Looming House X-Post Illustration

**birdhs** · #1 05-14-2011, 02:34 PM

Looming House

This is a first try at a haunted house as seen by an eight year old. I cannot seem to get that feeling of it "looming" over him.

This was my second try at it, still not happy. I feel I need to get more of a feel for being waaaaay down below it and the house LOOMING over the little boy. Any and all C&C appreciated. This is a whole new attempt at a cartoon effect, very exaggerated.

Thanx Greg

Dragoon · #2 05-14-2011, 10:56 PM

Hello
They are both quite good...I actually don't know which view I like better!

Please try making the figure MUCH smaller, and head thrown back looking up at the house. Then we will follow the figure's line of sight, and be impressed by the relative size of the house. Having his jaw agape and arms dropped will enforce the feeling of smallness.

Right now, the figure looks like a large adult...his proximity to the front door tells me he is almost too big to go through it!...so a big house is not scary to a full grown man...just an idea, hope I helped?
Thanks for sharing!
D.

Ranger Dan · #3 05-14-2011, 11:37 PM

I think the second house looms better, and agree that the child should be much smaller and closer to the house. Also, the steps on the second should perhaps not spread out so much...might want to google some old cartoons with haunted houses to get a feel for how they do the looming.

**birdhs** · #4 05-15-2011, 01:45 AM

Dragoon: Thanx 4 the post. The author decide to leave the child out... The scale was a problem for me, just rushed these out, I should know better. Great idea on how to pose the figure. Put the one here that he selected (well, tentatively). Original done on typing paper, scanned, then colorized with PS8 after cleaning up. Author's color choices...

**birdhs** · #5 05-15-2011, 01:48 AM

Range Dan: Thanx 4 the post. I didn't like the way the steps worked either. I have never done exaggerated structures before ... never willing to refuse to try something new, guess that is why I like this WC so much, always a new 'look' to admire. Greg

**valchina612** · #6 05-20-2011, 04:46 AM

I really like this last one -- it looks as though the house is about to swallow us up. Well done.

Val.

**birdhs** · #7 05-20-2011, 12:47 PM

Val: Thanx 4 the post, I suggested we add arms and a grimace, but that was too much for the author. .. Greg

LeZart · #8 05-18-2012, 08:48 PM

I really like the 1st two houses quite a lot. That may not have presented the visual image the publisher wanted but, with no kid and no story line, they are strong just on their on. I am reminded of the early black and white cartoons on TV - Felix the Cat, Micky Mouse, and such. I have always been visually interested by this approach.

Lee

**birdhs** · #9 05-18-2012, 09:51 PM

Maybe that was were the inspiration came from! It felt like I was 'imitating' a look I had seen somewhere in my deep subconscious. Probably from my misspent youth....

Thanx again for the comment Lee

Bluegill · #10 05-23-2012, 08:21 AM

I also think the third one looms more menacingly, and I think that one of the reasons for that is that the horizon line is at the very bottom of the picture (or off the bottom of the picture.) This drops the viewer to a very low level.

Would it work to do it with a more traditional POV perspective from below, but find ways to exagerate it? Like this, but with more distortion --

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