Splash Page Graphic

A quick Home Page graphic I threw together for a portfolio website I'd like to get up-and-running sometime in the very near future:

Click to Enlarge

Buried Treasure, Turning Garbage Into Gold...

...or maybe, how to bring an old image back from the dead.  Digital necromancy!

A number of years ago, when I was learning how to paint in Photoshop, I created an image for a contest on the ConceptArt.org forums.  The image was a good step forward for for me at the time, but it was far from perfect as it was riddled with anatomy issues, texture issues, positioning issues and the like.  The odd part was that the background image was the thing that stuck with me the most.  Years later looking at the PSD again I think that, while the process of doing the image was incredibly important for me to do at the time, I may have to rework the background and make that an image in its own right.

Also, to continue with the my personal theme of self-deprecation as a humbling tool, here is the image in question complete with the initial mistakes I later noted!  If you look closely, you can see the hawk floating around in the background at 25% opacity.

In truth, now that I look at it again, I may use the face (corrected and updated) as a basis for another image.  Should I change the title to Dr. Frankenimage instead?

Anniversaire Nouveau

Here is a little Happy Birthday-slash-Art Nouveau image for my "if I had a twin sister she'd be it" (of course, I should probably be referring to this as "arte nuevo" to match the language in the image, no?):

(Click to enlarge)

(The reference photo used was the same reference as this rough sketch I posted a month or so back.)

Dr.Sketchy’s Philadelphia - D’Arcy D’Lux

This past Saturday I had the chance to drag myself away from Photoshop for a bit and go analog for a few hours!  Dr.Sketchy’s (Philadelphia Branch) hosted a sketchbook event at the World Cafe Live in Philly, featuring the model D’Arcy D’Lux.  I took the opportunity to rediscover what pencil and paper actually look and feel like, all while drinking and enjoying myself!

The Philly branch of Dr. Sketchy's usually runs timed sketches to keep you on your toes: 10 1-minute sketches, 5 5-minute sketches, and so on.  I am quite a slow sketcher, so it is good to be forced out of my comfort zone via timed poses.  I also think I either need glasses or I need to start sitting closer to the stage (or both), but that is beside the point!  Here are a few of my rough sketches from the session:

In case you are wondering what those odd lines are...Miss D'Arcy managed to spice up a few of the poses with a special trick: she threaded a  long, bendy straw up her nose and out of her mouth, and had a lucky first time member pose with her while he drank his beer through her straw! 

To spice things up at each event, and as an excuse to hand out some fun swag, some of the longer poses are thematic contests.  The first was Miss D'Arcy on a birthday cake and the second was as a liquor label.

If you have a chance, check out if there is a branch near you and join in the sketchy fun!

Balon Greyjoy

Balon Greyjoy (click to enlarge)

Originally, this was supposed to be a take on the Victarion Greyjoy helm described in A Feast For Crows.  Unfortunately, in my haste I glazed over the parts where it described the helm as black and covering most of his face (not to mention picking greens and blues as base colors, ignoring the gold cloak he wears).  Ultimately this turned into a portrait of his older brother, Balon Greyjoy.  Funny enough, I despise the villain (I blame him for much of Theon's ...ahem... poor life choices) and would have never picked him for a portrait, but I'll chalk this one up to some foul trickery of the Drowned God and wash my hands of it!

Original helm sketch/concept

Faceless Men

A Song of Ice and Fire cartoon trifecta is in play!  It is a Braavosi conspiracy!  Valar morghulis!

PS - Valar dohaeris!
PPS - For another, non-comic, Faceless Men-related image, click here.

Shagga's Catchphrase

Another Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones cartoon - this time exposing Shagga, son of Dolf, and his infamous catchphrase: