Artist, take care of thyself!

If you're somebody that works at a desk job, you MUST find a way to get some activity in your routine. It's mandatory for a life of vitality and happiness. I choose to go to 805Bootcamp. All levels are welcome, even weaklings like me! The people who run the program and the campers are very kind and supportive. Plus! We have days that dogs can come with us on trails...or in this case, goats :) That's me on the far left without a snow cap.

Z - page 3

Just like his little sister, Z gets a costume change too in the story "Gaia's blessing". Their outfits are akin to a a pair of baggy sweats joined together with a hood. These suits are soft to the touch and nothing super cool to look at in terms of design or color. They do "grow"/adapt to the human that wears them though.

Golden training

This is a quick design I made for the monthly theme of 'Shaolin monk' for Character Design Challenge on Facebook. My design features an anthropomorphic fox character that trains as a monk from sunrise to sunset. Every month, we get a new theme to design a character for. It's a fun way to stretch out drawing skills and new ideas along with other artistic peers.

2nd commission for "!!!!8!!!!" - FINAL

Here we are at the final result for this design for UniquePublications!

2nd commission for "!!!!8!!!!" - the clean pass

After choosing a composition, here is the clean line pass before I did color. During this phase is when I also put in the character models, or their 'true design' if you will.

2nd commission for "!!!!8!!!!" - rough sketches

Just recently finished another design for UniquePublications​ for their new IP (intellectual property) called "!!!!8!!!!". These are the rough compositions that I started with.

Siblings or co-inhabitants?

Z and R ARE biologically related but Z was fitted with his visor when R was brought to their "space" (home). When wearing a visor, you see the world....and yet you don't. Sort of like what happens to us in modern times with texting and MP3 players. We check out and become blind to what's around us. Z does know that R is there and she's a sibling but he regards her in a cavalier manner. It's nothing personal against R or anybody else he fails to take notice to. Rather, it's an unfortunate side-effect to having a visor. Those that wear them become encased in their own bubble. Sometimes, Z is genuinely surprised to find R there in front of him.

Z - page 2

Z pretty much stares at monitors all day to the point he hardly notices R being near him. When walking around town, the visor provides a visual look into the environment so he can avoid running into things. He's also a more serious personality in compared to R. Things must add up and make sense or he gets upset.

The plugged in youth - "Z"

"Z" is R's older brother around 10 years of age. He's been wearing his visor for roughly 5 years by the time this story begins. The visor is a high-tech device that plugs directly into the nervous system of the one that wears it. By having this hard connection, Z can access/download lessons in academics directly into his mind. The visor also serves as a handy calculator and is the main way that folks in their city interface with their environment such as other machines for food, drink or information. Once fitted, the visor is intended to never come off, even during sleep. R is terribly jealous and can't wit to be fitted for her visor.

"Gaia" rough design

While I continue to sketch and scrawl to figure out R's brother, I thought I'd jot down a new idea for "Gaia" (The Gaia in the title of "Gaia's Blessing").

Character design is a journey

Often, I get asked if I always see the visions for my designs clearly in my mind......Sometimes, the design is very clear and it's a matter of getting it down on paper. Other times, the design is clear as mud and must go many rounds with sketches before arriving where I want the design to be. This is part of the fun and the frustration of being a creative. This guy above is meant to be R's older brother....but I have yet to set on his body structure. Little adjustments of shapes here or there can change the whole feel of a character. It's like taking a hike through the imagination with this fuzzy blob of a concept that takes various shapes along the path!

R - page 3

At some point in the story, R will have a costume change for reasons currently kept secret. If I get the chance to share the story of "Gaia's Blessing" in its entirety, then everything will be explained. Right now, sketches like these are details I'm working out in my brain.

R - page 2

R is a bit shy in dealing with others but she also has a vast reservoir of untapped courage.

The innocent - "R"

Another main character that stars alongside "Aya" for this story. For the time being, she's known as "R" and she's roughly 5 years of age. R lives in a very picturesque utopia. Everyday is roughly the same. Children her age and younger are kept indoors at all times until they come of age to be fitted with a visor. This visor is a piece of high technology that interacts with the environment inside and out. It's also a crucial tool used in their education. Typically, by age 6, a child is physically and mentally mature enough to have a visor made that will "plug in" to their brain. Once connected, the visor essentially becomes apart of the individual, never coming off again. R passes her days playing with a ball-like toy that glows and flies about the room. She also watches the unit display (TV), plays games on the unit tablet and stares at the ceiling when she gets bored. R also spends a fair while staring out the unit's only window, taking in the environment outside, wishing to become apart of it soon.

"hoI! im temmie!!!"

Time for a game geek moment! Recently, I've been hooked on watching a play-through of a recently released PC game called "Undertale" by Toby Fox. This is a role-playing game detailing the adventure of a human that falls underground in the world of monsters. This game is unique in that the player can choose to kill all the monsters/bosses in the game, kill a few but let some live or complete the whole game by refusing to kill anybody. Each path has its own story path and ending. Also, the game has a really nice soundtrack!

One of the characters in the game caught my eye and I just had to draw him/her/it. This little....whatever-it-is...is called "Temmie" and he/she/it encounters you as an enemy and in an in-game town, speaking funky English. They're definitely weird but still oh-so-cute, IMO :)

Development for a concept poster; FINAL step :)

Ta-dah! Here we are the completed final phase: the color and lighting pass. This stage often takes the longest in terms of time, especially if there are multiple light sources or FX to consider such as the glow of the jellyfish. Sometimes, a revision is needed to try one color against another in effort to get the most appealing design or maybe the lighting needs adjusting. 

This is the final product I sent to my client, Unique Publications, LLC. Had lots of fun on this project :)

Development for a concept poster; step 3

The 3rd phase for the concept poster for Unique Publications, LLC. This step brought in the character models as they're intended to look. I always draw in a super simple style first and focus on the composition. If the composition fails to work in the rough design phase, it's irrelevant how pretty or on model the characters are.

Development for a concept poster; step 2

These are the 2nd phase for a concept poster for Unique Publications, LLC. My client wanted to experiment with slightly different compositions for the characters to see what would read best to express their vision. Which one was chosen to go forward? Stay tuned and find out!

Development for a concept poster

Recently, I just finished designing and coloring a concept poster for Unique Publications, LLC. They are on a mission to produce new intellectual properties (stories) told with their own flair. This one is their newest idea and goes by the name of "!!!!8!!!!" (yes, this IS the real name). I'm sworn to secrecy regarding any story details but I can at least share the development work and the final colored poster. 

The top row of loose drawings were initial ideas I showed to my client. The bottom row has them in grey-scale to help show depth of field.

Stay tuned for more!

Aya's place - concept 1

Aya's a very down-to-earth young lady and that extends into how she likes to live in harmony with the land and resources around her. One vision I have for her home is underneath a great dead tree that has splintered over the decades. through the cracks, sunlight filters through and allows some grasses to grow. Aya is a very learned girl, liking to keep drawings and books from bygone ages. This is but one idea I'm toying with.

Artwork for "Bane" tabletop card game; piece 2

This is the 2nd piece that we at 10 Forward Productions, http://www.10forwardproductions.com/, were commissioned to design and color. Again, my role was coloring the design. 

Our female warrior seems to be exploring a sandstone temple or pyramid maybe. Drooling on her from on high is a large bat-like creature hanging from the ceiling......
 
To see more about Bane, please follow this link to their website: http://gamesicle.com/bane/

Artwork for "Bane" tabletop card game

While I was working for 10 Forward Productions, http://www.10forwardproductions.com/, we were commissioned to illustrate and color some concept pieces for an indie tabletop card game called "Bane". This game was created by "Gamesicle" featuring creatures of myth in a post-apocalypse setting. My role in this was to color images drawn by the team illustrator. This image features a female warrior exploring a dusty old library that has seen better days.

To see more about Bane, please follow this link to their website: http://gamesicle.com/bane/

Happy Halloween 2015

Happy Halloween, Everybody! Have a safe and fun evening :)

Aya - page 6

This page details further how Aya behaves as well as what she does for her "job". She could be considered similar to a custodian or maintenance person for our planet Earth. She watches the flow of energies across the different elements that make up our world (elements meaning fire, water, wind and earth). Sometimes disputes arise between elements and she does her best to settle these conflicts to keep the planet's energy stable. It can be very tiring as she runs around the planet on a constant basis!

Aya's accessories

This page is all about the different accessories that Aya wears on a continual basis. There's a silk ribbon of sorts for her hair, a spiraling bracelet on her right arm and charm anklet around her left ankle. The anklet has 4 charms on it, each with their own meaning, and one small stone. From left to right are the charm for the sun, the flower of life, a stone blessed by Gaia, and a charm for the tree of life as well as the moon. The charms are important concepts from her culture. The small stone has been infused with Gaia's energy. What does the energy do? Stay tuned to find out :)

Aya - page 4

How the character sleeps or interacts with essential props....really, the list goes on and on of what information is important to know. Does it ever end? I suppose when the story or the production concludes is when the list of behaviors/attitudes/poses is done. (At least by whomever the creator/artist that created that character.) However, the torch may get picked up by another artist :)

Aya - page 3

If your character has a job occupation/mission/purpose, that must be included too in their attitudes/expressions to further explain who this character. What they do and how they do it is very important as well as any props they interact with or sidekicks they work/live with :)

Aya - page 2

Designing a character is so much more than a pretty concept doing some cool pose. Character designers must define EVERYTHING about the character they're drawing. From the way they they move, to how they smile, frown, pick up an item, jump, run, falling down and the list goes on for miles. This is why the character's anatomy is so critical in order to communicate this information. All those circles, ovals and other shapes that make up the anatomy are the visual foundation of every character (even the ones made in 3D CG).

Time is Money...but how the heck do you judge pricing for your work/time as freelancer?

Charge by the hour....or charge by the project....it's a debate commonly had by creative and non-creative freelancers alike. Here's a helpful article to aid in this crucial decision:

Charge by the hour or by project? 

Aya's character rotation- COMPLETE!

When doing an animation rotation for any character, often 5 poses is enough assuming that the design is symmetrical and details mirror each other from left to right side. "Aya" is asymmetrical in her design: one arm has a bracelet, one ankle has a charm anklet, the robe she wears is torn and her hairstyle is differs depending on which way she's facing. All of these details must be accounted for and therefore "Aya" needs more than 5 poses in her rotation to show everything.

Aya's character rotation

Time to flex and train my skills in character design :)

I call this character "Aya" and she's a character from a story I'm developing on my own. This piece is a character rotation in progress and it's meant to show the character from all sides so an animator can understand how she's built and therefore, how she'll move.

Jubilee quick doodle

Rounding out the batch of quick doodles is Jubilee from the X-Men universe. Copyright by Marvel Comics, of course!

Quick doodle of Dr. Strange

A very dear friend of mine asked for a quick sketch of Dr. Strange. I drew him but Dr. Strange is copyright Steve Ditko and Marvel Comics. Always respect the original creator, folks :)

Jean Grey and Phoenix quick doodle

Yet another quick doodle, this time of Jean Grey and Phoenix. Characters are copyright Marvel!

Wonder sketch

Quick little doodle I did today of Wonder Woman :)

I drew her but the character herself is copyright DC Comics!

Aspiring to work for Walt Disney Studios one day?

Follow the hyperlink below that leads to an article for some great tips as to what you need to know to join their team of awesome artists:

http://collider.com/how-to-get-a-job-in-animation-at-walt-disney-studios/

My own picture day!

After my most recent post called "Picture Day", I was asked to do a drawing of myself on my own picture day during the holidays. Brings back memories of hating dresses but it still feels nostalgic in a good way :)

Picture day

A time honored tradition. Family members take that one special yearly photo that is supposed to be that precious child at their best. I remember those days as a child being dressed in a velvet dress around the holidays with a ribbon in my hair, tights and shiny black shoes. I couldn't wait to get it over with. Looks like this little guy is of the same mind!

Guilty little girl.....

The old 'try-to-get-out-of-trouble-by-looking-innocent' routine, eh? Wonder what this little girl did...

"Tales of Lyla" pages sneak peak

If you haven't joined us on the magical journey in "Tales of Lyla" yet, check out these samples from issues 1-3!

I'm the color stylist on the crew; which means I color the pages and put in FX using color. I receive pages that have only black linework, put in base colors, then shading/mood and of course the sparkly FX depending on what's happening in the panel. The time it takes to do each page varies depending on environment, lighting and mood. The page on the far left is from issue 1 and has a very detail intense design and many, many areas in need of FX such as glow for the windows. That one took a few days to execute from start to finish because of the level of detail and needed FX to set the mood.

The page in the middle had a simpler color approach that I had already established in earlier pages from issue 2 so there was less planning and more executing. There were a bunch of FX to take into account though such as bubbles, steam, water, dirt, dust and cobwebs. In the final panel, there were several light sources on the far left from specimen jars so each has their own lighting and how that lighting affects other shapes surrounding them like the walls.

The page on the far right is form issue 3. The last panel on this page has a lot of FX in the form of clouds, lightning and magic. In order to achieve depth of swirling dark clouds in the sky, extra layers of varying darkness needed to be added.

Tons of love goes into every single page from all of us on the Lyla crew : )

Every issue is easily available for download for a mere couple of dollars or so:

Easy ordering for issues 1 - 3

Spirit of ice - COMPLETE!

Behold my all time favorite animal as the spirit of ice!

Next up for digital render is...

Here's a screenshot of the next design up for color. This guy will be representing the ice element running through a snowy landscape. Had to do a wolf since they're my my favorite animal! Full render coming soon : )

Earth Bear - COMPLETE!

Bear attack!!! Representing the strong and endurant element of earth/land/soil is this bear. Currently, I just refer to him as the "Earth Bear." On his gauntlets and head ornament are 2 forms of the precious stone: topaz. The crystals that grow on his back differ from location and season. Right now, they are the pure amber variety of topaz. Eventually, they'll chip off or fall off like deer antlers. Fallen gems become part of the soil. The shapes looking like the letter "I" on the gauntlets are "Earth" in Kanji (Chinese characters).

Sneak peak at new design coming to full render

 

This is my take on a being to represent the element of earth and all things in the soil such as crystals, rocks and the like. This guy's about twice the size of a polar bear, which is between 8 to 8.5 feet long, making this guy around 17 feet tall when he stands. On his back grow the purest crystals on the planet. Depending on the environment he's in will decide what sort of crystal will grow. The current batch are topaz crystals that gleam amber. As he lumbers about, pieces of crystal fall off and add to the soil. Huge as he may be, he has a very calm/quiet temperament. Some mistake this nature for being harmless but when this guy gets truly upset, the earth violently shakes. Looks like some unlucky fool managed to piss him off....

Leaf bringer - COMPLETE!

Oh, thank goodness my cold is finally over and done with :) Back to the drawing and coloring board! Hope everybody had a great 4th of July holiday full of fun. I couldn't wait to get over my cold so I could color my "Leaf Bringer" design. Also threw in some grass as an experiment.

Luna - COMPLETE!

"Luna" is one of several names for the spirit of the moon. This lunar personification comes from Roman mythology. Other names include Diana, Artemis, Phoebe, Selene and many others across the decades. A simpler design this time but minimalism can be a beautiful thing :)