Long Weekend Inspiration 1.2012

Here are some pictures from an inspirational and refreshing weekend away.

Lucasfilm Animation Charity Auction 2012

This is a small 4"x6" drawing I did for the Lucasfilm Animation Benefit Art Auction 2012. There are some fun pieces by cool artists there, so stop by if you have some spare time!

Flying Dream

This was supposed to be a digital comp painting for an acrylic piece I was working on for a charity auction. It didn't pass muster though. The idea comes from a dream I had. While it has the feel I wanted, it doesn't have enough story within the frame to warrant taking further.

I think good illustration is like a good story. An illustration that works should hold the viewer's attention and answer the classic who what where when why how questions. Right off the bat, there are problems with this comp. Who is this falling person? Are they falling or flying? Why are they glowing? Are they a man or woman? Girl? Boy? Human? When is this? Where is this? Too many unanswered questions and I find that it's purely an image with a "feeling" and not much else.

Static Notes

Static was the culmination of a few short stories I have played with over the last couple years. I wanted to do a whole story from beginning to end in some format on the blog, but I procrastinated out of fear and laziness. During one of my random sketch doodles I found an image that seemed to work with the premise of two characters lost in a snowy, dangerous world. The other posts sprung from there and borrowed elements from my other stories. The goal with Static was merely to tell a story using clear visuals and minimal dialogue. I am very glad that I have the whole thing up here and done, and I know I want to play with more ideas soon. I still haven't dialed in how much writing I need versus how much I need to show visually, and I still have to play with things like narrative voice.

I really appreciate people's encouraging comments along the way. Thanks everyone! It's great to know someone is watching. Now, on to the next idea!

Static 24

"Coordinates came in from a zoologist tracking polar sloths. He found one of his tagged sloths dead and tried to track the poacher. It took a while to find its way up to Central."

"Central wants to confirm visual."

"Check on visual confirmation. Touching down in five."

"Copy."

"Tell them the northern lights are really something. I'll send back a picture."

"That can wait Captain. Issue one is investigation of B team's whereabouts. Keep us posted."

"Will do."

Static 23

Static 22

*click*

Static 21

YOU SEEK POWER. I AM THE POWER YOUR PEOPLE DREAMED OF BUT NEVER UNDERSTOOD. THE SOUL IS ETERNAL, AND I CONSIST OF MANY SOULS. I SHALL NEVER DIMINISH.

"Still, you're stuck down here."

NOT FOR LONG. PREPARE TO BECOME ONE WITH THE MULTITUDE.

"Not so fast asshole. You might have got Jensen, but you won't get me. This charge grenade should see to that."

YOUR FEEBLENESS AMUSES ME CAPTAIN. THERE IS NO ESCAPE. YOU CANNOT KILL ME.

"It's not for you, it's for me."

Static 20

CAPTAIN, YOUR FRIEND AND THE OTHERS HAVE GIVEN ME STRENGTH. THEIR ENERGIES FEED MY OWN. I WAS TETHERED DEEP IN THE EARTH FOR EONS, BUT WITH THE LAST SMALL ENERGY FROM YOU I SHALL PULL FREE. CONSIDER YOURSELF HONORED.

"So it was you who wiped all the crew down here out? And what, you 'absorbed their souls'? What did you do to Jensen?!"

Static 19

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!"

"JENSEN!"

Static 18

"C'mon..."

"Hurry up Jensen!"

"It moved, I can't get a good draw...it's like it's alive."

"Wait...did it just make a noise?"

"I think I might have made it angry"

"Get outta there!"

Static 17

Static 16

"I don't know."

"Well find out! Hurry up and get a sample and let's get outta here."

"What about the lost crew?"

"I'm making the call. This place is getting weirder by the minute."

Static 15

"Damn it, my unit is completely overloaded. I can't-"

"Jensen, something going on here. Forget your toy and tell me what the hell THAT is!"

Static 14

"No life signs, but huge energy readings. I have no idea where the source is. The scan shows this whole level is hot, but this energy pool has been offline for a while. I don't get it..."

"A lot of help you turned out to be. Looks like we'll have to do this the old fashioned way, room by room."

Static 13

"What the hell is this Captain? This was an outpost? You knew about this!"

"Central gave us a mandate to investigate after the last installation ceased communication two months ago. This was a hush-hush development site. Theoretical stuff. They mentioned plans for a deeper extraction, but Central never heard from them again. We're here to case the place, get a sample, and scan for survivors."

"There were no survivors..."

"That's what we're here to find out."

Static 12

"...You son of a bitch. I've never heard such insubordination. I ought to leave you here on this frozen rock. You can study it all you want. How about that?"

"I don't think so. You don't know anything about extraction or containment. You don't even know how to take samples. You NEED me."

"What do you want Jensen?"

"I want you to use more caution and not shoot everything you see. I want to know why you're so excited about what's down there. This isn't just an energy well. What did central command tell you that you're not telling me?"

Static 11

"Captain, you have no idea what you're talking about."

"What was that?"

"You don't know this terrain like I do, you're rushing into--"

"Shut up. You are a soldier, you follow orders. This is my mission and you will respect my command."

"You keep reminding me. There's something very wrong about this whole thing. No one knows what's down there and the risks are very real. The energy levels are so high we could be blasted or poisoned on contact. You talk about doing my job, I AM doing my job. I'm trying to keep us alive, but you seem interested in getting us killed."

Static 10

"We're coming to a junction, then a steep drop. At the base should be the payload..."

"Alright Jensen, now don't get squirrely on me like you did topside. Keep your head when we get down there. There's no time for tourism. We get in, we get out, we go home. Got it?"

Static 09

 "The readings are off the chart. There's something big down below the surface."