Pixel Art

Thanks to a generous gift from my brother, I've been learning to do game graphics in pixels on Udemy.  Here are some samples of what I've done:

  

I'm still learning the basics but I'm already got the hang of shading still graphics. This is much like stippling dots in ink but combine with strokes.   The course is also to teach me to do animations too.  I could start offering up to do pixel works on a professional level soon.

Timing Illustrative Styles

With my temp job with L'Oreal is now done (and some other expenses), I'll looking for more work, closer to home hopefully or without a lot of commuting time.  Also I"m experimenting with how long it takes to do an illustrative style from a sketch.  For today I did 2 versions in Photoshop on 1 of my old SDC sketches from last year.

Original Sketch

Estimate Time: 6 hours

Estimate Time: 4 hours

I was seeing if there was a professional style I could go with for my freelancing online.  Style 1 with purely shape and no contours and Style 2 with contours.  I had before obsess with having thick 'n' thin lines done perfectly which had contributed to having spent more hours on a piece than maybe necessary.  When you get to experiment like this, you definitely get to explore what works better for yourself and your work.

Owl bears at a Salmon Run

Salmon Run Owlbear

This one took a lonnnnnnnng time to complete (about 4 months on my spare time), plus in a poster format with over 650MB in Photoshop.  For those following from Spring this year, I've made a day trip on my bike, getting some exercise, fresh air and inspiration for new works.  Some of those sketches I've made while cycling are down below.  It wouldn't be the first time than I've used the Salmon Run Fountain of Bobbie Rosenfeld Park for a project and I was wanting to do some fantasy works. I've also took photos and videos of running rivers and rapids with my iPad's camera while riding across the bike paths of Taylor Creek and Don River Valley. With those sketches, I've started to do a poster work for a fantasied salmon run.  Most of the time working on this went into the salmons and owlbears and the rock wall of the river.

Overall. I liked the final look of the piece.  Usually I don't like how long some pieces might take to do those sharp and highly-detailed markings with but it had come out all right in the long run, literally.

Refined Rough for Salmon Run Owlbear

Original sketches while on day trip in Spring 2015

Smiley Candy

Here's another quick piece.

Harem Girls

It's been a while since I've last posted anything.  Been busy working on temp jobs, both in Toronto and online.  Like these below and for L'Oreal and Postmedia.  I need to start finalizing more child-friendly works after I finish off another piece that's been on the back burner for a while.

Lady Mab's Profile

Photoshop CS2

Stradna under Scylla's Curse

Relic Keeper - Figure and Whole Versions

Double-Sided Easels

Double-Sided Easels

Now with having some available time, I've been getting some projects at home done.  One of them being with some wooden tabletop samples I found before last summer.  They had good shelving quality so with brass hinges and some mahogany stain-sealer, I've made them into double-sided display easels.  I figured these would come in handy for displaying works, whenever I get around to doing an art showing.

With Spring having arrived, I'm now going on day trips again.  I'm also taking time while out and about to sketch for any inspirations for my artwork.  Here's some sketches from this weekend.

Sketch a Day Challenge Video Series

Just uploaded up my complete series of the Sketch a Day Challenge now on Youtube.  Oddly, I found some of my earlier videos to be missing, including my channel art.  Then I remembered that I have 2 channels on Youtube, one being for my artwork alone. I've simply uploaded them to both and just in case, changed my password. My video editing isn't the best but I've included soundtracks to listen to with watching the slideshows of my year's worth of sketches.

So, here's the links: www.youtube.com/user/CrystaliumJMC / www.youtube.com/channel/UCYtg6Gsg6plCMiqahOzS7mA

Haven't done much sketching lately since taking a full-time temp job currently, 2-hour commutes via local transit and all.  There's only 2 more weeks of it left and then I'll be job-hunting again (unless my  temp agency has another job for me soon after).  I got a few things to keep busy with if I don't get anything right away, especially with the Spring rolling in now.  Looking forward to riding on my bike again.