I don't know how effective the side-scrolling thing is. Really... you're not walking to that bright city at all. You're walking past it! The main figure is kind of.... removed from that whole background scene, so it loses a lot of the power it could have.
I also don't get that the left city is really "bad". It seems more like naturally shadowed from the bright city.
I'd definitely try to work the figure into having more interaction with either city (leaving or entering). An interesting perspective, like either bird's eye or worm's eye, could do a lot for it, too.
I don't see where he is leaving anything behind... He appears to be walking alongside his troubles/burdens/habits/whatever. Did you consider instead having the shadow turning away from the footsteps to say the left and the person turning to the right instead?
Edited after seeing Wassy's post above mine:
I hadn't even really noticed the cities myself. Oops. I was focused on the figures. I still think that having the figures (the colored and the shadowed) diverge paths from the collective footprints may be a way to go... But I am now thinking maybe the shadow could be stopping at the dark city limits while the color version keeps going. Perhaps the color version even having to shrug off the shadows restraining hand or such.
Quote:
My initial impression is the sidescroll isn't working as you have it there. He (the figure) doesn't appear|
Originally Posted by Eddy_Swan
http://eddy-swan.deviantart.com/art/...walk-136830136
This is a piece I am working on for an illustration assignment In very early stages I've posted it here because I am looking for outsider perspectives on how effective it is at illustrating the desired mood and if not field some Idea's as to how I can improve it. anyone at all can comment here or on DA. don't hold back. if you think it looks like Dungpoo then let me know, If you have any idea's as to how I can improve it I'm all ears! The piece is supposed to represent a breaking of old habits in the interest of moving on to a brighter future. |
to be breaking any chains and from a purely symbolic standpoint he does not seem to be between his
"dark past" and "bright future" but rather all that seems to be happening in the background
and he is separated from it all by the "guardrail of his denial" (lol ok probably read too much into that last one
there.
)? I would suggest rather than a figure in the foreground and stuff in the background to putthem together and have the figure in the middle of it all. Perhaps the background is all one continuous
city done in neutral grays and such with cooler shades to the left (maybe a broken window or other
signs of disrepair like potholes in the road)and warmer shades to the right (with newer cleaner buildings
and such) and the sunrise is happening offscreen to his right, and you see the sunbeams striking the road
in front of him or touching his lead foot (if he is mid-stride) the light coming at him from where he is going
to (the right) can actually be casting the shadows (to the left) of where he came and if you want to represent
chains (mentioned on your DA post not here)or breaking free you can have the long shadow he is casting be
trailing chains behind it off into the darkness.
Also you can have some random junk or litter in the street behind him, you can really get creative with this
aspect as anything you want to portray about his past can be made into litter of some sort that he (or even
his shadow) is walking away from or even stepping over on his way to his goal.
Just some suggestions
Christopher
P.S. One other thought he should be chin up or at least looking upward as up/down has a long
history of representing good/bad in visual works so if he is looking forward to a brighter future he
should be looking up at least somewhat... him looking at his feet and his posture as it is now suggest to me sadness or depression.
http://eddy-swan.deviantart.com/art/...walk-136830136
This is a piece I am working on for an illustration assignment In very early stages I've posted it here because I am looking for outsider perspectives on how effective it is at illustrating the desired mood and if not field some Idea's as to how I can improve it.
anyone at all can comment here or on DA. don't hold back. if you think it looks like Dungpoo then let me know, If you have any idea's as to how I can improve it I'm all ears!
The piece is supposed to represent a breaking of old habits in the interest of moving on to a brighter future.