Blocked in local colors and sketched out a rough BG. It sure looks a bit messy now, but I aim to make it less cluttered, more focused and readable along the way. I'll be sure to post a tutorial of some kind when I'm done, but I think rendering this out will take somewhere like 60-80 hours. Still got all elements in separate layers and groups etc. so stuff should be easy to move around if any of ya'll have some suggestions on the composition. I can still see some tangents I'll take care of :)
Things for me to remember when I render:
-Don't be afraid to use darker darks.
-Vary the line weight, and indicate lines rather than doing an equally thick stroke. Like Wes Burt or Niklas Jansson.
-Be consistent in the lighting (although I will render each portrait as if it was in its own scene).
-Avaid random hueshifts!! Thanks Devin!
-Don't be afraid to leave shadow areas completely flat, like Mignola, Frazetta or Justin Gerard.
-Define the ambient color of the scene, and understand what color is being reflected up on downfacing planes in the shadowside.
- Rimlights are not lines. Make them smooth where necessary to indicate form turning.
Now I can kick my ass if I don't do these things. Good to have clearly defined goals :)
