Tuesday, August 11, 2009


Comp for the next Marathon poster...I think I want to paint it fairly loosely - can't decide just yet, need to sit and look at it a while. Feedback...? Type & borders are placeholders for now & perspective will probably change....

10 comments:

  1. Love it so far, J. I really like the color palate and the way it makes the cityscape glow in the warm sunshine. Do you plan to render the final with this color scheme? I'd like to see a loose painting, as you said. It'll look great either way.

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  2. Unbelievable sketch, John, and a great start. Ryan's right, you really can't go wrong with this. I'd opt for looser too. Have you ever done loose? :-)

    The colors are great and I'm glad to see a wonderful underrated building take the spotlight. Is that a pig about to take flight? I like the way he's not front and center, but you may consider darkening his colors to marry him with the foreground instead of the background. Just a thought.
    Isn't the artwork kind of far along to be changing the perspective? I think it looks great as is.

    I'm glad the type is temporary. It looks a bit blase and dated, and right now, it's the only thing hurting the poster. Fortunately, the typography is letting the artwork do the heavy-lifting.

    Can't wait to see it finished. Excellent job! I'm humbled.

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  3. Honestly, I wish the pig didn't have to be in it. The picture gives such a glowing, beautiful feel that I can see people wanting it in their homes just for the beauty.

    And the pig's necessary, I understand; this is a piece for the marathon. But (sigh) it's a little like a banjo at the opera.

    Which is to say: I really like this. And you don't HAVE to go loose with it to make it work.

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  4. I kind of like the pig. It gives the feel of a Miyazaki film-a small character in a fanyastical background. The composition is luscious and the palette is striking too.

    Is this the reason you were photographing the city?

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  5. This is great - I really appreciate the comments and suggestions! Chuck, thanks for the frank comments re type - I'm not sure where to go with it just yet - I need the headline and title, plus there are several sponsor elements that need to be included every year.

    As for the pig - it's my dog LOL! The funny thing is when he goes running down the hall out of the studio and leaps down a couple of steps at the end, I've often thought the same thing - a small leaping pig. Either that or an airborne loaf of bread with a small hole in it...

    I started with the image having a sleeping dog's paws in the sunlight but couldn't get the concept to work, so that's why the dog is still in...if I keep him he'll be muted down a lot more.

    Thanks again everyone for the crit - this helps!

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  6. Banjo at the opera - love it! What's the diff between a banjo and an onion? No one cries when you cut up a banjo. Christina, that was a wonderful day shooting all over the city but ended up using nothing but the view through the trees...lots of balled-up sketches in & around the wastebasket.

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  7. John, I hope I wasn't being too brutal. I only mentioned it because 1. You're not finished. 2. It's easier to switch out a font than change almost anything else. 3. Everything else is working so perfectly. 4. I want to buy the poster once it's printed! BTW, is Skip involved?

    Keep up the great work!

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  8. 1.not for sale, but I'll give you as many as you can carry 2.far as I know Skip will print it again, bless his ink-stained heart 3.give me a call - I'd love to discuss a type solution and there's plenty of time now...

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  9. John,

    if it's a dog...it should be a pig..I like the pig idea....lol

    I love the color scheme also and that particular view of the city.

    love it, love it, love it!!

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