ah, I remember this. Was there a reference or was this cold?

I just started slapping paint down. No reference. There's a Neil Campbell Ross painting from which I've been taking cues, but it's a warm-lit palette and the minute this thing started to come together as a cool-lit piece I gave in and ran with it. Still need to push some of the values and temp around.

It feels completely uncomfortable working that way. I'm Mister Methodical by nature. I like plotting my way through the thumbnail and comp stages. The contemporary method of concept painting (from games to mood keys) is to jpeg-bash or paint in the light *first*, then shape the forms into something recognizable. I think that's partly why I slow down. So many possibilities present themselves. This one's already spawned at least three variants. :/

whereas I jump in and fiddle until it's barely acceptable! I don't have the knack to be so meticulous.

It helps to be anal-retentive. And obsessive. :P

There's a lot of value to be had in keeping yourself to a fast and loose methodology. If the price of being on that side of the coin is a lack of polish, the price on my side of the fence is overworking, over-tightness. Both can lead to bleh.

version 2 is interesting but it is definitely not the same kind of painting as the other two (if thats not too obvious a statement) - the colors in the original are a little too green and tend to monochromatism and probably arent giving the sort of mood you wanted for it but the colors you have now seem more concrete if thats the word for it

I agree! Last year's stuff was way too damn splattery. Unfocused. I'm getting my aim back. Let's see if I can keep it up.

When I'm working I still hear your words echoing from previous work on this image.

"Turn building, TURN!"

And I say that a lot when I work now, as a catch-all phrase for that type of feeling. (The nose needs to pop, why won't this cheek turn, the wall is so flat, etc).



I've also been using the technique I picked up form you of laying down a photo to let interesting shapes come up. I really love it, but I find that gathering my own photos for this use is very tricky. Do you have any tips for the kind of random, chaotic image that helps this process? I'm learning towards photos of angular things, construction work, buildings?

HA! I'd forgotten I had the mic on during those sessions! :D

Hmmmm....photo ref. I am an admitted reference whore. I love combing the 'net for interesting images and then cataloging 'em for future use. Arguably I can get *ahem* obsessive about it, but that's neither here nor there. To answer your question: I have a bunch of web sites I love for the variety of strange stuff they provide. Check these folks out if you're unfamiliar with 'em:

http://www.abandoned-places.com/
http://www.archithings.com/
http://www.artificialowl.net/
http://atlasobscura.com/
http://blogs.denverpost.com/captured/
http://www.cribcandy.com/
http://www.dezeen.com/
http://englishrussia.com/
http://newsfeed.kosmograd.com/
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/
http://pruned.blogspot.com/
http://shorpy.net/
http://www.shorpy.com/
http://polanoid.net/

There are a number of paths you can follow when gunning for random patterns as a starting point. Sometimes I look for stuff that's as different from my subject as I can think of. Doing a spaceport scene? Look for flowers. A castle? I dig up pictures of a wrecked Russian dam. Another way is to look for pictures that have a particular palette you like and layer them, playing with the layer functions until you get something that's interesting. Just hunting by way of lighting conditions (warm light, cool light, mixed light, nighttime shots, morning shots, Magic Hour, etc.) will net you a host of different subjects all being hit by (roughly) the same light.

Does that help?

It is an amazing amount of help! Thank you so much.

I am going to get started on collecting my own pile (hoard?) of reference images to use in this way. My own stock is so meager and I am so picky, this vast amount of links should help gain a lot of new fuel for the fire.

Thank you for taking the time to collect all of this information for me.


Let's rock!

ARRRH! Right to the bloody foundations! :D