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Dreamkeepers β Tales by Firelight
Published: 2013-02-20 00:45:33 +0000 UTC; Views: 13587; Favourites: 518; Downloads: 189
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Description
This past years Halloween special seemed fitting as a lone illustration... There's just something about a flickering campfire that renders the concerns of daily life obsolete. And the best setting for scary tales is always a place where the audience has their back to a pervasive darkness. Sometimes I dislike living in a city.Related content
Comments: 48
A Few Caveats: Nothing I critique gets a 5/5 because perfection is unobtainable; thus, the highest score I can give is a 4.5/5. Secondly, I don't value "originality" as a measurement by which to judge a piece of art. A bowl of soup is not very original. However, a good artist can make an amazing bowl of soup, the delicious goodness feels but a spoonful away, and the artist should not be penalized for lacking "originality." That said, I will mesh "Vision" and "Originality" and calculate my own score at the bottom of this review. That said, let's critique.
Vision (4.5/5): This is artistic storytelling at is finest, no words, just body language and emotions. Through them, with just one picture, the audience learns a great deal about the nature of the characters and their relationships with one another. Let's take just one example to summarize. Look at the boy on the far left, the one with the blue spots and the orange hair. Instantly, the audience knows that he is the storyteller, the big brother to the rest of the group. How? The other characters, whether they are looking at him or not, are affected by his words. As the boy spins his tale, some cast their eyes about, listening to the wind and the shadows shuffle behind them. Others lock their gaze upon him, hanging upon every word. And of course, the older character, the girl in the red hoodie, just smiles as she listens. She's probably heard this story before, but she respects and enjoys the storyteller's skill. This is just one example of many. The depth of this piece is remarkable. It takes exceptional vision to paint such real, believable people.
Technique - (4/5): Technique is one of David's strongest suits, and he dons it regularly. He does here as well, with only one noticeable exception. The good first. This picture simply feels real, like you could step into it, and also has elements that guide the viewer's eye. The characters body position mimics the way people sit, their clothes folding in just the right manner. The embers glow and cast shadows, their orange heat drawing the viewer to the action of the piece, the storytelling. The gently sloping hill and the moon reflecting off the water guide the eye towards the storyteller as do the gazes of the other characters. The piece feels focused yet not too narrow. The use of negative space in the sand the water are also effective at relaxing the piece, not making it appear to crowded. To put it simply, this piece is gorgeous. But, there is one big problem.
Those clouds, those chaotic things called clouds, which don't entirely look like clouds. There isn't enough distinction between which clouds are more in the foreground. Thus, they all appear flat, like the artist just drew random squiggles in the background with the paint tool. I don't like them, but the rest of the image is so good that they fade into the background and don't detract much.
Impact (4/5): I love pictures like this, when they feel so alive. Also, this scene takes me back to my childhood and campfire stories with my cousins on the riverbanks of the Sypsey, crisp water, singing crickets, and stories of the Boo-hag who lived down in the sloughs. While this piece isn't life changing, it sure brings back some good memories.
My Overall Score (4.2/5)
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Man I love things like this! Β But what's more chilling? Β Bobby's story or the cold night?
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Ah, nothing like a perfect night to relax on. Β Β Β
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i like how you drew the red and yellow guy and the fox next to him
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So... where's the third Konkord that is always hiding when Grunn's drunk?
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I'm not sure- it's possible he has a tardis. Β Or he may just merge back together with one of the other two.
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Dave.....
This better be an important plotpoint in the next Mace chapter of Prelude...
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hauhauaΒ
Nice! 
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Look sparkly pants!Β
what's going on with those background clouds?
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I was trying to illuminate them using the moonlight- I've seen it look really awesome in real life, but I don't think I pulled it off properly here. Β
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Everybody looks so interested in what this guy is saying. :3
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I think Bobby and Gorse are busy seeing who has the most exaggerated stories.Not entirely sure who exactly will win out in the end.Of course everyone else is listening in and Mace and Whip especially seem enthralled.Then in the back there is Vi thinking about how the others are just crazy and looking as smug and cute as ever......
If I may say the hot chocolate (although you didn't show much of it) looks appetizing!Just look at me commenting on old deviations between work....Silly me!Still I do like how this fits in with the mood of Prelude and it is nice knowing that everyone in this picture probably had some really good times before things starting going south(For a few of them at least and presumable more later!)in the Graphic Novel Saga.As a former Boy Scout when I was younger too I can attest to how fun staying up extremely late at a camp can be which is why I am a little partial towards this piece.Oh just listen to me going on about it!I should probably shut up now.Still every time go by your page this particular deviation kind of brings me back to my younger days and I like the occasional cheerful pic like this you know.I think at some point somebody should draw Paige being taught by Bobby how to be cool for Mace before Bobby leaves yet again with Paige eagerly learning.....Just saying that it would be kind of cheerful.Ack, look at me going on like that!Better end this comment.
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It's nice hearing this illustration touched a chord though, thank you for sharing so much.
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Oh,um your welcome?Nah,I kid.It's just nice to recall the past I suppose and art sometimes has a way of reinvigorating those memories.
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This is a really wonderful picture : DDD
Great job! ^^
The only thing that bugs me is that I find the clouds kinda distracting.
Still absolutely wonderful!
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nice pictures and efects, great comic and characters, but i only know mace and bobby XD, who are the others?.
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Actually, I've got a set of introductions for the other characters here on our site. 
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I love your guy's comics they are really cool (that is really the only reason i ought the 3 book/comic thing) I love all your guy's characters. cool picture!
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Aw, thank you! I'm happy you enjoy our work so much, we'll keep on making our best.
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ur welcome I really enjoy ur guy's art peices (comics as well) i just hope my itouch will eork so i can read the third one
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You are a really good Artist, these Characters stand out and I see them as a cartoon on tv, well maybe too Epic for TV,
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This scene is fantastic!
Love it, all kids so alert to the story, and Vi enjoying it behind
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How?! How do you do the awesome pictures?! Howwwwww?
*sobs quietly*
It's very sweet too.
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Team Silent discussing the concept for Silent Hill 1.
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Cool. Bobby somewhat remind me of me, but a little more noble
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The fire, the faces, and the moon hanging in the sky all of it give the sense of a semi calm autumn night. Keep up the awesome work. PS Read Volumes 1-3 Loved every panal and can't wait for more.
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Great as usual guys, and I am set for Volume 3!
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Honestly, don't know any of these characters, but love the setting and how they all put into it. The BG details too.
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They're all from the "Prelude" webcomic for the graphic novel series "Dreamkeepers." I definitely recommend checking it out if you get the opportunity. It's really good!
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Thanks, I'll take a look.
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Bobby is awesome. He reminds me of my cousin Ben.
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and no i have my new wallpaper...thank you david (^_^)
and now i also miss my camping days
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Really awesome. Love the vibe this gives off.
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I love all of the detail you always put into your work, such as the faint glimmering of the quartz and micas in the sand or Bobby and Vi's breath in the chilly autumn air here. Whatever story Bobby is telling, everyone seems very engaged (more than they were for Vi's first story, that's for sure).
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wow this is great :'D
theres a whole set of emotion, a whole story that could be told just from this one pic.
This is a wonderful, and beautiful piece :')
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I've aid this before, but I absolutely adore your style- reminiscent of Cats Don't Dance but with a level of expression and scene-building that makes your work somehow more 'realistic'.
Or maybe I haven't said that before. Anyway, is true.
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can i make this into my wallpaper this is too awesome. i wish i could do this too.
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Wow...this is actually pretty well done. And very stylised. Kudos, man, the fire effects look decent, but the characters surrounding the fireplace just blows that out of the water because of how interesting they all look.
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wait...your surprised... dude, david is KING OF AWESOME... everything he does, blows the previous work out of the water
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