Some landscape sketches for an upcoming project.

Not all of these began as concept art for a specific commission, but they have evolved in that direction.

I won’t reveal a whole lot about the project until it is done, but it s a fanart/pony commission, and it involves a sense of adventure. Some of this is reposted from a blog I wrote about this elsewhere.

Also, waterfalls are cool.

Notice the scale. Look at the pine trees, and how small they are. Now look at the mountain, and the tower rising from the mountain range. Consider how large it must be in relation to the rest of he environment.

A good deal of the feel and aesthetics of these concept pieces were inspired by a certain old NES game. This image in particular depicts something seen in that title. See if you can guess what it is.

A village carved in stone, beneath the shadows of futuristic ruins from an age long past.

When I finish the final image, which is going to be a coverart for a fanfic, I will post it. I may post some of the process as I work on it, if the commissioner/author is okay with it.

Anyhow, consider this a preview. I’m really excited about this project.

The Guardian of Forever.

City on the Edge of Forever is regarded as one of the greatest episodes of the original Star Trek. The time travel story was written by Harlan Ellison, and is among the darker episodes of the original series, which was often lighter in tone and heavy on the silliness. The tragedy and uncertainty in “Forever” is on par with the paranoia and tension in “Balance of Terror”.

“Forever” also features one of the most under-appreciated an intriguing characters in Trek history: the Guardian of Forever. the Guardian is a sentient portal that can send the user anywhere in time and space, and is aware of the events of history as they unfold. His origin is mysterious. According to the dialogue in the episode, he had not interacted with anyone since at least before our sun came in to existence. He also implies that he exists outside of linear time.

I’ve been meaning to do a fanart of the guardian for a while now, and here it is;

Please click the image to see it in full-size. This was drawn on landscape paper with micron pens and copic multiliners. It was colored in photoshop.

Tablet-color.

Well, I said I would color it, so here it is! Just a simple, elegant flat color, which is what I usually prefer.

 

Forest creature.

This creature is based on a similar being that made an appearance in a dream I had back in 2008. The creature is made up entirely of animated leaves. There is nothing under the leaves. The mask is vaguely inspired by the flying masks in Super Mario Bros. 2. The branches near the ‘head’ are supposed to resemble antlers.

 

Haruhi Suzumiya

 

 

Haruhi Suzumiya. Negative space. This is actually a “remix” of an older image I did. The main difference is the added detail to the face, the abstract elements flowing from the ribbon, and thinner linework.

Paul Krugman fanart.

Yes. I did a fanart of my favorite economist, Paul Krugman. The Nobel Laureate and New York Times columnist. Yes, I am the biggest dork in the world.

 

Anyway, here it is. Lineart and in color. This was done on 9 x 12 (I think) windpower sketch paper, with Micron pens

 

Lucca, dark style.

Just a fanart of Lucca, from Chrono Trigger, in a slightly different style and design than that seen in the game. This style was largely inspired by the style of Jean Giraud/Moebius, mostly in terms of the shading/hatching. I dispensed with her helmet, and gave the glasses a slightly different shape, then added a shoulder pad. Below is the image in color.

So, yeah. Flat color. I thought about shading it, but decided that this worked better. I added some scars to her face, to give her a slightly more hardened look. Think of this as a post-apocalyptic Lucca if you like, living in the 2300 A.D. setting for an extended period.

Porco Rosso-alleyway poster.

A mysterious poster, found in an alley in a small village of the Adriatic Sea. It depicts a legendary pilot, a veteran of the great war and an opponent of the fascists who took over Italy.

(Porco Rosso, for those who do not know, is a wonderful anime by Studio Ghibli.)

Pink.

A girl in pink.