The world is gonna end tonight- Random post
Hey there people!
We are extremely busy here at the studio with some exciting things for us.
In the meanwhile, here is a random update with some Artwork that where completed a little while ago.
These where all done for the same client as the Maori-Styled Space Marines where done: the Lantern Marines.
Here are some variations for their Chapterlogo-
Some Iconography
And then something completely different-
Pandoran Crabs
http://www.heresy-online.net/forums/showthread.php?t=97951
An Imperial Regiment.
Hopefully we can share a few tidbits every post from now on, but things are under contracts so we will see.
Look out for future installments of ” To be Inspired and Driven by”, as well as some more personal artwork and hopefully a fully fledged tutorial in the not-too-distant future.
Until next time!
David
Evil by Proxy
I have wanted to paint one illustration for a very, very long time.
The first book by Aaron Dembski-Bowden I ever read was “First Heretic”.
It was a gust of fresh air. Don’t get me wrong, I like reading any Black Library books that come out because I love the worlds they describe, both the Fantasy and sci-fi genres. The problem for me has been two things really:
1) No patience. Not from me, but from the writers. They go from beginning, rush over descriptions of characters that usually are pretty shallow or just straight archetypes and then rush head-on to the FIGHTING (dum du duum!).
I understand that these are books based upon a strategic war–game. I understand that the people writing these obviously write with that audience in mind, but I just find it such a big shame that the writing has o be that bad. Especially since ADB, in First Heretic, make the characters come out so well (in comparison) in just one chapter, and then build layers n them the rest of the time.
2) The bombasticness. This is especially true with the books describing the Space Marines.
Again, I understand that the need to show off how fanatical the SM’s are, and how proud, stoic, heroic and just abut every other bombastic adjective you can think of, the Space Marines are. I get that, but you do not need to repeat the “Hail the Primarch” with every other sentence to get this across. Your characters do not need to be carbon copies of one-another and they certainly do not need to have every thought about their Brothers be “He was filled with pride of how they where so fantastic in all ways”.
They are killing-machines, psychologically trained to react in certain ways during battle, that doesn’t mean they like one another at all times.
But that mostly went away with First Heretic.
So I got hooked, I picked up another book written by Aaron Dembski-Bowden.
Soul Hunter
And there my standard got set so much higher then before.
After reading Soul Hunter, I wanted to paint the members of First Claw. The characters where very vivid and evolved throughout the book.
But I didn’t feel I could do them justice at the time.
So after that, I rushed to a friends who had the second book in the series, Blood Reaver.
I read it from cover to cover and decided to buy them all three in ebook-form, once the last book was out.
So just after I got the third and last book in the series, Void Stalker, I got contacted by a guy who has commissioned me work in the past. A really nice guy, who asked me to paint Talos.
Talos.
I had a couple of other projects at the same time and so I asked if deadline was important, which he graciously said it was important that I had fun painting it. Because of this, I did the sketch for it, we agreed on it and some extra ideas, and then I put it aside to work on the other jobs I had at the time.
I did this for two reasons- it would have been fantastic to paint it right away, but all the other jobs would have felt a little less after it. And secondly, I wanted to evolve a little. I have had a burst of evolution in my skills lately, something I was aware of happening just around the time when I got the commission and I just new that every illustration I made this summer would be better then the previous. I put in every effort into every piece of illustration I do, I don’t do half-measures. It is bad towards the client, it makes me feel bad and just doesn’t go well. But this summer I knew that the image I needed to be the best at to make it come out as I wanted it was this image.
So here I give you-
Talos, on the bridge of the Echo of Damnation, chained to the commandseat and speaking to the ghost/ephemera of Ruven.
Some things aren’t exactly as in the book (the weaponry where in his quarters when this happened, and he was walking in a dreamlandscape of the bridge, speaking to th corpse rather then the ghost) but it is how me and the commissioner agreed on it.
Here is a close-up of Talos
And here is a filmic-format version
I hope you enjoy!
David
Summer-update
Hello followers of StudioColrouphobia.net!
After a longer period of downtime I return with some private commissioned artwork.
The guest-blogposts are going to return after a summer-holdup, keep your eyes peeled!
The future has some interesting things happening for the Studio, which we cannot really speak of just yet but what it means is that private commissions will be a little fewer, look out for some more personal paintings in the future and a bit more focus on tutorials and guests then before.
All in all, we sincerely hope that you readers will benefit more from the changes then not.
In the meanwhile, here are three private commissions.
Salamander and Sister
Valrak – Imperial Fist
(Done for Valrak, over at the Vigilia Mortis forums - http://www.battle-brothers.net/home )
Kahuna – Chaplain of the Lantern Marines
The Lantern Marines are always fun to paint and this time I got to paint the Kahuna, the equivalent of a Chaplain, of the Lantern Marines.
Don’t forget to add us on twitter or Facebook (just click the images below)!
Until next time!
David
A little bit of terror, a little bit of Iron – Tiny Art Update
Hello watchers,
Time for a tiny art-update.
I am currently working on three commissions that are expected to be done within a very short time, but in the meanwhile, here are three images that just got released (and thus I am allowed to show right here) plus a commission that got completed yesterday.
The Fantastic people over at Bolter and Chainsword contacted me quite a while back about doing one or two images for one of their Legio Imprints.
The first Legio Imprint was an alternative setting for Warhammer 40k called “Dornian Heresy” which was a very well thought out book. The one I had the chance to work on was just released a few days ago and is called “Legio Imprint 2: The Eye of Terror” , where I had the oportunity to both get to do the cover and two interior illustrations.
So here are the images I did for this Imprint:
Eye of Terror cover – click to see large
Eye of Terror banner – click to see large
Excorsists Librarian – click to see large
Yesterday I had the benefit of finalizing one of my latest commissions. The commissioner has asked me to only post this image at my webpage and at the deviantArt gallery.
I am sure you will like it though, especially those of you who follow my series of Primarchs, as I got a chance to illustgrate a fairly unrepresented Primarch- Ferrus Manus.
Ferrus Manus, the 10th Primarch – click to see large
(Though the illustration above has some of my influence in it, it is important that you know that I follow a brief on commissions. If this is not how you envision Ferrus Manus, then I’d be happy to do another version for you if you’d like to commission me.)
Feel free to add your thoughts on Ferrus Manus, or any of the other Primarchs. Or if you have any questions or ideas you’d like to share.
Until next time,
David
In want of something
A little update of some visuals whilst we prepare for the first guestbloggers and some other goodies.
Currently, the studio has quite a lot of work t do but if you’d be interested in hiring us for work, feel free to contact us, either through this blog or through our email: ”‘studio . colrouphobia @ gmail . com” (without the blank-spaces of course).
In the meanwhile, lets show some already completed private commissions:
Khullain of the Storm Wardens Space Marines
And Pax, a Black Shield Deathwatch Marine
(clicking on the images will open them in another window at a larger size).
Until next time!
Macho, macho man – a little art-update
So before I start this blog with some more regular things, let me first congratulate George Takei on his 75th birthday.
Beyond being openly gay, one of the first asians I saw in any form of higher position on a tv-show and playing uber-cool Japanese business-owner in Heroes, Mr.Takei also has a wicked sense of humor that he shares with us through his Facebook page. Go give the man some love:
George Takei
So it’s been a while since there was an update from this blog.
You might wonder what’s been going on? The truth been told, I have been pretty busy.
A few things will be shown later in this entry, but first, something for all of you that are interested in illustration.
I saw this yesterday, and I found it brilliant.
For some of you, this might not be the most obvious, or even clear, thing, but trust me, once you start thinking in these terms, your illustrational work will be better of it.
ideation-video-from-sterling-hundley-faculty
Now I know some of you will look at this and go “huh?” but just look, listen and consider.
Text-> Simplify-> word association-> simple icons-> bridge-> drawings from bridges-> Box your composition-> Explain shape through value-> Define your execution.
I am working on a couple of things that still are a little hush-hush. One of the things I am doing is a test-run for something. These things happen sometimes in this business and can be tacked together with payment or without payment.
Something I wanted to touch base with with the people reading these, and who are interested in working as illustrators or designers, is how to take rejection or failure.
I am a sore looser.
No really,I am a terrible looser. I hate loosing, because I pride myself to not get into situations where I cannot win (famous exception being anything that has to do with my wife..just cannot beat the woman in anything!).
Now just because I am a sore looser doesn’t mean I have to take failure or rejection poorly.
Like said, I am doing a testrun. I am not going to tell you what it is for, but there is a chance that I might get told “Hey, you have a nice style, it’s just not the one that we’re looking for”.
That has happened to me just as to most people.
In essence, it means that either you wont get the gig because of style or because you have not achieved exactly the skill that they are looking for.
So what can we do about this?
Well first of all- realize that you can always improve your skill and your artistic ability.
Secondly- realize that some things you wont be able to do. Please note that I didn’t write “cannot ever do”, but rather “wont be able to do”. If you aim your skills at painting realistically, then stylized cartoony might not be what you excel in. Or Cubistic, or maybe you aim at a very saturated palette. Unless you focus your aim at all of hese things, chances are that you wont be able to keep the standard that some of the companies out there want to see.
What you need to do is to work, practice, challenge yourself and evolve in the direction you wish to see your art. If you do that, then eventually you will find that you have work cut out for you.
Now then, for what you have been waiting for.
The images.
Here is the cover for Skrapyard.
To find out more about this game, head over to Precinct Omega Publishing
I got contacted by a very nice guy over at Heresy Online with a question if I wanted to do a few commissions to bring a Space Marine Chapter alive.
Here are two images of the Lantern Marines:
Tactical Lantern Marine
Veteran Lantern Marine
Until next time.
These Days – Monday sketchpost
Hello there again,
Here are two images to let you look at something whilst I prepare for a larger-ish post later this week.
Wip for a personal illustration that is currently on hold.
a Study for something….completely different.
Anyway, it is pencil on paper. And it is not World of Warcraft.
Until next post!
David
Time, is on my side, yes it is! – NDA’s releasing etc.
Hello there trusty followers of the Studio Colrouphobia blog!
Its time again to show some things from our studio that has come out of Non Disclosure Agreement and is free to display at our website.
In my mailbox yesterday was a package from the kind souls at http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/ , it was my contributors copy of the Hand of Corruption adventure (http://store.fantasyflightgames.com/productdetails.cfm?sku=BC03) that I worked on.
As we told you in theblogpost http://studiocolrouphobia.net/2011/10/15/how-ndas-work-and-an-example/, sometimes you work on things that take a long time before they are displayed publicly. The following illustrations are examples of a fairly common turnaround of NDA’s, about six months.
Hand of Corruption, page63 has this image by me on it.
The Brief called her “Norbik” hence the title.
Hand of Corruption, page101 has this image by me on it.
An Iron Warrior entering a Necron Complex.
Hand of Corruption, page128 has this image by me on it.
A b&w Arbitrator. I am very happy with how this one came out in print. The details really came out exceptionally good (I actually feared some of them would be lost)
Next post will see some other type of images in it. The cover illustration to http://www.precinctomega.co.uk/ ’s “Skrapyard” game is under wraps and I am doing some non-warhammer stuff at the moment that will see the dawn of light shortly.
Until next time!
David
Cucumber sandwiches – Completed artwork and wip
Hello again faithful watchers of this blogspot!
David here with some visuals for your viewing.
I’d like to start this weeks sketch-post with something for those who may watch this without understanding why there is so much focus on Warhammer and Warhammer 40.000 artwork in this blogspot.
The answer is simple really, most of the commissions done for private clients are set in these worlds. It is an interest for me personally, but ultimately it comes down to art done for clients and what we can show.
Other works remain to be shown but are still within the scopes of NDA’s or are not completed for full viewing just yet. As an example, not long ago we let you know of a cover for a game called Skrapyard. This is an illustration that has the benefit of being possible to show the moment it is done and approved byy client. You can expect to see that illustration within the two weeks as it comes in to completion and approval.
Now if you have absolutely no idea about the Warhammer games mentioned above a good place to start is by reading a little something about it.
I found out through writer Aaron Dembski-Bowden’s excellent blog (http://aarondembskibowden.wordpress.com/) that the BBC did an article on Warhammer 40k when they celebrated their 25th birthday. The gist of it all is that anyone who is older then a certain age and still playing is a geek (it has always been so) but it is done with a little more forgiveness this time. Above all the interview is very well done and give a better insight in how most of the older players feel about the hobby nowadays.
Article and interview can be found here http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17344366 and http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17274186 .
Aaron’s blogpost on the topic can be found here http://aarondembskibowden.wordpress.com/2012/03/13/40k-on-the-bbc/.
Now onto the artwork.
I was approached by a representative of http://www.feastofblades.com/ a couple of weeks ago and asked if I could do a commission for them. Naturally I took it on.
The final illustration (in colour) is found below. Also in the image are three close-ups of details you might want to see. Details are at 100% painting-size (click image to see full size).
Next up is something that deserve a little bit of explaining.
It’s a work in progress that I started a little while ago. The commissioner is my youngest son, whom is totally into Orks normally, but since we have the Lego video-games in house and they are played a lot (if you think it is childish, think again, the depth of the humour in the Lego-series is astounding and worthwhile, even if you don’t like Harry Potter or think theClone Wars “just isn’t the same as the original three movies” the games are well worth it).
So my son is playing, alternatively watching us adults playing the latest Lego Harry Potter game and then see me paint Space Marines and whatnot.
Suddenly he sais:
“Dad, can we buy the Lego Warhammer Game?”
So I reply:
“No, there is no Lego Warhammer game son.”
“Why not?”, he sais, “why don’t you tell ‘the guys’ they should make one, you can paint the Space Marines and show them it works”…
Now despite the fact that I do not know any of ‘the guys’ that my son refer to I took up on the painting part.
So below is a work in progress of a Lego Ultramarine.They’re in fascion, live with it.
I’m adding some extra spacing between the legs and torso, as well as putting an extra flat Lego-block under the feet, to give the Space Marine a little more height. The end result will make it look very much like a Lego-figurine, but about a head taller then the rest of them. The collar sticks to the backpack, and the shoulderpads are snap-ons to the arms (see, I had to think ‘engineerical’ for this because my son is constantly telling me what works to do with Lego and what doesn’t).
One of the reasons why I am also showing this now is to show that I am actually painting this, and not just building a lego-figure and taking a photo of it.
Who knows, perhaps this might give some ideas to ‘the guys’…
For anyone who is waiting for more of the quick-and-simple colour/light study style Space Marines, you should also check out my personal Deviantart account (http://1mpact.deviantart.com/), as there is a little info coming up in the journal there shortly.
As always, feel free to comment or critique. Let us know if there is anything you miss or just want to see on these pages. By all means, use the comments. We do not bit…often.
Until next time!
Unholy Alliances – Speedpaintings
Hello there.
I thought I’d give you something to rest your eyes on whilst we prepare for future posts.
I have been doing these very quick sketches lately, trying to get lighting right and not caring too much about proportions or accuracy as far as design goes.
I decided to take the three speeds I did last and put them together to a little triptych, though at first they did not really fit with each other.
For those of you unfamiliar with the Warhammer 40k universe, the first two from left are normally what’s called “Loyalists” or “the good guys”. The guy on the far right is most definitely one of “the bad guys”.
So I made the three of them lean more towards “bad” then “good”, removing insignia’s of the two first ones, adding more scratches and a hint of…. evil ominous-ness.
These types of speed-paints have proven to be extremely relaxing to me as they take no more then 2-3 hours and I just go with the flow whilst painting them. Very generous as far as breaks, things to paint on now and then between work.
Hope you like,
David
