NBM IV

Wrapping up the popular series, Nuthin’ But Mech IV perfectly complements the thrilling volumes that preceded it, and celebrates how far artistry and technology can advance in just a few years. This final installment features artists from all manner of industries, and their remarkable works illustrate a vast range of tones and themes. You'll also learn about the creators themselves through their accompanying biographies, which add a personal―sometimes comedic―touch.


designstudiopress.com
nuthinbutmech.blogspot.com

photographic reference

Bodies in Motion is an ongoing photographic project that aims to document the power, beauty and possibility of the human body in motion. Scott Eaton began shooting photography for Bodies in Motion in 2009 to support his renowned Anatomy for Artists course. Inspired by the work of Eadweard Muybridge and discovering many artistic lessons studying his plates, Scott photographed high-resolution sequences of athletes and dancers in motion. These photos helped deepen his own understanding of form, anatomy, and animation. The project has developed over subsequent years and the Bodies in Motion library is now online to share these images with current and future generations of artists.

http://www.scott-eaton.com
https://www.bodiesinmotion.photo

"UP" Poster Process

Kevin Tong is an illustrator famous for his poster art. His youtube channel houses many process videos; traditional and vector. His work is stunning and it is a real treat to watch their construction

available now

Fifty-four artists contribute to this amazing third installment of the popular Nuthin’ But Mech book series, based on the eponymous blog started by designer Lorin Wood in 2009 to create a place for his friends, colleagues, and acquaintances to share a common passion: robots. The popularity of the blog led to the publication of the first Nuthin’ But Mech book in 2012 with the work of 31 artists, followed by the highly anticipated second volume in 2014 with 40 artists. Nuthin’ But Mech 3 is the biggest volume to date, with new and returning contributors, and it is dedicated to the memory of contributing artist Francis Tsai, a remarkable talent and inspiring figure who passed away from Lou Gehrig’s disease in early 2015. In addition to featuring exceptional portraits that Tsai created using eye-tracking software, mech fans will appreciate the breadth of high-quality digital paintings, 3D models, as well as traditional works, by some of the most prominent artists and designers working in the entertainment industry today. In appreciation of Francis Tsai’s contributions to the artistic community, proceeds from the sales of this book will be donated to his family.

Available now from Amzon and DesignStudioPress

Big Bad World of Concept Art

The Big Bad World of Concept Art for Video Games: An Insider’s Guide for Students is a comprehensive book that gives aspiring artists an honest, informative, and concise look at what it takes to do just that. Author Eliott Lilly uses his own student work as a teaching tool along with personal experiences to help you on your journey. From finding the right school and getting the most out of your education, to preparing your portfolio and landing your first job, the advice and strategies Eliott offers are organized for easy reference and review. The book also features an extensive list of resources that students will find useful, as well as interviews with renowned concept artists David Levy, Sparth, Stephan Martiniere, Ben Mauro, and Farzad Varahramyan, all offering their own invaluable advice.

Other topics covered:

·         What a concept artist really does: misconceptions debunked

·         The harsh realities of the industry explained

·         How to develop a strong work ethic

·         Things to do before graduation to secure a job

http://bigbadworldofconceptart.com/
tures available at AMAZON

Moebius: 18 tips for comics artists

"A brief manual for cartoonist"

1. when you draw you must clean yourself of deep feelings (hate, happiness, ambition, etc)

2. it's important to educate the hand, attain obedience, to full fill ideas. but careful with perfection, to much, as well as too much speed, as well as their opposites are dangerous. to much looseness, instant drawings,aside from mistakes, there's no will of the spirit, only the bodies.

3. perspective is of sum importance, it;s a law of manipulation in the good sense, to hypnotise the reader. it;s good to work in real spaces, more that with photos, to exercise our reading of perspective.

4. another thing to learn with affection is the study of the human body, the positions, the types, the expressions, the arquitecture of bodies, the difference between people. the drawing is very different when it come to a male or a female, because in the male you can change a little the lines, it supports to have some impressions. but with the female precision must be perfect, if not she may turn ugly or upset. then no one buys our book! so for the reader believes the story, the characters must have life and personality of their own, gestures that come from character, from their diseases; the body transforms with life and there's a message in the structure, in the distribution of fat, in every muscle, in every fold of the face and body. it;s a study of life.

5. when you make a story you can start with out knowing everything, but making notes (in the actual story) about the particular world of that story. that way the reader recognizes and becomes interested. when a character dies in a story, and that character has no story drawn in his face in his body, in his dress, the reader does not care, there's no emotion. and then the editors say: "your story is worthless, there's only one dead guys and I need 2) or 30 dead guys for it to work" but that is not true, if the dead guy, or wounded guy or sick guys or whomever is in trouble has a real personality that comes from study, from the artists capacity for observation, emotion will emerge (empathy). In the study you develop an attention for others, a compassion, and a love for humanity. it's very important for the development of an artist, if he wants to be a mirror, it must contain inside it;s consciousness the whole world, a mirror that sees everything. 

6. jodorwosky says I don't like drawing dead horses. it;s very difficult. it's very difficult to draw a body that sleeps, that's abandoned, because in comics you're always studying action. it;s easier to draw people fighting thats way Americans always draw superheroes. it;s more difficult to draw people talking, because there are a series of movements, very small, but that have a significance, and that accounts for more, because it need love, attention to the other, to the little things that speak of personality, of life. the superheores have no personality, all of them have the same gestures and movements (pantomimes ferocity, running and fighting) 

7. equally important is the clothing of the characters, the state they;re in, the materials, the textures are a vision of their experiences, of their lives, their situation in the adventure, that can say a lot with out words. In a drew there's a million folds, you must chose 2 or 3, but the good ones. 

8. the style, the stylistically continuity of an artist is symbolical, it can be read like the tarot. I chose as a joke the name Moebius, when I was 22, but in truth there's a meaning to that. if you bring a t shirt with Don Quixote, that speaks to me of who you are. in my case, I give importance to a drawing of relative simplicity, that way subtle indications can be made. 

9. when an artist, a drawing artist goes out on the street, he does not see the same things other people see. what he sees is documentation about a way of life, about people. 

10. another important element is composition. the composition on our stories must be studied, because a page, or a painting, is a face that looks towards (faces) the reader and that speaks to him. it's not a succession of panels with out meaning. there's panels that are full and some that are empty, others that have a vertical dynamic or a horizontal one, and on that there is intention. the vertical excites (cheers), the horizontal calms, an oblique to the right , for us westerners, represents the action heads towards the future, and oblique to the left directs action toward the past. points (points of attention) represent a dispersion of energy. something places in the middle focalises energy and attention, it concentrates. these are basic symbols for reading, that exercise a fascination, a hypnosis. you must have a consciousness about rhythm, set traps for the reader to fall on to, and if he falls, and gets lost and may move inside them with pleasure because there's life. you must study the great painters, the ones that speak with their paintings, of any school or period, that does not matter, and they must be seen with that preoccupation for physical composition, but also emotional. in what way the combination of lines on that artist touches us directly in the heart. 

11. narration must harmonize with the drawing. there must be a visual rhythm from the placement of words, plot must correctly maneuver cadence, to compress or expand time. must weary of the election and direction of characters. use them as a film director and study all different takes. 

12. careful with the devastating influence of north american comics in mexico, they only study a little anatomy, dynamic composition, the monsters, the fights, the screaming and teeth (grin). I like them as well, but there are many other possibilities that must be explored. 

13. there's a connection between music and drawing. but that depends also on the personality and the moment. for perhaps 10 years I've been working in silence, and for me the music is rhythm of the lines (the music he listens to). to draw is sometimes to hunt for findings, an exact (fair, just) line is an orgasm! 

14. color is a language that the artist (drawing artist) uses to manipulate the readers attention and to create beauty. there's objective and subjective color, the emotional states of the character influence the coloring and lighting can change from one panel to the next, depending on the space represented and the time of the day. the language of color must be studied with attention. 

15. especially at the beginning of a career, one should work on short stories but of a very high quality. there's a better chance to finish them successfully and place them on a book or with editors. 

16. there are times when we are headed to failure knowingly, we choose a theme, an existence, a technique that does not suit (convene) us. you must not complain afterwards. 

17. when new pages are sent to editors and see rejection, we should ask for the reasons. we must study the reasons for failure and learn. it's not about struggle with our limitations or with public or the publishers. it's more about treating it like in aikido; the strength (power) of the attack is used to defeat him with the same effort. 

18. now it is possible to find reader in any part of the planet. we must have this present. to begin with, drawing is a way of personal communication, but this does not imply that the artist must envelop himself in a bubble; it' communication with the beings near us, with oneself, but also with unknown people. Drawing is a medium to communicate with the great family we have not met, the public, the world. 

august 18th 1996 compiled by Perez Ruiz, translation by Xurxo g Penalta

Ctrl+Paint is a free learning resource dedicated to the basics of digital painting. Each bite-sized video covers a different concept, allowing you to learn complex subjects in manageable increments.

http://www.ctrlpaint.com/

VERTEX II

In this eBook you will find information ranging from modeling and texture workflows to tips on working as or with outsourcing.
This eBook features articles and workflows from studios such as Blizzard Entertainment and Ubisoft as well as tips and tricks from various freelancers in the movie and video game industries.

This is another must read for any artist in the entertainment industries.

download for free at: artbypapercut.com

Privacy Lost by Beeple

Mike Winkelmann is currently a graphic designer living and working in Neenah, Wisconsin, USA. Beeple is the pseudonym for his personal work that includes short films, live visuals, graphic design, music and drawings. Most of his current work focuses on ways to visual music through video. His work has screened at onedotzero, Siggraph, Optronica, the Chicago Underground Film Festival, and many more.

Visit Beeple website: beeple-crap.com

The Real Blade Runner...

...a conversation with Futurist Syd Mead for autoline.tv

 

Syd Mead, the inspiration behind the futurist world of the films Blade Runner, Alien and Tron, makes a return visit to the Autoline studios to talk about everything from autonomy to “the electronic herd”.

autoline.tv
sydmead.com

New Orleans, May 24 - 26, 2013

SB Explore is a concept art 3-day workshop that will include seminars, lectures, tutorials and presentations given by some of the most renowned concept artists and illustrators in the world. Some of the instructors include Nicolas Bouvier, Thom Tenery, Nicolas Ferrad, David Levy and many more.

sbexplore.com
steambotstudios.com

April 23 - May 15, 2013

FMX is the leading European conference on Animation, Effects, Games and Transmedia and has grown to become one of the most important international conferences in the industry during the past few years. This year FMX opens with an Exhibition about Concept Art in the Design Center, Stuttgart with 30 art pieces from 15 international digital artists such as Harald Belker, Virginie Bourdin, Paul Chadeisson, Uwe Heidschoetter, Maciej Kuciara, Tobias Mannewitz, Paperblue, Peter Popken, Christian Lorenz Scheurer or Thomas Scholes. Check out the daily schedule

fmx.de
Desing Center Stuttgart

free software

Sculptris is an intuitive, powerful and yet easy to use 3D sculpting software, allowing anyone, whether starter or professional to simply focus on creating 3D artwork. What's more, the skills you learn with Sculptris directly translate to ZBrush and the download of the application is for free.

free web application

Color Scheme Designer (CSD) is a web application designed to easily create set of matching color. Color theory used by artists for centuries was transformed into algorithms to combine color they go best together while avoiding uncomfortable combinations.

colorschemedesigner.com

free download

Adobe offers a free download of the Creative Suite 2 from their website. CS2 may not contain the latest features but is the perfect opportunity for students and beginners with small budgets to start learning more advanced software.

Download from adobe.com

model kits

Industria Mechanika works with concept artists and sculptors, both traditional and 3D, to bring their original ideas to the world in the form of high-quality resin model kit products. These products are available in the shop and through a small network of distributors.

Already available are designs from Scott Robertson, Ian McQue, Derek Stenning, Miguel Lopez (below) and many more.

industriamechanika.com

free download

Ryan Hawkin's Vertex is still available for free on his website. The 300-page PDF includes everything from 2D concepts to 3D rendering and is one of the most comprehensive resources for a game artist's library.

download a high-rez-file at artbypapercut.com

crowd funding for design projects

Kickstarter is a funding platform for creative projects such as films, games, music, design and comics. Each project is independently created and crafted by the person behind it. If people like the project, they can pledge money to make it happen and receive rewards in exchange for their efforts.

kickstarter.com

book recommendation

Two educational books from independent publisher KEEOS.COM, only distributed through their own website:

•Design Sketching was written with the main goal of creating a source of inspiration by showing a collection of different types of sketches. Containing work from over 60 designers, covering diverse fields such as product, automotive and fashion design.

•Learning Curves, whilst also aimed at providing a source of inspiration, has a much stronger emphasis on showing, how one can teach oneself to sketch. Includes basic theory, investigative and explorative sketches from the early stages of projects, explanatory sketches used to communicate, and persuasive sketches done to sell and express emotion. Round off with 6 step by step sketching tutorials.

  www.designsketching.com

SPMag

Selfpublischer is the platform where comic creators meet fans. The Magazin is available for free to download from their server.

This month's issue contains: Interviews with Amy Letts, Jennifer Walker, Eric Douthitt. Convention Report, Comics in a Bottle, The Condition One App, Sneak Peek features, How To Create a Comic Book, Ads from indy studios and tons of reviews.

Self Publisher Magazine, 44 page full size and color, download here →

www.selfpubmag.com

Nuthin' But Mech

Design Studio Press just released a book devoted to robot and mecha designs only. Nuthin' But Mech is the first installment of a series and will showcase the work of designers such as Thom Tenery, Feng Zhu, Greg Broadmore, Ian McQue, Marc Gabbana, Neil Ross and Peter Popken among others. To preview more images and buy the book please visit Design Studio Press →

nuthinbutmech.blogspot.com

cars

CarDesignCommunity.com is a professional informative online service and community aimed mainly at professionals in the automotive industry, design students and transportation design devotees.

Designers can show their professional level by posting their works in the ‘Portfolio’ section, where the works are discussed and rated by the community. Apart from the informational and social constituents the site has educational facilities such as tutorials and master-classes. Moreover, the site is specialized in holding different types of contests.

The project was launched in 2001 as a Russian-speaking web-source CarDesign.ru, which deservedly gained general popularity in Russia and other countries – starting with the specialists, who work in the industrial and automotive design sphere.
 
cardesigncommunity.comhttp://cardesigncommunity.com/       cardesign.ru

GDC Europe, Cologne 2012

The world's largest trade fair and event for interactive games and entertainment opens it's doors from August 15 to 19, 2012. Gamescom is accompanied by in- and outdoor events, live-acts and performances through out the duration. Day one will be exclusively reserved for trade visitors

gamescom.de
gdceurope.com
 

podcast

Loikamania is a weekly podcast hosted by writer/illustrator Pat Loika. It’s a free-form comics and pop-culture podcast where Pat reviews the latest comics, movies, TV and even music offerings with various friends and industry guests such as Eric Canete, Leinil Francis Yu, Adi Granov and Ramon Perez

The official site to the Loikamania pop-culture podcast

follow the black rabbit

Beth Cavener Stichter is a sculptor residing in the U.S. state of Washington. She has exhibited internationally and teaches workshops across the country. Her working method is unusual. The solid stoneware sculptures, often built up with 2,000 or more pounds of clay at a time, are cut into pieces and hollowed out before reassembling again for firing. A slideshow and a brief introduction of this process can be seen on her website under the Materials and Techniques section.

Beth Cavener's website