AR6 Silver Container - Work In Progress

[DarkOwnt]

This is painted in AR6 using the custom brush which I LOVE. I have been able to create a series of brushes which make me very happy.


I'm trying to use Mark Carder's method to learn how to paint realism: drawing, palette creation, doing color checking (mixing color and testing on a reference), and trying to keep the abstraction. I've strayed a bit from his "dark to light" strict process (I will give that a try sometime) but otherwise I've stayed close to his method of painting realism.


This silver container is slowly coming along... I estimate about 3 hours so far (I'm slow). Some details and such in my painting (the reflected light at the bottom) are way less subtle than they should be... so I will be doing corrections at some point.

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I am using the following as a reference for this exercise:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnMG1w4Yym4

[DarkOwnt]

Decided to just get it done... will make further adjustments, refinements etc. after I take a rest from it.


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[markw]

Nicely done DarkOwnt,:cool: I like it a lot.
Be careful about going back in again. It is the danger with digital work that it’s so easy to keep going back and fiddling. I’ve been guilty of this too many times I fear!

[DarkOwnt]

Thanks for the kind words and advice markw.

I’ll try not to fuss over it too much but I might correct a flaw here and there and rework the composition a little, similar to what I did with my apple painting (edge control and lighting adjustment).

Cheers!

[DarkOwnt]

Finished SilverContainer

I fixed the shadow and a few highlights/reflections, and did some edge control and light fall-off "glazing" on the table for better composition.



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Comments/feedback?

[markw]

I still like it:cool:
And the falloff on the table definitely improves it.

[omarcross]

Nice work. I hope I'll build the dedication to paint like that.

[DarkOwnt]

Thanks for the kind words. With techniques like those of Mark Carder (see the video and his website) you really only need some patience and about 2-5 hours.

[NickBussy]

Looks great. You nailed the metallic surface texture!

[DarkOwnt]

Looks great. You nailed the metallic surface texture!

Thank you for the kind words Nick!

[eighty+]

Fab D /O. Really must take a lot of time and steady hand.and the shapes are perfect. Congrats. CIAO. PLOOS SLAINTE :D:D:D

[damasocl]

Increíble!!! Fabuloso!!! El efecto de la textura metálica que has logrado es impresionante! Felicitaciones...

[DarkOwnt]

Thank you both eighty+ and damasoci for the words of encouragement!

[DarkOwnt]

I really could not have done this with any other software. The newest version of ArtRage (version 6) and its custom brush engine capable of paint depth (and an excellent blending engine) is perfect for achieving this.

[Davaaris]

Wow, that's amazing.

[DarkOwnt]

Wow, that's amazing.

Thanks Davaaris!

[Patrick_K]

I really like how the metal was rendered and the over all presence of the container. The shadow seems a bit off but nothing too crazy. It's not even the shadow really, it's the massive black background and it's saturation level is competing with the shadow and they aren't really playing too nicely with one another. Maybe with another painting with dark background, take the time to paint it on with subtle gradient or just subtle differentiation in the surface so it doesn't not compete with the shadow so much. All in all, it's wonderful though. Looks like it was fun to make.

[DarkOwnt]

Interesting. I painted from the reference in the video (see the video link at 18 seconds in), and chose not to make any drastic changes.

When you say the shadow and the background are not playing too nicely what do you mean? I would be reluctant to change too much as it might make things look artificial... had I set up the still life though, you think it would be better to use a fill light (to brighten the shadow) or a light fabric instead of the dark background? Compositionally how would this be an improvement?

Thanks for the kind words.

[Patrick_K]

Interesting. I painted from the reference in the video (see the video link at 18 seconds in), and chose not to make any drastic changes.

When you say the shadow and the background are not playing too nicely what do you mean? I would be reluctant to change too much as it might make things look artificial... had I set up the still life though, you think it would be better to use a fill light (to brighten the shadow) or a light fabric instead of the dark background? Compositionally how would this be an improvement?

Thanks for the kind words.

The shadow's saturated nature in the field of mid tones steals the show. You could bring it down a bit or strengthen the highlight at the base of the container. Softening the gradient's shadow on it's receding edge may also dissipate the minor tension created by the alternating saturation levels of the table, background and shadow. I hope that's helpful.

[DarkOwnt]

The shadow's saturated nature in the field of mid tones steals the show. You could bring it down a bit or strengthen the highlight at the base of the container. Softening the gradient's shadow on it's receding edge may also dissipate the minor tension created by the alternating saturation levels of the table, background and shadow. I hope that's helpful.

Hmm. So I am now noticing a few things.

1. The shadow is not correct. The shape could be bumped more towards reality, the gradient on the top should be softened, and a soft gradient added to extend to the right.

2. Although, I have artificially controlled my edges and added a bit of an overall gradient to help with composition and draw the eye to the canister, I note that the table edge between the background and the shadow is at its sharpest, and possibly its brightest. This combined with the darkness of the shadow creates a "feature" in that strip of table which draws the eye.


So, an area which is somewhat unimportant and also a bit off is grabbing some attention from the rest of the canister.

I have done a composition based rework before... perhaps I will touch this one up also.


Thank you for bringing a fresh eye and bringing this to my attention.

[DarkOwnt]

So I did some final reworking.

I like this one the best.


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Cheers!

[limey-g]

I really like your work, the fall off of the shadow is just right and I feel like I could reach into the painting and pickup the box in my hand.

[DarkOwnt]

I really like your work, the fall off of the shadow is just right and I feel like I could reach into the painting and pickup the box in my hand.

Thanks for the kind words mr. g. I owe the realism to Mark Carder's method... (and the still life reference)!

Cheers!