Monday, October 29, 2012

Sketch: Ezio Auditore

#art #Fanart Wanted to share this! Will be coloured when I can manage it. He's not entirely 'on model' according to the game's timeline (dat stubble) but that's what license is for, right?

Friday, October 26, 2012

Quick Colour: My City

#Edmonton #Alberta 

Sketch: Happy Birthday!

Meant to post this yesterday, but couldn't find the time. A group shot with all the characters that I've used to portray myself, or are otherwise connected to me, throughout the years. Thankfully, there aren't that many!

From left to right, starting from the back:
Erik and Alex from "Requiem Mask"
"Blazerwolf", Ookami from "The Refuge"
Myself, and Amon, drooling on the counter top there...

I'd like to clean this up and colour it properly sometime.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Speedpaint: VonLansing the Turian

Some @MassEffect inspired art today. I miss my Turian Sentinel. And multiplayer. And Gaming.

I'd say it's a significant jump from previous depictions of him, wouldn't you?

 I love variety!

Monday, October 22, 2012

Speedpaint: School Photo

Well, it's of someone fictional, but that's what it reminds me of, wouldn't you say?

At the Edmonton Expo, I got to watch one of the teachers speedpaint a portrait. I don't know about everyone else, but I love to watch artist's work as it tends to make things "click" faster when I see the process in action! So I decided to give it a try! Ookami up there is my guinea pig since he's my oldest character creation, and it was fun giving him an edge of realism.

I spent a lot of time on this for being a "speed painting"- the problem I run into is that I see the errors along the way so I fret over them. A habit I want to chip away since the urge to fix all the things can be overwhelming! As it is I had to consciously stop myself.

Anyway, already looking forward to the next attempt. Onward!

Speedpaint: Welcome to Silent Hill

A nice place to visit, but...


Done on Nintendo DS using Colours 3D after watching the movie again.

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Job Hunting: Persistence versus Rudeness?

I'll get to the convention write up soon, but I had to get this off my chest!

BioWare was hosting a Portfolio Look-see at their booth. Both my wife and I came prepared and, even though we were in costume, we made sure we found ourselves the right table and formed a line since the main gentleman they told us to talk to (Niel Thompson - Art and Animation Director at BioWare) was just wrapping up a panel. Of course we wait patiently, the first ones there (my wife was number one, actually)
The folks file in and take their places... we're still waiting for the go ahead to start talking- it's only the polite thing to do, yes? We were first, we'll get our turn.

... And then this guy just... pushes his way in ahead of us, and my wife.

It was just plain rude. My wife and I weren't the only ones in line, it was clear where it was- and he just pushed ahead. 
Now, I'm no stranger to the concept of persistence in this field of work. They honed that in wherever I went - This is a competitive industry, do what you can to get noticed. Got it. Check.

However, I would hope that doesn't mean you have permission to figuratively (or literally?) step on people along the way.

As well as this habit of people talking over one another. A lot of times it's hard to get a word in because people are just shouting, it seems, over each other. It just seems rude (and awkward, a lot of the time) to try and shout in when you're trying to introduce yourself. 

 So, I'm not sure where, ladies and gentleman. Am I taking this wrong? Do I just need to get a thicker hide and dive in headfirst and follow suit with these guys that just force their way in? Or is there some sort of balance I can achieve? Comments much appreciated.

Saturday, October 20, 2012

@EdmontonExpo: It is the Con You're Looking For


Wow! Only one day and I'm blown away! Where do I begin? For a first year convention, the staff at the Expo center were quite helpful, knowledgable and polite! As these things are touch and go (You never know what the crowds will do!) they adapted well under the pressure.
It was a bit confusing navigating from Con Floor to the Panel rooms, but it does help to find some giant signs with helpful letters along the way!


The Con floor was a great space! Never felt too crowded - except when the Guest lines started forming (Lando drew in quite a crowd!) But otherwise I never felt trapped. This was nice too, as I'm usually stuck behind a table, so it was nice to get such an open view of things. Things like -

Misha Collins- I'm not gonna lie, this is the guy I wanted to see the most. He was so wonderful and nice and patient and great and attentive and I can't believe he even has the smallest piece of artwork I've done on his person. He really liked it! He was late to the signing, but we'll forgive him for that.  (My sketch card below - will post all on it's lonesome tomorrow!)

I also got to share a personal story with him, which he was very glad I shared with him, and I'm glad I had the chance to.. well.... at all! Sorry folks, I won't say the details here but it was something important to me and I'm just glad it happened. :)

But the rest was just a fantastic blur! We also met Charisma Carpenter- who was also wonderful and sweet. I'd like to return tomorrow with a sketch card for her - if I don't pass out. I am exhausted!
Although tomorrow portfolio reviews are on the docket, so it will indeed be On™!


Have some random con photos, I'll be posting more tomorrow!




Friday, October 19, 2012

Sketches: Ghost and Shadow Hunters


Updated sketch pages collecting all of my recent Supernatural sketch studies to include Castiel, and the actors playing the Mortal Instruments characters in the upcoming City of Bones movie to include Lily Collins!

And another stray Winchester of course.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Headed to the Edmonton Comic Expo

That's right! Calgary usually gets all the fun, but Edmonton won't be out done. This year the Edmonton Comic Expo is taking place!

I'm rather excited to go! Usually my wife and I work cons as vendors, but this time 'round we're fans - fans equipped with our business cards and portfolios, but fans none the less - so it'll be great to walk around and see the sights.

Aside from the guest list (MISHA COLLINS!) I'm super excited to see the team from BioWare again as well as hopefully meet and exchange contacts with other fellow local Edmonton comic artists!

The image above is what to look for since that's what's going to be on my business cards, so keep an eye out! 

Monday, October 15, 2012

Sketch: The Winchester Bros

And a Castiel- "Dean, it's not funny, the voice says I'm almost out of minutes."

I drew these quick while we were catching up on Season 7. I'd like to think I'm getting okay at caricature-ing them, but I'm just going to keep on practicing! Also a quick interpretation of their differing body-types.

Sam's sideburns are characters of their own, I will say. 

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Sketch: Shadowhunter Art Lessons


Older!Clary with Julian, two artist Shadowhunters. 
I imagine older Clary would teach some art classes when she can manage it. Using one of Jace's old t-shirts as a smock. And Julian, our aspiring artist listening to what tips she has to offer in this life drawing class. 

Clary's face gave me so many problems, and I'm still not satisfied, but there's only so many times you can erase. I may do another pass at the idea later.

Sketch: Julian Blackthorn

WIP sketch of Julian Blackthorn from The Dark Artifices Series that... doesn't exist yet! With what little info available, I imagine him being as adept at wielding a paintbrush as well as a seraph blade. Will be coloured soon!

Friday, October 12, 2012

Sketches: Browder and Ackles

Sketches of Ben Browder and Jensen Ackles respectively (Ackles is below the line) to do some studies of their faces. One of our protagonists in The Refuge has a look that's been decided to be a combination of these two, hence my notes on facial construction.

How odd would it be to say these things you notice to the people you notice them? As an artist it's just something you see, but I don't think the person would be so comfortable.

I need to practice my Ackles more, I think. But my Browder is looking okay, which is good because there is a Farscape picture I'd like to do...

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Sketch: Two Turtles and a Rat

Catching up on my sketchbook scans! I did them mostly by memory. Splinter is the one I cheated a teeny bit with.

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Sketch: Ookami The DJ


Since the last upload was a RE upload, here's a new one! A semi-realistic pen sketch of the male protagonist in "The Refuge" named "Ookami". He's popped up many times before, and this is certainly not the last time you'll see him. At least this time Alex isn't teasing him!

I'd like to do a series of these, I think! It'd be fun. 

Tell me, how old do you think he looks here? I'm curious.

Sketches: RE Herondale and Blackthorn

As promised, the full page of sketches for mister Blackthorn and Herondale, respectively.
Full body sketches soon!

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Sketches: Blackthorn and Herondale

Sketches for an image I have planned just for fun. Julian Blackthorn (or my version based off of what little we know of him) from the upcoming "Dark Artifices" series by Cassandra Clare, and Will Herondale from the current "Infernal Devices" series.

Julian is pure design speculation, but I'm happy with these first passes. That hair was a real pain to get ride and there are many more sketches on the page (and many more to come) that I will scan fully later. (I may decide to edit out the rest of my design notes - I can get pretty hard on myself!)

Will I already had a rough design for him first based off of Street Angel's interpretation, but I'd like to think I've made a few noticeable tweaks since then! Especially since my concept for Jace is pretty solid and the two have that relative connection. I may thin out that jaw line a teeny bit but otherwise, this fella is good to go.
But anyway, Will just knows how beautiful he is, being a Herondale and all.

Monday, October 1, 2012

Sketch: Jensen Ackles

When drawing Kevin Zegers from the last post, I thought "He's looking a bit like Jensen Ackles.
So I drew Jensen.
Now I don't think that at all.
(Again, from photo on google) 

And here are some red pandas that I started out drawing before all those people showed up in my sketchbook.
Enjoy! Also testing some feed settings. 

Mortal Instruments Cast Sketches

Part one?


Godfrey (playing Magnus Bane) and Kevin (playing Alec Lightwood) both had birthdays in September, and I thought it'd be fun to do a sketch for each cast memember as they had their birthday.

Kevin's is somewhere below in the blog, and not really all that satisfying. This sketch I like better! Although there's something I know I missed because it doesn't quite *look* like him still... 

All things considered though, the fact I did these at all blows my mind a little. I wonder what past me would think.

Jemima (Who plays Isabelle Lightwood) I'm pretty pleased with, on the other hand. Although I don't know when her birthday is. :)

These were drawn up using photos picked at random from Google with very minor tweaks on my part. Mostly minute alterations to expressions.