FIRE BOUND

Hello loyal followers.  Sorry for the absence. This past month has been quite hectic.  Work has been coming in, work has been cancelling, and a ton of drawing.  In the end it has been a blast and I have enjoyed all of it and learned a thing or two along the way.  Its always nice to look at  work and feel proud of that image once its completed.  I have learned to live that up because in a week,  my eyes will not have the same opinion.  My eyes where born to nit pick and that is what they'll do.  It is a major annoyance, but in the end, I learn more and more from it.  So in the the next piece, I would have learned from the mistakes that wouldn't have normally been picked out when looking at that image right on completion.  So, to my eyes.  I hate you for being so nit picky, but thank you for that as well. 

In this update, I have some more contracts and some personal projects.  There are a few images I am really proud of, but because of the contracts, I am not allowed to use them in a portfolio or to advertise myself until the product they are being used for comes out.  So you guys are going to have to wait a few months.  Enjoy!

This image started as a practice to hone up on my fire coloring skills. It proved itself to be much more when someone with spectacular taste requested to pay for a copy.  So I wrote up a quick contract. Yep. I am satisfied. 

This one ended up having the opposite happen.  It started out as a commission but was dropped half way due to inadequate funding.  After it was dropped, I still wanted to work on it so I pressed forward.  I think this is one of the most enjoyable pictures I have worked on in quite a while.

 Its raining robot dragons.  I know our hero will make it out alive, but how is a very good question. She probably has a trick or two in those satchels or hers.

Beware the dreaded Samsquanch. 

Here are some more commissions for Harsh Realities.  By the way. Their kickstarter for the Sixcess world book did phenomenally.  I believe it was two grand over their goal.  Major props to those fellows.  I cant wait to see the final project.  They have another kickstarter in the works for another one of their books called Elfwood.  Ill keep you guys in the loop.  In fact, these next two images are for that book.  Didn't notice that until I looked at my monitor to check for spelling errors.

A tree city.  If I was an elf, I would live there.

An underground Elf city.  If i was an elf, I would also live here.  Though, I think all this purple would have me seeing all and only purple.  Purple vision.

A pirate captain doing what she does best. Multitasking.

"Your looking a little thin there Frank.  Want a burger?"

An elf and an untimely sensation of vertigo

Hello Fellows. Im Back!!!

Man, it has been a while. Sorry about that. I have been really busy this past month with art stuff and junk.  Also, there is a kickstarter for a book that i did illustrations for. Check it out, and if you want, pledge some.  Its worth it.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1299187159/sixcess-core-rulebook

Also, some friends and myself are starting up a monster fighting blog. Its in the works right now, but give it a few weeks and it will be awesome!  

 http://monster-brawl.tumblr.com/

Here is some of the work that I have stockpiled for this moment.  I hope it blows your minds.  

Inked comission

Here are some commissioned images from Harsh Realities Publishing.

 Ariel duel between a cowboy riding a dragon and a WW1 flying ace riding a giant eagle.

  Post Apocolyptic Wonderland

Space Battle

This one was two seperate commissions. This is how they will be presented in the book.

 Here is a monster that I have created for the collaborative monster blog.

I call him Snuggles.

I hope you enjoyed looking at my work. If you are looking for an artist to feed and throw money at, why not let it be me:)  Check out my website and contact me!

www.danielwoodart.com

Liquid Fire

There are a couple of things in this post.  The first two are related to a new comic that I will be starting rather soon. The first being a action shot of the main character, and the second is full of concept art for the three primary players in this small comic.

This ink drawing was created in Northern VA after a few hours of driving around in traffic. 

That frustration put me in a bad place and i just wanted to work on a dark picture. Introducing, Thrask the Hunter.

I Travel Through, Towards the Heart of Darkness

Here is a quick update. Just finished a sci-fi/ post apocalyptic/ mechanical jungle picture.  As usual, I like to incorporate a bit of a narrative into my scenery pieces, and this one is not lacking that, although its a bit straight forward.  Anyways, enjoy!

Beneath the vaults of shadow-haunted tombs, I see the fire that burns like the black heart of night.

Here are the colors for the Goatwave and Conana pictures.  I also threw in a little black and white image as well.

 I really love doing these landscape pictures.  Not only are they easy to work on, it adds soo much depth and story to it as well. Makes the viewer wonder what the deal is with the object in the background. in this case, its the massive ruins in the back. Of course their cursed. Has to be. Its standard.

"Do not let your eyes linger young princess. It is nothing but forgotten memories, dust, and shadows.
Evil things that dwell in these dark and silent places."

GOATSTORM!!! And CONANA!!!!!

Here is a long awaited update.  Its full of a bunch of inks from various projects.  

This was absolutely one hundred percent fun. Its also been a long time since I drew ant goat-men, so it was nice go and draw something new(ish).

This image was an ink that i worked on in my free time.  There wasn't too much of a goal that i wanted to reach here.  I just wanted to draw a female warrior/ barbarian, and than make it gritty.  Interesting fact. One of the best ways to make something gritty, is to have the character standing in a pool of their own blood.

These two below are a pair of character concepts from a small contract.  It was fun to do because i was pretty much given free reign over the concepts.  There where a few little tweaks, but in the end it wasn't so bad.  When the imges where sent, the little slime guy was not included.

Space pirate concept. Two of her limbs are robotic.  Neat little addition.  Adds a little bit of story to her as well.

Space Soldier Concept. Big gun, hates googly eyed goo piles

The Return of a Banished Son or Happy Winter Village

This started off as just an ink that i worked on in my spare time.  Once it was finished, i decided to color it.  I think it turned out pretty well.  That happy town should have invested in some walls.

Death

Well here it is.  The story is finished as well as all of the images.  This was a fun and gratifying project to work on. It allowed me to practice on a new style of inking as well as working 

more detail intensive.  

I really enjoyed coloring this picture.  All those incense bright colors really add to the energy of the action of breaking the enchanted chains. I have to admit.  I also really like working with purple.  

If you want to read the story leading up to this image, scroll down a post or two to the inks.

Dust and smoke fill the valley and linger there for hours.  The priestess returns to look for the knight, searching tirelessly through the debris of chains and stone.  Finally the knight is found lifelessly seated on one of the ruined obelisks with the hammer leaning against him and his helmet at his feet.  The dragon is nowhere to be seen. Once the chains had broken and his freedom has been regained, he offered his blessing to the dying knight and left before the dust clouds dispersed.

The knight had fulfilled his promise.

Freeing a Dragon

Alright.  Here are some colors for you all.  It is probably past the half way point.  I need to finish up some basic color spaces, and than get more into the details.  I kind of got a little too carried away with the sky.  I am going to push it aside for now and catch up with the rest of the image.

Newfound Strength for the Dying

Here are some updates.  The second image posted will be colored once all of the images for this story are finished.  Their are either two or just one left.

Here is a summary for each image.

 

The two companions return to the valley where the dragon is imprisoned.  The knight, with barely enough strength to stand or walk, is aided by the priestess, who hauls him towards the closest chain.  The dragon warns them of the dangers once the hammer hits the chains, and the priestess bitterly retreats to a safe distance.

Summoning all the strength that remains, the knight brings the massive hammer down, smashing into the enormous chains with an ear shattering thunderclap.  Immediately, the shock wave from the strike ripples through each and every link restraining the dragon, causing them to crack and explode violently, As the chains erratically whip back and forth in their death throws, they strangle and crack the obelisks they are tied to.  In a matter of moments, the dragons prison is turned to rubble.

From the Highest Tower to the Darkest Forest. A Peaceful Field Brings No Comfort

Here are some follow up images for the current story I am working on.

Picking up the story where we left off. The knight and the priestess are ambushed by spirits in an old cathedral. With the wisdom he had acquired from the dragon, the knight is able to defeat them with a fearless and pure heart. Searching through the cathedral, the adventurers do not find what they are looking for. Instead, they learn of another possible location for the artifact the knight is seeking. A long forgotten ancient temple city high in the mountains.


After weeks of travel, they make it to the abandoned temple city still standing tall after a thousand years of neglect. Several days pass until the knight and the priestess find the artifact they have been questing for. A massive hammer with the ability to disenchant and destroy magical items. Such as the chains that bind the dragon. The two leave the old city and head back down the mountain.


As the two companions make their way back to the valley where the dragon waits, two arrows fly out of the darkness of the forest hitting the knight and piercing his armor. He falls off his horse mortally wounded. Two bandits emerge, thinking that they have dealt with their only threat. When they get close enough, the priestess steals a sword from one of them, and runs him through, pinning him lifelessly to a tree. The other is trampled to death by the adventurers horses.


The priestess does all she can to mend the knight, but the wounds are too severe. Both know that the wounds are fatal. The knight and the priestess press on. He must fulfill his part of the deal. He must free the dragon before he succumbs to the icy hands of death. They travel for days, passing through beautiful wheat fields. overlooked my numerous towering windmills. It is a beautiful scene, but death is in the air. Vultures can sense it, and begin to trail the two companions.

Shadows in the Dark

This is a quick post. This image is the next piece in the Knight/Dragon story. While looking for a way to free the dragon from its enchanted shackles, the knight meets a priestess who claims to know what he is looking for. They travel to an old and neglected cathedral, only to be ambushed by a horde of ravenous specters.

"Dragon, I come Seeking your Council," or, "Im Going To Need A Bigger Spear"

A couple days ago, I had a sudden urge to do a landscape piece of a steep valley and a character on a horse. As more thought went into it, a dragon was added into the mix. At the time, I wanted to get back into ink washes, so the plan was to make a line drawing with a wash over top.

This is one of the first sketches made for this image, and by far the most established. I was testing out a couple things on this sketch. Mainly just getting back into ink washing.

Here is the final ink. Looks a lot different. After a simple pencil layout, I had a different idea which changed most of the expected drawing. The story behind the piece established itself more as well. The dragon if a prisoner, shackled by unbreakable magical chains for hundreds of years. A knight, hearing tales of the wise dragon, seeks it out. He confronts the dragon, asking for council and knowledge in return for its eventual freedom. Time passes, the dragon speaks, the knight becomes wiser, and when he is sated, rides off to fulfill his promise. The knight seeks a way to destroy the enchanted chains binding the dragon.

Will there be a part two, who knows. Maybe. I really like how this image turned out. It would be fun to draw and ink another one like this.

In the end, most of my goal was reached. I drew a rider on a horse and a rocky valley. But never got around to that ink wash. I am kind of happy without it. I feel that the final image looks pretty strong the way it is.

Comic Inks

Here are the inks for part one of my comic project. So, the original goal for this first part was to have it be around eight pages. Kind of missed that mark by six pages. I strongly believe that restricting it to eight pages would have cramped the story too much, so im not loosing any sleep over it. Except for the sleep lost while working on those extra pages. Har har har. Anyways, I finished them a little while back, and am just about finished with the edits for the text. So there will probably be another post with the final uncolored comic in a little bit. Until then, enjoy the inks.