Under Construction- test for future mural

[LabRatKing]

So the critters are a ways off, but here if the completed back, mid and foreground for a test painting of Miocene Nebraska. This is roughly .75m square. Final mural 3m high by 6m long.

 

Critiques welcome. Specimen suggestions appreciated.

 

Because my employer thinks I only sleep ten minutes per day apparently....

 

 

[Fossildude19]

Looks good to me.  

[Top Trilo]

If this a test for a mural I don't think a photo of the Miocene would help you should try painting it. Looks very good, its how I'd expect the Miocene to look like in Nebraska 

[IsaacTheFossilMan]

Goodness me, there's some talent on this topic! That's gorgeous! Critters? Purussaurus, one of my favourites, or, indeed, the incredibly famous, and formidable Smilodon. Can't wait to see more paintings of yours!

[JamieLynn]

I am actually going to offer a bit of constructive criticism. In order to create more depth, try making the furthest back hills a dusty blueish/purple. It's called "atmospheric perspective" (if you were not aware of it) and it helps create the sense of distance. 

 

[Pagurus]

This looks like a fun project if you have a lot of time on your hands. I hope you enjoy it anyway. It looks like a great first step, and the 6-meter mural will be impressive, I'm sure! The puddle in the foreground strikes me as a little too distracting by itself, but I assume you'll be painting a critter drinking there. I am impressed!

[JamieLynn]

This is an abstracted simplification of atmospheric perspective:

  

[IsaacTheFossilMan]

4 minutes ago, JamieLynn said:

This is an abstracted simplification of atmospheric perspective:

  

I am going to disagree with your suggestion... Although the drawing could lack depth, I think the details like the grass getting smaller further away makes for a more photorealistic imagery, whereas, as cool as atmospheric perspective is (not condemning it, I love it!), it lends itself to a 2D image, like a platformer game, or some modern stylised art... Apologies for my stubbornness, especially after the riot of a time I had with your contest!

[JamieLynn]

no worries! It's all worth exactly what Lab Rat King is paying for it....nothing! To use or not to use...that is his discretion! 

[IsaacTheFossilMan]

Indeed! 

[LabRatKing]

3 hours ago, Pagurus said:

This looks like a fun project if you have a lot of time on your hands. I hope you enjoy it anyway. It looks like a great first step, and the 6-meter mural will be impressive, I'm sure! The puddle in the foreground strikes me as a little too distracting by itself, but I assume you'll be painting a critter drinking there. I am impressed!

The foreground is dark as I’m required to show subsurface fossils too, think of it as a cutaway 

[LabRatKing]

3 hours ago, IsaacTheFossilMan said:

I am going to disagree with your suggestion... Although the drawing could lack depth, I think the details like the grass getting smaller further away makes for a more photorealistic imagery, whereas, as cool as atmospheric perspective is (not condemning it, I love it!), it lends itself to a 2D image, like a platformer game, or some modern stylised art... Apologies for my stubbornness, especially after the riot of a time I had with your contest!

 

3 hours ago, JamieLynn said:

This is an abstracted simplification of atmospheric perspective:

  

I’m kind of screwed on proper perspective due To the final location of the mural. I did a blue shift version, but the test looks pink in the location.

 

is difficult to post actual vs. reality which is why I welcome all critiques!

 

pretty sure I’m one of those folks that can see colors others can’t, hence this post. Hard to describe as I tested positive for the rods and cones most people lack- in short what you see and what I see are very different, hence why I’m asking for help. This image is too bright and has skewed perspective to my eyes, but my wife says it looks photographic.

 Truth is looks cartoonist to my eyes.

 

[DPS Ammonite]

Are you also painting the full size mural? 
 

 

[IsaacTheFossilMan]

8 hours ago, LabRatKing said:

 

I’m kind of screwed on proper perspective due To the final location of the mural. I did a blue shift version, but the test looks pink in the location.

 

is difficult to post actual vs. reality which is why I welcome all critiques!

 

pretty sure I’m one of those folks that can see colors others can’t, hence this post. Hard to describe as I tested positive for the rods and cones most people lack- in short what you see and what I see are very different, hence why I’m asking for help. This image is too bright and has skewed perspective to my eyes, but my wife says it looks photographic.

 Truth is looks cartoonist to my eyes.

 

Interesting... Draw to please yourself, what's what I say!

[Mahnmut]

Ahoi.

Looking forward to see where this goes.

I do not know much about  miocene Nebraska, but as far as I read it should include some birds, there seems to be some fossil diversity to choose from.

A strong blueshift as in "blue mountains" is typical for woodland (konifers and eucalyptus especially, the etheric oils they transpire filter the light in that way).

Best Regards,

J

[LabRatKing]

I should clarify that I always do test paintings before the actual mural for just this sort of discussion!

On 2/26/2021 at 7:32 PM, DPS Ammonite said:

Are you also painting the full size mural? 
 

 

Yep, eventually, though I’ll have crew to help.

[LabRatKing]

On 2/26/2021 at 3:17 PM, Pagurus said:

This looks like a fun project if you have a lot of time on your hands. I hope you enjoy it anyway. It looks like a great first step, and the 6-meter mural will be impressive, I'm sure! The puddle in the foreground strikes me as a little too distracting by itself, but I assume you'll be painting a critter drinking there. I am impressed!

Agreed. There’s are still many layers to ad to bring it into proper perspective, plus’s ther isn’t any reall eye targets yet to force the illusion. Foreground in particular needs lots of work still.