Monster Monday- December 30, 2013

Last Monster Monday of 2013, since I started Monster Monday in February I've only missed 2 Mondays. That was mostly due to the fact that my thesis was taking up my time. Missing 2 out of how many weeks is pretty good and I hope to create a new monster for every Monday of 2014! 

This week I created an orc. I'm entering it to be included in a zine, but the zine version has gray values, rendered digitally. I usually have trouble getting started on an orc drawing because it always starts out a little too goblinish. But this time I started out bulkier so I wouldn't run into that problem. To make this orc different from my other ones, this guy has fur armor of a barbarian. Hopefully, this will make it to print.

Wandering Ice Giant

Because of the holidays, I've been spending less time at the drawing table creating full pieces and spending much more time in the sketchbook planning pieces for the new year. Since my final semester of college wrapped up a couple of weeks back, I wanted to start off strong and get into the habit of creating more pieces as well as continuing to be self motivated. 

Since winter is now upon us, I figured it was a good time to take my old Ice Giant watercolor and bring it to the level I originally intended. 

I also want to continue to improve on my digital coloring techniques since that is the direction I want to take my work in. I see my pieces as 75% traditional (piece planned on paper, sketched on bristol, and inked with a brush) and 25% digital (coloring the piece, changing lines colors, and cleaning unwanted ink up). For a while I didn't want to go digital because I liked the fact that I had a one of a kind piece, but my new method gives me an original ink drawing and a digital piece that brings my work to the next level. I get the best of both traditional and digital.

Since the convention season is looming in the spring time, I'll also be creating more little zines like Goblin Guild (soon to be a full color version) as well as putting together a book of many of the toned paper drawings I've created over the past year. The book will be professionally printed and will only be available at cons and comic shops I attend events at (if by popular demand maybe available online... kickstarter?). I will be attending Illuxcon again next year and even got a table at the showcase on Friday and Saturday nights, where I'll be selling prints, books and originals. It's not even the new year and I'm already planning 5 months ahead of time. But I think that's normal....

The first piece of the new year will be my final illustration I created for my independent study. It's pretty awesome.

Monster Monday- December 23, 2013

With Christmas a few days a way, I thought it would be a good time to draw everyone's favorite Yule time demon sidekick of Saint Nick... Krampus. For those who don't know, in eastern European tradition Krampus travels with Saint Nick, while he gives children the treats, the bad children have to deal with Krampus. He beats bad children with his bundle of sicks and the most terrible children are carried off in Krampus' basket to hell. Krampus is not seen as 'bad' character. His purpose is to scare children into being good, similar how children are told if they are naughty Santa leaves them coal. On December 5, many towns have a Krampus parade. Each person carves their own wooden mask with real horns and covers themselves in hide of animals. They scare children while being given alcohol as they march. In the past few years Krampus has grown in popularity in America and maybe he will even join Santa on his journey in the next few years.

Spot Illustrations

Last month I created 2 spot illustrations to include in my portfolio. Drawing objects can have as much character as a figure and it's interesting to give objects there own personalty.

The first spot is a Alchemist's potion brewer. This idea was one of the first concepts I created in my sketchbook. The idea was to create 2 spot illustrations that played with light. This spot has two light sources, one being the fire at the bottom and the fire creating the glow on the bottle. I was taught new techniques that I used to create the glow in the illustration and will be really helpful for future images with creating interesting light source. This was a fun piece to draw and was helpful in to continuing my improvement in creating digital work.

The other spot I created was the dagger struck through the table. I like to draw super drippy candles, there almost like little sculptures created by the heat and not purposely controlled. The candle is the main light source that creates the shadow on the dagger. The same technique that I used to create the glow in the potion was used again, but taken to the next level by using multiple colors. I didn't want to go with boring colors on the dagger so I used the yellow, orange, and blue to add character. This piece turned out better then I could have imagined and I'm glad to have 2 more digital pieces to add to my portfolio. 

Monster Monday- December 16, 2013

This week I drew an orc. I found this green paper and was inspired to create an orc. It's interesting how a color can flash an idea in my head. I created this piece due to the excitement of Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug. Though I had mixed feelings of the film, I have my own visual vocabulary that I associate with the Hobbit and the movies won't change that. The drawing came together pretty easily, sketched the piece out during a lecture, inked it between classes, and added whites while waiting for class to start. I'll be creating more drawings on the bright color paper in the future.

In other news, in January I will be open for personal character commissions on toned paper. This pieces are for non-comerial use, meaning for personal display only (hanging the original piece in home) and can not be used for publication. If you are interested in an already created piece displayed on the blog, they will be available as well. Paypal will be the only way to purchase an original drawing or created piece.

Monster Monday- December 9, 2013

I experimented more with the pastel pencil over the past week. It's been a little stressful with the semester ending, I'm finally going to graduate. So I took a little time from class work to sit down and just draw something. Of course, I drew a tree folk...sorry (not really). Trees are just interesting, they have interesting shapes that can be molded into faces and distorted anatomy. Plus it's always fun to play with texture.

Starken- The Strong Ones

For a while now i've been drawing lots of creatures and have had no where to place them in a narrative context. Many of the things I draw I see in little worlds but it tends to be jumbled from one another. But now it's all fitting together in as puzzle pieces. I've created a world called Orbis. Orbis is a giant continent (similar to pangea, when all land was one) where many of the creatures and characters now live. The land has diverse terrain, architecture, culture, and characters. Currently I'm working on a map of the world and when I introduce new content about Orbis, I can show exactly where cities and people live.

Today I introduce the Starken. Starken are strongly built beings with mystical tattoo markings. In Orbis, they are seen as Oracles able to see into the future with their cauldron pipes to read the smoke. Their tattoos are marks from an Oracle reading their future at birth to present, giving the wearer protection from negative events and grant good luck.

Starken are nomads, remaining only a few months in one place during different seasons. They can be difficult to locate at times when traveling occurs. Some Starken live in the cities of Orbis, setting up Oracle shops in markets. But most like to travel with their tribes and don't feel comfortable living in stone structures. 

Starkens are not the warring type, they prefer to stay out of others affairs of battling over land. Since they are nomads, they feel no allegiance to any city state. Though they carry weapons to defend themselves against monsters, bandits, and attackers, they are rarely in war. It is thought because pacifist views.

Monster Monday- December 2, 2013

Another Treefolk, sorry if people get tired of them but they are a joy to draw. A while back I got a few pastel pencils. Most of the time I sketch with a keep pen (because I lose nice pencils all the time) and wanted to try something new. I've seen many people use pastel pencils on colored paper so I decide to give it a shot. The colors I got were Sepia Dark, Sepia Light, and Red Chalk. The feeling of the sepia pencils bothered me, it reminded me to much of charcoal. I hate using charcoal, but the Red Chalk felt more the normal pencils I use in illustrations. 

I sketched the piece all with the red chalk on the yellowish paper. Since I was experimenting with the pencil, starting off small was a good idea. A portrait of the Treefolk flowed from my pencil and resulted in the drawing. It was enjoyable to create since it's been a busy week with the holiday and other work.

Monster Monday- November 25, 2013

This week I drew an Owl Bear that was a request from twitter. Owl Bears are from Dungeons and Dragons and have been included in other games as well. For some reason, I never faced an Owl Bear in any D&D adventures, usually it was goblins or huge monsters. And I miss not being able to play D&D weekly, but I am hoping with the new gaming/comic store down the street will have games going on.

Any way, for my Owl Bear, I played with more of the owl aspect instead of drawing a bear then stick an owl face on it. For the arms I added feathers and gave the body a feather like feeling. The claws are similar to a bear and the head is obviously influenced by an owl, it is an owl...bear.... The head has 'horns' are like a horned owl and a larger beak then a normal owl. The beak was inspired by eagles. 

I think the redesign is interesting and might even take my owl design into a finished spot illustration for a monster manual type book for RPGs. 

Still Life

I don't often share my non-illustration work, but this still life does connect to illustration in a way. For my Drawing 2 class, we had an assignment to draw a still life with drawings, paintings, and objects in a single image. The assignment leant itself as a way to document my current work in a non-photographic approach. I collect the objects and proceeded to create a composition. Pencil rendering isn't something I normally do, so it was a challenge to cross hatch the piece.

I figured I would share work I don't normally create on my own time. 

Monster Monday- November 18, 2013

This week's Monster Monday is a Bat Nosed Imp. The Bat Nosed Imp lives in dark caves and dungeons, it can see clearly in the dark and rarely leaves before sun down. They tend to gather in groups for safety while sleeping and hunt in a pack to take down larger pray. These Imps have been known to take down large birds and clean it to the bone. 

I rushed on adding the whites which resulted in the paper buckling, I am once again reminded to have patience in the creation of a drawing. A good reminder to have in the illustration world and life in general. Though I do have to admit, watercolor has taught me the most of patience as well as juggling multiple pieces at a time (more like 24 illustrations for a book and having to finish 1 every day for a month... thesis)

I'll have new work to show this week so look out for it.

Monster Monday- November 11, 2013

Another Ice Giant this week. The drawing originate from a 2 hour break between my Thursday classes, where I usually hang out and draw. I've been drawing Ice Giants lately for an illustration I'm planning to do. Hopefully in the next few weeks I'll get a chance to create it.

The Unexpected Party 2.0

Recently I have finished my second full page digital illustration. Each piece I create I get more comfortable using Photoshop as a means to render my work in color. For my second piece, I choose to go back and revamp a watercolor I made last fall for my independent study of book illustration. Here's the original watercolor.

This was one of my first watercolors I did in 2 years last fall. Though I am happy with completing an illustration with multiple characters and the warm feeling of the hobbit hole. I knew with the great improvement I've made over the past year, that this piece could become even stronger for my portfolio.

For the new illustration, I used the strong elements of the original and added more narrative. I pulled back the scene a little bit to have a little bit more breathing room and make it possible for Gandalf to be in the illustration. The Dwarves were redesigned with more color to create a broader color palette. Bilbo's design remained the same, I always imagine Bilbo with a red vest. And Gandalf joined with his signature blue pointed hat.

The original drawing was done on two pieces of bristol, one with all the characters and props, the other with the background elements. Having 2 layers made it easier to edit the original black wood grain lines to color. Prof. Gash helped me nail the color as well as experimenting with different techniques to create the warm feeling of the hobbit hole. Over all I am pleased to add another digital piece to my portfolio.

Monster Monday- November 4, 2013

This week's monster is an Ice Giant. This drawing is a character study for an illustration I am conceptualizing at the moment. I'm taking the idea I used for the watercolor Ice Giant I did a while back and taking it to the next level.

Soon I hope to open an online store where I will sell drawings as well as books and prints. It will most likely happen after the new year.

Monster Monday- October 28, 2013

For this Monday, I'll share the small illustrations I created for a book I just finished called 'Goblin Guild'. 

First off, the lowest rank goblin in the guild, a basic soldier. Most Goblins enter the Guild as a soldier since they don't have skills writing or at magic. But many soldiers are need to pillage for treasures in human towns and villages.

Next up is the Goblin Guild scribe. Not to many goblins know how to write but the ones that do keep a diligent log of the relics and treasures collected on the village raids. 

There are some goblins trained in the art of stealth. Some treasures are locked away in vaults, but with a small unit of thieves it might not be there so long. These goblins are the few in the guild that are trained from masters in their art. 

Just like any other being in the world, goblins are capable in magic. The Goblin Guild has a small collection of spell books that wizards use to learn protective spells (to save soldiers from slaughter) and curses (to hurt the humans). There are few wizards in the Guild so they are highly respected. 

Goblin Pyromancers are used during and after a raid. They light fields of wheat on fire and human houses to the ground. There main goal is to cause so much destruction that no one would return, adding valuable land to the Guild's property. 

Every Guild needs a hero, even the Goblin ones. The best soldiers, pyromancers, scribes, wizards, and thieves can be a hero to the Guild. Most of the heros lead their branch of the Guild or are lucky to live long enough to cash in on the Guild's retirement program. 

Monster Monday- October 21, 2013

This week is one monster, been busy getting ready for a shop visit at The Comic Shop of Delaware for their Halloween weekend Spookabration. 

It's interesting to think that there isn't one story that defines the werewolf in literature. In Folklore, people become werewolves by wearing a magic belt or cape that transforms them into an actual wolf not an anthropomorphic hybrid. The hybrid that is popular now is inspired by the Universal classic 'The Wolf Man'.

For this design I used both classic elements and modern ideas. The wolf is a strong creature it needs to feel strong, so a large jaw and all over powerful body. For the face, I used human proportions to add in the human element to the wolf. It's not the most original design but it works well for a modern werewolf figure. 

Ent's Attacking

My first full color digital illustration created for my independent study at school. I started sketching and conceptualizing the illustration while I was at Illuxcon in September. With rounds of redrawing the tower and scanning my ink drawing to place together in photoshop, to create the base of the illustration of the final line art.

I had a good understanding of photoshop before starting the piece but it was an experiment to find the best way to render the piece. With alot of guidance and help from Prof. Chris Gash, he guided me to create a final piece that I'm very happy about.

Since I got to choose the content of the illustration, I picked the scene in Lord of The Rings when the Ents attack Isengard to stop the destruction of the Fangorn Forrest. It's a scene that I've wanted to illustrate for a while and thought that it was a good time to finally create it. Plus I've been drawing lots of Ents and Tree Folk in my sketch book (and drawing them is still not out of my system)

SHOP VISIT

The Halloween weekend, I'll be at my favorite comics store, The Comic Book Shop in Wilmington, DE on Saturday the 26th selling zines, prints, stickers,  magnets and original drawings. I'll also be drawing monsters for customers at the shop. It's going to be a fun weekend so stop by!

Monster Monday- October 14, 2013

More Classic Monsters

It was only time before Dracula got his turn to be redesigned for Monster Monday. The two inspirations were the original book Dracula by Bram Stoker and the classic Universal film of the same name. The more ghoulish face was taken from the text, Dracula didn't have the same features of a normal person. I gave him a longer face with pointed bat like ears. His clothing was inspired by the film Dracula where Bella Lagosi wore the now iconic black cape, crisp white shirt, and had a widows peak hair line. The cape inspired a much larger collar that could be used to shield him from the sun if he was having a late night. And the rest of the clothing was to match his aristocratic persona.

The Hunch Back of Norte Dame the bell ringer of the famous church, crowned the king of fools. The book is nothing like the Disney film, no surprise there, the book is much darker and has a very strange ending (But a good one, no happy Hollywood ending for this book). My design was inspired by the Elephant Man, a famous oddity in freak shows. He has lumps, bumps, and misshapen body. Since he was always in the church, I figured his hair might have turn white from the lack of sun as well as his skin. That's the reason why I used light brown paper. 

More Monsters to come next week. And later on this week I'll share my first real digital illustration.

Monster Monday- October 7, 2013

The great Cthulhu of H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos. Describe as one of the great old ones, the creature is imprisoned under a sunken city to once again rise and cause chaos on earth. Cthulhu is described as having an octopus like head, huge wings, and standing taller then any building. For my version, I gave it more of a squid shaped head for a more distinctive shape. Instead of many tentacles near the mouth, I chose 3 to keep the design clean. Normally many people give Cthulhu clawed arms, but I've always imagined it to have tentacle arms.

Death or the Grim Reaper and sometimes the Angel of Death, is a popular character of Halloween. Death as an actual living entity has been around since the Middle Ages as a skeletal figure carrying a sickle. Sometimes he can be tricked or bribed in order to stay alive, but it is also thought that he severs the soul and body creating death. For my design, I was inspired by Charon of Greek Mythology, who users the dead to the plane of Hades. Death has a black toga instead of a completely black robe, I also wanted his head to float high above his actual body so he could hid his form while meeting the newly dead. The scythe made of vines from the under world that holds his blade. Over all, I tried to reinvent the character to be more associated with Hades. 

Blog's first Birthday

Yesterday was this blog's first birthday (today in my tumblr's 3 birthday) chronicling the work I've created through out my journey of creating my final thesis and all the work in between. In the past year, I feel that I have found my footing on where to take my career. And each time I learn a new skill or polish another, I am only getting closer to my main goal of being a successful illustrator. Recently I have been working on digitally coloring my work in photoshop for an independent study I'm doing this semester. For a long time I was resistant to creating work digitally because I love drawing and inking on paper (and didn't feel comfortable using a tablet). But with encouragement I dove in and am really enjoying it.

As a thanks to all my supporters, here's a goblin alchemist bomber I just finished up for a small project I am currently working on. Thanks again.