Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Sketchbook / "Legacy of the Dragons"

"Sketchbook: Legacy of the Dragons"


"LotD: Aurora (Air)" (1 of 5)
8.5" x 11" Digital Painting


"LotD: Fjell (Earth)" (2 of 5)
8.5" x 11" Digital Painting


"LotD: Pyronos (Fire)" (3 of 5)
8.5" x 11" Digital Painting


"LotD: Serena (Water)" (4 of 5)
8.5" x 11" Digital Painting


"LotD: Mugen (Void)" (5 of 5)
8.5" x 11" Digital Painting

Here are my initial drawings and digital progress of the five Elder Elemental dragons from a story my friend is working on. These are wholly my take on them and their design, but spawned from his concept of the Origin Myth for his world. Each Elder is a mix of a couple real world creatures to break away from the stereotypical images we have seen for years. Now I get to start working on their bodies! Wooohooooh! ^_^

All Elements: Four eyes like the Jumping Spider
Air: Sea Dragon; Pronghorn
Earth: Giant Isopod; Rhinoceros
Fire: Gorilla; Markhor (<---new fave creature)
Water: Long-Nosed Chimaera
Void: Gulper Eel; Japanese Spider Crab

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Animal Drawing / "Omnubai the Crass"

"Omnubai the Crass"
13" x 19" Character Design - 360ยบ

"Omnubai the Crass"
13" x 19" Character Design - Faces and Poses

Animal drawing class assignment. Create a 3D rendered arthropod character. I went with Umbonia crassicornis, also known as the thornbug. They are indigenous to my home, Florida!

Time for some color!

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Sci-Fi & Fantasy / "Pterois, Eye Tyrant"

"Pterois, Eye Tyrant"
Applied to assigned CCG Frame


"Pterois, Eye Tyrant"
2011
11" x 14" Digital Painting


"Pterois, Eye Tyrant"
Final Sketch

Here is the initial drawing and final digital painting for my CCG illustration! I love school. ^_^

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Sci-Fi & Fantasy / "Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath"



"Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath"
2011
9" x 14.5" Digital Painting

We were assigned to do a cover illustration for a Sci-Fi or Fantasy novel we've read. The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath immediately came to mind, and those creepy obsidian merchants. I hadn't read it in a while, so I skimmed and found where the merchants were described. It was interestingly vague. No idea why I had such a vivid memory of how they looked in my head... but I guess that was the best reason to illustrate them!

Thanks to Chris Negelein for being a gangsta roommate and turning into a demon!

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Multiversal / "Diamonds -N- The Ruff"



Check out Diamonds -N- The Ruff, a fundraiser to the December event, and an after party for the Wynwood Art Walk!

On a side note, Kazilla brought me on as the Assistant Director and Artist Coordinator for Multiversal! I'm so flattered! >_<

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Digital Illustration / "Itzel"

"Itzel"
2011
11" x 17" Digital Painting

Final painting for my Digital Illustration [Corel Painter] class. We worked using Painter 11. I like how it came out, and it's a huge step up from my previous paintings! Having a Wacom 21UX helped quite a bit too! :X Added the textures in the background via Photoshop. The subject, Itzel, is a friend of mine, who is just too beautiful not to be painted. With her permission, and an awesome photo © Kris Starry I was able to make this piece happen! Thanks ladies for being awesomesauce!

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Conceptual Editorial / "Natalie Portman - Black Swan"

"Natalie Portman - Black Swan"
2011
8.5" x 11" Digital

Class assignment: Create a magazine cover with a famous/important individual with a narrative that describes a characteristic of the individual or their work. I like how this one came out.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Conceptual Editorial / "The Angry Monk"

"Mindfulness"
2011
Digital

"Impatience"
2011
Digital

Here are my two newest digital illustrations, which were done for my Conceptual Editorial class. We had to make an illustration (and subsequent spread) for an article. Some choices were given in class, and I went with one titled "The Angry Monk".

Now, the fun thing about this is as I was sketching my thumbnails I came up with an interesting idea. I had been reading up on i and the golden ratio recently, so my mind was in math-orientation, especially since I had also been reading up on spirituality and enlightenment. Anyway, I thought of this enlightenment fraction quantification: if your enlightenment/mindfulness/awareness (numerator) is equal to your impatience/unawareness (denominator) then you are at 1, meaning you are simply content; if your numerator is greater than your denominator, then your happiness is multiplied as you are at greater than 1; and if your numerator is less than your denominator, your happiness is a fraction of what it could be. It just came out, and is a simple way to describe the effects of enlightenment or mindfulness on your body/life/mentality.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Intermediate Painting / "Bacchus" "Banana Split"

"Even Bacchus Needs A Guinness"
2011
26" x 30" Oil on Hand-stretched Canvas
Master Copy of Peter Paul Rubens' "Two Satyrs"

Here is the final version of the piece I posted earlier. I submitted it to the 37th Annual Student Exhibition at The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale and was awarded the Judge's Choice Award! My first award was quite an awesome feeling!

"Banana Split"
2011
24" x 36" Oil on Canvas

Here is the progress on "Banana Split". All that's left is to add some color highlights to pop some elements out.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Hunting Party / "Flee" "Rest" "Shoot"

The following three pieces are illustrations © 2011 Hunting Party by Gorilla Games.

"Flee"
2011
Digital

"Rest"
2011
Digital

"Shoot"
2011
Digital

These three pieces are an interesting milestone. They are my first purely digital pieces done for freelance illustration. They are my first pieces done for a major art director that I have known of since I was a kid! And they are the second set of pieces done for a fantasy game. So, this is right up the alley I have dreamed of working in since I was young. I'm overwhelmed with excitement! I look forward to getting onto more projects and producing even more work!

Also, as for the two previos WIPs I posted ("Two Satyrs" & "Banana Split"), I will be getting nice shots of their finished forms to post soon!

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Intermediate Painting [Winter 2011]

"Two Satyrs" (WIP)
2011
26" x 30" Oil on Canvas (hand stretched)

The original piece, "Two Satyrs", is by Peter Paul Rubens, the father of the Baroque style. Our assignment was to choose a Baroque, pre-Raphaelite painting to recreate, and add a contemporary twist. This is my work-in-progress. The satyr in the background will be enjoying a Guinness while wearing his hanna hat.


"Banana Split" (WIP)
2011
24" x 36" Oil on Canvas

This is the pencil work for my final in Intermediate Painting. We needed the four elements (air, earth, fire, water), an inside/outside composition and a mysterious element to the story being portrayed. I turned my into a double self-portrait, illustrating the conflict we all have within ourselves. I've recently been reading about the psychological 'Wizard archetype' written about by a Jung Institute graduate. I had drawn this piece up before a friend suggested the reading, but it makes more sense than it should. It's kind of interesting to see the things our subconscious knows well before the conscious self does.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

The Ellen Art Show / "Zombie Caricature Ellen"

"Zombie Caricature Ellen"
2011
11" x 13.75" Pencil on Cold Press

On January 22-23, 2011 Renda Writer will be hosting The Ellen Art Show, which he put together to honor the 53rd birthday of Ellen Degeneres. He has been a long time fan of hers and has been pursuing the dream of performing on her show since 2007. Myself along with a number of amazing artists will be submitting work that will be auctioned off. The proceeds will go to sending Renda to Los Angeles to present one personally selected piece to be given as a birthday present to Ellen herself! (I hope she likes zombies...)

Anastasia and I collaborated on this piece. I will be posting the colored/framed version of it later. She is doing the color work because she is simply amazing with colors.