Recent Dream

I recently had an extremely vivid dream. Unfortunately, like most dreams, much of it faded away when I woke up. There was this one
image that remained, though. I remember walking outside in my
backyard in the early morning. Just after some kind of fierce summer
storm. The entire world was painted blood red with the light of the
rising sun. I caught a glimmer of color across the lake in the sky
and saw a piece of rainbow that was so bright it appeared to be
metallic, and left spots in my vision from where lighted glinted off
of it. I reached out to grab my camera to capture this phenomenon,
and as I was looking through the viewfinder, I centered on this
magnificent tree. Just as that happened the sun came up directly
behind it, backlighting the scene with a magnificent halo. I just
remembered being absolutely stunned by the awesome beauty of these
events coming together so suddenly and so perfectly. So of course, I
had to grab my ipad and sketch it immediately! I wonder what it
means.....?

Cosmic Dust

I just received my brand new Pogo Sketch stylus for my iPad 2 and
decided to give it a whirl drawing in Procreate. It works beautifully
with the app and allows me to obtain a level of detail I would never
be able to achieve trying to see through my clumsy fingers. I can't
wait to practice with it some more to see how far I can push my art
with the iPad.

Lament

I was sitting on the couch doodling on my iPad and this is what came
out. Dunno why but my thoughts always turn melancholy late at
night...

A Few Recent Projects

Icarus

I have always loved Greek mythology, and there are a few stories that really speak to me. Gavin was telling me about his favorite Greek myth, the story of Icarus, because it related so much to his life, and the symbology of the myth struck a deep chord in me. I feel like it is applicable to so many people in today's world and I just had to draw a concept for it.

He is the son of Daedalus, imprisoned in a tower by King Minos's greed, and who is able to escape by his father's invention of wax wings. Then, overwhelmed by his freedom and ignoring his father's warnings, tries to reach the heavens, causing his wings to melt from getting too close to the sun and plummeting him to his death.

I hope to paint this and a series of 3 or 4 other Greek mythology scenes in oil over the next few months and see what I can do with them. I feel excitement at tackling such a classical theme and trying new things with materials to bring a modern twist to them. Let me know what you think, and if there are any Greek myths that you relate to as well that you feel would be a good addition to the series.

See ya!

Curls

I have never liked my hair: it's crazy, unmanageable, wavy in some places, curly in others, and downright impossible to style. If you think it looks okay now, well you should see it when I wake up in the morning! I have always been jealous of those who can just get out of the shower, shake their heads, and tackle the world looking like they just walked off the cover of GQ. It simply isn't fair.
For those of you who know me, I currently work as a bartender whose job it is to serve, entertain, and relate to the nightlife of my hometown. It is also an unsaid part of the job description that I'm supposed to be attractive and such, and actually, the better I look the more money I make. And for a guy who is as self-conscious as I am, it can be pretty stressful worrying about how I look. Therefore, I have developed the unfortunate habit of grabbing a straightener and yanking on my hair for like twenty minutes trying to get all those damn waves and curls to behave themselves.
Now, it is true that whenever I have been in a hurry and don't have time to waste with all that business, I just go to work looking like whatever. And actually, what completely boggles my mind, is that people compliment me on my hair and all its disorderly curliness. Most times, I just smile and laugh and call them crazy, but I can't help but think that the repetition of this event may actually prove its validity. And what's even stranger, is the question of why it is so hard for me to accept that my hair might just be as great naturally, or perhaps even better, than when I slave over it trying to get it to be something that it's not. Maybe true beauty is just accepting what things are in their natural state regardless of the flaws you perceive to exist, and learning to embrace what is naturally there? No matter how difficult or painful it may be to do so.

These are just a few things I have been pondering over lately

2010 Demo Reel

Demo Reel from gunslingers19 on Vimeo.

Here is new polished demo reel for 2010!!! All work aside from the music is done by me =)

Longhorn Beatles

Here's a nice project I did for one of my old Half Price Books coworkers :) His dad's two favorite things are the longhorns and the beatles, so he wanted to give him something for Christmas that combined the two. So here it is, and Merry Christmas everyone!

Only a few sets left!

If anyone is still interested in Christmas cards, I only have 1 set of the Christmas stars left and have sold out of the Fireplace card. Just email me if you'd like a set or two and I'll respond with the payment information. Once again, I'm selling them in sets of 10 for $15 and you can see the images larger here: http://tinyurl.com/35jprfl. Hurry though, because they're going fast!! =)

Christmas Cards!!!!

Here are the Christmas card designs for the year! I'm selling them in packs of 10 for $15. If you would like to buy some, just send me a message at raymond.penajr@gmail.com with your choice and the address you'd like them sent to, and I'll send you the payment info. Merry Christmas everyone!

Christmas Time!

Here is a new template for some Christmas cards. Let me know if you would like one, and where it should be sent to. I'll be ordering about them pretty soon so let me know fast! Also considering selling packs of ten cards each in case you want more than one...but haven't decided on pricing yet. Also, I might do one or two more card designs before it's said and done with, so I'll keep ya updated!

On another note, I might be working with my cooworker Gavin to actual create this Christmas tree as a sculpture piece out of iron and copper, which should prove to be a fun and exciting project! WoOt!!!!!

Jaded

This is my personification of the state of being "jaded." To me, this state is a prison created by your own mind. It blinds you to the potential of good in your life and keeps you bound to a wall of cynicism and pessimism. I show this with the figure cloaked in a hood and trapped inside a decaying room, organically designed and lit with low key lighting to bolster the sense of a dank subconscious space.

Photoshop CS5

So I just got the new Adobe Design Premium CS5 and decided to try out some of the new features in Photoshop. More specifically, the Mixer brush. It's pretty cool how it can simulate real paint: you can adjust the amount of bristles, the thickness, the length, and whether or not the brush is dry or wet. The colors even mix themselves on the canvas as you paint!! I'm really kind of excited to see what I can do with my normal Photoshop texture brushes in combination with the mixer brush. I highly recommend giving it a try =)

Finished Tree Painting

Here is the final Tree sculpture-painting and some close up of details. Gonna do some thinking to figure out the pricing on this baby. Anyone interested in purchasing it?

Concept for a new painting: "Sapped"

I got the idea for this painting last night at 5am while eating with some of my co-workers after work. It's based on my emotional reaction to some events that have transpired over the last week and the perpetual drain I continue to feel while out in the night life constantly. I often feel like such an oddball around people these days with my intense emotional consciousness and deep rooted sense of loyalty and integrity. I don't understand how people can be in a relationship with one person yet play around with others and still consider themselves loyal and in love with their significant other. These concepts totally throw me off balance and as whacked out as it sounds I almost feel like I'm socially retarded. And it's not like it's based on one or two experiences...it's as if the entire world has accepted a flippant and flighty lifestyle of shallow lusts and half-ass promises of endearment. Am I alone in feeling this and doomed to be sapped away by the manipulative predators in the world? I sure hope not.

Lost

Things change. Can't try to live in the past when the world has moved on. So just let it go.

Concept for a tree painting

Here's a concept for a tree painting I want to do. Since my phoenix painting I really have become interested in texture and using different materials placed on the canvas and painted over with oil. For this one I'm actually thinking of stripping bark off of trees and placing it on the actual trunk and then painting over it for some cool textures. What do you think?

Pain

Logos?

I did some logo designs for the game: 1 for the game overall, and two depicting symbols for the two different factions. The tree icon represents the Gaeans, forces of nature, and the one on the right represents Da Vinci's Acolytes, the insane zealots of technology. The designs were highly influenced by another style...maybe too much. I suppose if you can guess it then they probably need to be retouched a bit =P What do you think?

Winter

"I run off where the drifts get deeper. Sleeping beauty, she trips me with a frown. I hear a voice, 'You must learn to stand up for yourself, because I can't always be around."

"Winter"
-Tori Amos

Quick Concept Sketch?

Sooo, after researching some examples of concept art, I decided to try my hand at one of those quick color sketches. It's not terrible, and it took me a little over an hour an a half? But it's my first one so it can only get better, right?

Titan on Etsy!!!

My Titan painting is now for sale on Etsy. go check it out if you'd like =)

The Titans

Here is the final race for the Forces of Nature for my game concept, Pangaea. The Titans are the brute force of nature, her ultimate sentinels and watchmen. They are incredibly tough to bring down and can hold their own, even against armies or multiple other minions. They draw their strength directly from the earth, and can therefore manipulate it to some extent and draw on its energy to increase its strength and size. Imagine the way the ground would shake when this guy comes pounding your way!!

Do to my accidentally almost deleting all of the creatures I've been working on, I missed a step or two in the following process sequence...but it's mostly there. Enjoy!

IF- Worn

Meh

Another Pass on the Elemental

So, I decided I was dissatisfied with the final image of the elemental that I posted the other day. Turns out there was a stylistic conflict between the realistic and stylized elements. So I took her back into photoshop and made a smorgasbord of some fire and water images I found on the internet and the original stylized drawings, and came up with this. I feel like the different aspects gel much better than the original, and hopefully I can let this rest and move on to my next project =)

Elementals

The elemental is the essence of nature, combining the energies of earth, fire, and water. She can control these elements and bend them to her will, capable of hurling fireballs, healing and strengthening herself, causing massive earthquakes, and controlling the weather. These creatures are loners by nature, and with their fiery, unpredictable behaviors it's probably better that way. Though their appearance is rare, they are rumored to surface when a threat worthy of their wrath challenges the natural world.

Here's some process:

The Defiant

I finished a character portrait of the forest wizard guy from the previous post. The name of his race is the Defiant, and he is the embodiment of the darker side of nature: fear, decay, plague, etc. He is the evil face of the natural forces combating the technological zealots called the Lexia, brought forth from the bowels of the earth in response to the rapid contamination of the world. They are capable of manipulating our darkest instincts, and can spread disease rapidly, as well as hold dominion over the vile creatures that inhabit the earth.

Here is a bit of my process as I painted this portrait:

Quick preliminary sketch

Big shapes of color to establish light and tone

Clean-up the edges and more in depth rendering with texture before adding the overall texture that enhances the mood I want.

Complete!

Here is the finished painting of my previous post. This may be a bit of a stretch for Illustration Friday, but these two forces are competing for conflicting cravings: one who hungers for natural resources for personal gain, and one who craves to protect those resources.

It always excites me to tackle a project that is different from anything else I've previously done. And, it also turns out that I kind of like the mood and tone of this piece, and will probably explore it further in the future. This doesn't mean that I'm going to be giving up working towards a career in animation, though. Sometimes you just have to face the facts, and right now the fact is there are more jobs available in games than in film, so I'm just adapting my work accordingly =)

New Genre of Working

Work in Progress concepts

So now that I'm applying for all kinds of jobs, especially in the game area, I realized that I seriously need to come up with some work that's geared more for that type of design. From what I've seen, especially with this next generation of consoles, is that realism is becoming ever more important, and that's something that my portfolio really doesn't have.

What I've decided to do is to come up with a concept for a game, and do a body of work illustrating the characters, props, and concepts dealing with that. I've already begun working on this, and came up with a sort of hybrid RTS and MMO type game, complete with 6 races of characters, and have begun working of the design of 2 of them: a cyborg-type human and a forest spirit. Working in this way is actually not very different than coming up with model sheets for an animated character. Very blue-print like. However, the style of drawing is very alien to my hand and it is taking a while to get used to, but I've discovered I kind of like it. Hopefully, I'll finish the big illustration today nd get to work on some of the other characters.

Ascension

Ascension from gunslingers19 on Vimeo.

A year of my life went into this project =) Here it is finally, with sound, color, compositing, and effects! I screened today around 2:30 and it was very well received with only minor criticisms. Thaks to everyone who came out to support me!! It really made my day =D

4th Color Pass

Color Pass 4 from gunslingers19 on Vimeo.

Here's the product of another sleepless week. I've gotten mostly through the bird phase of her life....2 more weeks to go!

RIT GEt Viral Film Contest

Hey everyone! I just entered one of my animations in a RIT film contest on facebook. In order to vote, you have to go here: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/posted.php?id=136442345386 and join the facebook group. After that, look for my film, Pablo, and click the "like" button that's right next to the "comment" button. Thank you!

2nd Color Edit

Ascension Color Pass 2 from gunslingers19 on Vimeo.

A few more shots of completed color added to my senior film, "Ascension."

Some more backgrounds!

Some more backgrounds from my thesis. =)

Backgrounds for Ascension

I think background and layout work is one of my favorite parts about animation production. The feeling you get when you see your world come to life in color an mood is pretty sweet. These are just a few screen grabs of backgrounds that I've been working on. Let me know what you think!

Some colorrrr

Ascension_ColorPass1 from gunslingers19 on Vimeo.

Finally getting down to some coloring business. Here are the first four shots. I have more, just didn't have time to composite them all for my thesis advising meeting today. Feels good to see some finished things =)

Now for Sale!

I've created an account on Etsy, and have posted some of my illustrations on there. So now, if any of you guys get the itch to buy some of my paintings, they are available! There's a link to the shop just off to the right in the sidebar, so click on it and peruse the items! You know you want to...

Illustration Friday: Intricate

This weeks Illustration Friday topic was intricate. Detailed paintings are not something that I'm used to doing, so for this illustration I tried to vamp up the detail level to make it as intricate as I could. Also, ballet is something I consider to be a very intricate art form, with all of its subtleties in pose and emotion and form. It's very beautiful, and this little girl dreams of becoming a ballerina capable of such things.

Thesis: Rough Cut

Ascension from gunslingers19 on Vimeo.

I've been working on this project, sort of , since last May. The past 10 weeks have been incredibly intense, getting the hundreds...possible thousands...of drawings done, composited, and then composing the musical score for the film. I'll spend next quarter refining some details and the sound, as well as coloring the 1,956 frames of animation in this film. HAHA! Good times.

And yet a little closer...

Another Ascension Animatic from gunslingers19 on Vimeo.

Woooo! Well things are starting to come together a bit. The timing is a bit fast for some things still, and man, am I wishing my set wasn't such an amorphous and flowing world; what I wouldn't give for a simple hold that doesn't require a cycle! The biggest thing missing, however, is the color. Color is so very important to this film and without it I'm afraid the whole point is lost. I'll have to come up with some way of showing that throughout screenings. Now back to in-betweening and coming up with cycling backgrounds!