Tracked Down

This is the image I did for the CGSociety Uplift Universe Challenge this summer, but with some new work to the ruins in the background that were sadly underdone. I may also rerender the tree roots, but so far I am much happier. I am entering it in the Ballistic Publishing Expose 7 soon, so keep a watch out for me! :)

Happy Halloween!

So, for Halloween my son said he wanted to be Optimus Prime. After some thought, I decided to go ahead a try it. I found the toy transformer and overlayed my son and the toy as seen here to get an idea of what I might be able to do. Originally I was going to use cardboard, but changed my mind to blue construction foam.


Here you can see the first stages of the costume in blue foam. I was uncertain how to finish the effect since blue foam dents pretty easy, and on a 4 yr old it wouldn't last long. My wife suggested Spandex over the foam in the color of the character.
As you can see, the spandex was a great idea. We got a red long sleeved shirt and gray sweats to go underneath. Nadia sewed the blue and red spandex to go over the foam (amazing skill I tell ya) to finish the effect. I accepted the fact that I wasn't going to get a box form for the chest with so little time left, and I wasn't sure how well it would hold up to him sitting back on it. So, I decided on a chest plate. Nadia simply applied velcro to the back of the plate and front of the shirt so I was removable but would stick. My daughters outfit was simpler, a ballerina. As you can see, they are both really happy :)All in all, he loved it even though I didn't finish it. He would really like me to make the head/helmet still. I have plent of foam to do it, just not a lot of time. We'll see. The bottom one has the fabric colored windows and arms, also with autobots icons on each shoulder I printed off. I hope it is a good memory for them both. I pretty much slept through most of halloween since I work graveyard, but I was able to at least make this much of his costume. :) I don't know how we're going to scrapbook this one?

New Title image

So, some of you may notice my title image has been implemented here.  If not, take a closer look...it used to be blue like my brushdragon site :)  I may refine the rest of the blog, but for now, it is good, or maybe I will change the whole thing.  Who knows, stay tuned!

Brown Background:

So, I thought I would try a dark brown background instead of the black...I think I am tired of the really dark blacks. I would like to add more light to the image I portray through my website.

LOTR inspired

So I was toying with a new color for my website...a lot of work if i did the whole thing of course
but something warmer for a change and inviting. I was looking at LOTR images and wondered at the warmth of the one ring and the idea of gold. This is two of the versions that I liked best. What do you think?

Almost 2 years !

Wow! My wife started her own Blog and of course we added a photo of the family. This isn't the one on hers, but I like this one also, and thought that I could add a photo to my Blog. I can't believe it was two years ago almost...Post-Christmas of '06' ! As I went through the pictures of the kids, they sure have grown. Elizabeth is older now than Taylor was in the photos, 3 years old, while Taylor is 4, pushing 5 soon. The last year was a real struggle for me and the kids at home while Momma worked. I tried and tried to put a portfolio together, while being Mr. Mom. We had some difficult times, and we missed momma. Nadia just put in her two weeks notice though, and will be home for a while before our third child is born to prepare. I work Graveyard shifts at Walmart now though, and while I like the atmosphere and the people I work with, I break my body up with the freight. Not seeing my wife much is also a downer, as well as trying to sleep in the house while the kids are screaming all day long. I'm good until I can find a job in the day that will switch my work/sleep hours. I've been hoping for the local computer repair center to hire me with anything. I have several little graphics jobs I do for them, it would just be nice to have something more steady from them. Time will tell. I have also redone some of my blog layout. Now I just need to get a link to my wife's blog on here. Later everyone. Take care.
Shaun

Wings

This is interesting. My wife has been an avid reader of the "Twilight" series, and has read some it them to me. Not that this looks like "hey a vampire!" or anything, but well, that's why I'm weird I guess...um, so yeah. I also have been toying with the idea of big white wolves (werewolves perhaps?) on each side of him as his subordinates, or maybe white tigers. Had I kept on at the pace I started with, I may have made it into the August 7th Exotique call for entries from Ballistic publishing. What an opportunity that would have been. Anyway, some more work I have been whittling away at. Enjoy.

A self portrait

So I had this idea for a new page on my website with a different self portrait. Its kinda at that "so close you don't want to finish it stage" of its progression. I will probably finish it sometime, but as to what I will do with it...maybe the website, maybe not. :)

CGSociety concept sketch of aliens

Oh, and here is the pen sketch that started it all. Most of these posts are an old project, but just so no one thinks I died...this should suffice for now. I hope.

concept beginnings for cgsociety contest

These gentlemen are some designs for aliens that I did coming up with ideas for the CGSociety contest last May