Prison isle take 2

 

A completely different take on the prison island concept.

Prison isle

A prison island inspired by Alcatraz (lighthouse, smokestack, water tower). I must have had The Curse of Monkey Island in mind as I drew this. Remember the Plunder Island map with those dramatic cinnamon roll clouds? I might try a darker, more severe version next.

Architectural identity crisis

A value study and more detailed sketch of the lab set for scene 1 of the virtual play to be staged in the aforementioned classical/byzantine-esque theatre. The play is about robots, and it's rather edgy. My kind of drama. Presently reworking the architectural flourishes to make it a bit less Victorian (although I'm definitely keeping the Frankenstein-derived "lightnining bulbs") and a bit more art deco. At least, that's the idea.

Groundling theater

A structure/lighting concept for a virtual theater to be used to stage interactive plays. The concept is a somewhat dilapidated (derelict, perhaps?) ~200-year-old theater from the turn of the 20th century. Barrel-shaped, with a dramatic dome a la the Hagia Sophia or Pantheon. Three-tiered gallery pays homage to the Globe.

Treehome

My third and final rough for the Goose project. Having trouble making Oliver stand out against the background. I'm also unhappy with the overall sense of light and shadow. Perhaps if I knock back the value throughout the image and then selectively bring back key areas--Oliver's silhouette, the edge of the stack of books--I'll achieve the look I have in mind. Right now, I think there is a bit too much ambient light.

Book cover

My idea was to mimic those old promotional air force posters from WWII. I got the idea to put billowing clouds from this war bonds poster.

Goose update

A WIP of one of the illustrations I'm working on for the Goose book. This is a 1/3 resolution rough sketch with a bit of colour thrown in to give me an opportunity to play with value, and as an excuse to practice :) After I get this approved, I'll blow up the drawing, transfer it to board, and redraw the scene without all those chicken scratches. Critiques are, as always, heartily welcomed!

Sketch roundup

Geese! I'd forgotten how fun it is to anthropomorphize animals.



Mascot sketches for Groundling Games.


Ever have a sudden urge to draw but all you can find is a magazine cover featuring Brad Pitt? Well, that's what happened.

Another round of sketches from India

Antique cars and motorcycles on display at Chowmahalla Palace (near the Charminar in the old part of Hyderabad). I was focused on quickly sketching all of the cars until a high school-aged student approached me and requested we draw a motorcycle together. Ironically, he chose the "Indian Chief"--a cycle of American make prominently featuring a native American on the front fender. Also: a limeade vendor and his cart. Limeade in Hyderabad (and perhaps all of India) is very salty, very sweet, and just a little bit sour.


Bored at a sheesha bar...

More sketches from India

A sketch made from a rooftop terrace in one of the nicer parts of Hyderabad. The distant skyline was interesting, if a bit smog-obscured, but I was more interested in sketching the boulder field occupying the lot across the street. In the following weeks, I began to notice the boulders in other parts of the city. I saw a troupe of laborers working over a particularly massive stone with pick axes and jack hammers, and although their efforts did not appear to be affecting the stone in the slightest, the scene made me a little sad. Another hastily erected, nondescript commercial monolith hardly seems a suitable replacement for the massive, ancient, precariously stacked stones that in recent years have become an increasingly rare sight within city limits. But in the grand scheme of things, it's just a rock... right?


Who doesn't want a portable lotus pond in the shape of an elephant?



I met an amiable bonsai pro at a large outdoor garden festival who seemed to equate my interest in drawing bonsai--a perennial favorite subject of mine--with a deep understanding of the craft. I tried to explain that I had never actually miniaturized a tree, but he was already inviting me to tour his private, not-for-sale bonsai forest. I ran out of time and didn't get to see the bulk of his work, but the 50-odd trees on public display were pretty neat.


View from the window of my bedroom. The purpose of the cage wasn't clear to me; perhaps it keeps out the birds.

India sketchbook

I didn't obtain access to a scanner until the day before I left India, and then I was so busy gorging myself on a final round of dosas, stuffed lady fingers, and parathas that I ran out of time to post the scans. Bummer. Here are a couple of images from the little spiral-bound (+ pen and tiny watercolor set) I carried with me everywhere I went.


Imaginative sketches made during my "Delhi belly"-induced confinement.

Inspired by the craggy hills surrounding the village of Palampur.(I didn't have time to make a sketch on-site, so I had to rely on memory.)

Statues from the home I stayed at in Hyderabad. The Shahs had countless antique paintings, carvings, and statues lining the walls, floors, and ceilings.

And a quick sketch of one of those bloody autorickshaws that contribute so much to noise, pollution, and traffic deaths in India. But in the middle of the night on a crowded freeway lined with 8" speedbumps, riding in the back of one of the little devils WAS an experience...

a question of style

So, I can't decide if I want to illustrate all 100 fruits + veggies for "SeasonalChef" in Illustrator


or Flash


I guess I could switch between programs depending on the visual complexity of each consumable, but I was rather hoping to stick with one application. I'm sure this is directly related to me being familiar, but far from adept, with both drawing programs. The mesh gradient tool in Illustrator is a godsend for knobby, elongated, twisted, or otherwise funky veggies. But I really like how Flash gives the ability to localize alpha channels in gradients without messing around with masks. What a tragic dilemma.

Learn cell biology in 10 easy steps!

The set of posters that will be on display in India. Thanks again to Will Schneller for assembling and rendering many of the 3D assets.

assorted sketches

A few sketches I've had lying around for a while. I re-penciled the "steamobile" for the book, eventually hope to paint it and make it into a proper illustration. The first scan is a little card I made for a friend who was kind enough to buy me lots of flour on her last day at Whole Foods (employee discount!) I have more bits and pieces on my drawing table, but I need to find motivation to draw before I can hope to be moved to scan anything in.

Plant biology posters

I am working with a couple of people at Iowa State to assemble a series of posters that will be used to supplement high school-level plant biology instruction. These represent the first half of the set of 12-16 2'x3' posters. (It has been frustrating to observe my aged system feebly grabble with the massive 7200x10800 Photoshop files. 2GB of RAM seemed like so much two years ago...)

I am still attempting to settle on a consistent visual style. Right now, the posters don't complement each other quite as well as I'd like them to. Deciding how to handle lettering has been one of my biggest challenges. I rather wish I had taken a typography course at university.