mu's Doodles

A Very, Very Belated Update

2011-08-07T21:33:00.000-07:00

I LIVE!

:)

First and foremost, I must apologize for my rather lengthy absence and silence. The last two months have been a whirlwind of activity as I was hired by a studio in June as a Concept Artist. A literal mountain of painting, a move to San Francisco, and Comic Con left me with precious little leisure time, and to be honest, what time I did have I wanted to spend away from the computer.

However, though I can't say my schedule has lightened, I can say it has stabilized (knock on wood), and the plan, at least, is to start back into the blog and other such sundries. Granted, my plans and what actually happens tend to be tenuously related at best, but I hope that I can apportion a far more regular attention to this blog. Fingers crossed.

As ever always, thanks to all who have so patiently waited and wondered.

:D

p.s. Oh, and the above is me starting to experiment with using Custom Shapes in my process...honestly, I can't believe it took me so long to learn such a wonderfully powerful tool...

Insomniac Sketch

2011-04-14T04:15:00.001-07:00

I couldn't sleep so I decided to be productive :)

Zoom, zoom...zoom?

2011-04-14T01:33:00.000-07:00

I should do more of these...

Yep.

Zoom, Zoom...

2011-04-13T03:03:00.000-07:00

Vehicles are fun :)

Just a quick sketch before bed...

Quick Post

2011-04-12T00:25:00.001-07:00

Just a quick environment study in between the various insanities besetting me at the moment...

Hurg...

Continuing...

2011-04-02T01:34:00.000-07:00

Had some time to chip away at this one some more...

Enjoy.

W.I.P.'ing It Good...

2011-04-01T03:13:00.000-07:00

So, aside from the post title only tangentially relating to the post, I decided I needed more Scifi characters/scenes in my portfolio. Hence, the above which will be my priority personal project for the time being.

Or something like that...

Enjoy!

Where Do Giants Get Cloths?

2011-03-19T00:27:00.001-07:00

I played around a bit more with the piece from the last post. Having firmly entrenched myself in an apparent showdown of scifi and fantasy, I'm quite curious to see where this scene will take me. Hopefully, I'll be able to find some time in the next week to sit down and take it to finish...

Enjoy!

Change-Up

2011-03-18T03:09:00.001-07:00

Recently, I've been incorporating the selection tool more for sketching and painting, and taking a more "graphic-y" approach at the initial stages. I'm still getting a feel for the lasso, but I've rather enjoyed this new approach. If nothing else, it's nice to change things up a bit ever now and then... :)

Enjoy!

Random Concept

2011-03-15T19:51:00.000-07:00

...Yeah...

:P

Just Another Face...

2011-03-08T19:42:00.000-08:00

I decided to do a face study for an upcoming piece...I could paint faces all day :)

Enjoy!

Questionable Motifs Abound!

2011-02-24T21:06:00.001-08:00

Fun piece of a place that's wouldn't so much fun to be at.

:P

Enjoy!

Relaxing...

2011-02-12T00:11:00.000-08:00

Just some quick concepting to relax for the night... :D

Enjoy!

And Some More...

2011-02-04T22:16:00.000-08:00

...and now, a bit more refined...

:P

More Stuff...

2011-02-02T21:42:00.000-08:00

Just a sketch...

;)

Hello (Belatedly) 2011!

2011-02-01T23:11:00.000-08:00

Well, a long overdue post indeed...

Trying out something new with process at the moment. Hopefully, it won't burn with apocalyptic intensity...

So for now, here's a sketch for your consideration.

:D

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-20T20:10:00.001-08:00

Nothing says the holidays like a completely unrelated painting filled with creepy faces...

:D

Dungeon Delve Challenge

2010-12-16T01:22:00.000-08:00

Definitely visit and view the other 120 entries for this challenge over at ArtOrder...well worth the click for certain sure...

:o)

Midnight Doodle...

2010-12-07T01:40:00.000-08:00

Hmmm...I'm fast approaching an untenable amount of simultaneous personal pieces...groovy.

:P

A Valkyrie...Angel...Thing...

2010-12-02T02:16:00.001-08:00

I noticed I hadn't done an angel painting in a very long time, so I decided to remedy this. As such, here's a WIP of what constitutes my free time...

Yeah... :P

Just Some Concepting

2010-11-23T21:06:00.000-08:00

Yeah...

:P

The Value of Values...

2010-11-09T01:11:00.000-08:00

Ummm...yeah.

:P

An Update At Long Last...

2010-10-24T01:55:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been a bit and a half since my last post...many sincere apologies on that. Part of that has been due to work, and part due to the fact that I recently moved to Washington State (which was a loooong drive).

Being in the Pacific Northwest, I have to say I never knew how much I missed hearing rain... :D

Or something like that...

:P

Enjoy!

Quick and Murky(wood)

2010-09-03T00:00:00.001-07:00

Environments...@$#^'ing *bleep*

Or something like that...

:P

Umm...Yeah...

2010-08-31T23:36:00.000-07:00

Yeah, ummm...yeah.

:P

Great Coats Are Awesome!

2010-08-29T22:39:00.001-07:00

Just a quick Speed Paint inspired by Soviet Great Coats...seriously, more characters should be designed with them!

:D

The Padishar

2010-08-27T20:51:00.001-07:00

Just some quick tonal fun...

:P

W in the I in the P...

2010-08-18T01:55:00.001-07:00

Well, things have been...interesting here of late, but rest assured I'm still plucking away at personal art along with the paid...

So, here's a reduced sized WIP of the Red Priest (an earlier speed paint I decided to take to finish), also known as "Clint Priestwood" (Todd, that was pretty brilliant by the by.) Burning down his own church, he can't be that bad of a guy...

:P

Enjoy!

Knightly Raid...

2010-08-13T00:15:00.000-07:00

Get it...raid, knight...night...

...my mom says I'm funny.

:P

Another quick tonal of a group of individuals that are probably about to make something dead.

Enjoy!

Close Call...

2010-08-10T23:31:00.000-07:00

More tonal tomfoolery...

...I wish "ninja" was considered a socially acceptable career choice. 'Course, the insurance premiums would probably be hell (well, more so than normal.)

>.<

Enjoy...

Terra-Sol Redux

2010-08-10T03:31:00.000-07:00

-All Images Copyright Terra-Sol Games 2010

Some B/W Tonals I did a bit and a half ago for Terra-Sol Games...they're special so I'll do tonals for them :D

Enjoy...

Drastic Measures...

2010-08-07T21:38:00.000-07:00

So, I've been feeling rather melancholic of late, so I decided to take it out on this piece...probably explains the introduction of the waterfall vomiting cliff face heads...

Yeah...

On a brighter note, I think the composition is a lot better and, well, funner.

O.o

Enjoy.

The Third Battle of Corwin

2010-08-06T23:12:00.000-07:00

We don't speak about the first two. Ever.

:P

Enjoy!

p.s. It's amazing what a few birds can do for scale...

The Fall of Color-dolin...

2010-08-06T01:38:00.000-07:00

Not one of my wittier titles, to be sure...

No technicolor today, folks. As I've decided to start including some rather involved backgrounds to my work, it was time to get back to basics, so, cue tonal sketches!

Starting with the four primary tones (darkest, dark grey, light grey, lightest), I did some thumbs, picked one, and sketched away...

...which ended in this rather solemn piece (zoom in to the figures for added ambiance). Hmmm...looking at it now, I'm getting a distinct Tolkien vibe as this reminds me of the Fall of Gondolin.

Might be worth exploring further...?

:D

Enjoy!

Edit: Posted a slightly revised version: decided to make the midground a lake!

Sigurn

2010-08-05T02:26:00.000-07:00

I had do a woman...too many dude only pieces...yep, no way anyone could misconstrue that...no way at all...

Yes, she's a warrior amazonian Norse-ish type of woman, but who wants a daffodil anyway?

:D

Enjoy!

Ooo...the Colors...

2010-08-04T01:59:00.000-07:00

Seems I wanted to play around with an unusual color palette today...

Cool.

:P

Enjoy!

Umm...Insert Clever Title Here...

2010-08-02T23:11:00.000-07:00

I really, really like red, it seems...

Enjoy!

Edit: Now with more overlap!

Take that Gravity!

2010-08-01T01:40:00.000-07:00

Well, I decided if I was going to be unproductive, I might as well be unproductive sketching someone who couldn't possibly exist under the laws of gravity as we know them...meh, I'll just call this a Magitech Mech!

Bleh.

:P

Enjoy!

Gravitas...

2010-07-30T01:37:00.000-07:00

So, it seems I've gone from "Floating Dudes" to "Falling Dudes..."

Whatever.

:P

Enjoy!

Dynamic, Dynamic, Dynamic!

2010-07-29T00:05:00.000-07:00

First sketch since Comic Con (which was freakin' awesome!), and trying to be dynamic.

Oh, and did I mention Comic Con was freakin' AWESOME...!!!

Yeah.

:D

Prome...

2010-07-19T22:25:00.001-07:00

Okay...I swear, this is the last speed paint before Comic Con. I pinky swear.

Still, color experimentation is just so much fun!

Oh, and no, the title is not a typo. At least 9,000 points to whoever gets the reference...

:D

Enjoy!

Her Majesty's Desert Fox

2010-07-19T02:33:00.000-07:00

One last speed paint before Comic Con. If you happen to be going, please feel free to drop by booth 4722 to say, "Hi," or more likely, to be amazed by the art of Todd Lockwood...

:D

Enjoy!

Earthtones Strike Back!

2010-07-18T04:43:00.000-07:00

So, Todd thought that being a Jedi and having Armor (prior post) was redundant, so just for you, a Armor-less (sort of) Jedi...elf...floating...dude.

Yeah.

:P

Enjoy!

More Blue than Red...

2010-07-17T04:01:00.001-07:00

So, my latest obsession is apparently guys floating over dramatically lit and colored backdrops...hmmm.

I wonder if I still have my therapist on speed dial...

:P

Enjoy!

Anime Expo 2010 the Final Frontier (well, until next year...)

2010-07-16T09:10:00.001-07:00

DAY FINAL

-No pun or hidden meaning here...I just really like Totoro :)

Well, with much ado and totally justifiable delay (yeah...I got introduced to the Heroic Age anime which is much akin to a black hole of awesome from which no free time can escape from...), we come to the 4th and final day of Anime Expo 2010.

Compared to the preceding days, not much goes on for the final day. However, that still meant there was still a slew of things such as the last Danny Choo panel, the premier of the very last episode of Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, and of course, the closing ceremonies (which happened about an hour later than last year :). It goes without saying (though that never stopped me before) that Sunday was also the best day to cut a deal in the Exhibition Hall, and much cutting was indeed to be had (art books for $10.00 per!) Oh, and I also ended up doing an impromptu speed painting demo at the Wacom booth on the new Cintiq. Yeah, that was fun :P

I think there was some cosplay going on, too :P

-Sengoku Basara, the manliest anime ever and best cosplayed by females...wait, what?

-Great dancer (I can personally attest) and one of the best Ed's I've seen...

-Just because Dullahans are headless doesn't mean they can't be sexy, sexy beasts :P

-This guy was selling the "good stuff..." ;)

-K-On! Yui!! MUGI!!!

-Okay, I'll admit that I forgot to include this in my Day 2 recap, but I just had to slot it in. I mean, just look at it. Warmachine!

-Omen of Comic Con to come...?

-I still don't fancy fastfood...though Wendy does make quite the compelling argument... :P

-Gurren Lagann...more GAAAR than Lucas could ever hope to be!

-Let's be honest, you can never have enough Yoko...

-I think this is from Ergo Proxy, but I'll be honest, that really wasn't at the forefront of my focus... ;P

-You know, in Japan "cake" doesn't mean what you probably think it does...

-Saw this right after watching the announcement trailer for a new Harlock movie!

-Awesome comes in all shapes and sizes (plastic brick form especially!)

-Some serious 'tude, B.B. Hood style!

-I love Vocaloids. I'm man enough to admit it. :D

-The inevitable result of any Anime Expo...

I thought about drafting some serious wordsmithing as my final thoughts, but to be frank, any words I could possibly conjure would only leave both you and me with the faint taste of inadequacy (one of the reasons I posted so many pictures - I'd rather they tell the bulk of the story). Still, some words are needed, and so if I can trouble you to interject a bit of imagination into the following, I think the thrust of my feelings should make it across.

Anime Expo 2010 was: AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ahem.

In short, if you've ever thought about coming, do. Just do. Especially, if you're thinking about attending AX 2011 as the convention will be celebrating its 2oth Anniversary next year, and if the Closing Ceremony was any indication, it's going to be big. Very big. Get your hotel and passes early (though not before me :P), and I honestly hope to see you there...

Ja ne!

Unofficial Final Attendance Count: 115,000

Now a Word from Our Sponsors...

2010-07-15T03:27:00.001-07:00

Okay, so I will finish up my AX '10 coverage tomorrow...errr...later today, promise. I ended up having to run around today, and by the time I got home, I just didn't have the energy for it (they do take a while to write). That, and I was watching Red October (which of course meant Star Wars related speed painting... :P)

By the by, I like my take on the Jedi better, so raspberry to you Lucas.

:D

Enjoy!

Anime Expo 2010 Part the Third

2010-07-13T21:22:00.001-07:00

DAY 3

-NAGA-CHI! My heart's aflutter...

-No phallic jokes, please...

Saturday was, of course, yet another day jamm packed with all manner of super awesome things to do (like the Fakku-Danny Choo get together and the Black Lagoon OVA premier/panel with Hiroe Rei!), but visually speaking, it was all about the cosplay. Being the beginning of the weekend, everyone and their cat-eared childhood friend attended, and for me, it was the day my friend Dragon Dronet (yes, that really is his name) arrived. Now, Dragon has been a Hollywood special effects and prop maker for decades, and to be honest, it's easier to list what he hasn't worked on than what he has.

-As Todd would put it, Dragon's quite the character. :)

-Dragon even "Bleached" out his bike for AX ita style!

It being the busiest day of Expo, of course, meant it was time to bring out the S-class cosplay (i.e. the hottest, least comfortable), and Dragon more than provided with armor! Each piece was made by Dragon from metal and along the ye olden ways. In other words, each piece was real honkin' armor, and each had its own story. Indeed, the breast plate I was wearing was one of the backups for Russel Crowe on Gladiator, the Samurai kits were from Heroes, and the full suit of plate was made by Dragon during his apprenticeship. Incredibly cool to be sure (not temperature-wise, though, as I called my cuirass "The Oven" but you get the idea...)

Seriously, looking like an Okinawan pirate or not, I lost at least 10 pounds just by wearing that breastplate...the AX diet plan in force!

-It's amazing what you can do with cardboard... :P

-Kitty and Dragon and pictures by Mu...sounds like a nursery rhyme :D

-Girls!!!

-CATGIRL!!!

-Err, SHOGUN VADER...squeee? ;P

-Exia showing us how to be "Gundam."

-The eternal battle between Armor Dudes and...pastry chefs?

Of course, there was cosplay everywhere (and not necessarily armor dude related). Video game related costumes were particularly prevalent with Street Fighter being a clear favorite...

-Ah, the classic Cammy pose...

-In her defense, the air conditioning was quite vigorous.

-One of the best Dahlsims, period. Oh, and I much prefer this version of Bison...F. Bison! I'm so clever. :P

-HURRRG!!!

-Someone has to yell, "HADOKEN!"

Not to be left out, there was also Blazblu (which I prefer playing as opposed to Street Fighter) to be found as well...

-Totally looking at the guns, I swear.

-Yeah, I think there were Jins and Ragnas too...Back to Noel!

-More Catgirls! (scary ones, though...)

...and let's not forget our friends from Nintendo!

-Seriously, you can do a lot with cardboard!

-Is this Samus male or female that's the question...

-Finally, a Link with armor!

-Twilight Princess, where Ganondorf was finally badass!

-And I thought I was wearing an oven...

-The little known unlockable costumes for Mario...

Finally, some good ol' Snake action and a Raiden that we can all get behind...wait...err...like. Stupid double entendres...

-Raiden looked like a girl anyway, so this is just the logical next step...

-I don't know, but Snake might be bluffing...

When the sun finally went away, it was time to show Dragon a good, um, wholesome time. Yeah. So, it was off to the usual round of parties (where people came by just to say hi - how nice!), sunrise, and resolute rejection of sleep. Thus did Saturday end, and the final day begin...

To Be Continued...

Anime Expo 2010 Part Deux

2010-07-12T19:36:00.000-07:00

DAY 2

-There are definitely worse ways to start the day...ahem...

Friday was replete with a great many things to do (like the first Danny Choo panel and meeting Horie Yui -squeee!-), but first things first was to run off to the dealers hall to check out all the stuff (of which there was a lot)! One of my first purchases was at the Fakku booth where I procured a deliciously hilarious t-shirt emblazoned with a hen wearing a tie (get it: hen-tie :P), and the firm conclusion that anyone who did not get the joke had no business being at AX.

-Boston Anime Con the week before, then AX, and afterward a con in Connecticut...rock on crazy horse...man...thing!

Of course, being the super geek that I am, I was cosplaying throughout the day as one Jigen Daisuke of Lupin fame. Along way, my friend (as Lupin III) and I ran into some like minded compatriots. We were even able to make a drinking game out of being asked, "Where's Goemon?"

-One of the only guys I know who's crazy thin enough to be Lupin

-My friend and the Fuzz...where's Zenigata!?!

-It's not petty larceny if the loot's honkin' big!

-Gods, that beard was itchy...

-Storm...the oft forgotten member of the Lupin gang...

Along the way, we even made a new friend who decided to hang with us for a bit, and I'm fair certain my friend's head exploded from delight!

-Director Watanabe "Nabeshin" Shinichi, the only man I know that can cosplay as...himself!

-By Buddha's belly, did we get stuff signed! :D

However, as there was a concert I really wanted to go to in the afternoon, I eventually had to head off, taking the shortest route I could. Though, this being AX, short or long, every route was quite scenic (and quite appropriate considering the destination...)

-Sheryl-san, proof positive that Nature really f!@#'ed up by not making pink a natural hair color...

-Ranka Lee and Copic...yeah, I almost proposed on the spot :P

-Sheryl Nome always had a different outfit on Macross Frontier

-Valiant try, but no man can cosplay as Saotome Alto...even the girls thought he was a woman!

-Okay, not Macross, but K-ON!'s music-centric, too, and it's freakin' MIO for crying out loud (Don't Say Lazy version to boot!)

...the destination which was the May'n and Nakajima Megumi Concert! Indeed, when it was announced two months ago, I squea'ed until I could squea no more (but first, I bought a ticket). In all seriousness, I am a huge Macross Fan as it was the anime that got me into anime all those long years ago. It had transforming mechs, an epic love story set against a backdrop of interstellar war, and actual depth as it was culture and music that ultimately won the day...yeah, it was definitely love at first sight and not just a summer thing. So, of course I absolutely adored the 25th anniversary series, Macross Frontier and the two songstress leads, Sheryl Nome and Ranka Lee (respectively). That May'n and Nakajima made their American Debut at AX, well, made me shed manly tears of delight.

Yeah, I'm a total fanboy. Oh, well.

The concert was held at the Nokia Theater (as were all the concerts--there were metric tonne this year!), and having gotten my ticket early, well, my friend and I had rather good seats :D

First up was May'n, and dear lords, does she have a powerful voice. That and endurance, too, as she did at least 6 songs in row without a break. Yikes!

-I think I lost all pretense at restraint at this point...

After she was done, May'n then introduced Nakajima Megumi. Where May'n emphasized a maturer, sexy sound and look, Nakajima was all about youthful innocence...quite appropriate considering their characters in Macross Frontier. Oh, and Nakajima also powered her way through her songs without break as well. Nippon Banzai!

-Kawaiiiii!

Of course, the mystery guest was then revealed (and explained the presence of the empty piano) as YOKO KANNO, the spring from which all great Anime music flows from! At this point, I could have died happy...

-She is very, very thin...and awesome!

The concert ended with Nakajima Megumi being accompanied by Yoko Kanno (who is an incredible pianist, composer, everything), and then the return of May'n for duet versions of both Lion and Triangular.

To say I had a great time would be a travesty of an understatement. Suffice to say that my voice was reduced to a bass whisper afterward. That, and I'm told by friend (whose left ear went deaf during the concert) that I can, apparently, yell quite loudly. I wonder if his sitting to my right had anything to do with his ear...?

:P

May'N in Concert (Excerpt) - Anime Expo 2010 from Anime Diet on Vimeo.

-A short excerpt of the first part of the concert

After the concert, we were found ourselves a nice spot of Miyazaki cosplay, too!

-Okay, no smart-ass comments from me...that's just amazing...

-I had to pick up my friend's jaw from the floor afterward...he's a real sucker for blue :P

-Can't neglect your diet at AX!

...and then some of the best Final Fantasy XIII cosplay ever. Indeed, I loudly declared (I do that a lot) that these two had won Expo!

-Wait for it...

-...wait for it...

-...WIN!!!

For the night, we hung out with our friend, Foster, at the Palms during Happy Hour during which freshly sucked oysters were a dollar a piece. Oh, and don't forget the Kobe beef sliders which were three for 3.50...gorge we did. Then, it as off to the usual routine of parties, sunrise, and no sleep. Somewhere along the way Friday ended and Saturday began...

:D

To be Continued...

Anime Expo 2010 Part 1

2010-07-10T14:46:00.000-07:00

-AX took up everything from the Staple Center to the Nokia Theater and all that was in between...and there was an Ita-bus!

First off, many apologies for the lateness of this post. I can only offer that I was both rather busy and recovering for the lion's share of the week...that, and since I agonize over every little thing I write, I kept putting it off...ooo, I shouldn't have said that.

Yeah...

Anyhoo, what follows is my attempt at a day by day recap of each, errr, day of AX punctuated by a smattering of pictures, though, not all of mine as I had some 300+ gathered from various sources and friends (and that I usually had to adjust in PS...sigh).

Now, each day was literally jammed pack with amazing events both big and small, so there was no way to attend them all. As such, I've limited myself to the highlights of each day which by no means should be considered comprehensive of all that I partook of. Oh, and as a final disclaimer, I've tried my best to insert each picture on the day it was taken, but considering my shoddy bookkeeping skills, I probably failed quite miserably. :D

So, without further ado, let's have at it!

DAY 0
Okay, the official day before AX sets off, this is when all the cool kids came by to pickup their preregistered badges (usually of the 4 day variety) as well as the industry and press types. Now, my friend and I arrived 2-3 hours early, and even by then, there were probably over a thousand people queueing and by the end of the day several times that having gone through. As is AX tradition, the line was punctuated by cosplayers and everyone was surely glad for the beautifully cool weather (which would hold for the entirety of Expo)...thank goodness I remembered my annual ritual sacrifice to the Gods of Anime...

-AX constantly reminds me of the application of Platonic thought to Anime: The truly wise geek knows that there is more anime that he does not know than he knows...knows...

Of course, I was Industry this year, so I bypassed all the lines, essentially waltzed in to get my pass, and then proceeded to wave it at the regular attendee line...

...or something like that.

Yes, I am a bit of a dick. :P

DAY 1

-Even the lines are cool at Expo!

First thing first was the opening ceremony which featured the absolutely huge array of Guests of Honor and Special Guests (complete list here), though there were a lot of technical snaffu's this year. That, and traffic was an unholy blight. Still, bloody awesome, especially when the Tokyo Stormtrooper Danny Choo took the stage as the faux MC!

-Translator-san...simply put, the best translator on the AX staff...and plays a mean ukulele.

Afterward, it was time to check into the Wilshire Grand (which was also where all the crews of Air Japan apparently stayed), and then head back to the Convention proper (where we ran into old friends and various good omens along the way!)

-Anime Expo Puppies! A sure sign of the awesomeness that followed!

-Zombie Jackson...proof that Anime crosses the bounds of life and death...too soon?

-Foster showing why he is deserves to be a Lupin, and one of our merry band for the weekend...

Now, the highlights, event-wise of the day, were the 25 Years of Robotech panel and the perennial favorite, the AX AMV contest!

While I am a avid Macross fan, the Robotech guys really, really know how to run a panel. Fun stories, original voice actors and writers, and plenty of prizes (some worth $300-$400 O.o)...yeah, a great, great time. By the by, if you're going to Comic Con, you can catch them there as well...seriously, ask a good question, and get something amazing as a prize!

-Yep, huge cloth wall poster signed by the original voice cast of Robotech...

The AMV contest was, put simply, amazing this year with the Comedy Category really showing off its hilarious muscles. You should be able to youtube to find them all, but to save you some time, here's the winner of Best Comedy, Staff Vote and Best of Show:

-Michael is such a great MC...oh, and that is not me yelling...I have absolutely no idea who took this video but I salute you sir!

Oh, and there's was cosplay going on too... ;)

-Setsuna was too busy being "Gundam..."

-Where's Faye!?!

-It's amazing what you can do with cardboard...

-Elicia-chan, kawaiiiii!

-Not really an Expo without at least one Tifa (and squid guy in the background...)

-Grell...creepiest girl cosplaying as a guy who thinks he's a girl character ever...

-Bridget of Guilty Gear...it's a TRAP!

The day wrapped with many a party, meeting new and old friends, and watching the sun rise...actually, that's how every day ended. :D

To Be Continued...

Back, Broken, and Blissful!

2010-07-05T21:05:00.001-07:00

-Ami "Bakachi", Taiga "Palmtop Tiger," Minorin!

Well, I'm back from AX '10, and I am quite frankly broken. Just broken, and insanely happy in a way that only 4 straight days of bloody awesome can do! :D

Right now I'm doing my best to recover (I lost my voice on day 2 at the May'n and Megumi concert :P), collecting photos from my friends (being the artist it's, for some reason, my job to deal with them), and, honestly, collecting my thoughts on the experience. This way, my actual blog update/report on AX will make some form of coherent sense (though fall far, far short of the actuality--seriously, you just have to be there.)

Still, till then (probably later this week), the above is a nice preview image of the lovely, lovely cosplay that abounded there and made LA a rather beautiful place, specifically (in this case) of the main heroines of Toradora (which might very well be my favorite romance comedy anime!)

Ja ne!

:D

p.s. Many thanks to OpenHappy.com for taking all the pictures I missed :P

Anime Expo 2010!!

2010-06-30T03:47:00.001-07:00

-K-ON characters copyright Kytoto Animation

Another year and another Anime Expo approaches with all the promise of fun, folly, and a complete lack of sleep I've come to love! So, ye denizens of the vast net, forgive me my absence as I revel in 4 days of all things Japanese and Anime and remind myself that deep inside of every artist is a wide eyed kid wearing a big stupid grin :D

Oh, and in celebration of AX I decided to PS a rather silly new desktop wallpaper that always brings a smile to my face. It's based on Azu-nyan of K-ON!! and if you love slice of life comedy, great animation (especially in the playing of music), and great music, I definitely recommend checking out both seasons!

Nippon Banzai!

p.s. I promise to bring back pictures :P

Some More Space Foolery

2010-06-22T18:29:00.000-07:00

Some more space suit doodles in marker and pen. Seriously, I've been in a real scifi marker kick of late...weird.

Enjoy!

p.s. I need a better scanner...

Alcohol Based Pigments (i.e. fun for everyone!)

2010-06-20T02:25:00.000-07:00

So, I found a huge box of Prismcolors, and well...felt like something a little different. Seriously, though, I forgot how strong the alcohol in the dye is. To smell...not to drink...sheesh!

:D

Yeah...

It's a Secret...

2010-06-13T22:49:00.001-07:00

Just a quick speed paint sketch for a possible personal project.

Wow, that entire sentence just said a whole lot of nothing...

:D

Hopefully, I'll get this done before SDCC...maybe...

Enjoy!

Aspirations of Update(-tions)

2010-06-12T03:04:00.001-07:00

Almost an update...speed paint...thing...post.

Doodle.

Yeah...

:P

Hasshin!

2010-06-08T02:35:00.000-07:00

Just some more spaceship shenanigans.

That, and thinking about where does the main lighting come from in a space scene. After all, there's a lot more "empty" darkness than stars out there...

Enjoy!

Blog Update, Go!

2010-06-02T00:10:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I've been on a Sci-fi kick of late, and so I present a quick vehicle design. Maybe one day, I'll even finish it...

...and Yes, I know what every light on it does.

:P

Enjoy!

Discover A Muse Fin...

2010-05-31T21:39:00.000-07:00

Model: Veronika Kotlajic
Reference Photography: Von Buzard

Wheeeeeew. Finally, got this done (well, as done as it's going to be), and yippee for having the time to do it when I thought I wouldn't! Score one for time management. Granted, tomorrow, I'm sure I'm going to see nothing but a canvas of regrets, but that's then, this is now, and my eyes have gone all woogily on me, so...yeah.

:D

Enjoy!

Space Sonata

2010-05-26T05:41:00.000-07:00

I put all my skill points in scifi painting, I think...

Hmmm...

Just another personal paint to wind down for the day...night...morning...yeah.

:D

Enjoy!

Discover A Muse (Again!)

2010-05-25T00:25:00.000-07:00

GAAAH...crystals!!!

I am not obsessing, I am not obsessing...sigh.

:P

Enjoy!

Discover a Muse Update

2010-05-23T22:57:00.000-07:00

Just an update. I had some time to noodle with it, and while I still am not sure if I will be able to finish it in time, I figure it's good practice at the very least.

That and I'm f@#$'ing hating rendering crystals! :P

Enjoy!

Order 66 Podcast

2010-05-23T03:16:00.000-07:00

I recently discovered the Order 66 Podcast, a fan cast dedicated to all things Star Wars Saga Edition and role playing in a galaxy far, far away. It's a great show, and supremely appeals to my epic level geekhood.

Little wonder I ended up doing a very quick speed doodle in said galaxy...also, apparently leaning more towards a graphic/comic painting approach on this one.

Groovy....

:D

Enjoy

A Moment of Silence...

2010-05-10T14:24:00.000-07:00

No pictures, no attempts at wit...just a solemn moment for the passing of a true giant and legend...

Farewell, Frank Frazetta, rest in peace, and merry meet...

Discover A Muse

2010-05-08T01:57:00.000-07:00

Finally found some time to work on the ArtOrder Discover A Muse challenge (which also has its own handy dandy website!)

As such, here's my very rough and (relatively) small sketch. For whatever cosmic reasons, I decided to go all Arthurian (probably as it's one of my major inspirations), and do a scene of Nimue and Merlin.

In most versions, Nimue was the young woman who became Merlin's apprentice and, eventually, lover. She was also the one that ultimately trapped Merlin in the Crystal Cave. As such, I'd always found their relationship to be rather special, and considering that each, in their own way, inspired the other, seemed rather fitting for this piece.

That, or I am completely off my rocker.

To be honest, I'm not sure I'll have the time to finish this one, but a go I shall give!

Enjoy...

Space Knight Redux

2010-05-05T15:39:00.000-07:00

Just some refinement...and more importantly, a name: Imperator

Go, go faux Warhammer 40k type Latin!

Enjoy!

Knights...From SPAAAAACE!

2010-04-23T02:38:00.000-07:00

Nothing overtly phallic...I think.

Umm...

Enjoy!

The Bishi and the Spear

2010-04-22T01:38:00.000-07:00

Just a quick sketch of, well, a very, um, pretty male...person with a long spear...err...

...Stupid Freud...

:P

Capt'n Beholder

2010-04-14T17:34:00.000-07:00

Everyone has little Cap'n in them, apparently...

Enjoy!

Beholders, Yarrr!

2010-03-18T20:16:00.000-07:00

Finally had a chance to participate in an ArtOrder challenge, and boy howdy, it was a fun one!

Now that I look at it, I should have given him a peg eye stalk...hmmm...

Enjoy!

New Site!

2010-03-16T22:02:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to let everyone know that my brand spanking new website is up and running! Please, oh please feel free to check it out at http://muyoungkim.com/

Thanks!

Paizo Strikes Again!

2010-02-22T22:18:00.001-08:00

-All Images Copyright 2010 Paizo Publishing

So, as chance would have it, here's another batch of illustrations I did for Paizo back in 2009, and that has been recently released this month in Guide to the River Kingdom. This was the first time Paizo had me do primarily half-pagers, and thinking back, good time management really was the key to making that deadline. It was also, I believe, the first time I got to work on project written by an incredible list of contributors: Eric Bailey, Kevin Carter, Elaine Cunningham, Adam Daigle, Mike Ferguson, Joshua J. Frost, James Jacobs, Steve Kenson, Rob Manning, Colin McComb, Alison McKenzie, China Miéville, Brock Mitchel-Slentz, Jason Nelson, Richard Pett, Chris Pramas, Jeff Quick, Sean K Reynolds, F. Wesley Schneider, Neil Spicer, Lisa Stevens, Matthew Stinson, and John Wick.

Yeah...seriously, wow...

At the time, I felt that my work really hit a turning point and, I'd like to think, for the better. Fond (very fond) memories indeed...

:D

Enjoy!

Some More from Paizo

2010-01-28T01:35:00.001-08:00

-Images © 2010 Paizo Publishing

What, another update you ask? Yes, and from the recently released Pathfinder supplement, Classic Horrors Revisited!

This was the first time I was asked to do both full characters and scenes for Paizo, and as such, holds a special place in my illustration memories. That, and this also appears to be the start of me being tasked with making sexy undead ladies in many of my art briefs. Not exactly a bad thing to be known for, but definitely challenging at times :D

This was also the first assignment I worked on coming back from SD Comic Con (and the head spinning I received there), and so I was delving into a new painting method that is still evolving and being used today. Many thanks go to Todd Lockwood for all the advise he gave and continues to give to this very moment. Really, a shining example of just how giving the artists in this industry are...

Enjoy!

*Note: the grey backgrounds do not appear in the printed versions. Oh, and it seems in a pinch I make a good reference for tomb banditry... :P

Space Marine In C Minor

2010-01-27T02:31:00.001-08:00

I haven't done a speed paint in long while, and I figured it would be a good habit to pick back up. So, I spend 2-3 hours noodling away while listening to the sound track of The Man in the Iron Mask...

...so, of course I painted a space marine. This probably means I should consider working for GamesWorkshop. :)

Enjoy!

Christmas Samurai (elf thing) Redux

2009-12-30T16:38:00.001-08:00

As promised, here's the "final" of the Samurai Elf. Above, is the internet sized version of the digital final for the painting that was then printed on the canvas which leads to the below...

...to the scanned version (the actual was much more saturated and detailed...sigh) of the final final. Despite what the good person at the art shop told me, I should have gotten a clear fixer to apply to the print before the paint, but alas, I didn't, and now I know better. Tricky stuff, this printable canvas.

For completeness's sake, here's a photo of the painting mounted. I swear, it took me longer to cut out and build the mounting than it did to paint the silly thing. Please forgive the fish bowling of the image. There's a good reason I didn't become a photographer... :)

Happy Holidays!

Christmas Samurai (elf thing)...

2009-12-22T21:29:00.000-08:00

Not too much say other than this is a personal piece I'm working on at the moment. I'll be printing this on canvas later and finishing it with paint (a technique I've recently become acquainted with.)

Happy Holidays!

Painting with Dirt...

2009-12-14T16:29:00.001-08:00

What, another update so soon!?! Yes, folks, it is, and one in actual physical get-messy paints to boot!

Anyhoo, found myself doing a quick floral study the other day, and felt like sharing. I came away with two paramount realizations: 1). Acrylics are not my strong suit, and 2). Real paints require drying time...

Thanks!

What Lies in Dust...

2009-12-12T23:23:00.000-08:00

© 2009 Paizo Publishing

Hey all. First and always (it seems) I need to apologize for the appalling lack of updates, and I hope greatly rectify that in the near future (fingers crossed). Recently, Paizo Publishing has released one of their newest adventure paths (What Lies in Dust) for their Pathfinder CS. As it so happens, this is an especially, well, special supplement for me as it was the very first Paizo and DnD product I had the pleasure to work on! In fact, my complementary copy just arrived in the post today, and is it spiffy!

Now, I could bore you all with another ear(eye)full of older work not representing current blah, blah, blah, but instead, I thought it would just be more enjoyable to share the artwork I contributed and leave it at that.

Oh, and if the mood takes you, please think about taking a gander at the Book itself as such luminaries as Scott Purdy and Keiran Yanner also worked on it, and (in my opinion) greatly overshadowed my own humble contributions. Seriously, those guys are just too damn talented!

Thanks!

Talisman: Frostmarch & Some Thoughts...

2009-11-07T23:28:00.001-08:00

-Snow Goblin Copyright Fantasy Flight Games

-Treasure Map Copyright Fantasy Flight Games

Hey all! Several long, long months ago I was fortunate enough to do some art work for Fantasy Flight on their now released Frostmarch expansion to Talisman. Besides just being a fun assignment, Frostmarch holds a particularly warm and fuzzy place in my heart as it was the first Card Art I had every done and my first freelance illustration gig. Crazy.

...and boy, does the whole "first" vibe show through. One of the many and prevalent obstacles facing any illustrator is the notorious NDA and the concomitant fact that it will be several months to over a full year before you're legally allowed to display your work publicly. What makes this an obstacle is that by that time, usually, your previous work is no way near the level of your current skill set and a certain reticence to show said work tends to set in.

Certainly, after I received my comp copy of Frostmarch (which was awesome!), I took a look at these images on my computer, and I couldn't help but think, "hmmm..." with a noticeable wince. This, of course, is one of the oldest stories in the long saga of artistic neurosis replete with doubts of quality, relevance, and representation. Is this the best piece I've done? No. Does it represent either my current skill level or artistic style? Hell, no. But.

But...did I do a good job? Was the client happy? Well, I believe, honestly, yes to both, and that, in the end, might be the best way to look at any assignment ultimately. True, you are only as good as your next piece, should always strive to be better today than yesterday, but should such thoughts be your only concerns? No, because though today's piece may not have been better than yesterday's, if you did a good job and your client is happy, then you have a good shot at making tomorrow's something really special.

At the very least, you'll be a little saner.

Oh, and if you'd like to see some really kick ass art, here's a link to the Cover Illustration done by the very, very talented Ralph Horsley. Seriously, treat yourself, you deserve it...

What Could This Be?

2009-10-23T02:34:00.000-07:00

The Work of Magic Elves...

2009-10-12T20:35:00.000-07:00

Licensed to Catastrophe Games

So, the magic night painting elves apparently paid me a visit, the above being the result (well, not exactly the above as that's a reduced sized version but...you get the idea...)

I'd say it's certainly a step up from making shoes at night.

The illustration will actually be appearing on a white page, but for the purpose of presentation, I prefer something a little less...bright for my mounting.

Or something like that.

Fox Three!

2009-09-29T22:34:00.001-07:00

Just a quick speed paint. Started as a sweeping fantasy roof that I thought to make into a spaceship...thing. As I've been doing almost exclusively fantasy work in an oil style lately, it just seemed logical to do this one as a science fiction piece with acrylic aspirations.

Or something like that.

Not all Sketches Being Equal...

2009-09-22T00:33:00.000-07:00

-Copyright Rebellion

A good example of going too far off the established art direction...never thought, though, I'd do something that was too overboard for Judge Dredd...

Yeah.

Well, Poodoo...

2009-09-08T01:52:00.000-07:00

For some reason, this illustration obstinately refuses to get done. Gah!

Why the hell do gnomes only do shoes at night...?

It's All in the Triangles

2009-08-28T03:03:00.001-07:00

Well, Catastrophe Games has very kindly allowed me to post some art I've been doing for them recently. As such, I thought it would be fun to share the sketches and such for the current piece I'm doing for them, especially since it has a very unusual layout requirement (i.e. triangular framing.)

Above is the sketch (among the ones I submitted) that was approved. There's a couple of issues I need to address and a few things I want to try out after having a good look at it, but that's what revisions are for!

Yeah.

Dr. Barbarian is In

2009-08-26T01:54:00.000-07:00

"Doctor. Knows. BEEEEESSSSST!!! *crash*"
-The Annals of Dr. Barbarian, Introduction.

Wielding his great scalpel, Second Opinion, and armed with his extensive knowledge of the innards of his many foes...er...patients, Dr. Barbarian is ready to make any and all cave calls.

Scantily-clad payment always accepted...

Stüff.

2009-08-22T05:02:00.000-07:00

Ah, the scanner...my new favorite excuse.

Make Up Sketch(es)...the Best Kind.

2009-08-18T00:48:00.000-07:00

Huzzah, for I come bearing sketches (traditional to boot!)

Yeah...so I found some Gesso and White Ink...hmmm...

Well, poodooh...

2009-08-15T01:33:00.001-07:00

Well, this isn't what I was intending to post, but as my computer thought it would be great fun to eat both my sketch and my backup of said sketch...yeah. So, in the departed's place is a logo mockup I did as a favor for a friend...I love me that retro goodness, I do.

Stupid computer...

By the by, I should apologize for the severe lack of updates recently. My only excuse is that I'm still recovering, time-wise, from the convention season, and have been very fortunate in being very busy with work to boot. Oh, and the announcement that Dark Sun is going to be the DnD 2010 Campaign Setting has really thrown a monkey in my schedule...I mean, how could I not celebrate!?! DARK SUN! Cannibal halflings!

Sorry...

Not a Thumbnail

2009-08-11T02:27:00.000-07:00

Yeah, so this was supposed to be just a quick gestural thumbnail...

I've failed again.

Underpainting Madness!

2009-08-05T00:50:00.001-07:00

Look...I'm a thief, and by the looks of it, not a very good one...

Yeah, the photo shoot for this one was not fun...very hot. That and the mummy had no concept of "personal" space.

Stupid undead...

Balls!

2009-07-31T22:16:00.001-07:00

Recently, I've been told (and by a very reliable source!) that the lighting in my paintings has been less than good, and by that, umm...yeah.

Anyhoo, as such, it was time to hit the fundamentals again and really study the shit out of some geometric objects, like a bomb. Of course, when I needed to find some balls, none were to be found except a lone tennis ball. Not wanting to sit there and study something fuzzy and spherical, I found my stock of kneaded erasers and made some, um, balls. It might be tedious, but I've already rediscovered things I never should have forgotten in the first place.

I can't wait till it's time for cylinders!

Comic Con: Quite Possibly the Best Week Ever

2009-07-30T23:32:00.001-07:00

Master Chief holding a Pink Master Chief...

Well, I'm finally back from San Diego Comic Con 2009 and somewhat recovered, at least well enough to be a productive member of society again. Noticing how negligent I've been on posting recently, I felt it only fair to break the bad habit with an entry covering some of the highlights of the week. I should warn you that this will not include any major panels (except one) or events as I spent most of my time being all exhibitor like, and thanking the stars I wasn't stuck in any Purgatory style lines. Seriously, Twilight, did you have to gum up the entire center of the Exhibitor Hall?

Certainly, Comic Con was full of the usual (or in some cases, highly unusual) parade of Costumes, Fans, Geeks, Collectors, and Misc. (my favorite demographic). I was pleasantly surprised by how many members of the female persuasion where there, and I would like to publicly state the the rise of the mythic female geek is about damn time. I've been waiting for years! YEARS!

Ahem.

Anyhoo, this was my first time visiting SDCC as an Exhibitor as I was down helping Todd Lockwood at his booth this year. That's right, Todd Lockwood...I couldn't stop giggling like the fangirl...er...boy that I am for days, believe you me. Being an Exhibitor (armed with a pink badge no less) meant I could get into the Con at pretty much any time, and bypass all the entry lines. That was nice, and I have to admit a big ass grin was plastered on my face that first day when I stared at the "normal" badge holders. Yeah.

The biggest perk, though, was being able to see all the behind the scenes of the Con itself, and getting the chance to talk with the other extremely talented exhibitors as one of the gang before the doors where open. The 4700 and 4800 avenues where we were were just chalk full of great art and artists. Indeed, I a spent a great deal of time making Brian Rood (located across from us) put up with me for sure. His fortitude was truly a credit to the species.

Not wanting to go into a day by day report, I will say that the days where filled with getting to meet all sorts of interesting (and often lovely...wink, wink) people coming to see Todd's art. There was one couple who I couldn't help but tell the husband what a lucky SOB he was because his wife was extremely attractive and an even bigger geek than he was. I then proceeded to ask if she had a sister. Chuckles all around. Overall, I loved getting to tell visitors the interesting stories and context behind Todd's work, and so filled the daylight hours with the sound of my own very happy voice.

This picture makes me look fat...guess who I am.

Occasionally, I would make myself useful. The best part, aside from getting to chat it up with Todd, was running into all the artists who would stop by. Such notables included Chris Burdette and his lovely wife (I still don't know how he recognized me), Patrick McEvoy (of Ninja Mountain fame and who gave a wonderful digital painting demo), and Shizue Harrison who I was delighted to discover was a fellow jellyfish lover! Somewhere in there I was also able to snag myself number 1 of 1000 of the limited edition stealth VF-1S Stealth Veritech exclusive to SDCC. Yay!

Of particular note was the visit of Dragon Dronet and Oberon Selicio as both Todd and I had a total geek out moment (well, several moments actually). If you haven't heard of those two names, please take the time to look them up. Both Dragon and Oberon have been in Hollywood for a long time, and believe me, you've probably seen them or something they've designed or made several times in your movie viewings. Needless to say, they were men with the stories, and more importantly, they were just good, genuine people.

Who like swords.

Also, they saved Saturday for us.

Dragon, Todd, & Oberon...never thought "Todd" would be the odd name out.

The greatest highlight for me, though, among the sea of awesome was the chance to meet, hang out with, and get to know so many incredible artists, many of whom I've both admired and out and out worshiped for years. In no particular order (and not already mentioned, mostly): Todd Lockwood (duh), Greg Manchess, Allen Williams, Iain McCaig (he was a surprise stop by that lasted till 3:00 am!), Scott Altman, Brian Rood, Rick Berry, Donatos, John Stanko, Jeremy Jarvis, Martina Pilcerova, Jim Nelson, Chris Burdette, Patrick McEvoy, Brom (who's really skinny), and many more whose last names escape me (several Scotts, a handful of Jeremies, an Aarron, and one Tony...gah, damn my sleep deprived mind!)

After the convention, the Artists would congregate at the same location every night and proceed to go well into the wee hours talking, sketching, drinking, reviewing, drinking some more, and generally having a jolly good time. Indeed, on Saturday (I think), Todd, Jeremy Lassen, and I closed the bar down around 4:00 am or so, and I will admit having art directors offer to buy me drinks was very nice. Much, much fun was had, and I think over the course of 5 days I may have gotten 11 to 15 hours of sleep. Yeah, those early 8:30 mornings got harder and harder to be sure.

Leaving Comic Con was, to be honest, an incredibly sad thing for me as time seemed to enter an almost Brigadoon like surrealism that the only truly joyous moments in a person's life can invoke. Everyone, and I mean everyone, was so wonderfully kind, understanding, supportive, and open, and Todd and his family especially were the very epitome of open arms. Whatever help I was for them could never be enough to express and repay the generosity of spirit they showed me, and I think it may very well take me a lifetime to find the proper words. I started Comic Con feeling that I was walking among giants (and I was to be sure) with the air thinning and leaving me giddy. However, I left Comic Con knowing them as the good people they truly were, each gifted with an enormous amount of talent. That they gladly made a place for me...well, I won't even try to sully such with my clumsy word play.

Thank you.

Comic Con and the Cyclical Nature of Time

2009-07-20T06:30:00.000-07:00

Well, it seems I've recovered from one convention just in time for another, and so, I'm off to Comic Con in San Diego (which is freakin' 30 degrees cooler than LA right now.) While AX was purely fun and holiday time, Comic Con will be very much fun and professional time. This year, you'll get to see me wearing a spiffy exhibitor's badge (yay!) as I'm helping at table 4722 in the Exhibitor's hall. I'm also going to be down in San Diego doing some work for a client as well, so I definitely won't be slacking! Oh, if by any chance you're going to Comic Con as well, please feel free to visit me at 4722. Believe me, it'll definitely be worth it as the person I'm helping is a true art god of fantasy, and has been called the "King of Dragons" by such luminaries as Jon Schindehette over at DnD.

Anyhoo, I've also posted a revised version of my ArtOrder vampire duo after getting some pointers from the ludicrously good Scott Purdy (many thanks, mate!) By the by, if you haven't checked out his work, GO. NOW. HERE's a LINK!

Until next week!

Tangent of a Tangent of...wait, what?

2009-07-16T00:33:00.000-07:00

...Some more Terra/Sol work. For some (probably not rational) reason, I really was pleased on how this one came out. It just seems...elegant to me.

Yes, touting my horn does feel good from time to time... :=} P

It's a Secret, I Swear

2009-07-14T00:14:00.000-07:00

"Insert Witticism Here."
-Your Name

I can't say too much about the above, but I just wanted post this quick little character sketch I did for a pitch. The reason I wanted to share it is that the client specifically asked for the piece to be done in what I call my "Meople" style. For whoever can guess (or make up something stupendously hilarious) what "Meople" actually stands for, I've got over 9,000 points waited for you (sorry about the obscure gamer joke...)

Oh, and I haven't forgotten about my promised AX '09 posts, but I'll be honest, I still haven't had time to go through all the pictures, and I seemed to have foolishly booked myself completely up till Comic Con.

Yeah.

Incidentally, if anyone is going to good ol' Comic Con, drop me line and let me know. Seriously. I always love hangin' out with all of my art buddies both known and waiting to be known!

Tangent of a Tangent

2009-07-09T23:56:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm still recovering (really starting to age I suppose), still really busy, and still going through all those pictures (all of which seem to need some form of Photoshop Lovin').

Still, I didn't want to leave everyone hangin', so posted above is a piece I recently completed (out of a commission of several and still ongoing) for Terra/Sol Games. My client, who's been a real treat to work with, has kindly let me start posting my work. The reason I wanted to share this one in particularly was that it had been a long time since I'd done a vehicle piece, let alone starships, and jumping back in with an entire city ship was just oodles of fun. The one thing I wanted to avoid was using the more classical naval shapes for the ship as, let's be honest, in space designs don't have to take into account such niggly things as fluid dynamics and gravity wells (at least, not being in one). Granted, I still needed to make sure it read as a ship rather than an orbital colony or base, but that's what those big honkin's engines are for!

Anyhoo, enjoy!

Still Recovering...

2009-07-08T00:09:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the lack of graphics for this post, but I'm still very much broken from my trip (and busy to boot!)

Still, I would be remiss if I didn't leave you with something, so here's a link to some of my AX antics now, apparently, on Youtube here.

Extra cookies for those who can tell which one I am...

Nixon's BACK!!!!

2009-07-06T23:45:00.000-07:00

"私はあなたの父親です"
-Vader-sama

No, Nixon's not back, but I couldn't pass up a chance to make a Futurama reference for I am a very weak man prone to temptation and the falling there of.

However, I can inform you that I am back from Anime Expo 2009, and I must say that I had so much fun and concentrated awesome that I have been reduced to communicating solely through a series of blinks when not near a keyboard. Seriously, my voice was running on fumes by the 2nd day, but the strangulation of my tonsils has always been one of my many barometers of fun.

That didn't sound right...

If you'll forgive me, I'm going to derail my own blog for the rest of the week and possibly into the next from my usual art programming to bring you some of the highlights of my AX experiences (at least the ones I can talk about in public...I shouldn't have said that.) I want to break up my recollections to 1). avoid the nefarious super post, 2). because I'm still very much recovering (I think I slept about 11 hours over the course of 5 days and walked the equivalent of 14 mile per day), and 3). for any other perfectly reasonable reason I can't think at the moment. Of course, I will also be posting pictures! Oh, here's one now:

Got to love those Rangers (and the pose and costume references I now have)!

It is, however, going to take me some time to go through all the ones my friends and I took. Being the resident artist of the group, I'm generally stuck with fixing our Expo pics, and it looks like we took about 300-400 photos this year. This isn't even counting the photos I'm waiting for via email from the photographers that ended up following us around on Friday (yeah, I was in costume too!) For one of these posts, I'll also be showing my own cosplay along with a normal pic of me (well, as normal as I can get anyway) for comparison, but I'm not going to tell you when. Tricky me. So, keep checking and reading to see my secret identity finally revealed...dun, dun, duuun.

Aside from pics, I will also be posting about some of the panels, events, and people I encountered at AX. This includes in no particular order:
1). Meeting the creators and writers of Robot Chicken (including Seth Green)
2). The creator of Trigun and the director of the upcoming Trigun Movie
3). The creators of the Guilty Gear and BlazBlue Franchises
4). The lead artists and director of Gurren Lagann
5). The character designer, writer, and director for Gundam 00 (not the same person of course)
6). The creator of Afro Samurai
7). The men behind the new Robotech Franshise from Harmony Gold
8). And a great deal more, I'm sure...

So, I really do hope you will forgive me this indulgence, but I think you'll like it. In all seriousness, I've always been a strong proponent of East meets West art (it's very much the thrust of my own style), and I have been a rather vocal advocate of the validity and wonderous beauty that can be found in both manga and anime, and while my coming entries are going to be so far from eloquence and charismatic dialogue to be almost recursive, I do hope that the sincerity of my passion and genuine love of the media does shine through, and that I, with my limited capacities, can convey just how much fun was had. After all, we had the Force and Samurai Vader on our side!

And yes, I am aware that I don't do anime art, so you don't have to point that out Mr. (or Ms.) smarty pants. Raspberry! Irony is entirely overrated anyway...

So, please stay tune, and enjoy!

AX '09: My Escape from Horrible Burning Reality

2009-06-30T23:26:00.000-07:00

image from pivx

So, as you might have guessed from the subtle post title, I will be attending this year's Anime Expo in sunny LA (like I did last year and a great many years before as well.) For those that know me or have had the misfortune to talk with me for any length of time, I am a rather huge (metaphorically speaking) fan of anime, manga, and Japanese art in general, and I look with salivating anticipation towards each year's AX. It is, quite literally, the only time in the year where I can truly relax and kick back (yeah, says very sad things about my life, doesn't it?), and that I jealously guard those days with all the rabid intensity of a sabertooth squirrel gunning for an acorn.

On crack.

Not that I would every condone the use of crack.

Really.

Thus, I come here to inform you, the people, that I will not be posting this week on this blog as I will be busy geeking it out with style. Don't worry though. I fully plan to come back and burn your eyes out with the pictures I will take. Some will even be of me cosplaying. It's like Batman taking off his mask except several magnitudes less cool or interesting.

Oh, and in case you're wondering about the picture, it's fan art of the Moe-blob anime, K-ON!, and according to my friends based on my taste in anime, apparently I am actually a collection of moe, moe girls inside so the above seemed relevant.

It's probably best not to ask.

So, I hope everyone has a great week, look forward to pictures, and "Moe, Moe, Kyun" to you all!

*I want to make it clear again that I did not create the above image. I do not have nearly enough sugar and spice or anything nice in me to produce cuteness of that magnitude!

ArtOrder Concept: B/W Vampire

2009-06-27T20:40:00.000-07:00

So, it looks like I made it. Whew...

Anyhoo, for this week at ArtOrder, the challenge involved a brief on two vampires, Gwenth and Garrath, and the illustration called for a strictly B/W approach sans tone. As the last Concept Tuesday for this volume of the Best of, there was also a rather nice kicker, namely that the panel of judges consists of the art directors from some of the biggest game publishers in the world. Really, a rather nice incentive. There's really not much more to say, so I hope you enjoy, and check out what I'm sure are going to be a huge number of entries...

Yeah.

Edit: I decided, being the bundle of worry that I am, that I needed to add a border, so border added.