29 June 2011

Thundershock Archer WIP

So I am back from Origins Game Fair, and taking a lot of things into consideration after getting some critiques on my portfolio as it is. Along with that talking to some of my buddies and other artists, as well as reviewing a lot of the companies out there, I've come back to focus more on doing the kind of artwork I had set out to do before college and all the fluff involved had their effect on me. 


Originally I wanted to work on MTG type of images, so after some thought it was recommended that in addition to creating my own art, that I ought to look at 'reinventing' concepts that already have been done. Above is a sketch on 140lb coldpress (yes, that's right...coldpress, not the type of paper I normally use) Fabriano watercolor paper. I had some other sketches I had done previously in my sketchbook that led up to the actual drawing. It's approximately 8.5x12 inches. 


I've sorted out some reference materials as I got ready to finalize my idea, and am kinda sampling some of the colors to create a pallet. Right now I am using a mixture of Viridian Hue, Yellow Ochre, and Windsor Violet. I've been painting with watercolors for a little over three years now, and it's my medium of choice. Along with that it's also lead to me picking up tendencies to favoring the use of particular colors, be it for pigment, or what not. To get a grayed violet I add in a little yellow (complementary colors will do this), and for a darker near black I like to mix green into the violet. I don't often use pure black when I paint. 


Right now I am taking a break, as using the cold press paper causes my paints to take a little longer to dry, and I am not a fan of using a blow dryer to speed up the process as I feel it moves my pigment around. Furthermore, I have applied salt in some areas of the painting in a controlled manner, and to use a blow dryer would push the salt around to areas I had not intended to use it. 
I know some people prefer to have pristine paints in their pallet, but it's been a habit of mine to muddy up my workable pallet. 

It's been nice to jump back into painting, especially as I find that I have been doing digital work more frequently. Right now my biggest challenge is how to handle representing lightning using watercolors....or rather in general. Lightning isn't something that I have painted before, so I am a little anxious as to how this will turn out. 

Anyways, I've written quite a lot but figured it would be nice to feature this here...wish me luck on the lightning!

-Kat

27 June 2011

Blowing it out my nose!

So i am working away at this CGHUB fairytale contest and getting frustrated and excited all at the same time.

The fairytale i chose requires me to draw a man, although i have chosen it to be a being, that can blow out his nostrils so hard that he can cause a huge strong wind current. Kinda like superman. :D So here's how he is coming along.

He has a strong tail with horns that, along with his huge toe claws and strong legs. anchor him to the ground so he is not blown away by his own unique skill.

The next drawins will show how he inflates his neck pouch and a back sac to draw in air through his hollow horns on his head and then blows it out his nostril with unbelievable force. The sacs work in synch so that while one deflates the other inflates in readiness.

23 June 2011

Hello & Goodbye

Howdy folks, it's Kat here (aka NerdGirl) posting my first post to Bamboo Bitmap since ya'll allowed me the honor of being a part of this group of art nerds. So I figured I'd post something to kick this off...

Rolla' Gal: Brushed Ink

Little Red Hood: Photoshop

While I wish I had some more to say or post, I'm also heading out to a convention this weekend in Columbus Ohio....so I look forward to the future posts and viewers to this wonderful little art niche. 

-X's & O's

20 June 2011

Ladies of the Night

This originally started as practice for inking and drawing women. It suddenly evolved into a series of illustrations of various types of women: from femme fatales, bad girls to witches, etc. I have a few more to9 finish up but I think I am calling the series “Ladies of the Night”.

I really do enjoy black.

I think I may have a problem.

Photobucket Photobucket