2007, 21:06
This is bollocks. What the popular opinion of you images means everything if you're trying to sway your college application in a positive direction. The ones reviewing the image are humans as well, after all. That said, don't make huge changes after you are finished and happy with the piece to appease other people's criticism, it's your own artwork after all, straying too much from the original idea will only hurt you in the long run (exams and the like).



Well, no shit. I was talking about what my one teacher said about my work. I had that same teacher for two classes, and fail both because of what she thought of my art. She was the one who wouldn't let me in those shows. I didn't give a fuck though because I knew it was just her opinion. Her opinion on my work was shit. She hadn't even gone to art school. It was frustrating, but it didn't matter because I was happy with my work, as were many colleges.

Sure it is important what some people say about your art, but don't go changing a bunch of shit just to make someone else happy. Edvard Munch was told his work was horrid. Everyone hated it. He didn't change everything he was doing to appease others. Sure he was all kinds of depressed, and an alcoholic, but at least he made art he was proud of. Eventually, he was accepted as a great artist and is probably one of the better know artists from the Expressionist movement.
Title: Re: Criticisms?
Post by: thecurse on 17 Dec 2007, 12:55
The cliff and mountains read well, the fog does not. You need to move away from those dark lines and improve your shading.

If you like this idea, and I do, study some pictures of fog and of trees. Slugs would not hurt, either. These are all the stars of the show, so you really need to focus on them. Draw it again. If it looks better, draw it again. If not, study more. Really, criticism is somewhat useless. The only way you will improve is by drawing and drawing variedly.

If you just want to know whether or not to use it in your portfolio, I cannot tell you without seeing the rest of the portfolio. I do not know much about art college standards.
Title: Re: Criticisms?
Post by: StaedlerMars on 17 Dec 2007, 14:55
I think the slug looks really good. Maybe highlight the shading a bit (with erasing some of it, if that makes sense).

People said the fog: they're right when it comes to where it touches the mountains, but you also want to put something in the middle. Right now it doesn't look like fog. Some trees that are surrounded by the fog maybe? You don't want to attract attention away from the tree and the slug, but the effect of the fog is lost if it doesn't actually look like fog.