University is over

I guess I've got some time to catch my breath because I submitted my university work. I will get the feedback and mark at the end of June and I really hope I pass. In the end instead of resting I've been going crazy at a big commission working hard in a pretty bad position what had an effect of my wrist protesting with a dull pain. I will take a few days of break and if it keeps on I'll contact the doctors.
My biggest worry is now that I might have damaged properly my wrist and it's just going to get worse.

If any of you have the same problem  visit Daarkens website http://enliighten.com/blog/tag/carpal-tunnel/
He's already suffering a lot from the carpal tunnel and he's been really nice and shared with us some of his methods of treatment and general principles of prevention.

Recently Dan Dos Santos posted on Muddy Colors (a collective blog of some awesome artists.) a very useful post on how to create a new website out of a blog.
http://muddycolors.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/how-to-make-free-website-in-less-than.html#comment-form
So if you're in a need of a free website visit above link.

Since I finished university and I don't know what to do next, MA or looking for a job or an internship I'll try to start a new Deathline challenge for me.
http://danwarrenart.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/crimson-daggers-deathline-challenge.html
I've also been thinking about getting a CGMA course over this summer.
http://www.cgmwmasterclasses.com/

You're welcome to post your comments and thoughts on any topics I brushed in this post.

Sterling Hundley's Approach

Yesterday awesome horse studios decided to stream Marc Scheff testing an innovative way of brainstorming ideas, by Sterling Hundley. He is a The Art Department teacher and a renown illustrator.

The approach to the topic is based on word combinations that are not obvious at the first glance. 

Firstly, the most important key words are chosen, and written down. Underneath them in columns all the possible association's are listen, everything you can think of connected to the key words. Afterwords little thumbnail images are drawn out. This creates a base of thoughts ideas and snippets of new combinations. These have to be linked into new ideas and from these new thumbnails are produced. 

Application - I have tried to apply the idea to my project. I wrote down some words and bridged them, then from the phrases I came up with I drew down some thumbnails. I have made at least a one big mistake, which is choosing a very broad aspect. This method is good for making book covers and film posters, not really concept art. It helps to create an innovative image that doesn't let a lot out to the viewer but makes them interested in the franchise so they want to research it more. It possibly could have quite a lot advantages in the process of working on concept arts, however the list would have to be excessively massive, or a new document should be created for each few concepts. Since in the games industry the speed is what counts and concept art usually are sets of simple images showcasing the world and its elements this method has little to offer for now. I think I will just stick with my casual way of sketching down thumbnail images, and use this technique while working on more elaborate illustrations.

 I took an attempt at acrylics and painted this sketch of a viking from a photo by CrestfallenWitch http://crestfallenwitch.deviantart.com/gallery/36259294#/d4u3iql

 Morning studies.

 Another wip of Conans father. The point of this exrcise is getting the hang of painting different types of hair, and fur. Also I practiced painting faces by the way. I'm quite bad at that too.

Studies today didn't really come along so well, so there are only four line sketches. 

 Right now I'm in the process of painting the skull in.

 I haven't posted my a progress of a study yet. I thought this would be interesting.

W

Ulfhednar process

This morning to warm up I did some gesture studies from http://www.pixelovely.com/gesture/figuredrawing.php

Then I tried to ground the skill and did several designs of vikings.

 Afterwards I started working on the Ulfhednar image, I worked on the waves, which almost right away livened the composition. The colour scheme seemed to be slightly too unbalanced so I overlaid the whole image with a subtle layer of blue. This trick makes the image more life like.

 I didn't like the idea of a slightly dorky and cartoony dragonhead at the front, so I immediately started doing quick designs for a new one. Firstly I wanted only a different type, so I did a bit of a google search on drakkars. However quickly I came up with an idea of attaching a real skull. The backstory could be that the carved head was broken off, so the crew replaced it with a horned skull.
When I established the idea, I went off to look for different skulls, sheeps skull looked quite promising, but it's been done to death. Same thing with very dixie bulls skull. In the end I decided for the reindeer skull, which would make sense since they live in parts of Scandinavia.

DeviantART Group

Yesterday I registered a DeviantART group that collects viking and slaving related art. I've been adding peoples photographs, graphics, painting and drawings. My main reason for creating the group is to congregate people that enjoy the subject. Secondly, I want to bring history re-enactment artists together. It would be quite likely that they would be able to meet during history reconstruction camps.
Project benefits, the group works as a motivator and inspiration.
The address of the group is - http://viking-slav-art.deviantart.com/

I have been rendering this image for a while now and I will need to take a rest from it for a while. I've applied some changes to the looks of the Norns and generally pushed the image's rendition.

female Thor pin up

I feel extremely cheeky now. I just couldn't let an opportunity to draw a female Thor pass. I've added an Angry Mamma to Serge Birault's awesome pinup and Daemion Elias George-Cox's follow up with a little Sister.
From the left, Serge Birault,  Daemion Elias George-Cox and my work. 
http://papaninja.deviantart.com/ -  Serge's site
http://toonsketchbook.tumblr.com/ - Deamion's site

What happens at the roots of Yggdrasil

I came back to the Yggdrasil roots painting. I decided on the colour scheme. I want to create an organic feel and give the image a refreshing crisp atmosphere. The focal points are meant to represent through colour something eerie. I want the viewer to feel that there's going on something significant and occult, rather than three girls weaving in the roots of an old tree.
A note to myself - blackout the sides of the image and put some stars to symbolise that it's a universe tree. Norns' design - I might add some leathers and hides, or make them have lots of tattoos.

Sigurd bathing in dragons blood.
Snow witch.