Okay - yes, you're right, what's so exciting visually about this particular city is the sense of complexity and playfulness we get from Calvino's descriptions; it does feel like a gaming environment, or a game of snakes and ladders - certainly, one of your challenges in terms of this city is bringing out that playfulness and sense of intricacy - which is why you need to stop drawing your buildings as 'cubes' right away! :(
The thumbnail that is most enticing is the one that shows the waterfall effect, which is interesting in terms of the layout of your city as having a 'high point', and visually, the idea of all these runnels of water running down the sides of the city is exciting. You need to be very careful in terms of visual research of just looking at existing examples of concept art or fantastical cities; what you need to understand is that artists who produced those environments would have spent their time looking at real world reference in order to produce those memorable places. It's clear from your thumbnails that you're lacking a bit of actual knowledge in terms of the shapes, structures and character of the architecture you're seeking to make. You seem to be centring down on a Persian/Arabian/Islamic flavour for your city; if so, I suggest you spend more time looking at actual examples: http://islamic-arts.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/033112_1206_MosqueofCor5.jpg You've got this wealth of specific pattern and colour to work with too: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/60/Roof_hafez_tomb.jpg
Your waterfall thumbnail puts me in mind too of the fabled Hanging Gardens of Babylon: http://s2.thingpic.com/images/Sa/edepRdsEfP2x4Pe8kh6ikPYV.jpeg
In common with a lot of feedback I'm giving, I want you think much more specifically about what you're showing us in your final paintings and why; all cities are comprised of hierarchies of buildings; you've got the palaces, cathedrals and the government buildings, the monuments, as well as the more domestic accommodation. When it comes to your role as concept artist, I'd like you to show us key sights in your city, as opposed to just views of general streets or generic rooms. This means you need to think a little more in detail about your city - what are its landmarks, and the interior shot is an important one, because...
The other visual sense we get strongly from your city is that it's maze like - like a puzzle or board game (in which the inhabitants are like chess pieces); you may want to take a look at similar playful references:
In summary, Dani, I'd like to see a bit more exuberance from your drawings; you've got this amazing, lush, decorative city, full of complexity and sense of movement; you've identified a really rich, patterned architectural influence, and you've rightly identified that living in this city is a bit like living in a platform game. As you move forwards, I want you to work harder at capturing those characteristics - and thinking too about the whys and wherefores of your city and its layout.
OGR 08/10/2015
ReplyDeleteAfternoon Dani,
Okay - yes, you're right, what's so exciting visually about this particular city is the sense of complexity and playfulness we get from Calvino's descriptions; it does feel like a gaming environment, or a game of snakes and ladders - certainly, one of your challenges in terms of this city is bringing out that playfulness and sense of intricacy - which is why you need to stop drawing your buildings as 'cubes' right away! :(
The thumbnail that is most enticing is the one that shows the waterfall effect, which is interesting in terms of the layout of your city as having a 'high point', and visually, the idea of all these runnels of water running down the sides of the city is exciting. You need to be very careful in terms of visual research of just looking at existing examples of concept art or fantastical cities; what you need to understand is that artists who produced those environments would have spent their time looking at real world reference in order to produce those memorable places. It's clear from your thumbnails that you're lacking a bit of actual knowledge in terms of the shapes, structures and character of the architecture you're seeking to make. You seem to be centring down on a Persian/Arabian/Islamic flavour for your city; if so, I suggest you spend more time looking at actual examples:
http://islamic-arts.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/033112_1206_MosqueofCor5.jpg
You've got this wealth of specific pattern and colour to work with too:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/60/Roof_hafez_tomb.jpg
Your waterfall thumbnail puts me in mind too of the fabled Hanging Gardens of Babylon:
http://s2.thingpic.com/images/Sa/edepRdsEfP2x4Pe8kh6ikPYV.jpeg
In common with a lot of feedback I'm giving, I want you think much more specifically about what you're showing us in your final paintings and why; all cities are comprised of hierarchies of buildings; you've got the palaces, cathedrals and the government buildings, the monuments, as well as the more domestic accommodation. When it comes to your role as concept artist, I'd like you to show us key sights in your city, as opposed to just views of general streets or generic rooms. This means you need to think a little more in detail about your city - what are its landmarks, and the interior shot is an important one, because...
The other visual sense we get strongly from your city is that it's maze like - like a puzzle or board game (in which the inhabitants are like chess pieces); you may want to take a look at similar playful references:
http://www.mcescher.com
https://ipoem.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/snakesandladders.png
http://images1.sw-cdn.net/model/picture/674x501_982211_978475_1429682297.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nc8tAk0HUfI/VBGaqQEkWLI/AAAAAAAAGjY/_y9HcGPIY3M/s1600/Azkaban%2BHogwarts%2BStaircases.JPG
In summary, Dani, I'd like to see a bit more exuberance from your drawings; you've got this amazing, lush, decorative city, full of complexity and sense of movement; you've identified a really rich, patterned architectural influence, and you've rightly identified that living in this city is a bit like living in a platform game. As you move forwards, I want you to work harder at capturing those characteristics - and thinking too about the whys and wherefores of your city and its layout.