Creature Planet(s), Sketches, and Creature Retread

A small collection of stuff form over the past week or so.

ImagineFX Cover Contest

Playing around with ideas for ImagineFX's 50th cover contest. I'm approaching this a little differently than I have before in that I am using texture overlays. I'm not sure how I actually feel about it - Part of me really likes the texture that this affords the image, but the other part of me is rebelling against the idea of not having painted what I'm seeing. To make this work in my head, I am looking at this as more of an exercise in graphic design.

Overall, it's fun playing around with a technique I've not previously used. I'll post further updates as I get a long.

In other News
I'd like to give a shout out to the crew at Nth Degree Fanzine, who I have worked with on and off over the past couple of years. They are back after a bit of a hiatus and I'll be doing at least one image for their online edition in the next week or so.

Also, wanted to say "Thank You" to Ben Watson and his dad Richard for some good advice and direction the other day. I really appreciate your time!

downtime

Had some down time today so decided to work on a doodle. Not really going anywhere specific with it at the moment, just seeing where stream of consciousness takes me ...


Also wanted to share this blog :: http://www.terribleyelloweyes.com - a wonderful bit of eyecandy for anyone who loves Where The Wild Things Are.

Catastrophic Dragon

Done for Art Order's Catastrophic Dragon Challenge, but not finished in time so not submitted. Check out the entries - there is some sweet work there!

The idea behind this guy was taken from the Greek Titans - immensely huge, with a never ending avalanche of debris falling from his underside creating trail of mountain ranges where ever he has walked. For this I imagined him not so much as representative of a new breed of dragon, but more of a solitary entity forever roaming the world.

Book Cover challenge at Art Order - WIPS

I've been busy with freelance work recently, so I haven't had a chance to update my blog or to enter many of Jon's weekly challenges over at Art Order the past month or so. One that I missed that I particularly wanted to join was the dragon challenge, as I'm sure that will be spectacular - especially with the guest judges he's got lined up for that.

However, this past week when he posted the book cover challenge, I had to make time! Jon provided some refs, and a basic description of what was to be taking place, and an over lay for working around the book cover copy - the rest is up to the artist. I spent a day or so thinking about what I wanted to do, and finalized the composition in my head on Thursday last week, then set about designing the characters and how they would be positioned and interacting on the cover.

Once I had the basic composition down in gray scale, I started refining the image, beginning with the focal point of the painting and moving out - the rest will come after I've finished the faces to my satisfaction. This is where I will spend probably 90% of my working on the painting, and I won't move on until they look good to me.

One note; after conferring with Jon, I found that Drow (the female character) do not have pupils, their eyes being totally white - so those will be coming out soon, much to my disappointment.

Below are work in progress shots.

ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE! - work in progress

A work in progress done for CA's Character of the Week.