Goodbye My Friend

On Norm Schureman

It's been over a week now and some things have run their course with the shock of hearing about Norm's passing. I just wanted to say some words of thanks for a man who always put me on the spot and beckoned me with a hearty smile to meet and surpass my potential. I was lucky enough to have taken two of his classes at Art Center and TA'd for two more. The short time I spent sketching with him were some of the most formative in my life as a designer and an artist. He was a kind and generous adventurer; the kind of guy you wish was your uncle. To my great fortune he treated me like family though I was only one of his many students. This was not only a matter of him taking a liking to me, but it was just the way he treated people. This was evident at the many get togethers he held at the house always populated by students and friends. He was as generous in sharing a beer as he was in sharing his home, his family, or his time. I will always hold a very dear place for Norm and his family in my heart.

Wedding Gift

Ages 9 & Up

Design from the inside out. This isn't the most thorough study of a nonextistant machine, but it was just a start in order to get the juices flowing with a pen again. I'm always enthralled by great mechanical design like what you might have seen in Akira and Ghost in the Shell--and in any number of anime films for that matter. It's been a challenging skill I've wanted to develop for some time so I'll put up more from as it comes.

Mecha: Form & Mechanical Studies

Vehicle Dump

The Return 2.0

A few quick thoughts on some other units based on the fantastic District 9 Mech design done by Greg Broadmore and Weta Digital that could fit into a sequel.

Morning Landing

Ok, that's probably enough domes now...Just did the sketch above while on a rare natural media kick. I wanted to see it with a little more fidelity so I did a painting inspired by it. I think it changed purpose a bit from something that looked like an organic shanty town to something a little more established. I see this as being an impromptu military complex built quickly from the surrounding indigenous materials. Let me know if you think of something better. :)

Furnace

Niubra

Quickie

Wish I could spend more time there...with some paint.

Horse Race Study

Hobble

Lacedaemon

Gladiator Study

New Survey

Sorry, it's been a little while. I was working on some images for a game pitch trailer for Square Enix. I'm crossing my fingers for those guys.

The Return

Just saw District 9 last weekend, actually saw it twice. It was such a great movie and I can't say enough about it. The film blew my mind with it's genre-crossing format and visual style, juxtaposing aliens and their technology with a South African slum. Shartlo Copley brings an amazing perfomance to an amazing character concept through a well-written script and a good amount of improv. I'm hard-pressed to think of a more conflicted unlikely hero than him...I'm going to get a portrait of Weekus 70hrs after exposure tattooed on my chest. :) Anyway, this painting was loosely inspired by that movie and it depicts the long-awaited arrival of a ship back to it's people. Whether or not they go back and bomb the earth is up to Niel Blomkamp.

Walkway

Raptor 3.0

Got called out. This was a bit of a pain in the ass, but fun. I haven't been flexing that muscle much lately, but I'm always happy to flesh out a design.

Platinum Urine

"That's just the way it goes."

Premium Bob

"Every time I snap my fingers a woman somewhere falls."

Ricky Teflon

"It's like the proverbial soysauce that flavors my life."

Slick Dick 2028

Women want to change him. Men want to be him.

Better than underwear. Happy B-day Richard!

Raptor 2.0

Deralicte City: Update

It was still bugging me and it looked like it could use a little more value control out into the distance as well as some reflective material on the focal luxu-spheres. No visible windows this time; that way they're more exclusive.

Deralicte City

Caravan

Happy b-day Bob.

Deralicte My...

In the future with the prospect of overpopulation and premium real estate growing ever more scarce, some brilliant marketing execs may endeavor to sell the inherent beauty of the slums to the well-heeled customer. Thriving in some of the most downtrodden regions of the world's megalopolises will be glistening orbs of excess, housing the most fashionable elite. These wealthy few will look out onto the colorful detritus of the lower class toiling through there days like so many ants behind glass.

Hanging City

ReUp

Futuristic medieval drug dealers..

Dangerous Chase

Whew! It took a while to get something new on the blog. Work has been crazy for a while, but slowed just long enough for me to have a little fun on a painting that is totally different than what I've been doing for Iron Man 2. This piece was inspired by one done by an incredible painter known to me only as dshong: http://davidsketch.blogspot.com/. I love the way his paintings look as if they were as easy to him as describing something through words; just really fluid and fun. I had a great deal of my own fun on this and hope to do more in this technique.

Raptor

Towards More Efficient Living

Greenhorn

Making Friends

This painting started as a vehicle exercise and quickly materialized into a story vignette where a soldier takes some time to get to know a local of this ancient riverbank city. I love military hardware and technology and battles are exciting to watch in the movies, but I always find myself more compelled by the juxtaposition of said technology set against the backdrop of a more rural population--it's become quite common the last few wars. In that spirit, I'll be slipping in the calmer side effects of occupation from time to time.