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Harold's New Bike
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Harold's New Bike // Work in Progress
Post by TheWickedWitchOfTheWeb // Jul 10, 2006, 1:03am
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TheWickedWitchOfTheWeb
Total Posts: 858
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A definite "woo-hoo", a "yay" and maybe even a "hoopla" on the final shed pic - looks wonderful.
As for same page/pic/text for the start of each book, personally, I'd avoid this as there's nothing to identify the different stories to the young ones and could be a touch confusing. I can just picture my nephew shouting at me as we go from book one to book two "but auntie Kate, we just read this one".
On a lightly related note - I was at the Nitzer Ebb reunion gig last night and a guy who was stood in front of me for a while was almost the spitting image of Harold! Long, thin head and neck and eveything! I did a double take and pinched myself! Very surreal moment! |
Post by splinters // Jul 10, 2006, 2:18am
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splinters
Total Posts: 4148
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Thanks Wicked Witch, I think I just needed a nudge to make a new pic. However, I do like this one so I could tweak it and use the 'new pic' (I haven't done yet) for the old book...choices hey?...:D |
Post by Heidi // Jul 10, 2006, 5:27am
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Heidi
Total Posts: 335
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I love the final version of the shed. The little cobweb in the corner is a nice touch! :)
I agree with Wicked Witch that the synopsis doesn't have to use the same image for all the books. Using an image related to the book's content would probably make it less confusing to young readers. |
Post by splinters // Jul 10, 2006, 6:40am
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splinters
Total Posts: 4148
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Here are first drafts of the front and back cover, text to be improved later and lighting between 'Harold' and 'Bike' needs to be more consistent. Just a rough for now; |
Post by brianalldridge // Jul 10, 2006, 7:15am
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brianalldridge
Total Posts: 397
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In the pic of him riding his motorcycle, I like the rolling hills thing, but harold looks like he's just sitting on his bike, how about having him popping a wheelie? Nice cover art too btw. |
Post by Shike // Jul 10, 2006, 7:19am
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Shike
Total Posts: 511
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Great Cover ! :)
Confused about the back though...shouldn't it be a rhime like the rest of the book?
( Or is that the "text" you mentioned you'll be improving? ) |
Post by splinters // Jul 10, 2006, 7:22am
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splinters
Total Posts: 4148
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In the pic of him riding his motorcycle, I like the rolling hills thing, but harold looks like he's just sitting on his bike, how about having him popping a wheelie? Nice cover art too btw.
Hills need work...Harold needs work...like the wheelie idea but he only got his bike today...:confused: |
Post by brianalldridge // Jul 10, 2006, 7:25am
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brianalldridge
Total Posts: 397
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like the wheelie idea but he only got his bike today...:confused: Yeah, but the story says he rode it all day and since thats a sunset pic....:p |
Post by MadMouse // Jul 10, 2006, 8:21am
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MadMouse
Total Posts: 1069
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I like the sunset pic but it needs longer shadows and maybe some motion blurr. The shed pic looks great now. The cover art is really eye catching but when I first read it, it scanned as 'Harold's Bike' and my eye missed the 'New' maybe its just me but I feel the 'New' needs a little attention.
HTH
Steve |
Post by splinters // Jul 10, 2006, 8:33am
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splinters
Total Posts: 4148
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Yeah, but the story says he rode it all day and since thats a sunset pic....:p
Ah, eagle eyes!
For that I will put in the wheelie...;) |
Post by splinters // Jul 10, 2006, 8:37am
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splinters
Total Posts: 4148
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I like the sunset pic but it needs longer shadows and maybe some motion blurr. The shed pic looks great now. The cover art is really eye catching but when I first read it, it scanned as 'Harold's Bike' and my eye missed the 'New' maybe its just me but I feel the 'New' needs a little attention.
HTH
Steve
Shadows are long Steve-the HDRI was too bright to show them but I am working on this image now...:o
As for the 'New' bit-I thought it was pretty clever-especially if you are British-you are immediately drawn to it as it uses regulation road sign colours and font. Willing to change it if consensus agrees with you though...;) |
Post by splinters // Jul 10, 2006, 9:12am
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splinters
Total Posts: 4148
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This is what I intended for the first page. Need to add umbrella, better rain etc. |
Post by turumdarak // Jul 10, 2006, 9:12am
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turumdarak
Total Posts: 24
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You might try switching the position of Harold and the new sign so that Harold, popping a wheelie, is about the position of the sun. |
Post by splinters // Jul 10, 2006, 2:33pm
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splinters
Total Posts: 4148
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Ok then...the HDRi/Transparency thing was too much trouble so I made cookie cutters and cut out the tree shape. Can move on with this now... |
Post by Steinie // Jul 10, 2006, 2:51pm
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Steinie
Total Posts: 3667
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Note that you switch to other side of road if book sold in USA.....or another kind of accident!
I like this one too! The wheelie made me laugh!:D |
Post by Alien // Jul 10, 2006, 4:23pm
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Alien
Total Posts: 1231
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Pics are looking great. I do have a couple of crits on the coming-out-of-the-shed pic though [sorry I didn't post them sooner :o]:
Given that the shed is meant to be somewhat dilapidated, the wood looks a bit too smooth. Could do with a bit of roughing-up, perhaps a bump map or something?
As he's been in an accident [as opposed to dressing up like this for Halloween :)], the positioning of the round wotsits on his knees tends to stand out. perhaps rotate them a bit so that they are at different angles to the viewer, rather than both directly facing the viewer. |
Post by brianalldridge // Jul 10, 2006, 6:54pm
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brianalldridge
Total Posts: 397
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lol I like the sign saying "the country" Nice wheelie too;) |
Post by splinters // Jul 11, 2006, 12:18am
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splinters
Total Posts: 4148
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Cheers guys, I don't think I am going to add that much more to this (sunset)image; it has a nice simplicity reminiscent of the 'smoochie' bit in Top Gun where he rides his bike into the sunset. Many of the other images are quite busy-I want the bike, hills and sunset to be focus here.
I might add some grass/shrubs and tweak lighting etc....:D
Alien, shed image is done for now...I have too much to do to return to it just now-I see this as a placeholder that I can revisit when I see the whole book...but thanks anyway... |
Post by W!ZARD // Jul 11, 2006, 12:47am
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W!ZARD
Total Posts: 2603
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Some thoughts: re the first page and it's image - the text refers to holidays in Spain and your image of Harold and family looks like a holiday snapshot so how about continuing the holiday snapshot theme only with a different image? This gives you both continuity and difference at the same time!
Re text where the sentance goes :"What would you do if you want to get around a bit faster?" - this is not speaking proper England; at least it's not the Queens English as used in the Antipodes. For grammatical exactitude I think it should read "What would you do if you WANTED to get around a bit faster?" although this might affect the meter or flow of the words. (I can't believe I'm correcting the English of an English teacher :o !!)
Final comment, you mention that you want the sunset pic to look comparatively simple but I can't help thinking that as it is it contrasts a bit much with the complexity of the other shots. Not wishing to be too negative but it sort of suggests that you just didn't put as much work into the sunset image (bearing in mind that my own pics go for lots of little details!!). I think that a touch of motion blur to Harold and the bike would help and some distance fogginess at the horizon to blend the landscape and the sky a little - currently it looks a bit like a flat sunset behind a computer landscape as opposed to the true cartoony reality that your other pictures have created. Maybe a simple farmhouse and/or a startled cow or seagull.... something else in the image that is reacting to the speeding bike.
Just some thoughts - hope this helps. |
Post by splinters // Jul 11, 2006, 12:48am
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splinters
Total Posts: 4148
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New page 1 then-deliberately grim and bleak-otherwise how could his life be made better by a new bike;) ;
Harold was a normal man who lived a normal life. He had two noisy children and a goldfish and a wife. His house was in a village where it always seemed to rain. He never missed a day at work and got there on a train. |
Post by splinters // Jul 11, 2006, 12:53am
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splinters
Total Posts: 4148
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Many thanks Wizard-I knew the text was wrong hence the 'I will amend text later' bit in earlier thread. Sunset pic needs tweaking more than I thought but I need contrast in both colour and complexity in this book. If I had a scene of Harold stranded in the middle of the ocean, I would not want to populate the sea with creatures and details if I am going for solitude. With this pic I wanted a bit of a 'free to roam' vibe...but I admit it needs more detail...just not too much.
Oh, and I am not an English teacher; I teach Design and Technology...:D
Still with lines like: this is not speaking proper England, neither are you...:rolleyes: |
Post by W!ZARD // Jul 11, 2006, 1:45am
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W!ZARD
Total Posts: 2603
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Many thanks Wizard-I knew the text was wrong hence the 'I will amend text later' bit in earlier thread. Sunset pic needs tweaking more than I thought but I need contrast in both colour and complexity in this book. If I had a scene of Harold stranded in the middle of the ocean, I would not want to populate the sea with creatures and details if I am going for solitude. With this pic I wanted a bit of a 'free to roam' vibe...but I admit it needs more detail...just not too much.
Of course - it's just that I'm always amused by surprised looking cows...;)
Oh, and I am not an English teacher; I teach Design and Technology...:D Yeah I knew that but... you ARE a teacher and you ARE English.....:D
Still with lines like: this is not speaking proper England, neither are you...:rolleyes:Aha! Once again you've spotted my deliberate mistake! (Honest!!) Actually the assertion that someone "is not speaking proper England" is a sort of running joke in my household and is generally rolled out whenever someone thinks that someone else has (to quote Winston Churchill) "perpetrated a terminological inexactitude" or got their tords in a wangle ;) .
To qoute my late (and very Cockney) grandfather, "we was brung up to speak proper, we was!" |
Post by splinters // Jul 11, 2006, 1:49am
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splinters
Total Posts: 4148
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Of course - it's just that I'm always amused by surprised looking cows...;)
I have just the cow for you;
http://www.caligari.com/Gallery/ImagesGallery/2005/feb/image.asp?Cate=GImages&img=1239&email=woodwardp@blueyonder.co.uk&name=Paul%20Woodward
Suprised enough?...:rolleyes: |
Post by splinters // Jul 11, 2006, 2:06am
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splinters
Total Posts: 4148
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Ok, quick update, I am doing two images side by side now as one is very dark and glum and the other is bright and happy...time for a break now...:cool: |
Post by W!ZARD // Jul 11, 2006, 2:13am
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W!ZARD
Total Posts: 2603
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I have just the cow for you;
http://www.caligari.com/Gallery/ImagesGallery/2005/feb/image.asp?Cate=GImages&img=1239&email=woodwardp@blueyonder.co.uk&name=Paul%20Woodward
Suprised enough?...:rolleyes:
Chuckle! Thats perfect!
Your latest version with the little rabbit works much better IMHO - the rabbit adds just a little touch of life to the pic - excellent! |
Post by splinters // Jul 11, 2006, 2:52am
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splinters
Total Posts: 4148
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Chuckle! Thats perfect!
Your latest version with the little rabbit works much better IMHO - the rabbit adds just a little touch of life to the pic - excellent!
I will put the cow in, and a barn/house, and a few more little (subtle touches) before calling this a day...;)
Also, I fear that the Rabbit may be witness/instrumental in Harold's eventual misfortune............... |
Post by Steinie // Jul 11, 2006, 4:27am
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Steinie
Total Posts: 3667
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Rabbit's shadow is wrong direction. |
Post by hemulin // Jul 11, 2006, 6:00am
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hemulin
Total Posts: 1058
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Rabbit's shadow is wrong dirrection.
In an attempt to defend my honourable teacher (why do I ever need to do that - scratch the honourable part) - Harold's earth could have two suns! |
Post by splinters // Jul 11, 2006, 6:19am
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splinters
Total Posts: 4148
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Rabbit's shadow is wrong direction.
Agreed, it is the HDRI casting that shadow. I have an infinte light coming from the setting sun...
Chant after me:
WORK IN PROGRESS...WORK IN PROGRESS...:rolleyes: ;) :D |
Post by splinters // Jul 11, 2006, 7:16am
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splinters
Total Posts: 4148
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Now...a question...or a moral dilemma. I need a car for this book-a nice, simple, chunky, cartoon-like shiny car. I am not good at modelling cars and I came across this one in a dark corner of the net..quite an obscure make I believe (Zapor?).
Question is...should I use this (with a bit of tweaking)? I really don't fancy trying to model from scratch and this is almost exactly what I had in mind.
Might change colour yet...and ignore the background scene-it is just for experimentation for now. |
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