I've just noticed something about level of detail in art. I know it's best to start with thumbnails, but I've found a bit of a pattern you can follow that helps with just how you should go about it.
Start with a thumbnail of your work at say 2%. Does it succeed from that distance? will people who are 30 feet away from your piece be intrigued by it? Then zoom in. Now you're at 3%. Scribble on some more details. Will it succeed from a little closer...say 20 or 15 feet? Then zoom in. continue until you're at about 5% or 6% and start deciding where you want to focus your detail. Start broad at this point, since you're zoomed out pretty far. Throw down a new layer and circle your main point of interest (make it about 50% of your image) and add detail to it. Zoom in again and make another, smaller circle detail that. Continue with this pattern. Every once in a while zoom really far out and ask yourself if it works. If it doesn't, DO NOT HESITATE to go back and fix it, even if it means you have to draw over precious details. If you zoom back often enough, you won't let yourself waste time on details that won't work. Anyway, continue to zoom in until you are at say...I don't know...12.5% (this is VERY rough. None of these numbers should be in stone). This is where you choose multiple focus points (although you can do this earlier on, too. It's up to you). Draw anywhere from 1-6 circles and number them, in order of importance of where you want the eye to go. For example, if it's a chick swordfighting an orc, make the first point where the blades contact, make the second the girl's face, and the third the orc's face, and then the fourth something like the orc's foot sliding on the ground, showing that he's losing his footing, and so on. It's all up to you! It's your story to tell, so set these circles wherever you want. Continue to add detail until the hierarchy is achieved. You don't have to make these sections circles, either. They can really be whatever shape you want, as long as it works with the composition.
Start with a thumbnail of your work at say 2%. Does it succeed from that distance? will people who are 30 feet away from your piece be intrigued by it? Then zoom in. Now you're at 3%. Scribble on some more details. Will it succeed from a little closer...say 20 or 15 feet? Then zoom in. continue until you're at about 5% or 6% and start deciding where you want to focus your detail. Start broad at this point, since you're zoomed out pretty far. Throw down a new layer and circle your main point of interest (make it about 50% of your image) and add detail to it. Zoom in again and make another, smaller circle detail that. Continue with this pattern. Every once in a while zoom really far out and ask yourself if it works. If it doesn't, DO NOT HESITATE to go back and fix it, even if it means you have to draw over precious details. If you zoom back often enough, you won't let yourself waste time on details that won't work. Anyway, continue to zoom in until you are at say...I don't know...12.5% (this is VERY rough. None of these numbers should be in stone). This is where you choose multiple focus points (although you can do this earlier on, too. It's up to you). Draw anywhere from 1-6 circles and number them, in order of importance of where you want the eye to go. For example, if it's a chick swordfighting an orc, make the first point where the blades contact, make the second the girl's face, and the third the orc's face, and then the fourth something like the orc's foot sliding on the ground, showing that he's losing his footing, and so on. It's all up to you! It's your story to tell, so set these circles wherever you want. Continue to add detail until the hierarchy is achieved. You don't have to make these sections circles, either. They can really be whatever shape you want, as long as it works with the composition.
This has been hard for me to learn, but it's all about firm, confident shapes and not necessarily the details until you're absolutely sure the shapes work. That's because people aren't likely to give your art a closer look if it doesn't look good to them from 20 feet, 10 feet, 5 feet, or so on.
ReplyDeleteHey thanks! I was just now checking up on blogger updates and saw this post. I'll have to try that next time :)
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