Reference Study

Using Crysis 3 examples in the creation of concept art from reference.
Reference:

 Outcome:

Using the two photos reference as inspiration has allowed for an accurate presentation of grassland area. Even the tank the far right of the first photo has provided substantial information on how the foliage has grown over after it has long been abandoned giving a sense of narrative, the alien mech in the midground highlights a past battle. The city scape in the background adds depth and further context. The soldiers patrolling through the long grass lends heavily to the second piece of reference, giving a sense of scale but also motion through the grass hint that the path they're taking is a regular pathway to their destination. The composition is balanced the alien mech is clearly in the mid ground giving it a larger sense of scale than the abandoned tank in the foreground the barrel framing the advancing soldiers.

Using red to highlight the composition, which is split into a balanced six pieces. The blue highlighting the focal points which are distributed amongst the composition in a way that does not crowd the painting. In the distance a wrecked helicopter and another tank, adding further depth and narrative. Overall this environmental piece creates a immersive scene with active history while not being too busy or distracting. The colour pallet for the environment at the top left also allows for quick explanation of the mood and flow of the piece. Closer objects and character using the warmer colours while the background uses the colder tones, again implying depth and narrative. The background elements being the ruins that retain their own identity separated from the grassland.

The piece uses primarily ambient light onto the grassland but from the midground and background there are light shafts implying overhead obstruction that cannot be scene. Like a forest clearing. And the piece moves in the background this is more obvious as the building obstruct the skyline and continue out of frame. To the left of the alien mech there is a tree framing it but also once again created a natural border and assertion that its full height obscure the mech from direct light so it is highlighted by another light shaft coming down from the canopy. The use of darkness in the foreground expresses that the soldiers have perhaps only just entered this clearing looping to the background from the edges of the painting illustrating the clearing through purely visual language.