wut

I... have mo idea what im dowing but im doing a think so i fuigured id share thisan thiang I dong know im doing. also super drunk. pictures!

[edit] And then this one is a drawing of my buddy Karen, who wanted to be a cartoon.

Regenerator: Basic Shapes & Spaces

Started my unorthodox approach to my take on video-game mythology's Resider Evil 4 Regenerator. I'm not a professional but I'm really going to put my heart into this one simply to keep making art period. I begin by sketching up a starter sketch on ipad's Sketchbook Pro. I try to focus on the most basic shapes and spaces. Once I've finished the rough sketch, I clean it up and assign zones. I originally had lines but removed them once my elements were where I wanted them to be. I took the image into photoshop and will begin the next stage. Once I'm done with the head, I'll do the same with the basic body shape and stance. This will be the most challenging and fun because these creatures are awkward and disproportionate, so I look forward to having a bit of freedom in that regard.

I explored more into perspective as well, and mocked up a simple off-kilter hall I want to have the Regenerator in. I look forward so much to the detailing of the hallway and background. Now that background is just a sample, I'll be creating a more custom backdrop. I do want the perspective a bit skewed. I feel it'll add an eeriness to it.

So tomorrow I'll be moving onto facial structure a bit more and putting more elements in place, like eye sockets, teeth. Once I've established each element's respected zones, I'll be more compelled to warp and interpret this creature with my

Inspiration: Illustrator Rachael Edwards

While many of us contributing to this project are choosing to work initially with pen, pencil and paper (or the digital equivalent), illustrator Rachel Edwards uses linotype and collage to achieve a unique result.

I love the simplicity; the texture; and bold, flat colors of her characters! If bedsheets patterned with her monster collage were available, I know they'd be on my holiday wish list.

One can page through her mythical creature collection, hosted on her site, here. Enjoy!

Fail Friday: Derpasaur

Hey guys, Bianca here. Soooooo, I've been working with the fantabulous Kristy to, you know, learn how to draw, and she gave me some amazing pointers and was generally amazingly helpful, but since I'm a derpasaur, I'd like to show you how talented I am NOT.

Feast your eyes!

I don't even know

What is this?!

Cellulite Centaur

Medusa Gorgon Concept

Without a direct reference, my figure sketches are typically challenged; but I'm genuinely pleased with the results using tips from previous tutorials.
I'm playing with concepts related to Gorgons. I want to continue to tie in more details surrounding the legends. For now, however, it was a fun excuse to start sketching.




Admittedly, the character's tail feels a bit odd to me, but I definitely wanted to include some beastly attributes and wasn't keen on making the bottom half that of a snake, as so often portrayed. Perhaps, I'll explore that option later.

For future concepts, I may wish to play with more monster-ly attributes. In this version, I was imagining her as a confident, powerful and dangerous being and looked a bit to the Batman character Poison Ivy for a reference. Unlike popular lore, I imagine this Medusa character would only turn those to stone when direct eye contact would be made and she would otherwise be venomous. Perhaps more distinct and bright, snake-like markings would've made this more evident.

Back-to-Basics Tutorial Round-Up

Nsio explains it all in ... a back-to-basics round-up!

As I prepare myself for my artistic goals (I promise, team, I'll choose my topic soon!), I'm gathering a set of useful tools and references to help me along the way. So, here's a small collection of my favorite, recent discoveries courtesy of DeviantArt member, Nsio.

• Proportions
  The classic eight-head height proportions and a fine reminder in symmetry (ahhh, symmetry, that elusive beast).
• Simplifying Complexity
  The invisible box, adding middle-lines to assist in defining planes, and... shapes!
• Line Dynamics
  "In reality, there are no lines at all."
• Dynamism
  A lovely intro to giving life to even those action-less portraits

Enjoy!

Inspiration: The Anatomical Work of Masao Kinoshita

Meredith's most recent Harpy post left me asking, "how might one design a convincingly anatomically-correct human-animal hybrid?"

While some legendary creatures -- the unicorn, for example -- have real-world "cousins" to reference, many mythical beings don't even follow what we know as the rules of nature (though I would be interested in seeing a mammal with six functioning and naturally-formed appendages).

For those of similar curiosity, my most recent internet searches produced the fantastical work of Masao Kinoshita, a Japanese sculptor. Kinoshita masterfully gives a somewhat exaggerated yet believable form to both mythical creatures and deities.

I suppose that finding solutions to these questions is part of the fun for any artist, but hats off to artists like Masao Kinoshita who render these forms so beautifully.