Dusting Off

I haven't been keeping this blog going and it's been a damn shame. I felt myself improving with every post and drawing. The reason for this is multifaceted. I could sit here all day and list them, but quite frankly I rather not look back on this hiatus and regret it. It has been a time for me to reflect and gather my thoughts on what I really want to do. I really do want to get into the games industry whatever it takes. I have to dust myself off and try again because if I don't I think I'll just end up going crazy. I've done nothing, but sit on my ass and watch tons of TV on the internet and play video games to my heart's content. It's time I unsheathed my pen again and start drawing. I'll start posting again and hopefully consistently. This time off has been a great cleansing. I feel refreshed (maybe a little to much so) and today is a new day. I'll start a new project and see where it'll take me.

Here's some filler for now, a sculpt done in Zbrush with the low poly built in Maya. I never finished it and I might just have to and stuff it into my portfolio.

Unexpected Business

Here's a screen shot on the environment I'm working on for my CG environment class. It's still in the super basic blocking out stage

In other news, I'm on spring break. In the meanwhile, I got a commission as rare as that is. I won't go into any details right now (I'll ask the client later if it's OK to publish the results here). However, if anyone needs a figurative artist for any commission work I welcome any chance to test my skills.

-Ray

Turnaround

Here are the 3 turnarounds and the environment I did for Finals recently. I'll have to refine this more with music and fixing various issues, this will have to do for now.

Games Modeling

These are shots of the final models I did for games modeling class. Red Dust is actually supposed to have a transparency on the strappy part of his mask but it freaked out on me when I was taking these shots. I gotta go back and fix that later.

AC Unleashed

This is the final assignment associated with AC , a texture swap. I chose something fun: AC's powered form when her symbiote takes control of her body. She's transformed in to a living frost entity, complete with snow fro!

I'm sketching more on the comic I'm working. I've actually got a name for it, but I think I'll keep it on the hush hush for now. Until next time.

Textures on AC

I meant to post these sooner, but got all caught up playing WoW. I almost finished texturing AC. She's looking pretty hot. My organic modeling teacher says it looks like I've been modeling for a while, but this is only my 3rd humaniod model. I pick things up pretty quick.

A Breather

Well, I'm taking a short break from working before my last midterm and I thought I'd post for today. As I near the end of midterms I can breath a false sense of security. I know that finals is just around the corner and I must begin preperations immediately as well as sign up for classes for next semester.

I try not to post too much about my personal life here, mostly a journal to encourage my work and my general state of mind. However, I have to say that I'm looking forward to this weekend with a kind of getty glee I have not experienced in sometime. Why you ask? Because I have a date. That is all.

Midterm Madness

I forgot to mention that my dentist put in my permanent crown last time I posted. All my teeth look normal now, wooo.

This drawing of Red Dust turned out surprisingly good dispite my best effort to make it hard on myself. It's a very complex action pose, much more so than I'm used to, I think this one is worthy of being inked and turned into a really ripping comp. Even the little cityscape I threw in there looks nice.

I haven't gotten any sleep, but that's ok because I was very productive while I was awake. Got the character planes done for Red Dust so I can start modeling him (post that tomorrow). I also finished texturing AC for the most part, I'll take some pics and post them to show off my handywork.

Things have actually been looking up for me, and my art has improved immensely. I'll try and keep it up.

Expansion

I'm expanding Red Dust week generally into this week because I didn't get nearly enough development that I wanted. I was gonna do a drawing today but it's midterms and I'm tired from Monday class, and some... unforeseen circumstances. So today I opted to post some more old perspective work. Enjoy!

Blood Angel

I've thought of a nickname for Red Dust, Blood Angel. It fits nicely. However, I hope I'm not stepping on anyone's toes with that name.

Red Dust is the last of his kind, an elite group of soldiers used by the governement, The Blood Angels, to supress the people of the land. He is hated by what has survived of society in the future. He now aids the rebels who continue to fight what remains of the government. He wears a mask to hide is face, he has vowed not to show his face until he has atoned for the sins he has committed as a Blood Angel. No matter how much good he does, he is never satisfied, but he aims to people's minds about himself one person at a time.

Blood Angels are unlike humans, they have a very slow heart rate because their blood is very thick. This is due to a compound in their blood that grants them an unqiue ability. They can crystalize their blood and use it to form weapons of any shape and size. In addition to that, they are equiped with bloodfuses. The bloodfuse is a chest armor that has healing properties and can even repair severed limbs. Secretly, Red lives for a fight. When he fights he feels alive, even though he knows that as a Blood Angel he is not truly alive.

Late is Better Than Never

I promised some kickass AC screens a while back and never delievered, well here they are!

Red Dust Week

This week is Red Dust Week, I'll be working on this character so he can be ready to present for my midterm next week.

I had the most horrible experience in WoW tonight. A rogue decked in epics joined our HU Strat group, which is fine and usually a good thing. However, this rogue proceeds to roll on a pair of shoulders with + healing that he had no business rolling on (it was BoP). I let that one slide because it was cloth and I was playing my druid. But later, when I charged a mob and accidently pulled a few more he finds the gull to tell me how I should tank. I tell him if he's afraid of repair costs he can always use his vanish skill to avoid dying. After that, he proceeds to pull an extra group on us and not help us kill them, I gave my life defending the group and when I died he has the nerve to tell me to vanish next time. Clearly he was mocking me and it was the last straw. I left the group and promptly put him on ignore and annouced him to be a big douche to the good people of Ironforge.

High Kickin' It

I tried a softer look with AC this time and I think I like it better. The swirly ice waves where fun to do and suits her nicely. This really is only of the very few action poses I have ever done and it turned out to be an eye opener (her breasts look natural, unlike most times where she looks like she got breast implants).

I slept a lot yesterday and woke up quite late. Today was uneventful for the most part. Sometimes I wish my life had a bit more excitement. I miss having a boyfriend and I've kind of been looking for a new one. But it's an up-hill battle. Considering my taste in men are not at all diverse (I prefer white guys). Being Asian doesn't help either as there seems to be a distaste for Asians in the gay community. For now I'll play my cards and hope that someone comes along that knows how to strum my heartstrings.

Sketching on the Train

It's an odd feeling successfully sketching on the BART. On the one hand, I'm proud that I could do it. On the other, the drawings never turn out very good, probably because the train is always moving around a little bit.

Tomorrow's a day off, it'll be a good opportunity to veg a bit or reconnect with an old friend.

It looks like I have been keeping pretty good with my sketch a day, maybe after a while I'll make a gallery to show some of my work. I can already feel the effects of sketching at least moderately everyday. I have to learn how to be more spontaneous with my poses. Instead of a standing pose maybe I'll so a sitting pose or even an action pose next time.

This blog seems to lack a bit of purpose. I've been thinking about more I can do, and I think I've settled on the idea of showing various techniques in drawing or 3D modeling since I know quite a few.

So Hot She's Cool

I did a sketch of AC doing some frost-like powers It didn't turn out exactly how I wanted but it's a good start.

Yesterday night was the premier of South Park season 10 and I missed the first episode. Just as well, I spent the time I would have spent watching it drawing and playing WoW (which was what the episode was about).

I'm kinda tired but I'm gonna go stretch and exercise now. Until next time.

Refining AC

Here is a more refined version of AC (done in pen and ink), her costume is more ironed out and I nailed down her proportions. This also serves as the character plane that I imported into Maya so I can work on her character model. I was very careful to be very accurate with my measurements (even being off my a little can be frustrating to work with).

Today was supposed to be my day off, but due to my laziness the week before I had to rush to the computer lab to get my work done for tomorrow. That's a recurring theme I'm trying to remedy. My wrist kinda hurts, but I got an amazing model to show for tomorrow. The face is almost flawless. Maybe I'll upload a few shots of it tomorrow.

I just finished a late dinner and I feel kinda bloated.

AC week

I declare this week AC week. She is a new character I'm working on. So far she's a badass from Oaktown with frost powers like frost breath and what not (plus a ba-donk-a-donk butt). Should be fun to develop her further throughout the week. I've got started modeling her with Maya 7.0, hopefully I can capture some awesome shots of the finished low-poly mesh by the end of the week.

Today I had Ecroche class (studying a flayed figure with oil clay), it was extremely exhausting but good excercise. By the end of class I was struggling to keep my heavy eyelids open. As of late, I have been increasingly interested in excercising again. I'm been sneaking a few crunches when no one's watching :p