Pirate pencil sketches

Last sketch for 2014.
My parent's have a lovely little holiday house by the coast. You can spend hours just looking out the window at the sea - so beautiful. The sea, waves, the occasional seal. Smell of the salty air. So I started thinking pirates. Don't you just love the idea of being on the ocean, exploring new lands. Looking for treasure. Awesome stuff.

I will post up another quick pirate illustration I did in Adobe ideas soon.
Thanks for coming on by for a visit. All the best for the last day ever, 2014. Land ahoy my hearties!!!!

Merry Christmas everyone!!!

Merry Christmas to you.

Here's to a safe, relaxing and enjoyable break. A time to slow down and reflect on what is important.

For me it is that little baby born into this world to give us hope and ultimately a future beyond this life.

If you have never considered this future life, please take a chance on this Jesus.

He offers life far beyond what we see.

God Bless, Merry Christmas and thanks for coming on by.

Big shout out to my beautiful wife Sonya who did the text - thanks babe!!!

Red head girl illustration

One more week to go and it's Christmas. Oh-just-can't wait. These last few weeks have been busy-busy busy.So really looking forward to some rest and recreation.

This image was created initially from a study I did on a favourite artist of mine, Pernilleoe.

I just love the softness that is in her work.

So I wanted to push myself and try to capture that sensibility to my own work.

Overall I was happy with the outcome.

Tools used for the above image:

• Wacom Intuous 5
• Photoshop CS3

Thanks again for visiting - till next time.

Rocket Raccoon final

 

Rocket now with the final gun choice. Yay!!!!

Overall fairly happy with the look. Hope to at some-stage colour this up.

Thanks for visiting and....countdown to Christmas begins. Can't wait. Holidays, relaxing times. Get to hang out with my beautiful wife. Maybe get some more art in too. Yay!!!!

Bye for now.

 

Rocket Raccoon gun final

In a previous post (Rocket Raccoon Guardians of the Galaxy) I had developed Rocket Raccoon but wasn't that happy with his gun. So for some awesome inspiration I turned to Skottie Young's many excellent versions of Rocket. He has one version which is just sublime magic...and a little crazy.

The first gun (at top left) was done in adobe draw. Such a great app (and free) - how awesome is that. I was then able to take those beautifully controlled lines into illustrator and do a live trace. Onto number two gun. I really liked the bulk of the gun but didn't like the front handle bit. So I changed that.
Onto number three gun. The final - yay!!! With all its bell's and whistles. Super overdone, crazy and just the way I love it.

Will post up gun with Rocket next.
As always, thanks for coming on by for a visit.

Tools used:

• Adobe draw
• Illustrator CS3

Jurassic Park illustration

After seeing the latest Jurassic World film trailer I just had to do an image. Can't wait till next year for its release. Genetically modified dinosaurs - looks like we are going to see some crazy carnage.

Image was created in photoshop using Wacom Intuos 5. Just love this tablet.

P.S. I haven't forgotten to post Rocket Raccoon with bigger-better gun. Hope to do this in next few days.

Thanks for visiting - please feel free to leave a comment.

Bye for now

Rocket Raccoon Guardians of the Galaxy

The Guardians of the Galaxy was such a great movie. Loved the story - so entertaining.

So I just had to do a character - Rocket Raccoon. AWESOME!!!

Influences for the sytle was definitely Mike Mignola. I have always loved his treatment of black and white. There is also Skottie Young (Love his stuff) and recently I discovered artist Michael Golden.

After inking up the whole image I wasn't really that happy with his gun....soooo I decided to try some experimental options. Bigger the gun, bigger the impact.

Hope to get the finished image up next post.

Bye for now

Tools used:

• Adobe ideas
• Wacom Bamboo stylus
• Ipad

Digital character faces

Hello, and welcome.
Here are some faces I created recently using Adobe ideas and Sketchbook pro. Both on the ipad. 

Inspiration was to just play with shapes and see what came out of it.
These all initially start with quick fire doodling at my work desk.

This process so works for me as I don't over-think the drawing....well, not too much anyway.

Bye for now.

Tools used:

• Adobe ideas
• Sketchbook pro

Octopus illustration

Been able to ink digitally (still very much a work in progress) has become so much more achievable due to Adobe Ideas.

Having the functionality to re-edit your stroke work, control the width of the stroke is just too awesome. But the selling point for me is that lovely tapered finish of the stroke by using the brush tool.

It just makes your lines sing with vitality. And who doesn’t like some singing line work!!!!
And if that wasn't enough, Adobe Ideas is a free app through the apple apps store.

My inspiration for the style of the drawing came from illustrator ‘BeastPop Artworks’. Just love the way he uses colour. Check him out, great style.

Well, that’s another post done and dusted.

Bye for now

Tools used:

• Adobe Ideas
• Bamboo stylus on ipad
• Right hand

DREAM WORKS EXHIBITION -Melbourne

Had a fantastic time at the exhibition.

Was soooo fortunate to see some awesome artwork.

Particular favourites were the sculpts. Anything from a set design like Grommit in the glass house to Alex from Madagascar.

Of the drawings Nico Marlet's was stand out. Train your dragon to Kung Fu Panda. I just love his use of muted colours. And the character drawings. How he creates such dynamic cute characters with simplicity. Awesome!!!

And what can I say about Melbourne. Great place, friendly and a joy to just explore.

Tools used for the above images:

• Sonya's iPhone
• Lots of walking, smiling and (friendly) pointing

Supaman

Welcome to my first post.

My hope is that this blog will be a virtual look over my shoulder of a journey towards

becoming a better artist.

And just maybe you (yes you) might want to come along in this joint quest too. Share, be inspired and grow together.

So again, welcome and thanks for clicking on in.

Tools used for above image:

• Adobe ideas on ipad for inking (great program...and its free!!!)
• Photoshop CS3 for colouring