For the past week I was in somewhat of an art slump...just couldn't put anything out. However, a couple days ago, my bro Brennan showed me the website of a guy named Craig Mullins...with extremely legitimate art! I ogled over the pictures and was finally inspired to draw again..I looked at his art half that day and drew for the rest of it. I absolutely love the style; so profound, so flowing with light and color and shape and line... Anyways, here are some of my favorites:
Based on a design for merpeople I sketched yesterday. Working on background and coloring. I layered colors with a splatter brush to attempt and create a scaled, underwater effect. Need to add more depth and refine still.
Lately I've been thinking about mythology, and the art based upon it, this idea partially sparked by reading Japanese manga with references to Japanese mythological beings, of which there are many. It started me thinking on all the great mythical beings and legends and rich mythical backgrounds to many other countries, such as the tale of King Arthur in Europe, etc. I realized that America is the only country lacking a true mythical background. For a long time, I've thought about how America is increasingly lacking it's own individuality, with so many people of different backgrounds that have become part of it over the relatively short time it has been a country. I've always wanted to create some sort of solid legend story and personification of purely American values, events, ideals, and associations. A series of drawings or a book, even a comic book. It would include such rich, purely American genres such as the Wild West, and such 'Mythological' figures as Uncle Sam, yet done in a very fantasy, indirect and modified comic legend story. I've started researching some purely american figures in America's history, such as Uncle Sam, who would be a key player in the story, like a god or wise old man (Zeus, Gandalf) or a god disguised as a wise old man. I would create a sort of alternate universe fantasy version of him. To begin this, I'm researching the previous art of Uncle Sam. Obviously, I have to start with this, the popular propaganda poster by James Montgomery Flagg:
Here's a practice attempt with solid-color shading and coloring.
I've been playing a Japanese RPG for the wii recently called Phantom Brave. I really like its simplified and colorful style of art. I like how Takehido Harada uses only a few basic colors for everything including shading.
Still working on it, also testing with background.
Inspired by Mass Effect 2, the sci-fi space rpg/shooter game I have been watching my friend play. I've been trying to draw it using the style of the robot video I posted earlier...just beginning the process of coloring...it's gonna be a challenge.
