Ugh a skunk just sprayed, or died, or both just outside my bedroom window.
Guess its natures way of telling me to go to sleep...

Thanks for the watches, comments, and commissions!
-MercenaryArtist

Hey guys, I'm currently remodeling my DA account.
This may take a while as I'm full time at a game studio now.
Try to post something decent soon...

Thanks for the watches, comments, and commissions!
-MercenaryArtist

Hey there everyone!

September 1st is my 20th birthday!
It really snuck up on me, mainly because I forgot September comes after August.
Maybe if I looked up from my drawing table more often i would have noticed...

An upstart gaming company has taken me on as an intern in charge of art and art direction.
My duties are that of an Art Director, meeting with the heads of the company each week, as well as control over the over all art direction.
If the first project is successful there is a possibility I may become the head of the art department as the company expands.

Exciting stuff!

I'll post new art once I get clearance from the project lead.

Thanks for the watches, comments, and commissions!
-MercenaryArtist

Next week school will pick back up.

It will be a great quarter, three 3D classes and an advanced perspective class.
The 3D classes revolve around making models for game engines and basic rigging and animation.
This should result in animated low poly models of my character designs.
As well as more advanced 2D art using the models as reference.

The advanced perspective will broaden my portfolio to include large environmental pieces.
Teaching the class is Mark Flores, the man who taught me everything I know about drawing.

This quarter will push my work to the next level and broaden my skills and portfolio greatly.

Thanks for the watches, comments, and commissions!
-MercenaryArtist

Break time, YAY!!!

Learned a lot last quarter and intend to spend my break expanding and perfecting my techniques.

I've got three weeks off, to rest and ready for the next round of classes.
I aim to improve: Color,Contrast,Composition,Line Weights, Textures, and Directional Lighting/Shading.

The majority of my classes next quarter are Maya and Unreal Engine based.
So i should have time to improve even after break.

Thanks for the watches, comments, and commissions!
-MercenaryArtist

Hello everyone, thought I'd post a more current journal.

Classes are going great, here is a basic breakdown.

Character and Object Design has been a real challenge and has pushed my skills and techniques with every assignment.
This is the class I'm producing the majority of my current concept work for.

Figure study class is going well, I can really feel the improvements in seeing and technique after the exercises.

Introduction to Maya is a challenge to say the least.
While I grew up using Poser and LightWave, I'm no 3D modeler by any means.
Just not my cup of tea, though I hope to produce a few props for portfolio use.

Survey of the Games Industry is a great look into how the industry works.
We are currently in groups creating game concepts.
I'm on concept art and will be posting some work from the project soon.

Everything else is great, learning tons and really pushing my limits.
Putting together my first portfolio book as well as a process manual for the current concept class.
I'll try to upload a low res PDF form when those are complete, as well as get a personal website up.

Thanks for the watches, comments, and commissions!
-MercenaryArtist

My 6th quarter at AI is finally over!
Finished my last final today, fun stuff.
I have a week off from school in which I hope to be able to finish up all the projects I've had on hold, as well as two commissions that have been on the back burners due to finals.

Pretty sure I passed all my classes.
I have some very great looking classes to look forward to next quarter.
Figure Drawing, Character and Object Design, Fundamentals of 3D Modeling, Survay of the Game's Industry, and Journalism.

All these classes look pure awesome!
Figure Drawing and Character and Object are Tuesday one right after the other with the my FAVORITE art teacher. I herd from him that we get to use digital medias for our concept work in Character and Object (though when I mentioned it in front of others he dismissed it as being uncertain).

Also our text book for Character and Object is MASSIVE BLACK, an awesome collection of conceptual illustrations from one of the leading studios!

The Survey of the games industry is a great class were we study game genres, by playing them!!!

Journalism is with my favorite General Ed/Humanities teacher.
He even made my Effective Speaking class and Writing classes so much fun I never mised a day!

Loads to look forward to as I recover from the finals rush...

Thanks for the watches, comments, and commissions!
-MercenaryArtist

-LIGHT SPOILERS--LIGHT SPOILERS--LIGHT SPOILERS-

This post contains light spoilers describing one scene in the movie and uses that and only that scene to let you know how the transferred the classic graphic novel to film.

Went and saw WATCHMEN today.
It was fucking awesome!!!

I'm a huge fan of the graphic novel and was very happy with how it translated to the big screen.

Basically the movie uses the graphic novel as the script and story board but not in a bad way. It will get you following the dialogue thinking its word for word, then bam something different gets thrown in!

For example, the scene were Rorshach is telling the story of the kidnapped girl and how he became Rorschach. He handcuffs the guy to the stove and if you have read the novel your expecting him to douse the place in gas and throw him a hacksaw. Instead, WAM he hits the guy in the head with a cleaver.

So its true to the book scene to scene and just when you realize its word for word they throw a small change in to catch you off guard.

There are rumors about how the end of the film is different than the novel. That isn't true, it just is more practical than teleporting a giant psychic genetically engineered alien looking creature into time square like they do in the book.

Same outcome, same plot, just different delivery device.
I like the way the movie did it better than the graphic novel.
Bit easier to follow but not dumbed down in the least bit.
Loved the actors too, was unsure when i saw the stills but in action there all perfect fits.

Hope you enjoy the movie too!

Thanks for the watches, comments, and commissions!
-MercenaryArtist

My new quarter just started up.
Loads of great classes,

Sculpting for Animation
Effective Speaking
Genre Fiction
2D Animation
Effective Story Telling

They are all loads of fun!


Never thought I'd be getting credit for reading Graphic Novels like Watchmen and watching old Tom and Jerry cartoons...

Thanks for the watches, comments, and commissions!
-MercenaryArtist

If you for some sick reason want to see me playing guitar.
I've started posting vids on my Myspace and Youtube accounts.

Here is my Youtube address...
[link]

I'll get back to drawing soon, just having too much fun.

Thanks for the watches, comments, and commissions!
-MercenaryArtist

I'm expanding my portfolio during Xmas break.
So I need characters to draw character sheets for!
Human, furry, or other is fine.
I will just being using these to fatten my portfolio and will not steal or use these for profit etc.
As this is for portfolio use, I may take some artistic license if the design needs it.

So send me links to sketches or descriptions.
No need to ask just send and I'll draw it up!

Thanks for the watches, comments, and commissions!
-MercenaryArtist

I'm finally most of the way moved in to my new house!
We just got the internet up and running, finally.
Quarter is almost over and most of the finals are done.
Just got a few drawings for anatomy class to finish up.

Plan to do some drawings once I get a chance.
Have to spend some time clearing out my various in boxes.
Seems in my week long laps of internet connection, my ebay and bank accounts are on the verge of collapse.
Nothing bad just need to switch things around and such.

Fallout 3 was great, beat it and got the explorer ability.
My only complaint is you cant kill children!
Seriously, I'm busy gunning down a town out of shear boredom and I shoot a kid and it didn't do anything!
That really sucks when you are trying to get into vault 83 and have to go through a town full of nothing but kids.
Cant kill a damn one!

Thanks for the watches, comments, and commissions!
-MercenaryArtist

I got Fallout 3 for 360 so I may be occupied for a while...

Thanks for the watches, comments, and commissions!
-MercenaryArtist

Going to be moving soon.
Not sure were yet, just that some time around Nov 21st we are moving.
Our crappy landlord went into foreclosure on the house we rent so have to find another place.

My dad bought another Porsche 928 and it has a new clutch!
Seems someone had them replace the clutch and then couldn't pay for it.
So they are selling it for very cheap.
We go over to pick it up Wednesday.

I'm currently working on breaking away from my bad drawing habits and exploring new techniques.
Especially in color works, trying to get used to working with a color wheel and such...

Thanks for the watches, comments, and commissions!
-MercenaryArtist

Hey, this is my day of relaxation.

I'm taking the day to look at my past week's work.
If there is any feed back you or comments you want give now is the time.

I'm also going to be doodling and experimenting so if there is something you want to see drawn let me know and it may make it into today's doodles.

Thanks for the watches, comments, and commissions!
-MercenaryArtist

Next week is my last week of the quarter and my first year ins school.

I'm looking forward to next year because I'll be getting into the classes directly related my field of study.
Drawing anatomy will be a blast and I'll finally get taught in figure drawing.

I've been on my own so far with anatomy with the occasional, "good work keep at it".
My teacher seems to like telling us the basics and letting us go as far as we can on our own with it.
For example, I was only ever taught how to draw and shade a sphere and cylender.
I just adapted the techniques to drawing characters etc.

As I have a week break I plan to go over my work and refine it.
Cataloging my character and vehicle designs as well as studying what is working and not.
So you may see some of my earlier concepts revamped.
I'll also see about some mechs as well.

That's about it,
later everyone!

-Mercenary Artist

I've gone through and broken my work into three categories.

Colored Art

Black & White Art

Sketches & Studies

This should help you find what you are looking for.

-Mercenary Artist

Every once in a while I would wipe my gallery of work and start over.
I think that I just got tired of looking at it.
But since I haven't been drawing much I will repost my work.
What I have left of it anyway...

I got a call this morning from the people who found my cat after he got lost last month.
I told them that he is just being friendly and he has been over at your house before.
"Well its hot out side and he is hiding under our wood pile".
He probably was just closer to your house than mine when it got hot, he'll come home when it cools off don't worry.

A few hours later I got a call from them again.
"Please come get your cat he is really hot and uncomfortable."
"It just is not right for him to be out in this heat!"
So I said ok I'll come get him.

Two minutes later I pull up and they come out with the cat.
I told them thanks and took the cat home.
When I got home I called them to thank them and tell them that after driving home I realized I live just one block over.

Honestly I was expecting something like, "oh that explains it" or "sorry to bother you".
But instead I got laid into about how cats shouldn't be allowed to walk around and I was a bad owner.

He says he'll take the cat to the pound if he sees it again.
Which is easier than just spraying it with water.

Man I hate neighbors...