I need DU's artistic advice on this - Democratic Underground

ChavezSpeakstheTruth

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Nov-27-05 09:03 PM
Original message

I need DU's artistic advice on this

Which technique do you prefer and why?

1st this is pen and ink with digital coloring:

2nd is done completely in Illustrator:

What do you think is the better approach?

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

Deja Q

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Nov-27-05 09:07 PM
Response to Original message

1. #2 is awesome. #1 looks like a botched triple bypass surgery...

Defintiely on its own, sans Mr. Clean. :D

But you are a fab artist, I must say. :thumbsup:

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

ChavezSpeakstheTruth

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Nov-27-05 09:10 PM
Response to Reply #1

3. Thank you.

So you don't like the character?

That's cool. I'm on the fence about it. My attempt is a contrast between the stark white and the crazy colors. I'm attempting to create a promotional mailer and pure abstraction doesn't sell by itself.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

Deja Q

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Nov-27-05 09:27 PM
Response to Reply #3

17. The character

Half'n'half. Great design, but he kinda looks like Mr Clean - and there's something freaky about the eyes - kinda like Wilma Flintstone's and hers always gave me the heebie-jeebies.

Just my two cents.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

ChavezSpeakstheTruth

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Nov-27-05 09:27 PM
Response to Reply #17

18. cool. I appreciate the critique

:thumbsup:

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

asthmaticeog

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Nov-27-05 09:09 PM
Response to Original message

2. I prefer the pen and ink.

The line variation you get with real-world drawing tools has a feel that the unvarying line thickness of bezier curves can't give you. The vector drawing is cleaner, yes, but there's a large sacrifice of personality, though it's something I'd have never noticed if there weren't a drawn version for comparison. Also, you have a much cooler-looking mass of stuff in the top drawing.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

ChavezSpeakstheTruth

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Nov-27-05 09:12 PM
Response to Reply #2

5. I'm leaning towards the hand drawn as well. The 2nd is the 1st drawing I'v

done with my new Wacom tablet. The power of Illustrator makes it much more efficient and I'm able to do things I never could with a pen. That being said my hand comes through more in the pen drawing. Maybe with more practice I can get a hand drawn feel with the tablet.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

asthmaticeog

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Nov-27-05 09:15 PM
Response to Reply #5

9. That's becoming more and more do-able these days.

My hand-drawing skills are so rusty it'd be a waste for me to invest in a tablet at this point, but if I ever get back in that saddle I definitely want to check some of the newer Wacom stuff out, I hear it's getting ridiculously controllable.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

ChavezSpeakstheTruth

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Nov-27-05 09:19 PM
Response to Reply #9

11. I've been playing with trying to mix hand drawn and digital - like this

Edited on Sun Nov-27-05 09:20 PM by ChavezSpeakstheTruth

The new tablets are down right unbelievable.

I've been playing with trying to mix hand drawn and digital - like this. Only the black is hand drawn. This is a mostly digital drawing.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

asthmaticeog

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Nov-27-05 09:24 PM
Response to Reply #11

13. Nice.

I do a lot of that at work - the 2 illustrators I tend to favor don't work in color, so if something they've done ends up on a color page (like say the front cover...), it's understood that I'll be applying color.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

ChavezSpeakstheTruth

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Nov-27-05 09:27 PM
Response to Reply #13

16. So you color people's illustrations?

Interesting. They're cool with that?

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

asthmaticeog

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Nov-27-05 09:37 PM
Response to Reply #16

20. Yeah, they're fine with it.

Both of 'em are buds from way back though, and I've worked with them so many times they trust me; I wouldn't do that with anyone else. But all the other illustrators I work with work in full color anyway, so it doesn't come up. I *do* wish those guys would take me up on the digital lessons I've offered 'em, though, since more skills would make them more desirable to other potential employers. :shrug:

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

ChavezSpeakstheTruth

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Nov-27-05 09:39 PM
Response to Reply #20

23. It's all about the skills

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

RagingInMiami

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Mon Nov-28-05 01:06 AM
Response to Reply #11

51. I like that

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

ChavezSpeakstheTruth

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Mon Nov-28-05 01:41 PM
Response to Reply #51

61. Thank you. It's part of an animation project I'm working on

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=4228530

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

LSdemocrat

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Nov-27-05 09:12 PM
Response to Original message

4. I'm indifferent

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

ChavezSpeakstheTruth

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Nov-27-05 09:12 PM
Response to Reply #4

6. Why?

Please share or it doesn't help me.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

LSdemocrat

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Mon Nov-28-05 12:57 AM
Response to Reply #6

49. If you hadn't told me they were done differently, I wouldn't have known

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

ChavezSpeakstheTruth

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Mon Nov-28-05 06:14 PM
Response to Reply #49

62. Really? Ok

Do you have any reaction to them as artworks or can you just not relate to them visually?

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

CanuckAmok

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Nov-27-05 09:13 PM
Response to Original message

7. certainly the pen/ink/digital colour one.

It really does have more depth, somehow.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

ChavezSpeakstheTruth

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Nov-27-05 09:14 PM
Response to Reply #7

8. It is more worked. It is much easier to put some feeling into the linework

with a pen.

It is my feeling as well. Thanks man.

:thumbsup:

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

Ivan Sputnik

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Nov-27-05 09:15 PM
Response to Original message

10. It would help to know what it is you're promoting

but I like the first one better on the level of pure art, because of the contrast.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

ChavezSpeakstheTruth

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Nov-27-05 09:20 PM
Response to Reply #10

12. Promoting?

What do you mean?

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

Ivan Sputnik

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Nov-27-05 09:39 PM
Response to Reply #12

22. I thought you said you were creating a promotional mailer (n/t)

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

ChavezSpeakstheTruth

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Nov-27-05 09:41 PM
Response to Reply #22

25. Oh yeah. Duh. I'm promoting me.

I'm a Grad student in an illustration department. Sorry. I was confused.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

BlackVelvet04

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Nov-27-05 09:24 PM
Response to Reply #10

14. that was going to be my point....

what message are you trying to convey? I like the first one better from an artistic point of view.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

ChavezSpeakstheTruth

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Nov-27-05 09:26 PM
Response to Reply #14

15. There's no literal message. It can be interpreted many ways

It is very abstract

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

ghostsofgiants

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Nov-27-05 09:36 PM
Response to Original message

19. The top one seems more full, so I'm leaning more towards that...

But I think you could get a similar fullness with either medium. I dont think it losed any personality between the two mediums. One thing about Illustrator is that if you wanted to make a bigass print with it, you could.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

ChavezSpeakstheTruth

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Nov-27-05 09:40 PM
Response to Reply #19

24. Yeah and I am makind some large panels in this style

You could output as a billboard with Illustrator

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

DS1

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Nov-27-05 09:38 PM
Response to Original message

21. The top one is more inviting to trying to decipher the maze

the bottom one is easy to tell you used the radial filter, so there's a lot more repetition

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

ChavezSpeakstheTruth

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Nov-27-05 09:42 PM
Response to Reply #21

26. Actually I copied and pasted but yeah theres no organic feel to copying

and pasting

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

spindrifter

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Nov-27-05 10:34 PM
Response to Original message

27. # 2 gets

my vote. I like the integrity of the colors.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

ChavezSpeakstheTruth

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Nov-27-05 11:10 PM
Response to Reply #27

28. Do you mean that you prefer the palate of colors?

Interesting. Can you elaborate?

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

spindrifter

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Nov-27-05 11:27 PM
Response to Reply #28

30. What I mean is that the second image

lets the colors stand out on their own better than the first. I like the palate a lot, and like the larger pathways for the individual colors. They have more "integrity" when they have the larger or enlarged showcase. Do you see what I mean?

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

ChavezSpeakstheTruth

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Nov-27-05 11:50 PM
Response to Reply #30

35. I do, definately

The thing that I like about the second piece is that is it is very pure, color-wise. I am glad that you see it that way. As to the line work - which do you prefer, if I might ask?

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

spindrifter

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Mon Nov-28-05 10:51 AM
Response to Reply #35

58. It's still # 2 for me!

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

swag

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Nov-27-05 11:25 PM
Response to Original message

29. I like the first one better. It reminds me of Peter Max or

Edited on Sun Nov-27-05 11:29 PM by swag

Heinz Edelmann, the Yellow Submarine guy.

There's a fetching creepiness to it. I can't explain why it makes me uneasy. But it does. And I keep looking at it.

on edit: corrected spelling of "Max" and checked in to add that you should image.Google "Peter Maxx" with "safe search" off if you want to see a guy with a real soupcan thing protruding from his chaps. I didn't tell you to do that.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

ChavezSpeakstheTruth

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Nov-27-05 11:53 PM
Response to Reply #29

36. WOW!

Edited on Sun Nov-27-05 11:54 PM by ChavezSpeakstheTruth

Actually that means a great deal. Peter Max is a hero of mine, and Edelmann moreso (he just spoke at my school 2 weeks ago) but people like Rick Griffin and R Crumb inform this side of my aesthetic even moreso. I like that you feel creeped by it. I hope to use color theory and pattern to take the comic strip model to a jarring yet understandable place. Does that make any sense?

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

swag

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Nov-27-05 11:58 PM
Response to Reply #36

39. "Does that make any sense?"

Yeah, it certainly does.

Charge on, man.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

ChavezSpeakstheTruth

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Mon Nov-28-05 12:05 AM
Response to Reply #39

42. Thank you!

It means alot.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

BigMcLargehuge

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Nov-27-05 11:28 PM
Response to Original message

31. the first is more organic

I like the pen and ink with digital coloring. It gives you more shape freedom than even Illustrator offers.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

tuvor

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Nov-27-05 11:38 PM
Response to Reply #31

33. 'Organic' was the first word I thought of, too.

I think I prefer the first one for that reason.

(The second one looks pretty good, too.)

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

ChavezSpeakstheTruth

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Mon Nov-28-05 12:06 AM
Response to Reply #33

43. Thank you very much

I appreciate it

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

ChavezSpeakstheTruth

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Mon Nov-28-05 12:08 AM
Response to Reply #31

44. I think that the process that I did for the 1st is the way to go

I draw in ink then scan and color in a very comic way. It gives me a very natural control over what I'm doing. It isn't a direct Roy Lichtenstein homage but what I hope is a contemporary take on that concept. I hope.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

tigereye

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Nov-27-05 11:30 PM
Response to Original message

32. nice

I prefer the first one... although it would have been interesting not to tell people which was which to see if the responses would have been different.... I really like the colors in each and the concept of the man with a wonderful explosion of colors under his shirt!

I think the first one looks fuller and has more depth to it. More organic?

H says nice line! :hi:

looks like you are embarking on a very cool journey, C.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

ChavezSpeakstheTruth

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Nov-27-05 11:57 PM
Response to Reply #32

38. Thanks TE!

Yeah - I'm trying to reconcile the fact that I have embraced the digital with the fact that I resish the physical feel of my pen on the page - in the end they are all tools.

I'm working with it and I appreciate your feedback intensely!

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

dajoki

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Nov-27-05 11:47 PM
Response to Original message

34. i like pen and ink...

with more detail and no color.:shrug:

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

ChavezSpeakstheTruth

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Mon Nov-28-05 12:04 AM
Response to Reply #34

40. No color? Like this:

Can you explain?

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

dajoki

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Mon Nov-28-05 12:14 AM
Response to Reply #40

45. IMHO yes!!

:thumbsup:

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

ChavezSpeakstheTruth

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Mon Nov-28-05 12:23 AM
Response to Reply #45

46. Why - not a dis but I want to know why you prefer it that way?

Edited on Mon Nov-28-05 12:24 AM by ChavezSpeakstheTruth

If you please

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

dajoki

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Mon Nov-28-05 12:45 AM
Response to Reply #46

47. because...

when i had art classes back in school(35 years ago) that was the only way we did pen and inks, no color. your original one is nice, i guess i'm just too bullheaded to change my mind as to how i was taught. besides i think the color takes something away from pen and ink drawings. don't forget, art is in the eye of the beholder.:shrug:

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

ChavezSpeakstheTruth

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Mon Nov-28-05 12:56 AM
Response to Reply #47

48. Always my friend

Edited on Mon Nov-28-05 12:56 AM by ChavezSpeakstheTruth

Thanks for the input

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

dajoki

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Mon Nov-28-05 01:07 AM
Response to Reply #48

52. no problem...

follow YOUR dreams.:hi:

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

bridgit

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Nov-27-05 11:54 PM
Response to Original message

37. the 2nd one overlayed into the 1st would in my opinion...

maintain the elegant line-work you've clearly established :thumbsup:

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

ChavezSpeakstheTruth

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Mon Nov-28-05 12:04 AM
Response to Reply #37

41. So you like a combination of the digital and the organic?

Is that what you mean?

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

barb162

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Mon Nov-28-05 12:58 AM
Response to Original message

50. 2, just a personal pref, color it all or leave it all black and white

the first looks half done

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

RagingInMiami

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Mon Nov-28-05 01:09 AM
Response to Original message

53. Out of the two you're promoting

I like the second one better. It has a humanistic feel to it. A person imploding.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

NuttyFluffers

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Mon Nov-28-05 02:32 AM
Response to Original message

54. the 1st. something too perfect about the 2nd.

perhaps bold the lines in the 2nd a bit more? or bold like... every other segment's outline so to give the illusion of variance? also a sense of repetition within the 2nd piece, and lowered density/busy-ness gives it a sense of being... almost sterile.

the chaos feels more authentic in the 1st.

is there a way for a computer pad to record the pressure of a recorded stylus stroke? that might help immensely.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

ghostsofgiants

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Mon Nov-28-05 02:46 AM
Response to Reply #54

55. Wacom tablets are pressure sensitive...

But in a vector drawing (the second one), it doesn't record that because of the way vectors are rendered (basically a mathematically advanced connect the dots) as opposed to raster images (filling in pixels). Though you would think that Illustrator would have the ability to specify certain widths at certain points of a line. If there is that ability, I'm not familiar with it. If there isn't, that would be a great feature.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

ChavezSpeakstheTruth

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Mon Nov-28-05 10:24 AM
Response to Reply #55

56. Illustrator can do that. I just wasn't using it that way

I'll play with the brush tool rather than the pen tool

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

ghostsofgiants

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Mon Nov-28-05 12:38 PM
Response to Reply #56

59. I completely forgot about the brush tool.

I always use the pen and pencil tools myself, I guess I just completely neglected it.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

progmom

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Mon Nov-28-05 10:34 AM
Response to Original message

57. i prefer the pen and ink

but they're both excellent. :thumbsup:

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

ChavezSpeakstheTruth

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Mon Nov-28-05 01:40 PM
Response to Reply #57

60. Thank you, my dear.

That seems to be the concensus

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

DU AdBot (1000+ posts)

Mon Apr 29th 2024, 11:07 PM
Response to Original message

Advertisements [?]

Top

Powered by DCForum+ Version 1.1 Copyright 1997-2002 DCScripts.com
Software has been extensively modified by the DU administrators

Important Notices: By participating on this discussion board, visitors agree to abide by the rules outlined on our Rules page. Messages posted on the Democratic Underground Discussion Forums are the opinions of the individuals who post them, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Democratic Underground, LLC.