Journals128
Newest
Can I design mecha?
2 min read
Here's a bit of serious thinking for my watchers of DA.
So... putting it succinctly I'm trying to figure out what I want to do for a career . I look at the kinds of things I do when I have the time and I know I like drawing/creating. I'd like very much to have a career where I do this all the time.
When I was in high school I knew I wanted to be a concept artist, specifically a mechanical designer similar to the likes of Kunio Okawara and Hajime Katoki. That's what I grew up wanting to do and how I developed artistically. I know that I'm an illustrator, not a digital artist, so while I can't paint as well as Ukitakumuki or some of my other sources of inspiration, I know I can at least do line artwork like Katoki or Genocidalpenguin and then color in my artwork.
But... Is there a place where I can do this vehicle lineart and coloring for a career? I'm talking beyond commissions artwork, because I don't really put myself out there as much as I should for that kind of thing and would like to find a steady job doing this.
In Japan it feels like Mechanical Designers of anime are a recognized career in the industry there, and if I were there it would be the thing I would be doing. But what's the equivalent in the west?
So... putting it succinctly I'm trying to figure out what I want to do for a career . I look at the kinds of things I do when I have the time and I know I like drawing/creating. I'd like very much to have a career where I do this all the time.
When I was in high school I knew I wanted to be a concept artist, specifically a mechanical designer similar to the likes of Kunio Okawara and Hajime Katoki. That's what I grew up wanting to do and how I developed artistically. I know that I'm an illustrator, not a digital artist, so while I can't paint as well as Ukitakumuki or some of my other sources of inspiration, I know I can at least do line artwork like Katoki or Genocidalpenguin and then color in my artwork.
But... Is there a place where I can do this vehicle lineart and coloring for a career? I'm talking beyond commissions artwork, because I don't really put myself out there as much as I should for that kind of thing and would like to find a steady job doing this.
In Japan it feels like Mechanical Designers of anime are a recognized career in the industry there, and if I were there it would be the thing I would be doing. But what's the equivalent in the west?
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15
2 min read
One year more around the sun huh?
Still chasing the programming tiger. I'm actually having fun with it! But I'm still not near being an industry level programmer, and I think I want to get back into graphic design for a day job while taking programming classes at night. I'm feeling beached at retail, and since I think my design skills are great enough for me to blink and come up with something (or so I feel), I need to start showing that in something other than the video gaming/science-fiction/computer niche I've set myself into.
I found a site, briefbox, which has an interesting premise. These are open design proposals not attached to anything and just there for designers to practice with. They are similar to other kinds of design briefs you'd typically find in the industry. I find it's easier for me to be creative when I have some kind of restriction... being too open with no direction is, appropriately enough, disorienting. I feel like I need practical real-world things in my portfolio if I'm gonna show of my skills to people outside of that science fiction gaming bubble.
Also, anyone know what the design world is like up in Portland? I've been visiting there recently and it seems like a nice place. My lady and I both like the pacific north west, and it would be nice to find a place for both of us up there.
Still chasing the programming tiger. I'm actually having fun with it! But I'm still not near being an industry level programmer, and I think I want to get back into graphic design for a day job while taking programming classes at night. I'm feeling beached at retail, and since I think my design skills are great enough for me to blink and come up with something (or so I feel), I need to start showing that in something other than the video gaming/science-fiction/computer niche I've set myself into.
I found a site, briefbox, which has an interesting premise. These are open design proposals not attached to anything and just there for designers to practice with. They are similar to other kinds of design briefs you'd typically find in the industry. I find it's easier for me to be creative when I have some kind of restriction... being too open with no direction is, appropriately enough, disorienting. I feel like I need practical real-world things in my portfolio if I'm gonna show of my skills to people outside of that science fiction gaming bubble.
Also, anyone know what the design world is like up in Portland? I've been visiting there recently and it seems like a nice place. My lady and I both like the pacific north west, and it would be nice to find a place for both of us up there.
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Current Position
3 min read
It's been a while since I've written, so I guess it's time for an update.
A few people have written to me asking for commissions work but the simple matter of it is, it isn't enough to sustain a living with, so I've discontinued doing commissions presently. I don't have the effort or the interest to pursue these transitory things when I really need something stable.
My last two jobs within the gaming industry were wonderful, desirable jobs that made me feel like I was moving forward with my career but they ended all-too soon. Because of how jarring these losses were I don't think I can do a contractor's career. I want stability when it comes to holding a job and with this economy, in an art field, that just isn't possible. At least, not when I've tried to get one with my background of less than a year's worth of production design I guess.
At the moment I've returned to school to take instruction in Programming and hopefully go through a new open door. It may lead me back into the gaming industry but at least it means (hopefully) that I can have something stable and keep art as a hobby until another door opens up to let me in to pursue my passions. This also means taking a retail job to sustain me and my increasing health insurance payments while I try to learn a new trade.
It's not the most ideal turn of events, but I keep looking at my bank account decrease and job applications fly from my mailbox with no reply. Something needs to be done.
Thank you all for watching. I don't mean to say I'll discontinue my art efforts here, just that barring some kind of permanent job offer I don't think I'll be really responsive to requests for commissions.
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A post-script. I've had requests in the past to license my Axel designs... in particular the KR-14 series. As a rule I must deny these requests. The Axels are native to the universe I made them for... I can't just break off the designs and hand them away. That would make them alien to the universe they were created for should I press on with them for other things.
It would be a thing to ask me to design machines similar to the Axels, which I have done, but the Axel series is not a gallery to loan out individual machines from. It is a showcase of what I like to do best; and that's draw robots.
Thank you.
A few people have written to me asking for commissions work but the simple matter of it is, it isn't enough to sustain a living with, so I've discontinued doing commissions presently. I don't have the effort or the interest to pursue these transitory things when I really need something stable.
My last two jobs within the gaming industry were wonderful, desirable jobs that made me feel like I was moving forward with my career but they ended all-too soon. Because of how jarring these losses were I don't think I can do a contractor's career. I want stability when it comes to holding a job and with this economy, in an art field, that just isn't possible. At least, not when I've tried to get one with my background of less than a year's worth of production design I guess.
At the moment I've returned to school to take instruction in Programming and hopefully go through a new open door. It may lead me back into the gaming industry but at least it means (hopefully) that I can have something stable and keep art as a hobby until another door opens up to let me in to pursue my passions. This also means taking a retail job to sustain me and my increasing health insurance payments while I try to learn a new trade.
It's not the most ideal turn of events, but I keep looking at my bank account decrease and job applications fly from my mailbox with no reply. Something needs to be done.
Thank you all for watching. I don't mean to say I'll discontinue my art efforts here, just that barring some kind of permanent job offer I don't think I'll be really responsive to requests for commissions.
-----------------------
A post-script. I've had requests in the past to license my Axel designs... in particular the KR-14 series. As a rule I must deny these requests. The Axels are native to the universe I made them for... I can't just break off the designs and hand them away. That would make them alien to the universe they were created for should I press on with them for other things.
It would be a thing to ask me to design machines similar to the Axels, which I have done, but the Axel series is not a gallery to loan out individual machines from. It is a showcase of what I like to do best; and that's draw robots.
Thank you.
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Homeworld's Back
1 min read
www.polygon.com/2013/9/1/46844…
Blackbird Interactive is able to use the IP for Homeworld, thanks to the generosity and receptiveness of Gearbox. Now the original creatives are going to have their IP back and make new games. Homeworld has come home.
But I'm a little sad to see Hardware go. This fresh new universe was shaping up to be a worthy successor to Homeworld but give a fresh, new direction. I hope too much of Hardware isn't recycled for Homeworld, because the Hardware IP was pretty neat.
So, a little bittersweet, but how can I say no to more Homeworld?
And I guess this means I should get back to working on the latest version of the map shouldn't I?
Blackbird Interactive is able to use the IP for Homeworld, thanks to the generosity and receptiveness of Gearbox. Now the original creatives are going to have their IP back and make new games. Homeworld has come home.
But I'm a little sad to see Hardware go. This fresh new universe was shaping up to be a worthy successor to Homeworld but give a fresh, new direction. I hope too much of Hardware isn't recycled for Homeworld, because the Hardware IP was pretty neat.
So, a little bittersweet, but how can I say no to more Homeworld?
And I guess this means I should get back to working on the latest version of the map shouldn't I?
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Current Status
2 min read
I don't often write here but since this has been the biggest source of my commission work...
About four weeks ago I got my old job back with a new company. I'm now working for Dakota Interactive as a Production assistant on Fatal Frontier, which is an android/iOS card-collecting game that is about to go a year into operation. My responsibilities include map-making, environment concepting, and now dialogue writing.
So with this increased responsibilities and real income back I don't think I have time to do commissions work at the moment, though that's only half the issue.
The other half is that photoshop is no longer performing real-time. My four-year old laptop is slowly loosing its effectiveness when it comes to drawing, as I have to wait a precious few seconds for the lines to appear and occasionally the tools don't activate right away (turning a hand-panning command into a new pen-line). I'm not typically an impulse buyer of expensive items, and I hesitate picking up a replacement laptop unless I absolutely have to. At the moment I have two commissions on the board, hopefully I can complete them to some degree before my laptop performance sinks further.
About four weeks ago I got my old job back with a new company. I'm now working for Dakota Interactive as a Production assistant on Fatal Frontier, which is an android/iOS card-collecting game that is about to go a year into operation. My responsibilities include map-making, environment concepting, and now dialogue writing.
So with this increased responsibilities and real income back I don't think I have time to do commissions work at the moment, though that's only half the issue.
The other half is that photoshop is no longer performing real-time. My four-year old laptop is slowly loosing its effectiveness when it comes to drawing, as I have to wait a precious few seconds for the lines to appear and occasionally the tools don't activate right away (turning a hand-panning command into a new pen-line). I'm not typically an impulse buyer of expensive items, and I hesitate picking up a replacement laptop unless I absolutely have to. At the moment I have two commissions on the board, hopefully I can complete them to some degree before my laptop performance sinks further.
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