Overall I think the experiment is a success and I'll likely be using this style for some upcoming book covers.
September 14, 2015
It's been a good long while since I've made a post here. Between working on my book blog, planning out my next writing projects, and my new day job, I haven't had a ton of time for random art projects. Over the weekend I managed to make time to try out a unique and weird new style that renders people as though they are made out of ribbons.
April 20, 2015
Digitarum's Cover
Creating the cover for any production is a daunting task. It is the first thing that a potential buyer sees and it is what they will make their initial judgments on. EVERYONE judges a book by its cover - you have to when there are so many books on the market, all begging to be read. The book cover is what a reader is going to use to make their initial selection of what goes on their To Read list and what gets left in the dust.
When I started thinking about what to do for Digitarum's cover, I had all of these things in mind. This made the process of planning out a compelling design even more intimidating and it was unclear as to whether I should go for something really busy or favor a more basic design.
While they might not look like much on their own, a well planned design starts with a REALLY rough and unattractive sketch. The first shows off a more elaborate plan that would involve a shot of the tower of the gods along with the village of Taran and an expansive landscape in the distance. The next two sport much simpler designs. The image of the primordial egg on it's platform didn't feel like it would have enough to attract the eye and the image with the tower threatened to turn into the sort of overly cluttered environmental scenes which a lot of science fiction novels seem to go with. The third design felt like the best blend of intriguing, yet clean. There isn't a ton going on it in, but what is there felt a lot more interesting. This seemed like a better representation of the novel itself because it was important to me that the cover be attractive, but not oversell the story as something grander than it actually was.
With the design picked, it was time for an enhanced version of it to be constructed. This involved blocking out the principle figure of the piece - that being the silhouette of Yeb. I also played around with different fonts and font colors. Because the main background would be nothing more than a solid color, I needed to make sure I had thick enough lettering in order to make something really flashy out of it.
Once satisfied with the preliminary components and positioning, it was time to begin layering on some detail. This started with painting over the letters to create a sense of density. I also added in some lighting effects on the i's and creating an early iteration of the disintegration effect on the other side of the title. While it might seem like there is an awful lot of blue here, I had it envisioned to add in a bit more color variation with the whites so as to make it all more distinct.
Here is the early stages of layering detail on top of the character. I slowly rendered the musculature and facial details through painting on different values and blending them together. This was a fairly lengthy process, especially on the face, but the results were pretty decent. I knew all along that I would be adding in some broader light and shadow strokes with an airbrush, so I left the lighting alone once I was pleased with the results. I wanted to flesh out the entirety since I wanted some flexibility with how I positioned the final light effect.
Here I added in a bit more garnish to the title. The D felt a little plain and since we read left to right, the first letter in this title really needed to stand out rather than blend in so I added some smaller details to really make it pop. I also responded to some feedback on the finer details of the body during this stage.
This where the light effect came together. It might seem like a simple element of the picture, but finding something that fit what I was going for actually took a bit of experimentation. I also made the artistic decision to break away from the way that the story describes this event. The book makes the light sound like more of a solid orb whereas the cover depicts it as being a little wispy. This is because I found that having a large blob of white in the center of my image was not only distracting, but also covered up too much of the figure that I worked so hard to define. In the end, I settled upon numerous light sources which all seem to fade off from their centers. I also added some texture by using other brushes which complimented the disintegration effect on the last two letters of the title.
Once I had all the pieces in place, I made some subtle changes. At first glance, this version probably looks the same as the one before, but there are a number of small differences like the flecks of black that I added to the last letters in the title to make it look more like they are actually being torn apart.
In the end, I have a cover image that is clean, simple, and to the point, but also interesting, much like the novel that lays beneath. It's not the best cover out there, but I have also seen much worse. It also manages to foreshadow the contents of the story, but not spoil them. The scene depicting Yeb bringing light into the world is pulled from the very first chapter and it is a fairly compelling image that readers would not have to read too far to understand the meaning of. The lights on the i's further emphasize the importance of light in the narrative and the disintegration effect is reminiscent of the polygons that all things are made from and what everything collapses apart into when it is destroyed. There are even smaller details like the checkered lines that line Yeb's body. Another more subtle reference is the vine running up the D which resembles the strange plants from the Twisted Forest.
When I started thinking about what to do for Digitarum's cover, I had all of these things in mind. This made the process of planning out a compelling design even more intimidating and it was unclear as to whether I should go for something really busy or favor a more basic design.
While they might not look like much on their own, a well planned design starts with a REALLY rough and unattractive sketch. The first shows off a more elaborate plan that would involve a shot of the tower of the gods along with the village of Taran and an expansive landscape in the distance. The next two sport much simpler designs. The image of the primordial egg on it's platform didn't feel like it would have enough to attract the eye and the image with the tower threatened to turn into the sort of overly cluttered environmental scenes which a lot of science fiction novels seem to go with. The third design felt like the best blend of intriguing, yet clean. There isn't a ton going on it in, but what is there felt a lot more interesting. This seemed like a better representation of the novel itself because it was important to me that the cover be attractive, but not oversell the story as something grander than it actually was.
With the design picked, it was time for an enhanced version of it to be constructed. This involved blocking out the principle figure of the piece - that being the silhouette of Yeb. I also played around with different fonts and font colors. Because the main background would be nothing more than a solid color, I needed to make sure I had thick enough lettering in order to make something really flashy out of it.
Once satisfied with the preliminary components and positioning, it was time to begin layering on some detail. This started with painting over the letters to create a sense of density. I also added in some lighting effects on the i's and creating an early iteration of the disintegration effect on the other side of the title. While it might seem like there is an awful lot of blue here, I had it envisioned to add in a bit more color variation with the whites so as to make it all more distinct.
Here is the early stages of layering detail on top of the character. I slowly rendered the musculature and facial details through painting on different values and blending them together. This was a fairly lengthy process, especially on the face, but the results were pretty decent. I knew all along that I would be adding in some broader light and shadow strokes with an airbrush, so I left the lighting alone once I was pleased with the results. I wanted to flesh out the entirety since I wanted some flexibility with how I positioned the final light effect.
Here I added in a bit more garnish to the title. The D felt a little plain and since we read left to right, the first letter in this title really needed to stand out rather than blend in so I added some smaller details to really make it pop. I also responded to some feedback on the finer details of the body during this stage.
This where the light effect came together. It might seem like a simple element of the picture, but finding something that fit what I was going for actually took a bit of experimentation. I also made the artistic decision to break away from the way that the story describes this event. The book makes the light sound like more of a solid orb whereas the cover depicts it as being a little wispy. This is because I found that having a large blob of white in the center of my image was not only distracting, but also covered up too much of the figure that I worked so hard to define. In the end, I settled upon numerous light sources which all seem to fade off from their centers. I also added some texture by using other brushes which complimented the disintegration effect on the last two letters of the title.
Once I had all the pieces in place, I made some subtle changes. At first glance, this version probably looks the same as the one before, but there are a number of small differences like the flecks of black that I added to the last letters in the title to make it look more like they are actually being torn apart.
In the end, I have a cover image that is clean, simple, and to the point, but also interesting, much like the novel that lays beneath. It's not the best cover out there, but I have also seen much worse. It also manages to foreshadow the contents of the story, but not spoil them. The scene depicting Yeb bringing light into the world is pulled from the very first chapter and it is a fairly compelling image that readers would not have to read too far to understand the meaning of. The lights on the i's further emphasize the importance of light in the narrative and the disintegration effect is reminiscent of the polygons that all things are made from and what everything collapses apart into when it is destroyed. There are even smaller details like the checkered lines that line Yeb's body. Another more subtle reference is the vine running up the D which resembles the strange plants from the Twisted Forest.
April 7, 2015
2D Modular Environment
Since this project has been put on hold, I have decided to put up some of the images that I worked on for a side-scrolling adventure game. Our goal with the environments was to try and capture the level of detail seen in a Disney movie while still having the needed modularity of different. The result was hardly perfect, but this is also just the prototype for our concept.
Below you can see the various pieces all together in a visualization of the scene we hoped to create. You will noticed that some of the perspectives don't quite match up and there may be a couple of other things that do not look quite right. All that said, it's not a horrible environment and I learned a lot from painting the individual pieces.
Even if the project does not continue forward, I think I am pretty happy with this pass at creating a modular 2D environment that has a hand painted look. There is plenty that I can do better if I attempt to do this again, but this is a big step up from things that I did prior to this.
Some of the More Notable Single Pieces
Some of the Larger Pieces:
Below you can see the various pieces all together in a visualization of the scene we hoped to create. You will noticed that some of the perspectives don't quite match up and there may be a couple of other things that do not look quite right. All that said, it's not a horrible environment and I learned a lot from painting the individual pieces.
Even if the project does not continue forward, I think I am pretty happy with this pass at creating a modular 2D environment that has a hand painted look. There is plenty that I can do better if I attempt to do this again, but this is a big step up from things that I did prior to this.
March 30, 2015
Digitarum Is Here!
I'M PUBLISHED (self-published at least)!
After months of hard work and countless revisions, my independently written and published novel is finally available through the Amazon Kindle Store. It is eBook only at this point, but an exciting step forward in terms of my goals as a writer.
To check it out, you can go to the Amazon Store Page or the Official Facebook Page. It's a pretty wacky tale that may not be for everyone, but hey, that's what Amazon samples are there to help you out with right?
March 25, 2015
Spring Game Jam 2015
Last weekend, I participated in SNHU's 48 Hour Spring Game Jam. My primary role on the team of five was that of the Environment Artist and Designer. The majority of the environment tiles seen in the images were done by me with the exception of the gravestones and several of the interior pieces (which were done by Alexander Paleologopoulos, Nate Laurin and Xavier Christens - Patrick Ryan coded the game).
The theme of the jam was H.P. Lovecraft so we decided to make a sinister semi-turn-based mystery action survival game that made use of pixel art set at a forty-five degree perspective, Unity, and a VR headset which worked with our programmer's phone. The result was terrifying immerse and the team plans to continue the project now that the competition is over.
Now that I can make a second pass at this environment, I will be working on optimizing the image files, adding more variation to some of the pieces, putting in assets like trees which did not make it into the final build and just improving the overall quality of this spooky Louisiana port town.
Last weekend, I participated in SNHU's 48 Hour Spring Game Jam. My primary role on the team of five was that of the Environment Artist and Designer. The majority of the environment tiles seen in the images were done by me with the exception of the gravestones and several of the interior pieces (which were done by Alexander Paleologopoulos, Nate Laurin and Xavier Christens - Patrick Ryan coded the game).
The theme of the jam was H.P. Lovecraft so we decided to make a sinister semi-turn-based mystery action survival game that made use of pixel art set at a forty-five degree perspective, Unity, and a VR headset which worked with our programmer's phone. The result was terrifying immerse and the team plans to continue the project now that the competition is over.
Title Screen by Nate Laurin
Wide shot of the map
The upper portion of the Town Square
Close up of the Bar/Inn Town Hall and Clinic
Shot of the Church and its Cemetery
A look at what lies within the buildings when the player enters (normally they would only see one interior at a time)
Now that I can make a second pass at this environment, I will be working on optimizing the image files, adding more variation to some of the pieces, putting in assets like trees which did not make it into the final build and just improving the overall quality of this spooky Louisiana port town.
March 24, 2015
Learning Maya Part 1
During my time at SNHU, I learned to use a number of different programs including ZBrush, 3ds Max, CrazyBump, Photoshop, Sketchbook Pro, and game engines like Unity, Unreal, and Construct 2 (though Unity 5 is my favorite). Despite all that, I wanted to add another tool to my arsenal so I am trying to pick up Maya as well.
Why Maya? Well, as an aspiring game artist, I am seeing a lot of job postings asking for knowledge of Maya and I can't help but wonder if my not knowing it is hurting my chances of getting a job in the industry. Another strong motivator is that Maya LT is now a thing so learning to use this tool could open up a number of freelance or indie options for me. The sword below is my first project in this program which was made by following a tutorial by this YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/BrainPoof
This isn't the most exciting or original design that I have worked on, but it's more of the new program that it was built in that I am happy about. Brain Poof's tutorials are some of the finest I have seen online and they seem to cover the complete game art pipeline within Maya including high res normal baking from the looks of what I have peeked ahead at.
At this point, I am only through the first 9 of some 40 + videos so I'm excited to continue this piece. I'm at the part where I have to unwrap it for texturing (which typically takes a while even in familiar programs) it so it may be a bit before this thing gets an update. There will be much more to come on this thing in the future.
Why Maya? Well, as an aspiring game artist, I am seeing a lot of job postings asking for knowledge of Maya and I can't help but wonder if my not knowing it is hurting my chances of getting a job in the industry. Another strong motivator is that Maya LT is now a thing so learning to use this tool could open up a number of freelance or indie options for me. The sword below is my first project in this program which was made by following a tutorial by this YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/BrainPoof
This isn't the most exciting or original design that I have worked on, but it's more of the new program that it was built in that I am happy about. Brain Poof's tutorials are some of the finest I have seen online and they seem to cover the complete game art pipeline within Maya including high res normal baking from the looks of what I have peeked ahead at.
At this point, I am only through the first 9 of some 40 + videos so I'm excited to continue this piece. I'm at the part where I have to unwrap it for texturing (which typically takes a while even in familiar programs) it so it may be a bit before this thing gets an update. There will be much more to come on this thing in the future.
First Post
It seems appropriate for the first post to be an introduction of sorts. So first off, a little about me:
I am a graduate from Southern New Hampshire University with a BA in Game Design and Development. Since Graduation I've been working as a Permissions Coordinator by day and pursuing my passions at night. I am into writing, art, animation, project management, and of course, games and gaming.
I don't have a whole bunch of time in my schedule to do all the creative work that I want to do and I find that a lot of the time, I hop back and forth between projects in order to keep all my skills sharp. This blog will serve as a home for all the random things I am currently working on so long as they are not confidential in some way.
I will be posting up things I am trying out, things I have improved upon, current projects, works that I have published somewhere/somehow (particularly writing pieces), and maybe even just things that I like. I already have a portfolio site which can be found at http://derekbailey.me which is a more formal place for me to post up what I think the best of my work is, so this blog is going to be a place for...well for everything else. I think it will be beneficial for me, and hopefully it will be entertaining for someone.
I am a graduate from Southern New Hampshire University with a BA in Game Design and Development. Since Graduation I've been working as a Permissions Coordinator by day and pursuing my passions at night. I am into writing, art, animation, project management, and of course, games and gaming.
I don't have a whole bunch of time in my schedule to do all the creative work that I want to do and I find that a lot of the time, I hop back and forth between projects in order to keep all my skills sharp. This blog will serve as a home for all the random things I am currently working on so long as they are not confidential in some way.
I will be posting up things I am trying out, things I have improved upon, current projects, works that I have published somewhere/somehow (particularly writing pieces), and maybe even just things that I like. I already have a portfolio site which can be found at http://derekbailey.me which is a more formal place for me to post up what I think the best of my work is, so this blog is going to be a place for...well for everything else. I think it will be beneficial for me, and hopefully it will be entertaining for someone.
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