deviantART: gallery:inkthinker/542396

MHI - Vehicle Combat

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 21:41:17 PDT

One of several interior illustrations seen in the impending Hero Games Monster Hunter International Employee Handbook, the tabletop RPG and worldbook based on the Monster Hunter series of kickass urban fantasy novels by Larry Correia. Check it out at bigger size with the Download option.

This is one of the few that I did which involved an actual character from the book. Earl Harbinger, MHI chief and head bad-ass, riding alonside a van full of wicked cultists while blasting away at them one-handed with his WW2-era Thompson. I got to choose what sort of motorcycle he would ride... I had the idea that it would be a Harley at first, but Mr. Correia tells me that his bike is never actually brand-named, and so I decided to put Earl on a vintage Indian Army model, to go with his typewriter. And I did my best to get his minotaur-hide bomber jacket right, too.

The purple-robed cultists were a consistent bunch of mooks I put into a couple of the pieces I had, but only these guys get the gold-plated D.Eagle to go with their MAC-10s and RPGs. Probably nicked the whole package from some Libyan terrorists in the 1980s. Great Scott, that's heavy.

PS CS5.5 on the ol scuffy Cintiq 21. Let me know what you think, if you have any suggestions for improving my technique I'm definitely all ears.

MHI - Martial Arts

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 22:46:00 PDT

One of several interior illustrations seen in the impending Hero Games Monster Hunter International Employee Handbook, the tabletop RPG and worldbook based on the Monster Hunter series of kickass urban fantasy novels by Larry Correia. Check it out!

On this project I enjoyed the rare pleasure of full-color paint work, something I used to avoid and now relish, because I'm almost positive I'm getting better at it.

The MHI series is all about finding those things that go bump in the night, and bumping back with .357 silver-tipped hollowpoints. It was especially important that I illustrate the weapons in these illustrations accurately, as detailed and realistic description and usage of firearms is a hallmark of Correia's novels in general. This particular piece illustrates a Hunter disarming a deranged cultist, but crazy-eyes isn't down for the count just yet (though you would think the Glock against his temple would make a decisive argument). The Latin on the Hunter's arm loosely translates to (I think) "Without Knowledge, Skill Is Nothing".

This work was pretty similar to what I had to do for the Mistborn RPG (converting book content into visuals), except that the contemporary setting of the MHI novels doesn't require quite so much improvisation in terms of fashion design. It doesn't really make the job easier, per se, but it gives me lots more leeway in terms of reference.

This was PS CS5.5 and ye olde Cintiq 21.

Skullkickers Online - 'The Beholder' 05-06

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 19:43:10 PST

All this week over at Skullkickers.com Jim Zub is serializing the six-page story I drew for his "Tavern Tales" anthology back in 2011! Written by Zach Weiner of SMBC, hit the Download to check it out at full 16x12, and check out the pages on the webcomic to read the script and see it in full, glorious color by Espen Grundetjern!

With pages 05 and 06, we come to the conclusion of this little tale. Page 05 was one of my favorites, I had a lot of fun with the expressions and action, the courtier throwing up in his hat was one of those bits I added in that got to stay. Because I came up with the gag as I was going along, I had to go back and redraw his hat on the first page in order to make the continuity of the joke work.

I swear, I promise, I've learned how to draw horses since this. Really and for truly, I have. I got a book and everything.

Drawn in Manga Studio EX v.3 on the Cintiq. Check out Skullkickers online, Jim's publishing the entire back catalog, so it's easy to catch up, and when you find out that you love it you can jump ahead of the webcomic by moving on to the print! It's awesome!

Skullkickers Online - 'The Beholder' 03-04

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 03:36:04 PST

All this week over at Skullkickers.com Jim Zub is serializing the six-page story I drew for his "Tavern Tales" anthology back in 2011! Written by Zach Weiner of SMBC, hit the Download to check it out at full 16x12, and check out the pages on the webcomic to read the script and see it in full, glorious color by Espen Grundetjern.

Pages 03 and 04 form the bridge on this 6-part arc. I really enjoyed doing the little onomatopoeia lettering for the sneaking. I'm a big proponent of hand-letting, especially when it comes to sound. It's also the best way to create unique voices in your dialog, but that takes a more masterful hand than mine. And you gotta be careful using fonts to create different "voices", a little of that goes a very long way.

I'm also a big fan of the way page 04 works to encourage you on to the next page. The "slash" effect I did here feels weak, but I think it works well enough to do what I intended. The outfit for the evil queen is a little ridiculous, but that was as it should be.

Drawn in Manga Studio EX v.3 on the Cintiq. Check out Skullkickers online, Jim's publishing the entire back catalog, so it's easy to catch up, and when you find out that you love it you can jump ahead of the webcomic by moving on to the print! It's awesome!

Skullkickers Online - 'The Beholder' 01-02

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 02:54:42 PST

All this week over at Skullkickers.com Jim Zub is serializing the six-page story I drew for his "Tavern Tales" anthology back in 2011! Written by Zach Weiner of SMBC, I had a great time drawing this story. I wish I could do work like this all day. Hit the Download to check it out at full 16x12.

Just to mix it up and save me a bit of work, I'll post the line-art in pairs. Check out the pages on the webcomic to read the script and see it in full, glorious color by Espen Grundetjern. This is the page orientation they shared originally when in print, Zach's script employs the classically clever move of making each right-hand page "ask a question" so that you're encouraged to turn to the next. I'll post the next pair on Wednesday, to coincide with page 3. Technically I've posted these separately a year or so ago, but this is the first time they're posted without text, and to coincide with their new publishing online.

Drawn in Manga Studio EX v.3 on the Cintiq. Check out Skullkickers online, Jim's publishing the entire back catalog, so it's easy to catch up, and when you find out that you love it you can jump ahead of the webcomic by moving on to the print! It's awesome!

Mistborn Adventure Game - Peoples of Scadrial

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 00:43:51 PST

Rough drafts for nearly all the various character archetypes seen in The Mistborn Adventure Game, available at fine game stores and online retailers around the world.

I finally nailed the definitive Koloss with these designs. And it was here that we developed the monsterwraith, the result of a normally placid mistwraith absorbing the corpse of a koloss, and thereby gaining power and aggression without awareness. Such are the stuff of skaa nightmares. I ended up designing a much better version of the Inquisitor's glass-bladed axe, but that generic version still made it to the final. Most of these rough designs were changed very little from here to final cleanup, it helped a lot that I was able to discuss directly with Brandon details like the inspirations for Luthadel fashion and the state of the textile industry in the Empire. That saved a lot of revision time on the back end.

If you're wondering at the draw-through you see between various characters, it's because each of these were illustrated on separate Layers, effectively making 30 or so single-character spots, rather than six groups. In the final publishing they ended up being composed individually and larger than I had originally expected, but it worked out all right as I'd put in a lot of fiddly detail at high resolution.

Everyone's more or less to scale with each other, there's a faint line that marks 6' as a common base. In retrospect I don't know that the Terris people as a rule are naturally taller than everyone else on Scadrial, but it's something you can work around as needed.

If you happen to run your display at 1600x1200 then it makes a nice wallpaper. Drawn on the Cintiq in Manga Studio EX v.3 back in early 2011.

The Gutters #366 - Unchained Parody

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 19:15:21 PST

Check out the full-color, finished version over at The Gutters!

Normally I have to wait months or even years before my work is published and I'm allowed to share it. This one turned around in less than a week.

Tapped by the team at The Gutters, a webcomic that satirizes current events and culture in the comics industry, my contribution to their new 2013 lineup shows just where the current dynamic between Doc Ock and Peter Parker is headed.

It's possible not everyone has seen Patrick Swaze and Demi Moore get sloppy in Ghost, so here's that for reference

>> [link] <<.

Why should I suffer alone?

I'm actually not a current reader of any of the Spidey books, my tastes in comics run more Dark Horse and Image than DC and Marvel, so I'm only vaguely familiar with the current storyline, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say I don't think it'll last long. It's a neat twist while it's on, in the meantime.

Drawn on ye olde Cintiq 21 in Manga Studio v.3 over the course of a day or so. Digital inking made that tentacle segmenting possible without needing to rough it all out in advance. Saved a LOT of time, I think.

Warmup_20121227

Fri, 28 Dec 2012 00:41:41 PST

Spent the first bit of today's drawing time on a little tribute to Floyd Gottfredson, writer and illustrator of the best version of Mickey Mouse ever committed to the page. I've been consuming the hell out of the four volumes Fantagraphic collected of Gottefredson's work on the daily Micky Mouse comic strip from 1930-38, and his is the version of the Mouse that I love the most... this Mickey was an ace pilot, a gunslinger, a detective, a reporter, and in his adventures he foiled air pirates, shot it out with dry-gulch bandits, outwitted opium smugglers and beat the snot out of the Phantom Blot.

He was a really bad role model for gun-safety though.

Drawn on the ol' Cintiq in Photoshop, it ought to go without saying that this is not an official work, and that Mickey Mouse and everything associated with him is a property of the Walt Disney Co.

OLD WORK - Nike Boards

Sat, 01 Dec 2012 00:00:50 PST

Rough boards for the "Punching Bag" segment of the Nike commercials I worked on in late 2008 (hence the "old work" tag). These were translated into an animatic for approval and then reworked into animation frames. Because all the frame production was handled in Photoshop, final frames were drawn directly over the boards, and those frames were painted and then composed in AfterEffects and Final Cut.

Originally I pushed for this piece to have a very high-contrast look like the work of one of my favorite director/animators, Takeshi Koike, but sadly it was not to be... the director had a different idea, and so it goes. In retrospect it would have been a poor imitation, but I still would have liked to try.

Ht the Download to see the frames larger. You can see the line animation right here, for comparison:

All Cintiq and Photoshop work. ©2008 Humoring the Fates and Nike.

Highway Samurai

Sat, 17 Nov 2012 23:30:41 PST

A little something I put together in the spare bits. I need more technology in my portfolio, I'm perfectly comfortable with cars and guns and such but I really don't do enough of it to show that. You should maybe Download to see this in full-res, there's a lot of fiddly detail.

The composition of this piece got very messy at some point, probably because I'm easily persuaded to put in "one more cool thing" at the expense of clarity. I like most of the bits I ended up with, but the fact that I didn't plan it all out in advance really shows in the uneven layout. Still, I like the general designs, and I had fun with stuff like the dichotomy of the dragons, or the mousiness of the civilian car.

7 logos to find, but one of them is quite badly done... let's say 6 logos and a bonus crap one for the truly dedicated.

Cintiq 21UX, Manga Studio EX v3, ask me any questions you like. No refs were used for anything but the Space Needle, the rest of it is 110% freehanded make-em-up. If something is mechanically questionable, I take the blame.

-EDIT-

Daily Dev, no kiddin'!? Thank you!

For all the color requests, check out the Download option and you'll see that it's now at 3600x2400. Have fun with it, let me know what you come up with!

-DOUBLE EDIT-

Hey look, now it's a print! That's new. I've never sold a print before, but I'm thinking why not already?

Warmup_20121112 - The Lord Ruler

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 21:20:14 PST

"Those are very hard to replace..."

Today's warmup doodle became something I wish I had done for The Mistborn Adventure Game; a vignette portrait of The Lord Ruler, immortal god-emperor of The Final Empire.

Not canonized... while I do draw official Mistborn work for Brandon Sanderson and Crafty Games, I'm working off the reservation here, drawing on my own time. That being said, I went by the text same as did when working on the RPG, so it shouldn't be any less accurate than those were.

Got a little closer here in terms of the technique I was aiming for during the RPG work too, something I wish I'd worked out sooner. Silhouettes are more important than I had realized when trying to mimic illustration techniques from a hundred years ago and blend 'em with modern influences.

Tablet and Manga Studio. "The Lord Ruler" is a feature character in Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn series of novels.

-EDIT-

Updated with a few minor changes... a more extensive pattern in the vest, lace at the cuffs, and frogging in the jacket so that it be a little more fancy, befitting the deathless despot of a dying dominion.

Iron Dynasty Armor III

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 05:58:23 PDT

Armor designs for Reality Blurs "Iron Dynasty" RPG setting.

Unlike the weapons, I was allowed a lot more freedom to make up these armor designs, though I still needed to base them on historical precedents whenever possible. Each design is wrapped around an invisible figure in order to maintain a focus on the armor rather than the character wearing it. There's a lot of details in there, you'll want to check out the full-size Download version to see them all.

Each armor follows a theme in its construction and appearance. Some of them are more fantastic than others, but in all cases I tried to keep it grounded in some sense of realism.

A) Stone armor. Based on real historical examples of carven stone plates over heavy cloth, probably leather
B) Seafaring armor, piratical in theme. I like the patterns and the hat quite a lot
C) Pretty much straightforward historical samurai armor, right down to the moustache

You might note that some of the designs carry weapons. I based the proportions of those weapons on those on the Weapons sheet, but I never repeated the details. It's too much fun to make up new ones.

All drawn in Manga Studio EX v.3
©2010 Reality Blurs/Ben McSweeney

Iron Dynasty Armor II

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 05:55:48 PDT

Armor designs for Reality Blurs "Iron Dynasty" RPG setting.

Unlike the weapons, I was allowed a lot more freedom to make up these armor designs, though I still needed to base them on historical precedents whenever possible. Each design is wrapped around an invisible figure in order to maintain a focus on the armor rather than the character wearing it. There's a lot of details in there, you'll want to check out the full-size Download version to see them all.

Each armor follows a theme in its construction and appearance. Some of them are more fantastic than others, but in all cases I tried to keep it grounded in some sense of realism.

A) Ceramic armor, glazed and fired clay that's surprisingly light and strong, with an almost glass-like finish.
B) Iron armor. Got a definite karasu/tengu theme going on there. Incorporates small bones as a decorative accent.
C) Studded and interlaced leather, accented and backed by coarsely woven cloth.

You might note that some of the designs carry weapons. I based the proportions of those weapons on those on the Weapons sheet, but I never repeated the details. It's too much fun to make up new ones.

All drawn in Manga Studio EX v.3
©2010 Reality Blurs/Ben McSweeney

Iron Dynasty Armor I

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 05:53:56 PDT

Armor designs for Reality Blurs "Iron Dynasty" RPG setting.

Unlike the weapons, I was allowed a lot more freedom to make up these armor designs, though I still needed to base them on historical precedents whenever possible. Each design is wrapped around an invisible figure in order to maintain a focus on the armor rather than the character wearing it. There's a lot of details in there, you'll want to check out the full-size Download version to see them all.

Each armor follows a theme in its construction and appearance. Some of them are more fantastic than others, but in all cases I tried to keep it grounded in some sense of realism.

A) Silk armor, woven fabrics that catch and cushion while allowing full movement.
B) Crustacean-themed, I honestly forget why. Still, one of my very favorite of the whole set.
C) Heavy armor, capable of blocking almost any attack

You might note that some of the designs carry weapons. I based the proportions of those weapons on those on the Weapons sheet, but I never repeated the details. It's too much fun to make up new ones.

All drawn in Manga Studio EX v.3
©2010 Reality Blurs/Ben McSweeney

Iron Dynasty Weapons

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 05:40:44 PDT

A collection of weapon illustrations created for Reality Blurs RPG setting "Iron Dynasty". The client wanted the weapons to be unique but historically accurate, so most of the fun I had lies in the tiny details, things like the patterns of design in the tsubo or hilt, or the caps on the scabbards. Make sure you check out the full-view Download version to see all the fiddly bits. Even when I had a weapon fall into the same category (for instance, hand axes and throwing axes were effectively the same thing) I created a unique version. I've left out the couple of firearms I designed for 'em, as those were more unique, fictional designs.

Each weapon is in scale to the others (I used the base katana to establish the scale), with the exception of the polearms and the bows... in order to make them fit on the page, I had to shrink 'em down by something like 75% in comparison to the others.

I had a surprising amount of fun with this job, it wasn't particularly difficult but it let me play around. I should hunt down more gigs like this.

All drawn in Manga Studio EX v.3
©2010 Reality Blurs/Ben McSweeney

Pen Practice

Thu, 10 May 2012 03:05:26 PDT

Revisiting an old practice piece, cleaning it up a bit while trying to keep that rough charm. Something new to add to my updated 2D Reel.

50 frames animated in CS5 on the ol' Cintiq. Ain't nothin' to it but to do it.

Mistborn Adventure Game - Vin and Sazed

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 21:32:07 PST

A rarity in my Mistborn work, two of the main characters from the novels as they appear in The Mistborn Adventure Game, out this month from Crafty Games!

Brandon himself generally prefers that I not illustrate his characters in an "official" capacity, because he feels (and I agree) that the appearance of characters is something we as readers internalize, and to define them too firmly tends to leave someone out there feeling that their version as they see it in their mind's eye is somehow "wrong".

One of the joys of written stories is that we (the readers) enter into a fantasy that is simultaneously shared and yet uniquely our own. My vision of Vin may differ from yours, but because there's nothing to go on but a written description, so long as we're both coming from the same place then both our visions are equally valid.

That being said, Vin's been illustrated by almost every cover artist who's worked on a Mistborn novel to date, in countries around the world, so we're treading old ground here. Less so are the illustrations of characters of Sazed, Marsh, Elend, Zane and Kelsier, all of which appear in the pages of The Mistborn Adventure Game.

While Brandon's obstensibly "approved" these illustrations (he was a direct part of the review process), I wouldn't claim them as necessarily "canonized". But as always, I do my best to get as close to the source as I can. The core of any drawing comes from his descriptions in the text, and while there's different ways to define "hawk-faced" or "tall", I can at least get a good start by sticking to the common ground.

Drawn in Manga Studio EX v3 on the 21UX. These illustrations are exclusively licensed to Crafty Games, all rights reserved.

Mistborn Adventure Game - Action shots

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 23:20:08 PST

More interior illustrations for The Mistborn Adventure Game, out this month from Crafty Games! Click the DL for larger, more detailed versions.

I think it's in the action illustrations where my reliance on illustrative tropes was most evident. I wanted to work in a more storybook style for this project, but when it came time to illustrate motion I can't help but fall back on modern technique. I think that the results make for cool imagery, but I'd be lying if I said it was where I wanted to go when I started out the door.

I did have fun running with another idea that I'd been wanting to use for Mistborn, using the shape of the mist to reinforce allomantic symbolism. See if you can count how many times the symbol for Steel show up in the Pushing illustration.

That's not really meant to be Vin battling the hazekillers, but I suppose it could be. I had to tone that illustration down from the original sketch, wherein the coin was blasting out of the guy's mouth instead of through his throat.

Drawn in Manga Studio EX v3 on the 21UX. These illustrations are exclusively licensed to Crafty Games, all rights reserved.

Mistborn Adventure Game - High and Low Society

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 20:49:00 PST

More interior illustrations for The Mistborn Adventure Game, out this month from Crafty Games! Click the DL for larger, more detailed versions.

These were two of my favorite "setting" illustrations. First appearing in the Game Primer that premiered earlier this year at Gen Con (and still available for free on Crafty's site) and through Crafty's Facebook, these two showcase the massive difference between the lifestyles of the Nobility and the Skaa, the very wealthiest and poorest of Scadrial.

I also had a hell of a good time with the itty-bitty details. In the skaa slums I had the chance to try an inking effect I'd been wanting to use since Brandon's first description of the cities, which fade from black to grey, top to bottom, stained by the ever-present ash that rains from the sky. Unfortunately I think the effect ended up being a little heavy-handed, but it does read. Next time, I think, grey tones would work better.

In the noble party, there's the interactions of the scheming, crafty nobles at any social event. Wrapped in an opulent (and above all clean) environment, it's a rare couple that can stand above this special brand of filth. I also had some fun implying a bit of the history of the world (as they know it) through the background artwork.

Lots of opportunity for narrative implication in either of these illustrations. The most fun I have with drawings like this is implying the stories that haven't yet been told. Who are those people, and what's happening to them in this moment? That's a story you can tell, through the mechanics of the game and your own imaginations.

Drawn in Manga Studio EX v3 on the 21UX. These illustrations are exclusively licensed to Crafty Games, all rights reserved.

Mistborn Adventure Game - The Nobles

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 00:11:10 PST

Crafty Games is set to release The Mistborn Adventure Game in just two short weeks! Chock full of details on the world and magic of the Mistborn series, it's as much a resource for fans of the novels as it is a game for tabletop adventurers.

I did all of the illustration work for this book, both covers and interiors. While I wish I could have done more, I tried to make what I could put together as comprehensive and book-accurate as possible.

This a set of character archetypes representing the Noble classes. Lowly house guards, specialist Hazekillers, haughty high-born power-brokers and of course, the mysterious Mistborn. I did several of these archtypical groups, including the skaa, the Steel Ministry, and more. There's a lot of detail in the linework, check out the full-size Download version.

I don't know if it made it all the way into the text, but the halberd that house guard holds is actually a tricky weapon. The head of the polearm is designed to come off the haft if it's Pulled upon by someone burning Iron, hitting them with a nasty surprise. Credit Brandon for that one.

Drawn in Manga Studio EX v3 on the 21UX. These illustrations are exclusively licensed to Crafty Games, all rights reserved.

Alloy of Law - Allomancer Jak

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 22:29:35 PST

The Alloy of Law, Brandon Sanderson's newest Mistborn novel, is out NOW!! Find it on the shelves, order it from your favorite book source, look for it anywhere Tor books are sold.

Check out my previous post for more on the project as a whole:

The Allomancer Jak story was a short bit that Brandon wrote as a pastiche/homage of "travelogue adventures" that appeared in real newspapers around the turn of the twentieth century. They share common seeds with classic "dime novels" and "penny dreadfuls", wildly exaggerated, semi-fictional (or entirely fictional) accounts of the adventures of real frontiersman in the American West.

My favorite parts of the story (which you can read in the broadsheet composition above, or better yet in the pages of The Alloy of Law) were the bits that clearly illustrate our man Jak is not the most reliable of narrators, and I wanted the accompanying illustration to carry over that exaggerated heroism. I had a lot of fun with this one, even if I wasn't as successful at imitating period style in the details as I wish I had been. Excessive hatchwork does not cover up (or excuse) my illustrative style tropes.

Jak himself is a bit of Teddy Roosevelt and Wild Bill Hickock bearing a mistcoat and a dueling cane (this illustration also gave me the opportunity to slip in visual representation of those elements, both of which are described in the novel). He's intentionally so far over the top that he's heading down the other side.

I also like that Miss Dramali (presumably) isn't as helpless a damsel as she looks.

Entirely drawn in Manga Studio EX v.3 using a Cintiq 21UX. Full view or download to get a really good look at the details.

The Alloy of Law and The Elendel Daily and its contents are ©2011 Dragonsteel Entertainment. Feel free to ask any questions you might have, and if I can I'll answer 'em!

Alloy of Law - Elendel Daily details

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 22:12:16 PST

The Alloy of Law, Brandon Sanderson's newest Mistborn novel, is out NOW!! Find it on the shelves, order it from your favorite book source, look for it anywhere Tor books are sold.

Check out my previous post for more on the project as a whole:

These are closer looks at a couple of my favorite illustrations from the mock newspaper. Full view or download for greater detail.

The title text here is actually a "hollow" variant that we discarded in favor of solid text. The two graphic designs are ornate illustrations based on Isaac Stewart's Allomantic symbol for "Tin", which of course enhances the sight and hearing (what better symbol for journalism?).

The Breaknaught is the bandit-proof vault car that features vividly in the climax of the story. I really wanted to illustrate more of the train, though, as there's more than one action scene that surrounds train cars and the like, which I enjoyed quite a lot. In the end I feel that I drew the characters about 10% too large for the scale of the train, but I'm blaming that on the traditional inaccuracies of period-authentic illustration. It's not a mistake, it's a feature!

The political cartoon was based on a loose idea of the sort of class politics that a city like Elendel struggles with on a regular basis (it works best accompanied by the article that details the leader of the Tradeworkers Union bending over for the Noble Houses Collective in a labor dispute). Here I tried to channel a bit of Tenniel (the illustrator most famously known for his work in Carroll's Alice in Wonderland) and some Winsor McKay (Little Nemo in Slumberland, Tales of a Rarebit Fiend) to achieve some of that proper period flavor. McKay was notorious for not fitting all his text well into a word bubble, but in the final submission they made me fix it so that it was more readable.

The final bit is an advertisement for Immerling Arms, a fictional manufacturer of modern weaponry in the city of Elendel and surrounding territories. Guns feature quite prominently in The Alloy of Law, and their combination with the traditional powers of Allomancy or Feruchemy are part of what elevate the story beyond the usual tropes of fantasy or westerns. Between that and the few examples I found of authentic period advertisements in the pages of era-equivalent (1910) newspapers showcasing firearms, I knew I had to do something like this ad.

The pistol itself is a loose conglomeration of Western and European styles to create an unholy bastard of period design. I'm also really pleased with the font/logo for Immerling... based loosely on an existing font called "Thirteen O'Clock", I modified the letters to resemble bullets and hammers. While it was originally intended as a placeholder I was surprised at how much I liked it, ultimately deciding to submit it in the final composition. The slogan and the copy text practically wrote itself.

All the illustrations were drawn in Manga Studio EX v.3 using a Cintiq 21UX, assembled and composed in Photoshop CS2.

The Alloy of Law and The Elendel Daily and its contents are ©2011 Dragonsteel Entertainment. Feel free to ask any questions you might have, and if I can I'll answer 'em!

Alloy of Law - Elendel Daily Original

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 21:40:11 PST

The Alloy of Law, Brandon Sanderson's newest Mistborn novel, is out NOW!! Find it on the shelves, order it from your favorite book source, look for it anywhere Tor books are sold.

I'm so psyched. Full view or download to check it out in detail!

This is my first officially sanctioned, canon Mistborn work, following on the heels of my work for Sanderson's The Way of Kings (first book in "The Stormlight Chronicles"), and my work on Crafty Games new RPG The Mistborn Adventure Game (out later this month).

In The Alloy of Law, Brandon and I worked together with his assistant Peter Ahlstrom and graphic designer Isaac Stewart to create a mock broadsheet, a front page from a newspaper in a world evolved from the more traditional (not really) fantasy roots of the original Mistborn trilogy.

In keeping with his philosophies on illustration in novels, Brandon wanted this work to represent a visual peek into a couple different aspects of the world as well as represent an in-world artifact. What I've posted here is the final composition as I delivered it. Peter then set to work cleaning it up, setting the type more evenly, adjusting several of the fonts and generally making the final product look even more authentically perfect. You can see the final work in the pages of the novel, or hunt down the PDF hosted on Tor.com

In the 300 or so years since the events of The Hero of Ages (final book in the original trilogy) the world of Scadrial has moved up to something akin to our own in terms of technology and society, circa 1910 or so. Electricity, steam, gunpowder and the printing press have all been invented, discovered, rediscovered and refined to create a world very different from the days of The Final Empire.

Some of the articles provide alternate views on various plot points within the novel. Other bits here provide a touch of flavor to the descriptions of the text, and some bits serve no other purpose but to amuse. Brandon wrote about 95% of the text himself, I fluffed a couple bits (with his approval, and I won't tell you which ones) in order to fill the columns, and all of us came up with ideas for the advertisements and other little details. Isaac's work appears more clearly in the final product, but he was specifically responsible for coming up with the great slogan.

I studied examples of period newspapers for ideas on layout, illustration style, and the sorts of things that appeared amongst the articles of papers in those days. If anything what we created is much less dense than an American newspaper from the early 1900's (seriously, they packed those pages tight!), but I think it holds at least some of the proper flavor. I had the most fun with the Allomancer Jak illustration, the ad for the pistols, and the political cartoon. In followup posts I'll include some details on these and other bits that we put together to create this work.

The Alloy of Law and The Elendel Daily and its contents are ©2011 Dragonsteel Entertainment. All illustrations were created in Manga Studio EX v.3 using a Cintiq 21UX, composed and assembled in Photoshop CS2.

Feel free to ask any questions you might have about it, and if I can I'll answer 'em!

Mistborn Adventure Game

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 22:10:18 PDT

The cover illustration to the Mistborn Adventure Game, due out later this year and available for pre-order now from Crafty Games..

The idea here was to set up a conflict with the two major icons of Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn series; one of the titular Mistborn themselves, battling a spike-eyed Steel Inquisitor. The titled, inverted angle was chosen to emphasize the way these characters fly around... more or less by flinging themselves through the sky through sheer force. The blue lines point to sources of metal that they can push away from or pull towards, one of the many powers seen in the series.

I also tried capturing a couple other elements inherent to the world of Scadrial. The mists, the volcanoes that vomit ash into a red sky, the cities standing against barren wastelands, all iconic elements of the series. I tried adding some ash fall to the scene, but it muddied it up and didn't add much, so that was pulled.

If you haven't read the novels, I highly recommend them. Brandon writes unique, action-packed fantasy that's not quite like anything else on the shelves. If you're already a fan, I think you'll dig the Adventure Game... even if you're not a player, it's a repository of information about the world of the series, and includes an all-new Kelsier story by Brandon.

Illustrated in PS CS2 on a Cintiq 21. This one was tricky, and I wouldn't have pulled off the lighting without the help of my inestimable Fates partner Kevin Delucia. He's the tops.

Anyone who's read the series knows that Pushing coins at an Inquisitor is a bad idea. That particular Mistborn is sooo screwed.

Joe is Japanese - MM pg18

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 19:17:10 PDT

More old pages for Joe is Japanese, these represent some of the very first pages where I really got to play around with fight action, and I had the freedom (to a point) to do it as I liked. Here we witness the semi-retired Mista Mountain tear through a bunch of chimpira train thugs along the Yamanote line.

I'm not usually one to get into frenetic page layouts with lots of overlap and so forth, I think if you use that technique a lot it loses its effect, and tends to result in chaotic compositions. Sometimes though, a bit of chaos is just what you need. So as the action ramps up the panels get bunched together, and we're only glimpsing cuts of motion, and it gets more and more so until we turn the page and we get a double-page spread based on this old frame from the animated bits we did:

Which makes for a nice breather.

I tried to lay out the action such that the motion leads you into the next panel, but that's a sort of oddly subjective statement... there is no "motion" that the reader does not imagine for themselves based on what they're reading. If I do my job well, then it's easy to see the action, but if not it's just a mess.

Illustrated in Manga Studio EX v.3 on a venerable Cintiq 18. ©2009 Humouring the Fates, Inc.

The Fates is irregularly updating the Joe is Japanese comics site with new pages, if you haven't seen 'em check it out. I think there's an RSS feed tag that can tell you when new pages are put on the site.

Joe is Japanese - MM pg14

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 19:02:05 PDT

More old pages for Joe is Japanese, these represent some of the very first pages where I really got to play around with fight action, and I had the freedom (to a point) to do it as I liked. Here we witness the semi-retired Mista Mountain tear through a bunch of chimpira train thugs along the Yamanote line.

This page is pretty simple in comparison to the next, but it's part of my early experimentation with the use of hatch shading to represent form in motion... not really a new technique, even for me, but one which I'm constantly attempting to refine. It's not a very popular technique in Western comics, partly because it's difficult to color (though not impossible, as some have worked out). I'm really surprised it didn't arise in old etching work, where shading through the use of closely-spaced linework was common (required, even).

In p2 that one guy appears to have had his jaw ripped clean off, but I assure you he is merely vomiting copious amount of blood. I worry less about him, and more about how awkward that Mista Mountain position is.

Illustrated in Manga Studio EX v.3 on a venerable Cintiq 18. ©2009 Humouring the Fates, Inc.

The Fates is irregularly updating the Joe is Japanese comics site with new pages, if you haven't seen 'em check it out. I think there's an RSS feed tag that can tell you when new pages are put on the site.

Spellbound Cover

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 14:34:53 PDT

The cover to Crafty Games upcoming Fantasy Craft supplement SpellBound, due out later this year. Check out the supersize edition by clicking the DL button up there.

Full color painting and I have been cautious friends at best. I'm much more comfortable with contours and linework, and even when I work with tone and shape it tends to influence my thinking. If I'm comfortable with any color technique, it's a cel style (unsurprisingly), but I keep throwing myself into the full-paints grinder whenever I can get a proper chance. I'm very much open to suggestions for ways I could improve my techniques.

I think with this cover, I substituted amusing details for solid painting skills. I liked the effect I put together for reaching into a Bag of Holding. Ideally there should be something funny or neat or at least visually interesting going on nearly everywhere you look, but if I composed it well then it doesn't overwhelm the action of the larger illustration. Ooo, listen to me sound fancy.

In addition, it's the return of the Hunt the Logo game! Buried in the details are variant versions of my lightbulb logo, try and find 'em all. I'm going to have to start painting a reminder of the total number I put into a piece like this, 'cause when almost a year goes by I tend to forget. At least 6 that I know of (repeat patterns count as 1), plus a couple signatures beyond the most obvious.

It makes a nice wallpaper too, if I don't mind saying so.

Illustrated entirely in Photoshop on a Cintiq 21UX, if you'd like to see the progression of stages (and witness all the horrible mistakes I made right from the beginning) check out the gallery at Crafty's Facebook page, and see if you Like it.

©2010 Crafty Games and Ben McSweeney.

Joe is Japanese - pg 60-ish

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 21:49:34 PDT

A nice splash page from the ongoing graphic novel Joe is Japanese, illustrating the unfortunate unforeseen difficulties of retirement for Mista Mountain.

Pages have been updating from time to time on the site, and you can see the final full-color version of this on the site now. Lines by moi, paints by the Fates Crew. Having all the labels and posters and such filled in really helps it out. Ahhh, the laziness we line artists can get away with, these days.

I drew this about two years ago now, and a couple things bug me about it in retrospect... his arm over the stack is misproportionate, and it makes me uncomfortable just to look at it. But I did like how the curvelinear came out (don't be too impressed though, I used a grid template), and if the composition isn't as clean as it could be, the chaos at least supports the page this time.

It's page 60-ish because there's some discrepancy between the numbering of my files and the page number in the book, chapters have moved around and stuff has been inserted and so even those I've uploaded page 57 a year or so ago, and this is page 60, but this takes place before that. It's one of those 'rats in the sausage vat' situations where you're better off not knowing.

---

Drawn in Manga Studio EX v.3 on a Cintiq 18SX (that I fear, after seven years of faithful hard service in the creation of thousands of drawings, may finally be giving up the ghost) Joe is Japanese is ©2009 Humouring the Fates. Check it out when you can or RSS, I'm about 250 pages ahead of the latest published update so it oughtta be a while before you catch up.

Joe is Japanese - Koga 07

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 17:48:52 PDT

Another page from the 11-page short story "Koga's Email", online now at Joe is Japanese.com

This one was more than a little heart-wrenching to draw, since I pulled the imagery for each panel from actual disaster photos related to the Tohouku quake. Seeing what happened to Kesennuma alone is enough to make one want to go sit in a corner and stare at the wall for a while.

I draw a lot of violent imagery as a matter of business, but there's a wide space still between fantasy and reality.

At the end of the story, we suggested that you donate to one of several worthy causes related to disaster relief, in particular the Search Dog Foundation. While many organizations were still getting organized, they immediately sent dogs and their handlers from around the world to help search the rubble and find survivors.

Sometimes, when drawing this short comic, I worried that it was inappropriate (even if it's based entirely on Koga's experience there). But if it gets a few people to donate to good causes like the SDF, I figure it's worth the trouble.

You can see the final page with text and tones over at Joe is Japanese

Drawn over the last couple weeks in Manga Studio EX v.3 on a Cintiq 18SX, Joe is Japanese is ©2011 Humouring the Fates Inc.

Joe is Japanese - Koga 04

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 17:34:05 PDT

One of the pages from the 11-page short story "Koga's Email", online now at Joe is Japanese.com

This page was a little weird to draw, as I was injecting some comedy into a story about tragic events. But most every part of the story is based on the email Koga sent us, and it was he who compared trying to walk back to his office through the aftershocks with trying to walk after drinking four bottles of booze. Much of Koga's email was humorous, and that sense of humor in the face of the tragedy was part of what inspired us to adapt it into a story.

That blank panel in the center is ultimately filled with a stock BG from the library, lest you think I just leave giant blank panels (I do, but not this one). Check out the final page in it's fully toned and lettered form at Joe is Japanese.

Drawn over the last couple weeks in Manga Studio EX v.3 on a Cintiq 18SX, Joe is Japanese is ©2011 Humouring the Fates Inc.

Joe is Japanese - pg 07

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 17:17:24 PDT

An early page from the ongoing story of Joe is Japanese, I had a good bit of fun with the onomatopoeia in those last couple panels. Check it out in full color with words and in sequence over at the Joe site.

There was a bit of a scuffle over the orientation of the central panels, with one side wanting to flip 'em horizontal so that the action consistently runs left-right, and the other side wanting it this way as the action follows the "Z" layout across the page. The latter won out, but I don't know that either viewpoint is "wrong" exactly... it's just one of those fun arguments that comes up when laying out sequential art.

Drawn in Manga Studio EX v.3 on a Cintiq 18SX, Joe is Japanese is ©2009 Humouring the Fates Inc.

Joe is Japanese - Cover

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 16:57:00 PDT

The original cover to Joe is Japanese, this isn't actually the cover anymore. Ultimately rejected and replaced with an image that shows more of the cast, it's now an interior chapter break or a pinup or something, but it's not like the comic is particularly about running over ramen shops.

I still really like this image... I like the explosive nature of the action, and I'm kinda proud of the way the mini and the scooters came out. They weren't wrong to replace it as the cover I guess, but it's still a good illustration.

You can see this illustration in all its full-color glory, and read the beginning of Joe is Japanese at the official site, and let me know what you think of it.

Drawn in Manga Studio EX v.3 on a Cintiq 18SX, ©2009 Humouring the Fates Inc.

HORDES - Blackhide Wrastler

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 10:21:43 PDT

This is one of several pages created for Privateer Press back in 2010, a figure design for the Hordes series of wargaming minis. I only did the linework here, of course... the sculpt was handled by another artist, and I love how it came out. You can check out a full 3D rotation of that figure at the official Blackhide Wrastler page. Hit the DL button up above to see a 1200 version.

After the first round of rough sketches, designed to ensure I was in the right territory, Kris (the Art Director) suggested that the Wrastler be wearing some sort of mask slightly evocative of a luchadore's. Extrapolating some from a design I did for Crafty a few years back, I set it up so that you could see the mask was made of human skin with the face and the hand sewn into the patchwork (I also did a more traditional mask just to see if that was more what they wanted). The human mask was approved, minus the hair tufts that looked too much like poofy eyebrows, and we went with the twisting lunge pose for the final drawing. The rope-wrapped arms worked better than the broken chains, partly because of the easier sculpting and partly as an evasion of cliche.

This character also appears on the cover painting of the Forces of Hordes: Minions gamebook (illustrated by Andrea Uderzo), and in another painting of just the Wrastler itself, looking utterly fierce, illustrated by Carlos Cabrera. Both artists did some really wicked work, and I'm glad I could be a small part of it.

This set was my first gig with Privateer, and for a while I thought I'd flubbed it... I completed the gig, but I bobbled the deadline, and I had some trouble nailing the overall design aesthetic. However, I'm happy to say I just wrapped up a second series of designs for them a couple months ago, and I was a lot happier with the finals. I look forward to sharing some of those later this year.

Drawn in Manga Studio EX v.3 using a Cintiq 21UX. ©2010 Privateer Press.

ZombieBomb detail

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 04:46:26 PDT

Determined to pimp this out just a bit more. Closeup details of the illustration I slapped together for the next ZombieBomb anthology, from Terminal Press. Hit the Download for the supersize to see the details.

I'm all conflicted on the level of detail I put into this... I feel like maybe I went overboard a bit. Which isn't something that people usually complain about, in general terms more detail = better drawing, but lately I see a lot of value in better planning = better drawing... like, if you must go heavy with detail, how can it be done most effectively to make an exciting, engaging illustration while not being noisy, overwhelming, and so goddamn complicated that it will take a year and a day to color it.

Still, I think it looks pretty cool. Makes a nice wallpaper.

Drawn in Manga Studio EX v3 on a Cintiq 21UX. God, I love Layering. Being able to work over the top of lines without affecting other lines adds a whole dimension to inking that still kinda boggles the bits of my weak little brain that once worked with Microns and Rapidographs on plate Bristol.

Someone asked me recently about how I scribble a lot when I rough, and I do rough things out a LOT more than I ever did in the old days. Even if I draw with pencil in a sketchbook now, I tend to make very rough shape and sketch roughs as lightly as I can, and then work over the top. I thought I was sketching back in the old days, but it was pretty directionless and I tried too hard to get things right the first time, with the first lines.

You can cover up bad planning and no planning with a lot of detail, and it'll look impressive. But smart composition, rough sketching, that allows you to direct your resources of time and effort in the most focused, effective manner. You'll do more with less, work faster and be a more effective illustrator.

At least, that's what I think this week, anyhow.

-EDIT-

I knew about Zack Snyder's Sucker Punch before I drew this, but I don't think I was consciously shooting to imitate this level of sheer anachronistic non sequitur when I chose to plot a samurai school girl, and cowboy mercenary and a retrofuture spacegirl against a zombie horde... I was just thinkin', "haha, hot chicks & zombies!".

Which is pretty much a variant on the thinkin' I get when I watch the trailer for Sucker Punch, too ("haha, hot chicks and samurai swords and giant robostatues with chainguns and ww2 bombers shooting dragons!").

It looks like a gorgeous digital painting in motion for 2 hours. I hope the story and acting backs it up. Even if it's a silly movie, though, I'll probably still enjoy the hell out of it.

-EDIT II-

On further consideration, I think in this cropped composition it looks better flipped back to it's original orientation. Without the closeup exploding heads, there's not so much to draw the eyes out. On the left the sword blade leads the eye into the center, on the right the beam now helps to lead the eye back in to the spacegirl the way the birds do in the larger comp.

Let me know what you think.

ZombieBomb pinup

Fri, 29 Oct 2010 18:02:05 PDT

Intended for the upcoming ZombieBomb anthology (Vol. 4), out next year from Terminal Press. Click download for a supersize version.

I was given pretty much free reign to draw whatever I wanted, with the only direction being that it should features some sexy babes fighting a horde of zombies. Rather than pick a particular genre or setting, I just went in and had some fun with it. A few people have suggested that it's evocative of Zack Snyder's upcoming film Suckerpunch.

Drawn in Manga Studio EX v3 (from a rough doodle drawn in my pocket sketchbook that just blocked out the positions and some of the lines of action). You can check out the sketch in my Scraps:

A full-color version should be coming forthwith, I've got one of my partners at Fates painting it. If you'd like to take a shot at it, send me a Note and let me know.

The Way of Kings - Rockbuds

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 04:56:25 PDT

One of six illustrations scattered amongst the lavishly illuminated pages of Brandon Sanderson's new epic fantasy series The Way of Kings, describing the natural flora & fauna found in the novel.

Rockbuds are the most ubiquitous family of plant life scattered across the storm-wracked lands of Roshar. There's many different types of rockbud, but they do share a certain biology: they all possess a sort of "shell" into which they pull their leaves for protection against predators and the storms.

The Common Rockbud is the one which Brandon initially described, one which appears to be a spheroid rock of some sort, but which unfolds to reveal thick, vine like roots that seek out nearby water sources. The "panels" that close up around the plant are actually its leaves, which posses a thick, fibrous stalk that contracts to pull the leaves together. The core of the plant is heavy enough that even if its tossed about by the highstorms, it will settle upright. These are found everywhere in the wilderness, seen frequently in and around the Shattered Plains. They're a common food source for larger creatures like wild chulls, which gain some of the minerals they use to build their "shells" from plants like this.

The Lavis Polyp is a common variety of grainbud, which contains a thick network of seeds that are similar to rice or wheat. The grain must be separated from the sandy, inedible meat that surrounds them, but once processed they serve as a food staple for many people.

Vinebuds and the Prickletac are a couple of rockbud types born from the early pitch roughs I created for Brandon in late '08, based on his design mandate referring to underwater life as a basis for plants and animals (this is why so many of the animals are based on arthropods). The vinebud is based on the sea anemone, and the prickletac is a combination of barnacles, tree coral and the grass of Roshar (which is also a form of rockbud, I guess, since it pulls in on itself when threatened). "Twisted Spine" was my own name for the prickletac, which builds upon the shells of the previous generation to create spreading "branches" that actually consist of dozens of individual plants. As the branches grow too large, they shatter and spread the smaller plants to create new colonies.

The vinebud is rarely mentioned by name, but appears on Michael Whelan's beatiful cover for the book in its retracted, bubble-lookin' form. "Fingermoss" is mentioned directly, it resembles a vinebud with much smaller leaves and no stem, but many more tendrils.

As with all of Shallan's sketchbook pages, I tried to indicate some aspects of life cycle or anatomical detail, to reflect her naturalist's approach to sketching. Hopefully my 9th-grade biology education is enough to fake it through.

©2008-2010 Brandon Sanderson, all rights reserved. Check out more on The Way of Kings at Tor.com

The Way of Kings - Skyeels

Wed, 22 Sep 2010 05:04:19 PDT

One of six (out of 20!) illustrations scattered amongst the pages of Brandon Sanderson's new epic fantasy series The Way of Kings that describe the natural flora & fauna found in the novel.

The Skyeel was the very first animal that I designed specifically for the book (chulls came up earlier in the pitch work, but the Skyeel was where I worked out the basic texture and style that Shallan illustrates. This is also where I worked out her handwriting, which is totally different from my own, and I'm almost totally going to forget all the details by the time I draw her pages again)

So, about a year ago (September '09) Brandon writes to me:

These are just what they sound like: flying moray eels. I imagine them looking much like a moray eel, with a few changes. The moray has a fin pattern that runs along its top and bottom. The skyeel has a fin pattern on the sides as well, though this is more diaphanous and a little longer, forming a kind of flowing fin not unlike those of a butterfly koi--only running along both sides of the eel almost all the way from head to tale. They'd waft in the air as it undulates. Underneath the side fins are small pockets of gas which are part of what keeps the eel in the air.

Skyeels are often accompanied by tiny blue spren in the shape of darting tiny, arrowhead like fish. (Think of how a shark or whale often has tinier fish darting around it, swimming in the same direction like an entourage.) One of the pictures should show this, though the others need not. It is thought the spren help it fly somehow.

The skyeel will find prey from above--either a fish in the ocean or a rodent or small crab on the ground. It will pounce downward in a sharp dive, releasing the gas from its pockets and grabbing the crab or rodent in a kind of rolling pounce across the ground. It will curl up and eat its prey, then will wiggle off to a hole or hollow somewhere to rebuild its gas pockets (which can take an hour or two to fill back up.)

Feel free to modify the skyeel face, skin patterns, and fin patterns to make the creature 'our own' rather than just a flying moray. I've attached the pictures of skyeels and butterfly koi I used for reference when imagining the creature.

I imagine this page having a focus image of the skyeel (it wouldn't have to be bigger than the others, really, but one majestic picture of one with the tiny arrowhead-fish spren darting around it.) Then a closeup of the face, and on the bottom half of the page, an image of the skyeel seeing prey, darting downward, and grabbing it (much like the swooping hawk.)

So that's more or less what I drew for him. The diving sketch was one of the earliest versions of the skyeel that I roughed out (since he described it so clearly, I used it directly). The skin pattern is a bit like shadows and light on the water from above, and the belly is very pale to help blend with the sky (think Pacific-theater fighter patterning from WWII, though if I were being completely truthful I think I first saw Vaugh Bodé use it in Junkwaffel).

I was pretty conservative with the first design (not sure how far to push it), and that appeared to be the correct solution as Brandon deemed it "nailed" within the first couple draft rounds (it took about eight rounds and a couple dozen thumbnails to work out the Axehound). In retrospect I think we could do more to "make it our own" as he originally requested, and that's what variant breeds are for.

As with the chull a lot of what I worked into the design was dependent on a sort of fictional biology that developed alongside the concept. I imagine that much as the chull excretes something like crem through its back to form a shell boulder, the skyeel separates lighter-than-air gases from its food though some internal process, stores them in sacs beneath it's fins, and uses that (along with a ridiculously light skeleton, I'm sure) to float about on the coastal breezes, with some help (somehow) from the spren (LONG subject, spren. Check out the Sanderson forums for lots of way spoilerish conversation about everything in the book. Someone worked out a translation of Isaac's cryptic Navani sketches already!). Coincidentally, this is one of the very few images of spren that have appeared so far, though they are as common as crackers in the world of Roshar. I suppose when you see something all the time, you don't necessarily think about them as much (unless you're Axies the Collector).

Although I don't know if Brandon intended it so, I imagine it might move a bit like 13th Colossus, but not so freakin' huge (or stone-bony).

Of course, my absolute favorite part is a real-life function of moray eel biology... the pharyngeal jaw is Mother Nature's literal equivalent to the snapping jaws of H.R. Geiger's Alien Xenomorph (I'm sure the Geiger fans out there knew this, but it was news to me.) It's basically a second set of teeth and an independent jaw that's in the back of the throat, and which snaps forward to draw chunks of whatever it's gripping in those heavy jaws down into its gullet. So vicious, I practically begged Brandon to let me keep it.

And he did. He's awesome like that.

©2008-2010 Brandon Sanderson, all rights reserved. Check out more on The Way of Kings at Tor.com

The Way of Kings - Chulls

Sun, 12 Sep 2010 18:42:57 PDT

One of six illustrations scattered amongst the pages of Brandon Sanderson's new epic fantasy series The Way of Kings that describe the natural flora & fauna found in the novel.

The chull serves as a common beast of burden on the world of Roshar, similar to an oxen or buffalo in our own world. As with most of the creatures on Roshar, the original design mandate begins with arthropods of great size. In this case it started as a type of crab. Brandon wanted a giant crab-beast which defended itself from predators and the hurricane-like highstorms that sweep the land by pulling itself into a boulder-like shell... when curled up, the chull should resemble a giant rock.

One of the things Brandon lets me do is try and develop a design based on some sense of natural ecology, in an attempt to make something as fantastic as a giant boulder-carrying crab feel potentially realistic. He puts up with me asking a lot of odd questions, and in some cases what I feed back to him ends up in the book itself, which is very gratifying. Most of it just ends up as errata and notes that may not ever be useful.

In this case, it was suggested that the chull excretes certain minerals from its food supply and the water it drinks (this is a common function of many living creatures on Roshar) through the shell on its back, slowly building up a large mound of stony material that resembles a massive boulder.

Because of the way it builds up from excreted material over time, the "boulder" is actually made of very light, porous stone. The rock of domestic chull can be carved and shaped fairly easily, and in the wild various plants and small insects will make their home upon it, creating a symbiotic little environment that goes wherever it does.

I'm not a very good biologist, but designing parts of the natural world that Brandon is creating makes for some interesting challenges that are a lot of fun to explore. Sometimes (most of the time) I don't really know what needs to be included in a design until someone talks about it, so if you have any questions feel free to ask.

©2008-2010 Brandon Sanderson, all rights reserved. The Way of Kings continues to be a fun project for me to work on, and I expect I'll be drawing a lot about the natural world of Roshar in the books to come.

The Way of Kings - Szeth

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 02:18:47 PDT

Szeth-son-son-Vallano, Truthless of Shinovar, wore white on the day he was to kill a king.

Part of Brandon Sanderson's original pitch package for The Way of Kings, out now from Tor books. At the very beginning of the story, Szeth commits a murder which sparks a great conflict that drives the events through which so many will suffer or triumph. Fun trivia bit: in the first draft of the book that Brandon sent me, the line above was the first line in the novel (it shifted deeper in the final edit, though it still opens a chapter. You can read it for free on Tor.com if you sign in).

Brandon actually had me illustrate several main characters from his manuscript, but only this image of Szeth made it (in a small part) into the book. Brandon's made a clear decision (which I agree with) not to define the faces of his characters in the book's concept art and illustrations any further than needed, so as to not force the reader to accept any one particular vision of how the characters look beyond the features defined in the text. That is to say, if I imagine that Kaladin looks like a certain actor, and you imagine that he looks like your brother, and someone else imagines that he looks like that cute boy in her class, so long as those visions don't directly contradict the description in the book (which is pretty loose), we're all equally correct. That personal image of a character's face in our mind is part of what makes our individual reading experiences unique and personal, and neither he nor I would want to mess with that.

Given the role that the 20 illustrations created by Isaac Stewart, Greg Call and myself play in the book, this was a necessary mandate.

But here I was trying to illustrate the shame and sadness that appear in Szeth's character even as he performs unforgiveable actions, so I purposefully hid his face as an expression of humility. This makes this probably the only main character illustration from the book which anyone is likely to see from me (at least until we collect everything into an art book, some day).

His Shardblade is atypically small compared to others, about the size of a normal sword. Brandon allowed me a bit of license with the belt tone (not being white).

I had an absolute blast conceptualizing and illustrating the plant and animal illustrations that do appear within the novel itself, but there's a lot of concept work that took place leading up to those drawings which won't see print for a while (at least until we collect an art book, which needs a few more volumes to fill up). He was kind enough to allow me to pick out a few choice bits and put them online for you to see, while we wait.

©2008-2010 Brandon Sanderson, all rights reserved. The Way of Kings is an awesome novel. If you like epic page-turning fantasy action, you might want to check it out.

Joe is Japanese - Odd Bits

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 04:50:04 PDT

Since the Joe is Japanese book is on hold while we're animating a new project, it's going to be a while before I show another full page. Still, I thought I might get away with pasting together a few of my favorite panels from the 300 pages done so far, just to let you know I care.

Whether it's the expression or the graphic design or something nobody gets except me, these are a tiny handful of the drawings I liked the best.

All drawn in Manga Studio, using a venerable ol' 18SX Cintiq. ©2010 Humouring the Fates.

PUMMEL 11 - "Western"

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:31:48 PDT

Monthly PUMMEL competition over at Penciljack, my topic this month was "Western". Given that I played a lot of Red Dead Redemption over the last month, I was not lacking for inspiration.

Once again I put this off until the last minute, so it's pretty sloppy, but I think it got where I was going. Tones need much more attention, and I don't think the dust reads as well as it needs to in order to sell the action of the horse and corpse rolling past to either side. Do you think flipping it might help?

Drawn in Manga Studio EX v3, toned in CS2, total time a little under 3 hours.

FantasyCraft - Monk

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 03:11:45 PDT

Fantasy Craft is back on the radar again with A Call To Arms, a new series of Character Class modules for the hit Role-Playing Game. This is the cover to the "Monk" module.

This one is a bit different than usual, in that I used Photoshop as well as Manga Studio EX to draw it. I made use of some PS brushes to get the ink-wash effect in the boar, but other than that it's entirely MSEX.

In retrospect I should have done a little more with her exposed stocking, some sort of pattern or something would have helped emphasize the hint of exposed hip there. The Octographics colors on the book cover picked it up, but as I've said before, if I can't make it work just as well in B&W then it's a fumble. I'm also not particularly satisfied with the effect of the lines to the sides, but almost two years have passed since I drew it. I like it less without the line effect, but I should have done it better, there's really no excuse.

©2008 Crafty Games. Crafty Games. Illustrated in Manga Studio EX v.3 using an Intuos 9x12 tablet.

No logo game in this one, sorry. The cowbells are a Crafty Games insider-joke, though.

FantasyCraft - Bloodsworn

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 03:02:45 PDT

Fantasy Craft is back on the radar again with A Call To Arms new series of Character Class modules for the hit Role-Playing Game. This is the cover to the "Bloodsworn" module.

Saurians (lizard people) were difficult for me to work out at first, but ultimately became some of my favorite designs. Recent discoveries about dinosaurs helped inspire some ideas that kept me from making them just two-legged man-gators.

At the time I drew 'em I had no idea these would be used as cover art, but I'm glad the guys at Crafty thought they were worthy as such. I believe the covers were painted by Octographics.

©2008 Crafty Games. Crafty Games. Illustrated in Manga Studio EX v.3 using an Intuos 9x12 tablet.

No logo game in this one, sorry.

Joe is Japanese - pg 161

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:33:18 PDT

Recently got approval to share a few pages from the Joe is Japanese graphic novel that I've been drawing for Humoring the Fates (that's the 2D animation studio where I spend my days) this past year.

This page is a bit of a montage, as the characters continue to party (and drink) at the club. I'm assured this is what a Japanese business meeting looks like. Can't say it's much different than most of the Western ones I've been to, except that there's less shouting here.

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Drawn in Manga Studio EX v3 on the Cintiq 18SX. ©2010 Humoring the Fates. Each page is averaging a pretty steady 6-8 hours from layout to finish line.

Joe is Japanese - pg 160

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 02:37:11 PDT

Recently got approval to share a few pages from the Joe is Japanese graphic novel that I've been drawing for Humoring the Fates (that's the 2D animation studio where I spend my days) this past year.

I liked this page a good bit, but I think I dropped the ball with the lyrics right at the end there, they obscure the action of Koga's cigarette flip. I'm not fretted about it so much, 'cause the final book is in color and I know the painter will color hold the text or something, and then the lines of the action will stand out more effectively, but I feel like I failed a bit if I couldn't figure out a way to do it so that it worked just as well in plain B&W.

Funny faces are fun.

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Drawn in Manga Studio EX v3 on the Cintiq 18SX. ©2010 Humoring the Fates. Each page is averaging a pretty steady 6-8 hours from layout to finish line.

Joe is Japanese - pg 159

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 02:21:26 PDT

Recently got approval to share a few pages from the Joe is Japanese graphic novel that I've been drawing for Humoring the Fates (that's the 2D animation studio where I spend my days) this past year.

This (scene, not this page. By this point I'd been at it for a dozen pages or so) is really the first time I've tried doing super-dramatic lighting like this, and I think in retrospect I should not have gone for such dense framing in the window, 'cause it makes for this annoying conflict between consistency and clarity. I gotta have the shadow of the framing cast across the figures, but too much cast shadows muddy the contours and create tangents. It's also a pain in the ass to track consistently.

Lesson learned about casting window shadows, you bet. Next time, ultra-modern minimalist high-ceiling frameless plexi. Thankfully, in the final art they're reduced in opacity somewhat to let the figures come through, but I know that width bounces all over the damn place from page to page.

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Drawn in Manga Studio EX v3 on the Cintiq 18SX. ©2010 Humoring the Fates. Each page is averaging a pretty steady 6-8 hours from layout to finish line. The final pages are in color.

Joe is Japanese - pg 158

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 01:58:53 PDT

Recently got approval to share a few pages from the Joe is Japanese graphic novel that I've been drawing for Humoring the Fates (that's the 2D animation studio where I spend my days) this past year.

It's admittedly a bit of a random spot in the story, but I didn't get to choose... the characters are hanging out at a mizu shobai (water trade) club run entirely by transvestites, engaging in a settai (business meeting). This means a lot of drinking and a lot of manly "women".

It's a very weird story.

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Drawn in Manga Studio EX v3 on the Cintiq 18SX. ©2010 Humoring the Fates. Each page is averaging a pretty steady 6-8 hours from layout to finish line. The final pages are in color, but that's not my department.

As I said, it's a little random, but you can let me know what you think just the same. I promise there's at least a couple backgrounds in this book. I swear, I'm totally drawing them on other pages. Really!!

PUMMEL 08 - "Supergirl"

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 19:00:27 PST

The topic for my next PUMMEL piece is "Supergirl"; a character which I had never drawn, or really paid much attention to, before now.

I find myself amused that all her costume iterations are basically variations on a cheerleader uniform.

At any rate, just messing about with Manga Studio EX, as usual. I've been flatting this in my spare time, but I won't promise anything, hence I decided to go ahead and post this version. This is probably NOT going to be my PUMMEL entry, unless something happens and I run out of time to draw a better one.

-EDIT 022210-

Which is exactly what happened. HAH!!

-END EDIT-

What would you like to see in a Supergirl picture?

Drawn entirely in MSEX v3, which I do not recommend for trying to do text tricks like contour wrapping. Pain-in-the-ass. Hit Download for the larger version, as per usual.

PUMMEL o7 - "Darksiders"

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:59:12 PST

Latest round in the monthly PUMMEL one-on-one competitions at Penciljack, this month the topic (chosen by my opponent) was the recently released 360 game Darksiders, from Vigil Games. While I have not played the game myself, I was somewhat familiar with it because the Creative Director at Vigil is one Joe Madureira. I like his work.

I pulled some ref drawings of Mad's from the archives at IGN and did what I could. As usual I ended up starting this at the last minute, so very little time was spent in composition (or studying the anatomy of horses, sorry 'bout that). As a result I got some poor bits I just couldn't work around, but overall I'm happier than I expected to be with the results.

Call it about 6-7 hours over two evenings, all in Manga Studio EX v3 on the Cintiq. Tried to set aside my usual attempts to bash against one of my weaknesses and instead went back to doing what I feel strongest at; straight inks, black and white line art. It's my comfort zone.

The text is drawn partly from Revelations 6:3-4, and partly from a notation on one of Mad's design sketches, all rewritten to fit. I like to do my own lettering, but it's murder on the hands after a while.

Feel free to crit the shit out of it. For those of you who have played the game and are more familiar with the character design than I am (which wouldn't take much), let me know how close I hit it. I had to make up some bits in the end, and I worry that some thing which are specific to the design (like his proportions, the left hand in particular) aren't going to read as anything more than mistakes.

Oh, and for fun, two logos hidden in there. Might be hard to find 'cause they're pretty stylised, but that's part of the game, right?

If anyone is interested in coloring it, I'll probably post a larger version for Download later on. Just let me know when you post it and don't forget to credit.

--EDIT--

I let some peers over at PJ convince me to make an adjustment to the text composition, kinda dig the results. And I've posted a 1600-wide version for anyone who wants to use it as colors practice, just click "Download" along the left there, have fun with it and let me know when you post your results!

Joe is Japanese - pg.075

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 01:24:32 PST

Another page from the Joe is Japanese graphic novel. You can check out a preview of the book stuffed in the middle of a block of Studio Fates illustration work over at the recently renovated Fates.com

I still really like that top panel, but please don't try that at home. Fanblades are made of, like, plastic and particle board, they couldn't hold the weight of an emaciated marmoset.

And I like the last panel, though I think it was a little too understated. It could read more effectively, maybe with a bigger "FOOM!" that ran behind the arm...

©2009 Humoring the Fates, all rights reserved and so forth. Drawn in Manga Studio EX v3. In terms of time, this page probably took about 6-7 hours to go from script to finished line.

PUMMEL 04 - "Spider-Man"

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 02:10:16 PDT

Fourth round entry in the monthly P.U.M.M.E.L. League competition over at PencilJack. Hit the Download to see it at a slightly larger size.

If you're following along, I'm currently 2 KO and 1 DQ, the scar on my record the result of a no-show through nobody's fault but mine. I didn't like my round 02 entry very much (even though it won), so I haven't bothered to post it.

This version is a bit different from the one I placed in competition. That version is full color, whereas this one shows a nifty two-tone effect that I happened upon as I was messing about, and I like it. I actually might like it a little more than the competing version, but I came up with this one too late for placement, so I'll have to depend on my skill with color.

Nuts.

Cintiq, Manga Studio + CS2, total time about 6 hours. It needs a background, I think it suffers for the lack of one, but I was up against the clock. Still gotta work on those prioritizing skills. Check out a bit on the process (and see a hint of the BG, such as it was) in the Scraps version I've posted here.

Feel free to crit if you spot something that's not working, I'm open to hearing about it.

FantasyCraft - Infernal

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 03:30:32 PDT

One of the many interior illustrations for the Fantasy Craft RPG, out now in PDF and on the shelves of your finest Local Gaming Shops. Click "Download" to the left there to supersize the details somewhat.

This one was done more to order, in that the instructions specifically called for elements like his runic robes, the demonic shadow and the evil imp torturing the fairy. I liked his dagger design a good bit, that was one of those ideas that sort of formed from the pen as I was sketching, and when that works it's always sweet.

©2007 Crafty Games. Illustrated in Manga Studio EX v.3 using an Intuos 9x12 tablet.

No logos, but my name is worked in there.

FantasyCraft - Long Shot

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 02:41:41 PDT

One of several class illustrations which ended up being repurposed as general spot illustrations for the Fantasy Craft RPG.

The description called for an ogre perched in a stone chimney taking aim with a massive crossbow. Ogres in FC are taller and stronger than humans, with horns of different types that sprout from their foreheads and tusks that range from tiny to troublesome. But nobody said they had to be uggo.

I had a bunch of fun designing the crossbow, though I think I probably made some conceptual errors in the mechanism's design. I intended for the beast to be reloaded by opening up the top like a hinge, which extends that scissors lever. You then put one of those huge bolts into the slot, and when you rack it closed it draws back on the string and locks it all in place. When fired, the string shouldn't proceed far enough up that it impacts the curved lever arm. There's a safety lever along the back of the stock that she's squeezing with her thumb, and of course the usual charms for level flight and a little elemental boost.

But it's junk engineering. I'm pretty sure levers don't quite work that way. Still, looks cool, huh?

©2007 Crafty Games. Illustrated in Manga Studio EX v.3 using an Intuos 9x12 tablet.

To make up for the Swashbuckler not having any hidden logos, this lady has FOUR (4). One of 'em might be tricky. For additional fun, there's also one signature worked in there, too.

FantasyCraft - Swashbuckler

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 03:44:40 PDT

Probably my favorite of all the class illustration for the Fantasy Craft RPG, the Swashbuckler.

This one was neat 'cause the description called for more of a standing pose, an elf in traditional piratey-type garb, but I wanted to illustrate something that not only showed a design, but evoked the character of a swashbuckler. So, entre the chandelier. I also like the idea of an elven character who isn't a snotty prissypanties. Sorta like not always making the halflings into jolly butterballs.

Lots of detail in there that I can't help wondering if it'll show in print... powder charges, a little nude figure on the dagger hilt, the date of the drawing is etched into the wood. Sometimes I don't think I'm properly conscious of scale, in print that drawing is only about six inches tall.

The foreshortening scale is all wacky. I was faking it, but I still like it. I'm pretty sure I stole that belt buckle from Oh! Great.

©2007 Crafty Games. Illustrated in Manga Studio EX v.3 using an Intuos 9x12 tablet.

No logo! Don't worry, I'll make up for it.

FantasyCraft - Lockpick

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 02:16:00 PDT

One of the random interior illustrations ("random" in that it wasn't part of a larger set, but more of a one-off. Did about a half-dozen of those) for the Fantasy Craft RPG.

Man, is that dungeon incredibly well-lit, or what? I must be better at lighting and composition now, because I'm spotting a host of screw-ups here. It's still one of my favorites, though. A terrible angle for showing a lock, I had to do some squirming to get it in there and I don't know if it was particularly effective. I probably should have let go of the elaborate face, but I was foolish and in love. I think it reads in the end, but it could have been better composed.

The thin grey line that border the illustration represents the crop. I keep it in place when I lay out the rough sketch so that I know not to let anything important get too near the edge. I've left in here so that I can show the whole image, and leave a little space for the obligatory tags.

©2007 Crafty Games. Illustrated in Manga Studio EX v.3 using an Intuos 9x12 tablet.

There is one Logo Variant hidden in the image, not hard to find at all. I managed to find another opportunity to fill in context by adding a background detail that fills out the "story", and I'm always giddy when I pull off that trick.

FantasyCraft - Mage

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 01:04:42 PDT

The Mage. If this isn't my favorite design from the various Character Classes I illustrated for the Fantasy Craft Role-Playing Game (out now from Crafty Games!), then it's at least in the top five.

Probably because I just had a blast with her outfit. I'm especially pleased with the vest that has all the little loops for multiple wands, you better believe I ain't done using that one. Rowling made wands chic again, but gamers have had 'em around for years. This girl's got one for every occasion.

There's other little hints to her outfit that help back up her role as a spellslinger. The scroll case, the runes around her jacket and the hem of her skirt, a belt full of odd component pouches and such. And who else but a Mage would be mad enough to wear stripey stockings, I ask you?

Plus there's the whole giant sword she's magicking up to do something. Dead giveaway, that is.

©2007 Crafty Games. Illustrated in Manga Studio EX v.3 using an Intuos 9x12 tablet.

There are three (3) Logo Variants hidden in there. Not hard to find, especially if you have the book... 'cause in the book there are none. I added a few just because I love you guys.

Joe is Japanese - pg.056

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 04:17:48 PDT

I'm allowed to at least say it exists. I had to go about it the long way, but I'm finally getting to draw comics.

Will it be a graphic novel? Will it be online? I have no idea. I'm not writing it, I'm just drawing the line work and some of the layouts. The elevator pitch is "A Million Little Pieces" meets "Lost in Translation". You might have seen the animated bits online somewhere. It's like that.

The final pages are in color, I know that 'cause I'm watching them being painted, but as I'm not the one doing any of the color work, my dollar gets off the bus at this stop.

I love visual metaphors in my comics. Get used to that, I think I'm taking it with me.

I'd like to show more pages, even offered to strip out the dialogue so the story isn't spoilt, but it turns out that This Is Not A Democracy. Also, I'm pretty sure I'd lose if it was put to the vote. This page is only allowed 'cause one of the writers posted it on his blog first. But since it's a secret blog, I'm not supposed to link to it. I think.

- - -

©2009 Humouring the Fates. Drawn in Manga Studio EX v.3, Cintiq 18SX. Every page takes about 8 hours to complete, which I guess means I'm keeping up with the Joneses. I find talking heads and action pages go faster, of course. It's those damn establishing shots and backgrounds that just drive... the knife... DEEPER...

Practice perspective, kids. Seriously.

There's a new Fates reel coming someday. I have seen bits of it. We've done some neat stuff.

PUMMEL 01 - "Black Lagoon"

Sat, 25 Jul 2009 04:50:50 PDT

My first round in the monthly P.U.M.M.E.L. league competition over at Penciljack.com. I think I won, so that moves me up a notch.

It's keeping me on my toes, I suppose. Should be doing one or two of these every month for a while, never know what the topic will be. And since whatever I do is my own, it'll give me something to post more regularly.

This month the topic (chosen by my opponent, as he was the higher rank) was the manga & anime series Black Lagoon. This worked out well for me, as I am a big fan of the comics. Given that the topic wasn't specifically about any one character, I went with the main cast of four, and tried to do two things: A) use a panelled composition, because I'm trying to be more conscious of layout, and II) communicate something about each of the characters, even if you'd never seen the show.

Drew it all up in Manga Studio EX v.3, did the tones and the text BG treatment in Photoshop CS2, all of it on the Cintiq 21 (love it). Lightboxed the guns for the basic shapes and perspective, then had to go in and do the details freehand. Thank god for the Line tool.

Everything else is oldschool, sketch and clean. Typed out all that background junk myself, actually wrote out three columns of nonsense about the characters, most of which is completely covered up. Hardly seems worth it now, but I guess it's the effect that counts.

Mistborn - Vin II v.2

Sun, 17 May 2009 21:40:25 PDT

Based on the novel The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson. This is the color version of the greyscale painting I posted a week or so ago.

Made the ash flakes a bit smaller all around, and of course it's got some color now. It's a similar color scheme to the one I used for this older image from the same series. Basically I went over the greyscale Layers with a layer of flat color (set to Multiply) over the top, and then threw in a couple overlaying Layers to set the light. Total chop-job.

And I opened her eyes up. That went back and forth for a while, I like both versions for different reasons. This is true of the whole color/grey thing in general. Let me know which version you prefer.

1600x2400@400, illustrated in PS CS2 on the Cintiq 21UX, putting in color added maybe an hour, hour and a half to the time for a total of around 5-6 hours.

Modell - "Broken Bat"

Wed, 13 May 2009 02:35:18 PDT

Here's a recently completed bit from my work at Studio Fates. This is the line test from a short ten-second piece created for D Code (the agency) and Modell (the client, a line of sporting goods stores). Layout, keys and breakdowns by yours truly, tweens and cleanup by Awesome Olsson.

I got a bunch of leeway in designing this piece from the ground up, and since the premise was pretty simple I took advantage of the chance to be all wacky with the camera like I like to be, like. Some edits were made before the final composite (for instance the leg doesn't flail around so much in the finished version, and some of the squash in the ball was taken back out), this is still my personal favorite edit.

Sorry if the lack of eyes is a bit freaky, the final version comes with a heavy shadow that obscures the face, and part of the mandate was to try and keep it simple and the character relatively universal. Since I didn't direct the shadow animation on this, I didn't include it. The big board at the end is blank here, but in the final displays the Modell logo and slogan (lest you think we're fool enough to forget). We actually managed to slip it in twice before the end, a feat for which I am actually a little bit proud.

I rarely know exactly where these things go when they leave my desk, but if I've got it right then this animation now plays on the big screen at Citi Field (home of the NY Mets) whenever they break a baseball bat. It might play at other times, and I don't know what happens if you're watching the game on TV, but it should be up there now. It looks a lot prettier than this what with the color and the shadows and the sound and the music and all. If you're a Mets fan, then keep an eye out for it!