Notes #

• The first one is cute. It’s modeled after a simple chicken from a game (Breath of Fire III), and I think it strikes the right balance between detail and simplicity.

• The second one I made for Cerami after he liked the first. I realized that as soon as I have more objects in a scene, the piece becomes much more complicated. Factors considered:

  • Composition. Where should stuff go? It sounds so simple, but it’s not obvious how to concoct a good-looking scene from scratch. I get why you’d look at other paintings to see how people arrange things. Plus, you can add humor and cues to make more of a story (e.g., sunrise; see lighting below.)

  • Object modeling. If you’re going to have a scene with stuff in it, you need to make those objects. One of those “oh god” moments where I realize actual artists spend thousands of hours learning to draw / paint / model every kind of object you’ve seen, from tables to toothpaste to tarantulas. I tried making something that sort of looked like a small chicken coop you can buy, but it doesn’t look like much in the finished piece.

  • Lighting. I tried making the scene sunrise, with the horizon color visible and golden light on the birds. But it’s not obvious enough.