She Devil

Some analog work while I wait for my computer to be fixed. Started with a rough sketch in my sketchbook, which has a toothy grain. I normally use pretty dark pencils, so things end up rough and dirty. But normally I'd scan it then clean up in Photoshop.

Initial pencil sketch

But because I've got no computer right now, I copied the original sketch on my copier, blowing it up by 150%. Then I traced the general outlines onto smooth Bristol board using a lightbox. From there, I was able to do some finer line work, mostly with a 6H pencil, and some darker lines with a my trusty HB mechanical pencil, and clean ups with my new favorite toy, a Tombow Mono Zero ultra fine eraser. 

Finished drawing on Bristol, with a few minor edits done later in Photoshop

The whole process was really a lot of fun - working on a smooth surface with some tools I rarely use, all while sitting comfortably on my front porch on a beautiful summer day. 

I gotta unplug more often!

Rogue Character

I haven't posted any process shots recently, so here's a personal project I've been fiddling with in my free time.

Final picture

I started with the rough sketch and some really terrible proportions.

Hey lady, what's with your legs?

I made some minor improvements next, including getting rid of her lower legs.

Lower legs! Who needs 'em?

Some line work was next up, to help me define the forms and armor.

Lines.

Then some highlights for punch.

Highlights

A quick color overlay in several layers to give me a feel for the palette.

Color test

Big jump next. Lots of corrections and color modeling, as well as covering up those lines.

After that, it was off to finishing and adding some implied background and color glow overlays.

Flame Atronach

It's a Flame Atronach! From Skyrim? Or something like that...

This guy popped into my head one night, so I painted him out pretty quick.

Nancy Drew and the Secret of Innsmouth

Experimenting with different style and colors.

Yet Another Creature Sketch

Here's another creature for the same project. The brief called for a 30' tall tree-ish giant in armor. I made him stoop a bit to increase the sense of tall-ness, and kept his armor plain & simple, figuring his hands might not be so dextrous.

Work in Progress

Something I've been working on. I'm going with a very detailed underpainting and hope to be able to use a light touch on the colors.

Another Critter

Another creature for the same project. The client isn't particular about consistency, so I took a much looser style for this one, which is more natural for me.

Creature Series

Here's a series of creatures I was commissioned to do recently. The client wanted some quick black & white sketches for a project he's working on. A lot of fun to do these! I am pretty pleased in particular with how the two winged creatures came out.

Sketches

Some recent sketchbook doodles.

Orc dude

Pirate feller

Were-something

Thugra Khotan

Red Sonja Process

Here's some "process" breakdown for a piece I recently finished. It's the unlikely tale of how a random doodle gets inadvertently turned into a full-fledged picture, courtesy of a complete lack of foresight.

First, the finished image:

Finalized image.

It started from this little Photoshop doodle.

Fore!

 After looking at it, I thought she looked like she was golfing, so I changed it to give her a more active pose.

Pose, take two.

Two months later, I threw down some basic colors.

Oh, garish colors!

But after ignoring this upstart doodle for two months, I decided the pose was still not quite right. She looked like she was resting, and I decided I wanted her to be chopping down with the blade. Perhaps through the neck of a humongous snake?

Color block in.

 Next came some more work on the arms and an attempt to bring some of those initial colors under control.

Taming the color a bit.

After another 2 month hiatus, more color tweaking, in an effort to warm up her skin and get some color into the snake.

Warmer skin and more color? What the hell?

 Then I decided the colors were too bright. Again.

Normalizing the colors.

 Then I left the piece for another 9 months, distracted by other projects. When I came back to it, I made some big changes. I added more details to the armor and hair, added the gloves, changed the motion of her bikini bottom, etc.

Details and edits.

After a couple of months more, I came back to it and finished it up to its final state, as seen above. I used a lot of color overlays to bring consistency into the palette, and added details to the snake.

Goblins!

I love drawing goblins. It's my default thing to draw when I put pencil to paper.