Spring.

Spring is here. Oh, how I'm ready for fields of green.

Sneak Peek - turn-based strategy game

Been having fun contributing to the look and interface of a turn-based strategy game in the making. Working closely with programmers flexes a totally different creative muscle, and some technical ones, too! I realized yesterday it had been a while since the compression mode of an image was of vital importance.

Here's a sneak peek at the first round "look and feel." It needs refinement, but the more game play nuances are developed, so will the direction of the art style. For now, it's a start for first-round play tests with simple comp graphics. The goal of the next round will be to be more telling of a back story and the little world in which players will go forth to battle - can't wait! TO BATTLE! 

Mashup: TBT + Halloween

Halloween fell on a Thursday this year, and I can't think of a more appropriate thing to share throw back to than this friendly looking monster I created back in 2009. 

Back in 2009 during the week of Halloween - before "little monsters" had no association with a meat-dress-wearing pop star- everyone in my art class wrote down a physical feature of a monster on a slip of paper, then we drew three at random: one eye, strange physical balance, and fangs.

We were given ten minutes to create a concept and layout, and the rest of the two hours to polish our little monsters. I'll give Gaga credit, I would have never thought to draw something as strange as a meat dress. But I did create this lil' guy, who I imagined would dwell in foothills, clumsily climbing among the lower branches of dense forest on a cool fall night, enjoying a full moon.

I was so focused on my own project, I hadn't stopped to look around at what everyone else was creating. When I walked around at the end of class, I realized just how different mine was. Everyone else had one-eyed psychos with blood spattered, or one-legged Medusa chicks with chainsaws. 

A classmate commented, "Aww, yours is so cute, if it bit me, I'd start to scream... but then I'd look into that one eye and just be like, awww.... don't tear up...go ahead, eat me."

Exactly. Look how he's just hanging down from that branch, waving innocently. Muahaha.

Koi playing coy

First, note to self: when you become rich, invest in koi pond. It's relaxing.

I came across these pretty fish in San Antonio, TX.... at the alamo, of all places! I spent a good five minutes waiting for a single one to swim by me. They must've warmed up to me eventually, about 10 of them swam back and forth by me after that.

Addendum to note to self: don't give in to the urge to become Crazy Cat Lady. Remember you plan on becoming rich enough to own koi.

Gettin' Married!

Throwback Thursday: Sketches from '03 & '04

Everyone is doing the "throwback Thursday" thing lately, so I'm doing my own sketch book throwback today. I remember being proud of the top one because I drew my niece's face from memory (2004), and the second one (2003) because I made use of the entire page for once. 

Happy tree

This is the tree outside of my balcony. There aren't many trees around here, so it makes me happy when it's nice and green. Hence, happy tree.