The Return of Ambrose

Ambrose hates phallic looking tentacle monsters.

With a vengeance! Yesterday Mr. D pointed out that I had just been painting pretty random things lately, and that I should try doing some "Characters and shit, y'know?" as he put it. So I spent a few minutes chewing on the end of the paintbrush and then realised that I hadn't drawn Ambrose in a while. Plus, when drawing Ambrose you can have fun drawing all sorts of outlandish alien shit.

Also, you can't draw phallic tentacle beasts without drawing Toothy McVaginamouth next.

And of course, you can't draw Ambrose with Action Scientist Lydia giving him "the look".

Ah, "The Look", I know it well.

In related news, went on a location scout trip today to check out the place where we're going to be shooting this thing. Was good fun, and very inspiring, especially for Mr. Cass (our director extraordinaire) who proceeded to shoot a short animatic to help with the storyboarding process. Once again, I'm pretty excited about this whole thing, should be freaking awesome when finished.

EDIT: If you want some more information on the short film that we're working on, there's Lawrences site here, which has information about the location and our recent scouting trip, and Wilsons site, which has the first Production Diary post up. EXCITING, NO!?

It's a Monkey (and other things)

Bobo contemplates what might be the most important moment of his life.

So I painted a monkey. Unfortunately, it's not a space monkey, and monkeys don't have opposable thumbs like that, but just look at that face! Look at it!

Fortunately, this post is not just about Monkeys and Thumbs, but for me to let you know that the Gang is working on a short film for the Kula Film thingy. For more information and such, here is a link to Wilsons blog, where he's done a write up on the thing so far, and what we're going to do.

I'm not really nervous or anything, just hope I do a good enough job for the project and for my friends.

Kicking it Old School

I've never had much classical training when it comes to art. Mostly I'm self taught with whatever observations I make in terms of "what can make my art better" being incorporated into the style. When it comes to coloring, I haven't had much practice paints or watercolors (which led to a horrible incident once involving oil crayons and an art convention where I drew some pretty badly colored stuff). Basically, I skipped a whole stage to move onto digital coloring.

When trying to "paint" digitally though, I've always found something lacking. So I decided to bite the bullet and try my hand (literally) with a paintbrush and some watercolors. It did not start well, as you can see by the first thing that I ever painted, this fish:

I mean, it's not bad per se, it's just horribly executed. In terms of layering, highlights and depth. There are a few more of these paintings that I am not proud of, but instead I'm going to post the ones that I am proud of, because I'm like that.

Yes, that is a self portrait.

And this one was painted in a haze of vodka and mountain dew.

lkjhdsfa

Yay, Seedus!

There are a couple more, but I'll save 'em for smaller posts this week. Can't blow my load (ew, bad choice of words) all at once, so to speak.

Planes Creature Codex: Varoan

So, when I make things, I usually like to have a think about the story behind it. I needed some bat-like creatures for the game I'm perpetually working on so I had a chat with the gang (Lawrence, sonics was an awesome idea) and sat down and started writing out a backstory for these things. Was good fun.

Planes Creature Codex:
Entry 751
The Varoan

The Varoan are a race of humanoid bat people, who evolved in the dark underground reaches of Opal Mountain. They are a proud race and followers of the god Roan. (The name of their people basically translates to the "Children of Roan"). However, of late a schism between the working class and the clergy has led to a divide in the Varoan people.Biology

Varoans have poor vision compared to humans, but compensate with an internal sonar, with which they can detect even invisible beings. They stand from 7 to 8 feet tall, and have vestigial webbing between the arms and torso. This webbing allows them limited gliding ability, and helps to break falls that would otherwise be fatal. A Varoan can also emit a sonic attack that can liquidize flesh and crack solid rock.

Weaponry

Varoans are adept at the use of their tuning weapons, usually a sword or spear, which they use in a traditional form of martial art developed to give them the advantage in tight, cramped conditions. These weapons are also capable of emitting sonic waves which can disorientate, stun of knock out foes. All Varoans are trained in combat from an early age.

Society

Varoans have not had a king for many centuries now, although there is of course, a prophecy about a king rising in a time of great peril for the Varoan people. The priests of Roan lead the masses, but lately have been opposed by the workers and intellectuals of Varoan society. The reason for this schism is the emergence of one Vexus, known as the Herald of Roan by the clergy. Common Varoan are mistrustful of Vexus, because although Roan speaks to him, he is also human.

The Cult of Roan (And the Rise of Vexus)

Roan is an old and bloodthirsty god, he demands regular blood sacrifices and ceremonies from the Varoan in exchange for his protection and knowledge. However, like all gods, he seeks to expand his power and in the merchant Vexus he saw his opportunity.

Vexus is a man with charisma, a powerful talker and leader, who was originally a merchant from the lands south of Alandria. Roan spoke to Vexus in his dreams, promising him power and status if he were to bring about the age of the Bat God. Vexus gathered a cult of like-minded or simply weak-willed humans and set off to find the promised Lost City of Varonan.

The Avatar of Roan

In his travels through the vast underground lands of the Plane, Vexus encountered a huge four-winged bat. Unusual for its great size, this particular bat had grown so large that it had taken to hunting Wyrms for food. Vexus merged his life force with this bat, empowering it and forming a telepathic link with the creature.

Upon this bat, he entered the City of Varonan at the head of a massive host of cultists. The Varoan people were suspicious of this surface dweller, but the Priests of Roan regard him as a messianic figure, the chosen one of Roan, the Herald of the Age of the Batgod.

Published +1

Published in this months MaiLife magazine is this. Written by yours truly. Enjoy the random ramblings that spewed forth from my mind. I was actually surprised when I got the email to say that they wanted to publish it. It's not the most polished piece I've ever written.

My lecturer at school calls me Robert. Repeatedly. I didn't have the heart to correct her, trying to coerce a group of 40 young adults into learning about the joys of ethnocentrism and cultural relativism is tough enough as it is. Besides, there's something I kind of find appealing about this new name of mine. It makes me feel like I have a secret identity, a kind of double life. By day I am Robert, university student, and by night I am Freelance Man, with the power to design posters in a single night (changes notwithstanding).

Robert is quiet and unassuming, he sits in class, usually near the back and scribbles almost constantly as the lecturer speaks. Some of the time he's actually taking notes, but most of the time he's doodling pictures of flying pigs or sentient ant creatures. The thing that I've learned about university, and school in general, is that if you read the sources you're given and absorb the knowledge that is flying around the room at class time you'll do alright. My grades aren't the best in the world though, so don't go quoting me on that.

Freelance Man cannot afford to be quiet though. Oh no, he must ask questions almost constantly, and he rarely has time to doodle when it comes to taking notes. Freelance Man is kind of like the X-Men, except instead of defending a world that hates and fears them, Freelance Man works for a world that hates him. Perhaps I'm being too harsh, but talk to any designer for a short period of time, and if there's one thing that all of them can agree on, it's that the people who pay them to do work are usually the biggest obstacles to getting the job done.

Freelance Man was once offered a job to write a whole bunch of articles for a magazine that was to be released. Maybe the word "job" is too loose here, more like, he was asked to write a whole bunch of articles for free. Sure, they did offer him money at a later date, but that did not mean that they would pay for the articles when they were delivered. The conversation just before they stopped calling him went a little like this:

"Have you finished the articles yet?"
"Look, about that, I was wondering if you'd finished off the paperwork on that. You know, a small contract just to ensure I get paid for doing this."
"The accountants are working on it, but I really need those articles."
"Yes, I know, it's just that I've done work for people before that I ended up not getting paid for. It's incredibly frustrating."
This, by the way, is beyond incredibly frustrating. It's more a feeling of wanting to pound your head into a brick wall over and over for being so gosh darn stupid.
"The thing is, we really need those articles so that we can do a layout to show the sponsors. Then we can work on the first issue, and then we can pay you."
"So...basically I'm doing all this for potential money. That doesn't exist yet?"

Just because his name is Freelance Man, doesn't mean he works for free.

And so, I continue to lead this double life. No, there is no Mary Jane Watson in this story (yet. that's right ladies, I'm single!) but I do have a pretty good Aunt May who does her hardest to keep me in check. Speaking of Mary Janes, is it just me, or are relationships the strangest things in the world? Perhaps it's just the women I'm attracted to. For me it's either the incredibly neurotic or the incredibly psychotic. Yes, it's probably the women I'm attracted to.

This week, in class, I almost corrected the lecturer when she, once again, called me Robert. We were in the middle of a quiz on research methodology, and I didn't think that it was the right moment, what with the chaos that was ensuing. The energy levels from all forty brains trying to recall information that they had just skimmed through the night before was enough to power the Monasavu Dam for at least a year. Perhaps FEA should look into harnessing the latent energies in the brains of frustrated Uni students.

Anyway, I'm glad I didn't correct her, as I was running to catch the bus while pulling the last dregs of nicotine from my cigarette I heard someone call behind me, "See you later, Robert!"

Art Appreciation

Hey there, been a bit sick lately, which was GOOD FUN! (Caps mean sarcasm!)

I have been enamored recently with the work of Alphonse Mucha. A Czech artist from the early 1900's. And also with the Art Nouveau thing in general. Although, while the whole nouveau thing means lots of swirly little lines and such, I really like Alphonse's work, in fact, I here is the picture that made me look him up.

I mean look at that! Doesn't that look like it could have been drawn like, yesterday? If you have time, google some of his work, really beautiful stuff.

In fact, I feel bad posting this picture in the same post as Dance...but, I will anyway.


This picture was drawn on SUNDAY. And that concludes our educational post, have an awesomecake week folks!