Warning: Got some brutal feedback on my character art last month

Posted a fantasy elf piece I was really proud of. A pro artist in the comments said my lighting was flat, made everything look like plastic. Specifically said, 'Your highlights are all the same brightness, no focal point.' Ouch. Changed my whole process. Now I pick one main light source first, before any color. Spent a week just redoing old pieces with this new rule. The difference is crazy. Stuff actually looks solid now. How do you guys usually plan your lighting? Do you sketch it in first or figure it out later?

3 comments

3 Comments

riverg751mo ago

That 'flat lighting' thing happens everywhere. People just slap on features without a main idea first. Your fix of picking one light source is the same as having one clear goal before you start anything.

gavin_clark1mo ago

Actually, planning it all out first can kill the energy. Sometimes you just have to feel it out as you go and adjust. That strict rule would make my work look stiff. The best light often comes from fixing mistakes later.

miller.avery19d ago

Does "feeling it out" ever lead to you completely trashing a setup and starting over, or do you usually find a way to make the mistakes work?