SQART

squeen

squeen

8, 8, I forget what is for
I'm going to start dumping my rando art pieces in this thread since Footprints #25 is nearly a thing of the past.

I lead with today's doodle in which I've moved from OSR faux-realism into the rarified realm of high-brow conceptual art.

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I am very proud of it. I think it's my best work to date. Perhaps I'll start publishing Artpunk.
 
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squeen

squeen

8, 8, I forget what is for
No time to be doing any of this, but apparently some childish portion of my brain wanted to play hooky.
(I did manage to control myself to just a half-hour of time-wasting.)

A meat-and-potatoes Franzetta-inspired Carnivorous Ape with some minimal landscape to brighten your day and help you dream of Other Worlds and Far Off Places.



I haven't been doing any figures for a while...and boy am I rusty!
 
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squeen

squeen

8, 8, I forget what is for
A while ago I sketched this "bareback rider" as a small figure in a larger composition. I was so dissatisfied with the result, I pulled the plug on the whole thing. This morning, thinking about this post, I threw caution to the wind and started fat-fingering things in GIMP to see if I could learn what had gone wrong.

It always amazes me how such small changes to the face (checks, nose, lips, eyes, earlobe, etc.) can dramatically alter appearance. You can easily run the gambit from statuesque to grotesque in a few strokes.

I guess that's why there's a make-up & hair industry.



You know I detest head-shots in modules...so forgive me this one. I tried to back-port what I'd just learned hit-and-miss in GIMP for the female face---testing myself to see if I could pencil-draw the generic comic book feminine protagonist (or what's known in D&D circles as "the hot elf").

Here's the result:

I think I messed up on the eye and nose symmetry and could extend the chin a touch, but perhaps I got a tad closer than is my usual wont. At least it looks human---or at least my phone's facial recognition software thinks so. :)

I still find faces way easier than drawing armor.
 
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B

Beek Gwenders

*eyeroll*
squeen said:
You know I detest head-shots in modules...so forgive me this one. I tried to back-port what I'd just learned hit-and-miss in GIMP for the female face---testing myself to see if I could pencil-draw the generic comic book feminine protagonist (or what's known in D&D circles as "the hot elf").
Click to expand...
Just weird is all of I have to say about this stance! Feeling indiffferent, or ‘not really liking’, I can kind of understand that, but ’detest’? Sure is an interesting emotional response so such a trifling thing.

These are pretty good Squeen, thanks for sharing, especially the one where you’ve shown how small changes make the image come out completely different.
 
squeen

squeen

8, 8, I forget what is for
You are so right, detest is rather strong---it makes me sound like Oscar Wilde. My wife and I even admonish our kids for saying "I hate" when it's about something minor like this.

My gripe, or "something I grew to dislike" was with WotC using these head shots in a social-economic way to nakedly try and increase market share. It is off-putting, like gross product placement ads in TV and movies. What's more, if that wasn't the case, they often were often self-consciously hip/cartoon-ish which was bothersome to those of us that didn't feel like are "too cool" for D&D and have to adopt a half-mocking or light tone with it.

Lastly, they are also a fairly "low form" of art --- no composition, no backgrounds, etc. Just boring.

Put that all together, and I found myself really wishing they'd just go away. An ill-considered notion from the get-go IMO.

That said...they're another drawing element to practice for larger pieces, and I do sincerely appreciate your kind feedback!
Thanks.
 
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squeen

squeen

8, 8, I forget what is for
Over the next few days, I'll dribble out some of my recent practice pieces that I haven't already posted here before---all are deeply flawed but have some redeeming quality I still enjoy. The idea has been to keep busy, try new things, make mistakes, and just move on to the next. Above all, PRACTICE!

Mostly orcs...my goal is to draw 100 of them. :)



 
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TerribleSorcery

TerribleSorcery

Should be playing D&D instead
squeen said:
Over the next few days, I'll dribble out some of my recent practice pieces I haven't posted here before---all are deeply flawed but have some redeeming quality I still enjoy. The idea has been to keep busy, try new things, make mistakes, and just move on to the next. Above all, PRACTICE!

Mostly orcs...my goal is to draw 100 of them. :)

Click to expand...

Heheheheheh I love this one! The skeleton is like "hey buddy, got a light?" and then BANG!!
 
squeen

squeen

8, 8, I forget what is for
Osrnoob said:
The fire in #2 is cool

Light is unexplored in dungeon art
Click to expand...
Thank you! Never quite finished it. :rolleyes: I ran into some technical problems I felt I had to correct digitally. After that, it's hard to go back to the pen and paper.

Hawk (Darkness at Nekemte, Gunderholfen) does a great job with light in his wonderfully evocative B&W art. He's got another adventure coming out soon that he previewed the art---looks awesome.

Peter Mullen is a master at it too.
 
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O

Osrnoob

Should be playing D&D instead
I hear Darkness at N is good Ill have to check it! Did not know he drew it too

Its on my big list of materials to fill random holes in Erillion

I already have some snake cultists in hiding

The platau has Princes obelisk
 
squeen

squeen

8, 8, I forget what is for
Thank you very much indeed! I'm hoping to illustrate my own work soon, but there's still so much to learn...and for the moment I'm just having a blast trying new things and messing around. I don't honestly feel like I've produced/finished a single piece yet that I'm 100% OK with --- but the whole process is getting smoother and easier (...well, less frustrating at least!). It's also super addictive...turning figures this way and that, playing with shadows, etc.

I still owe Bryce an zine ad...and unfortunately I find it much easier to bang out sketches than to polish up something that matters. I definately can over-work things into the rubbish heap. Stupid, really, but I don't think I'm alone in that.
 
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