Hi Folks,

Over the course of a year, I hope to help share and build upon my existing skills as a Enviromental & Transport artist by helping direct monthly based topics.

Each segment will be run for 1-2 months, depending on participation and complexity. The classes will be FORUM run and self-directed.

HOUSE RULES 

What this means is:

• Each individual will form their own curriculum
  
• Each participant will search, gather and share their understanding of the topics
• The class will the review, discuss and apply the lessons of these topics within an APPLIED lesson
• Every participant is free to provide input, feedback and critique to one another.
• Please respect and listen to one another's opinion. Yo do not have to agree to it, but allow each person to say their peace
  
• FLAMING will not be tolerated, and if a discussion becomes heated, the said participants will be asked to kindly carry that discussion elsewhere
  
• That said, let us begin

Suggested Curricula: 

Basics: Perspective in greyscale ONLY

Week 1 - Perspective examples, and theory

Week 2 - Perspective exercises and feedback

Week 3 - Applied perspective to a theme (eg. historical landscape)

Week 4 - Feedback and Paintovers

Week 5-   recap

Week 6 -  Composition examples and theory

Week 7 -  Composition exercises

Week 8 -  Applied Composition to a theme (eg. fantasy and sci fi themes)

Week 9 -  Feedback and Paintovers

Week 10 - Recap

WEEK TWO-THREE: APPLIED PERSPECTIVE & EXERCISES

Now that we've covered the simple aspects of perspective, lets see it in action.

NUTS and BOLTS

The one thing I can share happily is the production of an environment and props. Over the course of 2-3 weeks, we will work on generating an image, designing the props and then illustrating it.

NO SLAPDASH approach! The objective is to produce a portfolio worthy image at the end of it all. So the more you put in, the more you get out of it.

DIssecting an enviromental painting

A environmental painting, has in its mainstay a composition of your choice. The objects within, we shall call props (they will be like actors and stage kit to make the whole process work believably)

Using a theme of a Jungle Ruin, let us break it down into some basic objectives:

So for any enviromental painting to work it needs:

1. Level 1 Detail: These are basic shapes. eg. A range of mountains, with a bare tree in the foreground
2. Values/Tonal Separation: Try to structure your image into 4 basic values
   
3. Level 2 Detail: Foreground and midground elements (eg. Local trees, vines, mushrooms, lichen)
   
4. Reference: Compile a selection of images onto a separate PSD of your subject matter.
   

BUT before we do any of the fun stuff, we'll need to apply what we've learn about perspective.

WEEK TWO: JUNGLE RUINS

For this week, I would like folks to do two things only.

1. Collect a bunch of Jungle and Ruined reference and compile them into an image
2. Produce 4-6 thumbnails (spend no more than 40 mins per thumbnail) in GREYSCALE only. Use only 1-2 point perspective.
   

Objectives and Rationale:

WHY USE REFERENCE

ArtFu sayz: Only fool fly to moon without proper study (of cheese) !

(translates to: If the moon was made of cheese, would one be able to eat it raw? Would you need to make special cheese suits to keep out punguent cheese odours or does it have a breathable atmosphere. IF the moon was made of cheese, is it safe to land? How would you design a suitable transpot to geet to the moon, How would you negotiate a sample of moon cheese from the Man in the moon? Is is safe to swim in the moon's ocean (known as  the Lunar Maria)

• Reference: Collecting images of your subject matter, will provide you immediate unique visual data. Even if you are experienced, the visual data of different shapes and natural materials will constantly update (and ground) you in the believable or subject matter being painted. This is simple oldschool basics that is universal and applicable in any kind of painting methodology. Do it and add it into your working repetoire.
  
• Using Reference as a Visual Design: The second aspect of collecting your reference data, is to oganise it into a SPECIFIC visual design theme. A basic game/movie/animation will have available a visual design artist (or art director) to specify a visual design theme ranging from the look (60s styled theme), the feel (Noir? Hyperdellic pastel colours) and the flair (use of simple framing techniques, and ways of communicating a story)
  

 WHY GREYSCALE THUMBNAILS

• Firstly, painting in greyscale helps focus the painter into the basics of composition, perspective, lighting and tonal value.
  
• In greyscale, you can seperate the image into 3-4 basic tones
• In greyscale, you can decide on a simple perspective - try to use either one to two point perspective
• In greyscale, you can focus on composition - Like arranging different props around a stage.
  
• Good composition, is all about mimicing. Like a good attentive listener, will try to mimic your action and words and mannerisms to be more like you. After some time, these become your friends, and sometimes over a long partnership, a mutal partner or spouse. When you take on elements of another person, you become more like them, by showing synchronicity (i.e a forming of a bondship - inherent in social groups)
• So a good mimmic in art translates to repeating and unified themes: Some props will echo one another, others wtill be in parrallel,  like two lines vertically or horizontally suggest a parallel theme, perhaps they might form a great spiral to be more natural, or for the cubist, be rectangular from the background to the forground.
  

Have Fun!

Authors Note: Writing tutorials and teaching are exciting methods to pass on, hard won home-thruths  and simple art basics (that they probably teach in a decent school of art) that I have learnt, people have taught, friends who have shared onto you, the reciepient. In this day and age of the digital media, the traditional setting of a local school classroom can be extended to a self directed, self taught, at your own pace and effort manner. I dont promise to say anything new, chances are all one needs to know are the basics and apply them very well.  This online open class, is a direct extension of our free local art exchange/paint and teach "Nando's" session held in London. Mixed in with elements and experience of working at our Opus Artz studios. Hopefully with the sharing of art basics and production methods, you can too can become a basic artist.

ArtFu says: The Art to Art is good basics! (i.e All you need to cook/paint/draw/operate is a fine selection of raw ingredients, finely simmered and served in the good timing!) 

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WEEK ONE: PERSPECTIVE

ArtFu sayz.....

Most beautiful and detailed painting worth cowsplat if rules of perspective not observed. Even if in dreamsequence.... 

The trans-ranting bit: As long as you want to make any image look good...be it a chick with guns, a naked chick with more guns....or a bunch of naked chicks in tanks, planes, robots with a bunch of lesbians frollicking through a plain hand in hand, and over muscled chicks (that look like men, act and dress like men but are genetically women but have undergone a gender reassignment)  swarming over a hillock with guns, whilst a family of gophers look on. Cue - camera pan. One rule remains. Perspective.

For, without perspective. Objects near may seem far. Giants may look as tiny as snails. Hobbits may rear up to be giants. And naturally, everything that looks good looks phallic.  Sad but true design fact. (try it out).

Character Assasination 

So, if you desire your uber designed bodacious character to look like they're not standing limp in front of a green screen or cut and pasted onto a flat piece of landscape, the first thing we need to do is understand perspective.

Because, lets face it. Drawing and rending characters is easy.

Easy in the sense you can fake lighting. Fake form (3D applications of self photos do wonders for artists these days). fake skin tone (ever seen a blue skined green haired human? if so, and it looks real, its because its easy to fake). In fact, its relatively easy to Fake everything short of botoxing your celluloid image.

Now, try sticking your best character design into say a 2D line art or a photographed landscape. Chances are, the character skin, tone, and form looks all out of joint. It will 99.9999% look pasted on (even with the best selection edges cut out).

This is namely, due to the fact, the character will need volumetric form, shadow, lighting and colour relative to the atmosphere it's stuck in.

Perspective Summarised 

Basically, in a Three dimensional world, there are up to three main axis XYZ, which tend to leave 3 main vanishing points (VP).

1. One Point Perspective
2. Two Point Perspective
3. Three Point Perspective
   

Thus, a One Point Perspective (1PP) - will have one vanishing point (VP1), and so forth eg. 2PP has 2 VPs, etc

Examples

NB: Once you have to plot more than 2 vanishing points, this means the image will most likely be very complex or follow a three point perspective (multi point perspective). This is because,  although there are up to three vanishing points, you will observe that there could be 6 vanishing points. OR, an infinite amount of vanishing point for each object spinning on its own axis eg. an explosion of shrapnel.  Nevertheless, for complex scenery. Simplify and Keep it simple (stupid) KISS rules are best observed and work well.

The QUEST: 01

Please go out at find:

• Further explanation about perspective (one, two , three point perspective)
• Read about the HORIZON line
• Read about the VANISHING POINT
• Gather one to two examples of each perspective type, and draw/paint lines from each vanishing point
  
• Use any (drawn) image or photo to represent this purpose
  

A week ago, we started an open class to talk about enviroment and entailing all other aspects of perspective, composition, rendering and etc.

Just one tiny point.

Where are all the slackers who enthusiastically wanted to learn more about it. because to be honest - I love to teach and share.

But i really cannot tolerate slackers. ditherers...freeloaders, non commiters and all that lot *grin*

There is a common saying that, people only value something when they have to pay for it. It has more meaning (or value attached or something philosophically challenged like tuition or a workshop. I can see why it is done so, but i've always championed basic knowledge for free at point of interest)....

Anyways.....till there is a singular commited participant. this class will not continue further 

sorry koshime, i definitely want to take part in this, i just can't get to a computer for longer than a few minutes right now though, i have a few real life things going on that have taken up my time. I hope to join in soon if it's still going on though (which i hope it is) 

for my input though, i don't think you can put a price on the training you are offering, 100% better than a dvd or book!  

Hi kaz,

sorry to hear of your real life issues.

This (class) will invariably start when you have energy and effort to put into it. I'll be waiting in the meantime

Hi Kaber,

Nice to see you on this side. Yes just post your images in this thread. Each month has its own topic. Allowing late comers to add as each thread grows.

This class is to allow the wider public to grasp the basics, and hone up the existing knowledge others already have.

Once you have yoru basic images/paintings of favourite artists and their perspectives in place. we can move onto the next aspect.

Painting your own thumbnails using composition
 

Thanx Koshime, I should have something up by Monday then.

Ok, I think I have this right. (Disclaimer: Any artwork shown here in this posting, unless specifically stated, is not mine and may be copyrighted. The use of said art is for educational purposes only and is not intended to infringe upon the rights of the rightful owner. Use outside this thread should be strictly prohibited.) Just in case.

One Point Perspectives:

Two Point Perspectives

Three/Multi Point Perspectives

Excellent stuff, They are all correct.

With this image:

There is a hidden 2nd Vanishing point to the far left.

With this basic task completed, the next challenge is to compose some landscapes using each perspective choice. You can use any topic or image, or you can choose to narrow it down.

Often it is easier to narrow it down to a topic.

I tend to narrow things to either:

1. Sci Fi
2. Fantasy
3. Steampunk 

koshime:

Excellent stuff, They are all correct.

With this image:

 

There is a hidden 2nd Vanishing point to the far left.

Actually that one is slightly wrong. The main vanishing point and horizon line sit higher up and to the right of where it's been shown. It sits somewhere around the arch on the doorway in the background.

I didn't even realize this was going on. 
I hope it's not too late to participate.  I'm always eager to learn new things.  Especially about environments and landscapes since this is one of many areas that I would like to improve on.
I will look for sample images after my daughter takes a nap this afternoon.

Great information Koshime, thanks for sharing.  

Hey Gix, I don't think it is too late at all. Jump on in. I believe it is open to anyone when ever they have the time to contribute.

Here's my perspective landscapes Koshime. Some are more refined than others and some of my liens are a bit off but I think they still illustrate the point.

1 pt perspective

2pt perspective

and 3pnt.

Hi there,

Some good effort here. So now the feedback

Of the three images, the simple one point perspective works best. It has a central iconic theme with a interestingly shaped device/tower in the middle. If you duplicate the image, and set it on multiply, and erase out the bg part, I think it will have a good broad range of values to work up as an image

With the 2nd PP. I noticed that in real life, one rarely sees both the two perspective vanishing points at any one time unless with a wide angle lens, vertical shapes get distorted and squished a bit. My advice would be to choose one angle to be visible, and the second VP to be non visible (i.e outside the page) for a more naturalistic view.

The 3rd PP is quite centrally located. The themese in this image suit a one point perspective better.

In all 1,2,3 PPerspective, they all simplify the linear perspective of things. In the sense, in reality everything will have a natural 3 point perspective for a 3Dimensional world, however. You will often find that what may be a one point perspective may have very subtly the other 2 vanishing points hidden outside the immediate frame of focus.

More to the point, true one point perspective doesnt really exist, but for illustrative purposes is a simplified rendition of our intepretation of a scene, which our brain fills in the gaps for the missing vanishing points...