A Matched Set...

Reworked my male brawler - added more contrast and color work in the skin particularly, and finished up little Miss FemBrawler a few minutes ago. I realized that I burn through Copics relatively fast with the way that I do marker work. I just went to Dick Blick yesterday to get refills for my C1 & C3, and after a morning of working, it turns out I'm going to need at least a new C5 as well! Ah well. Anyway, without further ado, here they are! =)

Head Lice process

Here's a quick bit of process for my latest monster design. I didn't take as many scans during this as I was originally planning, but I got in the zone while I was working and totally forgot. LOL

*update 1/22/12 - added background, details & popped contrast. This should be the final.

pencils

inks & markers

background & finishing touches

Finally, geez!

Finally sat down and finished inking and toning my Brawler drawing with Copics this evening. =)

Better late than never, damnit! ;)

The kind of stuff I do during gaming sessions much to my GM's regret...

In my defense, however, when you have a new character, you're OBLIGATED to let everyone know what he/she looks like, dammit! LOL

Pencils vs Inks!

Hey folks. I don't know about you guys, but I always get a kick out of seeing other artists' process. I've been wanting to show comparisons of my friend's pencils to my inks for a while now, and finally dragged ass to Photoshop to put together some composites. These are a couple of the critters that we did for Carmine.

I know this isn't as broken down as others showing their process, but it is what it is. LOL In the future I may start taking multiple scans of WIP stuff to get a better breakdown. Let me know what you think!

Pencils by Tai Beckham
Inks by yours truly

Carmine drops May 1st!

Well, my work on Carmine is finally at an end. I approved the cover proofs as of last week, and the book has gone to press! Now that it's come to fruition, I can finally post the cover designs that I've been busting my butt on!

I designed the logo, cover layouts and bordering. I also penciled the figure of the dude on the front cover (for some reason, Tai has the hardest time drawing guys that don't either look like a girl or gay LOL). My studio partner Tai penciled the slayer chick, clothing & weapons & painted the figures.  The background was a composite of the "ancient document" designs that I had done for the interior of the book. 

The back cover was all me. I designed the layout and painted the background. 

Here she is in all her glory! I had to make a full bleed version for final print, but that didn't change significantly from what was here. Last minute addition to the back cover - the price, which everyone had overlooked! Gotta love those last minute, semi-frantic calls. Hehehehe.

Evolution of the King of the Sarlacc Pit redux

Don't play Hungry, Hungry Hippos with this guy. He'll win everytime!

It's been a few days since my last posting, as I've been a busy, busy boy as of late. Got a call from the author of the book I've been illustrating on Monday, saying that he and the publisher had a different idea regarding the design of the back cover which I had turned in about a week or so prior. They wanted to feature another piece that I'd digitally painted in a pretty simplistic way a while back, which to be quite honest, was the extent of my ability with Photoshop at the time (Not that I'm brilliant now or anything, but I'm definitely a lot better!).

I'd never really intended the painting to see print, especially in the state it was in, but if they wanted to use it I had my work cut out for me! I was never 100% happy with the first paint job - I felt he needed a lot more contrast & pop, and I needed to make him more painterly as opposed to something that resembled watercolors over pencil. I spent a big chunk of Monday, yesterday, and today getting him from the basic painting to the finish, and the rest of the day working on layouts. Finally finished the 3rd version of the cover about 9:30 tonight and sent it off. =)

Once we see print I'll have to post up my layouts for the covers, and not just the raw art. I really like how they came out, but I guess they'll have to stay secret for a little while longer. LOL

Back Cover Done!

I got the back cover copy text a couple days ago for Carmine, and spent a day cobbling together the individual pieces that I built in Illustrator. Got it done last night, and sent it off to the publisher. Of course, I received back edits on the copy text this morning, and realized, like an idiot, I had ultimately saved all my work from the previous day as a uneditable PDF. *sigh*

Anyway, spent this morning rebuilding the cover, but damn if it didn't come out looking nice! I'll make sure to post it up once I'm able. =D

Sketches o'the Day...

Here's a couple that I did today. I knocked this first one out before my regular RPG group this evening. I took a anatomical study/creature design that I hated, and salvaged it into a bust of Colossus from the X-Men. Played with several pens that I unearthed after gathering my supplies from the studio. India ink, Copic brush pens, Sakura opaque white ink pen, toned in Photoshop.

In Mother Russia, steroids inject YOU.

Second one I did during the game tonight and is a drawing of my long standing Rifts character, who I got to knock the rust off of tonight after a triumphant return to our alpha campaign. I taunted a pantheon of gods. It makes me happy. =) Anyway, I present Cymrian the elf, with a rapier tongue and a predilection for calling people, places & things "asshole".

Well, mister mighty warrior thunder god guy, that hammer is compensating for things lacking down below beneath smelly, sweaty bearskin, yes?