Back to the drawing board

After reading Simon's comments about my first set of thumbnails, i took his feedback on board and decided to have another crack at them. This time i removed all of the characters and focused solely on the environment, paying close attention to the lighting and depth the image should have... With these now complete i will start on turning them into a well presented concept image using photoshop..

These first images are when the group led by Captain Nemo travel to the depths of the ocean. I used different ledges and heights to enable the viewer to see that they were looking down into the abyss.






These images are when the group is making its way back to the Nautilus, and from a distance they can its search light flashing.






These are images from the part of the text when they first venture into the thick forest in seas.

Doodling in photoshop

After producing my final sketches for 20,000 leagues under the sea, i decided to watch some tutorials on youtube on how to go about producing water effects and getting that exact deep sea look that i could interpret with my work.

The first one i attempted looked rubbish, i felt this was mainly due to using the wrong colours. But when redoing it, i also found that the layers were a key factor in the overall look of the piece.

I feel that i am getting a lot more confident with my photoshop skills.

First attempt



Second attempt

Bases for concept designs

These are the main images that i will be using as base designs for my final pieces.. By using these i will have a firm footing before it even comes to using photoshop..

The first image is the one where Nemo and the professor see the sharks swimming along and have to hide. The reason the other sketches are not like this, is because i feel that i have put too much detail into it.. Also id like to see the varied outcomes from using a detailed image compared to basic line drawings..

Sharks



Turning their lamps on




Shooting the otter



Sooting the albatross



The Nautilus in sight

Adam Brockbank

Brockbank has done some really amazing work, especially his concept designs for Harry Potter and Tomb Raider. I also enjoyed his storyboards for The borrowers. But it was his work called Nemo that really took my eye, i couldnt find any information about it on his website or the internet, but im sure it has a link to 2000 leagues under the sea.. The way he uses light in his images really gives them that little extra, bringing the whole image together.









This image is from his tomb raider collection, the way he uses objects in the foreground to emphisise the character and the entrance to the cave gives depth to the image, which is definitely something ill be working on.

More thumbnails

Thanks for the comments both Phils, mind hadn't been on the project the past week at all, after what went on. But know i'm back and raring to go. Sorry about the poor quality of posts. I just wasn't focusing enough on my work... The new images are a lot more useful to all.

I continued with more thumbnail sketches, so that i could have a wider variety to choose from when it comes to editing them in photoshop..

This part of the text is when Captain Nemo's companion sees the albatross above the water and shoots it down. I thought about a few different ways to go about this image.. Still not 100% sure on this one. I like the idea of seeing the bird through the sniper, but i feel that there is not enough environment or space to work with, so ultimately the image would be very plain.



The final images are of two separate text clips. The left hand side shows when they are nearly back to the Nautilus and they can just see the outline and search light of it from a distance. The right hand page shows when the four men first set off into the under water forest that the professor calls it.. I think that the forest idea would be good, but not sure on my thumbnails.

Researching ideas and inspiration for my final piece

After finishing my last thumbnail sketches, i decided that by taking a look at a few artists and their works would be a good idea to get the feel and inspiration that could help me with my own work. Also certain styles could possibly inspire me to use something like them in my pieces.

The first artist i looked at was Marc Gabbana, the french born artist.. He has done a lot of amazing work on massive films, such as Star Wars and Hellboy. But the work that most interested me, was that of the motion capture film Beowulf. The reason that i liked this work so much was because it gave the look of dark, dingy and damp surroundings, and of course that is exactly what i am trying to portray with my ideas for 2000 leagues under the sea. I havent seen this film, but after seeing his and others work on the film im very keen to do so.



Also they way he does his preparation sketches are amazing, and would love to be able to do quick sketches like that someday.





James Clyne

I really like his work, obviously his work on the X-men and star wars is great.. But there are two areas that i like in his gallery. The transformers, even though this nothing to do with what i am researching, i love everything about transformers and think that the art work that goes into it is formidable. Secondly there is a piece called The Fountain, i am drawn to these images because he uses objects close to the screen and it makes you want to see behind it, or around the corner.. Also the lighting affects he has used in these stills are beautiful and i would like to be able to take that into my work, with the light coming from the sun down into the sea and lighting certain areas..

Thumbnail designs for my concept art

Apart from the first image, i have drawn up three different images for each piece of text, and which ever one i feel is the best, i will draw up a larger image and use that for my final pieces.

These first sketches are before i even looked into the brief, i decided to just do a few quick sketches on changing the look of the nautilus, making it more modern as if they were releasing a new film and had asked me to redesign it.



The image below is the part of the text where they see the sharks, i have portrayed it in three different ways. From the professors eyes, at a far distance so you can see the scale of the sharks compared to the people, and from the sharks eyes. After taking another look at these images ill decide which is the best and continue with that design.



These sketches are where Captain Nemo and the others are so far down in the depths of the sea that they can no longer see, so they turn their lamps on.. I am really interested in taking one of these further, as i believe that the use of light under the water will look very effective.



This final sketch is taken from the part of the story where Nemo kills the otter. I was thinking of possibly doing this image whilst he was taking the shot.



I hope to add more quick sketches from the other notes i have taken and they will be posted shortly.