Lighthouse scene [Wide Version]

TheJBurger · Fri 08/09/2006 01:22:25

This isn't specifically for a game (hence the irregular size), but I wanted to get some c&c on it. It is based off an actual location using my memory/pictures. I would post it at [2x] except that it would scroll a while, which would be a pain.
Comments, crit, paint overs, are welcome.
[1x]

nihilyst · Fri 08/09/2006 01:26:33

I like the ocean water. What jumps out is the sharp-edged horizon. I would apply some blur there.

Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens · Fri 08/09/2006 05:59:33

Congratulations on a very scenic piece. The water in particular is fantastic, but I do find the waves on the shore a bit jagged and drawing too much of my attention away from what I gather should be the lighthouse. Perhaps making their edges a bit less sharp will help. Also, I think the sky would benefit from a more orange rather than yellow hue. Very nice work.

MadReizka · Fri 08/09/2006 08:23:08

Looking real nice.
The sun set should paint the sky and land more orange.
Here's a random google image for a ref. http://www.photo.net/photo/pcd1666/chaco-sunset-74.4.jpg

Oneway · Fri 08/09/2006 10:27:36

Wow.. amazing piece of art here. Very convincing and soothing scene.

I agree with above comments. The sunset here in Holland are often a mix of yellow/orange/pink tone. Very beautiful and dramatic.

What stuck me most was the size of the lighthouse. In my perception is looks tiny, and, illogically, it's not on the highest part of the cliff. If it's the focal point of the image, it would help a lot to increase the size to draw more attention to it.
The tinyness may be due to the distance of the viewpoint to the lighthouse, or maybe because i'm not used to seeing lighthouses from above.

Also, as progZ said, the shoreline is very sharp, where the lighthouse is, presumably at roughly the same distance, a little blurry.

Having said that, it is still a very nice painting to look at!

Well done!

Xellie · Fri 08/09/2006 11:52:58

Very, very nice pic. I would agree with Progzmax, the wave edges on the beach to the right are too defined, using the lighting keys in the rest of the image, it should probably be darker and less defined than at the moment. I also think that Oneway is correct, a bigger lighthouse might just make the focus on it as the main emphasis of the painting seem more logical. Brilliant pic!

i k a r i · Fri 08/09/2006 12:21:55

The wave edges on the beach are probably missing some foam I would say, and I agree with al the comments above too...

This is a GREAT background, I wish I could do it.

TheJBurger · Sat 09/09/2006 01:33:06

Thanks everybody for your kind words and comments.

I tried to edit what most of you said and heres my 2nd version:

I made the buildings "slightly" bigger and everything pretty much more orange. Also, I darkened the clouds.

Tell me what you think.

Xellie · Sat 09/09/2006 11:13:28

Quote from: TheJBurger on Sat 09/09/2006 01:33:06
Tell me what you think.

I think it's great... would personally still make the edge of the surf have a more gradual fade to the beach... but that's just me. I LOVE the water texture as well... what application are you using?

Maltjik · Sat 09/09/2006 11:59:57

It is a gorgeous picture. Good work. Keep it up. Etcetera. No, really, I like it.
However, I have a small suggestion:
In order to give it a wee bit of more depth, you could try to curve the oceanline a little. When you stand on the beach and look out over the ocean, your eyes will most often translate the imagery as rounded. The same with the sky. Look around and you often get the impression that it's a dome.

rough drawover:

again, it's a great picture!

i k a r i · Sat 09/09/2006 19:59:10

This is what I meant with the edge of the ocean. I personally think it looks more real. $:-\$

Maybe less foam..

TheJBurger · Sat 09/09/2006 20:31:26

Quote from: Xellie on Sat 09/09/2006 11:13:28
I think it's great... would personally still make the edge of the surf have a more gradual fade to the beach... but that's just me. I LOVE the water texture as well... what application are you using?

ThanksÃ,Â

, I'm using photoshop CS for this.

Quote from: i k a r i on Sat 09/09/2006 19:59:10
This is what I meant with the edge of the ocean. I personally think it looks more real. $:-\$
Maybe less foam..

Heh, yeah thanks for your edit. I was a bit confused about the shoreline/waves thing and how to make it better. Now I see what you mean.

As for the size of the lighthouse, I'm not exactly sure how big it should be.

KristjanMan · Sat 09/09/2006 21:08:06

Here's my edit:
I made the sky a little more orange/yellow and made the whole setting bit darker and made the lighthouses light a little yellower.

SinSin · Sat 09/09/2006 21:43:53

i love it the only thing id have to say is in my opinion the whit dots in the water (wave tips ) are a little too sharp
At this distance they should be a little more smoothed
eg

http://vukelicfamily.com/balboa9.JPG

EagerMind · Sat 09/09/2006 23:34:06

Actually, JBurger I think you originally had the right idea with the coastline. Unless you're trying to show big waves crashing onto the shore, I think the way you have the water "thinning out" at it washes up onto the beach is more accurate.

However, I think the foam should be a thin but intense white strip running along the beach, with the water being pretty much completely blue right up to that point. I guess ikari captured some of that in his edit, but I think he made the waves a little too billowy. Also, I'd get rid of some of the white cloudiness/haze in the water as you move away from the coastline. Finally, you might also think about making the water a slightly lighter shade of blue as it comes into the shore (as the ocean bottom gets shallower and shallower). I'm not sure though, since it's dusk in this picture, it might not be necessary.

Here are some random pictures I googled, so hopefully you can see what I'm talking about:
http://www.ibiblio.org/gio/iw3c2volunteers/www2003/www2002/coastline.jpg
http://www.sonoma.edu/photogallery/Images/huge/sonoma_county_views/coastline.jpg
http://k43.pbase.com/u21/srijith/upload/16937132.coastline_1.jpg

Actually, now that I look at it a little closer, there might be a little bit of a perspective issue with the coast. The lighthouse, sitting up on a cliff, should be the closest thing to the viewer, with the beach farther away and lower down. But it doesn't really look like it. I'm not really enough of an expert to suggest how to fix it. Perhaps removing the waves by the lighthouse (I'd think the cliff would completely block the coastline from view) and thining out the foam along the beach (so it looks farther away) might improve things.

Finally, let me just say what a beautiful picture this is. Makes me wish I was down by the beach now! (Well, if it was warmer here ....)

TheJBurger · Sun 10/09/2006 01:41:33

Quote from: EagerMind on Sat 09/09/2006 23:34:06
Actually, JBurger I think you originally had the right idea with the coastline. Unless you're trying to show big waves crashing onto the shore, I think the way you have the water "thinning out" at it washes up onto the beach is more accurate.

However, I think the foam should be a thin but intense white strip running along the beach, with the water being pretty much completely blue right up to that point. I guess ikari captured some of that in his edit, but I think he made the waves a little too billowy. Also, I'd get rid of some of the white cloudiness/haze in the water as you move away from the coastline. Finally, you might also think about making the water a slightly lighter shade of blue as it comes into the shore (as the ocean bottom gets shallower and shallower). I'm not sure though, since it's dusk in this picture, it might not be necessary.

Here are some random pictures I googled, so hopefully you can see what I'm talking about:
http://www.ibiblio.org/gio/iw3c2volunteers/www2003/www2002/coastline.jpg
http://www.sonoma.edu/photogallery/Images/huge/sonoma_county_views/coastline.jpg
http://k43.pbase.com/u21/srijith/upload/16937132.coastline_1.jpg

Actually, now that I look at it a little closer, there might be a little bit of a perspective issue with the coast. The lighthouse, sitting up on a cliff, should be the closest thing to the viewer, with the beach farther away and lower down. But it doesn't really look like it. I'm not really enough of an expert to suggest how to fix it. Perhaps removing the waves by the lighthouse (I'd think the cliff would completely block the coastline from view) and thining out the foam along the beach (so it looks farther away) might improve things.

Finally, let me just say what a beautiful picture this is. Makes me wish I was down by the beach now! (Well, if it was warmer here ....)

I see what you mean about the waves and I'll probably change it.

And as for the perspective issue with the coast... well

.Ã,Â Originally, I wasn't sure how to do it, especially because the background was so wide, but I tried something and it looked okay to me so I kept it.