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bschu — Sun
#abstract #minimalist #surreal #landscape
Published: 2016-08-05 07:52:43 +0000 UTC; Views: 1125; Favourites: 28; Downloads: 0
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Description
Something to relax the imagination. I have the desire to create but not so much the motivation to go into detail. This work pretty much sums up how I feel in that regard.It's minimalist. No more than 5 values, and technically only one color hue. It did not take long at all to make, but I stared at it for a while.
I've been doing more stuff like this recently. I think my technical thoughts about it are just "Work smarter not harder." But I also enjoy the vague appeal of these types of works as they let the imagination free. I seem to be gravitating more towards this type of style while at the same time constantly studying realistic technique. Maybe the two styles will blend together someday.
EDIT: I updated this image with improvements, the original upload is here for the record: bschu.deviantart.com/art/Sun-f…
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Comments: 27
Hey there from !
This is quite an impressive piece. When I first viewed this deviation, it was like I had fallen into a dream, or I've been hypnotized. Such a minimalist style used to depict a landscape not of a real world place, but rather a place in the artist's mind. A place where the laws of nature like gravity can be bent. A realm of wonder and mystery where the concept of time is blurred. So much is expressed here with only so little, leaving the viewer to do most of the interpretation. It's truly a creation of pure imagination.
There is also a fine philosophy to be shared here in this deviation, as you cleverly put it yourself: "Work smarter, not harder". I agree with this, since the best of art is that which holds more to it than first meets the human eye. We humans see so much, yet we understand only so little. But then again, we humans have the gift of imagination, and that's why we create art, to study that which we see.
A wise man once told me: "Wisdom may be achieved by studying, instead of struggling with the insurmountable."
Neat work, fellow deviant!
I hope my humble commenting is worth all the pondering. And by the way, this deviation is totally 'd!
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Seeing this reminds me of some of those app games that do rely on minimalistic graphics, yet, deliver an awesome game or story.
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I've kept this one up for a few days now, because I had a suspicion that my mood of a given time of day would change how I feel about this piece, and you know, I was right. Here I am, almost back to noon the day following when I first viewed it, and once again I find myself in the mood to be "curious with this piece, and see where it takes me". There is something about its unintended messianic imagery that kind of makes you stare at it, clear your mind, and sort of just wait to see what strikes you first about it. But then you mingle in with that messianic appeal a pseudo-polytheistic quality. I like it! I think I will look at it for a few more days and see where it leads me too ^_^ Well done. "Thought provoking" to be sure!
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Thank you and I am glad you are having so much fun with it!
With modesty, I kinda feel the same way about this work myself 
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I just popped it open a few seconds ago, and it happened that this song was playing: Heron Blue - www.youtube.com/watch?v=cB8OvA…
It made me think of a sad, fallen warrior as he looked up at the night sky as it set overhead, and wondered if his name would be remembered amongst the gods of the stars, or would his children curse his existence until nothing was left of him, but the legacy of his children's hatred. Huh, very, very intensely thought provoking.
I don't think luck had anything to do with it, look - I am no important art critic, but I can still tell when an artist has opened an emotional vein and spilled the condense of life out - a portrait of the things we as living, mortal being think about, but do not speak aloud for fear of being mocked or ridiculed. No, this was a lot more then luck, and I seriously applaud you on it.
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I love it. I love the minimalist approach. And I used to have that mentality - less is more. And I understand that it is a style but I have to ask what made you think in such way. I want to see more of this character, more of this environment fleshed out. Maybe you can add a little bit of color, add a little bit of cell shading. It's really nice but to me, it seems incomplete. I can't help but to think that this could be inspired by Porter visuals (if you are aware of Porter Robinson). Has that minimalist 8bit/pixel aesthetic, which seems a bit familiar to what you are doing. Or maybe even like the game, Patapon, which I adore. But I'm just rambling at this point... I have to ask, who is that character in the middle? Is this a part of a greater story? Or is there some meaning behind it? I don't care too much for the response, "it's up to your interpretation." Because that's a given. What makes you do what you do? What was the thought process behind this piece? Why did you choose shades of gray, while having the sun be of a different color?
Talk to me.
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Thanks for the comments and questions. For the most part I have to say a lot of it is happy accidents combined with my recent art theory, and then just letting my imagination go. I didn't plan it, I just starting drawing and it happened.
I am trying to use values (shades of grey) to express perspective and to separate negative space when starting illustrations these days. That helps a lot with the overall "design" of things. I've also been itching to draw some more human characters recently because it has been a while as you can see in my gallery, and particularly I have been neglecting female characters, so I tried to express a female form here. After I drew her silhouette she needed something, so the halo and particles just came to be to fill in the emptiness and add some meaning.
But it's not to detract from the magic of it all, I did have a lot of thought put into it, but it is spur of the moment and "stream of conscious" so I don't really want to apply reason to it. I like flying islands and floating things recently. I like this group Flying-Islands-Here Maybe it's a statement on freedom of spirit. I had a death in the family recently that came to mind during the work process too.
I like how the objects are placed with even distribution around the canvas. There is a sort of "weight distribution". The main character is not dead center, but she is placed well to balance her weight and importance. There is some reason for all of these things but not so easy to explain.
I thought that this might just be the foundation for a complete work with a lot more detail too, like you are saying, but I just couldn't see it through, I thought it felt perfect just like this. Maybe this is actually just "how I am" as an artist right now
Everything is complicated and each thing has many reasons, maybe that's why I liked the minimalism too. It feels good to simplify.
When everything is free, why try to lock it up?
I'm glad you asked these questions, it made me realize some things. I used to wonder why many artists seem to put chains on flying islands, particularly "chains". Now I think it all makes sense. It was the free spirit being chained down. Or maybe that's just my interpretation.
I had to look up Porter and Patapon, both very cool.
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The thought while drawing the piece, in and of it self, is a reason - a meaning.
That's a very interesting interpretation. Would have never thought of that myself. The chains being an inhibition to freedom. I also am quite fond of floating islands.
Now that I look at it, I think it makes more sense. As a self diagnosed ocd, I feel like the character could have definitely came to center. But to each their own. Though I'd have to say, more objectively (when speaking about weight), I've began to notice that there is a lack of balance in the piece. My eyes focuses on the right side of the piece, rather than the piece as a whole. The white hills and the yellow sun or planet, steers my eyes to one side. If you could have moved the planet to the other side or add more whites (highlights) to the left, it could have been a lot better.
I get that it was spontaneous, a happy accident, but if it was to be a tiny bit more refined, it would have been wonderful.
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Thanks for that. I recently also had someone suggest that the difference between my work and the people I seem to be admiring is just more diligence and attention to detail.
I had stopped drawing for many years and just got my first digital tablet about 3 years ago. I am going through some growth spurts. It is currently hard for me to apply too much detail and I feel as though I shouldn't push the work as much as I should be understanding where my foundational flaws are. I think refinement comes naturally with practice. I do try to push it sometimes though. I might also be lazy or a bit weak these days.
I lack confidence which is probably why I put things up quickly and look for feedback. This work could have just as easily been rejected by everyone and I would not have known why. I can never tell. So dA is really good for me right now.
I seem to have a weak eye and dominant eye which causes a bit of imbalance sometimes. You might be right. I think I could put the sun on the other side of the canvas for more balance. Maybe there are too many main objects on the right. Although for abstract work like this it might be just as meaningful to leave it imbalanced like this
I happen to be left handed. What about "left brain vs right brain" theory? Maybe my left brain is trying to say something to the right eye! Or vice versa.
I might go back and play with it a bit.
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great! I completely understand the whole "newness" to tablets but if you just keep at it for a week to a month (at the very least), you really get the hang of it. I remember when I started (late 2015) I just binged on tutorials and traced. A lot of tracing, contrary to many people's beliefs, is quite educational.
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For starters I am a sucker for floating land masses. Honestly, and I love how this stays consistent with the different shades of gray and white but then breaking this palate with a light yellow the sun. That is an attention getter. The very first thing I saw was that out of place yellow sun in a monochromatic landscape. Way to stay with the title and theme. I also like how the white hillside has what look like individual grass leaves which really gives the feeling that this is a shadow of an actual realistic hillside. Plus the figure who apparently has found spiritual enlightenment really shows the overall peace and serenity or this piece.
Great job.
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Very cool. It tells a story of tranquility, distances and calm, utilizing soft hues of twilight's depth, lost gravity and floating thoughts suspended. Is that a yellow sun or moon casting shadows over an alien world? Interesting. Great subject matter.
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I can't understand, the colours are uniformed, even flat, yet I can't scroll off me that sensation of dusk seeing it; you know, that kind of light that filters between the fog of the early morning? Well done, very well done
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Minimalistic is always very appealing to me, and it works very well. The hues really set the stage for what I consider the centerpiece of the artwork: the figure in the middle in white. The contrasting colors give them the stage, though I see that the sun is also meant to attract, because unlike the other rigid forms in the piece, the sun is made of an airbrush.
The hills are very nice, and the grass touches really help the viewer see the world the way it was intended. The circles around the figure and the halo give off the feeling of mortality, but not pure mortality. Perhaps, they are an angel?
The background, of dark grays, though also blended, there are still some rigid figures. The floating islands give off a sense of, again, mortality, and of magic. It's beautiful, and this work allows the imagination to run wild, due to the simplistic style. This could be a painting of many things.
The sun is also the only figure of color, and that's what gives off another attraction to it. However, my eye is still drawn to the angel.
I'm from project comment, but this isn't long enough to put it there. You can just ignore that.
This is beautiful.
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Thank you! I appreciate your comments.
There is definitely something spiritual in the work. I don't feel a need to define it, but it is there
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I am fond of telling Deviants that less is more when they tend to overdo things in their deviations. Having spent a bit of time in Japan, the minimalist approach here appeals to me. It almost has the sense of one of the gardens with strategically placed stones here and there over raked sand.
Not sure about the title, as the sun is almost a sideshow, even though it is the only object in color. For me, the centerpiece is the figure in white. I get the sense that it is someone's soul ascending into heaven, both from the nature of the figure and it's being white. There appears what looks like a halo around the head, adding to that sense.
The spare, stylized terrain seems to give us the idea that things of this world are of less importance, and what appear to be sections of landscape floating in air (a la Roger Dean back in the 70's) representing the ephemeral nature of things of this world.
You may find it interesting that when I came back to this to start writing, a second thought came to me. Perhaps the figure is the Holy Spirit coming down to Earth to take on human form in the baby Jesus. ("The "Son")
That a work of art that appears so simple, deceptively so, can evoke ideas so profound speaks to its power. The power to make us think, to feel, to wonder. And isn't that what art is supposed to do?
I know that this may not be what you had in mind when you created it, but I know from experience that some have found meanings in my writing that I did not intend, or of which I was unaware. Doubtless others may find meanings that are entirely different from the ones expressed here. And that's good, too. Like a diamond, art reveals different facets to each of us.
Less can indeed be more. Well done.
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Thank you for this awesome comment. Your sentiments are well received and not too surprising for me, I can relate, and I was somewhat hopeful that it would spark such inspiring thoughts.
You are right about the name, I had doubts. But the digital painting itself was spur of the moment and kind of "stream of conscious", and so I wanted to maintain that by not overthinking the name, and also by not projecting too much and coddling the viewer. The word "Sun" came to me, it felt comfortable, and it stuck!
More thought can be put into "Sun" as well. It is the only object with color hue. It is oddly quiet and dull for what we normally expect of a sun. Why is the spirit-like being so much more brilliant than the sun's light itself? So the name fortified in me.
Thanks again, these comments bring more to the work for me and I learned a thing or two (I have to look up Roger Dean for example! haha )
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You are most welcome, and thank you for this piece. Your comments remind me of many if my shorter pieces in which I have a denouement (often the main character making a choice) which leaves it to the reader to settle for themselves what happens after that.
I will have to take a look at some more of your work, now that I know done more if your approach to your art.
Roger Dean is perhaps most well known for his cover art on a number of albums by the rock group Yes. Also sold a lot of posters back in the day. Yes was one of my favorite groups in high school (yeah, I am that old), and I got to see them while in college. Fantastic concert. My teenaged son has been getting into my old stuff, and likes the musicianship of the music back then.
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Yes, YES! Haha, I was so happy when I looked up Roger Dean and was reminded of Yes the band again! Thanks for that double! I haven't listened to Yes for years. Such talent. I played guitar in highschool and had some friends who worshiped Yes for good reason. Good to know I'm not the only old guy in town from time to time
And browsing through Roger Dean's gallery is a blast! You just gave me a new role model. Spot on, I very much appreciate his style and would like to invoke such a spirit in my own way. I'm a member of this group you might like if you like the flying rocks and islands Flying-Islands-Here
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I will have to check that group out, thanks.
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i really like the minimalist look this has! great job
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