release of pressure

[hawkprey]

Hey fellas

My dream is to one day concept a game that is all mine.

I love the game industry, but sometimes I feel like games are watered down to the least common denominator because publishers want to sell more copies to the biggest audience.

This past weekend I said, "f@#K it!" what would my game look like if I didnt have upteen people whittling my shit down.

Tried to spend no more than an hour on each one. Just letting the creative juices and passion for the subject flow.

It was the most fun I have had concepting in a long time.

Hope they arent too rough for you guys to understand.

later

http://www.hawkprey.com/gatlin_girl.jpg

http://www.hawkprey.com/pilot.jpg

http://www.hawkprey.com/stilt_jockey.jpg

http://www.hawkprey.com/gun_maiden.jpg

http://www.hawkprey.com/hatchetman.jpg

http://www.hawkprey.com/kark_ass.jpg

http://www.hawkprey.com/sheeba.jpg

http://www.hawkprey.com/perch.jpg

http://www.hawkprey.com/swarmbot.jpg

http://www.hawkprey.com/no_name.jpg

http://www.hawkprey.com/seeker.jpg

http://www.hawkprey.com/grenadier.jpg

http://www.hawkprey.com/white_reaver.jpg

http://www.hawkprey.com/sheeba2.jpg

http://www.hawkprey.com/heavy_swarmbot.jpg

and the .avi tutorial

http://www.hawkprey.com/ass.zip

Hope you dig KE

[leviathan]

Hawk,

Man alive. I'm proud to have been the first to get to this post. Your concepts are always powerful and original, but these are so wickedly unique it's hard to imagine a better example of the words "concept art." To know that these were one-hour roughs is devastating.

Mass consumers be damned, if games were produced with the sort of originality and beauty you've ladled out here, I'd buy more games.

Thanks, and hopefully there's more on the way.

[DRESDEN]

Hey Hawk,

These sketches are awesome, their totally diffrent from your other stuff, i really like the looseness in them,they keep getting better as you go down.

Great Work!!

[Fisa]

hey why does the femme character have to be bonded up? even the fat guy gets to have some fun ;)

nice concepts, they are unsual so i like them even more.

[hed|lamb]

Great characters, really good work. The names are fun.

[strych9ine]

I love the stilt jockey and the gun maiden... ridiculously cool concepts, man. Great pieces. :chug:

[saturnfive]

Wow, these have a lovely loose, energetic feel to them and a great sense of invention in the ideas. As leviathan said, I'd love to see more games pushing this kind of originality. The stagnation of game ideas you are cursing is quite apparent to the buying masses and I'm sure this kind of narrow minded thinking will only hurt sales of the medium in the long run.

I could look at your work all day.

[firechild]

great stuff Hawk, exercise those creative juices more often!

[thomasaurus]

your style makes me cry

[//SGT.SKINNER\\]

Wanna build a game eh? You can sign me up. I'd work with ya (that should go without saying). I've always thought of you having a kick-ass toy/sculpture line based on some of your characters too. A game would rule. I'd be all over it like syrup on pancakes. Even if it were a side project...

I'm good with Unreal Ed (I've made levels that actually work! woohoo!), Photoshop, I can draw, paint, and sculpt.

Seriously though. That idea of yours needs to become a reality. Let the crazies out. Let them run the streets. It will feel good. Kinda like that "release" you mentioned a little while ago.

Anyways, great work as always man. :cool: :)

Oh one other thing (been meaning to ask you this for some time)...what's with 13? I see it everywhere.

[CleptoCat]

Man Im almost scared to see whats next. You have definetly found your style. Youre getting better by the day.

[tegehel]

Originally posted by hawkprey
[B]Hey fellas

My dream is to one day concept a game that is all mine.

I love the game industry, but sometimes I feel like games are watered down to the least common denominator because publishers want to sell more copies to the biggest audience.



Same here and same problem. My experience showed me that they ARE watered down to the least common denominator, and the problem's also the involvement of second or third parties that should not be involved (in design at least), have very little no knowledge or understanding about design but have the power to make changes that will ruin the game, or water it down to pure boredom. Of course, it's all in the eye of the beholder and there are reasons to change some things, but often, you wonder why they change it other than for personal satisfaction or taste. Tough call. Well, if you want to make the game YOU want, the only way you can do it these days is to be the boss. Self publish, or create your own company. But being CEO, you won't do much design anymore, you won't have time ;)

It's one of those vicious tetrahedron thing...

C.

PS: COol desiGNS

[Gamoron]

I like em. I've always thought your work was nice but felt that it was too trendy and cliched. But now I see what YOU want without the whitling down. Original stuff.

[behemot5]

wow .... it's strange...but it's good...

[stalecracker]

BA-BAMM!!!!

Great SHTUFF, my friend!

[I.was.ink]

I dont know anything about the game industry, but I know what ur talking about man.

Everything's so original, and the stilt guy just rocks :rock:

[remedial]

These are some of the most original concepts i've seen in a while. Nothing seems to be held back creatively it seems and that's what i like best. I'd have to say the gatling girl is probably my fav.; i can just envision her guns rotating up and perforating some lamer. great stuff here :D

[keyth]

dude...the stiltjockey is F-ing rad!!!

[Fozzybar]

oh.............



................my.............









........................................god. :jawdrop:

[OrangeCatNinja]

wow.

[bara]

gatling girl looks like the zeus cannon from final fantasy movie.
anyway i like them.

[hawkprey]

well its a slow day so I did a couple more..............

Have no idea where she came from...Sorry Bert the name just fit her.

http://www.hawkprey.com/fartblossom.jpg

.....and I figure my universe should have some plain cannon fodder guys who die in droves. So he can be one of mindless, easy to kill, gib makers. Blast that grin off his face baby.

http://www.hawkprey.com/shok_pooper.jpg

Skinner.......13 is unlucky man, so I put give it to my favorite characters for good luck. Irony baby. Love it.

[PencilPunx]

These are all phenomenal, but I gotta give a special nod to the fat guy for being especially bizzarre. As if a "Kark Ass" weren't weird enough, he's "Remote Operated?" Pure, twisted, comedic genious!

[//SGT.SKINNER\\]

I know 13 is an unlucky number (should've stated that earlier sorry)...I find it neat how you mark them with it as favs.

[Ant4d]

wow, what a incredible style and concepts.
just WOW

[Cellbound]

well you might have to join the game mod community or start up your own game company if you want control. Hook up with a modeler who has the same vision as you and will see your concepts through.. or learn modeling, skin mapping and see them though yourself.

im a fan of your work btw:p

[gasmask]

God i love it when u post, i love the chick blindfolded the best, something about her in bondage with a gun turns me on........umm great concept!!

[3bleadpencil]

Good use of blacks....No crits here. The first image reminds a lot of the Spiritual Satellite Canon in Final Fantasy the movie.
:)

[Killer Napkins]

hey man these are so very cool.. what exactly do u use when u do this.. ?? is this tablet stuff.. i dunno.. looks great

[keyth]

hawkprey is the PS master

[Juice5942]

Personally, my favorite is the guy with the cool sword/hatchets. You know when everyone has guns, and a character has a melee weapon, (s)he's gonna take care of some business.

[nardfrog]

My 2 cents:

I know what you mean about watered down shit and im in the graphic design business right now. I think anything corprate does this bullshit.

Next. What kind of messed up game would this be?! And where can i buy a copy! These designs are dope and its the kind of shit i like to design. I had the same idea about designing my own game, but im not in that industry yet. Great to see you posting agian, keep em comin!

When i finaly get a web site again ill post my imaginary game; we'll have a section here devoted to just that; people who have designed their own game.

[nardfrog]

btw, for some weird reason these remind me of heavy metal fakk2 and then i remembered you worked for ritual. Did you help design that game?

[electroganic]

Great concepts, I like the rough sketchiness of your line work, it reinforces the overall rawness of the subjects. If it were a game they should design a "rough sketch" shader to render the characters in.

[alti]

if you ever decide to make a game and are looking for someone to make your site, here's my side project i work on while i'm not at college. it aint complete yet, but it gets what i'm trying to do with flash actoss nicely.

ps: i'l give you a seriously huge discount. portfolio piece (http://members.optusnet.com.au/alti/daemonltd.html)

oh and those characters are rediculiously cool and origional:) i'd buy 10 copies then sell them to my freinds at a hugely increased price.:evilbat:

[metaphysiks]

oops. i knew it was going to happen but i proceeded to look at these drawings and i crapped my pants. i have no crits to give but i want to let you know that the gun maiden picture completely f'ing rules. I WANT MORE!!!!
meta

[killing.people]

very different concepts, i love this one: http://www.hawkprey.com/stilt_jockey.jpg

[Gray]

Always been impressed by your work but this blew me away.

Compared to your other (great) work these faster pieces have a real dramatic quality. And the concepts are even good too.

Praying this game is ever going to be made.

[Jimmy Scifi]

Ok this is gonna sound petty, but since I obviously can't teach you anything about art I'm gonna teach you something about english - the word is conceptualize. :D

My dream is to one day concept a game that is all mine.

It was the most fun I have had concepting in a long time.

con·cep·tu·al·ize ( P ) Pronunciation Key (kn-spch--lz)
v. con·cep·tu·al·ized, con·cep·tu·al·iz·ing, con·cep·tu·al·iz·es
v. tr.
To form a concept or concepts of, and especially to interpret in a conceptual way: “Efforts to conceptualize the history and structure of the universe were already running into trouble because... the universe was not as uniform as had been assumed” (John Noble Wilford).

See its easy, no matter how good you are, I'm always better:fruit: :nana :thumb:

EXCELENT WORK!!!!!!!!!!!!

[hawkprey]

Hey thanks guys

I am not as good at developing compelling gameplay. So I really dont know what kind of game this would be. I am a pretty big fan of co-op type multiplayer games. Anything that is team based and first person is fun for me.

Keyth.... There are all in photoshop. I just use the 5px brush and keep flipping between black and white. Piece of cake.

Nard.... I did work at Ritual but I missed working on FAKK 2. My man Stalecracker designed that thing. I do really love those concepts. I did manage to concept for Elite Force 2 and Condition Zero.

I am going on vacation for awhile but I hope to have more for you guys when I get back. I still have a ton of ideas.

later

[Living Rope]

bravo bravo bravo !!! Man, these really rock, congrats !
It's simply the best concepts I've seen for long. Very personal, love the style also. You're inspiring me a lot.

[Fipse]

Haven´t been in CA for some days ... and I really missed a good one.

BOTH THUMBS UP!!!

And if the gameplay is as good as the concepts I´ll buy it :D

Fipse
Who knows what you´re complaining about - graphic design has the same sh...t)

[neble]

Hiya Hawkprey.

I've been a fan of you and your website for a while. Your stuff gives me a little creative push everytime I see it. This does the same.

I've been in the game industry for a while too. I've seen politics, stupidity and down right ignorance in the industry. I could go on and almost did, but...

I agree with you and feel the same often, but companies are too scared to do something different. They stick to what they know works so they have a chance to make another game. I hate to say, even if most of us in these forums agree, we only represent a fraction of game buyers. We have to prove a unique game idea can work and sell to the mass, before anyone will budge.

Animated films are in the same position as games.
Bla bla bla, I'm done.

:rolleyes:

[davi]

i'm blown away
fantastic work man

[Loga4]

Excellent concepts,
great jop!

[Marko Djurdjevic]

Veeeery coool designs going on here. This is truly wicked stuff!

Hope you can do something with these.
Marko

[hawkprey]

Thanks alot guys.........

Now I am all pumped up and wanting to churn out more....... Unfortunately I am going on vacation now and my wife wont let me bring my Wacom.

Have to catch you all in a couple weeks.

Thanks again for the great response. Makes me feel good that some of my dark little ideas are appreciated.

Later
Jay

[Zeravla]

very nice!

[Sammy]

These are so fun man! Really great stuff, and I can see that they have your soul in them.

Your game looks to me like the third installment of the "LOADED" series, and properly built up... if they made another LOADED they'd be wise to chose you...

The only one I don't like is the Gatlin Girl.. I thought it was the Final Fantasy Zeus Cannon.. but the rest looked totaly unique...

Noboy likes their ideas to be widdled down under direction of other parties... but in the end that's what separates the boys from the men... A good concept artist will be able to take direction and build uppon it, using his artwork to communicate what the user may want to experience.. or what the user may not know that he wants to expeirience :)

Good Examples of this in the game industry: Panzer Dragoon series, ICO, Wind Waker, Ikaruga, Pikmin, Steel Battalion, REZ

Good luck along the road of gaming, I hope to see you some day : )

[ShawnYe]

These are just some pure eyecandies, I have never seen anything quite like it. They look great!

[sepulveda]

WOOOOW!!!
these are awesome man....keep postin'

[Lost Dragon]

They're all cool, but I really like that stilt guy.

:clapping2

[Carnifex]

i can't help but to be reminded on the second alien film,esp.with the first one.but geez,those ARE cool!i can imagine the gattling girl raise her guns and fire off everyone's ass...:D

[gekitsu]

man!
way to go! more of that shit! YAY! WOOOOOOHOOOOOOOO!

you're so right when you say games are watered down these days. no one has the guts to churn out a no-compromise game because there will inevitably people who won't like it.

no old style adventures with just story and riddles anymore. no real egoshooters anymore. gazillions of watered down projects that are designed to please the masses: unreal 2, ut2k3, half life 1 and 2, deus ex... all of them suffer the jack-of-all-trades disease. they excel at nothing particular.

man, i can so imagine the whole game from your chara designs...
a dark, gritty, surreal world... no important story, just you, some mates, some guns, enemies and the universe to rescue.
places with just hundreds of stupid enemies storming you from all directions to be ripped to shreds, then quiet paced places with one or two intelligent or powerful enemies...
shooting be the center of gameplay, not riddles.

yeah man... that could be a game to rank up to quake (1)...

pray find someone with the guts to produce that game, i'll buy it!

[bizarre]

yo hawkprey... i recommends you buys the Torque game engines from the garagegames websites. you knows, it's only a hundred bucks or so's theys says. ya gotta learns lotsa codin, but if yer real serious-like abouts this, it's gonna be werf yer time.

there's moneys to be mades offa dis idea, and like if you want, you's can even gets helps fromt he kindly peoples at garagegames.they'll fix you up real good.

[EVIL]

seen it on cgtalk. this is absolutly amazing. my favorite is the pilot. the pose is awsome.

bring us more.

[hawkprey]

Hey peoples

Made it back from vacation.

Spent the past couple days working some new characters I had in my head. I am still having a blast with these. I guess I need to do some environments for these guys but I am working on a style that suits them.

anyhooo.......... hope you dig

http://www.hawkprey.com/sheeba.jpg

http://www.hawkprey.com/perch.jpg

http://www.hawkprey.com/swarmbot.jpg

http://www.hawkprey.com/no_name.jpg

http://www.hawkprey.com/seeker.jpg

http://www.hawkprey.com/grenadier.jpg

http://www.hawkprey.com/white_reaver.jpg

[tegehel]

You should go on vacations more often, so when you come back, you just share even MORE stuff. That's cool design, I dig. What are the chances they'll make it into 3D ?

C.

[keyboard]

whoaaaaaaaah! all are uberawesome- but the Seekers my fav, looks really cool.

[stalecracker]

eh... I've seen better.



















*snif* DAMMIT HAWKPREY rocks... Why can't I do stuff li... HEY... IS THIS STILL ON?!?!


NICE work, m'man.

[Jimmy Scifi]

STOP STOP, you makin my eyes hurt. Have you no consideration for the less talented people in this forum. c'mon.;)

[BlackRose]

i love the seeker and swambot

[bwkeough]

I like these new ones even better than the first set!

A few specific favorites: Perch's concept and pose (and the bird), the armor in White Reaver, the spine in swarmbot (tonka!), and the tank tread feet in grenadier.

I thought I had a pretty good handle on value and could concentrate on color for awhile, but you've proven to me there's a lot more for me to learn in black and white.

[killer_gym_sox]

dude hawkprey your desires are the exact same as mine. At least in the gaming industry. Maybe after all the schooling i am going to be taking we could hook up.. who knows.. we can put an end to the shitty games that are out. making video games has been a dream for me

[Kortez]

You own! It sounds silly, but it's the best way to say it.

You are messing with my head. You should do something about that game. Honestly!

and just to put things in perspective: :rock: :hearts:

[gasmask]

Holy cow, im amazed, u are one of my fav. concept artists....u inspire me so much, especially with ur story of how you learned concept art.......all that life drawing and painting payed off for you as well.....would you say u got ur photoshop and painting skills from college or sumthin u picked up? man i bet u took a ton of life drawing, ur forms are always top notch. but yea, where did ya learn painting and photoshop? Lol good stuff bud.. OH PS........how old are you?

[hawkprey]

Hey fellas

Couldnt leave well enough alone so I did a couple variations this morning before work.

http://www.hawkprey.com/sheeba2.jpg

http://www.hawkprey.com/heavy_swarmbot.jpg

Gasmask---- I didnt learn crap about computers in college. I was into oil painting and thought computers were for people who couldnt draw....I was wrong.

Then after college I saw all my computer savvy buddies getting jobs and I was running a landscape company. IT SUCKED! I hadnt touched a pencil our paintbrush in 4 years and I was getting way too good at mowing lawns. So I quit my job and took a crash course in MAX. Landed a gig pretty soon afterwards and just taught myself on the job. Drawing 8 hours a day for the past 3 years has taught me alot. ahahahaha.

I am an old dude........ 30.

[LC3]

Those are some really original designs... especially the first set. Looks like it would be a really twisted game!

--I LOVE your drawing style!

[chukw]

Better and better!

[thomasaurus]

Every design is sweet. I especially like the White Reiver and Perch. :chug:

[gasmask]

Hey thanks for replyin.....thats not old at all, yeah im sure it was hard for u to leave the landscape business lol but man all that stuff paid off for you definetly....and the new designs u got there are good, hope to see more and by the way? how can you draw 8 hours a day and work and stuff?

[CleptoCat]

DAMN IT and I was just fix to post drawings just like this....no wait that was a dream. MAn, I knew that ws too good to be true. Im gonna go cry now. Way to go Hawk!?

[hawkprey]

gasmask......... My job is drawing. Thats all I do. draw draw draw.....

although lately I have been working on User Interface so maybe its...... vector, vector, vector.

[Sammy]

You should put these together for a pitch... couldn't hurt

[reeves]

Love'em. All of em. But I prefer the original Sheeba. Freaken Awesome work man. Inspiring.

[shaangfx]

stunning!!!!!!!!!:D

[Loga4]

I like it,too!Very much!
Excellent concepts!

[djfournr]

Yay! I am so impressed. There is a true sense of process and creativity here. Excellent work.

[hawkprey]

Im such a dork.

slapped all these together for a wallpaper on deviantart.com

Thought I would share since I like you guys so much.

http://www.hawkprey.com/big_pile_of_characters.jpg

[Cybert]

I like her the best (probably because she's a deuce maybe a deuce and a half, which pretty much makes her HOT!) does she propel herself with farts? that would rock because you'd be able to hear her coming for you in the game (Almost like the beans in the Quake I Painkeep mod) Perfect for smell-O-vision. I think i wanna model her now. Let me know what's going on with ya man, and send me a model for this fat .

[Irate Customer]

My favorite of all of these outstanding works has to be the Pilot on the first page. That guy looks like he is taking his final breath before walking into a warehouse full of (soon-to-be) dead people.

These are just outstanding, thanks for the post.

Irate

[maldrin]

i love them all
i want your game
i love your style

have you read the manga "Priest" - you'd dig that art too, methinks.

*b0w*


maldrin

[Solidarnosi]

yah, big thumb's up for the stilt-jockey, that's one wacky character :D

[Lume]

really love your work :chug:

the question that always bothers me is thisone: do you see these characters like totally figured out in your mind before you draw them or do you have some sort of a basic idea and make the character while you are drawing? i am always trying to visualize the things i draw ahead, i find this verry difficult. But sometimes my images get created WHILE drawing and not based on a preanticipated thought. I would like to know how this creative process works with you.

THX
" enlightment is near, it must be , IT MUST GODDAMMIT"

[Loga4]

Awesome,totally!
Very original and cool!

[the_blur]

Originally posted by gekitsu
man! way to go! more of that shit! YAY! WOOOOOOHOOOOOOOO!


rgr. that!


you're so right when you say games are watered down these days. no one has the guts to churn out a no-compromise game because there will inevitably people who won't like it.


Well, for every Thief / Thief 2, you have to do at least one unreal2. Otherwise the small games never have the cash to get published.


no old style adventures with just story and riddles anymore. no real egoshooters anymore. gazillions of watered down projects that are designed to please the masses: unreal 2, ut2k3, half life 1 and 2, deus ex... all of them suffer the jack-of-all-trades disease. they excel at nothing particular.


I couldn't disagree with you more. Obviously you don't play games all that much. There are games out there that are absolute masterpieces. You just have to know where to look.

I also disagree with Half-life being a "watered down project". It was not. It was and is one of the best games of all time and it's not just me that thinks so. Half-life 2 will up the ante if the previews are anything to go by.


a dark, gritty, surreal world... no important story, just you, some mates, some guns, enemies and the universe to rescue.


That doesn't sound like all that great a game. I'm afraid it's been done, it was called smash TV. The Opera mod for Half-life also has a players vs. Mooks mode where you get literally hundreds of easy-to-kill enemies at once and you get points for killing with style. Anyway, point is: It has been done and still it being done.


places with just hundreds of stupid enemies storming you from all directions to be ripped to shreds, then quiet paced places with one or two intelligent or powerful enemies...
shooting be the center of gameplay, not riddles.


Riddles are good sometimes, even to me and I'm a hardcore action freak.


yeah man... that could be a game to rank up to quake (1)...


Quake 1 was not that great a game! The gameplay was the same as doom! What made quake great was the mod community, without whom we wouldn't have had things like Team Fortress or WizardWars, or my personal all time favorite: Capture Da Fro.


pray find someone with the guts to produce that game, i'll buy it!
[/B]

You may not have to! A lot of the very best games, ironically enough, are free.

Have a look (and this is just fps games):

Counter Strike
They Hunger
Natural Selection (still the most creative form of gameplay I ever saw)
Battlefield 1942: One of the funnest games I ever played even if its a little short on ealism (ok, a lot short)
Day of Defeat
QuakeRally

I think maybe if people stopped being greedy and made games THEY want to play in their spare time, we'd have much better games. I don't even play games anymore that didn't at least start as labours of love. Why would I?

[hawkprey]

Hey Lume

I usually have a very general idea of what I want to create before I start. I think more about the style and feeling I want to character to have. I never really know the specifics until I start seeing the shapes form on paper.


Mood is very important to me. I am usually at my best when I have just slammed a Starbucks coffee and I have TOOL or Prodigy cranked. Then I just go with it. :rock:

[skvv]

hawkprey, u mind if i ask how old you are?

[hawkprey]

I am 30........starting working in games about 4 years ago.

[Killer Napkins]

i dont get how people come up with crazy ideas like this.. they turn out cool too.. i always try somethin new but i just get like a mind block and cant think of anything cool lookin.. which sucks..

[c0g]

Man, There is still hope. Don't get me wrong, Hawkprey, your friggin' amazing. It's just I now have 6 years to get as good as you. Of course by then you'll just be so good I'll cry everytime I see something you did... But still!

[DragonGX]

Very cool. Thanks for the video tutorial, I wish more artists would post them!

[daarken]

haha, you are an old man hawkprey! jk :)

[keyth]

alright hawkprey...old people unite!!! i'm an old fart too!!!

[hawkprey]

I may be old in age but still young at heart.

I can still beer bong (tried that tonight)

I can still ollie (still cant land a kickflip everytime though)

I can still juggle a soccerball 100 times

I can still beat my little bro in the 50 yd dash

I can still bench 250

hhhhhhhhhhhhhhuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhh!!!!! oh back to beer bong.

warning........dont check forums after beers.....

[Killer Napkins]

can u still get it up.. ?? haha

i kid
i kid

[Howdy]

Every time I see this thread title a particular thought overwhelms me. The thought was never posted. After seeing the beer bong post, and looking at the clock which says 1:30 am, I think the atmosphere seems relaxed enough to finally scratch this verbal itch.

Every single time I see the thread title, "Release of Pressure", I think, "What, is he going to tell us he farted heavily?"

[Michieru]

howdy, youre my hero of the day :chug: