comments and critisism wanted

[generulpoleaxe]

i would just wondering what people didn\'t like about this. i know the photography isn\'t to great as getting a half decent pic was a nightmare.

http://www.coolminiornot.com/134876

 

[EPStudios]

8.0 does seem a little low... I\'d figure this piece deserves between 8.5 and 9.

My criticisms-

-I can\'t see the wizard frontside clearly

-The cape of the wizard seems poorly done relative to the rest of the piece. The dirt isn\'t convincing and it just doesn\'t seem as neatly done.

-Something about the ground is off... I know you spent a lot of time on it, but it just doesn\'t look natural to me.

Hope these things help.

Mark

 

[mrteal]

I agree a plain 8 is a little low. EP had some of the same thoughts that I had especially the ground. It just seems ..... weird. You should post some pics specifically of your painting close-up without the scenery being more focus. The painting is well done and overall a very quality scene. 8.5 from me.

 

[OrkyDave]

The focal point should always be the mini\'s IMHO, and the clumps of grass are that bright the eye is always drawn away from the model and to the floor.

The scene does not really have a narrative either, it looks as if they may be discussing the weather, or catching up on Eastenders. Also the foliage on the ground is that dense and clumpy that if they were just about to have a ruck they would have to wade towards each other rather than charge.

The fact that the wizards back is to the observer does not help either.

The painting is great though, and its not as if an 8 is a bad score (better than anything in my gallery for starts!)

These are just my thoughts hope they help!

 

[OrkyDave]

My apologies, the narrative is there, at a second glance, the wizard has noticed the \'For Hiyur\' sign and they are obviusly negotiating recruitment contracts, not the latest goings on in albert Square!

 

[chrismisterx]

I love this, better photo\'s would help,

But I think this is a solid 8.5 as is,< would be a easy 9 with a few close up photo\'s >

I voted a 9 because I love the whole feel and the little story thats going on, and i think the painting up close will be just as good!

great job, well done!

 

[hubbabubba]

I think the problems the scrub, as some ones already said, it\'s too busy and draws the eye away from the mini\'s. I\'ve never done any dioramas, but I think the composition is as important as the painting from what I\'ve seen. I guess it\'s like composing a picture so you\'ve got to think about how the eye will be led around the piece.
What I do really like are the ogre (fantastic old mini) and the work you\'ve done on the tree, which must have taken forwever.

 

[GreenOne]

Well, I\'d like to see the day a \"plain 8\" will get me depressed, lol.

I think the montage hurts it personally, the best pics are at the end and the top pic looks too general and vague.. many people don\'t look twice before voting.
And generally, times look tough and people hard too impress, maybe it\'s got something to do with GD\'s aftermath...

After looking twice, a 9 from me

 

[generulpoleaxe]

thanks for the feedback guys, it wasn\'t the score i was worried about.

this was my first diorama so wanted to get constructive feedback on what people thought of it.

 

[TyronMagda]

I love it, it\'s marvellous!
How can i criticate something???
Look at this fantastic mood and atmosphere... i see falbles and games of \'80 and i\'m returning a child! :flip:

I love this diorama Chris!
If one day i\'ll be rich, I want it! lol

It\'s a full 10 for me, and i think it deserves an average of 9.0 ! :beer:

And how many work on that tree... marvellous!!!


:beer:

 

[Target]

It looks great on the whole and is very nearly a 9.0 IMHO.

If I was to be super critical I would say that the base is too large for the number (and size) of figures in it so you end up searching for the figures on a large base and get distracted on the journey. Maybe loose an inch or two on the right hand side!

Trees in the autumn are always very difficult to achieve. The problem is that if you try to model as a autumn tree it becomes overpowering with loads of twigs and many many leaves. You appear to have (correctly) tried to avoid this problem and minimise the effect of the tree by only putting a few leaves and no twigs. This achieves the objective but makes the tree less natural. A difficult problem which I have never seen fully resolved.

Having said all that, it is a nice diarama and you should be proud of the result.

 

[TyronMagda]

You must consider that chris is a bad bad bad photographer! lol

So i cannot imagine how much beautiful is in real life!!! :beer:

 

[elouchard]

It is a really good diorama, about an 8.5 as it stands right now from me. Very very good for the first diorama also. It could be a 9 pretty easily though with a couple of modifications (although not trivial)

As one of the other posters said, losing some off the side of the base with the sign would be good. The last photo of the three tells the story the best, and it is tight in with the figures. It is all really well painted and the details are great but because these is so much space on the side the full photos above lose impact.

A really good resource for diorama info is Shep Paine\'s diorama book, which has a nice section on \"balance\" in a diorama.

Shep Paine - how to build dioramas

Right now the diorama is unbalanced a bit. I think if the sign was moved closer to ogre (maybe right near him) the whole scene would balance out more as then you would have one side with the tree and the other with the figures and sign.

 

[Orb]

OK, here\'s my take. Elouchard points to a great book with Shep Paine, and the idea of composition is important here.

In Shep\'s words, there is a lot of \"Dead Space\". The whole thing could be tighter. Placing the sign next to the Ogre, the Ogre under the tree, you could lose about 1/2 the size of this and still tell the same story. I don\'t know if you were governed by the base you had in your possession.

The cropped pic at the bottom still tells the story and if the sign was moved into that view you have your diorama/vignette.

So having reread what Elouchard said, we\'re in complete agreement!!!!

Still a great piece!

 

[generulpoleaxe]

thanks for that guys

i\'m going to go and check out that book.

i may even fight the moths in my wallet and get a copy

 

[generulpoleaxe]

just ordered it from amazon.

damn you (it\'s too easy for me to be parted with my money) and thank you at the same time.

 

[Orb]

Well as general books go, it\'s the original bible for modellers.............I got my copy in 1983! There\'s an updated reprint with modern developments in it; it\'s one of those you should have on your bookshelf - all \"mini\" books deal mainly with the painting, but Shep\'s deals with much wider aspects...........

 

[generulpoleaxe]

here is a quick close up of the ogre and wizard as some people had asked me for.

 

[funnymouth]

great job (a 9 from me). i like the base.....

 

[hubbabubba]

Yeah 9 from me too.
To be honest I like them more as single mini\'s than as a diorama.