[nickmarshallvfx]

Looking great Thyn, I can't wait to see this with the camera move!
One small thing on this new version - the blacks in the rocks on the right look as though they should be darker. At the moment they look a bit clipped and bright.
That's about it, really looking forward to seeing this finished.

N

[Suirebit]

I really liked the composition in the first version, the one with volcano....and I still think that's better if you take out the greenery.

It has a circular composition which leads the eye towards the subject in a natural way.

The last one's composition is too abrupt and leaned towards left.

[kbarts]

I agree with Suirebit. The first has a better composition.
The secound is not as interesting as the first one.
Anyway great work both. You caught the LotR mood.

[thyn]

Thanks for the critiques!
nickmarshallvfx: i have that problem every time. thanks for the hint
Suirebit: actually i think there were too many elements, but you`re right about the volcano. Will try something similar to give it the right mood
kbarts: thanks

[Rahakasvi]

Hey Thyn,

I think your work is so good that I can't give any advice that _really_ would make the piece better. Sure - there are some things I would have done differently.

Rather I would like to raise a question, since you are making this for the matte painting challenge, that isn't this mildly uninteresting concept? Yeah it looks like a typical mattepainting where you put Frodo and Sam walking and it serves that purpose quite well. But is it worth the first price in your competition? I have been secretly admiring your work for quite a some time (heck - I even fooled around with few of your previous concepts, because they were so awesome), and I think you could do much better. You got the technique, so free your inner artist and show them what you got.

Just a thought, but think about it..

-Pauli

[Suirebit]

Raha, I don't know what competition he joined, but if it's a *Matte Painting* competition, then what he did is perfectly right. MP is all about creating a plate for actors, not making pretty pictures that steal the shot.

What you encourage him to do is illustration (or establishing shot at best), not matte painting...

[thyn]

I think this is the direction...

[Suirebit]

That's improved indeed. Have you tried to flip it horizontal? I think it works better that way .

Also, you need to un-sharpen the mid rocks, they're a bit too crisp right now for your DOF :)

And I still like the first version more :)

[Artur Z.]

To be honest I liked the first 'grassy' version slightly better than the recent one in terms of lighting and colour range, but it is a matter of taste I guess. Anyway, good job on both versions.

[de gerardo]

nice improvemnt Thyn.
-in my suggestion..
I would change the spherical feeling of the ground, or I'll add something on it (rocks or some one/two bigger rock-walls), to not look cut/paste.
Aslo I would add a little bit of connection rocks between the mountains, to look like one huge mountain view than mask-ed separate ones.. and the red underlighting I would bring a bit more down + on the back mountains I would bring some foggy elements with reddish/ornageish underlight here and there and bring some key light to get the value of the mountains :))


but that's matter of a taste ;)

Good one! Gerardo.

ou.. one more TIP thingy.. be carrefull of blacks and colors.. mostly I bring Levels on top of the DMP layers and go very bright to see the problems with blacks and colors :)