2013 Year-in-Review

Meh.  Was on a pretty good roll, and then life happened.  Lost job, death in the family, etc. Lost a lot of time.  Well, there's always next year...'cuz I am fucking DONE with this one.

...and here are all things I DIDN'T get done in 2013.  Some of which are the same projects I didn't get done in 2012.  umm, huzzah?

more ads, but lil' ones!

More advertisments, this time from the back pages of MWMagazine.  For those who aren't in on the joke(s):  Ephemerol is the drug given to pregnant women in David Cronenberg's SCANNERS, and Betathanatine is a recreational drug in Richard K Morgan's "Takeshi Kovacs" books, specifically the first installment, ALTERED CARBON.  The other two just made me laugh.
Point of note:  I've been poring over 1950s clipart for days, and these are based on that aesthetic, but they're still my drawings.  And they're meant to look a bit wonky and/or slapdash.

"That's a mighty good smoke!"

Leave it to me to start something new whilst still struggling to finish current projects.  This is a full-page ad from the pages of Monster Women Magazine.  And yes, of course I'm designing a real pack of Mighty Gud's.  Who wouldn't want a blend of 37 herbs and tobacco, scientifically* guaranteed to improve your smile as well as your wits?

"*": not scientific, nor guaranteed

unfinished stuff

I really have been working.  Life has been trying to get me so as always, I'm drawing/painting my way out of the hole.  Lost a few weeks along the way, but that's to be expected.  So.

All of these are in-progress, btw.  Top is a a straight copy of a pulp cover for practice (and to decipher that style of painting), then a bit for some fake advertising, then yet another Monster Women piece.

practice

calling it done(ish)

lots more I could refine, but I'm calling it.  This was mostly an exercise in painting  fabric, but i do think I did alright with pose.  Is it weird that I really like how I painted her feet?

Yeah, that's weird.

practice...

quick paint for lighting

Cacodaemon

Sleepy Oni Presents "A Personal Demon:  Cacodaemon".  A 13-piece (in)action figure, 'bout 7" high.  Ball joints at head, neck, shoulders & wings;  pin joints at elbows, wrists & hips.  Mold-making begins tomorrow(!).

Another crazy experiment...

in-progress

...and here's something in-progress. Jut a few hours in, lots of refining to go.

more practice

Unknown japanese science-hero team member.  Probably from a TV show.  More practice, but this time reflections.  I've got a painting of Robot Maria (Metropolis) I'm trying to figure out...that's a lot of shiny metal to paint.  Spent about one working day on this total.

testing...

This was practice drawing profiles, as well as a test to see if I can figure out how to paint freckles. 

So can I paint freckles? ...kinda.

quickpaint

Feeling under the gun, painted this yesterday.   Yup, still feel under the gun.  GenCon ahoy.

Pacific Rim fanart

Saw Pacific Rim a few weeks ago, and I found it to be spectacularly fun.  This was drawn in red pencil, inked/finalized with my preferred type of pen, and slathered with black acrylic paint.  That's actually my preferred "traditional" methodology.  Often I'll draw elements separately & composite them in Sketchbook Pro; not necessary in this case.

Warnings From History! episode 117

This was intended to be a mock "Man's Finest"-style periodical, catering to individuals whose paths cross with those of a super-scientific bent.  "All-True!" type stuff.  Plus, I really wanted to draw a capuchin monkey wearing spectacles.
Fun fact- I drew a separate background for this, and filled all the shelves despite knowing they wouldn't be visible.  Included:  A Fiji Mermaid, a full set of World Book Encyclopedias, Inspector Legrasse's recovered swamp idol, a doctor's bag, a Hand of Glory, two volumes of The Pnakotic Manuscript, a pirate chest, a display frame of butterfly wings, the complete collection of Monster Women Magazine to-date, a large volume of De Vermis Mysterius, a skull, two decorative plates. and a copy of the latin Necronomicon.

this post was too awful to let live.

Monster Women #6: Shuna Sassi

Direct from Midian and lovely in quills, Miss Shuna Sassi!

A few years ago I did a rougher version of Shuna, much more sexualized.  That piece is what gave me the idea for this series.  I upped the wholesomeness for Monster Women magazine, but Shuna Sassi has always seemed really striking to me.  A mix of danger, sexuality and genuine other-ness.  Yes, I'm a little strange. 

...and now for something completely unrelated

  I've been obsessing over painters that create images that I cannot...a lot of loose strokes, minimal blending.  Which runs completely contrary to how my creative brain works, when it comes to painting.  So.  This was an hour or two in artrage, from ref of the always adorable Miss Heather Holiday. 

Monster Women update: PROGRESS!

   Progress!  Monster Women Magazine presents:  The Bride of Frankenstein's Monster, and Athena, the Girl from the Green Dimension.  Super-happy with these two.  Well, for now at least.

  Layout & graphics work continues on the mock covers. 

...and 3 more paintings are in-progress.  One more to go for the base set of 9 images.  Will have 3 additional paintings as extras, as well as a final surprise 10th image for the set.   It is, in fact, getting there.

Here's the first few, finalized. Spent a lot of time tweaking 'em to get the details right, only to have them not make it into the art show. boo.

Important Reminder

Note To Self:  Sometimes all it takes to improve a lousy night is an hour or so sketching.  Both from ref, all sketchbook pro.It's really easy for me to get wrapped up in projects, and going for a specific look to the exclusion of all else.  This was a good reminder that I should be having fun, too.

Monster Women Extra Presents: Ursula Dire

Monster Women Magazine EXTRA proudly presents:  Duchess Ursula Dire!
Anybody remember an 80's cartoon called The Spin Zone?  This one happened really quickly...by my standards, at least.  All sketchbook pro & ArtRage.

EDIT: apparently I jpg-ed my next-to-last version, so the background isn't fully integrated in this image.  Too tired.  Fix later.

Lightning Round

late-night lightning round, 2013 edition.  from ref.  Sketchbook Pro & Artrage.

Monster Women: #4

Monster Women magazine proudly presents: Miss Argentina!
So this is the painting that actually started this madness in earnest.  Started it...2 years ago?  Man, I have GOT to work on my follow-through.  Overworked this to hell and back, so I'm calling it done.

Waiting for test print...

And that's one more layout done.  Test of the ME cover is being manufactured right now, have to see how the colors print before I can move ahead.  If it goes well, will have a bona fide project completed in the next couple of weeks...and can start to pick up speed on an etsy storefront.  Perhaps.  I've also designed some fine endpapers for the inside covers.  PROGRESS!

MonsterWomenMagazine: September '64

  So THIS is what I've been working on.  Monster Women Magazine, the great forgotten (or non-existant) pinup mag of the last century.  I love me some monsters.  Likewise pinup and retro magazine covers.  Also to be a sketchbook adornment.   It all started coming together once I concocted a fake Sleepy Oni Publishing logo, curiously enough.

Finalised. -ish.

Done-ish.  Changed the title to Planet tales since the previous title, while out of copyright, is attached to a new reprint project with a new tagline.  Soon as I finish a couple other rough images, will be sending 'em off to be fabric-printed and attached to some sketchbooks.  Trying a new production method this time.  We'll see how it goes.

Finally close to done.  For impending sketchbook-cover madness.  Sketchbook Pro, Artrage, ancient PS.

umm...yeah.

So, I did mention that I have a problem.  Right?
EDIT:  So after scrolling through all the SR drawings on here...i think i really have improved.  And am able to acknowledge that fact...which was the entire point of this here blog, tracking a body of work over time.  Only took 4.5 years, too.   PROGRESS!

  There's plenty that's wonky with this illo, but it was done with reference only for the facial features & skintones.  The previous two had no reference at all.  I could not have done this even a year ago...so, yeah.  progress.

Even more SR

Yeah, I seem unable to stop.

SR, yet again.

So instead of doing anything truly productive, today turned into an Art+Gaming day.  Honestly, I'm okay with that.  Needed the recharge.  No reference, Sketchbook Pro followed by Artrage.  Many, many iterations...worked on this in small to medium chunks all day. 

Airports and practice

Worked on this whilst waiting on planes.  Or on planes.

  From a Katie West self-portrait.  That girl seems incapable of taking a bad photo.  Anyways, good practice.

Speedpaint(-ish)

From ref, as always.  Trying to figure out harsher lighting, and trying to do it without absolute dedication to the reference.  Meh.
On the plus side, this was a really great relaxer after a taxing few days.  Maybe 2 hours or so?  On the tablet, all Sketchbook Pro.

EDIT: Yes, I am aware of the awkwardly short and unfinished right arm.  Ignore it, like I do.

More SR character stuff

All digital, using the full array of software i have at hand.  sketchbook pro, artrage, ancient PS.  No reference, which explains the wonky features & general cartoonishness.

Nouveau Samurai & Gunso sketches

Presented as evidence that the Fallout project is ongoing.