Family Matters

Hi everyone!
I thought I'd drop in and post a WIP sketch of a digital painting I'm starting as a personal reference of Alencia's family. This will be of a painting that is hanging in Alencia's family home. I want the painting to point out how Alencia looks nothing like her family as well as input symbolism and possible foreshadowing for each family member.

This image has been in my head for at least a year or two so I'm pretty stoked to even get this far in getting out and on 'paper.' Aside from this and a sketches I've also done some world building for Alencia's stories so I'm feeling really good about it. I have some ideas for the elves of her world and different 'human' races, as well as Alencia's origins and family history.

Trickster Spirit

Today's Illustration is a creature I've designed for a future Alencia story. This creature is actually an enchanted mask that entraps the spirit of anyone who puts it on. In the story (so far at least) there are two of these masks that have spirits attached to them. They float around in the tomb they are imprisoned in collecting bones that they use to construct their 'bodies.' Because of this they can arrange the bones into what ever form they want. If they want to be snake-like they can, if they want lots of limbs they can. If they want to combine themselves into a bigger monster, THEY CAN. So I'm having lots of fun with them so far, but still have things to iron out. Today's illustration is one of them after it has torn apart some fresh prey to take its bones.

Also decided to stick to graphite and watercolor with this one. I think prefer the results when using ink and water color but I suspected a lot of the bone detail would be lost with the brush pen. Still quite happy with it and the layering I did with all the blood/gore.

El Goro's podcast today covers the 1960 movie "Jigoku." Check it out!

Note: Tomorrow's update might be late. I'll be out of town for the day, then going right into work that evening. I'll try to update that afternoon/night or twice on Saturday.

Concepts from Chaos

Hello again everyone! I've been going through my sketchbooks to see if I have any meager offerings for you and I've found a few.

A sketch of Alencia and Theolyn from a month ago. I've been slowly building their world and I've been looking at ideas for noble formal wear for Alencia's home town of 'Argate.' I'm trying to combine medieval costume with Indian Saris. I think the mixtures of fabrics, in both textures and patterns, will blend nicely with the cuts of the costumes. I'll post more of those as I go. (Pen on sketchbook paper.)

Some character concepts for a character from a comic project I'm working on with my partner in crime, Ryan Moody. (ballpoint and brush pens on sketchbook paper.)

Another concept from my Alencia stories, she tries to exorcise this demon from a family's home but it instead ends up following her around and terrorizing her. His appearance may change by the time he finally ends up in the comic but this is the closest to what's in my head I was able to draw so far. Research for him is fun as it includes watching the Paranormal Activity movies, and episodes of 'Paranormal State.' (Reference used here. Blue pencil and brush pen on sketchbook paper, colored in Photoshop CS5.5)

And here's a large poster I did as a Christmas commission. The client asked for their nephew as a super hero. We brainstormed on concepts and I created the costume for him. The poster is meant to look like the cover of a comic book. The font is "In a Flash" by Walter Velez.

I hope you all had a great holiday, and look forward to the new year! See you in 2012!