Elephant Spot Illustration *UPDATED*

This is my fixed elephant. I took suggestions from the students in the class to add more color to the skin of the elephant and to make the smoke more visible. Also, I changed the pipe so it no longer looks like it was made of ivory.


Here is my elephant for the spot illustration assignment. I want to thank the class for helping get a way better sketch than I would have on my own. It never hurts to get an opinion on your sketches (or on your in-progress work for that matter).

2nd Spot Illustration Assignment

For Tuesday Feb 26, you have a second spot illustration due.


These are the parameters:

1. An Elephant
2. With a pipe
3. Wearing a fez (See one HERE)

Bring the final version and post it on the blog.

Detail on the Focal Point

This is a digital painting by a friend of mine, Brandon Dorman. (Check out his blog HERE.)

He paints in Photoshop, but the same principles can apply to Painter. Look at how he used brush strokes and where he has more detail. On the eye and the beak region he has more detail (which translates to smaller brush strokes) than in the feathers and the tree branch. The "non focal point" areas don't require as much detail and have larger brush strokes. So you should spend more time on the focal point area in order to make it detailed and the most interesting part of the piece. Then be more free with your brush strokes in the other areas of the painting.

Hope this helps.

Due on Feb 19

Please have the following ready for class on Feb 19:

1. Finished Book Cover illustration (the actual file)
2. Cover uploaded to your blog
3. Cover printed out and on a book

and

4. Spot illustration of:
----Asian teenage girl
----Holding a cell phone
----The girl is angry
----She is wearing a necklace w/ a locket
5. Please have the spot illustration uploaded to your blog and bring the final file

For the rest of the assignments in class you are free to use any programs or media that you prefer. But at least part of the illustration must be done in Painter. The first goal is to make good artwork, the second is to learn to use Painter.

Good luck!

Vivid Color + assignments!

Here is my "Vivid Color" piece for the demo. Remember, don't be afraid to add odd colors, especially if your work is starting to look pasty.

For Tuesday, Feb 12 bring your Book Covers in progress. As close to finished as you can get them. Also bring your Painter files of your Master Copy to turn in. I will be giving you another assignment on Tuesday as well.