This was a fun client commission with an open-ended composition that let me really delve into the Star Trek fandom. I wanted to make sure there was enough of the art nouveau elements, which was a major part of the style request. There are not many organic subjects in outer space to lend itself to the art nouveau style, especially ones that would be iconic to Star Trek. To get around this, I made a concept using Borg parts, which is a good substitute for the leaves and flower borders you might see in a Mucha poster.
Mushroom Character Time-lapse Video
I have been working on a few more mushroom characters to add on to my “Shrumans” series. I recorded my process this time so you can see how I build up depth using a smooth airbrush and a hard-edge “gouache” brush in Photoshop. I am still working on producing a sticker pack with these little buds, but you can find the first set of stickers on my Etsy store.
All of my Shrumans in their mushroom glory.
New Timelapse: Snow Study Digital Painting
This is an exploration of form, light, and color with a great reference inspiration: snow! This time I used just one brush in Photoshop, which is the basic gouache brush from Kyle Webster's gouache brush pack. I use this brush along with basic round brushes for most of my work!
Stonebriar Academy Book Covers & Youtube
This year has finally started picking up speed! I recently finished four book covers for Stonebriar Academy: School for Dragon Riders, which is available on Amazon Kindle. I worked with the author, Tom Boyhan, over the course of two months and I enjoyed every stage of the process! Here are some thumbnails and final images:
In other recent news, I uploaded my first proper timelapse video to Youtube. It is the first time I have used more video editing than an iphone App: complete with a little intro and cool jams, which I added in Adobe Premiere Pro! Here is the resulting timelapse video of a fairy character I entered into the Character Design Challenge:
I have just the beginnings of a youtube channel, but you are welcome to follow me and see new videos as they are being released!
Feast of Lights 2019 Character Portraits
Every year the University of Redlands puts on an extravagant display of music and artistry called the Feast of Lights. This is a Christmas-themed program that I have enjoyed and performed in while a student at the University, so it is a special project for me to contribute to! Here are three character portraits that I made with the direction of the lovely individuals at the School of Music, including Juan Garcia and Dr. Nicholle Andrews!
It was such a pleasure to work with them! The process went very smoothly and the project was well suited to my interests with Victorian-inspired elements.
I had some pretty clear instructions up front, so the preliminary thumbnails closely resemble the final illustrations. I was tasked with creating a patterned border, adding an architectural motif based on the University Chapel, and to somehow incorporate the “Puer natus est nobis”, a significant Gregorian chant written in neumes—the precursor to modern music notations.
Here is a little peek at my direct reference for one of the portraits: the shepherd. I’m using a Daz 3D model for lighting information, a decked-out 1/6 scale Artist Figure from Sideshow Collectibles, and moi. Reference material is serious business folks.
Here are close-ups of the faces because I really liked the method I used with a more bristly brush that shows more stroke detail than my other work. It adds more visual interest while at the same time allowing me to let go of applying unnecessary detail, so I will make greater use of it!
If you live in the Inland Empire, you should definitely check out the Feast of Lights! The production raises donations for those in need and is a magnificent choral, instrumental, and theatrical display!