stage 1... The Larch.

I think these guys are really going somewhere. Maybe the bathroom, in groups, you never know when you'll need backup. I was thinking how much I need more practice at Z Brush, and that means I need some character ideas. So I'm making sure to make time to sit down and sketch up ideas. I hope to have one of these guys modeled by the end of the week but that's if life doesn't beat me over the head and take me hostage.

Winter Kingdoms

This contest is well timed since Chicago feels like a winter kingdom right now. This project has been keeping me very busy for the past month. It should be done soon and the final movie will go up in the site. The contest has been really fun and given me something to focus on. There are a lot of things I would have done differently but that's what these are for, to learn from. I'm going to try and keep doing projects or at least setting myself deadlines so I don't get hooked on one thing forever.

Halloween

Here it is the finished piece and me wearing it at the party. It turned out better than I thought, and I was able to leave it running for a couple hours at a time. I did turn it off several times since I was still paranoid it would get too hot and melt to the shirt. I think the most difficult part of the costume ended up being growing the goatee. Ya that took me a month to grow and it looks pathetic. This is why I don't normally have one.

I am Iron Man

I have so much I should be posting up here but I find I would rather go to bed instead of posting something up. Anyway I decided to make an arc reactor for my Tony Stark Halloween costume. I found this great tutorial on instructables, it still needs the molded plastic top. Every year I make part of my costume since most of the store bought outfits look like crap. I think this is the first time I went into a costume idea with no prior knowledge of how to actually do it. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that I don't suddenly burst into flames at the party. Although then I could just say that I'm Johnny Storm "Flame ON!". Wish me luck that I survive this Halloween.

Johnmonster

I went to the San Diego Comic Con again this year, I find so much inspiration from the people I meet there. One of witch is Derek Thompson. I Got his 2006 sketchbook two years ago and he had a new one this year. Derek's book has a monster for every day of the year in it. They are doodles and the like that he has done when he has a minute or two, and they all have a unique look and personality to them. He said some are done when he's in story meetings at Pixar. Oh ya did I mention he does storyboards at Pixar!! He just finished up Wall.E (a fantastic film) and is now working on Brad Birds live action movie. He has a great eye for staging and simple designs that have a lot of character. Anyway the first image is some fan art I did after looking at the new book, Derekmonster. The other two are just for fun, I need to sketch more.
I noticed after doing these guys that almost all of my creatures are bipedal, I need to do more quadrupeds and other types of locomotive creatures.

Batmobile (no not the tumbler)

The new Batman movie got me all excited, and I wanted to model a Batmobile to let out the nerd juices. Batmobile from the 90's animated series is one of my favorite adaptations of the Batmobile, it has a very intimidating shape while still fitting in with the look of the show. I figured since I'm modeling it why not also make it work in TF2. They have similar looks and it would give me more of a challenge to have constraints on the texture and poly detail.
Anyway its out of my system and I can go back to my other projects.
TF2 model here.

More TF2 art

I just can't stop. This is a feeling I know too well when I play as the engineer. My poor little sentry is being sapped and there is no one to help me get the spy. Sometimes you have to chose between killing him or saving your sentry, because you can't always do both. When that happens, look out because I'm coming for you!

MEDIC!

This is the first time I think I've liked a game enough to do some fan art.
Medics, don't mess with them.

Getting Messi

Another character for work, Leo (Lionel) Messi, an upcoming soccer star from Argentina. He looks like he might be the next Ronaldinho. Hes wearing his new Barcelona club jersey. I've cut off the arms and legs since they're still unfinished.

chick4

I've been very busy lately looking for a new job, and I've been neglecting to post again. I'm trying to update this thing regularly. Anyway I never did post the final mock up of that girl I was working on at work. Here she is sans hair and shoes, which were done by someone else. If this project gets picked up there would be some changes I would like to make to the model, but there are always changes I would like to make.

Oh ya I also had to make her smile. All clients seem to want to see their characters with a smile. Normally you don't want any expression on their face, you want a clean base on which to animate. This means I model two heads for every person an expressionless one for us and a smiley one for them. The smile does become a shape we can use in the animation, so it's not a total loss.

She's so trendy it hurts.

chick3

I haven't worked on her much the past few days. Just a version with bumpmaps, still needs work on the hands. She could also use a shoe donation to hide those hideous block feet of hers.

chick2

hoodie mostly done today.

she's all the rage

A character I'm modeling at work. Don't ask who it is I'm too embarrassed to say, but I think it's coming along. I also just finished putting together a new reel, I plan to post it somewhere soon, along with some stills.

1940's car finished

Finally its done, my first TF2 model. It can be found here. Now I just need to figure out what I'm doing next.

Mr. Equator

Here is a painting I had been working on last year, and just submitted to the Ballistic Publishing contest to be published in their next book. There are a lot of great artists entering, so I know the competition is tough but I still have to try and get in. I was really experimenting with coloring skin that looks like it has some substance and flesh to it. I think it came out good for a first try. I think there are some things I would do differently the next time. The hair still bugs me. I also put up a WIP image showing Mr. Eguator at different stages of completion.

normals are anything but

Here is the latest car model for TF2. Everything is working except when I add the normals to the mis it messes up my textures. The car turns all black in color but retains the reflections, which are now smother because they have the normal information. Ah well, it's a leaning experience.

finally

After several days of looking at tutorials and the valve developers community I finally have a working model from xsi into valve hammer. WHOO! now i can sleep without having those horrible nightmares about the valve sdk file system sucking. It finally makes some sort of sick sense. Now I just need to finish the model.

quick photoshop practice

Some doodles I did to warm up, and try out some new color combinations.

I hate Valve for making such great games.

Its been a long few months, and I left this blog slowly die, but I want to continue with this and try to bring it back to life even if I don't update very often. So I'll slowly add some files of what I've been working on. Team Fortress 2 has been one of the contributers to my loss of time. So here is a TF2 1940's car model I am working on for mod levels.

Images will be up tonight.

I'm in the tubes

I started up a youtube account here.

JTheory0

I still have yet to get a high quality video up. The documentation out there is not helping as much as I had hoped.