The Youngest Miss Clarke

So here as promised is the design plan for that armature in the previous post. Already added the first block-in of clay, so it's starting to come together. I'll post an update before I'm ready to bake. Really glad I let Raul instruct me on armature building because if it weren't so darn sturdy I would probably have busted it up and died of frustration by now. Also saw Jordu Schell's Gnomen DVD on sculpting monsters...very informative AND super funny...would definitely recommend it to anyone.

Again, this is my design for the main character of Beauty and the Beast (aka Beauty, but that's not what I've named her). I'm sticking a little closer to the original fairy tale story-wise, set in a time/place that I am (haha, it's not cheating to draw what you know) very familiar with - though judging solely from the above may not be what you'd guess. It'll probably become more clear when I get around to posting the Beast half of this equation. For now, enjoy and ponder the awesomeness to come. ^^

Armature Building

Working on a new character and decided to do a bust sculpt. Stylistically aiming for something more along the lines of a Stop Mo. Animation Feature like Coraline or Paranorman or Corpse Bride since I've been watching those quite a bit recently. Here is the initial armature for her. ^^ More to come as things progress!!
She is the main character from my own retelling of Beauty and the Beast. (Still debating on a new title for it) I'll start posting the drawn concept work I've been doing for that soon too. ^^

Challenge Accepted!

I have long been aware of CGHub.com, but with all the other sites I have been trying to maintain I thought it best not to start yet ANOTHER profile that I would not be able to keep up efficiently. However, this week's Character Forge 2D Challenge was to hard to resist, thus I now have a CGHub account if anyone cares to check in on my activity there. I plan to just use it for challenges and I may or may not post my entries elsewhere - so definitely worth a peek every now and then!! Hope to see you there! : )


EDIT: Okay...so did not realize the deadline for this challenge was so soon. I have been working at it, but I don't think I'm going to have a decent finish by noon this Saturday. I'll post my finished piece on my CGHub account when I do get it done. 

Xi Shi

 

The next Ancient Beauty of the series - Xi Shi with imitation coy (since she was so beautiful that fish would forget how to swim and sink ;p). Might take a break before I finish the last two - to work on another portfolio piece since a workable composition finally came to me while at work today. Thank goodness it was truck day so I had ALL the cigarette boxes to break down and sketch thumbnails on...hey, it's better than drawing all over the receipt tape. lol...sigh -_- 

Wang Zhaojun

AhHa! Another update!! This is a revamp of Wang Zhaojun and a fanciful bird of paradise (since she was so beautiful that birds dropped dead from shame ;p). Stylistically I wanted it to be recognizable as something I would do and find visually appealing - but I more heavily referenced a different set of artists than I normally do in an attempt to start experimenting a bit more, pushing those style boundaries, etc.

Honestly I was most influenced by a set of prints that I purchased at CTN this year by Liana Hee of four geisha. I was drawn to them for several reasons, but most importantly because they are ATTRACTIVE. When I say they are attractive I mean that their simple shape language reads clearly, tells four individual stories that are cohesive as a set and they possess a certain charm that makes smiling irresistible. I hope that as I revamp the other three Beauties of China that I can also make them as attractive as Liana's geisha are. : )

Post CTN Surge

So. CTN was awesome. I saw many familiar faces, had the opportunity to speak with more artists that I admire (And purchase their lovely books and prints), sat in on many informative/amusing panels (Glen Keane's talk was totally worth the two hour wait in the rain and following cold), got a lot of promising feedback on my portfolio, and a few job leads - which means a portfolio revamp!

And thus...the above came into being.
Basically, I wanted to explore a character I had already created - still arguably the strongest in my existing portfolio - and give her the long awaited companion she's always blubbering about: Silvio!  (There is a specific sound that accompanies this piece in my head...something along the lines of a horse's whinny...because I think they are that deranged). The idea of Clarice and Silvio in the Comedia Del Arte "A Servant of Two Masters" is that they are more in love with the idea of being in love than with each other. It is a young, idealized love that makes them rather foolish and prone to extreme reactions (My favorite lines in the play being Silvio: I love you with all my heart! Clarice: Yeah? Well, I hate you with all my...SPLEEN) and other riddiculous-ness-es. Here I pictured them falling head over heels in their remedial love. Fun times.

More exciting stuff to come soon!! : )

Quick Update!!

Sorry there's no art with this one - thus I'll make it brief. I now have a Behance Portfolio and will update whenever I can!! http://www.behance.net/gallery/Square-One/5821045  Hope to see you there! : D