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Description
(Check out the colored version here - [link] )

Allow me to reiterate - Dead Space kicks serious ass.

This is another potential Photoshop candidate (of course, I do say that alot about these concept drawings but by the time I actually get around to having some time to color it, it's been about 5 aeons and my motivation has already moved on to something else). But this time, I think I'm really motivated to make this one work because I want to try a method of coloring that is different from my usual workflow.

This time I think I'm going to try what I like to call "color by molding" (I'm sure there's a technical name for it, I just don't know what it is) - instead of just coloring the elements and then shading/highlighting them, I'd like to try building up the scene by "molding" the masses with patches of light and dark, establish the shading first, then build on the details afterwards. I tend to notice that in my usual way of coloring, everything in the end becomes sort of ambiguous because everything receives the same treatment throughout, which ultimately causes my work to lose it's "starting point" for the eye. This time, I want to build the foundation on the difference of contrast so that in the end, each element will have a different approach and feel based on it's contribution to the final piece, and create a definite path that the eye follows in understanding and interpreting it.

I also think I'm going to bend the perspective a little more so that Isaac is closer to the "camera" and more prominent. In my mind's eye, I saw this as the focus being really concentrated on him so that the first thing one looks at is this guy in the foreground, and one asks "Who is this guy and what's happening to him?" Then the next thing the eye focuses on would be the tentacle wrapped around his leg, and the question "What is that?" then ultimately leading one to see the creature from whom the tentacle is evolving from. In my opinion, I didn't exaggerate that focus enough, so to me it seems like every element in the drawing turned out to be the same and the desired focus was lost in translation.

At any rate, this is my little opus to one of my favorite parts of the game - which, incidentally, took me a few tries before I realized you're supposed to shoot the tentacle's glowing mass to kill it and release yourself before you get pulled into the hole in the wall to your death. :/ The first couple of times, I just thought it was an animated part of the game, and I just sat there and watched, saying to myself "Hmm, this is interesting, let's see where this goes. Wait a minute. I'm getting closer to that wall. I sure hope he lets go before then. Umm, he's not letting go. Err, okay - I must be missing something. Let go! HEY! Oh shit, I just died. Let's try that again."

Description
(Check out the colored version here - [link] )

Allow me to reiterate - Dead Space kicks serious ass.

This is another potential Photoshop candidate (of course, I do say that alot about these concept drawings but by the time I actually get around to having some time to color it, it's been about 5 aeons and my motivation has already moved on to something else). But this time, I think I'm really motivated to make this one work because I want to try a method of coloring that is different from my usual workflow.

This time I think I'm going to try what I like to call "color by molding" (I'm sure there's a technical name for it, I just don't know what it is) - instead of just coloring the elements and then shading/highlighting them, I'd like to try building up the scene by "molding" the masses with patches of light and dark, establish the shading first, then build on the details afterwards. I tend to notice that in my usual way of coloring, everything in the end becomes sort of ambiguous because everything receives the same treatment throughout, which ultimately causes my work to lose it's "starting point" for the eye. This time, I want to build the foundation on the difference of contrast so that in the end, each element will have a different approach and feel based on it's contribution to the final piece, and create a definite path that the eye follows in understanding and interpreting it.

I also think I'm going to bend the perspective a little more so that Isaac is closer to the "camera" and more prominent. In my mind's eye, I saw this as the focus being really concentrated on him so that the first thing one looks at is this guy in the foreground, and one asks "Who is this guy and what's happening to him?" Then the next thing the eye focuses on would be the tentacle wrapped around his leg, and the question "What is that?" then ultimately leading one to see the creature from whom the tentacle is evolving from. In my opinion, I didn't exaggerate that focus enough, so to me it seems like every element in the drawing turned out to be the same and the desired focus was lost in translation.

At any rate, this is my little opus to one of my favorite parts of the game - which, incidentally, took me a few tries before I realized you're supposed to shoot the tentacle's glowing mass to kill it and release yourself before you get pulled into the hole in the wall to your death. :/ The first couple of times, I just thought it was an animated part of the game, and I just sat there and watched, saying to myself "Hmm, this is interesting, let's see where this goes. Wait a minute. I'm getting closer to that wall. I sure hope he lets go before then. Umm, he's not letting go. Err, okay - I must be missing something. Let go! HEY! Oh shit, I just died. Let's try that again."