Saturday 19 December 2009

Bilgewater (Redux)


I was browsing through my DS Colors! speedpaints for something I could use as a basis for a PS speedie before I go snooze. I thought the original Bilgewater idea deserved more attention - if only because it is the first paint I've done (so far) where the title came before the image. As it turned out, this speedpaint opened up a lot of thematic ideas I wish to return to at some point soon.

Winter Wood


Seasonal speedpaints will abound, me thinks. I guess I'm returning to my Winter Spirits theme I played around with at the beginning of the year. This one's me being a very mucky pup' and just scribbling like mad. I'll make a point of spending more time on the next one. :)

Tuesday 15 December 2009

SP_0040

I've been a bit up and down lately, but I'm looking forward to some sketching and painting time over Christmas. Hopefully I can have a more productive 2010. :)

Wednesday 18 November 2009

Apprehensive Knight


I've been running my system on half memory, after one of my mem ram "thingies" bought the dust. it is almost impossible for me to paint using Corel Painter (my personal fav') so this was done in PS... including a little lag towards the end. It's a fairly quick (under 2 hours) experiment in trying to render steel armour in a dirty-scribble way. I also experimented (failed?) with an odd balance within the frame: All that light crammend into the left side together with the unconventional figure direction. It soooo leans towards the left when the right side offers much more room. Haha... it's fun to try things out, though.

Pike Watch


Can't keep my dirty hands of my DS... even though I promised. :(
However, this one is the second speedpaint I've done using the theme of a wandering figure in the foreground looking out over a (hopefully) pleasing vista. I like the setup - even though it might be rather overused - and will probably explore it further.

Saturday 14 November 2009

Warrior Pilgrim

I never seem to tire of sketching and painting rock formations. I'm sure it has something to do with fond childhood memories of clambering up any available surface. They also seem to suit my terrible scribbling tendency.

SB_0152


Conwy Scribbles



Finally got around to scanning a few dodgy sketches done in Conwy, Wales.

Monday 24 August 2009

DSG: 1503


I Haven't done a sketck group topic for a while. This ones a bit of a mess, really. :(

Tuesday 18 August 2009

Industrial Design Topic: Abstract Sculpture

I decided to jump in and have a go at a weekly industrial design topic. I'm certainly lacking skills when it comes to plausible theoretical sci-fi/fantasy ID concepts (you know, working out the how/why and the nuts & bolts), but this weeks topic happened to be Abstract Sculpture, so I thought I'd get my toes wet as the topic affords a somewhat more gentle way to approach the subject. The pitch also demanded a story, or background to the design so I'll post that below as well. Apologies for my writing skills. Just try to visualize a Marlin. :)


The people from the city never climbed the hill - fearing what they didn't understand. It was late March when the the first rumors started to circulate amongst the more observant citizens. The summit of the hill was beginning to change shape... beginning to grow. But few people took notice of the gossip back then as they had more localized rumors to contend with. It seemed things were going missing.

Only little things at first, like sections of fencing, containers, and scrap metal. But by mid Autumn, larger things were vanishing: Engines, telephone poles, corrugated roofs - even whole sections of airplanes. The city officials were at a loss as to what to do. The ever growing shape on the neighboring hill was obviously at the heart of the matter, but the people from the city never climbed the hill; they feared what they didn't understand.

But then, as the last of winters cold embrace had began to fade into Spring, the disappearances stopped.

.............

The first rays of dawn had already cast their light upon the city below when the old man reached the foot of the hill. He noted to himself, as he always did, that the sun broke upon his back a few steps earlier than it had the day before. Several months ago he would have already reached his shack at the summit and be in his cot with a belly warm with sup; but the year gone had been long and he feared the chill of the winter would stay with him this time.

Stumbling, with a heavy load of metal at his shoulder, he halted for a while and lifted his head to the structure above - his gaze taking in each section in turn. A sudden smile alighted on the old mans face, and for a moment his wrinkled brow softened into youth. He hauled the metal from his shoulder and gave it to the brambles that lined the trail.

That morning, when the people in the city below had just begun to stir, the old man lay down in his cot and decided he would sleep from now on... his work being done.



Sunday 16 August 2009