This is one of my many New Years Resolutions: to take a step out and actually blog about digital art as I keep saying I will. So, this is my first attempt at critiquing some digital art. I'm calling them 30 minute critiques as I will only take about 30 minutes to study and ruminate on the work.
http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?t=481064&utm_source=cgsociety&utm_medium=cgchoice&utm_term=481064
The work entitled "Gaudi Fall" (link above) by Peter Swigut is a three-dimensional work done in 3Ds Max and Photoshop. The work is very striking at first glance with extreme light in the upper right hand corner, veiling what appears to be a church, with the light leading to the lower left hand corner in shadow where the largest object in the frame exists. As the title denotes, the artist is referring to Antonio Gaudi's famous Barcelona building Casa Mila. Gaudi, trying to move away from square and rectangular buildings, creates a building that undulates like waves. Similarly, the buildings around the two forks of this river reflect the waves on the water.
The wavy shapes of the building also serve another purpose--leading your eyes back towards the top part of the pictures, the bright light. It appears to be early morning on a fall day and the sun is just starting to burn off the clouds. The colors of the trees and the shadows on the buildings balance out the intense light. Although the light starts at the top of the image, the light leads towards the main building and especially the focal point of the rose (or what appears to be a rose window). Rose windows were first seen in churches were the "rose" referred to the Virgin Mary, sometimes called the mystical rose. Rose windows generally depicted the life of Mary and Jesus. This rose window here looks like it is in a building that isn't a church and could even be a theater or some other sort of public building.
Overall, the image has a very pleasant and charming feel to it. I do not think there is any particular message but it is a picturesque landscape that we can enjoy. The work is believable and the artist creates a world that we could almost live in. The use of light is wonderful and, if just a mere exercise in working on skills in diffusing light, the artist more than accomplished his task.
Until next week...
Enjoy!
