Art Marathon of Doom required...but what to make during it?

[hwango]

So, this may be the last time I get to go to Gen Con, depending on how future finance issues work out. That means I'd better make the most of it. One of the major problems I've had showing my art in the past is that a lot of people wanted black and white. I'm still not so great in the line art department, but if people just mean "grayscale" and not literally "black and white," I think I can manage. I've got a few grayscale pieces I've done for RPG modules and such in the last few months, but I should probably make some more. I'm thinking maybe a few more people, maybe 1 more monster. For color things, if I have time I want to finish the big splashy piece I'm working on with the dragon in it. What else should I try to do before I go? As a reminder of what I have, my gallery is here: http://hwango.deviantart.com/gallery/

Pravek Sova, everything to the left of him, and everything in the rows above him are new from this past year. What's obviously missing from there that I need to make between now and when I go show my art to people at Gen Con?

Out of what I have now, I plan to take Pravek Sova, Pit Fiend, Hellhound King, Wild Hunt Huntsman, Rakhasa, Great Big Snake, and Character Motivation (minus the text).

I'm conflicted regarding the Naga Transformation one - I'm happy with the background, but the Lich itself kinda leaves me cold. I'm also not sure how I feel about the new landscapes, or Blacktooth.

Comments

[octophobic.livejournal.com]

Your not bringing the hermit crab skull with you? (^_^) I like the Magma Pangolin too.

[hwango.livejournal.com]

I love the crab, but it's gone with me the past 2 years, and last year some people remembered me from previous years. If I keep showing up with the same piece every year I think it will start to look bad. I'll still wear it on t-shirts most likely, though, so it will still be there in some form.

I think the pangolin went last year...I don't remember. I'll have to check my notes. I know it COULD have gone last year.

[fenris-lorsrai.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure the HellHound King really is a good choice. The contrast between his head and the chair behind him is really low. His arm he's resting on is also in the wrong position to actually be resting on the arm rest... and if there's no armrest behind that hellhounds butt, he'd fall clean out of the chair.

I would take the Lava Blossom instead. it shows off you can do a complicated background. (and sometimes companies really just need a landscape) As is, NONE of your pieces have a detailed, fully finished background. Several of the ones you're taking don't have a background at all. It would show a greater depth to your illustration skills.

[hwango.livejournal.com]

Good to know - I keep forgetting that I should have Hellhound King with me in the printed module if I'm desperate for black and white. I won't make it a focus of my black and white stuff, though.

[octophobic.livejournal.com]

I'd say your backgrounds have come a long way. You may not spend as much time on them for your character sketches but on other pieces the figure matches the tone and style of your background really well. (Hermit Crab, Yule Squid, Naga Transformation,and Magma Pangolin)

More detail is always nice but they should never steal away focus.

[fenris-lorsrai.livejournal.com]

Backgrounds definitely have improved overall. They're not needed on every image, but having one fully rendered image reassures the art director you can do one. A lot of the small art has no backgrounds, but those big (expensive) splash pages and covers, those they want complete backgrounds.