Grave Diggers

Been sketching/working on a piece, trying to finalize one of my favorite sketches.  Here's a few shots at the main character, I thought I'd want him "in action" digging but I'm really liking the pensive one sitting on the stump.  With a Skull-face.  The whole piece is about mortality, so the reflective pose works.

....been on a roll recently, inspired, which is always nice.  I've been getting a lot done, going back to some sketches/ideas and moving more toward a finished piece.

Purple Monkey Headphones

Muppets Movie Art Show

I was recently invited to participate in an art show based on the Muppets, to coincide with the new movie.  I was only too happy to submit a piece.  I had actually thought of this particular subject before so I was excited to have a reason to take a shot at it--the Muppet Sweetums, as a Frazetta-style barbarian-king!  Of course, it was a great opportunity to draw some topless barbarian babes adorning his throne, so I went for it!  Here are some shots of the painting-in-progress.  Pencil sketches, ink drawing, and watercolors.

This was the original drawing, the layout is the classic "Frazetta triangle" composition.

I had to do a little more work on the slave girls....once I got into the final drawing stages I realized the quick sketch had some awkward, undefined anatomy going on.  I ended up with two nice poses for the girl in the foreground, and I chose the one laying on her back instead of the kneeling one.  I liked 'em both, though!

Ink drawing.

 

Underpainting.

Starting to add colors--concentrating on the "hot" center of the image. Here's where I made the major mistake in my drawing--most don't seem to even notice, but to me--it's unforgivable!

Adding dimension to the slave girls.

Continuing to fill in colors and values.

The final, framed image.

Overall, I would give this piece an "OK" rating, but I'm my own toughest critic.  I'm sure it will show well and I'm happy enough with it but the perfectionist in me thinks I overworked it a bit, should have put the brush down an hour earlier than I did.  I had some Frazetta images on my reference board, staring me down, intimidating me while I worked, making me very conscious of my non-Fraz-ness.  Also, I'm so used to working in vector on a computer with limited undos that it's hard to just dive in and try to crank out a painting with unforgiving watercolor.  I'm a bit rusty on my real-world, "analog" skills!

The show is at this Hilliard comic shop:  Pack Rat Comics  There is a meet-and-greet reception this weekend, Dec 3rd, I think it starts around 7.

Happy Thanksgiving!

60's girl under blanket

I've been practicing sketching again, and working on a piece for a show next month.  Here's a sketch, I've been referencing 60's photography annuals and the pictures are so cool, the models have great style and hair and presence, they make great inspiration/source material for drawing.

Skunk Ape Florida's Bigfoot!

Believe it or not, this was drawn for a textbook!  I think it was for a feature about "pseudo-science," but I was excited to have a chance to draw a Bigfoot!  The request was for a sketch based on a somewhat–famous photo/sighting of the Florida Bigfoot, called Skunk Ape. Fun stuff!

Another Spaceman

Another meeting, another 70's Outer Space Man.

I'm okay at the gear, but I just haven't come up with any of the weird heads that series of figures is known for.

Angry–Gun Monkey–Man

Monster Dockworker Stogie

Doodle Art #2 Rockstar

You
can't be me I'ma rockstar,
Rhymin' onna top of a
cop car....

Action Pose!!

Quick and fun. Gas mask, action pose, big machine gun, body armor--these are a few of my favorite things to draw. I'm still that kid in 2nd grade drawing GI Joes on the bus with my buddy Neal!

SWAT team

I've been working on a fun project with lots of animation scenarios in it. So far I've come up with some things I think are very cool (that's often the elusive holy grail for illustrators), and while the schedule is rigorous, that just means there's not enough time to pick the images apart until there's not much of the original goodness left in them.
Here's a sketch of a SWAT officer/investigator. Hope he'll make it to the final stages. I actually think I'll go with the simpler version, so he's easier to animate quickly.

Space Shuttle Pilot (color)

Space Shuttle Pilot

This is a sketch from an animation project I'm currently working on, she's the pilot for a team of astronauts flying the shuttle when something goes wrong. I like her funky hair.

Better

Sharpie and white-out on Chipotle bag.
This turned out nicely, probably because the last project I worked on was about 3,000 "spontaneous" sketches for a math book. Gotta lotta practice drawing quick and accurate and weird the first time!

Alien

Meeting sketch. Without reference, obviously, though it has a good cartoon feel.

Outer Space Man

Even more meetings, more sketches. This guy might get the "final" treatment.
I've been looking at the "Outer Space Men" the newer figures by the Four Horsemen and those designs, based on 70's bendy figures, are beautiful. I'd like to think this character would make a good action figure, too.

Warts and all

Hip-Hoppa

Lots of meetings this week...lots of boredom, sketching. ;-)

Archaeology Girl

Here's another character from the same project as the mouse in the last post. She was going to be a teen archaeologist. At one point she was deemed "too sexy" for what we were trying to do, another point she looked "too mature", so she was re-worked a few times but ultimately scrapped. Just like the mouse, I really liked this character.Guess she was kinda sexy...

Mouse

I developed this character, along with a few others, for a book. He didn't make it through many passes, but I liked him so I took him to final. I really like the way his utility vest turned out.

Bigfoot Hunter's Campsite

This is where Bigfoot's hiding while all those hunters are out in the woods lookin' for him.

Science Bot does Chemistry

Ray-Gun 1: Atomic Discombobulator 3D

Here's my old Ray-Gun the "Atomic Discombobulator" (original post here) but done 3D by my friend in Solidworks. He was looking to practice and used my original art as his starting point. Being the creative fellow (and consummate dork) that he is, he also took the time to write me a letter about it....kinda....ahem....

Dr. Eisenmangorch,

Once again I have been tasked with taking your hair brained designs and making them work. I am not sure why the old man loves your proto-types.. no, they don't even rate that name.. shaky mock-ups so well, but he continues to forward them to me in an endless rain of prolific ignorance. OK, let's go over the changes I had to make to bring this unit to production level design. First and foremost that very ill-conceived top cooling fin is in the dustbin. Not only was it way over rated for the size of the Plasma chamber, it had a backward hook on it man! These weapons are produced for the mercenary, footloose, freelancers in the galaxy that need to shoot first and ask questions later. Could you imagine how Gorski LanceRay's reputation would plummet as merc after merc died after getting that contraption hooked on something while he was trying to draw his weapon!!!! The additional cooling was handled by simply increasing the size and surface area of the side cooling fins and also making them out of the newer Aluminauser material... (I am simply amazed that you still spec out titanium for such contrivances). The second major change was to redesign the trigger and use the standard Gorski Lanceray Gold Tripper configuration. Why in Pluto's name you ever try your hand at trigger design, I will never quite understand. To fit the standard Fokrak module you had speced would require cutting so far into Plenhearst Resonator, my goodness, the unit would have detonated like a good old fashioned Wapershnaats Grenade. The focal length of your beam caster was also off, once again you would have had the majority of nano-flash simply burning atmosphere instead of focusing on your target. It is true that this only drop the focal burn power down by 15%, but we have a reputation of leaving them charred and twitching, not burned, angry, and returning fire!

Oh, and I also increased the trigger guard opening for that ever important Faaskin sale. Geez man, it's as if your a speciesist or something. The Faaskin lover our products function but continually complain about having to modify their trigger guards (or simply remove them) in order to fit their Mandaris Claw. Did you get any of the briefs on how much we can gain in sales by accommodating them?

this unit now appears up to Gorski Lanceray standards and is currently entering the testing phase. To market time will be around 2 Solar Kiefs. In the future I hope you can keep some of the practicalities of the design in mind. good day Doctor!

Emanus Hornsday

Lead Production Engineer, Chief Fiscal Proprieter

Gorski Lanceray Heavy Industries