Squirrel Bat

Squirrel Bat (Corynorhinus Sciuridae).

The Gargol, as its affectionately known, occupies the outer slums and garbage dumps of the undercity. It is common to see lower class citizens using these creatures to gamble in vicious fights to the death, this continues to be a problem to authorities in their many failed attempts to shut down the sport.

- Excerpt from The History of Agartha

Skeletor

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Romeo & Juliet: SCENE I. Verona. A public place.

SAMPSON
Nay, as they dare. I will bite my thumb at them; which is a disgrace to them, if they bear it.
ABRAHAM
Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?
SAMPSON
I do bite my thumb, sir.

I was driving along on day pulling out of a slip lane on to the road, checking that there was no one coming I merged in. Only a moment latter I was met with a violent horn, roaring from a Jaguar at my rear. He quickly pulled around me, but slowed down as he passed to affectionately signal his approval... I in return waved apologetically.

The signifier of "flipping the bird" has always existed to antagonize is recipient and in doing so rendered it ineffective to me. Not because I take some higher road of self indulged edict, but I because I am convinced that a polite wave poisoned with sarcasim sends a better message.

Such is still life

Still life painting.

Every artist whether they are audial or visual is continuously learning form their environment. Inspired from their experience of the world around them. All great art and music owes its origins to these references. If H. R. Giger didn't  observe the lizard, leopard and a BMW we would not have the multi award winning SciFi film Alien. There is no shame in using references, in fact it's the best way to learn, from observing. No one just wakes up one day and creates something amazing. We draw our creativity from what is available to us. All that we see, hear and experience influences our creativity. It molds us and our art, making it as unique as our experience of this amazing world. We just need to be willing to be brave and adventurous enough to explore it.

Sorceress

Nothing like a smoking hot magic lady to brighten up your day, but she far more useful during the night... Because of the mood lighting you perverts!

Painting multiple light sources is like chasing a ball down a hill, good exercise, but you can't get it till you hit the bottom. I have always been so amazed by artists that capture light so beautifully. They make it look effortless, even though it can be quite time consuming, not to mention the fact that it uses a lot of brain cells. However it is most definitely worth it, giving the painting depth, mood and a vibrant dynamic that just makes everything so dam pretty. It takes time to learn to make lighting dynamics from imagination, even then its still a good idea to uses references. I for one spent a lot of time planning this piece, and I wouldn't change that process confidently.

Fresh Meat!!!

Pudge from DotA2
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I am a big fan of zombies and the whole undead scenario. Almost every week one of my friends or some random person I have just met will say to me, “it would be so cool if there were zombies, I’d run around killing them all day =3.” I don’t psychologically agree with these desires, I don’t think I could severely maim someone just because they are undead, they are still people with dreams and family you know? Though my fascination and defence of the undeads’ humanity probably has a lot to do with the fact that my parents run a funeral home, I still enjoy a good zombie film or game. The case is so here, I have been a faithful player of DotA (Defence of the Ancients) for many years now. So you can imagine my excitement when DotA 2 was released this year, and this piece is a combination of those two loves. I give you the undead butcher, Pudge from DotA 2

Feng Zhu Environment Study

Mountain pass

I have never actually done a proper environment painting before, working up to it took 3 attempts even still I can't shake the feeling that there is so much I do not understand. The experience is entirely different, you use your brain to make out forms and the colours are even harder. I have a lot of respect for painters that can just imagine landscapes, for me how ever it took a fair amount of research a a few tries to get something I was almost happy with.

Pushing myself outside of my comfort zones as an artist is very important to me. I think doing safe pieces all the time not only restricts but reduces over all confidence and imagination. This painting definitely pushed and tested my patience and my poor brain, but I'm more confident for it and very excited to try again. Maybe not for a while though...

Indian Girl

Portraiture is one of the more complicated but enjoyable styles of painting, with so many things to take into consideration. The human face is the most naturally recognisable signifiers to us, any major anatomical errors can destroy not just the appeal of seeing ourselves but connecting with an emotion or story behind the face. I always enjoy being captivated by the eyes of a painting, it’s so fascinating how something so lifeless and two dimensional can bring about strong feelings and emotional connections to our own past. With the popularity of photography, very little portraiture occurs. It is definitely a fine art and takes a tremendous amount of focus and attention to detail to replicate not just the face, but mood, body language and history.

When I was a kid I loved pretending, living on a big property with untouched bushland behind me I would spend hours and whole weekends imagining I was an Indian or an explorer. So it’s no surprise that some of my favourite memories are from these times.

Hipsters

Illustration to me has always been about attention to detail, hiding a meaning in plan site and telling a story. Surprisingly I always find myself telling my own story in some way. Each time I get motivated and inspired to create something the same process happens even if I go about it differently. This time though I set out to do a surrealist painting about clouds and dreaming. As I sketch out some thumbnails I end up finalising a self portrait. Not only that but I feel to leave the photoshop brush out.

I almost never go for a minimalist style, and I definitely never get a desire to do a self portrait. So this piece confuses me, but the process has taught me a lot about myself and the art direction I have been drawn to as of late.

The thing is that I don't need a complicated illustration to communicate an idea or story. I just need the desire to continue to communicate those ideas and narratives and let the style sort itself out. Hopefully I will continue to develop  and explore other styles, while I try to find that ever illusive signature style.

Astronaut

The Batman