Monday, January 14, 2008

On Giant Gondrills...

This is a creature design I completed recently.  It combines my study of real animal anatomy to create a more mystical creature.  Animals with strength and/or intelligence have always inspired me.  They give me a sense of reverence.  

Being an illustrator gives me the opportunity to imagine and then create images which convey or satisfy a certain emotion.  It's difficult to quantify, but, with time, you can come close.  It's something an artist chases but never catches.   My development, process, and technique are vehicles to keep the chase exhilarating. 

Below is a similarly massive creature.  The hanging adventurer and the japanese manga style speed lines create the sense of momentum.  I originally named this one "Titan's Canary," but it became a "Geier" (a german word for vulture).  Exotic, no?

The Ant and the Grasshopper

A work in progress!  This is an intended for a children's book version of Aesop's fable.  I'm sure you know the one.  It seems crude as it's missing cast shadows and the modeling I would have liked to have finessed for another day or so.  However, I'm pleased with the characterization and cool light/warm shadows scheme.  This was also my most ambitious project using Corel Painter.  Though unfinished, this piece represented a leap in understanding for me.  

Below is a detail of Ant's anthropomorphized face.  Some wondered if this is a self portrait.