Dog-gone...now its a Wolf! **UPDATE**

 First off I want to say Jim Stanes did a good job on the sigil designs. Albeit a bit to 21st century logo looking on all of them. The ONE I had the biggest issue with was House Starks Direwolf sigil.

I had to see the difference. So I spent a few minutes in photoshop tweaking just a few things.
The before is HBO's version of the Stark Direwolf. The after is just some changes I did, I felt to enhance its wolfish-ness. Also got rid of those squinting puffy eye.
**UPDATE BELOW**
So in the "better version 2". I still had issues with the ear. I moved the ear down and enlarged it a bit. I tapered the snout ever so slightly to give it a more wolf snout, which also allows the neck to look thicker. Dogs snouts get wider as they reach the nose. I also moved the mouth to end its gaping under the eye more, instead of the originals behind the eye. I may move the ear one more time. I still really dont like that buck tooth look on the wolf. I most likely will change those front teeth.

Overall the ear is by far the one part of this design that doesn't fit with the rest. It's original style by Jim Stanes is so smooth, round and more piglike ear that its just stands out so much from the rest of this wolf canine style. I may go in and make a new ear entirely. Making it look like it follows the same style of the rest of the design. I have a feeling doing so will REALLY pull the wolf effect off better. I've drawn it many times down on paper in small variations. Its more diamond shaped and follows the same look of that "scale fur" effect.

You tell me what you think.

I don't just do illustration and sketching

I do a lot of different kinds of art.
Here's a beaded bracelet. Made by the help of Erika.
I love designing jewelry.

There's even agates in there!

"Morons! I have morons on my payroll!"

Ok, first of all. I have been commiting a no no in my own mind as an artist. Ive been sketching right off with a ball point pen. Sometimes a idea comes to me out of the blue and I dont have pencils around. Sooooo...what the heck. Mistakes whatever...I don't need no stinkin erasers...haha. I just HAVE to get it down and out of my head, or I may lose it.

So. This came to my mind when I was watching a series of new GIJOE cartoons called "Renegades"

I liked the new look of Cobra Commander and his new personality. But I felt he was laking that characterization that really felt "Cobra-ish". I enjoyed the terrible "Rise of Cobra"  Commander a bit. And I loved the silver head mask he would wear half the time in the cartoons and in contemporary looks. Never liked that fabric hood. Felt silly and impractical and would fall off. I liked the sleek look that would hide and protect his face and skull. But would also make you question why would he wear such a mask. I took some inspirations from a few places. I'd be amazed if you could name one *wink*. I was toying around with the idea of making his silver mask snake-like, with a breathing aparatice. He has on a stylized nazi commander coat with this collar that looks reminscent of a Cobra's "hood". As you can see he has some neck armor that articulates. This design is in its first stage. I was just toying around with his profile. But in further installments you'll see a more enhanced commander. I may even go on to do a few other of the cartoons characters.

Lets face it folks. Redesigning the Cobra side to GiJoe is more fun. Redesigning the Joes can only go so far with the exception of military technology on their contemporary USA special OPs service gear. I always like playing with the fact that the Cobra crew was a group of weirdo's/freaks/monsters, super soldiers in cool outftits.

"You DARE bring LIGHT to MY lair!"

This is but a teaser of whats to come for my redesign project on this epic series!

A quote from this evil of evils campy version. This character is, in my opinion, the greatest Boss in video game history. So what if he's had some cheesy and terrible incarnations, it's time to give some fathomable depth to this character. So much untapped potential. I'm putting my own edge to this epic Lord of Darkness.

You honestly think i'd give away his visage entirely right away....no no no, where's the fun in that. Plus, the fact is I'm still finishing the final design. It's all in my head but getting it on paper to look right takes a bit of time. You'll see more of him in the future. In small tastes . Until the new design is finished for an unveiling. This is but a first sketch. He has a certain gravitas I think.

game over.

First post and a piece to fit

So what will this new blog have? Anything a designer can think of. It will allow you to travel through the mind and imagination of me that has a unique perspective on the world. Scary huh? It will have sketches, fan art, concept pieces, graphic design, art of any kind, and finished pieces.

This is a preliminary redesign of an old piece I had done in college, it needs an update. I thought this was a good start to my new design/sketch blog. I've liked the use of birds as a good metaphor for some very spiritual art.


Random note: Does anyone find the word "Flavor" on food products kind of weird. Why flavor something when you can use the real stuff?. HAHA! "Flavored with real FLAVOR!"