Hot take: I used to think every piece needed a crazy detailed background.

For about three years, I'd spend hours painting in city streets or forests behind my character art, which honestly just made the main subject get lost. I changed my whole process after a mentor in Chicago flat out told me my work was 'visually noisy' and to try a simple gradient or solid color instead. Has anyone else made a big shift like that and found it actually improved their focus?

3 comments

3 Comments

olivery2619d ago

My first year at art school I probably spent 60% of my time just on background textures. It was a total waste. That Chicago mentor gave you gold. I forced myself to do ten pieces in a row with only flat color behind the figure. It felt wrong at first, but suddenly the character's expression and pose were ALL you saw. The work got way stronger because the story was clear. Now I only add detail if it directly adds to that story.

haydenp9519d ago

Wait but like...isn't some art about the background though? I get the focus thing but flat color for everything sounds boring. What if the texture is part of the story, like a character in a crumbling building?

danielwhite1d ago

That Chicago mentor advice works for emails too, @olivery26.