Even gunmen need a haircut...

...From time to time, just like this fellow here.
Then again, one more drawing on shooting guns. I hope this phase it's not going to go on for too long, although it's being fun in the meantime.

Guns, and No Roses

Here comes one of people mostly shooting guns around ...nothing like that to start off a weekend!
In fact things got already very interesting Thursday night. Jason Scheier invited me to give a lecture on composition for his pupils at Art Center in Pasadena. It was fantastic to interact with his team of highly motivated young talent, I certainly did have a great time as well as the opportunity to answer some very interesting questions related to the theme!

2006, and looking for a face

Before I went ahead with my online 'Hollywood on Sunset' I was looking for a face for my main character. At the end she didn't look like any of these here, but at least they got me started on the path I was looking for.

Long time no see...

...Indeed, Busy, busy lately but here we go again.
Talking about "long time no see", here are a few images of Culver City, where I lived for a few years while working at Sony Animation. These are part of our lunch break sketch routine, we did a lot of that and it certainly was a way to practice and to get to know the area better while paying attention to every detail.
The one with the red canvas in a place called 'Santa Maria Bbq' or something like that, one of our favorite places at the time seen here from another restaurant across the street. The 'fire house' of the city (in white), and finally (in red brown) a location I believe they recently reconverted into 'something', location that at some point in the 80's was used as a stage for some scenes of the original 'Tron' (the video game arcade I believe).
'Talk soon.

Preliminary ideas

So this are some drawings and sketches I did before the one featured in my last post. I guess I should have posted them 'before' last then. Anyway, ...here they come nevertheless.

Going 1700's

Sometimes I wish I had the ability to go back to prior historical periods and see first hand what they -felt- like. In my many years of working as an illustrator and graphic novel artist I had (enjoyed immensely, actually) to dive into reference sources so that I could visualize as accurately as possible how other moments in our history looked like. But that's never enough, it's not only about the visuals but also about being as close as possible to how everything worked, what sort of logistical and circumstantial issues did our ancestors run into not only in their exceptional moments but daily, how things smelled (well, this one might not have been in the top of my list), at what pace things happened, how science, religion, etc influenced the way they lived. All these would have affected how they moved (literally) around regularly.
Anyhow, more on the 'fantasy' side now, here are these two fierce fighters getting down to business and trying to clarify, whatever it is they need to clarify, for good.
Great weekend everyone.

Face Off

As it happens from time to time (as you also see from time to time in this blog) I feel the sudden need to fill up a page with characters' faces. I guess there is a therapeutic side to it.
I hope all is going fine with everyone.

Voices from the past

So welcome 2011.
And while looking forward to the future, here are some images evocative of other past times. The first three are out of a design job I did in 2004 for 'Ghost' Studios in Denmark, one general view of a ghostly hall and two magnified details. The other one, a 'two character' quick inspirational sketch for 'El Pacifico'.
All the best for this New Year!

"Toto Sapore" 2001 (© Lanterna Magica)

In 2001 I got contacted by Lanterna Magica and Maurizio Forestieri (in Torino, Italy) to design a film based on a traditional napolitan story called Toto Sapore. It was great fun to create all the visual language for that film. Here are a few samples of that, four interior and exterior architectural studies for some of the characters locations.
And we are wrapping up a year... Happy 2011 to all of you!

Crimea?

Again like in the 'Near Miss' case, since I spent quite some time going about details, here is the full illustration plus a few close ups.
I don't know if this will be my last post before Christmas... but just in case it is, Merry Christmas everybody! I hope you enjoy this time of the year in a nice and safe place with your loved ones.

Saying Hi

Just an improvised sketch to say 'Hi' with. It's been hectic around here lately, not much time to dedicate to this blog. Hopefully things will get a bit more relaxed around Christmas.
By the way, if you live in Southern California I hope you are managing to stay dry!

Crowd

This crowd passed by my Cintiq. Next thing I knew they were gone...
(The more it goes, the more I love this tool by the way)

Near miss

Near misses, how many of these do we have in life?... Hopefully none as dramatic as this one.
I spent quite a bit of time on the detail here, so I include the magnified sections to have the feeling it was actually worth it!
Have a good weekend everyone.