Illustration Friday-Change
Click image for a larger view.
This is my entry for IF's topic "change".
My process lately... Check for the topic on Friday. (Imagine that!) Consult the Dictionary/Thesaraus/Internet for a little research. The word "transformation" seemed important to me. I thought about the metamorphosis process that caterpillars go through. They struggle for while trying to get their basic needs met, then they go through a phase that sort of resembles death, then they reemerge with a a renewed life, renewed strength, and a renewed purpose. Perhaps it's trite. Frankly, I never thought I'd be drawing butterflies, damn it anyway. It just seemed appropropriate. For IF, and many real world jobs, I try not to over-impose my style, but to think about the concept and do something appropriate for the task at hand. For this concept, something clean and perhaps Asian-influenced seemed appropriate. What do you think about all this???
Oh, a little more, since people seem to like this. Once I decided on my theme, I went to Freehand where I thought about a composition. I decided on a triptych, to represent the three phases. I hacked out a composition that I liked. I knew I want things to start low on the left and then work upwards toward the right panel, to emphasize and upward movement. And I also wanted to go from sparse on the left to "fuller" on the right. Then, I researched and found some photos to help with the caterpillar and the butterfly. I went to my yard and broke off a couple of branches which I photographed. Then I pulled everything into Freehand and drew my lines and shapes. I thought about doing pen and ink, but did not. I might still try it. I scanned some cool paper for the back ground. I then brought everything into Photoshop to color and include my scanned paper texture.
One more thing. I never look at other entries until after I've done my artwork. Some of us odd folks find comfort in our little "rules".
I'd welcome any feedback. Try to be kind, but more importantly, be constructive! I can take it. It's part of improving.
Check out Gracie's illustration, she and I have nearly the exact same composition! Pretty cool. Her blog is here:
http://isaacgracelily.blogspot.com/2006/09/change-by-gracie.html
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posted by Digital Scott's Illustrationblog at 7:09 PM
45 Comments:
Like the Asian influence, triptych seems appropriate for the theme and style. Only thing, I almost wish the third (left) panel the top branch would continue across. You also might consider changing your blogger settings to allow a pop up window for comments. That way I could be still looking at your illo while writing this. Good job!
great job on this one, love the paper texture and the panel idea (wish i'd have thought of that). i see we use pretty much the same methodology, and interestingly enough chose the same subject matter this round.
demos
blogger beta will only let me post under anonymous. thanks for leaving this option open
This is beautiful. I love the texture, composition, and the gentle feel to it. I hope you are at a safe enough distance from the fire! Keep your roof wet!
Nice illo for the topic! Great idea and a touch of sweet lemon colour.
/M
I like the idea of the triptych and how you thought of the placement of the subjects. Clean lines and nice color.
Well done on your illustration.
Life belongs to the living, and he who lives must be prepared for changes. - Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
It's a great image, you've made!
I like your way of setting the phases up at three papers so caterpillar and butterfly are spreading outside the image - it tells more than lots of words. And there is a lovely lightness at your image - your stroke, your colours, your composition - it all fit together.
It's most interesting to read, how you're doing your work - yes, there's more to do than just make the image. You've just inspired me to tell about my working-process with my own butterfly - thanks a lot! (and I have changed the layout 3 times - isn't our word in this week CHANGE :-) ? )
greetings from denmark
Excellent texture! It is neat that these three could work individually, but together they do make a successful piece as well. I like that you thought the transformation part of "change" was important to show. Wonderful and unusual color pallette and nice job on the finished butterfly! I've been into butterflies myself lately, so I appreciate this even more! :-)
beautiful
beautiful image and color!
Nice layout! Often people pick the same subject to match the prompt. I am delighted to see the various approaches. Yours is very commendable!
I think you put thought and energy into your work, I think i'll try that.
I love reading the process you went through, don't change, the outcome is beautiful and i like the panel effect!
beautiful tryptic
I like your idea of the triptych and the way you describe the process of doing it. It'a beautiful work. Thanks als for you comments on my blog. Take care!
Great finish, well done
Thank you for your thoughtful comments, I like your artful vocabulary. I too wait until I am finished with my piece before venturing to look at others. I can sometimes be too easily influenced by other peoples great ideas.
I am really loving your decisions to use texture in the background and your color choices are outstanding. Very eye catching. I also like your decision to allow the subject to extend outside the framing. Very well done.
Good work man! very clean, very nice
I like the colors and I like the way the leaves are growing WITH the caterpillar
- Gracie
Very, very nice. Brilliant use of the triptych and cropping.
nicely done! The background texture is a perfect contrast to the flat colors.
Even if you had not explained the process it is apparent that you put so much thought and yourself into everything you do. I am all about that so I really appreciate that it is meaningful to you in many ways to impart this feeling to the viewer! Every bit of this illo is perfect! Love it and you ROCK too!!!
great picture. I really like your butterfly, and the contrast of the texture you added to the the background next to the subject.
I like it! ...the way you put the three steps together OH! and the texture in the background looks great! :)
A most profound thought presented with understated elegance. Your approach is so well thought out. I sometimes DO look at a few illustrations first, and then get in front of my computer and muck around until something halfway decent starts to emerge.
Do you know Isaac, Grace, or Lilly? Did you collaborate at all?
This is lovely. I like the simplicity, clean lines, and the textured background. thanks for sharing your process
this piece is wonderful, it's clean but not too minimal, the texture is perfect...really nice!
This is really lovely. It has an Asian feeling to it, especially with the graceful branch and the triptych treatment. I really like the color choices and the texture of the paper. Beautiful piece!
After all the previous comments, I don't think I can add anything new, but I sure do like this!
i really do like the panelling into a triptych… it adds to the time line and makes for a better story… the colors and composition are great… especially the uneven white border… reminds me of a polaroid… well done…
perfect..as you use to
i like how you did the butterfly
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I've always loved triptychs. This is a fresh take and I see the Asian influence.
great work, scott!
This is really cute. I was thinking of doing something like this, but I changed my mind. Now I'm a little sad I did, seeing how this turned out. C:
Lol, be constructive? Well, if I had to recommend something, an angle on the butterfly would have been sort of neat.
But this looks awesome anyways. It seems like a strange thing to draw with an Asian influences style but seeing is believing, you really pulled it off. <3 Beautiful.
i love this illo, the background paper adds to the asian feeling of it. the branch looks very pretty and tender.
Love the simplicity and the textured background! Thanks for sharing your process.
Really nice. I get the asian vibe for sure and the triptych certainly reinforces it. The colours are nice and simple too. I love the heart piece as well, the weavery together of the two is perfect. The only little comment I would make would be a softer font - maybe just a serif font - on the line across the bottom.
what a elegant lovely take!
Great idea and wonderfully executed. The background texture adds just the right natural feel to the triptych.
Very nice job here. The background texture really makes the piece and I love the fact that the butterfly breaks out of the frame.
Thanks for visiting my phobia entry.
I love reading about your processes. I want to learn Painter, but am struggling. I have greatly improved my Photoshop skills this year.
I love triptychs and employ their use often.
I also refuse to look at anyone else's entries for IF until I have done mine or at least firmly decided what I am going to do.
Thank you for commenting on my Phobia entry too! Love your stuff, I did actually think of this myself for the change subject however decided to do something different. Think yours has come out beautifully, you are an inspiration :-)
You had an awesome idea making this a triptych. I like how the centre branch is cropped on the left side, it really leads into the butterfly. Great composition.
great! love the colours combination very much!
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