‘Anatomy of a Steelside’
A little something related to a book I’m writing, ‘Nighthammer’ – in the world of my book, various factions wage war via flying battleships known colloquially in-universe as ‘steelsides’.
These flying platforms are essentially a science-fantasy version of early/mid 20th century navies in our world. Large propellers inside funnels keep the thing flying, while huge, side-mounted paddles push the steelside, ponderously, through the skies.
I’m still figuring out some of the looks and some of the tech, but it always helps to have your own schematics!
My apologies for older works, just going through old notebooks and wanted to share this
For all of you just getting started out there, or struggling with motivation, this is a side by side comparison of drawings about 18 months apart, 1 drawing a day. It may not feel like it, but every bit of practice you get a little bit better. Keep it up!
This is a painting of a first century Galilean fishing boat, most likely the very type of
boat used by Peter when he was called by Jesus to follow him.
This illustration is part of a bigger mural I am working on, about the ministry of Jesus
the Christ.
If you notice, the boat is beached facing backward, with the fishing net coming from
the back of the boat. This is to signify that Peter, like all the other apostles, except
Matthew the tax collector, dropped their fishing occupation and followed Jesus, Who
would make them the fishermen of men’s souls.
Here is a truth about me as an artist. Two parts of this painting gave me trouble in
carrying out this illustration. The fist was illustrating the ropes of the rigging. My first
attempt was horrendous it took me a second try to get it right. I had to look up pictures of ropes on the Internet to overcome this challenge.
The second was illustrating the rocks on the bottom of the Sea of Galilee and the
reflections of the boat on the water. I must have made about five attempts until it
finally clicked. Even when I kept looking at the reflections of boats on water, I could
not make the breakthrough.
In creating the kind of art that I do, it is very rare to find a model that meets all my
requirement for what I am illustrating. So, it takes photos and imagination and the
grace of God to create an illustration that looks better than a stick figure and communicates the message intended.
So, I figure God has me go through these challenges to keep me humble because, without humility, God is not able to use our talents for His glory.
(October 12, 2017)
Spent some time last week trying to work through a new digital painting/colouring technique . It needs some more work and I haven't decided if I like It yet or not. One of the images turned out blander but the original skin tone was very orange I did like the brush textures a lot better on the orange skin but the lighting feels better on the purple-toned image.
I have not posted or been on in a while, we had a bit of a rough time lately and so I have not had time to be on here or draw a lot. Here is fanart I did a very long time ago. I hope you all are doing better then I am! :)
Galacons are these giant space robots, and there's two variants. The Solar Galas are much larger and thinner, and sport huge solar sails like frills along their necks and tails, a few even have sails on their long limbs, somewhat like wings. The Solar Galas are surprisingly passive, despite hosting hundreds of concealed turrets (some with EMP missiles), blue/white laser flames from their mouth cannon, and smaller lasers from the lights down their body and limbs. The Solar Galas can hold fleets of cruisers in their chest-like docking bay, and smaller ships down the rest of its body to the hips. Solar Galas are still dangerous though, as their diet consists of metallic asteroids, and small ships can be mistaken as food. Magma Galas (not featured in drawing) are much more bulky, sporting massive drills on either side of the head, as well as drills instead of front claws. They also have much larger and more powerful lower jaws, also used to tear through planets to eat the cores. Though they're much smaller, most have huge tails to store lava/magma, and most can spew superheated laser-like blasts of white magma from their mouths and tails. Magma Galas also have extremely tough armor all down their body, the largest having plates nearly 80 miles thick. They are hyper aggressive until they find a planet to bore into and slowly devour, however if attacked while feeding they won't hesitate to vaporize their enemy.
Clouds moving through the sky inspire me to paint. One day I'm going to be able to capture how dynamic they are on the canvas. This is practice. Acrylic.
I found my passion for painting and creativity again after fighting depression for years. To celebrate, I painted a portrait. I don't look super happy in this portrait but trust I'm super happy- it represents that I'm going through a process and it takes time! lol
...music lover right here guys! It’s a few days before Christmas...have yourself a Merry Little Christmas... let your hearts be light...from now on your troubles will be out of sight...through the years we all will be together...if the faiths allow... hang a star above the highest bough...and have yourself a merry little Christmas now!
Inktober 2020, Day 13: "Dune". After pondering for a while, whether I should come up with something surprising, I decided to go with what for me is the obvious association, the sci-fi book. I based it on this illustration of a sandworm (https://dune.fandom.com/wiki/Sandworm?file=Dune-sandworm.jpg) by Nathan Rosario. It’s not meant to promote the now postponed new movie, but rather based on the books by Frank Herbert, which I loved as a teenager.
Brushpens and posca markers on coloured A4, this time with an acrylic underpainting (falling back on my painterly ways).
“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”
Acrylic markers in mixed media sketchbook. This one is a bit rougher because my markers have medium sized nibs. I still enjoyed the process and the feel of the paint flowing onto the page.
Thanks for missing me, Doodle Addict app. Pastels - as in pastel colors?
Well...depends on how far we can bend that. Inspired by the hurricane that passed through this evening. The wind bent the largest trees to the ground. I'm happy to still have my roof.
These are various sketches I've done recently. I decided to buy a sketchbook through the Sketchbook Project at the Brooklyn Art Library, and these are a few of the drawings in there. Not sure when it'll get digitized, but you could always check it out when it does.
I haven't done a still life since highschool! I was finally motivated to make one after finding this black conch shell on the beach of Rimini. In the past I found one but it was broken, i feel like i've been on a healing journey and was delighted to find a complete full shell. In a way I took it as a sign of the healing graces God is pouring out on me. I also found the coral thing floating on the waves of the shore. I felt the presence of the divine through His creation that day. I picked up the other scallop shells and the red rock there too. The big snail shell I found outside the monastery, there are some big snails here! So yeah, I wasn't trying to be too precise in this still life but I wanted to jot down the idea and my thoughts from that day. Peace be with you all
ink on paper. Here’s another demon baby. This doodle in particular is one of my favorites. I’m looking forward to “digitizing” it through Procreate on my iPad. I used Micron pens for this doodle, and for the hatching/crosshatching. More doodles and creatures to come
This was the first ever attempt at a pet portrait. A friend brought over a few canvases and I broke out my paints and just started having a go at it. Turned out better than I thought!
