Tag Archives: painting

Make-up test

Those of you following me on tumblr will have seen this image come up again…and again…and again…at various stages in the process. This was a test on two things: to create a mostly realistic portrait of one of my characters, and to finally get around to doing an improved version of the previous make-up test, this time by giving myself a base face, and then painting on top of that, with the final goal of getting something looking like a fashion shoot.

Here’s a quick summary of the things I learned/did:

  • I like to refine a picture.
  • It’s hard to see in the web-friendly versions, but for the top two faces I textured the skin by running a dry-brush over it, following the main muscles. This had the side effect of lightening the skin and unifying the colour – and I also used it to exaggerate the saturation in some parts. Next time I’ll try using a sponge instead.
  • I’m a bit less apprehensive of soft-edge, glazy brushes now. This picture made much more use of soft gradations and gentler edges than what I’m normally used to.

June is for concepts and livestreaming

This month will be full of writing, planning and concept work!

Here’s a quick environment painting from imagination. Restricted myself to four tones for use throughout the image. Don’t think I quite got it, so I’ve set up a palette for my next black and white environment sketch that allows for three tones within three separate planes (nine tones total. Nine! I’ll be thoroughly spoilt.)

Also, here’s what that concept work looks like. I’m leaving this character’s weapon mutable, and I’ve left out some of the studies I did to get her to that broad silhouette. Readers of The Thing That Should Not Be might recognise this character…

And here’s a not terribly quick speedpaint. I referenced a shot of BigBang’s Daesung from the Monster music video.

I used to be a reluctant k-pop fan, and then I saw how awesome YG music videos were :B

Technical painting talk: Restricted myself to four tones for the initial value painting, then allowed to play a little bit more once I started laying down the colours. Also the first time I’ve worked from a gamut, which was very exciting! Overall painting took maybe two hours. I need to get back into painting more quickly and more often! I’ve livestreamed most of this painting, which you can find at my livestream channel here. Warning for length, this one clocks in at an hour and a half. I hope to do another livestream soon! 🙂

Conference promotion: character concepts

So here’s one of the things I’ve been working on lately

I was asked to concept and develop some characters for some state educational conferences this year.

The client gave me the description of the conferences and their focus, and suggested a visual style then gave me free rein to explore. We picked these four designs from a series of concepts I did.

The best part about working on these was seeing how far I’d come since the last time I’d worked with this client.  There’s a certain joy to taking something from a concept, developing it, noticing – and understanding, and fixing – mistakes and preparing a final dynamic piece.

Happy holidays!

Happy holidays for 2011!
Happy holidays for 2011!

It’s been a busy couple of weeks, and a busy year all round but I’m looking forward to having some time to myself and my growing games collection (thx Steam).

It’s technically summer where I am, but it doesn’t feel like it! We’ve gotten some amazing and beautiful and crazy-intense storms over the past couple of weeks, and a lot of cold and rain in between. I hope you’re having a safe and happy holiday (or at least un-stressful time) wherever you are 🙂