autodestruct : digital

Job acquired! / Gnomon

2012-02-01T13:54:00.000-08:00

I'm pleased to announce, as of next week, I'll be at 343 Industries (the Microsoft game developer helming Halo) working with yet another all-star team. Feel so fortunate!

Special, sugar-coated thanks to everyone who reached out to me during my period of unemployment. I was flattered by all the interest, and was able to do a lot of exploring and people-meeting. I'd say "networking" but that's so California-douchey.

The new job will land me in the Seattle, WA area. As a new, single resident, I'm of course interested in all the good art and music spots. If anyone has any recommendations, or would care to meet up or visit, please contact me at djunderfoot (at) gmail (dot) com. I'd love to hear from you!

---

I'd also like to thank everyone who attended/coordinated last week's Babe Lab workshop, "Sensitivity Training." The place was packed for a Thursday night (200+) and everything went so well, we'd be insane not to do it again. Stacy was a real trooper, letting me basically use her body as a prop. The things we do for art!

Thanks to Joshua James Shaw for the pic.

2 shadow treatments

2012-01-31T14:33:00.000-08:00

Did this quick demo for my friend Alexey today over Skype, and thought I would archive it, because it drives home something I picked up last year.

As I understand, there's only two aesthetic ways to drop shadows onto form. They can be done in all different ways, depending on the direction of the light, but you either want something to be mostly lit, or mostly unlit.

LEFT -- given over to light
RIGHT -- given over to dark

Two schemes...they both work. Alexey cleverly pointed out that it's the mostly lit scheme (LEFT) that would best showcase local colors, so in the world of concept illustration, perhaps there's only ONE PRACTICAL WAY to do it. Hmm...

lifedrawing log - 01.28.12

2012-01-31T13:51:00.002-08:00

alien junk

2012-01-31T13:51:00.000-08:00

2012 : Shit is going to get weird.

lifedrawing log - 01.22.12

2012-01-22T23:28:00.001-08:00

lifedrawing log - 01.21.12

2012-01-21T15:15:00.000-08:00

Lovely Linda!

Jonathan Clark - Hellchick 2.0

2012-01-20T19:33:00.000-08:00

I wanted to extend some praise to Jonathan Clark for his loving rendition of this old chestnut.

It's a shining example of what an inventive 3D artist can bring to a fairly simple 2D design. Jonathan, people like you make my life easier and more rewarding!

lifedrawing log - 01.14.12-01.19.12

2012-01-20T12:13:00.001-08:00

More student work...

Babe Lab : Sensitivity Training

2012-01-12T11:15:00.000-08:00

Details for my upcoming lecture at Gnomon have been pinned...

...and should go live on Gnomon's site within the week. LA folk -- hope to see a few of you!

lifedrawing log - 01.09.12

2012-01-09T14:39:00.001-08:00

Autodestruct Playlist - Best of 2011

2011-12-31T15:36:00.000-08:00

As 2011's turntable lid slams shut, I'd like to extend a special thanks to those caring individuals who brought exceptional music into my life this year. Most notably...

* Daniel Chavez -- You're Blizzard's trump card, and they don't even know it. Not surprisingly, your artwork is as experimental, sophisticated and far-reaching as your taste in music. You tipped me off to so much great shit this year. You and Stacy are a joy to hang out and draw with.

+ Nathan Andrew Bissett -- You're my West Coast doppelganger! You do concept art, have awesome taste in music and women, and sport a shaved head! We have the same middle name! So nice meeting you and Beata this year.

# Headphone Commute // What can I say? You're my constant, my curator. Musically, we grew up together. I suspect we'll grow old together in the same way. Everlasting!

Hecq "Avenger"
*Plaid "Scintilli"
#Tycho "Dive"
Kryptic Minds "Can't Sleep"
*Siriusmo "Mosaik"
#Jacaszek "Glimmer"
#Submotion Orchestra "Finest Hour"
*John Tejada "Parabolas"
Eye D & DJ Hidden "Peer To Peer Pressure"
Amon Tobin "ISAM"
Mobthrow "Mobthrow"
Amit "9 Times"
+The Flashbulb "Love As a Dark Hallway"
#Tripswitch "Geometry"
#Aes Dana "Perimeters"
*Machinedrum "Rooms"
+Nils Frahm "Felt"
Grails "Deep Politics"
Explosions In The Sky "Take Care, Take Care, Take Care"
Wolves In The Throne Room "Celestial Lineage"
*The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble "From The Stairwell"
Winterlight "Hope Dies Last"
#Stormloop "Snowbound"

Page Purge -- pre-holiday

2011-12-20T23:49:00.000-08:00

I was trying to see if I could make a chick with a unicorn horn look badass. Helps if you can turn her into a creepy fish alien.

lifedrawing log - 12.17.11 / 12.18.11

2011-12-19T10:11:00.000-08:00

This is from a Karl Gnass workshop I recently attended. The focus : two figure composition. Guy's a master, and I don't use the term lightly. If you get a chance to go to one of his classes, DO IT.

...and some Dr. Sketchy's stuff.

lifedrawing log - 12.13.11

2011-12-13T22:36:00.000-08:00

Someone asked about my aforementioned rig. It's nothing special : smooth newsprint, china marker and a big ol' wooden clipboard thingie. When I'm feeling movie director-ish, I bring my own collapsible chair. Those "horses" you're supposed to draw on are bullshit. If there's an academic reason to use them, it's probably to make you as uncomfortable as possible, because art is supposed to be HARD, not ENJOYABLE. THE CLOCK IS TICKING! QUICK, GET THOSE CORE SHADOWS IN! Awww no, you failed! Better luck next year! That'll be $24,000.

more technique

2011-12-12T22:16:00.000-08:00

I have a lot of trouble obscuring elements in my drawings, and just draw-through in general, so I decided to try this new method of construction :

1) Loose underdrawing comprised of several multicolored, overlapping groups. I find I'm less distracted by the stuff behind when drawing in a different color, and can just focus on whatever new color I've picked. You'd think this would bug your eyes out, but it's not that bad. In fact, it makes you bolder when adding things (like hardons). I've just used really dramatic colors here so you can see the effect.
2) Final line composite of all groups (with underdrawing at low opacity underneath)
3) Paint that mutha!

coffeeshop sketches 12.10.11

2011-12-11T16:06:00.000-08:00

I brought my lifedrawing rig along with me to a coffeehouse and did my typical draw-a-bunch-of-heads shtick. (I was with friends who were also drawing, so this didn't look like a needy ploy for attention.) Rather than put all of these into a giant image like I usually do, I'm just posting the raw, un-leveled photos. It's realer.

This barista had rockstar hair. I'm sure every guy she served fell in love with her at least a little.

Here's some monster-y ones. You can tell when I start getting into a drawing, because I press harder.

Don't ask...

Oh, and here's where I made Daniel Chavez into a rapist.

Also saw quite a few of what I call "real men." These are the guys who look in NO WAY boyish, or simply "adult male." They're the big, thick-necked, thick-browed beasts who live to eat, fuck and, I dunno, drag race. The cute barista you have a crush on? She goes out with one of THOSE.

More painting practice...

2011-12-08T16:23:00.000-08:00

Trying to get more color/solidity/contrast into my work...things'll stop looking so flat once I have the good sense to ditch gradients. Gotta get cast shadows into the mix, too.

Monday painting practice...

2011-12-05T22:32:00.000-08:00

The Next Five

2011-11-30T17:47:00.000-08:00

Here's a challenging exercise I'm doing with my always-astute cousin Rebecca Zomchek : "The Next Five."

You find a random photo from the web, then come up with the next five shots, the way a storyboard artist might. You wind up with a six panel sequence.

More pro examples of this
here
and
here.

Annie + Amumu

2011-11-29T00:06:00.000-08:00

Inspired by my good friend Josh Singh, I tried my hand at some League of Legends fan art.

Left : Annie, The Dark Child
Right : Amumu, The Sad Mummy

Washy washes!

2011-11-26T21:05:00.000-08:00

Got some pro painting tips from concept cohorts Joshua James Shaw, Sean McNally and Tara Rueping. My kung fu is still weak compared to theirs, but it's a step in the right direction. More painty, less digital-y.

full res

Used some sketches from my earlier post to paint over -- will definitely need to spend 50% more time at this stage. My desire is to arrive at a "fresh" color style that's presentable and relatively unlabored, because rendering is boring. More to come!

Heads + figure invention

2011-11-26T11:26:00.000-08:00

Realized I can't draw women with their legs crossed, which is a pretty essential thing to know. Gonna get right on that. I suspect it has something to do with drawing them as a single unit, then "clipping" their geometry slightly so the fat mashes together pleasingly.

full res

Oh, and Blogger -- you can switch back to your old image viewing format any fucking time now...

lifedrawing log - 11.16.11

2011-11-17T01:19:00.000-08:00

Stacy E. Walker is such a great model. We've plans to do a live workshop in the Babe Lab vein of things in January 2012. The venue is booked and very, VERY legit. More announcements to follow!

full res

LOOKING FOR WORK

2011-11-13T21:11:00.000-08:00

The short story : A month ago I quit Blizzard after one year of service. This wasn't exactly my plan, but my hand was more or less forced. That's as far as I can discuss it publicly. I've a few promising leads -- have been interviewing here and there -- but want to see what posting this does. Call it an experiment.

If anyone's got a suggestion/contact, I'm currently seeking a full-time position doing concept art*, and would love to hear from you personally at the following address :
djunderfoot(AT)gmail(DOT)com

*portfolio
http://www.autodestruct.com/

HAVE CONCEPT, WILL TRAVEL!
(I, however, only speak and understand English.)

lifedrawing log - 11.12.11

2011-11-13T20:45:00.000-08:00

Seattle session. Different venue. Different model. Same me.

full res

lifedrawing log - 11.10.11

2011-11-10T10:52:00.000-08:00

This model manages/performs in a plus-size burlesque troop, and said there was such a thing as "male burlesque." Not sure I'd be a fan of either.

full res

<---bonus squid girl

Babe Lab Update - Feature Creep

2011-11-08T17:38:00.001-08:00

More newness on Babe Lab!

Babe Lab Update - Crossed Wires

2011-11-07T19:37:00.000-08:00

Hop over to Babe Lab to check out this new thingie I did...

lifedrawing log - 11.05.11

2011-11-06T15:21:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was privileged to attend a day-long Dr. Sketchy's lifedrawing function called "Nerdgasm" -- chosen because of the various "nerdy" costumes the models wore, and because all us "nerdy" artists were meant to cream ourselves as we drew.

We're talking "high brow" here.

Output (full res) :

Observations :

-Glenn Arthur is the most enthusiastic moderator of any lifedrawing function ever. He's also quite the draftsman. Go to the Anaheim chapter any 2nd or 4th Sunday and experience his charisma firsthand!

-The models got progressively inventive/attractive throughout the day, culminating with a girl who went by "Phoebe L'amour." Several of you who were there probably heard me gushing about her over-the-top "zingy"ness. It's ironic how so few lifedrawing models possess such liveliness. ((Side note : my favorite moment of the entire day was seeing her nibble the tip of a magic wand.)))

-The places I wanted to draw the model from were often the same places people needed to be walking back and forth between to reach the booze and/or bathroom.

-Lots of effort was made to *photograph* the models, less to actually draw them into pleasing pictures. The function needed to be documented for some upcoming magazine spread, so this made more sense than usual. Plus, most of the models were simply wearing more than could be drawn, even in the longer poses. I severly doubt the people painting in the 3 hour outdoor session were able to depict a fraction of the steampunk junk piled onto "Apoca-lips."

-btw, don't you love all these fake, Roller Derby-styled names? "Hi I'm Krystal. KRYSTAL X CHAOS."

-Amateurs go for the incidentals -- the "stuff" on the costumes, irrelevant shadows -- and forget they're supposed to be drawing a beautiful woman. The result is labored and dead. Makes me think of that line in Napoleon Dynamite "It took me like three hours to finish the shading on your upper lip. It's probably the best drawing I've ever done."

-Pros (or at least people who know how to make the best use of their time) go for gesture and get their girls looking cute right away. The result is direct and fresh. Look at Shane Glines, Otto Schmidt or Bill Presing. Their drawings are all hot, five lines in. There were a few people at this session who understood this, but most were FAR AWAY from this critical realization. You can argue with me all you want, but "beautiful" should really be the end goal.

-All that said, it wasn't supposed to be art school. It's the self-proclaimed "anti-art school" -- no rules, no pressure. Drink a beer, eat a brownie. I'm sure everyone got something beautiful out the experience, even if it was only a memory to "nerdgasm" to at a later time.

hand practice -- pt. 1

2011-11-04T21:39:00.000-07:00

Teaching myself how to draw (still)...

I had a little breakthrough the other night on the subject of hand drawing that came from this book. Peck, in one of his many useful diagrams, suggests that the hand be broken down into 3 parts :

-the 3 middle fingers running parallel to the arm (aligned with the wrist)
-the thumb wedge (and its pad)
-the pinky (and its pad)

Thinking of it this way helps me construct a bit faster out of my imagination, without resorting to looking at pictures, or even my own hand.

Following exercises will plant the hand on a greater variety of surfaces. Seems like a good idea to draw out some plane, curvature or object to map the hand onto/around. Or some trinket to have it grasp.

lifedrawing log - 11.02.11

2011-11-03T10:42:00.000-07:00

Helped this model get a gig at Blizzard, where she was warmly received. Felt good.

Oliver Chipping and I had some good art talk, which is surprisingly hard to come by in lifedrawing sessions. While I was flapping my jaw, he was getting a lot more done. Above are the few drawings I felt were fit to reproduce.

yesterday's movie doodles

2011-11-02T11:53:00.000-07:00

I learned a few Australian phrases, "bloody oath" being my favorite. It's used to agree with another's statement stongly.

Guy 1 : Jesus, the girl by the blue Subaru has nice legs.
Guy 2 : Bloody oath!

incomplete sentences

2011-11-01T16:01:00.000-07:00

Me draw lots. Think not so much.

lifedrawing log - 10.26.11

2011-10-27T09:36:00.000-07:00

The guy next to me had his headphones at max volume and was whimpering like a Skeksi. There was really no polite way of bringing that to his attention, other than maybe saying "That's quite a tune you're carrying. Been lobotomized recently?"

Model was great, though. I'd drawn her before.

I asked the group what they considered their lifedrawing "sweet spot" to be, as far as duration. I told them mine was 15 minutes, because it's short enough to keep me focused, but not so long that I fuck everything up. Was surprised to hear two people say "5 hours", the explanation being "We're painters." 5 hours! Guess that's why I'm not a painter...

I realized that I do lifedrawing the way some people do yoga. It's this meditative thing that simplifies my world, relieves tension and keeps me fit. Ommmmmmm....

lifedrawing log - 10.22.11

2011-10-22T15:31:00.000-07:00

In this morning's session I had a moderator challenge my stance on tangents being a bad thing, saying that, in the case of surrealist painters, planned tangents can actually lead the eye though a composition. The thinking was also, "If you're going to have one tangent, have a WHOLE BUNCH OF THEM." Balthus was used as an example. I still don't quite see the merit.

lifedrawing log - 10.19.11 / 10.20.11

2011-10-21T10:54:00.000-07:00

Don't bother clicking on these. They don't get any bigger.

Here's an amusing anecdote from last night's session (below): It was the model's first time modeling so everything was new for her. About an hour in she mentioned that, whenever she'd make eye contact with an artist, their gaze would instantly drop -- a sea of heads bobbing up and down, up and down, and she had the power to control them. "It's like playing whac-a-mole!"

I can't speak for every person who attends these, but I suspect the main reason we shyly disengage from such intimate encounters is that we feel it's a little overindulgent. The less we avert our eyes, the better results we get, but there's always this knee-jerk sense of propriety and reverence that prevents us from being blatant oglers. I like this, actually. I like that I still feel as if I'm in the presence of divinity. That I'm not quite worthy. The moment I become clinical about this is the moment I should give it up.

Find The Design

2011-10-19T12:38:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I was asked to do a talk at a local concept art workshop. My last talk, "Thumb War", dealt with the iterative process one goes though at the beginning of a project, using little pictures to communicate big ideas. I felt my new talk should pick up where "Thumb War" left off, discussing what happens AFTER a thumbnail is selected -- the fleshing out part. More than a year had passed, so I also felt I should incorporate new things I'd learned, new philosophies I'd embraced.

What follows are the notes and crude visual aids I created to give this talk, which I titled "Find The Design." I hope you like it!

---

Every company I've worked for has had a buzz word -- some catch phrase to describe the things they wanted done, and how to go about doing them. At Raven it was "Bluesky up some ideas." i.e "The sky is the limit, so go nuts." At Vigil it was "Make it diesel." Everything needed to be crackling with energy; nothing could be weak or second-rate. At Blizzard I constantly heard the phrase "Let's chase that." Everything was chasing, chasing, chasing.

This verb "chase" never sat well with me, for two reasons:
1) It implies that you never catch the thing you're chasing. Exhausting!
2) The chase creates a sort of tunnel-vision, setting expectations which can result in disappointment.

Imagine two single people looking to be in relationships. Person A formulates a very specific notion of their ideal mate, and pursues them doggedly. "The partner of my dreams is 5'6", brunette, into horror movies and wears black. I will accept no substitute." Person B's approach is to simply go about their life, doing the things they'd do naturally, and, in the process, FIND their mate. Person A may get their quarry, but since their preconceptions were so specific and so idyllic, they may feel let down. Further, they probably glossed over other, potentially superior mates that weren't even in the running.

Better to take the route of person B, to be finding rather than chasing, to be alert to new possibilities as they arise, and to be pleasantly surprised by life's random offerings. Malleable. Organic. This is how I propose we design!

In school we're all taught the three 'R's : Reading, wRiting and aRithmetic. It's catchy, but come on -- two of those those don't even start with the letter 'R!" I present to you now "The 3 R's of Concept Art", as I believe all its problems can be lumped into one of the following categories : Research, Ratios and Rendering.

Research

Chris Metzen, vice president of creative development at Blizzard Entertainment, said something very poignant to me in a concept review meeting. I glibly remarked that the ideas I was presenting were unoriginal, to which he replied, "There's no such thing as originality, just good spin!"

Human beings are basically monkeys. We see our neighbor do something well, and we try our best to copy it. An artist sees a majestic sunset, or a nude, or a fighter jet and is suddenly inspired to make their own version. Monkey see, monkey do.

Once we've dispelled the ludicrous notion that there may, in fact, be something new under the sun, we can begin to truly appreciate and synthesize ("spin") that which already exists, lessening our mental load considerably.

I like to use the example of Tachikomas, the little spider mechs from "Ghost In The Shell." Their design is basically a "spun" version of a jumping spider. Rather than hunting down another artist's rendition of a mech and using that as reference, Masamune Shirow used the main attributes of something SIMILAR. The result is familiar, but unique.

Consider what's needed. Make observations, imitating the things you feel are important. Do this enough, and you'll begin to retain information, creating a visual library you can go back to when Google Image Search is unavailable.

Ratios

My friend and brilliant artist Toph Gorham introduced me to the concept of "Phi", short for "The Mean of Phidias" aka "The Golden Ratio." From his backpack, he produced a wooden measuring tool called a "Golden Section Gauge" that could be held up to things, close or at a distance, to see their divine proportions (or lack thereof). When I asked him if such a tool was necessary in designing, he replied, "No. Good designers think this way instinctively."

Most artists are not mathematicians. What we should take from the idea of Phi, or any of its many other complicated guises, is that things tend to look better when not divided evenly in half. When there's more mass on one side and less on the other, when the front doesn't look like the back, when there's more light than dark or vice versa...these harmonious ratios invariably produce a more natural, balanced look.

"Avoid half" has become a bit of a mantra for me, in art and in life. Think of all the instances where people prefer non-halfway things...

We like our drinks ice cold or piping hot. No one craves a luke-warm beverage. (Avoid half!)

We tend to think less of someone who's "on the fence" on an issue. Their indecisiveness stalls everything. (Avoid half!)

Neutral countries have neither alliances nor enemies. As soon as someone falls to one side of neutrality or the other, things begin to get interesting. (Avoid half!)

A "middle of the road" personality is neither coming nor going. It's hard to tell what they're all about. (Avoid half!)

We describe shoddy efforts as "half-assed." (Avoid half!)

Can you think of others?

Where this applies in art :

-We see in nature, in architecture, and in machines countless instances where things are not exactly mirrored. Its top is different from its bottom, its left is different from its right, its front is different from its back, etc. Carlo Arellano, concept artist and instructor, once pointed out that most things have a "business end." The mouth on a shark, the canopy of a tree, the lens on a camera, the blade of an axe, the entryway of a courthouse -- there's a hierarchy. "This thing is all about THIS, and everything else is secondary." Look at the things around you. Observe where their major "cuts" occur, and marvel at how seldom they fall at exact midpoints. This natural drift creates a sense of movement even in static objects. Use it!

-It's nearly impossible to get a directly frontal, side or rear view of anything.* To do so requires that we consciously align our head with the object, and close one eye to remove our stereoscopic vision. We see most everything from some angled, non-halfway vantage point. (*This is why orthographic concept sheets ALWAYS look unnatural.) Life repeatedly gives us a more generous view of one side of a thing than the other. Pick a side to give prominence to, and allow the other to be less prominent.

-Shadows rarely bisect form. One cartoonist who understands this is Mike Mignola, creator of Hellboy. Look on the graphic above how there's more black in his subject than white. He's given it over to darkness. On a more micro level, he's also given the bat over to darkness, with only a couple triangles of light poking through. The skull has been given over to light. See how the delineation doesn't occur at the halfway point, but somewhere to the other side of it. A pleasing ratio indeed!

-local colors // In the alien graphic below, we see what local color breakups look like when they're divided in half (1 & 4) vs. when they aren't (2, 3, 5, 6). Can you see the difference?

-cool to warm color // You want to have a mixture of both, but no absence of one or the other, and certainly not a 50/50 split.

-straights to curves // An image that's all curvy is rubbery and weak, and requires some angular straights to give it integrity. Conversely, an image that's all straight is coarse and rigid, and needs curves to give it flexibility. All in all, though, you want an image to be MORE curvy than straight, or MORE straight than curvy. Include enough of the opposite to give it variety, but stop there! The direction you choose will depend largely on your subject matter, and your opinion of it.

-In most pleasing compositions, it's typical for the subject to be slightly (if not drastically) offset, so as not to divide the canvas into two equal parts. Balanced compositions are ones with pleasing ratios.

-A quick word on tangents : Tangents are where two objects seem to just barely touch. What is this, if not something that's halfway to having depth? In example A (above), we can't quite tell what the deal is with Tangent Man. Is that rock about to hit him? What's going on with his neck and his nose and his ear? They all seem to be encased in that egg-shaped head of his. In examples B and C these issues are dealt with via the power of overlap. By putting things in front or in back of each other, "picking a side" as it were, we create a much greater sense of depth. Sometimes, however, it may be best to "clear" the tangent completely by spacing objects apart from each other, as in example 3.

Rendering

I don't want us to think of rendering as "beautification" or "finish" but rather the simple showing of material or form. In the above graphic, Sean "Cheeks" Galloway used 3 values and 6 colors to show what his version of Panthro is composed of. For him, that's all it took.

Cast shadows are employed to show form and create contrast in an image, but their overall pattern should not be random, but rather a planned "design within a design." (Arnold Tsang taught me that these shadow volumes should not cut the canvas/subject into equal dark and light halves.) You can see how, in the posterized version of Frankenstein, most of the image is dark. Graphically, the light pattern is strong, and shows the planes of his face clearly.

Occlusion [Apologies to the froggy artist. I couldn't find your name to credit you.] was described to me as the places on/in an object where no light can reach, even under very bright conditions. These shadows serve to separate objects from each other. The slit of Frankenstein's mouth is an occlusion shadow, as well as the creased area in and around his nostrils. Think of them as the deeper nooks and crannies where dirt would collect. Unless in close proximity to another object, the outer edges of things do not have occlusion.

The quickest way to show the volume of something is by giving it a strong silhouette. You can think of it as a kind of "pre-render" during which you pose the question, "If this was as far as I was going to take this, would it still communicate my idea clearly and stylishly?"

Artist Nick Carver routinely examines his Maya meshes with a flat, black shader, so he can check his silhouettes for maximum read and appeal.

In example A (above) we have a symmetrical jack-o-lantern where the features are fairly aligned with each other, the "gutter" around them fairly uniform. Watch what happens in B, when we begin to break symmetry, twisting the stem, moving the eyes and eyeballs inward and expanding the mouth. Now look at C, where the features are offset from their "halfway" points. The silhouette is still flat, but the design appears more dimensional and interesting.

---

In this next part of the talk, we're going to look at how we can use different rendering methods to "find the design." Here we have three identical silhouettes...

Let's see what slapping a couple different local colors on them does. In the graphic below, we can now see a division between different areas -- skin, nylon fabric, and, I dunno, leather. It looks like it could be some kind of alien spy. We are now one step closer to finding our design, and we haven't drawn a single line.

...But say we did want to start with lines. Below are three more contiguous treatments, where the general silhouette was adhered to, but broken in a few places. In example A, we've reversed the direction of the head and come up with a completely different design, subtracting from the silhouette where needed. In B and C we've added to it. Such massaging of the silhouette keeps us flexible. We are, after all, finding the design!

Note : Lines that seem to repeat shapes are like echoes -- a melody. To add harmony, occasionally oppose them with marks that go in the opposite direction.

Here's a graphic that demonstrates the power of rim light. Typically rim light isn't applied until later, but if it helps you find the design, use it early! Also note how rim light has a gradual intensity falloff; it's not the same value throughout.

Here's a demonstration of how different rim light and occlusion shadows can alter the same design in drastic ways. Play around with concave, flat and convex shapes. Find a solution that pleases you!

It's the same with cast shadows. The light pattern can drastically change how the interior planes are seen. Note the difference in edge treatments, and how each has a particular role in describing form. (Note, too, that the silhouettes have been altered in the finding of these designs. Nothing is set in stone!)

Highlights, which are also typically reserved for the finishing touches, can be used to find design. The greater the intensity of the highlight, the more reflective it is. Notice how, even without any other details, we can see a suggestion of the interior planes. From here, filling in the gaps is easy.

Parting note :
When I moved into my first house, I didn't have a clue what to do with it. I'd only lived in apartments before, and wasn't used to a space that required as much furnishing or upkeep. My mother gave me some great advice : "Just live in it for a while. The house will tell you what it needs." So it is with designing. Not all of our ideas come fully furnished, but if we live in them for a while -- if we're open to finding rather than chasing -- they will tell us what they need.

Now go forth and find!

It's a trap!

2011-10-17T17:34:00.000-07:00

Firstkeeper, bless her Russian-ness, graced me with a matreshka of her own. It doesn't have Admiral Akbar on it, but it has the next best thing : boobs! I think the artist is trying to warn me that, though pretty, women are in fact dangerous alien predators bent on devouring the souls of men. Was that it, Tamara?

Look for Tamara at BlizzCon this year...she'll be the one hunting demons with twin crossbows. <--Not even making that up.

lifedrawing log - 10.15.11

2011-10-17T17:04:00.001-07:00

Scroll for pumpkins!

2011-10-17T16:22:00.000-07:00

I like this new vertical format...

Video!

2011-10-12T08:56:00.000-07:00

Hicham Habchi, aka Pyroow, stitched together this amazingly high quality video of our collective adventures in Morocco. What a tremendous gift. Thanks to all!

Tangier-Chaouen Drawing TRIP from pyroow on Vimeo.

Hicham is the guy chillin' in the lower left corner of this photo. Sunglasses. Cigarette. Hat. You don't see him in the video 'cuz he was shooting it.

travelogue - Chefchaouen, Morocco

2011-10-09T18:06:00.000-07:00

I took oodles of pictures here, but this one neatly sums it up.

This trip would not have been possible had it not been for my gracious host Kalen Chock [top, center], his flatmates Edgar Cardona [right, arms outstretched] and Daniel Garcia [left, rear] and his friends through the Deviant Art community, who came all the way from Ubisoft Casablanca to help us around Tangier and this amazing mountain city.

Here's a bonus shot from Madrid, just prove I was there...

...along with the oddest thing I saw in Plaza Mayor.

People I've seen recently...

2011-10-09T16:57:00.001-07:00

lifedrawing log - 10.08.11

2011-10-08T16:05:00.003-07:00

Rio Pt. 2

lifedrawing log - 09.24.11

2011-09-26T08:32:00.000-07:00

...and earlier.

The Dr. Sketchy model last night was some world famous bellydancer who couldn't hold still for shit. The girl we had on Saturday morning was the real deal. She understood what made for a dramatic pose, and never once duplicated herself. What a joy to draw!

More blather...GOTTA GET IT OUT OF MY LIFE!!!

lifedrawing log - 09.25.11

2011-09-26T00:11:00.000-07:00

I had a more competent run yesterday (post pending). Tonight I was feeling experimental.* The non-sketchbook ones were done in Sai, using a mix of the x-shape arrow brush and rough/vertical sketch tool. I felt like a doucebag with that laptop, but it was kinda fun fumbling around in a program I don't know very well.

*read : sloppy

Kivatar 01

2011-09-22T19:03:00.000-07:00

Was in the mood for a quickie when I got home today.

It's sloppy, but reduces nicely. Here you go, you sweet, evil thing, you.

"A Taste For Trolls"

2011-09-18T15:55:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, my friend Kurt Papstein and I both did demos at a local workshop. I demoed a Space Troll and he demoed a Space Turkey. What a life! This weekend, I had a bunch of Blizzard/Carbine friends over for a marathon comic jam where we were each to produce a 3 page comic. My story revolved around the two warring factions from last week's workshop. I wasn't able to complete it in the allotted time frame, but will share anyway. It'll be a while before I have my comic shtick down, but...baby steps!

turtle toaster, ogre-lord, pumpkins, corrupted angels...

2011-09-18T15:48:00.000-07:00

...all fairly par-for-the-course on my sketch pages!

Thanks to the mighty Cory Loftis, who inspired Turtle Toaster.

Gold Pt. 1

2011-09-10T21:17:00.000-07:00

At Blizzard, you have to paint a lot of gold. Fortunately there's a guy in Cinematics named Mathias Verhasselt (a.k.a."the computer") who can render the shit out of gold. And pretty much everything else.

This was my first attempt, under his stern tutelage.

Get this : gold apparently doesn't cast a shadow on itself. Mathias saw that I drew one [left] and said, flatly, "No, no, no. Get rid of that." Rather, gold starts out resembling a muted chrome and the yellowy-orangey warmth comes from highlights, ambient occlusion, and areas reflecting itself! As someone who's only thought about shadows up to this point, the idea of painting reflective anything boggles the mind. I guess this is what bounced light is, but still...

I'm going to keep trying, but it'll be a while before I can catch up to the computer!

матрешка

2011-09-08T00:02:00.000-07:00

They say the best gifts are hand-made. Today I was gifted with this, a Russian nesting doll (matreshka*) remix of my Blasphemous characters.

That's Hailey on one side and Holly on the other. These photos don't do the piece justice on a textural level -- there's glitter glazed into the hair and a reflective sheen to the skin. And the craftiest detail of all is that the pair are seamlessly woven together in much the same way I visualize them : inseparable.

A little about the artist, an unexpected treasure in-and-of herself : Victoria Yurkovets hails from Moscow, where she's most famous for her involvement in the Russian gaming community. She's hosted numerous reviews and interviews as "Kiguri", an alias that can be traced back to her Deviant Art account. It was through these things -- gaming and illustration -- that I came to know (and eventually meet) Vika. She's heavily into metal, cosplay, anime and, more recently, nail art. She speaks English and Japanese. Her pets include arachnids, reptiles and mammals. She hisses at children.

photo by Alex Klimov

I could go on, but one of the things I find most captivating about Victoria is the recurring cast of characters she draws. They all have names and histories -- lives that take place both on and off the page. She refers to them as one would refer to close friends or family members. They're part of her. In her way, she encouraged me to start doing the same with my characters -- to become more familiar with them, cherish them, give them personalities. Destinies.

And so, to the giver of this torrid, twisted and telltale gift -- to the giver of many possible destinies -- I say "Thank you, my one, my only Ki." If my artist self has ever had a muse, it's you.
.................................I love you SO MUCH.

*I should mention, too, that Kiguri does these matreshkas on a limited commission basis. You can contact her for rates...AT YOUR OWN RISK!

scrapbooking

2011-09-06T22:34:00.000-07:00

a.k.a. "what happens when I'm too lazy to clean up a bunch of scans"

low-res

2011-09-05T00:28:00.000-07:00

Dinking around in Photoshop today on a single monitor, wacom tablet setup. My laptop isn't very powerful, so I kept the file teeny tiny, but you can totally concept at 72 dpi if you don't care about printing stuff...which I don't.

lifedrawing log - 09.03.11

2011-09-03T15:05:00.000-07:00

Rio

left to rot

2011-08-31T15:37:00.000-07:00

lifedrawing log - 08.27.11/08.28.11

2011-08-28T23:44:00.000-07:00

I've noticed I tend to draw a lot of squinty, "neutral" expressions on people. *tsk*

You can tell how NOT INTO drawing shaved, naked men I was, and how the following was a welcome switch...

I'm not enabling comments for a while, as I've been getting ruthlessly spam-botted and don't care to do maintenance. I blame The Internet.

End-of-day head study...

2011-08-26T17:24:00.000-07:00

...'cause girls are cute 'n' stuff.

Gino's color bitch

2011-08-21T20:48:00.000-07:00

My coworker/coffee pal Gino Whitehall drew a viking and challenged his Facebook friends to color it. I accepted!

The original...

...and it occurs to me now that the dangly, wiggly thing hanging from his groin is probably a knife, and should have been painted metallic. Oops!

Things...

2011-08-15T22:59:00.000-07:00

The usual assortment of sketches I didn't want to take further ---->

Signed and customized sketchbook from Vinod Rams! Thanks, Vinod! ---->

Recycled and odorless paper made from elephant poo, courtesy of Pior Oberson. Thanks, Pior! ---->

test

Concept Shop

2011-08-13T13:29:00.000-07:00

Here's a private workshop I'm doing with some friends in September. Intimate venue, no posturing or bullshit...just like I like it!

lifedrawing log - 08.10.11

2011-08-10T21:37:00.000-07:00

Overheard this at a session tonight : "I don't buy into that gestural, 'spirit of the pose' stuff." That's like saying, "I love cake, but I don't really care for that 'flour and sugar' stuff."

Minor epiphany : When a model poses on/next to a stool, its structure helps establish the perspective you're dealing with, but you totally don't have to draw the stool. You can make it into a rock or an R2 unit or a pile of cabbages. Not sure why it took me this long to figure that one out.

brush/color test

2011-08-02T18:35:00.000-07:00

Trying to render ACROSS forms, like my man J.P.

*sigh* Ever in training...

lifedrawing log - 07.31.11

2011-07-31T17:30:00.000-07:00

Every time I do this, I try to have a "take." In his book The Art Spirit, Robert Henri talks about studying for information. [pg. 25] "...what we can carry away with us -- is often a revelation of the very little understanding we had in the presence of the model." That's pretty much it. Even if I come in and bash out another 20 sheets of the same-old-same-old, there's usually one new nugget that sticks in my sieve of a head. This week it was a shape the fleshy pad the foot makes on the outer side when it contacts the ground, and how it runs into the piggy toe. That's mine now.

Side note 1 : I've listed "anatomy" and "light" at the very bottom of my lifedrawing agenda. This is because I feel like I'm still struggling with the stuff closer to the top of my list, most of all "proportion." I'm still, after all these years, misjudging the relative size of arms, legs, heads, torsos and, well, everything else. When I feel like I'm consistently nailing gesture and proportion, I'll be able to let myself focus on those other, more cosmetic things.

Side note 2 : If you moderate a lifedrawing session, leave the music up to the model. Or at least make an attempt to differ it every week. HUNDREDS of new tracks have come available in the brief time it took me to post this, and there's many free, streaming services that don't require much musical knowledge, let alone taste.

For that past, oh, six months, I've heard the same 30-or-so songs on perpetual loop at the session I attend. It's maddening. I even said something. I could just suck it up and keep bringing my own listening device, but goddamn, people, NO ES DIFICIL.

Lilith model

2011-07-29T14:46:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Josh Manning for sharing his rendition of an early Lilith concept from Darksiders!

Beloved door.

2011-07-28T15:14:00.000-07:00

OMG, another Quake door, this time by Swedish hard-surface wiz Disting! Sweeeeet!

Tor Frick Strogg

2011-07-28T09:41:00.000-07:00

Tor Frick did this badass model based on one of my old Strogg Grunt concepts.

Awesome texture job on this, too, Tor!

/purge

2011-07-25T23:00:00.000-07:00

It's dangerous when the act of drawing becomes more satisfying than the drawings themselves. I *could* do more with these but...mmnnn...don't wanna!

What I need to do is to give myself a PAPER ALLOWANCE. 2 sheets a week, max, and really love those pages up. Tools are plentiful; it's *willpower* that's in short supply!

lifedrawing log - 07.24.11

2011-07-24T23:57:00.000-07:00

This isn't conclusive, but I'm pretty sure all blonde women in the world hate me, actively or inadvertently.

Pro tip I picked up from tonight : If you sit cross-legged when you draw, like a dainty little princess, you can stick spare drawing implements *in your shoe.* I saw a guy with six pre-sharpened pencils jammed up against his sock, ready to go. It was so simple, yet so obvious, and I complimented him on his ingenuity. (Just don't forget they're in there, or you're likely to stab yourself in the calf muscle.)

Celia Calle!

2011-07-24T17:13:00.000-07:00

Miss Monster, you weren't at Comic Con this year, so I took refuge in the arms of another art crush : Celia Calle!

She signed all my Celia-swag and gave me some bonus insights into her process -- totally intuitive and free. Should have known!

Some inky quickies from the con...

...and a badass web comic I found out about directly from creator/concept artist Anne Szabla -- Bird Boy.

Oni

2011-07-20T22:46:00.000-07:00

This is more of a visual note to my future self : horn shapes that overlap the eyes like shaggy hair and/or menacing brows.

I was here.

2011-07-18T13:00:00.000-07:00

lifedrawing log - 07.16.11

2011-07-16T17:00:00.001-07:00

Playlist :

Orchid Star "Faster"
Ott "Mir"
Amit "9 Times"
Atari Teenage Riot "Is The Hyperreal?"
Zomby "Dedication"
Submotion Orchestra "Finest Hour"
Troubl "Avalanche"
Von D "Daydreaming"
Silkie "City Limits Vol. 2"
Bop "The Amazing Adventures Of One Curious Pixel"
Mobthrow "Mobthrow"
The Teknoist "Trainwreck Magnetism"
Amon Tobin "ISAM"
A Dancing Beggar "Follow The Dark As If It Were Light"
Winterlight "Hope Dies Last"
Dalot "Loop Over Latitudes"
Last Days "The Safety Of The North"
Near The Parenthesis "Music For The Forest Concourse"
Port Royal "2000-2010: The Golden Age Of Consumerism"
John Tejada "Parabolas"
Siriusmo "Pearls & Embarrassments : 2000 - 2010"
Loud "The Remixes"
V/A/ "Reconstruction Of Fives"
V/A "For Nihon"

Ninja Assassin Party

2011-07-15T12:20:00.000-07:00

Here's a silly little flyer graphic I did for a cross-team event today at Blizzard. They're doing some game where you have to fake-assassinate your coworkers (getting to know them in the process -- clever, clever), so the ninja theme is totally random and doesn't have a thing to do with any Blizzard properties. I figure it's okay to share.

Also, there's beer.

fine. feathered.

2011-07-10T22:51:00.000-07:00

lifedrawing log - 06.10.11

2011-07-10T09:39:00.000-07:00

...and, inevitably...

I'm a little empty.

2011-07-05T20:11:00.000-07:00

I'm a little nervous.

2011-07-01T20:19:00.001-07:00

You're coming downtown.

2011-06-28T21:16:00.000-07:00

So this is flattering. Nathan "ENBE" Barnes did this clever 3D rendition of an old sketch of mine, and I daresay it's an improvement. Thanks for sharing, Nathan!

More cleaned-up sketch pages...

2011-06-28T20:31:00.000-07:00

Pumpkins with gnarly stems and drippy candles with faces in 'em!

Dr. Sketchy output...

...and lastly, some animal skulls my friend Kymba LeCrone graciously brought to work for study purposes. This is the first time I've done lifedrawing from something that wasn't a human. It's neat to be able to pick up and rotate an object to get exactly what you're interested in.

Coworkers crept into my pages this week.

2011-06-18T21:34:00.000-07:00

...or, you know, proximities.

lifedrawing log - 06.18.11

2011-06-18T16:32:00.001-07:00

To people who let their chihuahuas run loose in lifedrawing because they figure everyone will find it "cute" : it's distracting, and I hate you.

Door time!

2011-06-16T09:37:00.000-07:00

So this is neat! Environment artist Travis Castillo built one of my Quake IV doors all purdy-like. Thanks for sharing, Travis!

lifedrawing log - 06.15.11

2011-06-15T21:01:00.001-07:00

So I guess it's "Krystal Kaos" -- twice the K!

From The Archives - pt. 3

2011-06-14T21:46:00.000-07:00

As some of you know (or would prefer to forget), Duke Nukem Forever shipped today. I actually made it into the manual credits under "additional concept art." While I can't say much for the product, I had three very formative years at 3D Realms, and for that I thank them.

Here's a hairier, more optimistic me a decade ago at E3. So yes, THIS REALLY HAPPENED.

The following is a smattering of work I did while there, all portfolioed up. Ancient, yes. Embarrassing, yes. But part of my history nonetheless. You can see still more here and here.

lifedrawing log - 06.11.11

2011-06-11T16:01:00.001-07:00

lifedrawing log - 06.04.11

2011-06-04T15:50:00.000-07:00

I was pretty pleased with myself for converting the model into a nekkid DJ [center]. At least that's what I think he was miming...

This week was especially awesome because I didn't have to sit anywhere near the gallery snob who bumps me with her giant aircraft carrier paper and doesn't excuse herself. There's one in every session. Every. Session.

Still dreaming...

2011-05-30T15:27:00.000-07:00

Today I woke from a dream I wish I hadn't woken up from, and spent the morning trying to recapture it. This is as close as I came.

Coffee nook'd!

2011-05-29T16:08:00.000-07:00

There's a Starbucks nearby that's been getting entirely too much of my money. I think, in the long run, this little guy will pay off, and hopefully lead to some late night/early morning binge drawing. [forthcoming]

lifedrawing log - 05.28.11

2011-05-28T16:45:00.000-07:00

beer + clipboard =

2011-05-26T19:33:00.000-07:00

horrorgourds / playlist

2011-05-23T22:59:00.000-07:00

When something feels right, I don't tend to question it, so...

Autodestruct playlist :

The Flashbulb "Love As A Dark Hallway"
The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble "From The Stairwell"
Epic 45 "Weathering"
This Will Destroy You "Tunnel Blanket"
Hammock "Longest Year"
Explosions In The Sky "Take Care, Take Care, Take Care"
Grails "Deep Politics"

Hauschka "Salon Des Amateurs"

Boxcutter "The Dissolve"
London Elektricity "Yikes!"
Nu Tone "Words And Pictures"
Wagon Christ "Toomorrow"
Royksopp "Senior"
Autoclav 1.1 "All Standing Room In The Goodnight Saloon"
Snog "Last of the Great Romantics"
Matta "Prototype"
Semiomime "From Memory"
Kryptic Minds "Can't Sleep"
Siriusmo "Mosaik"
Younger Brother "Vaccine"
Ghost "Kaleidoscope"
MDS "Slice Vertical"
V/A "Context" [SMM / Ghostly International]
V/A "Back & 4th" [Hot Flush Recordings]

Slim Pickings

2011-05-21T23:53:00.000-07:00

Here are some drawings...

...and here's me showing my respect for Chinese culture.

"Avoid Half" - shadows

2011-05-17T21:53:00.000-07:00

The following philosophy comes courtesy of my art lead, the knowledgeable and versatile Arnold Tsang. I asked him how he plans his shadows and he said, "Basically, you want to avoid cutting the image in half." "Avoid half" has since become my mantra in many areas. You can see how, in the example below, it looks better when you give an object over to light (left) or to shadow (center) instead of something uncomfortably in between (right).

Notice, too, that doing this creates a more readable pattern when you squint. I used to think lighting choices were arbitrary, or that you had to slavishly calculate how light rays fell, but (at least for non-realist illustrators) not so! You have to make a DESIGN DECISION based on what you think will make the most pleasing pattern, and lean hard in one direction or the other. Will it be mostly light or mostly dark? You don't want your piece to resemble a yin-yang!

To a lot of artists, this is second-nature, common sense stuff, but I was happy to learn it. Passing the savings onto you!

---

Also, head over to Babe Lab for a new interview with my good pal Josh Singh, as well as a nifty card trick!

j/k LOL

2011-05-15T23:58:00.000-07:00

Who's got two thumbs and zero discipline? *points at self* THIS GUY!!

So I drew a bunch of disembodied heads again. Sue me. Oh, and here's a bonus pic of yours truly at a Renaissance Faire holding a giant turkey leg --->

Before you ask, yes, Nyancat is totally appropriate for this type of event. Nyancat is appropriate for ALL EVENTS.

sick and searching

2011-05-08T13:56:00.000-07:00

Ill this weekend...just me and my therapy pumpkins. When everything else is a strain, you just want some things to be easy.

((The little stars indicate where I was observing something, or someone.))

I think it may be high time for me to exit this "mega comp of disjointed head drawings" phase and enter into a "one-drawing-per post" phase like so many artists I admire. Seriously, my heroes aren't doing this, and for good reason : no one remembers cascading pages of jumbled sketches! It's hard to let go of ingrained habits, especially if you feel like they're strengths, and try new, uncomfortable things. I'll save iteration for the workplace and strive to be more decisive when I'm off-duty.

lifedrawing log - 05.04.11

2011-05-07T12:46:00.000-07:00

morning studies -- week 1

2011-05-06T12:34:00.000-07:00

Trying to get back into the habit of doing studies/warmups when I get into work. Apologies to Jeremy Pantoja.

Bonus Aletta...

annotated sketchperiment

2011-05-01T21:04:00.000-07:00

lifedrawing log - 04.30.11

2011-04-30T19:53:00.001-07:00

eyedropper / name dropper

2011-04-24T22:05:00.000-07:00

If you're on this list, I used something you told me about color while I was messing around in Photoshop tonight. Thanks! I love my friends! Can't wait to start applying this on, you know, real stuff.