Art Archive And Now for something Completely Different 12/31/2006

That's one flawless pic.

 

Well, last post of 2006.
This isn't Star Wars related, but this is the big project I've been promising comic book fans for a LONG time.
Confessions to a Ghost is a graphic novel I'm workin on with my long time collaborator and friend, Anthony Cardenas.
Two character sketches. the first is of Thalen Demus, the principal bad guy for the story. Who also happens to be the star of this series of novels I've got written, but not drawn yet. If there's ever an anti hero, this is the guy. Anyway, this is a shot just before the big fight at the end,

[image=http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a302/ScreamingSamurai/Bigt.jpg]

This second character is the partner and sidekick to the lead character, Michael Dante. Kaji is a demure sedated, but wisecracking agent of the Realm Interstellar Protectorate. aka Rippers. Kaji is also known as the boomerang samurai in this story. In this story, set in a futuristic japanese colony in space, the citizens all wear masks and live by the strict bushido code. Guns are restricted and even taboo in this story, so everyone carries swords. Anyway...enjoy..

[image=http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a302/ScreamingSamurai/kaji.jpg]

 

I love the Thalen piece! He is such an awesome character! *stares* Plus, he is hot in a sort of 'scruffy, bad guy' way. So full of attitude and... you can't help but be sympathetic with him even though he is - without a doubt - TEH BAD GUY.

The pose and dialogue all add up to a scene that practically vibrates with the anticipation of action to come....

Boomerang Samurai, huh? I like the concept, strange to me though it is. Your art is superb as always, I'm just such a 'face' girl that I'm not too keen on the mask. That is totally personal fettish though Sorry.

Awesome as always, Mike!

 

Wow!! These are so great, DM!! The one of Thalen especially (and I'm totally with Z on the " 'cool,' scruffy bad boy" thing! He looks both sexy and dangerous--maybe it's that look in his lowered, searing gaze... The costuming is awesome: the brocade/trim on the tabards are gorgeous, and I love the way you render metal of any sort--very realistic, very cool! With that mask on, Kaji reminds me of V, from the movie...which sort of gives me chills--but I'm really diggin' the rain effect here! Gives it that sort of gloomy, "Blade Runner"-kind of feel... Awesome pieces! It's always a treat to see new work from you (and to study it carefully! )! Happy New Year! (...for some reason, I keep forgetting it's New Years Eve... **shrugs** )

FF

 

WOW dude those rock!

To see my other comments, Look above at FF's post She said it all!!!
The shading on these is spectacular, especially the top one's face, how the nose is shined. It really brings a 3dness to it.

GJ!

God bless and Happy New Year!
~N

 

Well, another character from my graphic novel..Once I start the fights, you'll quickly notice the huge star wars influence these books have.
This is Kobald, the central character. Kobald is known as the Poet Killer to law enforcers of the story. He's brutally murdering Samurai connected to one Shogun in Neo-Edo.
[image=http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a302/ScreamingSamurai/Kobald.jpg]

This is the guy who has come to kill Thalen Demus.

 

My oh my! Now this is a villain that could give someone pause... His gait bespeaks a confidence that is almost, well, feminine. Certainly, the cruelest people I can think of are *ahem* confident women.

Either way, it is certainly the walk of an arrogant and over-intelligent man.

That was the first impression, anyway. I also noticed a marvelous resemblence to the Orc on Return of the King, but maybe that is just me!

As as sidenote - I love how much life and depth you impart in your work with these black and whites!

 

Whoa...

That's some kind of scary-looking assassin (...is there any other kind, though...? )!! I have to agree with Z about the the Orc--but he also makes me think of some of the artistic interpretations of the Yuuzhan Vong--the bad guys trying to take over the SW galaxy in the NJO story arc--the sort of pointed ears and long face, along with the tattoos, harken to some of the depictions of them I've seen... Love the armor--that gauntlet/weapon gives me shivers! Wonderful atmosphere, too!

FF

 

Wow! I'm loving your comic-book work - you've got a lot of style. Faces, clothes and armor designs are outstanding, and your line-work is quite beautiful. I look forward to seeing more from your graphic novel.

 

These are FANTASTIC! I love the style! Did you do these in Painter? Is this going to be an online comic? Please post a link if it is!

 

Greetings, y'all
I'm finally back on the star wars bandwagon..for a bit.
This is a pin up of Zian Finnis of the CIS. This will be featured on the Fandom Comics website.
Thanks to Nar Craynor for letting me participate.
[image=http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a302/ScreamingSamurai/zianfinnis2.jpg]

 

Boy-oh-boy...this is soooo good on sooo many levels!! Fabulous use of the lighting, however little of it there is in the scene--the reflections and splashes of the display lighting and the rim-light from the glow panel are just...perfect! His expression is so intent--he's studying the display before him with intense concentration, and it shows not only on his face, but in his posture. Wonderful, unique costuming, too--nothing I've ever seen done for military uniforms (the Greco-Roman influence on the robe is so great!). All around, yet another amazing piece of work!

FF

 

I really like where you have the main character positioned so the viewer is looking through the holodisplay to see him. Makes you feel like you're actually there about to talk to him or something.

I like your b/w comic book guys too! The first one is my favorite and yes, you can tell a fight is about to happen

 

Wow, Deb
You always make me feel ten feet tall after reading one of your critiques especially since I'm a big fan of your graphite work. I envy the abilities of you and Cat Staggs for your traditional medium techniques.
Also to FettFan..thanks for checking out my work. the B & W comic is what I've been primarily focusing on to get it out this year..I'll be posting the entire first chapter online soon so I'll be sure to drop a line on this thread on where you can find it when the time comes around. The comic is heavy on the star wars influence..

the animated fan Fic i've been promising is shaping up nicely now. The first cut was terrible and slow, but I've got a trailer coming out soon that should shed some light on my intentions for the project.

Next up.....Allana

 

Mikus, we at Fandom really really really love how the piece turned out! We wish we could stick it right in the file now, but because editing those pdfs takes time, we are waiting for some more of the artists to get their work in (I wish they were all as fast as you!) In any case, thank you SO much for the piece, and if you ever find a bit of spare time, we'd be honored if you found it in your heart to contribute a second!

On a side note, we do need that bio info from you so we can get that up in our contributors section! dont forget to pimp your site in the bio!

Thanks again!

Keith "Nar" Kappel
http://www.fandomcomics.com

 

lol

All your work screams out "Who wants to die?" Particularly for the Zian Finnis and your graphic novel work, they all pervade a sense of dispair; no matter how brightly illuminated or rendered.

In short, nice work! lol

 

I actually fired one off for the Monthly art challenge. And it goes a little something , like this...
[image=http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a302/ScreamingSamurai/QVos4.jpg]

 

I take it this is post order 66? Vos looks great, love the "looking at the sunset" pose, a conventional pose for star wars, but because of vos' history, it carries a different kind of weight. Love the feel of all that open space on the right side of the image, gives it that intentionally unbalanced look that mirrors the lack of balance in vos himself. As always, another supuerb piece!

 

OMG...this is amazing...

Wow...I can't stop staring at this! It immediately reminded me of some of the gorgeous portraits of American Indians, standing in just this way, their patterned blankets/cloaks wrapped around themselves...staring into their uncertain future... Your Vos resembles those noble people, too: the hawk-shaped nose, the strong jawline and pronounced cheekbones--like a warrior, painted for battle (the tattoo), readying his mind for the trials ahead... Gads, it's just beautiful! Nar speaks truly, too, about the balance of the piece--very metaphorical, I agree. Beautiful colors, so rich and vivid--and the mood makes it, for me (I'm a real "emotion-junkie" when it comes to art, and your work just gushes emotion [whether you intend it or not!]!). Stunning!

FF

 

Hey, Nar
Thanks for the props.
And again thanks for the shot at some of your character profiles. I really went literal with your suggestions for Crueya Vandor.
Though, as for his appearance..I kinda started out with a little Klaus Kinski with unusually greasy black hair for his age.. An almost artistic ugliness to him...vain..but nonetheless, still nothing but an ugly person.
[image=http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a302/ScreamingSamurai/imp.jpg]

Hey, Deb
Glad you liked the Quinlan Vos drawing. I had been bouncing the idea around all month, but didn't have the execution I wanted..other versions included were dark jedi Vos but settled on this one mostly for time constraints.
And the native american features...that was just some of my own thoughts on the character...given the opportunity to work on the character...he'd be more native american looking than as a white guy with dreads.

 

I LOVE how this image turned out. Again, lots of subtleties to your work that are SO subtle, its hard to even say if they are intentional or not. Again, I love that you didn't just center Crueya Vandron in this image perfectly. Keeping things a little off center adds a quiet uneasiness to the image, and gives a thrust to the direction Vandron has his attention focused, That very subtle cropping of Vandron pushed toward the right adds SO much more to the piece. The fact that it is the right is great too, since, in political terms, Vandron is an uber-conservative right-wing human high culture nut. I love how much higher than him the banners are, it creates another bubble of empty space above him, which, to me, ultimately shows what a little and petty man Vandron is. He is literally crushed into that lower right hand corner, something most artists would be afraid to do. Another small tihng I picked up was the fact that the side of his face in shadow because of his raised fist is blue, which I really like because as I said, he is from a noble ruling house, aka, blue blooded, and the background curtains are also blue, perhaps associating him with them, or, him with the background. Vandron was a bit of a behind the scenes manipulator.

Incredibly minor subtleties aside, I love the overall look and feel you have created here. The hair, imperial style uniform and podium along with the raised fist definately evoke footage we have often seen of hitler addressing germany, which was my chief suggestion for this piece to depict one of the founders of COMPNOR and human high culture in the Republic/Empire. Truly an amazing job! Know that you can do as many pieces for us as you like, I have another 25 or so for existing chapters that still need doing, so Ill keep feeding them to you to do at your own pace as long as you keep saying its ok!

Thanks again so much,

Keith "Nar" Kappel
http://www.fandomcomics.com

 

Whoa...this guy gives me the creepy-shivers! NarCranor is so right about the "Hitler-like" look of him--most explicitly in the gesture and the expression (...on the "manic" side... ). Your use of light is, again, so amazing: the obvious "spotlight" on his head/podium, countered by that dramatic blue rimlight from the side. I love the composition of this, too: the prominence of the Imperial banners behind him, in the brilliant, bloody colors, just makes the mood--this guy is driven, and intends to drive everyone else right along with him... Fantastic, and very powerful. Great job!

FF

 

well, besides being terribly late in turning in Nar Carynor's next pin up. I've been hiding under my rock working on some comic stuff.

i poked my head out long enough to enter a contest though..
[image=http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a302/ScreamingSamurai/unclethalen2.jpg]

small hint...This is the absolute last day of voting...I'm ten points down below the cut off line to advance to round 3.

 

Oh, I hope you get the votes, DM--your work is so great, and certainly deserves to be recognized!

FF

 

well,
I don't think my project will be moving on..Apparently, it really was like running for mayor of toontown.
I just didn't have the time to do all of the quasi campaigning for the comic.
Apparently, now it's going to be in some kind of Honorable Mention anthology.