First Contact with Mirrors
1 day ago
Showing posts with label Exploitation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Exploitation. Show all posts
While it's been a while since I've posted on this blog, I managed to stumble on a topic at ConceptArt.org that demanded my attention... Yes, it's everybody's favorite topic - the cliches of science fiction and fantasy art!
"which design elements in sci-fi/fantasy art are you just sick of seeing? Or at least want to see someone do a new take on it if they are going to do it?"
It's not that he hates all these generic ideas! On the contrary, these so-called generic ideas are a great starting point to create something inspired, possibly original even! But as J Wilson pointed out, he's "...just tired of seeing them as "go to" design elements, showing a certain lack of real inspiration. They can be done well, and done in an exciting way, but 90% of the time if I see those elements I groan and kind of roll my eyes."
So, what designs are people tired of seeing? Let's see what the good people of the forum have to say:
J Wilson goes first, declaring :
"I'm getting tired of seeing generic looking gun arms. Or the one big powerful arm. Tribal tattoos. Forest or jungle scene with large stone heads overgrown by the jungle."
Young, impressionable artists such as myself can't resist recycling old favorites in their respective genres... Are we really bankrupt creatively?Flake, another discerning member of the board, throws in his thoughts:
- Giant Space Boots
- Swords 8 feet longer than the user / hand held artillery
- Bikini armor / Stealthy ninja chicks in heels.
I don't get his second one, really... Did this whole 'sword bigger than the user' trend begin with Final Fantasy? I'm not too familiar with this enduring trend in young artist's design. Never really liked it actually.
Massively over sized boobies...
Rob Liefield cliches
Scantily Clad Women in snow (I am guilty of that one myself)...
Thank you, professional concept artists of old, for giving the public what they want in the first place, but somehow in retrospect seem to regret...Mirana declares her annoyances:
Most clothing choices for gals, usually a variation of the bikini or a plug suit (Damn you, anime shows like Evangelion! -ed) Laaaaaaaaame. I'd also like to see variety in body types of women AND men.
Amaranth goes straight to the point:
"Female supermodel soldiers. I highly doubt Paris Hilton or a female with double Z breasts can wield a huge sword or gun in full-fledged combat even though they look good. If functionality and looks are both considered, they could at least look like Gina Carano. Of course, I can't say I am absolutely sick of this, just slightly annoyed."
Practical....Bikini armour. This one I'm sick of. It looks good but I think it's too much of a "go-to" design to make females in armour look good, not to mention it completely sacrifices any functional purposes. How is it hard for anybody to just slash the stomach area of the female?"
Zirngibism comes up with a perfectly worded rant:
- That same old floating city where underneath the city is sort of a long upside-down mountain of earth. Yeah it's been done in some popular video games, and yeah it's kind of a cool concept, but aren't there other ways to make floating cities without that giant mountain of dirt under them? How about spheres with their own gravity and the city radiating around them? How about floating water instead of earth with steel "bubbles" inside as the buildings?
Epic, right? Blimps? City from Lord of the Rings? Floating rocks? Mix all together and what do you get? I'd rather not say...- Desolated, bombed-out post-apocalyptic cities
Post-Apocalyptia done right with the 'Fallout' game franchise. Great concept work can be found here.- Jetsons-style cities (I really love futuristic cities in illustration, and they're my favorite when approached originally.) I feel like a hypocrite because so many cities are in my deviantArt favorites folder, but hey...
- Big blobby monsters with arms coming out of their stomachs, possibly plants growing out in random places, with flabby sagging bits. I've seen some really awesome drawings of these, but the concept itself is getting old to me.
- Gunners with visored masks.
- Most Space Art... you know, often-desktop art where two planets are colliding and there's all this swirly stuff from brushes people downloaded from deviantArt... It all looks the same. Sure space is cool, but not that kind of art when it's all the same. It's like Thomas Kinkade, just in space. Go to dA, you'll see what I mean.
Spider mechs (one of Masamune Shirow's favorite design fallbacks), nearly all heavy bipedal mech designs known to man, and much, much more!- Mech warriors that look like so much like Gundams. Sure, as humans we identify with bipeds. We like stuff that reminds us of us. But that's not really a great design when it comes to machines. Especially when they're SO top-heavy like some of the designs I've seen. How about multiple legs (like that "bigdog" robot they're developing now), or or the use of both wheels and legs?
- Just about 95% of sci/fantasy illustration I see features people ages 18-25. Sure, I understand why this is. We don't usually see 60-year-olds fighting battles and what not (unless they're a male wizard, often cliched). But in a place and time where magic or technology play a key role, I would think people could transcend the limits of age. By the way,I think older people are awesome, there's so much more depth to them. I plan to try to feature them in my own illustrations. I guess the audience of such art tends to be in the younger range and identify with younger characters... but still.
- Little children interacting with large, ugly monsters in friendly gestures, like they're a friend. The child might be giving something to the monster or touching it. It's a neat concept and I've seen some great work portraying it, but seeing a lot of the fanboy art using this concept makes it seem a little old now.
- And I've got to agree with everyone about the bikini armor being one of the biggest ones. I don't know, I'm not a guy, but don't you guys get BORED after awhile, even if you're attracted to the girls in that art? Don't they start looking the same to you?
- Tribal Sci-fi. I still think they are cool when done-well, but it's getting kind of generic.
My thoughts:
I can't believe he doesn't like gunners with funky visored masks. It's a good thing for some that the generic cyberpunk era died in the 90's... although a revival could always be around the corner. As for the rest of her statements, I think they're spot on. That's all I can say really. Totally agree with the first statements though, I can't help 'fave' well rendered generic floating city art!
sodAP gives his views on:
- Derivative of the derivative. Some guy who has no idea how real XV century armour looked like, so he draws what he thinks it could have looked like (why research?) and then there's the other guy who has no idea how real XV centruy armour looked like so he bases his work on the work of the first guy. There's the third, fourth, and fifth guys, and then World of Warcraft tier 6 armours appear. Oriental+Occidental. Guys with full plate, a bandana and a katana... facepalm.
I'm going to say... inspired. And sexy.PsiBug goes on with his own caveats:
1) a lone timeworn robot standing among the ruins of the civilization that created it. (Wall-E, Laputa)
2) a close-up of an embryonic creature gestating in a bottle of bubbling fluid
3) a skeleton in a space suit... often with an alien weapon or plant sticking out of it
4) an old lady chasing a cat down the street with no bra on (What? -ed)
BrightDreamer has this to say, which is pretty interesting:
- Impractical anatomy: the overly-musclebound barbarian who should go down with his own weight, or the DDD-chest-size woman who thinks she can run, let alone fight, without a bra.
- The Brooder. You know the one. Crushed by the weight of their own soul in a dark and unforgiving universe, they stare darkly inward whilst pondering the void of their reality. They often wear dark capes and/or trenchcoats, sometimes some manner of hat (to cast moody shadows over their moody faces), and most need their hair hacked off, or at least brushed out of their eyes. While I understand that many sci-fi/fantasy characters have good reason to brood, I get sick of watching them do it so incessantly, especially when they seem to pick such impractical places: the edge of an impossibly high skyscraper or craggy, storm-torn cliff, or even in the middle of a gory battlefield.
- The Generic Epic Quest. A gathering of vaguely Tolkien-esque humanoids in a range of sizes and shapes and vaguely medieval outfits travel through a Vast Landscape, more often than not passing Grand Ruins and Soaring Spires. A side-cliche I find overdone is the Generic Epic Quester, someone on some manner of generic epic quest who might as well be on a nature walk for all their posture and expression conveys.
Wickeddiana has thing to say... which I unfortunately agree with *sniff*:
- Pretty much everything from Heavy Metal Magazine. I am totally sick of seeing this. Probably the biggest cliché in erotic fantasy art.
- Ethereal fairy-like females in some kind of magical environment/forest. They are usually very beautiful, almost goddess-like and they are gazing dreamily out into the distance. I have to admit that I am guilty of having done this myself. But I just get really tired of seeing it.
Raaawrrrr! Which reminds me, I have to do a piece like this for my portfolio. Bye!Mr. Kev Ferrera throws his hands down and declares boredom over:
- 96% of the covers to Heavy Metal.
- Post-Apocalyptic Beach Bodies.
- Main figure strikes and holds an iconic yet undramatic pose for the camera.
- Huge swords. Overly pointy armor and helmets.
- Over-rendering of incorrect or meaningless anatomical detail.
- Incorrect cultural references - including no knowledge of the mythology or symbolism used, appearances (vikings didn't wear horned helmets to war), political stereotypes, and especially the use of writing in random ways!
- Making vampires and werewolves mortal enemies. In a folklore sense, they have absolutely nothing to do with each other.
Right...Opillione finally closes out this post with an all-encompassing reply:
"I take the opinion that everything's been done in some form before. It's not what the content is, but how it's executed. "
In Conclusion:
The question now is, how do you create fresher ideas? With every idea known to artists taken and exploited, what is left?? I leave that to you, or maybe to me, if I find the time to make a post about developing new ideas for well worn concepts. In the meantime, I suggest you guys stay away from adding scars over you over your characters eyes. It's been done before, trust me.
What is a copyright?
In the simplest terms, "copyright" means "the right to copy." Only the owner of copyright, very often the creator of the work, is allowed to produce or reproduce the work in question or to permit anyone else to do so.
"The Artist shall retain the copyright and ownership of the image, granting exclusive rights of usage to the Client for promotional, advertising, and reference purposes only. Any additional uses of the image for anything other than promotional, advertising, and reference purposes shall constitute a new usage fee of ________."
My thoughts:
Oh, poor, naïve me! To round out what I had previously posted here, I'm going to talk a bit about various little legal stuff I've seen on Conceptart.org, my favorite source of artistic ideas.
How do you price? As one of the handful of freelance "artist" on the web who has absolutely no clue how to successfully be one, I dare to wonder how an actual contract looks like. A quick search turned up some great stuff. But lets focus first on the legal crap. Here is a list of wordings I found on a thread - an excerpt from the Graphic Artist's Handbook - and I'll post up a bit here so you, my tiny audience of the Void™ can see what it looks like.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
ESTIMATED COSTS:
__ Labor fees (design, art direction, production, copywriting, client services, etc.) are estimated at a total of $_________ or ____ see attached estimate sheet for specifications.ESTIMATED COSTS:
__ Consultation fees are estimated at a total of $ __________ or ____ see attached estimate sheet for specifications.
__ Materials costs (RC/film/neg output, scanning, project specific materials, etc.) are estimated at a total of $__________ or ___ see attached estimate sheet for specifications.
Total estimated cost of project: $____________ Project estimates are valid for 90 days from the date of estimate. Project may be reestimated if, upon receipt of all project elements, the designer determines the scope of the project has been altered dramatically from the originally agreed upon concept. Printing fees will be estimated separately and payment arrangements made between client and printer.
My thoughts:
So apparently now as a 'freelance artist', I can get paid simply by talking to a client. Amazing. What next? I'll get paid for doling out advice to troubled individuals? Sheesh. And what's this? I can get paid for "materials"? For "scanning"? Wow! You know what I use for drawing? I use the back of old insurance policies. My pencils are lousy number 2 pencils from the office! I'm not saying I'm cheap here, but how much should these two parts cost? Oh well. I think the place where I can totally cash in is LABOR. Yeah. That'd be a good place to start. But how do I know the value of my own blood, sweat and tears??
PAYMENT SCHEDULE:
__ A deposit in an amount equal to 25% of the total estimated cost is requested prior to execution of the project ($__________).__ Payment in full or the remaining balance is to be paid upon delivery of the completed project. A cash discount of 5% of the total project labor and consultation cost is offered to clients paying upon delivery of the finished project.
__ Payment in full or the remaining balance is to be paid 15 days from receipt of the final invoice for the completed project. Finance charge of 1.5% per month (18% annually) on all overdue balances.
My thoughts:
Still figuring out how to get paid in my country. The following are a bunch of the more interesting wordings I found. The rest are pretty obvious, so I won't bother posting them here.
REJECTION/CANCELLATION OF PROJECT:
The client shall not unreasonably withhold acceptance of, or payment for, the project. If, prior to completion of the project, the client observes any nonconformance with the design plan, the designer must be promptly notified, allowing for necessary corrections. Rejection of the completed project or cancellation during its execution will result in forfeiture of deposit and the possible billing for all additional labor or expenses to date. All elements of the project must then be returned to the designer. Any usage by the client of those design elements will result in appropriate legal action. Client shall bear all costs, expenses, and reasonable attorney's fees in any action brought to recover payment under this contract or in which Jeff Fisher LogoMotives may become a party by reason of this contract.
My thoughts:
Well, I can't really say much about that. This is something we as an artist sort of fear. There's nothing more terrible than having your stuff not getting shown to any audience. Even if you do get paid for your troubles, its doubly worse because the client probably wouldn't allow you to post it up anyway.
Author's Alterations
This section points out that it is the customer's responsibility to pay for any changes from the original project. It should also state something to the effect that mistakes you make will be fixed free of charge.
Preparatory Materials
State who owns preparatory materials: sketches, disks, negatives, etc.
Proofs
A signed proof is necessary before work can be completed. Requests must be made for revised proofs. You cannot be held responsible for errors if the customer doesn't return a signed proof, or if the customer asks for changes without the submission of proofs. Here is also where you state that there may be some variance between color on a proof and color on a finished job.
Ownership of Artwork
Perhaps one of the most important sections: who owns the artwork is explained here. I also include a paragraph that states I have the right to use this work for design competitions, future publications on design, educational purposes, and marketing materials.
My thoughts:
I'm a bit like the Japanese. I have no clue as to the value of copyright. But I'm learning. Cool! I can get paid for alterations in my art work!
But They Won't Sign It . . .
If the prospect won't sign your contract, then they don't become your customer. I've only had one instance in seven years where a customer even questioned my contract; they did eventually sign. I've even worked with a variety of law firms, and none have ever refused to sign, although some have made slight variations.
One of our forum members says that he does have trouble getting customers to sign contracts. Instead, he includes his terms in his proposal or estimate. Here are some interesting threads from the forum on contracts:
Digital Signatures
President Clinton signed a bill into law that gives “digital signatures” the same legal validity as handwritten ones. I was thinking of the implications this has for commercial artists.
"I, for one, have gotten “burned” often enough to believe in always using a contract, and have found it to be a good way of preventing “misunderstandings” with clients. Unfortunately, in the fast-paced world of publishing, and especially digital publishing, it is not always practical to hold up a project until papers can be sent in the mail, even by overnight delivery.
I've been using faxed project agreements for over ten years and recently started using emailed PDF files agreements with no problems. If anything, my project agreement often scares off potentially flaky customers."
My thoughts:
Ah, what do I know. A lot of the stuff I've done is purely honor-based at this point. I must see the value in all of this. My experiences before should be telling me that I should take this thing seriously!
So there you have it - the wordings you see here seem to give a vague idea how to 'price' myself. I have to find out how much I'm worth, otherwise I'll just be the same free-of-charge fan artist you know on deviantArt. Agh!
Exceptions... Yeah, lets talk about that for now - what are exempted from this freelance artist's compact?
The only exceptions are (Thanks to Wikipedia for its info!):
- Fan art which depicts material that is in the public domain or which has been released under a 'free' license that allows derivative works:
- Art which depicts everyday objects of utilitarian use; e.g. cars, clocks, clothing, which are not artistically unique. You can draw a picture of an Astin Martin without it being subject to the copyright of the James Bond movies, but the Batmobile from Batman is a unique artistic creation and fan art of it would fall under the original copyright.
- Photographs which fall under freedom of panorama. If the Batmobile from Batman were permanently installed in a public park you would then be able to freely re-use, but not alter, photographs of it according to the copyright laws of some countries.
- Diagrams which inform on the content of a work of fiction in a non-artistic, straightforward manner. You can highlight the regions of "Oceania", "Eurasia" and "Eastasia" from Nineteen Eighty-Four on a world map, but you cannot "redraw" the map illustrations depicted in copies of
Therefore, fan art which appears on Commons needs at least two copyright justifications. First, it must establish that the image meets one of the four exceptions listed above for portrayal of a derivative from a copyrighted work. Second, it must indicate that the creator of the derivative then releases that image under a free license. Theoretically, a derivative of a derivative could require three or more copyright justifications.
My thoughts:
Got that? Ah, lets talk about pricing next time. I'm dying to talk about something else that doesn't make my brain go blank after a few sentences. Good day to you all! Be vigilant.
