Friday, December 16, 2011

Ep 109 - Critiques return from Beyond the Grave!

This episode we attempt to help make the world a slightly more pleasant place by providing critiques to listeners! Last episode we invited people to send in their art for us to view and discuss, and we got a lot of them, so this will be part one of a two-part extravaganza! It's been a while since we've done a critique episode, so we hope you enjoy.

http://www.megaflowgraphics.com/NinjaMountain/NinjaMountain109.mp3

Subscribe to the Ninja Mountain Podcast on iTunes or we'll come to your door and critique YOU. Don't think we won't.

The pictures from our wonderful listeners in this episode:

David Michael Wright
http://davidmichaelwright.blogspot.com/2011/03/new-painting.html

Chris Carrasco
http://chriscartoonist.deviantart.com/#/d4hy6ql

Alex McVey
www.alexmcvey.com

Max Antonov
http://maxantonov.deviantart.com/art/Red-Sonja-DACN-Avatar-Contest-271354939

Bushmen
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx4w-CS79C_ZgK-jU6iALqIsrdIgn2WPJY7eA3xgGjSchl2_VYVheu91bovzlOFimo5JUlNqbkTwY8iniNk2bJsBXq0hGQgDU98KgeVJBVySqreGMtgH-xxc4PpVkPjxgxrqtvuw/s1600/overlook.jpg


Thanks one and all!! More critiques next week.

21 comments:

Jeremy Rathbone said...

yes! will listen asap!

Patrick McEvoy said...

You're up for the next installment Jeremy - which we already recorded yesterday!

Max Antonov said...

Hello!

Many thanks for all your kind words, and advices of course. It was very useful.
I should definitely work harder on a strategy of placing colors, thank you for this point.
Edges is the most hard thing for me. Especially the inked ones. I tended to do more painting style works, so in the end I just erased lines and i think this is what pencil guys don't want to happen.
I guess i bring in too much of my own interpretation and it may not be good for collaborative work.

And yet. Not enough red on RED Sonja hairs? Oh, guys, what I was thinking about? I'm so lame )

Once again, thank you for this episode!

With best regards, Max Antonov.

P.S. In Soviet Russia big planes are really BIG )

Jeremy Rathbone said...

great episode. I really have some good things to think about.

brushmen said...

Thank you so much for the critiques of every submitted piece. I'm learning in general the dialog used in a critique session, and what you say about the other pieces too.

Really sorry about that misleading detail on the feet. It was supposed to be just lines on the shoe/boot, not outlines of the toes. These lines should be wiped from the character design sheet. :)

How should I handle an overcast kind of lighting in this particular case? (no strong light from specific direction, just a wash of light) Or depend on what the referenced photos look like?

Thank you Patrick for lowering the critique level to that of a concept sketch. For me it was more than a sketch, but that's delusional. :P

(As a self-learning type of cartoonist, I'm facing the mental obstacle of really using references for everything in a drawing instead of relying on shapes, eye-balled perspective, or past practice with figure drawing. But you're right. Everything I see/hear, from Mr. James Gurney's books, IMC reports, or other illustrator podcasts, everyone uses references.)

Thanks!

Brenton said...

Hi folks, I think the Perth Artist may be Ben Templesmith ?

Gordon Napier said...

Entertaining episode. I look forward, with a little trepidation, to getting the treatment. I had an idea which I thought I'd put to you: how about having a regular critique segment, and making it a feature of each episode. (Like WIP used to do with 10K H). You could do one critique to round off each show, say, either of one of your own pieces, or of something submitted by your appreciative listeners. It would give each show a visual component.

Jan said...

If you NinjaS (ugh :P) want to learn a bit about ArtRage, Jon has a bunch of process videos explaining his use of it on his Youtube account here:

http://www.youtube.com/user/MrJonHodgson

Now gimme another episode! :D I need something to listen to during the pre-Christmas painting push.

David Michael Wright said...

Hi Ninjas!

Thankyou all very much for critiquing my painting - really appreciate it, cheers!

I can’t remember laughing at my own work so much, and you guys have made my day today :).

I did reference a bit of asparagus incidentally (thankyou Drew!), and rock crystal formations too, but all in all, mmm, well, yeah, Socar has certainly colourfully (as ever) shock opened my eyes to its now obvious potential alternate interpretation today, and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to look at that painting in quite the same way again :)

When I’ve stopped laughing I’ll definitely be trying to put lots more work into all the weak areas you all kindly highlighted - Lighting consistency, Clarity, avoidance of tangents and unintentional huge phallic structures etc :)

The vague area in the top right you mentioned was actually intended to suggest that the characters might be partially enclosed in the opening of a vast gigantic cave, I think at the time I felt the image needed a bit more ‘framing’ in that corner and this was an afterthought - but yeah I can see now this is definitely weak and too ambiguous what with the lighting issues.

I’m definitely not one for fine arty supporting supplementary explanations for my pictures, but I do try to get my own little stories going on in my head while working on things - and then afterward just flat leave it to others to interpret as they wish (sort of hoping my personal unknown sub-back story might add a little bit of extra, depth, interest, intrigue etc).
At the time of painting this I was reading loads of Nietzsche and Philosophy and stuff and sort of trying to mash all of these ideas into a fantasy theme along the lines of a strange alien planet where these two huge alien god heads were guarding a sort of physical organic source of nihilism (hence ‘Nihl’) and scaring unwitting explorers away from venturing anywhere near this dangerous evil corrupting crystalline insidious root…

But yeah it does look like a gigantic glowing nob :)

Thanks again, you lot are the best,

Cheers,
David :)

Der Rabe said...

HI Ninjas

so been listening to you for a long long time love the show i even catch my self re listening to the episodes when I'm painting its just so awesome to listen to you .

I LOVE YOU!!!!
xD

BTW I am to late to submit for critique ? it would suck to send stuff if you're already buried in artwork

cheers
Nikola

Patrick McEvoy said...

Hi!

Overwhelmed by all the responses - I'll try to at least let you know I read each one, if not give a great reply right now..

Max - Socar loved your name! Glad you enjoyed the critique. :)

Jeremy - Just wait 'til NEXT time... *evil grin*

Brushmen - sounds like you have a fantastic attitude to go with your imagination. Keep up the good work!

Brenton - I think Kieran figured it out later in the episode, though I have to admit I wasn't listening too closely at that moment...

Gordon - as you'll hear in the next episode, we were already thinking along those lines (great minds, etc.)! Seems like a fine idea.

Jan - that's right, how could I forget that he was doing those. Will have to look at some point (actually, I'm doing some work for Jon this week - I'll try to check out his lessons before I speak to him next).

David - we really did love your asparagus. (That's what SHE said - ha!) Thanks for joining in, it was a great piece to discuss.

Nikola - we love you too! Yes, we're going to try to critique a piece every episode, leave a post here with a link. :)

Thanks all! Talk to you again soon.

Matthew Sylvester said...

Hi Ninjas
A great episode. The critiques were thoughtful and solid in the information given. I found myself having a few " oh yeah " moments , hearing your feedback on each piece. There always seems to be a bit of art basics that I take for granted or may have not been part of my thought process on a piece I may be working on.
Thank you for the fresh perspectives and ideas.
Perpetually a student,
Matthew

Drew Baker said...

I'm sure some of you have heard of wipnation.com, but I've just started being active over there. I think their in browser redlining is an excellent tool, and makes it much easier to give a quick critique. I hope to keep doing one or two per day over there.

(I've also posted a few step by steps on my page -- https://www.wipnation.com/citizen/drewbaker -- if you want to see some of the cringe-worthy things I do.)

--Drew

Max Antonov said...

Happy New Wear, Ninjas!

Wish you a very happy Holidays and a New Year filled with success, love, health, wealth and joy )

You are awesome, guys! Merry Christmas!
Greeting card

Macaruba said...

Hi Ninjas
Any news on any casts in 2012?
I'm eagerly awaiting, thanks.
Jason
www.macaruba.com

Patrick McEvoy said...

Max - thanks!

Macaruba - the delay is entirely my fault. We recorded a followup critique show, but I have not edited it yet. I have it going RIGHT THIS MINUTE, in fact, so expect a new ep this week!

Jeff Lafferty said...

Great show!
Jeff

ATOM said...

Great work guys! I especially enjoyed this episode.Well done yet again.;)

Patrick McEvoy said...

Thanks Mr. Atom - we live only for praise! (really... our lives are empty and meaningless otherwise... )

Patrick McEvoy said...

Thank you Jeff! Feel free to comment any time. :D

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