X-men Rogue

This week's post is coming a little bit early and I am headed out of town for the next week or so.
I didn't want to leave you guys without a post for the week. So this week I decided to take a bit of a break from the Nintendo book and try something different. I don't normally do superheroes (although I love them)..but since everyone else does it I like to be different. However, in the spirit of doing different things, I decided to try and paint over someone else's lines, which turned out to be pretty awesome.
I have been following this guy and Deviant art for a while (http://weaponx5203.deviantart.com/).
One day I asked him if I could pick something from his gallery and paint over the work.

He said "sure" and below is what I got:

Here are the steps to get to the end result:

1. Below: I picked the sketch of Rogue from the gallery it was the one with the cleanest lines and I was a fan of the sketch. I heard a lot that the key to a great painting is the sketch and the drawing underneath and it's really true. If you have a crappy drawing no amount of painting over it is going to fix it. See the sketch below:

2: Below: then I added a background gradient to set up the color tone of the painting:

3: Below: One tip that I picked up is before you start laying down any permanent lines, you should do some color tests. This means that you can try different color schemes and see which one works the best. Even different color backgrounds as well. In this case I kept the background green because it goes nicely with the yellow in Rogue's costume.

4: Below: I start to add color flats and the shadows and I make the decision that the light should be coming from the top right side of the image.

 

5. Below: One tip that I learned that also helps was to use a wireframe form lines to try and define the shape. This helps to keep the image from being flat, helps to define the form and helps when adding shadow and defining the form.

6. Below: Shadows added

7. Below I start to go over the lines and do the paintover. I will usually leave the light source indicator in place to serve as a reminder as I work.

8. Below is the final! Shout out to Weaponx for letting me paint over his work!
See you in a week guys!!!!!

http://murdockink.tumblr.com/
http://moebocop.deviantart.com/
http://twitter.com/mauricemurdock

Manus In Wonderland WIP

WIP for "Manus in Wonderland"

Robots Hate Mondays too (WIP)

WIP


http://murdockink.tumblr.com/
http://moebocop.deviantart.com/
http://twitter.com/mauricemurdock

Jersey City Concept Painting 2 WIP

Working on this now..

Jersey City Concept Painting 1 Done

Alrighty, this is the first of my ideas for the JCindependent cover contest. It's finally done. My idea here is to take places in JC and to then put a different sci-fi spin on them. This image is from a picture that I took over on Warren and 1st street (about a block away from my place.) Instead of a hi-rise and the power substation, instead we have robots and flying bots. I think the way that this came out, only next time I will use elements that are totally from pictures that I took. This image has some stock art, so I will have to challenge myself next time and build elements from scratch. (done in Painter 11)
 

Messing around with PS5

I grabbed the demo for photoshop 5 tonight...and just started playing around with the new blender brush tools...so good..

Jersey City Concept Painting WIP

What i'm working on tonight...

Afro Samurai!

Here is Afro...done in Painter 11, i'm pretty happy with this one (focusing on the values again..) however I keep forgetting to focus on filling the space....sometimes these things just happen spontaneously, and I forget to do that as I am working...i'll keep that in mind down the road though...
Time to  setup the new computer now...

Afro Samurai WIP

Afro Samurai Piece WIP

Demon Hunter Done (Part 2)

This is another version of the Demon Hunter image that I was working on for the bi weekly challenge over at the CG-Hub site. I thought that I was done but then I decided that I needed to work even harder on values before adding color instead of jumping ahead (I just get super excited about adding the color bit). So, I went back and reworked this piece (again) and added more contrast with the oil's brush.

This home however, I def. liked the way that it came out. So, I can safely say that I am done and done.
Now on to the next forreals..Up Next: Afro Samurai!!!

Demon Ass Kicker Final Image!

Final image of Demon Ass Kicker Character contest over on the CG-Hub site.

Demon Ass Kicker Process..

So to keep things going until I start my painting my class in July, I have been participating in a number of different sketch challenges over on the CG-Hub site. The challenge this week was to do a character of a Demon Hunter. I decided to go full Painter on this one as a means to continue to compare the two programs (Painter vs. Photoshop). Below is the process post to the final image.

1. Start with a sketch as usual. I came up with a back story for this character to help to define the character more. (See below)

2. Drawing clean up (I did this in Photoshop) (See below):

3. Added tones (I found a new basic ink brush in Painter that gave clean basic tones):

4. Added basic colors to the image (See below):

5. Final Color adjustments and lighting effects:

LochNess Monster Tutorial

I have been working on learning both Photoshop and Painter, bit by bit.
 A while back I got a Painter tuorial book that I have been making my way through. I put it down when the Photoshop classes started, but now that the Photoshop class is over with, I have picked the tutorial book back up again. This chapter focused on a Loch Ness Monster image (the image was not something that I drew). I just followed the steps and did the walk through as the book instructed. I liked this image a lot, so I thought that I would post it. Enjoy!

CG Hub Mermaid Challenge Process

Ok, so I have been a little bit busy as of late. I have been taking a digital coloring class, for coloring line art using Photoshop, which was fun, and I definitely learned a lot. Since I couldn't color line art before, I have a little bit more in the skills department now that the class is over with. My next goal is to focus on learning how to digitally paint. Some of the principles on how to paint digitally and color line art are the same. So I decided to just try and go for broke and see if I could digitally paint an image based on the basic principles of value and color. So I decided to enter the CGHub Drawing Jam (which is a bi-weekl y contest where you have to submit an image based on a theme). The theme this time around was "Mermaids"...and below is my entry.

1. I first did a number of sketches, to try to come up with something that was both an interesting image and that told a litle bit of a story. I decided on the image below that tells a "mermaid in a jar" type story.

 

2. Then I added values to the image and tried to settle on the lighting and direction. (below)

3. When done I duplicated the "value layer" and prepared to start painting "between the two layers. (below)

4. I then start to add basic flat color, using the established values as a guide (see below)

5. I then flatten the image and begin to work on adding color and texture "on top" of the flattened image focusing on lighting and setting the mood for the piece. (see below)

6.  Once I like where the drawing is going I work to finish up the drawing and to then also focus on the little details like rear lighting, and bubbles (see below)

7. I then add rear lighting behind the professor, and work to complete all of the details in the image by using a really small brush. (see below)

8. As an uber last step, I add in a reflection in the image finish up the image and use the hue/saturation settings to finish up the image and voila my entry is done. (see below)

More Black Swan W.I.P.

I have decided that drawing digitally seems like an easy fix to get things into the computer. The problem is that it looks like shit. There is something about the natural feel of drawing that you lose when you try to do it digitally. I have tried over and over and am not ever happy with the results. Other people seem to be able to pull it off, but I can't somehow. So I have decided to just work in pen and pencil/paper and scan everything. So I posted the Black Swan piece, and I def. hated it.  I went back and tried to redo it in pen and pencil now.

I then went in and added some colors to the piece (I had only intended to do a basic color of a pen and ink drawing. However during the process a happy accident happened and I realized that if I moved the color layer above* the line layers and then added values I would somewhat get the same effects of a painting (not as refined of course)

 The final step..was that I added a textured background to give the picture some atmosphere.
I have to say that even though the painting is not necessarily masterful...I def. like the way that this came out. This was a total accident, but I am excited about the day that I can get this result on command. Oh and Happy Easter!

Metroid Painted Final

Done with this guy..

The Black Swan Ver 2

I didn't like the first version that I did of this, and so instead I redid the drawing, added different colors added texture and added a feathered background, which I like a lot better.

The Black Swan WIP

I saw this movie recently..and thought that it was great. I especially like the design of the movie posters, how they made Natalie Portman look like an actual swan...so I thought that I would do a work up of that. (Update...I looked this over again and realized that it looks like shite...) so I am doing another version....

MOCCA Fest Post Game

MOCCA Fest has come and gone...what a great great great show. I had such a good time..SUCH a good time and met a lot of folks and even sold some books..who knew that would happen? The best part is that I got a bunch of comics to read. and....I haven't really been reading books for a while..but the fact that I met the actual creators makes the books that I got that much more compelling to read.

Day 1:
I arrived and got my badge and my seat assignment.,and found that I was seated right by the entrance. I sat next to a bunch of gals from Ireland who were selling a bunch of indie comics, kids books, cards and other things. At the end of our row were two guys from Accent UK comics (you can click on the link to check out their selection of comics and their site), and right off the bat I realized that people actually came across the Atlantic to make the show. So I guess i'm pretty lucky to have access to the festival right here in NYC.

Before I sat at my table I took a lap and saw what the other tables were that were being to being set up
I saw so many cool tables and pieces of art from indie folks and publishers that just blew my stuff out the water. Right away I was thinking about ways to make my stuff better for the next show.

By mid afternoon a couple of friends came though which I really appreciated. I had a really great first day..and I even sold a book or two...I was tired by the end of day one, but was so excited to be a part of the show and was psyched that I was in for more on day 2.

Day 2:
Day 2 started off even better than day one. I got there early to make sure that I got a bagel and a poptart to eat before the show started. So I was sitting at my table and along comes Bill Plympton who is an animator/cartoonist and pretty well known in the biz. He just released a DVD and was there at the show to promote his latest work. He actually came up to my table and said really nice things about my banner and my art work, Wow. that was super cool. He even autographed my sketch book and signed it too, Again.....wow!

I spent the rest of the day selling some more books, giving advice to some folks that were curious about getting into the show and putting their own stuff out and.....I even did a sketch. Which I don't think I did such a good job on. However I was flattered that I was asked. I closed the day out with two envelopes of free books, hoardes of biz cards and a ton of new connections..which was what I was hoping for. After spending so much time in isolation working on this book, not knowing what to expect, I came home patting myself on the back with the ability to say that I was in an indie comics show. I can't wait for the next one (I already have an idea)...and to read all the free comics I got..

Manny the Bot Comics Are In!

I got my comics today from the printer and they look super awesome!
I reaized that there was a mistake on one of the pages, and the size of the pages are not standard comic sizes. However considering the fact that I dropped them off on Monday, they turned them around super fast and did such a great job! I am psyched...now for Mocca fest!
I also put together my banner stand (below are the pics).

See you Saturday if you are in the area!

Details below:

 MOCCA FEST 2011:

 MoCCA Fest 2011!
A Fundraiser for the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art-MoCCA
Saturday April 9th and Sunday April 10th 11am-6pm

At the Lexington Avenue Armory
68 Lexington Ave (Between 25th &26th Streets)
New York City

http://www.moccany.org/content/mocca-festival