Oddball Denizens

Here are a few strange denizens. Pencil sketches scanned and colored in Painter. You have your alien gunner and some sort of arborial ninja. Depending on the piece, I like using bold colors. I figured these drawings required more emotive color combinations to convey action.

Quick marker thumbs

Here are some marker thumbnail sketches I did while trying out my new Copic markers. I like using the wide ones to block values and then hit the details with the darker grays. Values are built from light to dark, then punched up with black. Finally, white gouache is used for highlights. The only problem with the Copics is that they go through ink pretty quickly.

Evil-Doers

Some sketches of various nefarious characters. I was thinking war, espionage and spies. You got your mad scientists, thugs, master minds, etc. The best way, for me, to come up with various caricatures is to sketch out the basic shapes of the head in terms of simple geometry: ovals, triangles, etc. Once the overall flow of the head shape is determined, I sort of "hang" the features on top of the basic shapes-- from general to specific. The entire time I try to push the features and shapes around as if playing with a lump of clay, and that's where the exaggeration is applied. The temptation is to always go back for endless noodling. Not always a good idea since the drawing could loose its spotaneity.

Soon I will be posting some works in steps from a rough concept to a final piece, a work-flow of sorts.

Mobile Computing

His brain a bit fried as he stairs at the flickering monitors...

Pulp Noir!

I am a big fan of the pulp arts and the film noir. The pulp arts have so much life and dynamic elements with their colors and composition, while the noir can always be appreciated for its dramatic lighting. Here is a piece I did while combining the pulp art and the noir.