deviantART: gallery:redshoulder/2831629

The Devil You Know sketch

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:21:46 PDT

I have a good amount of commissions and requests to finish up, but I still try to get something done in my sketchbook every once in a while--call it practice or just dealing with what's on my mind.

This was a result of that--I guess the idea behind this is that a very attractive female demon falls for a normal (but nice) human male. Of course, the other thing I can say about this is "What the HELL was I thinking?!" The truth is that I've been dealing with something of a personal nature; I happen to like wonderful lady very much, but I'm twisting myself into knots trying to figure out how to go about it--as the saying goes, "it's complicated". We'll have to leave it at that.

Maybe drawing this was my (subconscious) way of dealing with it. If that's the case, it says a hell of a lot about the state of my id. Still, I would like to color this in the near future, but after I'm finished with the work I've got now.

Drawn in blue pencil, scanned in PhotoShop.

As always, enjoy and comment...

Ichigo

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 16:14:01 PDT

My first BLEACH commission....and it took close to four years to finish.

I was commissioned to do this back in in '09 or '10--the client wanted me to recreate a two page spread in the Bleach artbook All Colour But The Black (which I have, and it's a favorite). Of course, I had to make a few changes, so it doesn't follow the original picture exactly.

So I finished it...and lost the client's e-mail address and contact info. I put it aside until earlier this year when the client got back in touch with me again. After taking the picture out again, I noticed a few errors that I corrected, so that's why it's dated "2010-2013".

This was first drawn in Vermillion and colored with Prismacolor markers and with acrylics for touchups. It's probably one of the hardest pieces I've worked on, but as they say, no guts, no glory. And a shout out to Demitrius for asking me to do this--it took a few years, but here it is--and he gets the original.

BLEACH created by Tite Kubo. Artwork by me.

Magus story page 2

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 14:58:11 PDT

This is the second page of a five-page story I had drawn for someone. I had posted the first page before. The hardest thing about this? Drawing the iguana.

Original story by Scott Dubin, artwork by me.

Enjoy and comment!

Magus story page 1

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 14:39:30 PDT

This is the first page of a five-page story I drew for someone (they did the script, I did the character designs and art). It involves two girls who are friends--one of them is an actual witch, and the other has latent magical powers.

I ended up just doing pencils--I should've done the inks, but the lines were clean enough that I could do some cleaning/refinements in PhotoShop. Problem is that it's taken me a lot longer than I thought. I won't have to do the colors though! I will also put up the second page.

Original story by Scott Dubin, artwork by me.

Prologue comic page

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 14:28:58 PDT

So...what's this, you ask? It's the intro for a book my friend is working on about comics and pop culture from the 1970s through the early 1980s. I'm not sure when it will be published--most likely either near the end of 2013 or in 2014. I've known my friend for many years, and he asked me to do this intro as a comic page, complete with inks and color.

Careful observers will spot a few things related to popular movies from the 1980s. I had a blast doing this, and even though it was completed a while ago I figured I should put it up.

Drawn in Carmine Red pencil, inked in Manga Studio, and colored in PhotoShop.

Enjoy and comment!

Ebonivor being silly

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 14:22:09 PDT

For RedJoey1992 [link], a request showing his character Ebonivor acting silly. I had posted the sketch before, and this is the finished version.

This took me a while to finish (sorry about that, Joseph!) but now it's completed, and I'm happy about that. There's one more left to do, and hopefully I can complete it soon.

Colored in PhotoShop. Ebonivor created by Joseph Monasky; artwork by me.

Enjoy and comment! (Been a while since I've used those words....)

Penny-Pulsar transformation

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 15:46:12 PDT

For Dangerman-1973 [link], a color "splash page" showing his character Penny Polanski transforming into Pulsar Pureheart. While I enjoyed working on this, I don't think I got the spin transformation right. So while I like this, I'm gritting my teeth in frustration at the same time.

But, as Harry Callahan once said, "A man's got know his limitations." So thanks, Ronaldo, for the chance to work on this.

Plus (at the risk of sounding _incredibly_ misogynistic I had the chance to draw a woman's rear. Of course, I'm nowhere near the level of this guy [link], [link], who is not only one of my favorite mangaka, but who also created one of the coolest SF heroes ever.

All characters created by Ronaldo Martinez; artwork by me.

Drawn in blue pencil, inked in Manga Studio, and colored in PhotoShop.

Ebonivor pout color version

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 15:20:20 PDT

For RedJoey1992 [link], the color version of his character Ebonivor not looking too happy. Wonder why....

It could be because this took me a lot longer than I thought (sorry Joseph), because I've been job hunting the past few weeks. More recently, I've been fighting off a nasty cold I caught from my niece, so I've been trying to complete all requests/commissions that I have (and there's two more Ebonivor pieces coming up!), which means I've been at the computer all day and playing RE6 at night before hitting the sack.

The weird thing is that I'm enjoying RE6....which means that I might be a lot sicker than I thought. Hmmmm......

Ebonivor created by Joseph Monasky. Artwork by me.

Inked in Manga Studio and colored in PhotoShop.

--
"I sell my soul, but at the highest rates."
--Harlan Ellison

Sailor Deimos sketch

Sat, 02 Feb 2013 09:18:18 PST

A request for Brianna5899 [link]; it's her OC Sailo Deimos "powering" up her Rouge Dragon Flame attack.

This request took a while for me to finish. Granted, this is only the sketch, but I hope to ink and color it. But for now, thanks Brianna, for the chance to do this. Hope you like!

Drawn in Carmine Red pencil.

Update--I went back and did a quick revision, and posted that one up.

Ebonivor happy (sketch)

Sat, 02 Feb 2013 09:13:50 PST

For RedJoey1992 [link], a sketch of his OC Ebonivor....being happy! As opposed to the pouting and silly versions posted earlier. I will admit that this was a bit rushed, but I managed to get it done. I am hoping to color this, provided I can fix the problem plaguing my PC at the moment...groan!

Drawn in Vermillion pencil. Ebonivor created by Joseph Monasky; artwork by me.

Ebonivor acting silly (pencils)

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 18:46:33 PST

The second request from RedJoey1992 [link], but this time it's his character Ebonivor acting a bit silly. Now, he never said EXACTLY how she should act, so I tried this! Hope it works!
Like the previous pic, this one will be inked and colored.

Drawn in Carmine Red pencil. Ebonivor created by Joseph Monasky; artwork by me.

Ebonivor pouting (pencils)

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 18:43:44 PST

One of two requests for RedJoey1992 [link], showing his character Ebonivor...pouting. Never drawn anyone doing that before, so I had to ask my niece to model a pout for me.

Yes, I am one bizarre uncle.

This one (and the second request) will be inked and colored. Both are drawn in Carmine Red pencil.

Ebonivor created by Joseph Monasky; artwork by me.

Ebonivor 2 color version

Sat, 05 Jan 2013 12:27:40 PST

The finished version of the Ebonivor 2 sketch, done for RedJoey1992[link]. It took me a lot longer than I thought--darn holiday season!--but it is finished.

And I did have a blast working on this.

Ebonivor created by Joseph Monasky; artwork by me. Inked in Manga Studio and colored in PhotoShop.

Oh, and >ahem<--enjoy and comment!

Season's Greetings 2012 color

Sun, 23 Dec 2012 11:21:05 PST

The color version of the sketch [link] posted earlier. In order to finish this by Christmas (and because I have a bunch of other things to take care of), I had to rush this, so the gift box in the sketch was not colored. And I'm sure a few other things are off....

...But what the hell. To everyone--have a safe and enjoyable holiday, and see you in 2013.

(And no, I don't blame the Mayans--just the jerks that somehow misinterpreted their calender!)

Colored in PhotoShop.

---
"I sell my soul, but at the highest rates."
--Harlan Ellison

Season's Greetings 2012 sketch

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 11:04:58 PST

This is a sketch of a holiday-themed piece that I hope to color over the next few days. Well, so long as the Mayans will be wrong....

Drawn in Carmine Red pencil.

[Update: Seems this image isn't showing up in my gallery--hope it isn't a glitch.]

Sniper and Man in Blue request sketch

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 10:57:58 PST

For Yunicka [link], who had a request to draw these two characters dressed in these outfits.

This is a sketch, but I hope to color it, possibly after the holidays.

Drawn in Carmine Red pencil.

Ebonivor in flight color

Sat, 15 Dec 2012 13:05:59 PST

For RedJoey1992[link], the color version of the "Ebonivor In Flight" drawing[link]. His character, my art--and this is the result!

The pose in this piece was originally for a Jedi-themed piece I wanted to do....but never got around to it. It worked in this case.

Inked in Manga Studio, colored in PhotoShop.

Ebonivor created by Joseph Monasky.
Artwork by me.

Sailor Sun Spacesuit (color)

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 21:48:56 PST

This is the color version of the sketch of Sailor Sun in a spacesuit--a request from SailorScoutFan101[link] (thank you so much for the chance to work on this!). Hope the colors came out okay...

For some bizarre reason the sketch version of this isn't showing up in my gallery (and I know I posted it there, darn it!), but if all else fails, I'll post it again.

Inked in Manga Studio, colored in PhotoShop.

Enjoy and comment!

[Update: Fixed a small error I just spotted, and uploaded the corrected file.]

Ebonivor first chapter art color version

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 13:31:12 PST

For RedJoey1992 [link], this is the color version of the art for the first chapter for the story of his OC, Ebonivor.

I made a couple of changes during the ink and color stages, but chances are, no one will really spot them. At any rate, I hope the colors are fine. It was fun to work on this, but I hope no one thinks I'm a pervert because of the...ah....focus of the piece.

Colored in PhotoShop.

Ebonivor created by Joseph Monasky.

Artwork by me.

--
"I sell my soul, but at the highest rates."
--Harlan Ellison

Ebonivor First Chapter art pencils

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 08:56:16 PST

For RedJoey1992 [link], this is the pencils for the art that will go with the first chapter of the story for his OC, Ebonivor.

The final image will be inked and colored. Also, I was inspired by John Byrne's cover art of THE MAN OF STEEL issue #1 (the legendary reboot of Superman from the 1980s--if you haven't checked it out or heard of it, get cracking!). While it isn't _exactly_ like the cover, it still owes its look to that cover image, which you can find here: [link].

Drawn using Carmine Red pencils

Ebonivor created by Joseph Monasky.

Artwork by me.

--
"I sell my soul, but at the highest rates."
--Harlan Ellison

"Gentlemen--do not frak this up!"
--from BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: BLOOD AND CHROME (2012)

Faux PEOPLE magazine cover

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 08:45:05 PST

This was a project for the brother of a client I had done work for a few years ago. Ironically, I got the call for this the day I got power back after Hurricane Sandy--talk about timing. The idea was to create a PEOPLE magazine cover with my client's girlfriend as the main interest--it was to be a birthday present for her.

I haven't done something like this in a while--we're talking years here--so it was pretty amazing that I got everything finished very quickly. It also helped that I had an issue of PEOPLE magazine to scan and use. The only problem was that I could not get the proper font that the magazine uses, so I ended up getting one that was as close as could be.

I actually worked up two covers, and the client liked them both, but chose the second. Everything worked out in the end--he got the piece, and his girlfriend received a wonderful present.

(See...I can do more than just cute anime girls! )

Done using PhotoShop CS3.

--
"I sell my soul, but at the highest rates."
--Harlan Ellison

"Gods-damn....!"
--from BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: BLOOD AND CHROME (2012)

Ebonivor

Sun, 04 Nov 2012 18:08:27 PST

For RedJoey1992 [link], the second pic I did of his character Ebonivor. He had made a request, and I ended up doing two pieces! The first is already posted. I hope to ink and color both of them.

I'm still getting back up to speed after Hurricane Sandy. We lost power for nearly five days--I ended up staying at my sister's place for two of those days. Luckily, having a portable generator helps a lot, but there was also no Internet service. No real damage--a few shingles torn off the roof--but four trees were knocked down in the backyard. Not some tiny ones either, but large evergreens.

Sandy was no joke. Thankfully, unlike Irene, there was not much rain. The wind was the real problem, and as you've seen on the news, things are still a mess. I will be getting to work on the rest of the requests I've taken on, so I ask for your patience...

Drawn in Carmine Red pencil.

Ebonivor created by Joseph Monasky.

Ebonivor in flight sketch

Sat, 27 Oct 2012 16:02:16 PDT

The first part of a request from RedJoey1992 [link] of his character Ebonivor!

This is only the sketch or drawing. The cape was a bit tougher to work on, and the pose might look a bit off, but it works for me. I mean to ink and color this later (and there's another Ebonivor piece I will work on as well). Things might be a bit dicey in the next few days, though, with Hurricane Sandy working her way up the coast....

(I mean, c'mon, Mother Nature! It's been a little over a year since Irene, couldn't you give us Tri-State area folks a break?)

Drawn in Vermillion pencil. Ebonivor created by Joseph Monasky.

Sailor Sun Idol Singer sketch

Sat, 27 Oct 2012 15:49:18 PDT

The second piece I did from a request from SailorScoutFan101 [link], but this time, it's Sailor Sun as an idol singer (a la Lynn Minmei, Lanka Lee...). The angle is a bit weird, but it works, I guess.

Also, I do hope to color this piece, but that will be in the near future.

Drawn in Carmine Red pencil.

---
"I sell my soul, but only at the highest rates."
--Harlan Ellison

Cassandra design #2

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 07:31:04 PDT

The second design I came up with for Cassandra, a character created by sorrylittleguy [link]. The first design was posted earlier.

I'm not going to say which one I prefer--I like them both, but I will not be the one to decide which one works best.

Drawn in Vermillion pencil and inked in Manga Studio.

---
"I sell my soul, but only at the highest rates."
--Harlan Ellison

Cassandra design #1

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 07:26:38 PDT

For sorrylittleguy [link], a point commission character design for his character Cassandra. She's a princess, but self-centered and power hungry, yet very sensitive.

Trouble is, I ended up creating another design....which I will also post. But I had a blast working on both!

Gainax Girls

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 06:00:28 PDT

For the second volume of the Colony Drop fanzine (currently in production). From left to right: Kazumi Amano from GUNBUSTER, Nadia from NADIA: THE SECRET OF BLUE WATER, Noriko from GUNBUSTER, and the "Daicon Bunny" girl. I finished this a couple of months ago.

These four were from productions made during Gainax Studio's early years (the mid to late 1980s) and I enjoyed the hell out of working on this piece. Not easy to get the poses right (and I still think I did not), but GUNBUSTER and NADIA were required viewing when I started off as an anime fan, and all these years later, they still hold up.

Drawn in Vermillion pencil, inked in Manga Studio and colored in PhotoShop.

All characters created by Gainax (original designs by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto and Haruhiko Mikimoto).

Artwork by me.

Sailor Sun character sketch

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 05:50:05 PDT

For Sailor Scout Fan 101 [link]. This is a "character sketch" of her character, Sailor Sun. I am currently working on a request for her (well, a couple!), and I normally draw a character sketch page or two so I can get a feel for the character.

And this was nice to work on, and hopefully the finished commissions will come out okay. Plus, it's been a while since I've done anything related to Sailor Moon.

Drawn in Vermillion pencil.

H.O.W.: 1920s!

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 13:41:21 PDT

My second entry for the Heart of Wildfire Hot Style Fashion Contest: [link]

For this one, it's four H.O.W. characters dressed in outfits from the 1920s (and man, did I make damned sure that the clothes were from that period!). The characters are (left to right): Sanya Olsahann, Demitel Behronn, Tairo Lamarey, and Misaora D'Aritza (although I had to give her a hairstyle appropriate for the time....).

As before, these are not my characters, but I had a lot of fun creating this piece--and also, it was nice to draw period outfits and a car from that time, since I rarely get the chance to.

Strangely enough....I like the car most of all. Hmmm....

Drawn in blue pencil, inked in Manga Studio, and colored in PhotoShop.

H.O.W.: School outfits

Mon, 30 Jul 2012 16:31:25 PDT

This is an entry for the Heart of Wildfire Hot Style Fashion Fanart Contest. [link]

(Sorry about not being able to put up the logo....damn, I really have to work on getting that right....)

These aren't my characters, but I put them in school outfits (and in school!). From left to right, it's Melandry R., Sanya Olsahann, and Sahn Lamarey. And yeah, this was a lot of fun to draw. They aren't my characters, but I loved the designs.

Also, please check out the Heart of Wildfire page: [link]

Wings of Honneamise

Tue, 10 Jul 2012 18:07:33 PDT

WINGS OF HONNEAMISE remains one of my favorite anime full-length films. This year, it turns 25--and it still holds up, not just as a film, but as an example of the power of animation, when a dedicated crew puts their hearts and souls into making a masterpiece. This was the first motion picture from Gainax, who would later give us EVANGELION and FLCL.

Hard to believe that the film was not successful at first, but like all great movies (BLADE RUNNER, CITIZEN KANE) its stature has grown over the years. Personally, I consider it a true classic of science fiction films (in the same league as STAR WARS, 2001, and FORBIDDEN PLANET f'r instance).

This was done for the second issue of Colony Drop's fanzine, which should be released later this year. Not too keen on Shiro's helmet, and the background is rather iffy, but still....I'm glad I did this piece. It's the best way I can think of to honor a truly remarkable film.

Drawn in blue pencil and inked and colored in Manga Studio and Photoshop.

Original designs and story by Gainax.

Weapons and women sketches

Sat, 12 May 2012 09:02:29 PDT

Over the past few days, I've been churning out quite a few sketches while working on commissions and other things. These three are among the better ones, but they all seem to have the same idea...a girl with a weapon, either a rifle, sword or gun.

These sketches might say a lot about my state of mind....or maybe they're just drawings, period--no need to psychoanalyze 'em or anything. I might even end up working up color versions of two of them in the near future.

Drawn in Blue and Carmine Red pencils and converted to grayscale in PhotoShop.

Enjoy and comment!

Mermaid Avenger redesign sketch

Sat, 25 Feb 2012 14:58:34 PST

Sketches done for a redesign of Mermaid Avenger, done for Megasxlrfan [link] and Dangerman-1973 [link] Like the Superhawke sketches, these are done to get a feel for the character before moving on to a final image.

I gotta give these two a big "Thank you!" for giving me the chance to work on this and a couple other characters!

Done with Vermillion colored pencils.

Original character created by Dangerman-1973, and artwork by me.

---
"Jeez--is he FINALLY dead yet?"
"Well...he's dead enough..."
--from NIGHT OF THE SHAMBLERS (1989)

Superhawke redesign sketches

Sat, 25 Feb 2012 14:48:41 PST

For Megasxlrfan [link] and Dangerman-1973 [link] these are two pages of sketches for a redesign of Superhawke.

This was fun to do, and they were done in preparation for a final piece, which will be in color. As for the notes that are scribbled on them...well, I could have removed them but it was better to just leave them there.

Done in Vermillion pencil.

Superhawke and original design created by Dangerman-1973, and artwork by me.

---
"Get up so I can kill you again!"
--from HALO (2001)

Picnic

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 06:54:22 PST

This sketch was done in January, but it's appropriate for Valentine's Day (well, I guess!). I couldn't get it to scan and convert properly--sorry about that.

Not sure what inspired this, although the girl has a superficial resemblance to a Draenei from WOW.

....but I've never played WOW (not yet, anyway). Still, I have seen images/illustrations, so that could explain it.

Drawn in blue pencil and converted in PhotoShop.

Enjoy and comment...

More random sketches

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 06:40:14 PST

Two pages of sketches done over the past couple of days.

Who knows--a couple of them could be "spun off" into full-fledged drawings on their own.

Done in Carmine Red pencil and converted in PhotoShop.

Enjoy and comment.

Season's Greetings 2011

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 19:05:59 PST

Just in time for the holidays....although this was drawn last year, I finished it up this year over a couple of days, but I think it looks rushed.

Oh well, enjoy and comment anyway!

All the best to everyone for the holidays, and best wishes for 2012!

Drawn in vermillion pencil, inked in Manga Studio, and colored in PhotoShop.

---
I wonder where you are, my friend....

Devilish Couple 2 sketch

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 19:01:52 PST

Just a recent sketch, done after a bout of art block.

It's the second sketch I've done of the same theme, but I'd like to color this one when I have the time.

Done in blue pencil.

Enjoy and comment!

---
I wonder where you are, my friend....

The Good Witch

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 10:44:42 PDT

This is the color version of the "Good Witch" sketch I had done.

I'm not sure about her broom--maybe I should have changed the position of it, but what the hell--it's finished and I'm (reasonably) satisfied with it.

I always like it when a sketch ends up being a lot better than you expected and you can move on and color it.

Drawn in blue pencil, inked in Manga Studio, and colored in PhotoShop.

Enjoy and comment....

The Good Witch sketch

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 10:40:04 PDT

After a couple of days of not being able to draw anything, I finally broke out of the block I had with two sketches, and this is one of them.

Well, Halloween is in a few days, so...I guess the theme fits.

Still...I gotta wonder what was on my mind when I sketched this....

I've also worked on a color version of this and I'm posting that one too.

Drawn in blue pencil and adjusted in PhotoShop.

Enjoy and comment....

Quistis Trepe commission

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 18:58:55 PDT

A commission for Godengine666:

[link]

Thanks much for the chance to do this.

This is showing Quistis at her desk, in her SeeD uniform. Now...I never finished playing FF VIII, but still, this was a lot of fun to do. Granted, I've been working on other things and preparing for my brother's upcoming wedding.

Someday, though, I might go and try to play FF VIII again...who knows.

Drawn in blue pencil, inked in Manga Studio, and colored in PhotoShop.

Enjoy and comment!

Two sketchbook pages

Sun, 24 Jul 2011 10:03:57 PDT

Two pages of work from my sketchbook, done about a month apart. I have no idea what was going through my mind in regards to the second one, but....

The best thing about working in a sketchbook is that it's great for just getting things out of the head and onto the paper. I have nothing against digital art or tech, but honestly, nothing beats pencil and paper.

At least, not yet....

Done in Carmine Red and Vermillion pencil, and scanned in PhotoShop.

Enjoy and comment.

Magic confrontation

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 05:45:48 PDT

Hmmm...no confrontation to speak of, but the title is the best one I could come up with.

This was originally a sketch from a couple of years ago, but I went back and using MangaStudio and Photoshop (along with several screentone plugins) finished it. I'm not too keen on the posing--and if I were a better artist I would've changed it--but it just works as is.

This is also an addition to what I hope will be a new art collection--one that I'm trying to complete that will be more focused on black and white/grayscale images, as opposed to being full color. It's still a work in progress, but I hope to complete it soon.

Tools: Drawn in carmine red pencil, inked in Manga Studio, and colored in Photoshop.

Pulsar Pureheart commission

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 05:39:31 PDT

A commission for Dangerman-1973 [link] using his OC, Pulsar Pureheart.

Thanks Dangerman, for the chance to do this--and apologies for the wait!

The original idea was to have her spinning around to put out the fire, but...somehow I couldn't get it to work (or to be brutally honest, I tried it...and it sucked). So I, er..."borrowed" from the Flash and came up with this.

Done in carmine red pencil.

Pulsar Pureheart created by Ronaldo Martinez (Dangerman-1973).

Artwork by me.

Pulsar Pureheart sketches

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 05:33:46 PDT

These were three sketches that I did while prepping for a commission from Dangerman-1973[link] This is his character, Pulsar Pureheart.

These were done to get a "feel" for the character, and they were a big help when I worked on the commission.

Done in carmine red pencil.

Pulsar Pureheart created by Ronaldo Martinez (Dangerman-1973)

Artwork by me.

Hit Girl commission

Mon, 23 May 2011 13:16:38 PDT

This is a commission for John Patterson--sorry it took a while to finish!

I liked KICK-ASS (the film, have not read the comic yet), and thought that Chloe Moritz was AMAZING as Hit Girl. So, this is HG depicted in a manga/anime style.

Still not too sure I nailed the gun, but...enjoy and comment away!

Hit Girl created by Mark Millar and John Romita, Jr.

Artwork by me.

Lum and Benten

Fri, 04 Mar 2011 20:01:54 PST

A just-completed commission. It's actually the first time I've worked on Lum and her trigger-happy motorcycle-riding buddy Benten.

Which is strange, since I've been a URUSEI YATSURA fan for quite a while, and although I haven't seen every episode of the TV series (and not to mention all of the films). I wonder why I hadn't done something like this before, but no use thinking about that now.

Thanks to John Bogan, who commissioned this. It was drawn in vermilion pencil, inked in MangaStudio and colored in PhotoShop.

Lum and Benten created by Rumiko Takahashi.

Artwork by me.

Eye to eye

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 15:56:54 PST

So, ah...what's the story behind this one? Well...it's just a finished sketch, done after a period where I couldn't draw a darned thing in my sketchbook.

So I'm pretty happy about this...but I still feel I could've done better.

(Yep, there he goes again, whining about how his art skills are awful....XD)

Drawn in Carmine Red and converted in PhotoShop.
Enjoy and comment.

Deep Space Rescue

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 15:50:40 PST

A successful search and rescue in deep space, following an accident.

This was the last image I did for the Cyprian Rift: Warships project. It is posted here with permission.

I have a couple of gripes with it, but I'm glad that the S&R ship pictured was a lot better than the original idea I had.

At least this ship looks like a cross between the Raptor from BATTLESTAR GALACTICA and the UD-4L Dropship from ALIENS.

Enjoy and comment...

Cyprian Rift: Warships and original concept by Dark Nebula Games and Peter Garancis.

Artwork by me.

Season's Greetings 2010

Tue, 21 Dec 2010 21:04:34 PST

The title says it all.

Best wishes to everyone for a happy holiday and for a good 2011.

(Geez...when I was a kid the year 2011 sounded soooo science fiction-ey. Now I'm going to be living through it!)

Sun Wu-Kong II

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 17:06:02 PST

So...what the heck is this? It's actually one character I did for the "30 Characters Challenge"--you can find the site by clicking here: [link]

Basically, it's a female version of the legendary Sun Wu-Kong, or Sun Goku, the Monkey King. The story behind the character is that she's a grad student who discovers Goku's staff and golden headband while in China, so she dons them and becomes the "new" Sun Wu-Kong.

Yeah...it is a bit weird, but I had a lot of fun creating this character. I like it, so...

Hand-drawn in Carmine Red pencil, and colored in PhotoShop.

Enjoy and comment....

(Dedicated to the memory of Satoshi Kon, who featured a female Goku in his film PAPRIKA)

Trinity Blood commission

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 07:52:09 PDT

A commission for Jeff DeLacruz depicting Astaroche Asran and Augusta Vradica (Seth Nightroad) from TRINITY BLOOD.

I actually liked the show and have read a couple of the translated novels. Heck, it's always cool to see the blend of distant future/SF/Gothic/and vampires (just like VAMPIRE HUNTER D). But doing the details on this pic was tough!

Also, because it had to be scanned in two sections, there might be a bit of a distortion in the image...sorry about that.

Done in Indigo Blue pencil on comic board.

TRINITY BLOOD created by Sunao Yoshida; original artwork by Thores Shibamoto.

Artwork by me.

Enjoy and comment....

Three sketches

Sun, 19 Sep 2010 18:11:40 PDT

Just three sketches done over the past few weeks, done in my sketchbook. I haven't put much work into it lately, so I was glad to do these three and put 'em together.

Enjoy and comment...

Captain's orders

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 23:59:54 PDT

I love "space opera"--that sub-genre of science fiction involving spaceships, space battles, and exploration (think STAR TREK, BABYLON 5, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, old and new, YAMATO, LEGENDS OF THE GALACTIC HEROES....).

With this illustration, I got the chance to put that love on paper (well, first on paper, then in the digital realm). And there's no better image to illustrate than that of a ship's Captain giving orders on the bridge.

It's one of several illustrations for a game project, and I'm posting it here with permission.

A brief note: the Captain is not a tall person; it's just that the crew stations around her are in a recessed area of the bridge, so they are lower than her. Thus the height difference--hope that clears up any confusion, just in case anyone notices....

Enjoy and comment.

Original game concept by Dark Nebula Games and Peter Garancis.

Artwork by me.

The Dirty Pair 2

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 08:17:02 PDT

This is the second DIRTY PAIR image I worked on at the same time as the previous Kei and Yuri image. This one, though, has both agents and their ship, the Lovely Angel (or my rendition of it, at least!).

But I'm also convinced that I might have screwed up on it somewhere...oh well, can't worry about that at the moment.

Drawn in blue pencil, inked and colored in Manga Studio and PhotoShop, respectively.

Enjoy and comment!

The Dirty Pair created by Haruka Takachiho.

Fanart by me, based on original designs by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, Tsukasa Dokite, and Adam Warren.

Knight Sabers

Sun, 27 Jun 2010 17:52:01 PDT

Going old school again for this one.

BUBBLEGUM CRISIS, like THE DIRTY PAIR, was one of the first anime titles I really got into back before the big anime boom. The original 8-part OVA series was a masterpiece (even with the flaws) and was one of the best things to come out of studio Artmic (and they did a lot of good stuff!).

It's been years since I drew anything BGC related, and honestly, this one wouldn't have been possible thanks to a friend who left some BGC artbooks in my care as well as a great site packed with images.

Drawn in blue pencil and inked by hand, and cleaned up and colored in PhotoShop.

BUBBLEGUM CRISIS created by Artmic
Original hardsuit designs by Kenichi Sonoda

Fanart by me.

Enjoy and comment...

The Dirty Pair - Kei and Yuri

Sun, 27 Jun 2010 16:50:48 PDT

Going old school with this image for (hopefully!) a fanzine.

THE DIRTY PAIR was one of the first anime I'd ever seen, and I became an even bigger fan after reading Adam Warren and Toren Smith's comics based on the characters. And I've also read the translated novels from Haruka Takachiho that first introduced these two. So I've got a soft spot for 'em.

(On that note...maybe I should have drawn Kei with her finger _off_ the trigger?....)

Drawn in blue pencil and inked in Manga Studio and colored in PhotoShop.

THE DIRTY PAIR created by Haruka Takachiho.

Fan art by me, based on original designs by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, Tsukasa Dokite, and Adam Warren.

Sorcerer

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 14:17:28 PDT

My submission to DA's Fantasy Earth Zero Character Fan Art Contest (whew! Long title, there....).

It's basically my take on a female sorcerer (or maybe that should be sorceress?). Hand drawn in carmine red pencil, then inked in Manga Studio and colored in PhotoShop.

It was tough, but enjoyed working on it very much.

Enjoy and comment....

Maka and Soul

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 15:29:34 PDT

This is the finished color version of the SOUL EATER fanart I was working on. I had said that I was hoping to post the inked version (after posting the sketch previously) but...might as well post the finished color version.

I had a lot of fun with this, and there are a few changes made from the sketch to the color version. And you know...it almost resembles a KICK-ASS poster I saw a while back.

Wonder if I subconciously copied the poster...oh well.

SOUL EATER created by Atsushi Ohkubo.

Enjoy and comment!