Tuber Troll

This is what he looks like in color:

Gouache, Ink, and Watercolor

Oddly enough, I have a sweet potato that has sprouted in my kitchen.

Battle Scene

This piece was created for the "Gotta Have a Hook" challenge from Art Order. Participants were given a brief description of a D&D art commission and were required to submit thumbnails, a detailed sketch, and finally a finished piece of art. Read more about the challenge on the Art Order blog, here. Visit the Art Order Ning to see the various threads containing all the work.

Gouache and Ink on Hot Pressed Watercolor Paper

Volithar: Mutant Lionfishman

This is the final version of my entry for the Mutation Nation challenge over at Art Order. Check out the specs for the challenge here.

While brainstorming ideas for this guy, I began to build a story about the behavior and culture of these mutant humanoids. Lionfish and humans share a few traits (as far as behavior), so it wasn't too difficult to merge the two together.

The Volithar are slow moving, yet incredibly strong. They use their strength to swim through the turbulent post-apocalyptic oceans to scavenge and pillage from weaker species (like humans). They generally travel in tight knit family groups, usually no more than twenty individuals. Volithar are fiercely loyal to their own families, and will often fight or kill other creatures perceived as a threat. Because of this, vast areas of ocean may be devoid of large predators if a Volithar family has claimed it as their territory.

This species is opportunistic and will make use of any material for weapons (even their own bones and spines) and will consume just about any organic matter for food. They have an extremely high tolerance for radiation, pollution, and other toxins and will often live in areas where other creatures can't survive. A unique feature of their metabolism allows the Volithar to safely absorb toxins which are then secreted as a potent poison from glands at the base of their dorsal spines.

The hide of the Volithar is extremely thick and tough. Sharp objects are often used like needles to secure clothing to their bodies. Colorful bits of cloth and trash are added in layers to create a crude form of clothing. Although Volithar have a basic form of culture, their language is complex. Comprised of guttural rumblings as well as body posture and position of dorsal spines, Volithar can communicate audibly as well as visually over great distances. 

Gouache and Watercolor

Demon Assassin Final

You may remember the WIP I posted a while back of the Demon Assassin inspired by an Art Order challenge. Well, I finally got around to finishing it. It's mixed media - gouache, watercolor, ink, graphite, and Photoshop.

This was quite fun to work on. I've got a bit of free time coming up, so I plan to enter the next challenge for Art Order (Mutation Nation). There is no way I could resist the urge to create horribly mutated creatures in a post apocalyptic setting - nothing but win can come from this. Sketches and WIPs will be posted in the coming weeks.

Bromide Final in Color

Alright, I finally finished it. I ended up working much larger than I normally do, so it took a bit more time. It was a challenge to choose the color palette for this piece. I wanted something that would be plant-like, yet I also wanted to suggest that this guy is a bit alien. I looked at a lot of orchid and insect photos and eventually developed the palette from those references.

Gouache on hot-pressed watercolor paper

Happy Holidays

I had a lot of fun with this piece, which was commissioned by a friend of mine.

ink, watercolor, and graphite on illustration board

Bromide Concept WIP

I know it's been a while since I've posted any art so here is something new:

Some of you may remember the Art Order challenge about the Bromide race. Well, I've actually had a bit of free time lately and I started working on a color illustration based on the initial graphite sketch, which can be found here. I'm using mainly gouache with a bit of watercolor on hot pressed watercolor paper.

This is a few hours into the painting:

And this is after a few more:

I'm only working on this in between other obligations, so progress is slow. I hope to have this completed before the deadline of the "Best of Art Order" book submission deadline in January. Read more about that here.

Warlord Preview

Warlord is releasing another expansion pack entitled "Sands of Oblivion". Here is one of my cards:

Visit the Warlord weblog at www.warlordccg.de for more info.

DragonCon Day3

Too tired...to write.....anything....else........

Watercolor, Ink, Colored Pencil

DragonCon Day 2

Saturday is the busiest day. There are tons of great costumes. Here's another piece from the show:

Graphite, Watercolor

DragonCon Day 1

Here is a new piece that is on display this weekend at the DragonCon art show.

Watercolor, Ink, Colored Pencil

Kingdoms of Legend Preview

I recently created an illustration for the upcoming game Kingdoms of Legend by Interaction Point Games and have been given permission to show a preview:

Here's some info on this guy from Interaction's website:

"Kingdoms of Legend is the name for the upcoming line of fantasy roleplaying game products from IPG. KoL is an alternate past Earth of ~1415 AD. This little guy is a cross between a maggot and a tunnel boring machine. That spits acid. Look for him in the upcoming first adventure in the new Kingdoms of Legend line of Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Compatible products. "

To find out more about the game visit www.interactionpoint.com

Tube Girl

I've been interested in bio-mechanical stuff lately.

Graphite

Experiment

This is something I've been working on for the past few days. I don't think I'm done with it, yet. I've been playing around with mixing inks (both pen and brush), watercolor, graphite and gouache.

Mixed Media

Catastrophic Dragon

Time has been quite slippery lately, and as such I have neglected the blog. Here's a dragon:

This guy is my entry for the Catastrophic Earthquake Dragon challenge on Art Order. Check out what's happening on the blog here.

B&W Vampires

Here is my latest entry for the Art Order blog. We were to illustrate two vampires in black and white according to a short description. View more about this challenge here. To make this contest even better, the pieces will be sent to various art directors of several well known publishers for judging. Be sure to check Art Order on Tuesday to see all of the entries.

Also, there are a lot of really exciting Art Order events ahead and I've already begun sketching for the highly anticipated Dragon Challenge. Jon has pulled together a stellar panel of judges, including Todd Lockwood! Check back frequently, I'll be documenting my progress.

ink and photoshop

Dragon Mountain

I just finished up this dragon piece that I have been working on to show at Heroes con in Charlotte, NC this weekend. I've been wanting to do a piece with a dragon rider and harness for a while, so this was a great opportunity. Prints of this guy will be available and I'm hoping to get my hands on a friend's large format printer. Otherwise, they will be 8"x10" on 8.5"x11" paper.

If you plan on attending the con, stop by and say hello (small press table 340). I'll have a variety of prints for sale (including a self-published book of my sketches), and I will also be taking commissions. My friends Billy and Adam will be there, there art is kewl.

Watercolor, Gouache, Colored Pencil

Cloak of the Leech

Here is another card from Crimson Coast:



Also, summer is fast approaching and that means convention time! I'll be listing any conventions that I will be attending on the right side bar of this blog. The first one is Heroes Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina from June 19 - 21.

Boll Deevil Concept

I'm having fun over at Art Order again. We were to use the tiny, yet highly destructive Boll Weevil as inspiration:

The concept behind this critter is that he is a weapon and armor eating beast. These guys roam around searching for unsuspecting humans that just happen to carry their favorite food - metal. They use their long frontal dexterous appendages to seek out and procure edible material. Because of their size and strength, fighting back proves futile and the unfortunate humans are robbed of all armor and weapons. The beasts eat the objects, metabolizing the metal, which is then secreted as alloys to form a nearly impenetrable exoskeleton.

Watercolor, Gouache, Colored Pencil, Graphite

Putrescence...What a Great Word

Here is another preview from Crimson Coast that was spoiled on The Price of Defiance Warlord fan site. In case you missed it, here is the Warlord link: www.warlordccg.de