Funslub - Art School Journey -

[funslub1996]

This week after exam, I immediately start render one of the character armor before Term 9. Gotta say I'm satisfy with the result and actually consider to put this in portfolio (First self approve piece yeaaaaa). But probably gonna simplify background a little bit.

And a side kick for one of my portfolio, still not final yet but getting there.

I decided to focus more on Creature Monster / Animal type and Environment/Prop as my focus of my portfolio. So I try to draw humanoid character in cartoonish/anime ish so I can more focus on Creature and Environment design.

[patrycja.lerch]

This looks great!! And when you simplyfy the background character will stand out more

[Beyon]

your art is absolutly amazing to me dude....i love your confidence in rendering. I have never renderd or painted in my life and have a resistance in learning that skill . i envy your work man.

[funslub1996]

@patrycja.lerch Yeaaaa , thanks buddy.
@Beyon Ayy thanks buddy, try a little step at a time and it might eventually reach. Just like push up, first time its always seems heavy. And thanks for kind word dude.

[funslub1996]

Term 9
Week 1
Due to release of FF16, I only started my study after I beat FF16.

First week is learning Matte Painting, I only started since Friday. Everyday I spend 3-4hour to do one Matte Painting (So 3 day 3 image just like weekly Guide suggested). Gotta say I learn a lot in this chapter. I found that mix brush work very well at background environment and big brush stroke, but not working well when painting nearby object or small object.

Its not perfect, I try speedrun it and the result speak poorly, I notice when I push my vision it will falloff and felt too simplistic or not making sense especially 1 and 3, maybe bad brush stroke but I like 2nd attempt composition.

I try to put the image I used in a clumsy board but its too many and I use Marc method by straight up copy image in Google and paste at Photoshop so a lot of picture will not include, u can see some image got cannibalize by my mix brush.

Clumsy Board

First Attempt

Second Attempt

Third Attempt

So yeaah not as good as the senior but its something. Thanks for reading.

[Inkpendude]

Great work on everything you have done so far! You clearly put a lot of effort when it comes to the studies.
i know you mentioned not having enough time, And hopefully you don't take this the wrong way, but I think having to rush through the terms could be affecting you in the long term.

This may not be your intention, but from what see your main focus is Style, Instead of focusing more on the fundamentals. I think it would benefit you A LOT if you gave yourself time to focus mainly on the fundamentals. Specially on the construction part.
For reference I'll leave this video from marc where he explains those said fundamentals.

and you should definitely spend some weeks doing these exercises too, you are gonna level up a lot.

You dont have to "Master" any of this, since that takes a lot more time. But it would benefit you so much to just go back and train your eyes and hand a little bit more. Now again...I'm not saying that you suck or anything (you are already better than me at enviroments afterall), I'm simply saying that you are bitting more than you can chew.

[funslub1996]

Ay thanks for feedback dude, yeaaaa a lot of time I do wonder if my art too 2D or body proportion look too off especially lower leg its too forward, I always convince my eye and my body that I can do it too lol.
Thanks buddy for the video btw, this does help me a bit.

[funslub1996]

Term 9
Week 2
This week I paint an exterior scene representing my world with 'Calm before storm' vibe. Since it's just one painting so I try to explain my whole thought process.

Title: Moutaponic Valley - A Calm Before Storm

Summary: Presume the world entering industrial revolution, Northric Kingdom experience population boom, underground residential area getting scarce with higher demand of food consumption, the Northric Kingdom search empty valley where river dry up and excavate build a cheap and efficient town with easier security surveillance.
The reason they decide build below instead of top of surface is the above the surface often experience strong wind which easy destroy crop and low breathable element so population are more effective in the valley than top of surface.
V1:

V2:

Process:
During 1st and 2nd day, I spend time on collecting reference, block up, design idea and test out in 3D. At first the idea is that straight view from balcony to see whole town and crop just like block up, at one point I realize that's not how natural valley work because it's often have zig zag. (Pic reference)

Block up

Mood board

So I decide to use 3D (Blender) for easier work around and design the side wall while remain some element from block up. I use my previous working and education knowledge to apply for this since its a heavy brutalist concept.

I build and test in 3D and realized it doesn't work out either because its too low while the reference valley are 40-50 floor high. Sooooooo I raise up and create simple block which can follow Curve (Blender) to curve the structure. Hope the size big enough.

GIF example

Annnnnnd I notice doesn't look good and sway away the main objective which is simple form and efficiency so I decide to redesign again with easier shape. With additional fish eye lense because I never try before, so I take this opportunity to try if its work. I even consider using Triangle for composition because I wanted to emphasize the paddy field which you will notice paddy field are brighter color if put in black and white.

Comparison

Triangle

Now starting to paint, took me almost 3 day to paint (Not cumulative btw) the environment because I stupid enough to paint every single paddy one by one in one layer especially on the left side, took me 5-6 hour, only brain told me in toilet that I can paint bigger color first. The right side paddy field took 1-2 hour. Now I learn that only paint smaller color after bigger color. I do not include some element like entrance to storeroom at ground floor because the paddy its too near when I started paint, maybe I just lazy hehehe.

Mood testing

Empty Valley

Emptiness has led me to questioning if I shall continue, so I populate it to feel more alive. Add flag and cheap prop idea for more busy. Added some of my side character at the porch to establish nearby object getting more detail. Finally, added some detail and clean slightly and not over work it. Version 1 will be main water color follow reference, version 2 I try follow real crop water color reflect by sun. (I notice forum are decompress my image kinda heavily but whatever).

V1

V2

Conclusion: I might drop the idea of anime/cartoonish style for character because of surrounding design environment and prop design. I personally like V2 because it look variety and more closer to ground color.

What do I learn: Paint bigger color first

So yeah that's it, thanks for reading and I hope this can help you all out a little bit. C&C are always welcome.

[mitsuki-youko]

woah your art is so good and wow your in like term 8 or 9 already! congrats

your character expression one was super funny XD

[funslub1996]

Thanks for the kind word, really appreciate

your character expression one was super funny

Years of Japanese manga consumption do wonder, always love those goofy expression.
Thanks bro.

[queeniemp]

Oohh, this looks really good!!

[funslub1996]

Ayyyy thanks, it make my day.

[funslub1996]

Term 9
Week 3

This week the only one I didn't do is turn paint into movie poster, reason is I have a plan in my head but it must only done as final piece of work because it involve 6 character armor, 7 creature design, and 2-3 exterior view. So yeah this gonna take a long time even after Term 10, at least finally have a clear go now.

LOGO
Anyway here is the logo design
I paint the mecha dragon few year ago when I bought pen tablet, back then I bought it just for fun. Until then I didn't touch pen tablet anymore as I spend most of my time in office, which probably its the only paint I ever done until last year.

At first I try to sketch and design follow my Discord name (Right above), but it came out looks too friendly (Look how friendly that snake is), so I have to scrub the idea.

Since this is individual related so I try to focus design on myself and my love of gaming, instead of design in big company style like other FAANG company simplicity design. I take reference from Kojima Production and Larian Studio where they design something related to their work, sketches front view with 2 face dragon, try to vector the highlighted/shadow part (I imagine myself so its not accurate hehe), looks horrible so I simplify a bit, and the result kinda tame ngl.

Text and other graphical design

Finally I complete ONE character that actually work, this one character is process of learning starting from Term 7 four months ago until now. Supposedly I want to paint much anime style but the longer I work on environment and creature, the further it needed to follow the semi realistic art style because they are the real focus on the entire story.

Explain:
Most left HUD will be Name, Title, Description, background will be rank or something.
Right side will be character art, accessories or other description.
I will follow this graphic design formula for better presentation.

Character Introduction

From oldest design to Newest design

With this direction, now I gotta redesign the other character to much realistic approach now. BTW here is some character design that supposed to include as portfolio piece.

It was supposed to be water color approach style but due to I wanted to follow the semi realistic style so it has to put in "Evolution" page where character design evolution.

Yeahhh that's about it, thanks for reading as always. I'm very welcome to C&C, I'm more happy if you like to pinpoint directly the problem so we can learn together.

[mitsuki-youko]

wow! this looks amazing! I love your character designs as well as your gorgeous logo design!

[patrycja.lerch]

Nice logo! Great character designs! I like these colors

[funslub1996]

@mitsuki-youko
@patrycja.lerch
Ayyyyyy thank you thank you.

[funslub1996]

Term 9
Week 4

Starting now will be fully focus on portfolio project, I spot one of the week need for self portrait but will see, not a big fan of self portrait.

This week I spend most of the free time on painting 3 of protagonist sidekick. Which mean from now on a lot of painting will involve them as this will heavy focus on their journey encounter. While there is still got 6 more character to paint which is side character, antagonist and villain. If one week 1 character, should be done around September. So schedule should be 1 week = 1 character, 1 creature as mandatory.

Anyway here is the team member.

Lane Darrison

Madleene Deina

Bacolini Cronox

Psohzleen De

Speaking of portfolio, I was thinking heavy focus on creature and prop design. So you might caught sight lack of character design, in fact its intentional to not overly design uniquely as their uniform will be military uniform so it's much unify design idea. Military uniform was taken idea/reference from Roman armor but modernize a little bit, as Northric Kingdom realize redundant of heavy armor will slow down very much which preferer agility as priority. So when painting, almost everyone hunting has the same outfit. But with the character I design above, it should easy distinguish them from some of their unique feature I purposedly include.

TLDR: I'm lazy to paint everyone overly unique so I take the easier approach.

Thanks for reading and I hope this might inspired you spark some idea. C&C are welcome.

[mitsuki-youko]

these look AMAZING! I love how you did a grayscale copy of the character as the background it looks SO professional!

[patrycja.lerch]

It looks great! I love these descriptions

[funslub1996]

@mitsuki-youko - Thanks dude, I notice it's really empty when putting single character in slightly corner of the page in Landscape mode so I decide to put replicate in grayscale. Thanks as always.

@patrycja.lerch - Hehe thanks for the compliment.