Da Life Ting #9: Silver Dragon Update.

So here is the Silver Dragon after painting so far. I used mostly metallic acrylic paints on him.

It's nearly at the stage I envisioned him in my head.

Da Life Ting #8: Sculpting a Silver Dragon

This weekend I eventually got to try something that I have been wanting to do for a very long time....having a go at sculpting my own figures. Almost a year ago to this very day I had the pleasure of sitting next to Mr. Sean Green, sculptor extraordinaire at Game'08 in Manchester. I saw at first hand his fantastic models and he gave me a few great tips on modelling. Anyway, this week I bought some SuperSculpey and decided to give it a go.

Without giving it too much thought I decided to do a Silver dragons head and dived straight in, I scrunched up some silver foil into a rough dragons head and neck shape and started applying the sculpey clay on top. I got to the stage seen in the first two pictures and left it there for the night.

The next morning I was faced with the problem of the crests on the dragons head, neck and cheeks. I decided to use a card base, which i would then cover in sculpey. I had no idea if this would work or would even survive being baked in the oven.

But, eager to crack on, I threw caution to the wind and went ahead with the modelling.

I bulked up his rather skinny neck, worked on the horns, started applying ridges to the neck piece, inserted small ballbearings as eyes.

Next, I added on the cheek crests that I had sculpted seperately and went about applying all the fun detail, like eyelids and pock marks and the scales ( I rather rushed the scales, but was enjoying myself so much I just wanted to get him baked and painted up!) So below is how I decided he was finished, I thought it was pretty cool for a first go and can't wait to try another one (maybe a Red Dragon next time.)

There are plenty of things I would take more time over next time, the scales, the thickness of the neck spikes for example. With trepidation I put him in the oven and hoped for the best, and lo and behold he came out fine. Nothing broke off or burned, so well happy.

I will post again to show how he came out after being painted, and I will see if I can mount him on a little stand for presentation.

Tha Work Thang #17: Savage Encounters Miniatures

Wizards of the Coast have started officially previewing miniatures from the upcoming "Savage Encounters" set. Three of the minis I concepted have been featured so far, first up the Grey Slaad. I like this little fella, he captures the artwork from the monster manual nicely. Next up the Death Giant:
And the Black Slaad:

Below is some of the concept artwork I submitted for each of the pieces:

Images are copyright Wizards of the Coast 2009.

Tha Work Thang #16: Rogue Trader.

I am currently working on some starship designs for an upcoming Rogue Trader supplement. The core Rogue Trader game book has recently been released by Fantasy Flight Games so I can show you a few of the pieces I did for this book. These are all item illustrations showing some of the ephemera you can equip your Rogue Trader characters with.

Digital Weapons.

Captains Baton.

Mirror Shield. Mechanicus Axe.

All Images are copyright Games Workshop 2009.

Da Life Ting #7: The Rise of the Machines!!

I have a love hate relationship with machinery, I hate it and it loves to make my life a misery.
Recently our boiler gave up the ghost and we had to fork out for a new one (very expensive...ouch!), but this was the last in a line of machines that mutinied and tried to bring me down.
Over the last few weeks I have had to replace two printers (don't get me started on the lousy service I got from PC world, whom I will now avoid like the plague!), a monitor and a graphics tablet. The fridge is struggling and collecting water, tears trickling down its white goodly face. The bearings on the tumbledryer are voicing their discomfort, a nagging whine that pleads "Fix me." The car decided that it would bleed its power steering fluid all over the road and render itself inoperable just last week. This very machine that I type these humble words on splutters and coughs itself to life every morning, and I feel will soon join its brethren in the great scrapyard in the sky.
What I want is ROBUSTNESS! RELIABILITY! VALUE FOR MONEY! what I get is built in obsolescence, the shrugging shoulders of indifference, the overpriced greed of the corporate economy. Enough I say, stand up and be counted you manufacturers of machines, for one day they will rise and your greed will be your undoing! Mwa hahahaha.

Tha Work Thang #15: Hero's Handbook Tieflings

Goodman Games has just released "Hero's Handbook Tieflings" and here are four images from the book representing the 'Legacies' that can affect a tieflings beliefs and personality. Avarice.

Covetousness.

Wrath.


Indulgence.

All images are copyright Goodman Games 2009.

Tha Work Thang#14: Halfling Armour and Weapons.

Here are some pieces of concept art I did for Dungeons and Dragons 4th Ed. The halflings backstory was tied into their love of water and nature and their clothing and weaponry was to reflect this.

Lots of interwoven leather strips and themes of fish, birds, animals and water can be found in their look.

All images are copyright 2009 Wizards of the Coast LLC.