Calibration issues

So, although the Mountain Druid piece was finished - thank you Halcyon for mentioning the illustration was too dark to view. I am still attempting to work out some calibration issues on my PC. Here is a slightly lightened version.

If anyone else viewing this could give some input, it would be greatly appreciated!  Hopefully this corrected the problem.

Sketch for latest piece

Stone throne. Decided to create character [hopefully] where there are no main characters, just a stone throne.

If a throne per se was made in nature, in the woods, how would it be adorned? Would the moss and lichen glisten? Would it be the bark of the trees that provided the intricate 'carving'. Nature as the craftsman, luck as the designer...this should prove to be fun!

Working with Habitat!

I am looking forward to working with the Habitat for Humanity and LaPorte Co. Master Gardeners Association this year. We have so much space at the landscape nursery - and because we arrange our perennials, shrubs and trees in the retail space like we would for landscaping, it just seemed like an easy tool for the groups to use for helping those with their first yards. I attended a Habitat for Humanity "First Yard" seminar this spring and was very impressed at how organized and helpful the group was/is. Earning a reputation as the nursery guy who says "No" has brought back many clients and propagated new ones, so my hope is to be able to assist the groups when they bring the new home owners in to understand why certain plants go in certain spots.

Should be a fun year!

A few older pieces...

Just to have a few more pieces up on the new blog, or anyone can visit some of the old artwork at creakinfrog.deviantart.com. These are also on the deviantArt site, but I promise to enter in some new work this weekend!

Quickly becoming a favorite of mine, Olaf the Magnificent!  Spawned from the character I created for the Gaming Geeks poster, it has been a tremendous joy and source of character pose inspiration drawing this fellow over and over. I suppose I need to move on soon, but he's just too much derned fun.

Ok, a REALLY quick sketch for a Master Gardener's seminar at which I presented. Part of a powerpoint presentation, this scene was a typical reaction to planning a landscape when faced with such an overwhelming task. Many of those attending were part of the Habitat for Humanity effort in the area as well. I was very honored to have given the speech. A lot of fun.

Just playing around with perspective. Everyone does buildings, town and such and all entering 'into' the perspective. Here I was playing around with expanding the perspective towards the viewer instead of away.  This later became a piece used for a test animation: "Thundery Afternoon" http://creakinfrog.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d31l125 - a collaboration piece with Dan Wolters of Gothenberg, Sweden.

Did not realize...

So, I created this some time ago this past winter, but did not realize the reaction it would get. Personally, I just saw it as a fun piece paying homage to a former pastime [playing AD&D]. It's fine but for two words...anyone want to guess which two words had people very unhappy with me?

Upcoming concepts

After having thoroughly enjoyed the mountain druid piece, I think the next few posts will be sketchwork and quick WIPs just for concept and playing around with the opacity. With perennials emerging, and the shrubs and trees breaking bud - now is an excellent opportunity for reference photos and quick practices!

Mountain Druid Finished

Yes!  This piece is done in numerous layers which apparently goes against the flow; however, much like some earlier work "On the road again" http://creakinfrog.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d2k5of0 - which was later turned into "Thundery afternoon" http://creakinfrog.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d31l125 - the layers in this piece will have some play to them in a simple style animation and perhaps some flute tones and wind.  Looking forward to creating the update on that one.

Below is the druid satyr, crafted like the sheep, in a separate file. It seems easier to create the characters in their own files and them place them into the scene. In the past, this has allowed me and another artist to create a type of animation with subtle movements.  Not sure how others do it, but willing to learn.