Ok... so firstly what media is she using?
Well being a concept artist, she usually finishes her paitings digitally. Although, prior to this painting she may have sketched out ideas and/or character concepts using just a pen/pencil in a sketch pad.
What is this Image trying to communicate?
The image is displaying a fantastical magic battle between good and bad gnomes.
How do I think it looks and what do I feel when looking at this painting?
When I look at this image I am automatically drawn to all the vibrant colours that are brilliantly scattered around a dark nightime scene. This makes the art peice very appealing and awesome to look at and it compliments to the theme of fantasy.
What is the Atmosphere and mood of the image?
The atmosphere is full of aesthetic qualitys and effects which makes it distinctive and pleasing to look at. And the overall mood is associated to a place in a fantasy world.
Colour palettes and Composition?
I like how colour in this painting is mainly used, only to show the all the magic happening...because of this she has chosen very vibrant reds, oranges and blues. Considering that the sky is dark and the colours in the characters are pretty dull, she has used very appealing colours to really make it magical. The composition has quite a lot going on with characters both in foreground and the background and she has made the peice really wide so that she can space out and fit her characters in accordingly.
Style?
Saskia Gutenkunst's style for me combines a mixture of cartoon based drawings with good knowledge of anatomy and life drawing.
Also if I was working in the industry for games/film etc.. I would be fairly happy to 3d model these characters because theyre simple and they have interesting form.
What media is he using?
I can confidently say that this painting is done entirely digitally with painting software and a stylus + tablet. The buildings look very typicall of the ability to digitaly mask areas using photoshop.
What is this image communicating?
The image is a concept portraying a science fiction setting of an alien planet. It seems to be a plaza or town square setting where aliens are commuting, exploring and relaxing.
Look and feel?
Looking at the image I conceive it imidiately as a fictional world and somewhat immersed in an unkown world where buildings are floating...But why? Is it done by magic or technology? Another feeling I get is the sense of busyness, a mass meeting of the alien population.
Atmosphere and mood?
Again this image is portyaying immense aesthetic qualitys the cubical shapes of the buildings are good to look at. All the figures crowded in the centre are again creating a mood of busyness and a "crowded place". The place in the image also looks like it could be really hot and blistening..palm trees, sand etc.
Colour palletes and composition?
Because the setting seems to be in a desert enviroment Neal has used alot of yellowish brown colours for well lighted areas where the true colours of the buildings sand are made visible. In contrast for everything in the shade he is using dullish browns and greys. And because most of the characters in the foregrouynd are in a shadow he used these dull colours mixed with flesh tones of pink and green but not too much.He also is using blue to show a glowing power source coming from the buildings, roof etc. There is alot going on here in the composition, if you were to use the rule of thirds almost every point is near an object or someones head. In the foreground you are looking out of a sheltered area where plants are dangling from the roof. And as your looking out there is an immense feeling big massive feelings in the background, with the crowd of aliens allthrough out the middle.
Style?
Neal Hansons style seems very photorealistic to me but he is applying alot of fine art and abstract techniques to his concept art peices making them very interesting.
