Illustration Friday: CAMOUFLAGE

Here is SGT Stripes sporting the Advanced Combat Uniform, which has a digital camouflage pattern. The only problem; is trying to find a digital tree to blend in with.

Citrus Valley & Lavender Moon

IF: REMEMBER

Always, Always, remember to kick that monkey off your back. Out here, we got these spider monkeys, but also the sleep monkeys, hungry monkeys, dirt monkeys, crazy monkeys, stupid monkeys and they're always causing problems. They get into everything, they make you tired, do dumb things. They dress in our uniforms and you wouldn't even know they are around until one of them is on your back. The sleep monkey will punch you in the back of the head until you pass right out. The stupid monkey sits on your shoulder and whispers nonsense in your ear so you say out the world phrases. Just remember before you do anything....Get that monkey off your back!

Untitled Design: Update#2

This illustration has been keeping me on my toes. I’ve been trying new methods of inking, and coloring techniques. Just a little bit from what I would normally do.
Here’s what I’ve got so far:

Fine ink work of course; these little touch and go’s get complicated the finer the line gets-
This one was some work I did up top just to get some foundation and three-d effects-

After I got some really close detail, I’ve done something I’ve never done before, that is add color in before the entire design was completely inked. Normally, I would’ve never done that, but as I’ve said before, this one is speaking in some weird voices-

The Prisma Markers give it a look I haven't used in a long time, so I'm wondering how much touch up I will have to do in Photo Shop. I darkened it a bit here just to grab a smooth look against the edge.
And finally this is what you see now. Not much done with the time I’ve had, but over here, my artwork is done in what is called the off time…and there is not much of that. But patients is what I’ve got and hopefully it works out.

Untitled Design Update #1

Ok so a quick update on the Untitled design. There is something about pre-layout. The whole designing process is what gets me excited when working with my illustrations. A clean white sheet of paper, and let the mind do the rest. Early works left me stumped and unclear where to head. This was the first stopping point.

After about a day of listening to the inner “tormented whatever” squabble amongst themselves, a few ideas sprung to life. As always, they never fail me; dark, twisted & distorted they slowly come to life. I also dipped into some previous layouts not used to help push it along.
The first was drawn out and then flipped with a transfer sheet the other was transferred and used towards the latter inking stage:


Again, with fine pen work;
I hit the small areas that will become the background. And then of course the last picture is what I have today. Again, really not sure where it’s going. I know what it’s going to be used for but just not sure why it’s moving the way it is. But then as always, none of my work ever turns out the way I want it to…its always what they want.

Untitled Design

Well after about a week, I finally had the time to sit down and begin some new work. Now I’m still working with the Manipulator and the Paper Wasp Queen, but it’s still in the mail in route to me and I can’t just sit by waiting to get creative.
So here is some beginning work ups for post illustration. Not to sure where this is going just yet, it popped up and the pen did the rest. But I will keep up-dating as the work comes along. I don’t really have a title for this one yet, (which annoys the hell out of me seeing I usually have a title in my head even before I begin), so right now it remains as Untitled Work. May be the name will just pop up, I guess we’ll see.

Back On Line: A greeting from south Baghdad Iraq

It’s not everyday you can say that you are working and living in a dual concrete room on a Forward Operating Base in south Baghdad. Not only working but doing what I love the most…my artwork and writing. It took a good two weeks when I got here to get to an internet café (which MWR does a great job providing) but when I left Kuwait and made my move to the area where I work out of, they offered internet in the building which were living out of.

That just hit the right spot. In Iraq a US Soldier will take whatever comes his way and with something as small as the internet (what we take as the norm back in the states) here means a lot. So now, I can continue working with my art and chat with the family back in the states.

But I will say this, not everyone can say that they have a balcony view of Baghdad –not to shabby.
So with that, I hope to be tracking with all my old friends and getting back to Illustration Friday (which I’m addicted to) with what little down time I grab.

Real Gone

This will be my last update for a little while. As some of you know already, my unit was called up last October to Support Operation Iraqi Freedom. And that time was pushed forward due to the sudden surge of troops needed for Baghdad. So next week, I will be part of that big push. Of course where I'm going; I can't say, and when; again, can't really say. But I will continue to work on my art work in my down time, make a contribution to Illustration Friday (again when time is permitted) and hopefully have my book finished and ready to go on my return from this deployment. I will update this site from time to time, but it will be nothing to due with Iraq. A big part of our failure in the war on terror is "lose lips sink ships, and tittle tattle can lose a battle." But again, I wish everyone a great year, and talk to everyone real soon. In the mean time, My little contribution (the last for a little while) to illustration friday this week: Red.
Title: My Lost Love
Medium: Prisma Color Pencil, Ebony Pencil
Size: 8 1/2 X 11
R/S
MRF

Busy as a Bee: The Paper Wasp Queen Update #3

So today I decided to work on the lower two legs, background and some inking on the upper body.


I started by picking a lighter color (Spanish Orange) and doing the flat color work on the bottom two. While I was at it, I also did the upper one to get all the flats completed.
I then went to the darker of the flats (Yellow Weed Orange) to work on in the shadows. Latter this will give the reference to darker from lights. I use a Kneaded Eraser to get rid of the #2 outline (these lines will be replaced with foreground shadow work at a latter time).



Moving along- I go to a slighter darker color (Burnt Ochre) to begin giving that no so flat look. This color will be the base before adding the primary. Once that is done, I go over all the shadow work with the primary color (Tuscan Red) and start bringing the shadows down from underneath. The same color will go with deep detail along the legs to give it patch work (or its leg design) Then finally for the legs-Black, to give the overall seeming effect. Each color is placed on layers and built up around one another. This is to give it a smooth effect and not look as if it was splashed on.


Then some detail work (using a very fine Millennium .500) to work in the dark groves for the upper body. Very steady hand work and also the lower back next to the wing is worked in and color is added.
Another fine swipe of the Terra Pens for background and this is what it is today.

Busy as a Bee: The Paper Wasp Queen Update

Like most of my art work, everything starts out as a drawing. A couple of weeks ago I started on some new illustrations for my book. Most of which is for the up-coming chapters (which I will not disclose) but what I do enjoy is giving a little so it gets those that want to read it drooling over the eye candy which will be out soon.
I started with the drawing, and then did an India ink job around the pencil layout to give it a flat shape. Then I start by layering color on the outside. I use different Terra shades to get the border down. I only do a little at a time so I can give it that dirty look I love so much in my artwork.

From this point, I’ve begun to add Prisma Color Pencil (Tuscan Red). This is the main color for the worker. I start dark and then add different shades lighter than before. The wings are done with the same Pitt Pens (shades of grey) again darker on the inside and then lighter working out.



After the lower part is done; I start adding shape to it by using the black prisma color pencil. This is always done last before the grey and white (which will be done latter to give it a slimy look) so it adds texture and body-giving it that dark skuzzy look. This is all I have done today, but as more is done; I will be sure to add updates.

Weeping Daymares…

When you dream, it moves in slow motion. Sometimes you don’t even know that you have slipped into the realm; past the dreamscape and into the parts of your mind that lie dormant. I’ve been gone from the realm of realism for so long; I almost couldn’t tell where I had fallen. The queen spoke of this, a place filled with my deepest contentment. Joy sets; and the sound of voices; whispers of something I could not make out. I walked down the beach, my bare feet sinking into the grainy sand with each step I took towards the crest. The sound of waves, water, children laughing; it was the warmest I had felt since I fell from the light. There was no cold snow, no chilling wind that blew through my bones like the freezing blade of hate.

I could see- and it was more beautiful than any color an artist could mix on a pallet of a warm day of the season. A woman with her child; no doubt the mother of the young little boy. A man knelt down in front of them with a camera; capturing a moment in time. For one a second, there was this complete look of absolute love. She held him close; I can only assume that he ran into her arms. The face of the boy not visible, but his tiny hands brushed her shoulder. He did not run for any hero in a book, nor for a fictional character created by man; but to the one he called mom, mother, mommy. She embraced him, holding him tight as her hair blew across her face in the steady warm wind which came off the soothing ocean tide. And although she spoke no words, her face painted deep with a look of unconditional love. And then time stops; No more wind, no more warm sun, no more joy. It was nothing more than a mere daymare, a day dream night mare, a look to the past. A tear; weeping in my mind, a trick to. . .


Illustration and excerpt taken from the Illustrated Novel, Tormented Souls by Michael R Fudge Jr.

Long Live the Queen: Update

So two, three days into it and I’m half way there. Last night (after staying up until 3am-again-god bless NOS) I finished the final lay out. It got a little tight in some places, and you can see from the drawing, there seems to be a lot going on here. You have a worker placing an egg on the top right of the hive, and then in the lower left a warrior awaits for the birth of the first fertile queen.
The layouts take longer than most of the drawing. Combining 4 different sketch's to bring out one final print requires a lot of over lays (Transfer sheets). This is nothing more than doing a trace over the original, and placing them in the right places of the final illustration board. But both sides have to be traced on, this creates an HB#2 carbon paper effect minus the mess. Easy to erase the black spots and fill in the gaps. It takes a long time but the effect is worth it.
Once it is completed then one more transfer sheet must be made of the entire picture to be placed on the illustration board. And that’s where I’m at today. Once I finish the final Trans Sheet, I can begin painting. I’ll post more as it comes along.
R/S
MRF