a more painted style

[DNA]

i was going for a more painted feel on this one. it still needs some work and jpging it messed up some of the smoothness but here it is.

[kaaZ]

Simply beautifull...
Though, I would add a bit more contrast to the leaves on the ground (you could as well go for some black outlines here). Also the rocks on the foreground look exactly the same as those more on the back, by making the rocks on the foreground a bit more shady (darker) it would create more depth.
Those are just some minor things which, I reckon, would make this great background even better.

=kaaZ=

[Domino]

Very nice, very nice indeed. I love the sun and how it makes the sky such an eerie red. It has a nice atmosphere to it, and would love to see more.

shawn  

[TheYak]

I love it, and think it would make an excellent background.  However, it's gonna be difficult to get a character to blend with that background, especially if you want to be able to see where you're going.  Maybe if you could lighten up the foreground a bit, it'd be easier to use.  I like the tone of the picture as it is, but it might be a tad dark.

[Pessi]

Man, that is rockin! Great atmosphere!

To start off with the good things, I think you've got the sky spot on. I think it basically creates the whole calm and warm atmosphere with the wonderfully harmonious colors and well-placed sun. The trees are also really well placed. My first thought about trees against that sky would be pretty negative but you have placed them somehow non-intrusively that they really work well. Probably some kind of a see-through-leaves thing.

Anyway, on to criticism. I think the most important things for me are the consistency of the style as well as the actual painterly look you were after. The consistency issue actually arises from the fact that for the rocks you use outlines and for the rest of the image you don't. I don't know if it actually is something that is distinct for your style but then that leads me to my second point: the painterly look. Paintings often do not use outlines and if they do, they are more stylistic paintings that are kind of suggestive instead of definitive. In either case, in this image, to me, it reads as inconsistent.

One thing that I want to mention is the contrast which is both good and... could-be-worked-on. In general, it's great, you've got really dark colors and really bright ones as well, in addition to low-saturated and saturated colors. However, at some places the contrast isn't quite there. I think the edges of the trees are one of those places. I'm not even sure why they seem to lack contrast to me but I think it might be because there's no dark spots among the lit parts. It might be also be that the center parts of the trees aren't quite as dark as they could be, or on the other hand, that the edges of the trees aren't as bright as they could be. Either way, they seem to lack contrast to me which kind of stands out in the same way as the inconsistency issue, as in a way, it is inconsistent.

Finally, I think the path on the foreground seems a bit off perspective, unless it's uphill. Although it doesn't seem like it because it kind of lacks the features of a hill. Nonetheless, this is irrelevant in achieving a more painting-like look.

The best advice I can give in achieving even more of a painted feel would be using big brushes, loose strokes and textures. And textures in sense of custom brushes. However, you didn't say at any point that you wanted to make a virtual painting so I'll just leave it here.

Anyway, the image is fantastic and I think it would rock in an adventure game as it currently is! Hopefully we'll see more of these!

[danny*]

 :o :o :o

[ravenfusion]

I think Danny likes it! I know I do, great artwork DNA!

[jannar85]

It's amazing. I love the atmosphere!
It has its own unique style, if I might add.

Oh, and listen to Pessi..
He knows his stuff

[subspark]

Not to put yo down, Pessi, but i can't make full sense of what you wrote. I am an artist and work in the industry and I read your reply and thought i was reading something out of my old science exam papers. As an artist I can interperate what your saying but you mentioned the same points 3 or for times and contradicted yourself earlier in your post. I'll be brief but I think DNA's trees look good because the sunlight is hitting the other side leaving them a pasty black to our view. I would like to see more silouettes around the leaves myself as this gives a sort of translucency you see in leaves when light hits them from behind. Example:

http://www.digi-element.com/images/awb30/exmachina/automn_imagecomp2.jpg

Another thing about the inconsistency of DNA's image is the light hitting innapropriate areas for example the rocks laying through the center of the image. It seems to me as though there is a light source somewhere behind us hitting the rocks in the opposite direction. The sillouettes are reversed giving us a missconception to how the scene is illuminated. The sun is the only scource of light that DNA has given us therefore we should not be distracted by things outside of our view. In the case of an adventure game this issue could lead us to think there is more to the image in terms of where the player can go.

On another note the sun is great. The classic saturated indiana jones logo look can work if you compose it correctly which I think DNA has done for the majority of his image. To me the atmosphere of the game world seems like mars as the shade between the horizon and the sun is darker than the sun itself which to me, gives the subtle imprression of a dust storm heading our way. Maybe water it down with a streak of clouds under the sun as in a typical sunset you'd see in a photograph. The last thing I spotted was the sky turning pitch black at the treetops. It does leave a dark feeling to the image like someone has cast a huge black thunderstorm over our heads but realisticly the sky would dissapate from oranges to purples to blues to blacks (and stars). If you were going to put stars in, DNA, I suggest you place one or two in the purpley areas that would be in place of the dark red and as the sky gets deeper in its colors heading towards the remains of the night sky, place more stars around that area.

Apart from the obvious the image looks great. You have my congrads.
Also to Pessi, good on you for picking up not only the obvious but the subtle defects of DNA's fantastic peice.

[ravenfusion]

What?!? :o Pessi always makes sense! hehe.

[Pessi]

Thanks for the comments, Subspark! I'm always up for getting better at this. Though I'd like to say that I'm actually just trying my best at telling how I like the image and how I personally might change it. I used to make it more clear about a year ago or so that I was not educated or anything and that I just observed the images and told what I found. Not only to criticize, but equally importantly to learn myself.

However, I'm intrigued, how did I contradict myself? I just can't find it. Perhaps it could be just the fact that I'm expressing myself wrong, English not being my mothertonque and all. Do you mean the way I first say the contrast is great but then say something is wrong with it? Or the way consistency seems to be the issue in all the aspects of the image?

Anyway, your criticism rocks! You REALLY seem to know your stuff and it's great that you share your knowledge. It is greatly appreciated. I hope to see it in the future as well!