The Guid-O-Globe

Demo Reel

2012-01-06T12:09:00.001-07:00

Since I don't think I ever posted it...here's my latest demo reel. There will be a new one soon, I have some other changes I'd like to make but for now...

"I stop knowing things when I get scared."
-Nora Manning

FEATURE: The making of a comic page (Part 1)

2011-04-29T20:59:00.006-07:00

Greetings visitors!

So, here I am just a month out of college and in what I consider to be my first professional art job. True, I've had other jobs in the past but this one is unique to me for reasons that are vague and mysterious. As I've been adjusting to my new life, I thought to myself that the way I do things might be worth some interest on my blog. It also serves to keep readers abreast of what I am doing as well as gives me an excuse to post artwork that isn't pony related.

That said, I am going to run a small series of posts (when I have the time to update) about my process for this project.

But what is the project? Anyone who is familiar with my work history knows that I have spent a lot of time working on various comics; Newscast, Nightheart, and a project for Packrell Studios which I am very excited about, and that too is what this is, a motion comic. The project itself is unfinished, but as soon as it's done, I'll of course give you an official link to it.

So in this post, we're going to look briefly at my character design for the main character 'Sammy'. Unlike the majority of the work I have done in the past, I was not involved with the conception and original scripting for the project. This one has also had a much tighter deadline than I usually work in. That meant that the character design for my version of 'Sammy' had to be based off what I knew of the story, a vague description and it had to be done fast.

The included images are just a few of the dozen or so pages that went into Sammy's development. Since I was the only artist working on this section, I had free reign to design Sammy how I liked, as long as he met a few specifications.

This process is usually quick, with just a few seconds per drawing, sometimes a little more when I get closer to a design I like. I play with expressions, shapes, and facial features. This -I know- is a little different than what most artists do, but it is a method that has worked well for me so far.

This is the character sheet I designed for Sammy. This one is more of a color guide, and basic reference picture. Again, since the deadline was so tight, I didn't spend as much time working on a full character turnaround sheet for everyone. As a matter of fact, in this case, only Sammy and Tony (covered later) got full character sheets with color swatches.

In this case, it wasn't too much of an issue, because I am the only artist working on this section, and the way I prepare the pages for inking (again, covered later) means that I can usually stay on model without too much deviation.

For future pages though, I'll be sticking with the full 360 rotation model, just for it's simplicity.

Well, thats all for now folks. My next post will cover Tony's design as well as my process for working on a page from sketching to completion. I know this is all something thats been discussed before by artists far more capable than myself but of course, I myself am still learning. And cataloging one's approach to work is an important step in reviewing what we do and grow from it.

Also, I needed to post. Deal.

"They didn't even know why he was called T-Bone!"
>"Why was he called T-Bone, Coach?"
"I don't know, I was hoping they could tell me!"
-Coach and Dianne

Major Updates on the way

2011-04-11T15:36:00.005-07:00

Hey there folks,

Just a quick update today (and some art) since I'm currently neck deep in work. I just wanted to say that I haven't forgotten about updating the site, it's just had to be put on the back burner because of my current work for HMX Entertainment. New stuff will be coming soon to the website, including a new look for this old blog.

Now, I have been posting these everywhere, but in case you missed them, here's the side work I did yesterday.

one the top, we have Ayame from the Newscast RPG as a pony which is all sorts of adorable, and the other one is a pony from the actual show, but she has some of my sister's accessories (i.e. her Monroe piercing and Jack Sparrow tattoo).

There are probably some of you wondering what is with all the pony art. Well, indoctrinate yourself here. I just love the simplistic style and the cuteness of it all. Also, as the series progresses, it's becoming more and more 'aware' that the people most watching this show are adults which has made for some delightful moments. Lauren Faust, I salute you (even though I hated Foster's)!

"And that little kitten played with that ball of yarn....all through the night."
-Kent Brockman

Demo Reel: WINTER 2010 is here!

2010-11-30T14:23:00.002-07:00

Hey folks,

It took longer than I'd anticipated, but here it is. And as a twist, I think this one is actually kind of...good. I know, right?!

This one has the new intro, some of the EvD work, tweaks to the Lady Nightheart model scene, new music, and a few new effects. It took way too long, but it was worth it. I finally have a reel I can at least not be ashamed of.

"Runnin isn't a plan, no, running is what you do when a plan fails."
-Earl Basset

2010-09-26T23:20:00.002-07:00

And here it is, at long last. A lot of hard work was put into this, some of it, even mine. And though it's not quite perfected, it's neat to watch, and cool to see something like this come full circle.

"I'll see peace back on Earth if I have to kill each and every goddamn zombie with my own two hands."
-Bill (Left4Dead)

Fall 2010 Demo Reel

2010-09-16T14:39:00.002-07:00

Here it is.

"We're Sex Bo-omb. And we're here to sell out and make money and stuff."
-Kim (Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World)

More Old-Timer Goodness

2010-08-18T09:48:00.004-07:00

Hey folks,

This one is pretty straightforward. I'm in charge of the box art for G.I. Gramps (awesome) and though the box itself isn't finished, I thought I'd give you a little taste of what the front art is gonna look like.

This is a pretty important piece for be because if you'll notice, there's no outlines. Yes, this is the first time I've ever done anything I really liked without an outline (well , that's probably not true, I'm sure there was something else I may have forgotten somewhere along the line).

Anyway, this doesn't have an outline, and I love it anyway. G.I. Gramps is rapidly shaping up to be one of my favorite projects.

Just do you know, too, when the whole thing is done, I'll be posting the commercial as well as the model here so you guys can take a look at the whole thing in it's aged glory.

My only regret is that you don't get to see much of the detail on the actual box. Sadness.

"In your minds eye lives a memory hard to find, blinded by sorrow. And a cold voice sings a melody, hear it sing. Hell frozen rain falls down."
-Hell Frozen Rain, Akira Yamaoka

Update for the sake of updating.

2010-08-03T11:13:00.003-07:00

I haven't been able to post most of the work I've been doing lately, but I did this in Team Production class today for the commercial and I'm enjoying it.

It's nothing big; the texture for the cartridge in the commercial. There's no way anyone who watches it will EVER see this, cause it's tiny, but I think it came out very well, considering it took me maybe 15 minutes.

Incidentally, if you can FIND a copy of G.I. Gramps: Attack on Alzheimers Bay, let me know. I need one to complete my collection, not to mention that it was a totally awesome game.

Anyway, thats all for now. Just a little bit of random fun.

Oh, and a very Happy Birthday to my mum who, I believe, is turning 30...again.

"Judy: Beyond THUNDERSQUISHY!"
-Crow T. Robot

3D pirate flag and...

2010-07-15T14:29:00.003-07:00

Hi,

Haven't posted in awhile, been too busy. Did this in class the other day and it makes me smile every time I watch it. It's a pirate flag. Done in Maya using nCloth.

This is kinda gross in one part, but the rest of it is hilarious.

To give credit where credit is due, the original video is here:
http://sequentialpictures.com/moviestarwarsepisode3.html

"Thoooooooooossseeeeee BICHUS!"
-Anakin Skywalker

Demo Reel 2010

2010-06-11T23:16:00.002-07:00

Here's my new Demo Reel. I am aware it sucks.

"You just use the Duct Tape and throw away the package, but I read the package."
"COMMUNIST!"
-Harold Green & random lodge member

Sad truths, awesome art!

2010-06-11T22:18:00.005-07:00

There's something calming in KNOWING you're a loser. I am a loser, and I was reminded of that fact today, and now that I am done trying to escape from that simple fact, I have achieved a state of serenity so complete that even a day at The 'Stop didn't faze me much.

In fact, while I was there I did some artworks which I think are pretty cool, so I'm going to share them. I have to say, now that I am here at this juncture...I don't know what to say, but I am going to press on.

This one, I dunno. It makes me smile. This is pretty much how I feel at work some times.

These next two, one of them I did today and the other one was a few days ago-

This one I am pretty proud of. You see, I've always had a bit of trouble with shading. I can do cell shading, and I understand the principals of shading well enough, but the contrast of highlights and darks has always been something of a mystery to me.

I won't pretend like this is amazing I mean, I was looking at the box for Metal Gear Solid: Peacewalker when I drew this, but what is impressive to me is that I did this with a sharpie, no guide lines, no sketching, just a sharpie and reference picture.

Anyway, I like it and I am very proud of it. It's on thermal receipt paper.

The next one is a little more interesting. I did it a few weeks ago and meant to post it, but I never got around to it. I guess now is as good a time as any so here's...

This is essentially the same thing except...well, it's on the side of an Xbox 360.

This is Chris and Jill from the cover of Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition. I was bored at work a few weeks back, and a customer had abandoned a 360 at the store. We can't salvage them, and in fact just throw them in the garbage.

I started drawing on it, and after completely ruining one side, I managed to crank out this on the other. I am very happy with it, so much in fact that I kept the machine that I did it on, though I don't have anywhere to put it or any reason to keep it. Anyway, I think it's pretty amazing, considering that -again- there were no guides and no trial, just started drawing with a sharpie.

So yeah, I did those today. They're awesome. I'm not. I've learned to deal with it.

I don't blame anyone else for my shortcomings, at least, not really. I may yell a lot about who's fault something is, but rest assured, no matter what I say out loud I always blame myself really.

Also, I got a cool MGS bandanna at the store.

"If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy."
-Red Green

3D Modeling

2010-05-27T20:03:00.003-07:00

At the persistent request of certain individuals, I'm posting my 3D character model. It's an original character based on:

This is my super villain character Lady Nightheart. She's the main character of one of my unpublished comic series. She's a regular girl-turned-bad guy whos got some pretty awesome armor.

She made it herself, so it looks kinda cheap, that's the intent.

So I took this turnaround and for class last quarter, I made a full 3D model of Lady Nightheart.

Now, I suck at a lot of things but I suck at 3D modeling perhaps more than anything art related (aside from oil painting). But, I came up with something, and here it is.

There it is.

Here Comes...DR. TRAN!

2010-05-13T19:50:00.002-07:00

Warning: The preceeding video contained some explicit language and HOT DICKINGS!

"Women are crazy...FOR DR. TRAN"
-Disembodied Narrator

G.I.Gramps

2010-04-22T19:37:00.005-07:00

So this is the new project I am a part of for one of my classes whos name escapes me at the moment. Basically we had to make a commercial for some kids thing. That was it, the whole class collaborated and we came up with this season's hot new toy; G.I. Gramps! He's basically a G.I.Joe who's way past his prime. I mentioned a joke I remembered from MST3K where Mike and the robots have a Hamlet action figure with one of those pull-chords that makes the doll talk. Mike pulls it, and it's REALLY long, and the doll recites Hamlet's famous speech over the credits. Well, that idea paired with an old man doll who recites war stories was pure gold.

So anyway, I am one of the character designers for the commercial. If I had to guess why this is, I would have to say that I was either vastly underqualified compared to my peers to do anything else or because I threatened to leave the class if I was put on the 3D team...

Anyway, the class loved my initial designs for the toy itself, and I am going to show them to you.

This first one is my favorite personally. Originally, he was in a more classic wheelchair because I thought the sillouette was much more interesting with the handles on the chair, but when I got to working he seemed to fit better in a power chair (which almost got tank treads).

Ultimately this design -though popular- was passed over because he looked too much like a former president and not enough like a generic war veteran. Personally, I love the face. The expression is great.

This is the design we went with, though there are going to be a few modifications before it's done -we added an oxygen tank, corncob pipe and slippers instead of loafers. I still like this one, though personally I think it's a little too generic, it's also pretty much exactly what I pictured the first time we began talking about this.
What really seemed to sell this one to the group was the pull-string...they REALLY like that pull-string idea. However, I am personally happy again with the face, especially the glasses which took quite awhile to get right.
Eventually this will be a 3d model (thankfully, I am not in charge of making it) which will be rigged along with the children for the commercial which will be completed hopefully by the end of next quarter.

I will of course add more on this project as it becomes available. And now for your viewing enjoyment, the children I designed for the commercial. The only thing that survived to the final design (headed by my vastly more talented teammate) was the curly hair from the middle kid.I hate that middle kid. He looks creepy, unrealistic and the pose was half assed, mostly because originally it looked like he was groping the kid in front of him. He is the byproduct of one guy on our 3D team who will only design realistic characters and the fact that I watched Honey I Blew Up the Kid the other day. Yeah... That first kid on the other hand, I really like his design.

"You cheap bastard! You moved the headstones but you left the bodies!"
-Craig T. Nelson

I can finally close that tab...

2010-04-22T19:07:00.002-07:00

Another cute cat video. Yeah, I'm gonna post everyone I find here. Deal with it.

"It's become the Museum of Brundle History. Do you want to see?"
-Jeff Goldblum

Kioko at the Beach

2010-04-22T19:00:00.003-07:00

For those of you who don't go to DeviantArt, I finished this a few days ago. I like it, I think it might be going in my portfolio for the sake of anatomy.

It is called Kioko at the Beach and features...well, Kioko at the beach. I used a lot of reference for this one, and it really shows in both the pose and the water. I am VERY happy with the way the water came out.

You can see a larger version here:

http://ayameexgoddess.deviantart.com/art/Kioko-at-the-beach-161092494

Is it groundbreaking? No. But it's pretty good and I am proud to have created it.

"Sold Out? They must have run out of Canceled stickers."
-Tom Servo

Totally Awesome!

2010-02-16T15:34:00.001-07:00

I love stop motion animation.

"And the Steves are there!"
-Tom Servo

Bringin Back the Cute!

2010-02-02T17:08:00.002-07:00

This blog I can use for anything that catches my fancy, well, to in light of the material, lets instead say that I can post videos that I think are cute or funny. This one is both.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Also, planning a few site upgrades as soon as I get around to them. Posting some writings and such.

"They say it's a suicide mission. I intend to prove them wrong."
-Commander Shepherd

A Day Off

2010-01-22T04:04:00.007-07:00

Well, today I started the final version of the new website artwork. No, not every page is getting new art just yet, but the main page certainly is. I've been working on this piece on and off again for some weeks now, and I finally got what I wanted today thanks to my new scanner, some old markers, and a sense of purpose. Also, several hours of movies.

So here's a taste of today's process:

The project was simple; for the main page of my website, I want a picture of all my characters. Obviously, this is impossible. So I boiled it down to just the main ones. Sort of a collage of sorts. Whatever -you know what I mean. You've seen them before. This project isn't about originality, it's about showing off my different styles...STOP STARING AT ME!

Anyway, I'm not gonna show you all the rejected nearly-finished pieces because scanning them would be a tremendous waste of my time, so here's the concept sketch for this current one.

This was the one I finally went with. If you can't tell who all the characters are at this point, that's fine because I can. This is just a thumbnail and I know whats what.

In case you were wondering, and are unfamiliar with all my stuff, I'll tell you who they all are on the next piece.

So yeah, this is the concept. It finally crammed everyone I wanted in there and showed them all off pretty well. This is the first time I've successfully pulled this off.

So yeah, I spent all day working on the final one, and I forgot to scan it before I started inking it, so here it is partially inked:

I think it came out pretty good, and when I finish coloring it, I think it's gonna be a nice addition to my current and future web page.

This one is done with pencil -mechanical of course- and surprisingly, no non-photo pencil this time. I have reason to believe some of the ingredients in them were causing my markers to smear. Since I wanted to do this today instead of experimenting, I just removed it from the equation.

Now, as promised, a who's who of this picture. Who they are, what series they hail from etc.

(from top to bottom, left to right by series)
Lady Nightheart (Nightheart)
Dromar Evincar and Eolande Saillune (Eternal Sun)
Sean and Jake (The High Life)
Nienna Orntier, T.B. Ryerson, Kioko (Newscast)
KC Connor, Aiko, Raye McKeever (Tales From the Satellite)
Jimmy (T3: Time Traveling Toaster) Kat (Untitled 2D project)
Kaikoura (Newscast Expanded Universe)
Pickles T., Guid-O-Lizer, and Spit (The Adventures of Guid-O-Lizer and Spit)

I started coloring it tonight, but I remembered I have work in the morning so I had to stop. Hopefully, it'll be done by Sunday. If it's not up on the main page, I'll post pictures of it here first.

Oh, and I decided to learn Na'vi. So yeah. Eat it.

"I know it's her. We were......partners..."
-Chris Redfield

New Arts

2010-01-19T20:08:00.007-07:00

I have had Avatar on the brain lately, and because of that I have been working on the Rai'ku race as featured in the Newscast Expanded Universe RPG (NCEXURPG). Specifically, I have been reworking their history a bit, and also their former culture. You can of course, read all there is to date right now here, but you know, it's purposely pretty vague.

Anyway, like most of the characters I design, I usually revert to Asian cultural influences because, well, I like them. I love Chinese clothing and I think it works especially well for Kaikoura when she's in slave attire though in the future, I will be reworking them a bit to look a little more space-ish. However, I have become entranced with Indian culture -no, not Native American, but like...Indian. From India. Yeah...

So I began working on this:

This is Kaikoura, the slave girl from the above link and my character for the NCEXURPG. In this picture, she is older and much braver and also you see a lot more of that Indian influence.

This is only a quick concept piece I did for fun but I think I am gonna turn it into a finished piece when I get some time.

To be continued...

And now, the exciting conclusion of this post...

Now, what was I saying? I probably should have checked before I started writing...hmmm, hold on a moment... okay, I think I've got it now. Ahem, so what I was getting at is you can expect to see a cleaned up and colored version of this in the not-too-distant future. And with the rate I've been working lately, I would expect it to be sooner rather than later. Nothing like a new scanner (pics on Saturday after I get paid) to revitalize the urge to post artworks on the interwebs for all to criticize.

Oh, by the by, if you haven't seen James Cameron's Avatar yet, stop what you're doing, find a show time, and go see it as soon as possible. No, this is not a friendly suggestion or simple recommendation, this is a direct order. Go on, I'll still be here when you get back, and then we can giggle about it together.

Seriously though, this is the first movie where I have not been disappointed by the CG effects. In every movie I've seen to date, I can pick out what is real and what isn't with a very small degree of....incorrectitude? Incorrectness? Whatever. However, this movie...I just, I mean, I know the Na'vi aren't real (weep) but they look real, and more importantly are the ships and robots. I've always felt that CG models lack a certain weight that practical special effects (i.e. miniature models) bring to a shot. However, this time, I must admit that it can be done in 3D.

This is a huge blow to my ego as a proponent of practical special effects. I have to go lie down.

"Kìyevame ulte Eywa ngahu."
-The Na'vi

The first official day of vacation!

2009-12-24T03:35:00.002-07:00

Well, I have finally completed Christmas quarter and soon, will also have completed 2009. I spent 10 hours yesterday driving through a blizzard to get back up to Salt Lake City, where I am vacationing for the remainder of the year.

I have some projects in the works for my break, mainly, I am writing a script for an upcoming comic project that has been in the works for several years called Darkness Comes. I can't say much about it right now, other than it's the story of four old friends reunited by zombies.

I also plan on updating the website this week. It depends on how well I can get Photoshop to work with my laptop. Historically, the two have not gotten along.

Other than that, I spent the entire day relaxing, I think I have earned a little reprieve.

Have a Merry Christmas, or whatever holiday you celebrate.

"Over? Why my dear, delusional Dark Knight. It hasn't even begun."
-The Joker

OH. MY. GOD.

2009-12-02T06:23:00.002-07:00

I need to make sure I always have access to this, so I am posting it here. By the way, website and deviant art updates coming soon. Maybe tomorrow.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS....HOLY SHIT! Where's the Tylenol?!"
-Clark Griswold

Pie day

2009-10-17T17:25:00.002-07:00

This is a test. I'm showing my mumzie how to set up a blog.

The rhythm of life

2009-09-27T03:56:00.002-07:00

This is a late night post, so I'm gonna make it quick.

If you haven't been here:

http://www.pandora.com

you should go. It's basically internet radio, you enter a few artists or songs you like and then it automatically finds songs similar to the ones you like based on your preferences. I have been enjoying it quite thoroughly for the past few days. There's a limited amount of time you can listen a month without paying, something like 40 hours. But honestly, the service is pretty great so...

If you wanna check out my station, I've added it to the sidebar there. Enjoy.

"Grabbin' pills."
-Louis

Animation Final 2009

2009-09-24T20:58:00.002-07:00

Here it is, the long-awaited (by me) 20 second animation for my Advanced Animation class. I know what you're thinking -this sucks. But you're wrong. It only marginally sucks.

Anyway, enjoy!

"THE PTA IS DISBANDING! YEEAAHHHH!! YYEEAAAARRRGGGG!!!"
-Random Person (The Simpsons)

Cool Vids From Yesteryear and FONTMANIA!

2009-07-28T18:40:00.004-07:00

I haven't decided if I am going to break up posts with different subjects yet, but for now, I don't think so. It seems silly if I have multiple things to post about and something might get missed in the fray. Hey, I'm not so stuffy as Kotaku just yet.

So, thanks to Netflix and my XBox 360, I have now enjoyed the entire series of John Cleese and Connie Booths' Fawlty Towers. For those of you not in the know, it's a surpringly popular British comedy sitcom from the 1970's about a hyperactive hotelier, and was voted one of Britan's best sitcoms of all time. So that got me to thinking; there was ANOTHER British sitcom I used to love on PBS, right before Keeping Up Appearances, and I really wanted to give it another look see. Unfortunately, the BBC's website yielded no adequate results.

So I found this website:

which has afforded me the ability to watch a great deal of the show; Mother and Son (as it turns out, it's Australian-based, not British). Watch the show. It's dark humor, but always good. Here's a teaser of an episode.

And to top things off, a great font site (they're free) shown to me by a teacher, though it's probably pretty well known. Indeed, I myself have used this site before, but I always bypassed it in favor of 1001 free fonts dot com. Anyway, check out this site for fonts.

http://www.dafont.com

"Yes, you'll be closer to the door then, for when you leave..."
-Maggie Bear

We Have New Message Board RPG!

2009-07-21T17:17:00.006-07:00

Hey folks,

Today we celebrate the launch of

The Newscast EXU RPG or NCEXURPG for short. What is it? Well in essence it's a spiritual successor to Newscast RPG. Since it didn't officially 'end' and is still listed as ongoing, this is a way for newcomers to enjoy the random hilarity of the Newscast universe in a more direct fashon.

It begins on the Jachrid Space Station, the starting line for the Jachrid Rally and system-wide hotspot. What hilarious adventures will ensue? Only time will tell. The spaceport is currently open to all who wish to play.

More than anything, this is a test post so we can see that I am serious about doing this.

"You're right, no....human being would stack books like this."

-Dr. Peter Venkman

To All Who Visit This Happy Place; GET THE HELL OFF MY LAWN!

2009-07-18T18:56:00.001-07:00

Greetings, everyone.

My name is Ayame Nelson. You might remember me from such classic writing spots as From The Big Book of Everything, Newscast RPG, and my personal favorite, If You Ever Want to See Your Son Again... That last one was a very personal piece for me. I've never since penned a better set of ransom demands.

So what is this then; another blog stopping up the already jam-packed internet tubes? In a word, "yes". In several words, "yes, now shut up and let me finish". It has been suggested to me that I begin to take account of things which I observe (mostly online, but also some in the real world) that influence me or inspire me. While I have a feeling that the actual content will eventually boil down to 'things that irritate me to the point where I begin hurting others', I remain nevertheless excited about the prospect.

Let it be now known that things not partaining to online will not contain links, as I don't have the foggiest idea of how to link this blog to an event in space time...yet.

So, now we know why we're here, who are we? And by 'we' I mean, me.

You already know my namem which IS Japanese and means Iris. No, I am not Japanese, not even partially which is one of many reasons I usually go by Ami instead. I am 24 years old, live in Las Vegas, Nevada, am attending school, working part time, and trying to become an artist. My hobbies include (but are not limited to) MST3K, video games, reading, writing, drawing, building props, making movies, and ranting. We'll probably learn more about me as we go along. For now, that should be enough to get you moving.

Since this is an introduction thread, I am going to try and keep it short. However, I should probably be mentioning a few of the following housekeeping items.
#1. This is gonna update whenever I feel like it. I'll make it a point to update frequently, but no set times, or dates. I am not going to turn this into a chore.
#2. I don't have a MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, or WoW account. If I get one, you'll be the first to know...that I've gone batshit insane.
#3. I'm leaving the comments open. Comment away. If your comment annoys me, I'll delete it. I don't think you need guidelines as to what not to post. Even though we're on the internet, I firmly believe that some of you are mature adults, and if you're not, go back to pwning n00bs on XBL, okay?

And now, I'll close with a tradition that I follow on my other blog; N.U.S.,

"I am gonna riff away like it's nobodies business...I...can't think of anything NOW, but..."
-Crow T. Robot