Wildcard Wednesday #7

This week, we can expect to see: Miss Thigh Highs chilling in her spacey bedroom while Wellies panic over a Downer, all the while imps prepare to hunt down a corrupt angel.

We Happy Few WIP2*: This is a Thigh Highs-centric journal entry for my We Happy Few journal (coming this Saturday!)

We Happy Few #2: Just when I thought the developers had given nothing about Miss Thigh Highs, I was combing through their updates and found concept art of her bedroom. She sleeps under a Milky Way mobile. Sounds pretty cool to me! (Space core would love that for sure!)

We Happy Few #3: Was in the mood to draw Wellies during my break, so I drew them reacting to a Downer (presumably poor Arthur).

Between God and the Devil: Been working a lot on story and characters this week. This drawing presents two parts in the story. One of them being Bucksnip gathering a gang of fellow imps to take over Blasphemous Behemoth. But it's not just about being the new lords of Hell. This is also a revenge quest after the angel who denied Bucksnip heaven-Admetus.

Beyond that, I'm still figuring out Admetus's character. But all I can say is he is the definite antagonist of the movie. He used to be a Tempter for God until he settled for a position as an Angel Superior. Because of his former Tempter duties, Admetus can change his appearance and voice at will. And not only is his Holy Light one of the brightest, but his powers to manipulate the mind, heart, and soul are great. Oh, if only they were used with good intentions. Admetus is rumored to be hiding in plain sight at Blasphemous Behemoth.

Early Art Surprise!

Hi, M³ here! Why am I posting today instead of tomorrow?
Because I've got not one, but TWO new pieces of art that I simply can't wait to share with you all, so why not?!

Between God and the Devil-Heavenly Hosts: Angelica is a human turned angel seeking Superiority, Valentyne is a human turned demon just killing time in Hell. When these two meet and join forces, who knows what will come out of their partnership?

Inspiration: This was inspired by one of my doodles in this week's Wildcard Wednesday. I tried doing a version of this in my bigger development sketchbook, but I got more success working in a smaller sketchbook than that. These two have given me so much joy and excitement during my breaks at work, I sometimes forget that I created them. Rest assured, I will do everything to see these two reach the big screen and have their story told.

Tools: Pencil (outlining), Prismacolor and Sharpie pens, one Tombow dual brush grayscale pen, and Faber-Castell watercolor pencils (plus my finger for some blending).

We Happy Few-Previously...: We've seen how far the game's gone in PAX East 2016. We've sat in shock at the juiciest trailer yet at E3. Now, as the game gets released in Early Access and closes in on final development for 2017, it's time to dedicate an entire journal to the mad ramblings, theories, and reactions that follow.

Inspiration: Well, based on the first picture from this week's Wildcard Wednesday, you already know why I'm doing this journal. I only felt it fitting to make a "Previously..." page before I go any further. And I'm going to try and not fill up the whole journal before the final game comes out, just so there's room for further exploration. Either that or if I do, then there'll surely be a Volume II to follow if need be.

Tools: Scanned pictures of previous pieces, one Tombow dual brush pen, and Faber-Castell markers.

Wildcard Wednesday #6

This week, we can expect to see: an angel and a demon preparing for vacation at Wellington Wells.

Between God and the Devil Sketch #7: A bunch of sketches concerning two pivotal meetings between Angelica and Valentyne. The first meeting on the left is when Angelica chooses Valentyne as her demon to reform in order to attain Superiority. The second meeting I can't say anything about (spoilers!).

Between God and the Devil #8: On the left's a little sketch exploring the main chamber for the demons in Blasphemous Behemoth. I'm going to keep developing this and other settings over the next couple of days. On the right is development for Angelica ad Valentyne in their past lives. They were both human before they turned angel and demon. I can't give too much information without giving away spoilers for now.

Between God and the Devil #9: An exploratory montage concerning one of Valentyne's defining moments in his life. Can't give too much away for now, but the basics were he was raised by very uptight religious parents, and living with the indoctrination eventually caused him to have a spiritual breakdown. So he spent an entire night sinning (some of what he did were real sins, while others were more "sins").  His actions got him in jail. Despite what he'd done, he still felt strangely absolved and like he was back into God's good graces. But then a corrupt angel Admetus (the antagonist) convinced him that he was too far gone to be forgiven. Based on this and his own shame, Valentyne chose to end his life and join the throngs of Hell.

Between God and the Devil #10*: Just a little drawing of Angelica and Valentyne at more amicable odds with each other. This will probably be one of the key illustrations of the project.

We Happy Few Journal: At the rate that I've been drawing fan art and original concepts, I've been tearing through sketchbooks like crazy. So I got some more recently, and bought one specifically for We Happy Few. I've altered up the cover and plan on doing the same for the back. The first journal entry will be featured in this Saturday's post!

We Happy Few-Break the Tube

We Happy Few-Break the Tube: "Do you think the canister ever wonders what life's like outside the tube? Of course he'd have to break it to find out. I'll break it for everybody."

Inspiration: In the new We Happy Few trailer for E3 last week, Arthur wakes up from his Joy-run reality and becomes a Downer. And it is shown in such epic fashion, with all the right doses of emotion, terror, and disgust (I'll never trust pinatas again!). The developers have come a long way since they first started working on this game. It's going to be good, I know it!
And yes, I know I'm late on the fan art bandwagon for the E3 trailer. I can thank tendinitis for that. But you know what they say-better late than ever.

Tools: Pencil (outlining), Prismacolor pens, Faber-Castell markers, and Tombow dual brush grayscale pens.

Introducing Make Up Mondays!

Hi, M³ here! I have improved immensely since my last post. For now, I don't have anymore tendinitis-related problems-and two days off! Which means I can spend time on catching up on art.
I know I missed last week's Saturday posting. And I really don't like breaking a routine. So I'm going to give myself a cushion, if you will, in case things like tendinitis or life get in the way of art, and that is through Make Up Monday. Any Saturday art postings I miss will show up the following Monday.
And yeah, that's pretty much it! Tomorrow, the new art that was due will show up, and it's going to be We Happy Few themed. Compulsion Games released a new trailer at Microsoft's E3 gaming conference, and it's now become a surprise hit, garnering several awards and nominations. Best of all, the trailer has given a little more of a peek into the narrative aspect of the game, featuring the protagonist Arthur Hastings just as he chooses not to take Joy. I'm so excited to share it with you tomorrow!
Also, I'm really getting invested in my project Between God and the Devil-there's more concept art coming up, and maybe even a finished piece by the end of the week!

Tendinitis Strikes Again

Hi, M³ here! I've got some bad news.
I work in retail for my job, and I go through a lot of repetitive motions using a scanner gun and working the register. I am also very susceptible to tendinitis-I've struggled with it on and off throughout the years. And unfortunately, as you would guess, I'm struggling with a bout of it again.
So there won't be a Wildcard Wednesday today. I'm truly sad about it.
Drawing has become an integral part of my life since I found my dream in animation. Since last summer, I've drawn at least once a day. I draw during my breaks and lunches at work. If I can't draw, I feel terrible. But because drawing is integral to my life, I'm doing all I can to make myself feel better, with stretches, icing, and some ibuprofen. And no matter what, I will get drawings done. I might be able to get some new stuff in time for Saturday. And hopefully, there will for sure be a Wildcard Wednesday next week. But no matter what, art will be made. I can promise you all that.
Thank you for bearing with me.

Suicide Squad-Tea Time

Suicide Squad-Tea Time: Even while in prison, Harley always makes sure to give herself some me time.

Inspiration: I have been looking forward to this movie for quite a while. One of the biggest reasons is Harley Quinn. She's my favorite Batman villain, and while I still don't like that they're making her scantily clad with her wardrobe as usual (there's nothing wrong with the clown suit, people!), I am excited to see how Margot Robbie brings this character off of the comic book pages and finally onto the big screen.

Tools: Pencil (outlining), Prismacolor and Sharpie pens, and Faber-Castell watercolor pencils.

Important News!

Hi, M³ here! I hope you've enjoyed today's Wildcard Wednesday with my original concept art! They've given me much joy and fun during my lunch breaks at work.
I've got a really important update for you all. My sister runs The Night Owl Review (http://thenightowlreview.blogspot.com/), a fun little blog where she reviews pretty much everything-movies, books, music, narrative stereotypes and devices, etc. and she posts most of these late at night when she gets off of work (hence, night owl). Since she doesn't want to use copyrighted pictures, she makes accompanying drawings to further emphasize her points and to add a fun little touch to her posts. But due to the repetitive actions of her work, her fingers have been hurting her, so she can't make anymore drawings for now.
Since I love her posts and the drawings that go with them, I've decided to fill in for artist duties on The Night Owl Review for her until she gets better. Each time she puts up a new post, I'll write an update about it and drop a link. And because she posts them late at night while I'm sleeping, you can usually expect the updates on her posts the morning after she's posted them.
Last I checked, one of her next reviews will be on the 1985 fantasy movie Legend. It's a movie we both know has flaws, flimsy plot, and on-and-off acting (with the exception of Tim Curry), but are still drawn to it for its environments, its secondary cast, and all of its none-CGI, glittery fantasy. I can't wait to draw for that post!
So while you wait for more of my art and for the first Night Owl/M³ mashup, go check out her blog! She recently did a brilliant post ranting about the Mary Sue trope in fiction with a triumphant call for true heroines with real strength and flaws. It's pretty awesome.

Wildcard Wednesday #5

This week, we can expect to see: the three most ethereal, devilish, and revolting beings that dwell in the Cathedral of Blasphemous Behemoth.

Between God and the Devil #2: Just a little character sheet I did of my three main characters (Angelica, Valentyne, and Bucksnip) for the story (which, by the way, I've decided will be one of my future animated films). Angelica is not that small, but she is pretty small. And clearly this Valentyne was drawn before I made the decision to give him some clothes (and remembered to give him horns). Other than that, these are the official designs, with maybe one or two tweaks in the near future.

Between God and the Devil #3: I'm in the middle of figuring out how the story goes and what makes it tick. One of the scenes I'm working on is when Angelica first meets Valentyne. All I know for sure right now is that as part of her training to become an Angel Superior, Angelica must go the demons' side of Blasphemous Behemoth and bargain for stolen souls. The demon lord of Blasphemous Behemoth (still haven't found a name yet) relies on Valentyne a lot because of his charisma and considerably less frightening appearance, unlike some of his fellow demons.

Between God and Devil #4: Angelica, the main protagonist of the film, was once a human like all of us. But upon her untimely death (more developments for that later), she didn't want to just kick back in Heaven. Instead, she chose to become an angel. Not only that, but she aspires to be an Angel Superior, one of the highest ranks in Blasphemous Behemoth. But it's not always easy. Because of her wide-eyed innocence and sensitive heart, few angels take her seriously and laugh at her dreams. As part of her final training to become an Angel Superior, Angelica must succeed in reforming a demon and delivering him to Heaven. After their first meeting, Angelica chooses Valentyne. But will everything go as perfectly as she hopes it will?

Between God and the Devil #5: In the play I wrote for Creative Writing, Bucksnip, one of the troublesome imps and janitors of Blasphemous Behemoth, was the straight up villain of the story. He's not so much in the story I'm developing now. At one point, he did seek redemption and the joys of Heaven. So he went through the Trials of Temptation, succeeding in every one of them. But at the end, the angel who guided him turns on him, claiming that God would never forgive such a loathsome creature as Bucksnip. Wracked with rage and despair and believing the angel's words, Bucksnip plans to take over Blasphemous Behemoth and then eventually take over the throne of Hell itself. After all, if you'll never be granted passage to Heaven, why not go all the way with your sinful nature?

Between God and the Devil #6: A happy little moment near the end. The majority of my experiences with religion and Christianity have been hurtful-it runs through both sides of my family like a disease-and it's made me very Agnostic over the years. But the thing is while I do intend on demonstrating these things in the story, I've found the most wonderful theme-love and absolution-just as inspiring as the negative aspects. Between God and the Devil will not only be a playful romp with angels and demons that jokes about the worst of religion, but also is a story of hope for those who feel anguished and abandoned, or left on the outside by those who seemingly shut the door on God for them.

Between God and the Devil-Gotta Swing

Gotta Swing: In the Cathedral of Blasphemous Behemoth, all demons love to cut loose and have a little fun. For Valentyne, he enjoys his daily chandelier swinging.

Inspiration: In my Creative Writing play Between God and the Devil, I loved instilling theatricality into the scenes. Chandelier swinging was all part of the package, naturally. Also, the music video for Panic!AtTheDisco's "Emperor's New Clothes" is giving me much creative fodder for the story.
I also chose to give Valentyne a little bit of clothing. As much as I love drawing him in the demonic nude, there are just too many poses I want to draw him in that wouldn't work with it. But he's still one slick demon.

Tools: Pencil (outlining), Prismacolor and Sharpie pens, and Faber-Castell watercolor pencils.

Wildcard Wednesday #4

This week, we can expect: Tommelise comes across an elven companion while Nightcrawler goes BAMF!

Tommelise Sketch #1: As I've been improving and expanding my Tommelise concept, I've been creating several different story threads within the overarching story arc of Tommelise getting revenge on the ones who messed with her life. In one thread (Valley of Thieves), she learns there are multiple bounties on her, one of them sought by a wood elf named Derrick Fetch. As shall be seen in further sketches, these two despite the situation find themselves drawn to each other. But Derrick still has to bring her in, and Tommelise has yet to complete her revenge quest. How will things play out?

Tommelise Sketch #2: A scene near the end of the Valley of Thieves story thread. At long last, Tommelise must leave Derrick to go after the toad family (the Harlequins). But as much as Derrick likes her, he still craves the bounty. Having learned earlier that Derrick is deathly afraid of large bodies of water, Tommelise outsmarts him by jumping into the stream and taking cover under a lily pad. Derrick is forced to leave her behind, but will this be the last they see of each other?

Nightcrawler: I'm not a big Marvel fan, let alone an X-Men fan-I've only just started getting interested in them thanks to this guy. Nightcrawler is my favorite mutant of the bunch-from the movies I've seen and the stuff I've read about him, he is just the best. He was amazing in X-Men United when Alan Cumming played him. And now I literally just came back from the theatre half an hour ago from watching X-Men Apocalypse, and Kodi Smit-McPhee was pretty darn awesome too!

How do you know when an X-Man is perfect? When just drawing him during your lunch breaks at work makes you smile.