July 10, 2010

"This is Bull!" (Work in Progress)

   This is another sketch for an illustration i'm working on right now. It's still really rough at this point. What i'm trying to decide is if I want to crop in or not. I feel like when I don't crop it's not as interesting. But, I'm afraid that it's kinda awkward cropping a cow right down the middle. What do you think? Crop? Don't crop? In the cropped version I thought maybe a curved fence in the front would help balance the image out. I forgot to add cowbells. But they are going to be in there. (Any cow/bull experts out there please critique the cow anatomy) I need feedback!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

the brown cow needs udders.....and I think girls have horns too.....how bout some cow pies?

Unknown said...

I left that comment, but I am computer illiterate! Stacy

Cassie said...

I prefer the one with the fence because the fence and format make it feel as though the bull can't escape the attentions of the cows. I like the story, its a funny concept!
Now for the Crit:
The mountains need a softer edge aka atmospheric perspective. The hard edge and strong contrast bring the eye to the mountains instead of the cattle. Same with the grass, let it get bluer as it recedes in the the background. Remember darker and warmer things tend to come forward. I reccomend desaturating the barn and warming up the cows faces. In people, you usually warm up the cheeks, nose and ears to make them seem alive and more believeable. Also your values are a bit spotty. Look at in in grayscale then undo so you can see if your focal point has enough pop. hmmmmm what else. I think your colors could be pushed. Right now, its all local color. What if the bull had some green in his face like he was queezy or purples in the left cow or a yellow sky. I"m just spitballing, but try unexpected colors or borrow someone else's color scheme to get the moooooood your trying to convey. Your characters facial expressions and gesture tell the story, so let your colors compliment it.

Darrin Jenkins said...

I feel like the fence leads your eye to the wrong place. Of course, I am assuming it is the bull you want to focus on.

Anonymous said...

I say crop it! But i kinda agree with what Darrin said about the fence "leading the eye to the wrong place".