I was worried about my time on this 30 minute sketch so decided to use a photo for paintover. From now on I will probably avoid this for these quick warmups.
Sketch - "Turret" + "Decay"
Here is today's 30 minute sketch - the light source wasn't great but I didn't start off with lines! Go me!
30 minutes - done with prompts from CAS
Assorted weekend sketches + The Google Art Project
The "Google Art Project" Chrome extension
A few days ago on the Verge I saw that Google has released a new chrome extension that turns each new blank tab into a masterwork from over the last few hundred years. I immediately installed it and am glad I did! Historically I've never really gotten into fine art but I am finding it really inspiring when something shockingly beautiful pops up unexpectedly!
30 Minute sketches
For a bit I was debating if I would post all of my daily sketches or just the ones I liked most. I think for starters I will post everything as a way to drive myself forward, but I hope they don't turn perspective people away from my work as a whole. I am trying to push myself into different workflows and out of my comfort zone. I've seen some amazing stuff done in 30 minutes and I want to get there!
As always my prompts are coming from Concept Art Sessions. (Who has a TERRIBLE mobile site...)
Sketch - "Norse" + "Wagon"
Getting back on the daily sketch horse and will try to get one 30 minute drawing down and out every week day.
This one was hard to start off on because my horse/oxen game is pretty weak - so I knew I didn't want to burn a large part of my 30 minutes on it...
For the wagon I basically cut a long ship, threw wheels on with a hint of knot work for the spokes and called it a day.
Man that horse sucks hard...
Via Concept Art Sessions - 30 Minutes - Vehicle - Tags: "Norse" "Wagon"
(Derelict) Space Fighter
I am wrapping this one up and calling it done! Over the past few weeks I've been exploring this type of ship design - and you can catch up with the thumbs and progress sketches by checking out my previous blog posts.
While I started off drawing an agile space 'fighter' I ended up framing this illustration as a recovery or inspection of a derelict ship adrift in space. Hopefully in the further future I will be able to revisit this branch of design and better demonstrate some of its physical characteristics.
This model carries 12 missiles (one is missing) on its side ready for release and 2 laser cannons. The end of each axis can spin freely around the central trunk and houses a primary thruster in addition to 3 folding and articulated vectoring thrusters. And while we are here making stuff up they can also tear holes in space time for FTL travel... Why not!?
A thanks goes out to the guys who helped me on this, especially Nick who suggested changing the spotlights from being on the astronaut to on the ship behind.
Sketches - Feb 28th 2015
Wanted to post up some work in progress shots before heading out to GDC this next week. I wish I had another day to finish it up but oh well - See you all in SF!
Sketches - Feb 24th 2015
A bit more development on my space fighter concept, looking at a few different ideas for the final illustration. Probably won't get this really underway for a few weeks however.
Gamers for Good and the KKG Artbook
I wanted to take a moment and drop a stone of thought into my RSS feed on the very excellent art book I recently had the mixed pleasure of donating a piece to.
A long while back my friend Peet queued me into a project his wife Liz and him were working on. A project to help a great friend of many with his fight both emotionally and financially with cancer. I never knew Kevin but over the following months a bit of who he was was bright enough to bounce off of others and still manage to blind me. A coworker of mine who worked at Blizzard years ago in completely different departments echoed what so many were saying - Kevin and his wife Constance were truly wonderful.
Kevin passed away just a few short months before a book compiling fanart from his top 10 favorite games could be completed and bound but not before having seen a test copy. Currently the book which is raising funds for research and charity is chugging away on indiegogo, and is hopefully (but regretfully) the first of many ways that artists around the world can show their support for people they know and love.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/gamer-for-life-kkg-fan-art-tribute-book
Sketches - Feb 11th 2015
Throwing in some details of the thruster wings and trying out a 6 wing configuration.
Sketches - Feb 10th 2015
More ideas for the spaceship / fighter rework I am playing around with... The two major features I want to incorporate are movable fins for thrust vectoring, and stacked missiles.
Sketches - Feb 6th 2015
I had a few ideas kicking around including an old spaceship design I wanted to revisit... which inevitably transitioned into all sorts of fun weapons. This is the cross I bear.
Gamers for Good - KKG Artbook
I don't often if ever do fanart - and im not sure why, but the Gamers for Good KKG Art Book was a really good exception to this unofficial rule.
There is quite a lot I would like to change and fix here - composition has never really been my strong suit but the experience was humbling, and it was superb being a part of a larger community creating art for somebody who touched so many lives.