I often wonder if that boy washes his hair. In any case, if this is your first graphic art piece, I have to say that it's better than a lot of other ones that I've seen. The black background that you have keeps your subject from sticking out too badly, even though he's not perfectly blended. Perhaps it all seems rather empty, but the glowing lines that you've got (though I'm not sure the reason for the color choice) are nice, but they don't seem to be centered around your subject, but something behind him. They also stand out a little too much, I think there's a lot of contrast. Still, for a first piece, it's not bad.
probably not. around the time i was finishing i could tell there wasnt much going on, specifically to the right of him, so thats why i put those lines therepm the right. even still i wasnt satisfied, but i had no idea what i could have put there.
For a first try, it's quite excellent. It's a very bold and shape-based aesthetic, which can be difficult to pull off, but you do it very well for a first attempt. You were right to feel that the right side was empty, but the lines you added are contrary to the definite flow you've established with the left side--keep it consistent on both sides. Otherwise I agree with Saxima, it could use some more blending around the stock--he feels a little slapped in, with no real relation to the effects. I think you could have had a pretty easy fix to this, though, that would maintain the flow, liven the right side, and establish more of a focal point. I would really like to draw a bit of an arrow guide to it, but that would require me paintbrushing on your work, which I won't do without permission. Otherwise, my only other major complaint is that the entire thing feels a little... inorganic, I suppose. There's no real texture or detail to the effects, they're lines with very noticeable gradients--it doesn't quite make sense with the stock, which is a real person. Sparkles are a bit hokey too, hah. Don't be afraid to dirty things up a little, play with some texture and detail. Don't confine yourself to just the shapes and basic light of Photoshop. But still, really solid for a first piece. I look forward to seeing more from you.
please do, i would love that. thanks. ill keep that stuff in mind whenever i get around to something else.
What I do when starting anything, I always draw myself guidelines. I don't necessarily stick to them throughout the process, but I find it produces a more composed piece at the end. Here, the effects relate better to the stock; first, approaching him, surrounding him, then eventually moving away and fizzling out. He is slightly obstructed by the effects for blending purposes, but they don't overwhelm him, or interfere with the clean separation between the two elements. It's difficult to explain, I hope the diagram helps a bit.
