Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Tuesd..er Wednesday Sketchoodle


Sorry I haven't been around lately. Worked like crazy last week plus some OT this weekend. Ugh. So here's something I just did to keep my mind off of surfing penguns. Space! (Thanks Topcat for the inspiration) The process was just filling in the panels starting from the left and working my way down with no preconcieved plot. The robot is a clear ripoff but I like to call it an homage. I cheezed out at the end but I didn't want to continue the story. Enjoy!

Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Tuesday (Late) Contribution ...


Here are two sketches, one Photoshop'd a bit, the other not ... The top sketch is of an industrial area on the planet where one of my story ideas, Privateer, takes place ... I'm really just getting the feel of the place and each week I'll be posting a new take on it, or a more finished rendering of it. My ultimate goal is to use the Tuesday postings to get a new piece or two ready for Rockstar's Creative Session. If left to my own devices, I'll procrastinate too long and arrive at the meeting with a mess ...

Oh, and the lower image is a first pass at a sleek cargo jetthat will be used within this same visual world of Privateer. I have wanted to play with the notion of a plane that had the variable geometry nose design of a supersonic transport ... and perhaps the wings will, too ...

Wolfman


Tuesday doodle with my archival pigma brush

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Preview of Creative Session Piece



Yo ho, me hearties ...

Here is the latest piece for the Rockstar Creative Session (tomorrow). I've watched many of the Gnomon DVDs on perspective and on rendering scenes and they helped me to establish some good perspective here. Next month's piece will go even further (I've already started the pencil comp process). Overall, this on is extremely vertical and centered, but I do like it. I also stuck to a format similar to that of a book jacket ...

The subject matter is the finale of the story I began with last month's piece, something called "Privateer." In this scene everything has fallen apart for the main character and he has been tricked by his enemies. In the scene, the ancient manor house and government seat has been turned into a beacon that summons an alternative universe. The people he is supposed to have been governing are now storming the place intent on burning it (and him) to the ground.

What the heck is that?


I'm not sure, but I did it with my trusty brush pen.

Monday, May 22, 2006

Flash Alien and Tarzan



Couple of sketches for my entry this week. The weird looking Alien will eventually be a multipiece Flash file that I can animate. Something I'm very interested in getting proficient at.

Kaiju Contest





http://www.negadonattacks.com/kaiju.html

Rick, We didn't make it into this early example.

Thursday, May 18, 2006

Comic-Con Meet Update



So the votes are in and it seems like Thursday dinner is the best for everyone. Sound cool?

And Filippi's is what y'all seem to want to eat. So here's the info.

TAG Reunion Dinner @ Filippis Pizza Grotto
Thursday, July 20th
7:00-??

So maybe the best deal would be to meet at the convention center and all board the trolley over to Filippis. If you're not going to be at the convention that day and just want to meet there, I think 7:00 might be a good time. Okay?

I'll post an update reminder the closer we get to the Con.

BTW Rickart, MJM, and Davis Chino will be making special trips from their respective countries to join our special soire' so come and help us welcome them home!!!

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Gorilla Parrot





Rick, I liked your Pirate Gorilla. did you see my late comment?

I added another doodle.

Tuesday Arrrrrrrrt!


Last week I drew a gorilla pirate. This week I made one of his crew members. And he was drawn with twisty crayons! Arrrrrr!

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Tuesday Tool: Crimson Lake Prismacolor


Here's the Tuesday offering. Just started scribbling while talking. Don't know what I was going for but they ended up looking like ginger. Floating ginger. So at the very end I added the figures in there for scale. After doing that...it still doesn't make sense to me.

I like the feel of this particular color. It's buttery smooth when you draw with it.

AAARRRR!


Now that E3 is behind us things are calming down at the office a bit. Therefore, I have enough time for a Tuesday drawing! If you are going be at E3 be sure to check out the Turbine booth! I won't be there but LOTRO will!

This is a character I draw from time to time. I'm not sure why, but I like him. His crew is a bunch of parrots.

Monday, May 8, 2006

A Link for Links

If you find yourself with nothing to do, click on this link and browse the millions of bloglinks pertaining to creative stuffs! I think I might make it a link to the right. Okay?

  • Creative Blog Link-o-rama
  • Sunday, May 7, 2006

    Early Tuesday Drawing

    As is my frequent habit, I got up at 2:00 am with insomnia and started putting down everything that was running uncontrolably through my head. It's becoming my favorite time to work. Absolutely no distractions or interruptions. A mind that's just spent several hours in solitude, processing the day's events.

    Right now I'm thinking about the look of the city that part of my story takes place in. Although I have unbounded admiration for people who can do those beautiful, tight, professional architectural renderings, I find I have a mental block against using rulered lines for buildings and machinery. Do people have their favorite artists who handle cars and buildings in offbeat ways? Moebius and Windsor McKay come immediately to mind for me. Anyone else?

    Friday, May 5, 2006

    Adam Hughes Sketching: Up Close and Personal

    Here's a cool video series of Adam Hughes doing a sketch at a Convention step-by-step. Scotty Buncake should take note that THIS is the way you do it at the Con....
    Part 1: The Idea

    Part 2: The Process

    Part 3:The Tools

    Part 4:Requests

    Part 5:The Finish

    Thursday, May 4, 2006

    Twist-Up Lion - Crayon and Cardboard Stencil


    This is the only drawing I've finished in the last several weeks. I'm rather pleased with it. If you have any critiques on anatomy, perspective, color or composition, feel free to comment.
    Embedded in the lower left-hand corner is a picture of Ian McKellen in 1965; my choice for the actor to play Spock at the Academy in the upcoming movie. I think he can bring the necessary sense of sophistication, dry wit and intelligence to the role, and I'm sure he can do an American accent if that's really necessary.

    Shadowrun news from John Abad

    FYI, for you BlueSky old timers… =)

    http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=9164

    The long-rumored video game return of the Shadowrun RPG franchise has been all but confirmed today, according to an opening splash page on Microsoft-owned developer FASA Studio's official web site.

    The teaser image, shown here, appears on the front page of the company's web site, fasastudio.com.

    Comic-Con Meet?



    Comic-Con International 2006
    Thursday, July 20 - Sunday, July 23

    Every year TAG tries to get together and have a lunch or dinner or something. I wanted to get an idea of who is interested in doing this and maybe some suggestion of where to eat. Our Boston correspondent Rick will be making a cross country trek just for the Con and this also would be a good opportunity to meet the new guys. In the past we've usually gone to the Old Spaghetti Factory but it's not there anymore. So who is interested??

    Marty are you coming or what???

    Another thought: Maybe we can make a special trip out to OB to see Shel. Krayonzilla any thoughts???

    Yet another thought: What day would be better? Friday dinner? Saturday lunch? Saturday dinner? Saturday late-night snack...?

    Tuesday, May 2, 2006

    Silver Class Stuff




    The sketch is for my group of characters based on some character synopsis notes. I made a bowling team out of three unlikely to meld character types. A momma's boy, a biker and a very old crotchety guy.

    Oh, I've bought two books recently by a guy named Ben Caldwell. Check out his web site. I really recommend the two books he offers....
    http://actioncartooning.com/index.html

    Tuesday Scratch:Darth Vinxenatrix


    Tuesday's here!

    We need more female Sith!

    Female Sith with silly names!!!

    Marvel Making Deals For Title Wave

    John Favreau is set to direct Marvel Studios' live-action feature "Iron Man," which will now be distribbed by Paramount.

    News is part of a wider announcement from Marvel outlining a barrage of directing and writing deals for a slate of films it is developing with aims to independently finance out of a $525 million fund from Merrill Lynch.

    All the pics but one, "The Incredible Hulk," will be distribbed by Par under an existing service agreement.

    "Iron Man," Marvel's top priority, also has nabbed writing duo Arthur Marcum and Matt Hollaway ("Convoy").

    New Line gave rights back to Marvel last year after several years of unsuccessful development. (Daily Variety, Nov. 3)

    Marvel disclosed it is pursuing a second "Hulk" pic, despite the so-so performance of Ang Lee's 2003 film. Zak Penn, who has collaborated with Marvel on several features, including the upcoming "X-Men: The Last Stand," will pen the script for what's being called "Incredible Hulk."

    Universal, which handled the first "Hulk," would distribute the follow-up.

    Follow-up is expected to have a smaller budget and be less erudite. "There's something very primal about the Hulk that we didn't get in movie one," said Marvel Studios chair Avi Arad.

    Scribe David Self ("Thirteen Days," "Road to Perdition") has been tapped to pen the long-awaited feature version of "Captain America."

    Edgar Wright ("Shaun of the Dead," "Hot Fuzz") will direct and co-write with Joe Cornish the feature film "Ant Man." Always seen as a bit of a ridiculous super-hero -- his power is to control ants -- duo plan to give the big-screen "Ant-Man" a comedic twist.

    Wright will also co-produce with Nira Park, his partner at Big Talk Prods.

    Marvel has tapped scribe Andrew Marlowe ("Air Force One," "Hollow Man") to pen the script for "Nick Fury," based on Marvel's military super spy.

    Fresh off writing Warner Bros. "Poseidon," Mark Protosevich will pen Marvel's "Thor."

    Arad said the intent is to use the $525 million Merrill Lynch debt facility to finance "Iron Man" and the "Hulk," even though those titles were not among the 10 listed when the deal with Merrill Lynch was struck last spring.

    If those pics are produced, Marvel would have to either raise more money or put aside other projects in development to make room.

    Budgets on Marvel pics are expected to be between $50 million and $165 million.

    Marvel hasn't committed to put any of its pics into production yet, though it's hoping to release the first one by 2008. "Iron Man" and "Incredible Hulk" are furthest along and thus most likely to hit that date.

    Marvel has seven other super heroes and teams in development without talent yet attached.

    "These are all giant titles. Obviously, there's a lot of work to be done," Arad said.

    After "Iron Man" and "Hulk," Marvel's next priority is "Captain America," which Arad said he hopes to release in 2009.

    Hello TAG


    Thanks for inviting me...

    still struggling to figure it
    all out so be patient...
    Enjoy seeing all your stuff...
    this is a magazine cover
    I did a while back...

    Rick Randolph

    Monday, May 1, 2006

    Trailer


    Couldn't get the screen proportions to my liking (even w/ 3 choices). But it's comforting to know the constructs I was hoping for are in the movie.

    edit: Hey dok, added the embedded player for ya! skrib