Space Camp: Day 15

Drawing is tough. Not kinda tough, or partially tough, or fleetingly tough – more like you want to pull your hair out while running into oncoming traffic tough. Tonight was a rough one which involved painting the above image twice from scratch. Fortunately my lovely wife and cats were here to keep me company, no matter how much I was swearing. I plan on locking away the first version in a tiny aluminum box to be buried deeply in the back yard.

So if you found yourself at your drawing board this evening slapping yourself around or questioning if you would ever draw anything palatable ever again, a kid in North Carolina was sitting right along with you.

Battle onward everyone!

Space Sickness

When I was a kid I had terrible bouts with motion sickness. I’ve thrown up in purses, back seats, front seats, and even baseball helmets. The toughest journeys were those in the summer to New Hampshire – a truly intimidating 4 hours away. One fateful trek left my brother holding my ankles as I hung out the back of the family van doing what I had to do. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the look on the driver’s face behind us as my Dad swerved down the highway. Fortunately these days aren’t so bad but if we hang out, please, let me drive.

Until next time!

The World Beneath

Egads! Environments! Yeah, every once in awhile Greg and I journey to the other side of the fence. When starting levels, creating small mood pieces can help work out potential palette, lighting, and mood issues before production begins. These are the times when you wish for at least a couple more colors in the rainbow to provide more separation between planets. The images above were to explore the various segments in Q4B’s Viper Caves.

Onward!

Booty Pinch

This summer Greg and I spent our time at Insomniac working on a Playstation store exclusive: Ratchet and Clank Future – Quest for Booty. We were responsible for the character work along with the book plates and map materials. It was a good deal of fun so if you’re into pirates and looking for a bite sized adventure to play over the weekend, give it a look!

Just Add Water

Last year Greg brought in some prehistoric style Sea Monkeys to cultivate. We used only the finest quality Aquafina to fill their tank though Greg let the water get pretty slimy from time to time. It was an especially creepy process considering each morning one of the critters doubled in size from the night before by eating his friends.

Here’s to you prehistoric Sea Monkey.

Safe Landings

Hey everybody,

After four and a half days of driving, we arrived safely in North Carolina. The trip was surprisingly relaxing even as we carted the cats through 4 different hotels. Aside from some torrential downpours in Texas and a car fire in Tennessee, the drive was pretty tame. My gracious in-laws have taken us in until we can find a home and even allowed me to set up a make shift studio. I’m looking forward to drawing more during my time off. Here’s to new adventures!