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Journey

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Description

Watercolour on paper.

Inspired by the beautiful indie game of the same name. I'm not a massive gamer, but it has to be one of the best showcases of video games as an immersive artform that I've seen. The visuals and camerawork are just mesmerising. This is my version of the iconic image of the characters heading towards the mountain, with a somewhat different colour palette and going for the feeling of that magic hour glow. This artwork was done as a gift for my girlfriend - we played this game the first time I went to her house :P 

The soundtrack by Austin Wintory is perfectly integrated into the game, and is a masterpiece on its own. It's one of the things I love listening to as I paint or draw - it's another world for your consciousness to get lost in while your subconscious does its thing onto the paper.

Anyway, hope you like :peace:
~Simon
Image size
3661x3661px 9.54 MB
Make
EPSON
Model
Perfection V30/V300
© 2015 - 2024 Simanion
Comments54
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thepurplemonster's avatar
:star::star::star::star::star-half: Overall
:star::star::star::star::star: Vision
:star::star::star::star::star-half: Originality
:star::star::star::star::star-half: Technique
:star::star::star::star::star: Impact

This is so incredibly beautiful -- even, I would say, sublime.

When I first saw this image, I had such a strong visceral reaction -- I felt it in my chest in a way that doesn't happen with most art. There's such rich emotion and energy in this piece, your reverence for the game and sincerity in making this homage is palpable. And I think, also, that it is so strong even as a standalone piece, (I've never played/seen the game its inspired by), speaks to a sort of yearning that is universal, a deep human longing for a faraway place that is made of beauty and light.

In terms of the technicalities, I think you really pulled this one off. The details are rendered so carefully that there's more weight to the emotion -- the sense that you have the skill, and also took the time, to paint it as a it should be and not only to imply what could have been. The color scheme is really well done, celestial yet not rainbow, atmospheric without being corny. I love how organic yet mysterious the clouds are, as well as the mountain; it gives the whole piece a sort of warmth and sense of welcome when the composition might otherwise be intimidating. As a previous commenter pointed out, a few of the buildings are slightly skewed, but it really doesn't detract from the overall image, coming off more as part of the quirky style.

My only suggestion is that there is a clear difference in style / sharpness between the characters and background, which makes sense, but it would come off better if the figure that is more far away (leaping / flying into the air) were painted less sharply, to pose more as a transition / middle ground between the main character and the background. That way, there would be a sense of these characters taking on the elements of the space -- a lightness of being -- as they get closer to it, rather than perpetually remaining separate and almost too heavy to enter. That's a retrospective suggestion though, and not a particularly urgent one; everything else about the picture is already perfect to me.

What a wonderful piece. <img src="e.deviantart.net/emoticons/s/s…" width="15" height="15" alt=":)" data-embed-type="emoticon" data-embed-id="391" title=":) (Smile)"/>