Da Life Ting #6: Ooh, is it that time already?

Apologies folks for the lack of recent activity but the summer holidays have intervened and three expectant young children have been clamouring to be entertained. So, returning from our adventures in North Wales it is back to business.

Tha Work Thang #13: Seekers of the Ashen Crown

Here we have three images produced for "Seekers of the Ashen Crown." An Eberron adventure produced by Wizards of the Coast. The images here are the "Kech Volaar" a tribe of goblins, "Fiendish Passage" and "Hive Foundation".

Images are © 2009 Wizards of the Coast LLC.

Tha Work Thang #12 : GHOULS!!!!

A selection of Ghoulish delights for you today. These flesh eating fiends were all done for Wizards of the Coast for Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition. Above are some Plaguetouched ghouls emerging from the ruins of Starmantle.

Next up are two images from the Monster Manual, a standard ghoul and his nastier kin, an abyssal ghoul.

Lastly, we have some concept drawings for the ghoul and a miniature turnaround for the Ravenous Ghoul from the D&D miniatures range.

All images are © 2009 Wizards of the Coast LLC.

Tha Work Thang #11: Crime Pays

Here is another piece of cover art for Goodman Games for a book about rogues called "Crime Pays." The idea behind the cover was to represent a half orc crime lord reminiscent of the Godfather.

Da Life Ting #5: "It's my party and I'll cry if I want to..."

Hit the big 40 today! Spent a lovely day with the family. Eaten too much chinese and birthday cake though!

Tha Work Thang #10: From here to there

Just noticed that Goodman Games have put up the cover for "From Here to There", which I had the pleasure of painting. It's the first time I have seen it with the trade dress.

Tha Work Thang #9: "Keeping an eye out": Concepting the Cyclops.

Way back in July 2006 Stacy Longstreet, then Art Director at Wizards of the Coast, contacted me about designing a Cyclops for the, as then unannounced, 4th Edition of Dungeons & Dragons. The art description asked for a design “based upon the traditional Cyclops (one-eyed monster) but altered slightly to create a version that is unique to D&D. The idea is to have a design that we can "own" that can be identified as the D&D Cyclops. He should be more sophisticated than an ogre. Wear descent metal armour, chainmail or scale mail and carry a real weapon hammer or axe, not a club. It will be related to the Formorians. (MM II pg 105 BUT we are going to make even him look a bit more intelligent.) “The Cyclopes were almost like human beings but of a gigantic size and with only one eye in the middle of their heads."
The first thing I thought I should concentrate on was the head. Getting the right look for the eye and determining the overall head shape. What should I go for? Something like the ‘Harryhausen’ look or more alien? So I came up with a selection of head designs (FIG 1)and sent them in for feedback

The initial feedback on these was, “We like F and would like to see a few more similar to that one. Make the eye slightly larger. No horn. No hair. Try maybe 4 ears, possibly not all the same size? Work with the head shape, not ridges like in H, but maybe lumpier or a more uniquely shaped back side of the head? We like the nose on F - does it have 2 or 4 nostrils? can't tell.

Once we have chose one, it will need to have a long spear being held in both hands above his head, pointed horizontally and he should be wearing a breastplate (but the arms are bare) and a pleated kilt (skirt) and boots.”
I went away and worked up a few more head designs, looking at dinosaur heads for inspiration like the pachycephalosaurus. I also sent in a couple of alternate poses (FIG.2 & FIG. 3) The first pass at a final figure, in the pose and armour required was FIG. 4

An additional idea was put forward at this point." What does the Cyclops look like if you make his eye run vertically instead of horizontally? Rotate it 90 degrees. and let's look at it....” So I came up with these concepts, including a more ceratopsian head shape. (FIG. 5) :

Wizards took a look and suggested the following changes (FIG. 6), and also stated, “Clothing and weapon for this creature should look a bit crude and other worldly. welded together bits of metal and chains torn or poorly stitched together leather/cloth.”

With this in mind I reworked the final version (FIG. 7)

Feedback at this stage requested a few more changes.
“There have been some changes and we'd like one more pass at the Cyclops.Changes we'd like to see:Body proportions altered a bit. Make the legs a bit longer not so stubby incomparison to the rest of the body. He should look more like a towering Gianttype.The armour seems a bit too Roman Gladiator,should be more primitive.Adjust the cheekbones a little so it does not look so cat-like.Pose is still good.”
I went back and adjusted the figure accordingly to reach the version seen in FIG. 8

At this point the figure was approved, the look of the 4th ED. Cyclops was decided and I could go on to draw the back and side views for the miniature design. (FIG. 9) This miniature was unveiled in the ‘Desert of Desolation’ set of D&D miniatures.

Since then I have had the pleasure of doing two more Cyclopes for the miniature range. (FIG 10 & 11.)

I am pleased that they have a consistent look (FIG 12.) about them. It was a great privilege to be able to concept these pieces and hopefully I’ve created a look which is unique to D&D.