You could be stuck thinking about the exact words or the exact way to describe what you’re trying to write.
In this case and in many other cases, you can start by explaining the basic attributes of what you’re thinking of. Try to write as fast as you can; don’t bother worrying about how ‘proper’ it is.
Break down the description into smaller pieces and then build it back up as you go.
Take this for example:
https://i.imgur.com/Qe7rGKZ.jpg
Pretty complex. You probably wouldn’t see all of this at once in your mind. But you might ‘see’ the whole scene it if you keep thinking about it. What’s important before you get into the
specific specifics is to describe all of the main elements first.
One of the dominant visuals in this piece is all of the old-style buildings that make this town look like it ‘suddenly became futuristic’. There is a huge difference between the style of the residential buildings and the futuristic sci-fi elements, so it’s better to make that distinction by describing it separately.
In describing this element, you could write:
> Built up town, dense city, older residential shack-like buildings in futuristic setting, lit up city
Arguably the most eye-catching element in this drawing is the massive skyscraper structures that look like construction cranes. Describing it is easy if you already have a comparison:
> Massive skyscraper structures shaped like construction cranes.
Use any real-life or fictional references (that you know) if it helps you describe something. You don’t have to use a completely original description just because you’re thinking of something original yourself. The more original something is (as in, something you’ve never seen it in real life or in popular art), the more thorough you should make your description, so you have a really good reference if you forget.
> Massive skyscraper structures shaped like construction cranes, sci-fi style like EVE, evenly spaced from foreground far into the background in a single line like power pylons.
Things like the sky aren’t too important to describe. Usually. But sometimes it is important. You can actually see in this piece that the artist missed an opportunity for realism.
Because:
> City is on a hilly island like a coastal bay, except, the island is floating in the sky
>> The island is floating in the sky
You can see that from various hints that there are clouds below (because there is a clear sky above), and based on the shape of the city at its edge. Even if that’s not what it is, let’s just pretend that it is the case. The missed opportunity would be that city should have the same view as an airliner in cruise. A deeper coloured sky, high atmospheric clouds above, a slightly visible curvature of the planet.
If you write down:
> The island is floating in the sky above the clouds, at airliner-levels
Then later on you can make something more unique. Most people would forget things like that and so you have a lot of sky scenery at ground-level; a different perspective would be unique.
I’ve been side-tracked, sorry. Basically:
> Built up town, dense city, older residential shack-like buildings in futuristic setting, lit up city, multiple historic cultural building styles inter-mixed
> Massive skyscraper structures shaped like construction cranes, sci-fi style like EVE Minmatar stations/capitals, evenly spaced from foreground far into the background in a single line like power pylons.
> City is on an island floating in the sky, high above clouds
> Island terrain is like coastal bay towns with high hills surrounding the bay, light forest, structures and crane skyscrapers built up over hills
> Sky docks, floating lights everywhere like new EVE stations
> Dusk, sunset, clear sky above with clouds in distance at horizon
...Would be how I’d describe that drawing. That’s basically my format for simplified explanations.
'EVE' is an old spaceship game ('Minmatar' is a reference to the gameplay), I put that as a description as an example that you can describe things however you want to. There are no restrictions. Don’t feel that you have to type or write in any specific way, or even write at all. It's easy to get mental blocks if you put restrictions on how you're describing something... and then you get bored... and then you forget.
I do different things depending on what I’m imagining.
I type simplified descriptions for single art pieces (like I just did), type movie scripts for some stories, 3D model building designs and I do line drawings for inventions/contraptions.
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tl;dr
Write simple, quick descriptions, of what you're thinking in that moment, one part at a time. Reference anything (manga, games, real life) if it has similarities to what you're trying to describe. Don't try to explain everything all in one go if you don't have the words. Don't try to follow 'proper' techniques until you have your idea on paper.
@pandascepter
