Doodles

Months ago I was uploading some artwork to my deviantART profile and came across something that is a part of the site that got my interest.  The site has an online art application called deviantART Muro.  With it, you can sketch and paint your own illustrations and save them for future posting and/or printing or whatever you wish to do.  You can even import existing images in and perform basic editing.  But what I most enjoy is that it comes with a "replay" function!  After you've created an illustration you just click on "Watch Redraw" and then relive the experience!

Take a look at what I've been able to do with it.  The application isn't perfect and it doesn't compare to Photoshop or Manga Studio but if you like to doodle it gets the job done.

Untitled Drawing by ~Kryptoniteking on deviantART

"Diwali": Final Bina Update

It's an amazing 25° here in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area and there's about an inch thick sheet of ice on a majority of the streets here! A perfect opportunity to finish up my latest portrait.

Here I've added the shading to the arms and added the flame or "light".

Added the glow around the flame and a yellow halo and lower the opacity of the starburst pattern.  At 100% the dark starburst is over-powering and I want to give the appearance of coming out of the darkness.

Here I've added small bright yellow and orange highlights onto the eyes and added a bit more detail to the jewelry on the finger and wrist.  Also added a bit of yellow and orange highlights to the hair.

Add my signature and we have the final piece.

I really do like Manga Studio 5 and looking forward to creating some more challenging artwork.  One thing I really like is that you're not limited to doing everything in just Manga Studio.  You can still export your illustrations to Photoshop as layered files to edit and then reimport them back into Manga Studio and vice-versa!

That's it for now!  If you're interested in purchasing a print you can do so here:

Diwali by ~Kryptoniteking on deviantART

Bina Update #2

It's been quite a while since I've shown progress on the illustration of Bina and I'll be honest with you here... I've been struck by a big batch of LAZY. lol I actually shouldn't laugh at that. The past few months have been a bit strenuous at the day job and I've had very little "oomph" to come home and sit in front of a computer after spending 8 or more hours in front of one someplace else.

 BUT here I am back on it again!

 When I last updated, I had started inking the pencil sketch. I've completed the inking and started painting and "tweaking". You'll notice with the next series of screen grabs that the illustration begins to NOT look like the original sketch.

 Here's just the base color. Nothing fancy.

Now this is where the tweaking begins (and where I started getting weary from sitting in front of a computer... lol).  Here I've got a before and after.  The image on the left shows where I was getting a bit too detail oriented and I was painting Bina's face as if I were painting a 60 year-old and not the young 30-something she really is.  I was over-working the piece.  Luckily, I'm using layers to create the skin tones and details.

The right side is after I cleared the layer and started over.  She looks more her age here but I'm still not satisfied.  This is the point where exhaustion met frustration and I set this aside for what I thought would be a few days... HA!

Jump to yesterday, December 2, 2013 (yeah, a whole 8 months later) and I get back on this.  Having not been satisfied with what I had done so far, I started tweaking the illustration more to get more of a resemblance of the photo that I've drawn inspiration from.  Mainly, getting the face to look more like a young Bina instead of "future, 30 years from now Bina."  You'll notice the face is more rounded and not as long.  Also, I started the detail of the dress.

And here is where I am now with this piece.  Adding details to the arms and hands and a little starburst splash in the background.

So, I'm nearing the end of this little project.  My first using the new Manga Studio 5 and I really do like it!  I'll be finishing up this illustration soon as Bina's birthday is coming up really soon and I'd like to give her a print by then.  Be sure to check back in!

Take care!

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Prandtl-Glauert Singularity - "Vapor Cone"

Some of you reading that are probably scratching your heads. Those of you reading this that frequent air shows or are around fighter jets and such, know what I'm talking about. I won't go into the exact details but it pertains to the cloud of vapor that tends to form around aircraft as they approach transonic speeds. Here's an example:

I think this is one of the coolest phenomena one can witness! It's so cool that I've created a new t-shirt design about it!

Vapor Cone Shirts by WHAT_Studio_Art
Custom shirts online at Zazzle

The Uncanny Walt-Man

Goofing around today, I scrounged up some old artwork and decided to use it for... Something.  So, here's the latest T-shirt for the masses!

The Uncanny Walt-Man "Skatacular Tee"

Bina Project: Update

Here we are at day 3 and I've completed the light sketch and, on a separate layer, started the tight pencils here.

Here is the completed finished pencils.  Now, for the part I dread (laughs), inks.

On a third layer, I've started the inks.

As a whole, I'm really enjoying this latest version of Manga Studio 5 and I'm anxiously awaiting the release of the "EX" version late this coming summer!  I will be upgrading!

Laytur!

Incompetence Inspires A New Project!

Last Thursday I got home to discovered that my cable/internet was down. Called the cable company to get a recorded message stating that there was a problem in my area and would be cleared up within 15 to 20 minutes. 3 hours go by and everything was still not working. Called again to talk to someone that said someone would come out the next day, Friday afternoon.

I'll spare you all the details but the short version goes like this: Service tech comes out doesn't stay long enough for me to get home for him to explain everything. He leaves without leaving a note or phone call. Turns in report explaining what needs to be done. Nobody schedules the appropriate techs to come out and fix the problem... Twice... Finally, today, they got it all right and not only am I watching the news for the first time since Thursday morning, I'm here blogging!

So, that brings us to today's inspiration. While waiting for another tech to come out (that was 90-minutes late) I started sketching an illustration using the new Manga Studio 5.  I have to tell you that I really do love this new version of Manga Studio!  I've used version 3 and thought it was good but this new one is excellent.  I'm doing an illustration of a former co-worker and good friend and I've been wanting to attempt doing my rendition of this photo for months. Here are a few screen shots of the initial sketch so far.

Click here if you would like more info on Manga Studio 5.

Whoa... Manga Studio 5

Ordered and received my first new software package for the new computer this past week, Manga Studio 5! In the past I had been using Manga Studio 3 and I thought it was cool. Version 5, to me, makes version 3 seem like Windows Paint!

Anyway, I'm not going to be able to explain everything in words. So, I picked out one of the many Manga Studio 5 webinars from Youtube.

Enjoy!

Catching Up February

Here's the latest items up for show!

This one was done a few months back, just before Thanksgiving, and was used for the Tucker Rocky Distributing Christmas Card.  I can't take all the credit for this one. First off this photo of out-going President, COO Steve Johnson's bike was taken with an iPhone!  Second, a lot of Photoshop manipulation by the company photographer Daniel Peirce.  And last, my finishing touches.

So, what all was done to this photo? It was taken in October 2012 and the building the bike is parked in front of is a barbeque joint.  Next, there were lots of plants and Halloween/Thanksgiving decorations all around that needed to be removed, much thanks to Dan.  Last, I added the new signage on the window and wall "Happy Holidays!" and "K.K.'s Sled Shop" as well as the poinsettias.  There had been a request to add "snow" to the image but it proved to take away from the image of the bike and to be too much of a hassle to execute without looking too cheesy.

 

Next up is a logo designed for a little league soccer team.  I really had fun creating this one!

Well, that's it for what's been completed over the past month or so.  Progress is being made on my 2014 calendar images... So, stay tuned to hear and see more on that project.  I'll be selling it online on Zazzle.com by late summer/early fall.

Be sure to check out my items there!

Have Some Coffee & C.T.F.D! Coffee Mug by WHAT_Studio_Art
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Catching Up To The New Year

A lot of things have happened between my last post to now... A lot... And most of it not good.

First off on the 4th of July my grandmother fell very ill. The following week she was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer.  Upon finding this out we, the family, discovered she had no life insurance.  It had been mismanaged by other members of the family.  Long story short, by the end of July, my grandmother passed away peacefully at my parents house.  Deborah didn't get to see 100 like she'd hoped but she did outlive all of her generation of our family... As she said "92 isn't that bad."

I'll miss her wisdom.

Soon after that, my computer blew a motherboard.  Seeing as it was a last generation "PowerPC Macintosh G5" there was no way I was getting that replaced.  So, I'm blogging from a new computer!

In October, 3 days before my birthday, I lost my bestest of bestest friends of 14 years, Heidelberg, to old age.  A dog is truly a boy's best friend.  She was the inspiration of a few of my drawings and paintings.  I'm gonna miss my feisty "Girly-Girl".

I guarantee you, a shelter or rescued dog is the best dog you will ever have... Period!

Finally, I had a breakup with my girlfriend... Not once... But twice!  The first time, just before my grandmother fell ill and, after getting back together in December, again this week.

So, as I'm lifting myself back up and dusting off... I can get back to my planned projects!

2013 is gonna be kick@$$!