Worlds at War

I've recently seen some samples of some really nice black and white art and wanted to have a stab at doing something that was different to my usual, over saturated style.

Having recently been re-acquainted with Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds, and having been a lifelong fan of the source material I thought it would be fun to tackle a B-movie version of the story that lent its self nicely to the now infamous production by Orson Wells.

The following images are intended to be viewed as a sequence.

OOOlaaaaa!

Time to die

I was fortunate enough to catch Blade Runner at the cinema for the first time tonight. Despite being one of my favourite movies its surprising how much more details in both sound and picture come to light on the big screen.

This doodle was initially going to be a black and white sketch but I was playing with the colours and seemed to catch something that was very reminiscent of the films neon hues.

I think I'm one of the few people left who is looking forward to the sequel, with or without Scott, and I'm hoping he brings this world and that of the Alien films together with a few sneaky references.

Red Wood

While I'm much prefer summer I cant deny that the hues that autumn throws up can be amazing. The reds and oranges are can often be enhanced by the arrival of the low lying winter sun. that makes everything glow as the light passes through it.

After taking a walk on a sunny autumn day I took some pictures which got me thinking about producing something using these colours.

I've also included a couple of photo's I took that served as inspiration for this thought process.

Only 8 months until summer :-(

Rosetta: Two little robots

Today, two little robots completed one of the most complex and ambitious missions ever undertaken by mankind, the prime objective of which is to understand the origins of our solar system.

No pressure then.

Travelling over 6.5 billion kilometres they caught up with the comet travelling at at almost 135,000 mph and landed today at 16:02. With such astronomical speeds and distances this is a phenomenal achievement. Congratulations to all involved.

I understand that once the mission is complete they will land the orbiter onto the comet and shut it down so that the two robots can orbit the sun together, forever.

Your move Wall E.

Godspeed

Michael Tyner Alsbury was killed on Friday, serving as a test pilot on Virgin Galactic's Space Ship Two.

For as long as I can remember I've had a fascination with space and I've watched with great interest as the Shuttle programme came to an end and the next chapter in space travel begun.

Whatever you think about the current drive towards space travel, be it rich man's folly or an unquestionable necessity, it would be foolishly short sighted to declare that 'we're done exploring'.

The benefits from other audacious and ongoing experiments are too numerous to mention and there are thousands of people dying every day for far less worthy causes. Putting your life on the line in the name of science is a cause infinitely more noble than most.

So for those who fall helping us climb, Godspeed.

Trick or Treat

No breeze in the branches, no creaks, no distant groans,
just quiet cracking in answer to hobnail boots on infant bones.

Happy Halloween :-)

The result of a 1hr speed paint. I think I need to do more of these.

Morning Star and I of the Storm

So here's a couple of more planet illustrations following on from last years Mars picture. Although never intentional the opposing temperaments of the images worked out quite well with Venus being so calm and serene and Jupiter being a far more aggressive piece.

I wanted to convey Jupiter's vast scale in comparison to our other local worlds so rather than featuring the planet as a whole I opted to treat the infamous 'red eye' as the focus of the picture, and just to put it in perspective, you could fit earth into that cyclone. Twice. Deal with it.

Space. In colour.

The final frontier... to what exactly?

I've been playing the Elite beta. I loved Elite as a kid and this latest incarnation has not let me down. Same game play (more or less) but with the most breathtaking visuals you can imagine. The imagery inspired me to produce these pictures.

So we have the view of a sun from within an asteroid field, a gas giant with moons, so many moons, and the tail of a comet hurtling through space.

I have a few more ideas for further entries into this series as I was really pleased with how they turned out but thought I'd just post these for now.

Now, I need to go find me some Thargoid Invaders!

Pure Evil Genius - Part III

(Part I)

Finally it was time to develop the characters that would populate your lair. Due to the nature of a hench-person, I took the view that they were likely to be 'done away with' by a want to be planet saver on a fairly regular basis.

With that in mind I wanted to create characters that people wouldn't become attached to and would even provide amusement when they met their untimely end. To this end I created efficient yet gormless looking characters.

Henchpersons

Hard working, minimum waged, biodegradable staff who follow orders and don't ask questions. Trained in the following disciplines.

*Due to new legislation one must now refer to ones staff as Henchpersons in order to reflect gender equality. They must also avoid heavy lifting.

Again I turned to the Bond films of the 60's for inspiration, borrowing the retro look of the faceless henchmen that populated these infeasibly vast secret lairs.

Their costumes were designed to indicate their role within this evil organisation, each unique and instantly recognizable even when shrunk to a few pixels high.

This final image brings all the elements together and illustrates a potential screen shot form the final game where the player can see their lair and the resources at their disposal.

The hue of the floor would be customisable so on invading an enemy base you would likely notice a subtle change in the environments as you attempted to sabotage your opponents attempt at global domination.

Should there be any readers considering a career in Evil Villainy then I'll happily consider the position of art director for your empire, after all, image is everything. No-one will take you seriously without the right aesthetic.

Should there be any readers considering a career in henching, don't. Seriously, have you ever seen a film?

Art © Gukis

Pure Evil Genius - Part II

(Part I)

With the aim of the game being to grow your empire and with the minimal art style of the game taking shape I began to look at the creations that would populate your evil lair.

Creating these devices using such a limited pallette was a fun challenge, but relying on simple shapes meant it was never overly taxing

I've reproduced the text found on the images as the file size of the images may result in illegible copy. That, and i enjoyed writing it so much I felt it should be shared. Twice.

iSPY

The iSPY can be hooked up to a seemingly limitless number of cameras*, allowing a high level of surveillance to take place form the comfort of your custom built studio (with strengthened ceiling supports). You'd think that only being able to view one feed at a time across all monitors would be a hindrance, but several tests indicated that this was in fact a bonus, allowing you to gloat over almost dozens of images of your foe.

*No more than 5.

Confoundotron 900

With a range of up to quarter of a mile this ingenious device has the ability to rewire key synapses within the brain of its target. This results in an irritating nagging sensation and mild confusion, forcing the victim to ask themselves questions like 'did I leave the oven on?', 'Where did I put it again?' or 'I'm sure I’ve forgotten something.'

30% of victims claimed it worked 100% of the time!

Big Deep

This menacing monolith is not recommended for amateur evildoers, as its effects can perterb even the most confident villain. This motionless hulk emits an extraordinarily deep bass sound that forces nearby do-gooders to uncontrollably purge themselves.

The frequency is so finely tuned that any matter that is evacuated, arrives in liquid form, adding the fear of slipping to the crushing embarrassment of its chosen target.

WARNING: We've yet to comprehend how to aim, or indeed activate this device. Use with extreme caution.

Migranator

Whilst its not yet technologically possible to inflict a full migraine on someone, this handy little* device will slightly reduce the moisture levels of its target, inflicting a dull headache that cannot simply be ignored!**

For lasting effects, don't let target consume a small glass of water.

*Weighing in at less than 900lbs

**It can.

Rashmaster

The Rashmaster causes uncomfortable and embarrassing rashes on its target, forcing them to search for questionable topics on their internet and risking great personal loss should their spouse check their browser history.

Not to be used lightly.

Never scratch resulting rash as this could induce swelling, weeping, headaches, death, paranoia, hallucinations and occasionally nausea.

(Part III)

Art © Gukis

Pure Evil Genius - Part I

A couple of years ago I worked up some concept art for an untitled game at Rivet Studios. Purely for design purposes I christened it Pure Evil Genius (working title) thereby having some text to experiment with the art style.

The aim of the game was to work your way up from a mild annoyance to an evil megalomaniac that would put even the most eccentric Bond villain to shame.

Initially I worked up a quick image of two villains beginning their quest for global domination.

But the image didn't have the graphic quality I felt suited the concept so I produced this series of posters to lay out an art style and also the sense of humour should that should accompany it.

With the concept conjuring memories of the early Bond films, specifically the epic lair in 'You Only Live Twice' I looked at Saul Bass' legendary work of that era and the minimalist look of the project sprang into being.

*may only contain trickery and a burning sensation.

*may only contain cunning and stinging papercuts

*may only contain bad manners and passing annoyance.

(Part II)

Art © Gukis

Clickity Clacks

Having recently started on the 40th entry Raising Steam (not finished yet, so no spoilers) I was immediately drawn to my sketchbook to try and translate the words on the paper into images.

The greatest character in Terry Pratchett's Discworld books is the bustling, crumbling, stumbling but undeniably majestic capital city of Ankh-Morpork. It has grown and developed more so than even the most human characters that litter the pages of this epic series and its the evolution of this world that I love as much as the adventures that take place in it.

I'm pretty sure this wont be the last time I draw the place as Pratchett's books have the ability to spark my imagination like almost no other work of fiction.

Eagle Hunter hunter

So its been a busy few weeks resulting in a lack of attention paid to this blog. However as things have settled down I've taken the liberty of a bit of downtime and begun creating some more pictures.

First off is the second part of my Eagle Hunters image that i posted back in April. It depicts Asher Svidensky, the photographer responsible for the inspiration behind these images, shooting the pint sized hunter. With a camera.

And below I've seamlessly joined the two images. Except for the seam.

Happy Star Wars Day!

Happy Star Wars Day!

As Star Wars begins its move into a new era I'd like to pay tribute to my favorite chapter in the rich history of the expanded universe, The Clone Wars.

Over the last decade this chapter has provided some of the finest moments in the Star Wars saga. Beginning with Genndy Tartakovsky's 2D micro series and then growing into an epic 3D adventure it brought a host of iconic characters to the table and delivered some of the most visually compelling and emotionally engaging stories that Star Wars has ever produced.

Star Wars is first and foremost a mythology. And while the expanded universe is no longer to be considered canon, myths are organic entities that evolve and change each generation claim them as their own. So they may not be regarded as 'truth' but these stories exist and in doing so they add to the overall mythology of the Star Wars universe.

With the impressive Rebels TV show on the way, some stand alone films and a new trilogy on the way, Star Wars is more alive than ever before and I for one cannot wait to see whats in store for characters new and old.

All we have to do is wait.

May the 4th be with you.

Where the eagles soar

I've always enjoyed reading about the small pockets of civilization that continue to live with their culture relatively unchanged for hundreds, if not thousands of years, so I was fascinated  by a story on the BBC about a Kazakh girl who is training to hunt with a golden eagle amongst the Altai mountain range in western Mongolia.

The article and the accompanying photographs by Asher Svidensky were the inspiration for this illustration.

Now I want a Golden Eagle. Even more.

Dawn

Titanfall servers down = a couple of hours of creativity. (So the following is a wee bit rushed.)

I've been out of the house early enough to see the sun rise a few times recently and while this isn't an interpretation of any particular location, its a refreshing site to see the valleys still cool with dew and mist as summer comes crawling our way.

There's half a dozen other projects / favours I should be getting on with but when inspiration strikes, it strikes. It takes a stronger man than me to ignore it.

Victor

Wow. had a few issues uploading this without it being distorted beyond what's reasonable. I can only assume it was with all the red. So, with that sorted...

I recently saw a competition about designing a warrior and so began throwing around shapes and colours but after a while I diverted from the brief of creating a character so I gave up and just created an image rather than the character himself.

All along I liked the idea of  someone who had clearly fought with every fibre of his being in a phenomenal battle and come out the other side, if only just, victorious.

I imagine when battles were fought hand to hand with blades and pikes that the survivors would number very few an in some cases they would come down to the last two or three warriors desperately and exhaustingly swinging blades in a last ditch attempt to stay alive.

Bloody terrifying!

Clash of the Titans

Well, over the last few days I've had passionate relationship full of excitement, fear, rage and tears, but alas, the Titanfall Beta was never going to be forever.

Off the back of that fling I was finally teased into doing something I've rarely attempted: Hard surface illustration. Namely, a giant Mecha. (For the uninitiated, that's a robot. A big one. That you wear.)

 

The main give-away that this isn't a direct illustration of a Titan is the fact the assailant has a sword. Which is a bit silly really. Not a chance in heck.

Los Vengadores Mexicanos!!!

I've long been a fan of Robert Rodriguez's films and have enjoyed the splat happy, continuity lacking, insanity of the 'Mexiverse' many of his films erupt from. Having finished watching Machete Kills I felt it necessary to produce the following faux poster, something I've been meddling with for several years.

A team up of all the gun wielding, psychopathic, leather clad, amputees that populate his films would deliver a fantastic antidote to the slick, glossy, superhero movies that currently barge into our multiplexes.

And lets face it, basing a film on a trailer is so last decade. But basing a film on a poster, now that's ballsy! ;-)

Charming Prints

Hey! You! My most recent Destiny images, Little Chewie's Destiny and Little Vader's Destiny, are now on sale over at ACME Archives. I think they'd look great on your wall.

Heck, you've been working hard right? There's still a few Han, Luke and Leia images left. Why not treat yourself to two! A matching set! And you may as well get one for that baby shower you're going to as well. Perfect gift material to initiate the newborns into the world of Star Wars!

Also, feel free to enquire about the very limited, signed artist proofs that will be available via my own store soon.