Newest Life Drawing

Wild Woman...

Not so sure about the coloring job here. I went for the highlight levels and shadow levels to help sell the "realism", but I gotta live with it a couple days before I'm sure...

Orion Slave Girl

I really wasn't sure if I should post these yet, as I am not convinced I did the color right. Of course, the best way to look at these is up onscreen as they should be, so here it goes. I may repost after I live with it for a day or two...

Star Trek Gorn

Since I first thought of doing a Star Trek Aliens series in order to help me find my own style, I've been wanting to draw a Gorn. I came up with a design a while ago, but have been playing with the proportions ever since. I think this is working better, but I have to sit with it a few days to be sure...

Star Trek Ferengi

I finally got around to finishing another of my Star Trek Aliens series - the Ferengi. Ever since my first little sketch - I've liked this design. Although I have to start paying some serious attention to my color palette. I think I need a more mature color sense. I wanted his skin to be this sickly green. First, why employ human flesh tones on aliens? This is animation - might as well play with all of it. Secondly, I think it gives him a sense of moral emptiness - like he has no blood, no heart. The species is supposed to only crave money and profit, so I thought this would be a good choice.

A Little Star Wars

I've steered clear of drawing Star Wars for awhile - it just seems like everyone has done it. But I was sitting drawing with my son, and he had his Star Wars books open, so...

I'm still refining what will become "my" drawing style. It has been a great help to draw other people's characters (rather than my own original designs) as it helps to focus me on how I would construct them. I still start by always looking for that big, overall shape. I guess that's what made me do Grand Moff Tarkin -

I look forward to finishing some of these and adding color, when I can find some more time...

Native Pantheon

Recently inspired by the PBS documentary "We Shall Remain", I tried some sketches of favorite Native Freedom Fighters. Geronimo, Sitting Bull, and Crazy Horse. It's a bit tricky to get a good animation shape but not to go so far as to eliminate their humanity. Not sure how I succeded here, I got to sit with it a few days to know. If I end up liking them, then I'll try and finish them off.

YODA

When Yoda appeared in The Empire Strikes Back, he was 974 years old. He's always been old. But what must he have been like as a young Jedi? I imagine he was pretty wild and did a lot of damage before settling down in mid-age (600?) to adopt the wise old master vibe. So what was Yoda like back in the day? These are just two quick sketches, only a couple of inches wide, as I start to explore. I'd like to return to this idea as time allows.

Life Drawing

A few of my favorites from life drawing, held every two weeks at Fox TV Animation. These were done with a felt tip pen. These poses were held for 2-3 minutes. Fast and in ink - no time for mistakes or worries.

Revised Klingon Design

It wasn't until after I posted the last version that I looked at it fresh one morning and said, "Damn, the perspective is all wrong on the shoulders!" Don't let anyone tell you art is easy. Here's the new body on the Klingon:

LOTR sketches

Some Lord of the Rings sketches done sitting at the kitchen table, drawing with my son, on a Saturday afternoon.

And here is Alexander's excellent sketch of Legolas, Gimli, and Aragorn:

new scribbles

These are just some random sketches I put on one page for no particular reason. A couple of Tuskin Raiders, IronMan, and some ideas for Thundercats.

David

In trying to develop my own style, I have been drawing other people's characters in order to understand how I would handle shape, line, etc. This was done in that vein - by no means close to the original, but fun to try.

Klingon in color

Production has kept me busy of late - working nights, weekends and holidays. But I was able to sneak a little time to finish this first color pass of the Klingon in my Star Trek Aliens series.

Klingon redone

It's all about the basics. In animation, exaggeration is the key. Frequently, by going too far in the design to you finally arrive where you wanted to be all along. I needed to remember that with the Klingon in my Star Trek series. I've pushed the original design, and hopefully this is much more on track.

Star Trek Andorian

Little seen, but always a favorite - the Andorians. I like the head shape for this one, but I have to work on a better expression and body...

Cardassian

The next in the series. I know there are a few DS9 fans out there, and besides - it's always been a wicked design. Hope I didn't go overboard with textures.

Spock - first color pass

Here is my first color pass at Spock. There are still some tweeks - I don't feel that I have a good color sense, so I'll need to live with this for a few days before I really figure it out. More coming soon...

Star Trek design start

Here are the first of my series of Star Trek aliens. I am going to color them in full, and add more aliens. Star Trek has always had great alien designs, and releasing them from the constraints of live-action and having to fit real people into that make-up has been a lot of fun. Much more of these coming soon.

The Lone Ranger

So, it's not quite finished. I'm not finished with the background. I canted the background to work with the figure - the Lone Ranger was always a little skewed, y'know? I always see him as Batman in the Old West. I am working on a Tonto page to work alongside this piece. As work heats up, it may be awhile before I get that one ready. Did you know that originally, in the radio drama, the Lone Ranger's calling card was not a silver bullet - but a single bullet hole in the forehead. Hard core.