Wally Pfister!!

Digital 2012

Just recently had one of the most successful and amazing cinematographer Wally Pfister visit my college (Ringling College of Art and Design). It was awesome to be able to go with the rest of film majors and have a Q & A with him. What impressed me about him was his knowledge of lighting and the importance it has in all films. I was tasked with others in my class to do a poster that put him in one of his many films. I, of-course, felt that I had to do Batman. As I worked on it, I realized that this was the first time I really had seriously drawn anything Batman related. Personally, I love Marvel more but Batman has always been the best in general. Also, talk about the uproar the media tried to make about Wally Pfister comment about "The Avengers". I can assure you, since I was actually there, that he was only concerned about the camera work. His comment was based on his knowledge of being a veteran cinematographer. I personally really like that movie but there are definitely issues with it. It was just his professional opinion and its hard to argue with someone who has so much experience in that area. I was just glad that he was willing to visit our school.


For more info about him check these websites:
http://www.wallypfister.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wally_Pfister

Illustrated Book Cover

"Dragon's Labyrinth"- Digital Painting 2012

This was done as a book cover illustration. Being a ravenous reader since back in the day, I have always enjoyed fantasy novels. From Dragons of Pern, the Lord of the Rings, and The Dark Elf Trilogy I have enjoyed the cover artwork that was done for them. They truly captured your imagination and set the visual tone when you started to read the book. So I wanted to try to do my very own fantasy based cover. Of course, what's a fantasy novel without a dragon. In this particular story I was imaging that the hero travels with a minotaur and his saurian/dog like pet on this grand adventure. But "Oh NO!" they are being chased by this immense dragon. But *Spoiler Alert* the dragon actually wants to help them. The one that is actually dangerous is the one I show flying in the distance on the top right. So I had a lot of fun doing this one. Still improving and I'm not done.                      

Landscape Environment Design

Photoshop  Digital Painting

An landscape/environment painting. This is something I definitely want to get better at. It amazes me when I look at the art of so many professional concept artists. Sometimes I am just in so much awe at some of there work. But I have to realize that they also started somewhere. And they did a lot of work and a lot of practice to get to the top. My worry is not about getting to the top but continually improving myself. I want to excel in this gift/talent. It also helps that I love doing it too. I am really looking forward to my junior year! Peace Out!

Illustration Painting

"Fear No Evil"   Photoshop   Digital Painting

This illustration was inspired by Psalms 23 in the bible. How sometimes you have to go through a dark place where evil is trying to mess you up. Also I like fiction and fantasy so its like my interpretation. I'm happy with how it turned out. Still practicing on proportions, values, and painting in general. Just very happy to make the image readable. Finally enjoying seeing some fruits of my labor. Well next to some landscape practice.

Portait Paintings

Digital Painting Photoshop

Digital Painting Photoshop The Memory Project

 Yeah. Got my intous 3 tablet, now back to work...Well work that I enjoy. The first portrait painting was done for my beautiful cousin Shelly. Sometimes your first subjects tend to be family members but I really enjoy this and I hope she like it too. The second portrait was a painting I did for the The Memory Project. The Memory project is where students can participate to bless children in other countries who are less fortunate. So I was given a picture and it was my task to do a painting from it. I was so glad that I participated and I hope that the child who received the picture enjoyed it. I encourage any artist to take time to use their talents to help inspire a child. For more information please visit their website.  http://www.memoryproject.org/

Summer + Job= Less Art :(

Yeah. There are a lot of times when you have other responsibilities you have to do. Like actually working to save up a money. But that is no excuse for not honing your draftsmanship skills. That's what I have found myself doing recently. Going back to the fundamentals. Getting better at drawing proportionally, drawing more expressions, varying different types of characters. It also doesn't help when I had lost my bamboo tablet pen and now have to buy a new tablet. At least it will be a intous 3  but then I have to wait for it to come here and etc. I cannot wait for next semester. One thing I love to see and to keep on doing is to improve in big leaps. That is what seems to happen to me all the time. It also helps when you go to such an awesome school as Ringling College. You can receive so much help from friends, classmates and the amazing professors. August can't come to soon!

Album Cover Design

"Rhythmic Journey"  Digital Painting  Photoshop 

Illustration done for an album cover. I was influenced by the band Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. I love their fusion jazz and style that travels into other genres. That is why I did this space ship flying through this valley of instruments. I really enjoyed it and it is definitely one of my strongest pieces of work.....so far.   P.S. Victor Wooten is the BEST BASS PLAYER EVER!

Car Concept Designs

If only I interned under Syd Mead! This was just playing around with different vehicle designs. I realized that I actually didn't know how to draw cars in the first place which definitely throws a wrench in designing anything. So I took my time to draw cars and then play around with them. Its just always good to draw and draw some more because who knows what shows up!

Business Card Designs

The end of the semester is winding down, and I am reminded again that I have no business card. So thankfully my class is doing a project to help us in this area. So far I want to do an illustrative approach to this but I still dont have a consistent theme yet. Here are some designs for the cards. Definitely more are coming until I can decide on a final one.

Would be back of Card

Kanji symbol means "Soul"

Just a fun one.

Concept Art Illustration

"Overwhelming Force" - Photoshop

 

This last few weeks my classI was given an opportunity by my professor to do a open assignment. I was so glad to be able to focus on an area of illustration that I might go further in. So I decided to do a creature design and a mech design. But even after doing the designs I wanted to breadth life into my creations. So I decided to do an illustration. The whole narrative was to have machine controlled by poachers that are hunting these exotic dinosaur like creatures. The composition instead was simplified  to highlight the struggle of nature vs machine. I still need to do more to know which direction to take. This summer I am going to seriously research and define my goals.

Children Book Illustration

"The Starry Phenomenon"  
Digital Painting
  2012

This is a recent illustration done  in Photoshop. It is a children book illustration, depicting a magical moment of these containers coming from the sky, each containing pearls. This was based on the task of taking a page from a dictionary and only using the words on the page to make a cohesive illustration. One main issue that I have and others have pointed out is that it is too complicated for a children book illustration. I agree with them. Kids (small) like to see big shapes and simple ones. I love the characters that I have in this piece, but I feel the background competes with them too much. This is yet again another learning experience of knowing your specific target audience and planning accordingly. Well back to more work.




Below is the initial character sketches

Newest Illustration!

"Deadly Escort"
Digital Painting
Photoshop

Whew...Finally finished an actual illustration. This project has really been a learning experience for me. My goal was to truly practice my technique in photoshop and improve my painting skills. I am glad that I have been able to reach this much of realism in photoshop. Now onto more creative, original and  challenging projects. Wish me luck. 

Children book illustration

Just a practice for how I would illustrate a kid for a book. Just learning and doing.

Pre Production Practice

        Here is a sketch of my idea. A few more changes, some reference shots and onto the work!

I am really excited for this project that is coming up for me. This yet again going to be a culmination of what I have learned in Photoshop. This ones are practices of the figure that will be in my piece. The piece will have like a lara croft meets frank frazetta. I going to do one more practice piece then tackle the main one. Yipee! :)

Speed Paint

One hour speed paint to loosen up for my upcoming digital illustration that I am looking forward too. I don't know what this was supposed to be. I just remember thinking of some kind of monster or robot guarding a shiny gem. Like some kind of RPG dungeon boss that guards something of high value in a cave.