Ghost in the Shell pt 2

Here's the finished picture. Some scum-bag blur and other shortcuts in there, I don't like that stuff but it does speed things up a lot.

Ghost in the Shell

Here's a little bit of work-in-progress fan art stuff. It's from a sequence in the Ghost in the Shell manga that's a bit different in the anime. Remember that bit in the film where Togusa and Batou are tracking that garbage-truck guy who's had his brain haxored? Course you do! In the comic they got a fuchikoma backing 'em up that I thought was pretty cool. Everyone likes fuchikomas, right?
I painted in an environment behind these guys that I'll post here soon.

I Like ASIMO

ASIMO is rad. There's a bunch of humanoid robots around now and although they're all choice I still think he's my favourite. You seen those vids where he falls down the stairs? Boy that stuff makes me wince! I really feel for the lil' dude. The way he waits at the bottom of the steps building up his courage before his ill-fated ascent I find quite endearing. It's cool how he eyeballs the crowd as he's ambling up there too.
What is it that makes ASIMO so appealing, to me at least? He has none of the elements that film-makers and designers slap on anything that needs to emote. There's no giant pupil puppy-dog eyes or over-animated eyebrows or colossal head, just that cold-ass glossy black visor. But he steals hearts like crazy!
I reckon, and this sounds pretty weird, is that the secret is in the hips. That nervous side-to-side weight shifting and the cautious little steps, organic cues that we see every day in lower forms of bipedal locomotion, i.e. us, tricks us into reading life in that bevel-edged body. What a bizarre ramble this turned out to be.
I did these sketches in about 20 mins while looking at this cool little ASIMO poseable figure I bought off the internets. Cheers world wide web!

Skate of Emergency!

Here's a poster I just finished for an upcoming roller derby series. The brief was post-apocalyptic Wellington with tough chicks on rollerskates. I was gonna draw that anyway!
I did it originally in black and white and tried to do it real Akira-style. I quickly realised I was no Otomo-san and reverted to my olde wobbly hand technique. I still snuck Kaneda's bike in there amongst the rubble though. I got lil' CJ from District 9 in there too but you probably can't see him at this resolution.
Once it was finished I got word that they wanted it in colour so I did this quick hack-job. Should be a fun show, chicks in skirts roughing each other up while dudes holler and drink beer? I'll see you there!

Richard Scarry - Part Two!

Well that took a bit longer to get to than I thought!
I'd nearly finished it when I says to myself I says "that Dingo looks like a drive-it-like-you-stole-it kind of guy". I scuffed up all the shiny paint and added paint chips and cracked glass.
I assume Mr Scarry was inspired by the E-type Jaguar in the design of this car so I brought in a few details from that too, not because I think it improves it but just because I like drawing that stuff.
So! I really don't know why I did this one. It was fun and I guess I just wanted to pay a little respec' to one of my earliest inspirations. That's a plenty good reason I guess!

Richard Scarry - Part One!

I think it's safe to say Richard Scarry's books have had a very long term affect on me. Man I used to read the hell out of 'em! The detail and manic energy of of his illustrations have stuck with me all these years and still have an influence on my work/scribbles. All those cars with their tiny wheels that never seem to touch the ground, crashing into everything and always involved in chases and hijinx... great stuff!
I couldn't find that much info about the guy, strangely rotten.com has the best stuff I came across. It's an interesting read!
The car I liked best of all was Dingo Dog's red roadster with it's hungry looking grille. Today I did this little doodle of it that I'm about to paint up real quick-like, I'll put the finished version up tomorrow if I get a chance to do it tonight.