Another contest over at ArtOrder!
Description:
Setting – A cavern
Characters – A Male Dwarf Fighter and a Hook Horror
Scene – The dwarf has just delivered a mighty smack to the hook horror and knocked it backward through a stalagmite and/or stalactite.
Details: The dwarf is wearing heavy scale mail armor. Wielding a warhammer and a heavy shield.
Size
11.25″ w x 4″ h @ 300 dpi, RGB
Here are the thumbnails:
The dimensions for the piece added an extra challenge, since a Hook Horror is about three times the size of a dwarf, trying to maintain scale and showcase the dwarf proved difficult. I approached this piece like a storyboard, trying to find the best camera angle to show action and tell the story. While it can be shot countless ways, only a few would really follow the description while making an effective image.
Jon Schindehette was kind enough to pick my thumbnails as one of the twenty that he commented on directly. This is what he said:
“All three of your pieces are hitting the description pretty well, but I really like that #2 gives us a unique perspective. Instead of the typical eye-level beat down, you chose a very low pov and had the horror being thrown high in the air. Very dynamic. Offers us a great shot of the dwarf, and some good motion on the horror. I’d probably break the frame with the ‘claws’ for a more graphic presentation…maybe even the hammer head as well.”
Taking his advice, I took the second thumbnail, break the border and did a tight sketch.
Here’s the sketch with tones so I can figure out the lighting. I ran into the problem of a dwarf fighting a dark monster in a dark cave, so I put a cave opening behind the dwarf to throw some light on the Hook Horror and gave the hammer a magical glow so we can see the dwarf.
Had to have Felicia take a pic so I could have some reference for the dwarf’s pose
Will post final piece when it gets done!
