Zab
New member
Playing with trying out Impressionism on some cheap assed casts. View attachment 70961 It’s wicked hard to stop myself from smoothing things out and just sketching in basic shapes and tones
Zab's Damn it to hell! WIP
- Thread starter Zab
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ekipage
New member
I like the face and eyes and torso part of it, but the eyebrows and hair is not jibing with me for some reason. It almost feels incomplete. Actually now that I look at it more I think it is because the hair seems to be all one color as opposed to using areas to lay the differing colors down for tones. Maybe because it is such a large pic.
Zab
New member
Yep. Incomplete. It’s how Impressionism feels. The hair is actually not hair at all. I’ll post pics later once the set is done with the box art. For now tho check out zin lim, rambling rhubarb and gregory manchess and their loose style for an idea of what I’m going for. It’s bloody hard to do on minis. Onto the next one!
SaintToad
New member
What’s happening, Zab? Good to ‘see’ you!
First, good on you for just going for it and painting, instead of mini-painting. I admire your effort to apply some aesthetic ideas beyond an enthusiasm for edge highlighting. You do see a lot of people reaching for this, and it is challenging as hell on a painted object.
If you want my two cents, I’d say you’re still fighting the mini-painting to a certain extent. I think you should sketch in those basic shapes, especially throughout the periphery. Think of it almost like a landscape, where you’re looking to consolidate large masses into blocks of mostly neutral color, simplify form, and diminish contrast on those areas that ‘fade out’. Looking at the work of the artists you referenced, I see them ‘zooming in’ on critical areas, giving far greater definition to those portions of the image where they wish your eye to travel and rest.
I’m not sure how successful it was, but here I was trying to focus as much attention as possible on the lamp, then move the eye to the sign. Among the cheap impressionistic tricks I’ve used are the sketched lines on the door and the heavy, undisguised brushstrokes on the bricks.
I think you would also get a very quick boost by throwing that light source well off of the zenith. Impressionists typically use the light as an active element in the composition, while most minis are lit to clearly define the entire object.
Anyway, maybe that helps. Keep at it and keep us posted!
First, good on you for just going for it and painting, instead of mini-painting. I admire your effort to apply some aesthetic ideas beyond an enthusiasm for edge highlighting. You do see a lot of people reaching for this, and it is challenging as hell on a painted object.
If you want my two cents, I’d say you’re still fighting the mini-painting to a certain extent. I think you should sketch in those basic shapes, especially throughout the periphery. Think of it almost like a landscape, where you’re looking to consolidate large masses into blocks of mostly neutral color, simplify form, and diminish contrast on those areas that ‘fade out’. Looking at the work of the artists you referenced, I see them ‘zooming in’ on critical areas, giving far greater definition to those portions of the image where they wish your eye to travel and rest.
I’m not sure how successful it was, but here I was trying to focus as much attention as possible on the lamp, then move the eye to the sign. Among the cheap impressionistic tricks I’ve used are the sketched lines on the door and the heavy, undisguised brushstrokes on the bricks.
I think you would also get a very quick boost by throwing that light source well off of the zenith. Impressionists typically use the light as an active element in the composition, while most minis are lit to clearly define the entire object.
Anyway, maybe that helps. Keep at it and keep us posted!
Zab
New member
Thanks saint, yeah. I'm totally struggling with the less is more and still over working areas. The sculpts are really soft so there is freedom to do what i want but it's hard to not want to throw in more detail and just go with the easy zenithal approach. All this time working on smooth blends and now im trying to do the opposite and on fantasy figures to boot where there is very little reference. oh well its fun and im learning with now pressure cause the sculpts are cheap so i feel no guilt about messing them up!
SaintToad
New member
Quick, what’s this?
View attachment 70983
SaintToad
New member
Hoof!
View attachment 70984
There’s lots of good detail, but he just sort of hand-waves at the less important volumes. Blend it, I’d say, but focus on the eyes, face, and the weird cyborg stuff that leads the eye to that area.
I also think this is going to be a really, really difficult bust to use for this experiment.
View attachment 70984
There’s lots of good detail, but he just sort of hand-waves at the less important volumes. Blend it, I’d say, but focus on the eyes, face, and the weird cyborg stuff that leads the eye to that area.
I also think this is going to be a really, really difficult bust to use for this experiment.
Chaotic Creations
New member
I like it zab!!! Very adventurous trying this style of artwork on a sculpted figure. Perhaps there will be a need to somehow block out some of the sculpted details with shadow etc to give the required effect? I look forward to seeing some more of your work.
Zab
New member
Thanks man! I am finding that the same thing applies to learning new techniques that it does to doing great paint jobs. Good sculpts = good details. That means it is easy to paint and follow the lines of the mini. These will just be a loose quick style that approximates the box art but doesn't need to be tight or accurate or even really defined or finished looking. These soft sculpts are not going to help me learn impressionism so I think i ill just do quick sketches on them limiting myself to no more than 5 hours each like the first one. That is about all they are worth and then move on with other projects and come back to impressionism with a better sculpt that will let me study it in more detail (both figuratively and literally).
BloodASmedium
[img]http://pnp
I think it’s a great idea zabs. Def something we all should consider a bit.
Hairster
New member
It passes the squint test for sure....thats usually a good indicator of if your implied volumes highlights etc are working to define the shapes. The next step is to try to refine those shapes ect without increasing the quantity of brush marks I guess.
There is something very intuitive about the style you are trying...its almost something you shouldnt be trying to do (if that makes sense) it should be instinctive and free flowing.
Making minimal marks to imply form etc takes time to understand how and where to place your brush marks to achieve the volumes, lighting, motion and materials you are trying to emulate. If you have ever taken a life class its often the first thing you are encourage to try to refine...single stroke, line making to imply form and sometimes motion...what is the fewest marks you can make to clearly define a complicated form like the human body. The principals are the same, just with colour and minimal brushmarks to imply texture, light and form.
Its a cool excersise and learning process though, one maybe a few of us should give a go at some point. Look forward to seeing how the rest come along.
There is something very intuitive about the style you are trying...its almost something you shouldnt be trying to do (if that makes sense) it should be instinctive and free flowing.
Making minimal marks to imply form etc takes time to understand how and where to place your brush marks to achieve the volumes, lighting, motion and materials you are trying to emulate. If you have ever taken a life class its often the first thing you are encourage to try to refine...single stroke, line making to imply form and sometimes motion...what is the fewest marks you can make to clearly define a complicated form like the human body. The principals are the same, just with colour and minimal brushmarks to imply texture, light and form.
Its a cool excersise and learning process though, one maybe a few of us should give a go at some point. Look forward to seeing how the rest come along.
Zab
New member
Thanks hairister! Next one is done. Imma do these fast. Fight the instinct to over work anything. View attachment 70995Ugh mobile
posting... check my instagram for better wip pics and angles :tongue:
posting... check my instagram for better wip pics and angles :tongue:
