Tis but a flesh wound!

So I've been rather ill lately and my intestines flaring up again. So I did some work while resting up and trying to get better.

and a sketch of something I plan to do over the weekend or possibly tomorrow.

Caution Sketch

Needed a warm-up.

So, I figured out how to get over head lighting in my room. At least I don't have to go parading in the street with this get-up.

Spent another hour taking reference shots. It's progress.

Maybe next will be some sneak peaks at my show since it's almost a month away!

Goliath

Having some fun with nostalgia.

taking a step back

I took a step back and decided to work on the values in this illustration to build it up. As you can see in the pervious post it was a color speed paint but now I'm gonna work it up another level.

WIP Ladies Choice

This is a Work In Progress Called Ladies Choice. My speed is down because of low productivity. I have to crank more work out. I look forward to the challenge of getting back into the saddle.

Fat orc, with step-by-step!

So, I finally got around to (it's hilarious how I make it seem like I have a life) finishing this bad boy. He's pretty much a study I started for lighting and color... really, just messing around mostly, but I wanted to pay a lot of attention to form and light, mainly. Since I was actually saving most of the layers individually I thought it would be cool to post the process of the image and kind of take you through the journey that is digital painting... for me, anyway.

The character changes a lot during the whole thing. He actually seems smarter at the beginning, ha. You can see that my decision to remove his hair (or the dark blob I considered to be hair) changes his personality in a big way. It's almost like taking a peak at my brain. Wild.

Caution: Colors, Shades

I posted this sketch a couple of weeks ago on my blog.

As I moved forward with my project, I remembered the aesthetic of the Sin City movie that came out years ago. The color highlights were always something I liked about the comic adaptation.

I decided that I wanted that to be part of my BFA project. I just don't know if I want to add grays. It'll take an additional amount of time to try and figure out the grays areas of each panel and that'll probably require more reference. While I like using reference, time isn't on my side to actually shoot all the environments that I'm going to have in the comic.

Well, all the areas in the comic are right around my house. (The extended version of the comic will feature other parts of the Jersey City heights, but I don't know if I'll be able to get to that part of the narrative before my show).

Color is something I haven't decided how to apply yet. Traditional and digital methods will have their own distinct qualities. I'll be playing around with it some more. Maybe some results next week.

Hallo

So I'm going to be more active s 'm finishing up my show and have a bit more time for other work. Here is a couple of sketches I've done recently.

Late night, early morning

Sometimes I forget to sleep and draw orcs, instead. I really need sleep...

I may work on this some more. It was fun. I might even put together a little step-by-step of it, since I ACTUALLY saved all the important layers.

Thanks for all your hard work, NARCISO.

As everyone who still follows the blog has noticed, were down to two very active bloggers and a mass of watchers with occasional input. Narciso has to attend to his very important show and James Zapata can't be a one man show, (he can but it dosen't make the rest of us look good, LOL!!!) So I'm jumping back in and making the attempt to rally the people again. Lets challenge ourselves to get back to our former glory and surpass it. I've been working on designing AREA221.com with the Amazing and extremely busy Madelynne Delarama, but that can take a backseat for now. We need to get this back up and running or all that work will be for naught. As a social meter can I get a response to who is ready to answer the call and return to the front lines of AREA221. If your still out there and read this please respond saying if you can and will post. But above all please post.

Back to Business

I've given up on the Daily Challenges, as you can see. The main goal for it was to get some consistent activity on Area 221. Recently, it's just me and James Zapata keeping the blog alive.

I'm primarily giving up the Daily Challenges (for now) because I have a lot of work to do for my BFA exhibition, and I can't keep myself occupied with recreational activity.

It's time to get back to work.

A couple of months ago, I physically made Caution. I got the mask. I got the tape (which I've had for five years now). I put it together.

I have to say, taking an hour of reference photos rejuvenated me to get my show done.

From here to May 2nd (though I'll be finished with the show a lot sooner), it'll be Caution 24/7.

Updates on Area 221 and nar/esp if you're interested.

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James Zapata - http://www.jameszapata.com/

nar/esp - nar-esp.blogspot.com

Wolvy

I know I said I was going to take a break from drawing today. I say lots of things.

When I was a kid "studying anatomy" by copying X-Men comics and trading cards, no matter what character I was drawing from somehow ended up turning into Wolverine. Same exact thing happened here while referencing Phil Hale's work. However, an accidental Wolverine sketch should never be something to complain about!

Need a break

Speed painting. Taking a break from the big Zelda project. Maybe I should take an actual break from drawing.... my hand hurts.

Finished?

This is mostly done. I have a few days before submission, so I'll take my time on final details.

Malon!

So, my original composition was too scattered. I wanted to convey the tragedy of Link being "the one that got away" for Malon, since all he wanted from that farm was milk and a horse.... not the farmer's hot daughter. ::facepalm::

Anyway, I think this works a lot better. It gives more attention to the dynamics between each character and the lighting really helps stage stage the scene.

Link's done!

I'm pretty satisfied with Link and Epona. Now, onto the rest of the image!

Zelda's 25th Anniversary

There is an interesting Drawing Jam (challenge) going on over at CGHub in honor of Zelda's 25th anniversary. The deadline is the 27th, so if you want to participate (which you should, it makes for awesome practice, and you should be drawing everyday) you gotta get going! I'll be posting my progress as much as possible. I just hope school doesn't get in the way too much (does that sound weird? Offensive, even?)

Anyway, here I go:

Zelda Week: Midna

Draw-A-Thon was yesterday. Excuse the lateness. If someone else would join the daily challenge, maybe this thing could roll-on without me.

I always thought Midna was an interesting character. I beat Twilight Princess the whole way through, all heart containers and everything. Then an old friend convinced me in trying the Wii-hacking software, HomeBrew. This hack, for some reason, required the user to delete a Zelda: TP memory block. Of course, the HomeBrew was really stupid and really complicated, so I deleted a good save for nothing.

From that day on, I stopped believing in hacking ANYTHING. Wasted a ___ing completed Zelda save. I hated my friend for a good, long time.

(Which was about two months.)

I'll try to post a colored-version of Midna tomorrow. Zelda Week continues next week, because no one else is participating. (That means I make the rules.) Here's the schedule for next week, in case you need some catch-up time.

Monday - Impa

Tuesday - Tingle

Wednesday - Ganon

Thursday - Morpha

Friday - Zelda

I'm not posting links anymore either. Search them yourselves.

Like anyone is actually paying attention.

Zelda Week: The King of Red Lions

Man, I really want to play Wind Waker. It was such a beautiful game.

Tomorrow: Midna.

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The King of Red Lions - http://zelda.wikia.com/wiki/King_of_Red_Lions

Midna - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midna

Zelda Week: Kotake & Koume (Twinrova Sisters)

I always thought these two, and then one, bosses were pretty tough. Fire and Ice, I guess, can be confusing some times. Y'know.

Tomorrow's character: The King of Red Lions

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Kotake & Koume - http://zelda.wikia.com/wiki/Koume_and_Kotake

The King of Red Lions - http://zelda.wikia.com/wiki/King_of_Red_Lions

The Last Sleeper

Here's my final concept illustration for "The Last Sleeper."

Some of the brushes I used for this I took from a download pack made by a fellow named Daarken. Bad ass illustrator.

His work along with his brushes and tutorials can be found here: http://daarken.com/

Zelda Week: Link

Thank the Triforce for cosplayers. This was a hard one.

Tomorrow: Twinrova Sisters: Kotake & Koume!

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Zora Link cosplay - http://www.geekologie.com/2010/04/25/zora-link-1.jpg

Twinrova Sisters - http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2039/2400928087_610ffab002.jpg

Forgot to mention this week's theme and today's character.

Link.

Not dog Link.

I'll be back tonight with my drawing.

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The Legend of Zelda - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Legend_of_Zelda

Demon - update

Working hard on this one. I'm really enjoying it.

Concept art for "The Last Sleeper"

Here's a bunch of work I did for upcoming iPad/iPhone game titled "The Last Sleeper" by Black Gold Studios. I was tasked with developing the look and feel of the main character.

Freeze

I know I'm kinda late on this. But I couldn't sleep and I really wanted to pump this drawing out.

Batman Rogues: Mr. Freeze

I think that if you ask anyone who knows of Batman, and most people will say that one of their favorite antagonists from that world is Mr. Freeze. Whether you dig the visual, you have a weird attachment to ice-based characters or you love his tragic background---Mr. Freeze is just neat.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Freeze

Batman Rogues: Great White Shark

So, Elias spun me on to the next character to draw, who is actually quite interesting.

A new Batman rogue created in the last decade, Great White Shark, initially Warren White (love that comic book alliteration), stole a ton of money from a few wealthy folks. He was tried at Gotham courts where he plead insanity, knowing Gotham's criminal psychopath ratio. Pleading insanity, however, didn't work out so well for him. White made a lot of enemies while in Arkham Asylum, and he some how ended up trapped in Victor Frieze's subzero cell for too long. His skin turned a pale white, the tips of his nose, ears, lips, a few fingers (and I assume eye lids) crumbled due to frostbite. He filed his teeth and became a little more insane---born was the Great White Shark of Gotham City.

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The Great White Shark - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_White_Shark_(comics)

Elias - http://elias-s-jimenez.blogspot.com/

Killer Croc

Sorry I'm late, teehee.

Batman Rogues: Killer Croc

How about this: If you're not trying, I'm not trying. Haha.

Batman Rogues: Poison Ivy

I never see her with hair neat. Always full and seductive.

I think she could be a little more malicious than she usually is.

Yes, I'm aware her dress looks like an evergreen.

While it is kind of upsetting that no one else is participating, I'm going to keep going with the daily challenge format.

Batman Rogues: Calendar Man

So, I made a list of characters we can all draw this week, if you're interested.

They're all Batman rogues.

Just so we're all clear on this, that's a character-a-day. I know that's hard to do, but we all draw every day anyway. A quick sketch of a pretty well-known character shouldn't hurt or take too long.

I understand that last week's Firefly theme was kind of difficult, because of all the likenesses involved. I think it's only like that because only one actor has portrayed each respective character on the show.

(That may change in the next few years with HelpNathanBuyFirefly.com)

Without further delay, Calendar Man.

Since I posted this so late in the day, I'll pick the next character to draw. Don't worry it's fun:

Poison Ivy.

Not fun? You know it is.

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Help Nathan Buy Firefly - http://helpnathanbuyfirefly.com/

Batman rogues - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Batman_Family_enemies