The pass revised

BTW this is concept art for an open source game. It's not a matte painting. But I'm using matte painter's techniques.

Are they really matte painting techniques? I would say yes because the techniques originated from digital matte painters way before even concept artists where using photoshop. I wanna raise a glass to concept artists of the pre-digital age. Some of the work they had to do with prismacolor pens is amazing. Kudos!

Anyway, I couldn't stay away from this one:

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The pass

When I haven't been working on freelance web work, I've done a few environment concepts for an open source game. Nothing's really set in stone yet so I've just been playing with mood, lighting, and shape.

When I don't know what I want to create, and I want to "sculpt" painted shapes into something that I can further refine, I use a digital version of a Grey PrismaColor marker. When I know what I want to create, when I have something fairly solid in my head, I like to use the mechanics of drawing and draw-through methods to create what's in my head.

Until this painting though, I haven't been able to apply typical drawing mechanics to a digital canvas. The size of your canvas has to be the right size relative to your brush. That can be hard to figure out.

I also had some preconceived notions about actually drawing when I thought I should be painting. I know differently now. No matter how much you paint, the mechanics of drawing are VERY important. You might be painting your heart out but if you don't have the drawing foundation to back it up you'll be lost.

When I say the "mechanics of drawing", I'm not talking about actually using a physical or digital pencil, I'm referring to the skills you learn from drawing. Seeing the right way, creating shape, and perspective.

I think I'm starting to get it, and can't wait to do more.I need to learn how to refine less though, and just use large brushes, value, and color to illustrate my ideas.

I really like the mountains in the background :P

applying new skills to old work

I felt like revisiting this piece the second I posted it to my blog a few months ago. I've learned some things and applied it to the painting. I know I've made some dramatic improvements.                                          



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I write like Dan Brown?

I write like
Dan Brown

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

According to I Write Like , I supposedly sound like Dan Brown when I write fiction. I've never read any of Dan Brown's novels so I don't know if I can agree with that. I dunno. You tell me:

Removing the gun from its holster, he clicked the safety off with his thumb and stared and the matte black of the barrel.
"I doesn't have to be this way, you could join us and emerge a member of the new human race".
Jon just stared back, burning embers of hatred forming behind his eyes. The blood from his wound slowly trickling down his face and into his mouth. It tasted like pennies.
"What you're doing is genocide. It's murder on a global scale." Jon said through gritted teeth.
Sean turned his head and looked outside to the ice blue landscape. The wind was moaning now, and the thick aluminum of the side-building shivered and shook from the force.
"Every 25 million years a catastrophic event restarts life on earth...I'm just hurrying things up a bit"