Artist Trak's Stuff - Updated 11/17

Great details and an interesting character, your Gand Tuffass

And the Duros, nice sketches

 

You are a master of detail!

 

Thanks. Since I work mostly in black-and-white (either it's just preference or it's due to color-blindness, not entirely sure), detailing is one of the main things I concentrate on. Though, sometimes, that backfires; I start working on a pic, then after a while, it becomes like a game of sorts to see how much detail I can cram in. XD

Anywho, had this pic sitting around unfinished for a while. I finally decided to finish it off. I need to further hone my digital coloring skills, anyway; they caught the eye of artist Joshua Emerick, who has need of colorists.

[image=http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/5742/tuffassmarines.jpg]

The background was done digitally, based off of a shading a palette reference. It's pretty obvious that it wasn't my main focus, so Guassian Blur helps to hide that.

 

Started coloring my big inked pic a few days ago. I'm sticking with a two-toned shading style for this one so as not to hide the linework.

[image=http://img835.imageshack.us/img835/2530/marinetrainingwip.jpg]

Yeah, this will take me a while.

 

great colours and love the details of your work

 

Thanks, though I still have quite a ways to go with this pic.

[image=http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/729/marinetrainingwip2.jpg]

Got some work on the background done last night, though I may make further changes to it before I'm satisfied. This is one of the largest images I've worked on and stupid ImageShack resized the darn thing, and the PSD is tipping the scales at 16.9 megs and counting.

 

Abso-kriffing-lutely beautiful work.

Wow. It's just...wow.

 

The pic is finished! Well, it's as finished as it's gonna get. I fear that if I keep messing with it, I'll ruin it, so I'm done. I'm pretty satisfied with how it turned out, intentionally-desaturated colors and all.

[image=http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/5246/marinetrainingcolor.jpg]

 

x1,000!

 

Your Gands look awesome, I love how you are portraying and expanding upon the species, very expressive.

Tuffas' model sheet is excellent. I feel that the process of creating model sheets is a great way to help explore the ins and outs of a character. Have you had any experience or an interest in animation?

 

Great and wanting to see more Gands from you

 

Quite a bit, actually. My brother and I used to film stop-motion shorts for fun and we've both dabbled in CGI. We use model sheets more for constructing models (either with Sculpey or digitally, such as in 3DSMax, or with making sprites for Wolf3D) or constructing costumes. I draw model sheets for solidifying character looks if I plan to use them in fanfics or comics, too. That way, I can stay consistent. My model sheets sometimes include naked versions. XD

 

Those are pretty good skills to have, it's great you are getting a fair bit of uses from the model sheets. The anatomy studies are important with capturing the form, the muscles, the way light interacts with the form... especially when designing creatures/beings that are not of human proportions. I love animation and the processes behind them, I look forward to seeing more of your works .

 

Been working on this off and on for a while. Going with a slightly different shading approach and playing with a new palette. My biggest concern with working on this image is that my coloring might hide the linework, so I may try a few versions of it.

[image=http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/9098/yavin4battlecolorwip.jpg]

It's not done, obviously. I still have a ways to go.

 

Love the action scene Great new work

 

Wowsa, you have great art, and if Shaak Ti in ink first time out didn't take you long. . .I gotta agree you got the ink well chops for the business.

 

Thanks. Inking, in recent years, has started to go by way of the dodo as more and more artists "ink" their work digitally, as in the technique I've used at times in which I simply darken and contrast my pencils in Photoshop. It saves time, but I still like to pull out my Pigmas and keep my inking sharp.

Anywho, I looked over the image, decided that I simply wasn't happy with how it looked, and ditched the previous palette and started anew. I'm already happier with how the Massassi turned out.

[image=http://img828.imageshack.us/img828/140/yavin4battlecolorwip2.jpg]

 

It is shaping up nicely, you can notice the linework more clearly with the new palette scheme. I do love the glow of the smouldering wound on the fallen Massassi in the first version.

How are you finding colouring it? I can't wait to see more of your progress.

 

The smoldering effect from the old palette I plan to add to the new one at a later time. So far, I've just been coloring it off and on, it's something to keep me busy. My NaNo fic had slammed to a complete halt, so I'm occupying my time with other things until my muse for that returns.

I originally had absolutely no plans to color the pic; I had drawn it to be black-and-white. But, I need to further hone my skills, and I don't feel like drawing new pics when I have others to color. That and aside from an idle sketch of Bossk and Zuckuss playing pool, my muse has been keeping its distance.

 

You need something refreshing or inspiring for your muse to return, I find music and notes/brainstorming (with a hot chocolate) can be helpful or some form of release like a few rounds on a game or something. It is frustrating when you want to make progress on something and it has stalled. I hope your muse returns soon.

 

Trak all I can say is WOW!

Your coloring and Grans are awesome.

I need to get back to practicing so I can reach at least 1/10th of your expertice.

 

The scene is inspiring.

And maybe scenes from real life will start your muse again. It has for me doing Nano with bits of real life scenes added and listening to an exciting lots of words conversation had me writing a nice new character.

 

Well, so far... nothing has enticed my muse to return. So... here's a sketch dump.

[image=http://img831.imageshack.us/img831/7246/marinelayover.jpg]

Old sketch inspired by a five-hour bus layover in Pittsburgh.

[image=http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/7134/retiredtuffass.jpg]

Sketch of a long-retired Gunnery Sergeant Tuffass, attending some VGW (Veterans of Galactic Wars) function.

[image=http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/5654/tuffasslaundry.jpg]

An idle sketch. Remember, recruits... Label your laundry, else it ends up with Tuffass's clothes.

[image=http://img850.imageshack.us/img850/2802/bountyhunterbilliards.jpg]

My love of billiards finally makes its way into an idle doodle.

[image=http://img851.imageshack.us/img851/9282/cadbanesketch.jpg]

My first ever sketch of Cad Bane. Freshly drawn last night.

 

Funny and brilliant pieces. All of them