Breakthrough

For today's drawing I have drawn a picture of a Lion Clan Samurai from the Legend of the Five Rings CCG/RPG. My brother introduced me to this game back when it first came out 15 years ago. I loved the setting, having always been interested by Japan, but the complete lack of gaming in my area kept me from playing.

Recently I have been able to finally pick up the game and try it out. The game is based on a fantasy japan-like setting featuring warring Samurai Clans. The Lion Clan is the right hand of the Emperor and embodies the Bushido Code.

I decided to draw a mid-level Samurai, Not a major hero-type, but a solid 2nd-in-command type of character. I chose a less ornate style for his armor, going for something a bit more utilitarian.

I hope you enjoy!

Everybody Loves robots (except John Conner...)

For today's sketch I went with a Flash Gordon-esque robot complete with de-atomizer ray and toxic nerve gas canisters. Just the faithful family friend every galaxy saving hero needs. I have always loved pulp sci-fi space operas. From John Carter to Buck Rogers I love the feeling of wonder and adventure that the older stories have. Expect to see a lot more of this kind of stuff as this experiment goes on. Enjoy.

Workin' in a coal mine

For today's image, I picked one of the ideas I was given. This is an alien miner. In hindsight, I should have made him look more grungy. Maybe he's at the start of his shift? I tried to make his clothing/goggles look high tech while still looking commonplace. I tried finger-blending the shading which I hadn't done in years. It turned out okay, but needs work. The alien started out as just a loose face and developed into an aquatic/amphibious sort of design as I drew. I thought the idea of a water-based species digging in the dirt was kind of funny.

Let me know what you like or even what you think I should have done different.

I like turtles...

Looking for inspiration today I saw my friend Andy's sweet Ninja Turtle toy sitting at his work desk. It reminded me that I had meant to draw a portrait of a Turtle for him, Since Raphael is both of our favorites.


I used to draw this guy all the time when I was a wee lad. I still remember the first time I ran across TMNT. I was in a game store in Sooner Mall in Norman, OK. I remember picking up a copy of the roleplaying game that Palladium put out back in the Eighties and seeing the picture of Raph next to his game stats. Something about that image looked so cool and tough. He was obviously not one to take any guff.


From the game I discovered the comic which was great. And of course later came the toys and cartoon, but they were never as cool as the original stuff.


This one's for you Andy!

Vampire!

With the looming Halloween season I have been in the mood for spooky stuff. So for today's image I drew a vampire. I went for a more classic Stoker style vampire over the sparkly metrosexual look they have been reduced to of late. People like to have these romantic ideals of immortal cursed and lonely souls, but really they are vicious bloodthirsty killers with no remorse, only an overwhelming desire to kill and feed. 


For this lovely chap, I decided on a bestial blend of man and bat. I also added some spotting to his skin and the membranes of his wings. I thought it added a bit of texture to the creature. I also added the windblown hair to add some counter-movement to the piece. the rest of him is angled forward and down, so the hair balances him by going back and up.


That's enough rambling for now. This probably won't be the last monster you see this month...

Better Late than Never...

So my plan was to post everyday, but alas Life has had other plans for me. But never fear, I am back today with a new sketch for your enjoyment!

The hardest part so far to this project is figuring out what to draw. Much like other people I suffer from indecision when deciding on a subject to draw. Sometimes that blank white page is a daunting adversary. That is why I am sending out a plea to whoever might read this blog for ideas of what to draw. I can't promise I will draw every request, but it will give me some subjects to work from. I offer my sincerest thanks in advance.

Okay, enough rambling, let's get on with today's piece. This is a picture of a sci-fi assassin. I wanted to get across both an advanced technology base, but also a reliance on traditional weaponry. I started to draw the clichéd curvy/spiky knife, but I decided a slender dagger would be more appropriate. The thought is that they would rely on poisoned weapons, so the knife should be designed for piercing rather than slashing. You can see the vial of void-wyrm venom hanging at his belt. His clan markings can also be seen on his bird mask. The eye of fate marks his forehead and his shoulder pad has hierograms of doom painted on it.

I hope you like today's sketch and I look forward to any comments you guys have.

Day 1

So begins a new experiment. Realizing how rusty my drawing skills have become over the last few years I have decided to start drawing on a more regular basis. The basic premise is that I will do a drawing or sketch each day and post it here. Over time I should improve my drawing skills and this blog will let me keep track of how far I have progressed while also giving me a place to get feedback.

If you have found your way here, I assume you already know me. If not, I want to give you a warm welcome and thank you for stopping by. Please leave a reply if you have the time as I am always looking for insight into my work.

Now that I have the boring stuff out of the way let's get to the first picture. As I said I am a bit rusty so I decided to start off small. This is a sketch of Crowhelm, my dwarven character. He was my very first MMO character and I have drawn him ever since. I have always been fond of the little guy and thought I would kick off this new adventure with a sketch of him.

I know it's not much, but it's a start...