:: All 3 entries final now, YAY

[Randis]

I guess it’s finally time to show you what I have been doing past 4 week.

Kicked the baby pic...



Here some info and thoughts regarding each image:



---------------------------------------------------------------------

The Turning

This image is about a newborn Vampire, the turning in process.
There are various story elements, the scratches on the floor suggest she was losing control, maybe had pain… The heavy chains first meant to imprison but later to keep her in control when she starts losing her mind as new vampires do when they cannot control their thirst.
The girl is lost and in pain.
The vampires wait for her to cross the side, to join their family.

In case someone wants to know why the girl is not clawing/pulling the material between her legs, I wanted the hand relaxed, I had the hand pulling the cloths first but that looks too post orgasmic…

The image is best viewed on black BG.

The painting took me about 2 weeks, a lot more than most of my usual work. I had real model for anatomy reference and pose tho I made many changes from mind later on. All cloth is painted from mind, I love painting folds.


---------------------------------------------------------------------

The Golem

Kids got their hands on a real magic book, trying to summon a golem using their toys as a base.
I have chosen a less realistic style for this one, tho not too cartoony.
I wanted to have a certain fun factor but also serious elements.
The summoner boy is in a wheel chair, I want to show that despite a handicap he still is the leader here. With his pose and gesture I wanted to give him a more sure expression and take away the feel of a handicap, making the wheel chair looking more like he sit on a trone or something.
The other kids are placed under him, just a small symbolism.

The Kids are nit doing this for the first time probably. What I did not want were overstretched comic poses like WTF IT MOVED!!!
I tried to keep that I little bit more subtle.
The colors are fairly friendly here and the mood turned out fine I think,
It was important to have a friendly image despite all the pentagrams and black magic, golem. I don’t want Satanism.


The creation took me about 1 week. I used some simple 3d geometry for perspective and base, tho most of it is al painted. I will post the original linework later.


---------------------------------------------------------------------

The Diver

With his discovery he is half shocked but more obsessed to see the hatching process.

I build the helmet in 3d, texture work and most of the lighting, face and the rest was painted in PS.

[Randis]

Here are some closeups

[maria riaz]

o this is cool i like the face of the baby in first pic...ur colors r neat. The blast in the last pic is adding to the scene keep it in the composition.

cheers

[Leonor]

The theme is not literally a baby, but I guess you brought to the world the image that entertains. :) Very well executed.

[Randis]

thanks guys!

[FalyneVarger]

I like the idea and how the image warps at the sides. Although the soldier on the talkie doesn't seem to be looking at the baby but rather at the ground instead, like he stepped in something. And the one that is opening the diaper, his thumb is not far enough behind it. It's more like it is just touching his finger. :)
Everything else looks fine as far as I can tell.

[Randis]

Yes you are right about the thumb, its on my list and will be fixed.
The guy on the phone is not looking at the baby, i tried different directions but i personally like it when he looks elsewhere, it disconnects him a bit, makes him concentrate on his call.
While looking at the baby it would have a different feel, his call would be all about it.

The image is not 100% so i might change it, i dunno

[Randis]

doodling a new image, will post lots of wips you can see the creation process.
I will not explain what is going on, see if you can figure it out yourself little by little

:medusachow:

[Randis]

update

[Randis]

next step

[Randis]

update

[Randis]

next step

[Bhrandon]

hey not sure if you are done with the baby image yet or not, and I am not sure which of the images you posted is the one that is furthest along...

but the three small images with the kid are ok, but the big one at the top is far superior in terms of the baby...

if you arent continuing with the big one you should.. the babys expression is just... priceless.....

this is exactly what having a kid is like... they cuddle up to their little toy, they are always shitting, and there seems to be either a lot of snot or a lot of drool or both.

anyway, just wanted to make sure you were sticking with the best image.

[ROBOT_TANK]

I like the mech in the background of the first pic. it'd be funny to have the mech changing the diaper, lol

[Randis]

@Bhrandon

Thank you man!
Sorry for misunderstanding, the 3 small images are old WIPs, i discarded the old head as i didn't like it.
The big image you see in the first post is the near final version.

@ROBOT_TANK
haha ye but that would be to weird and unpractical :D

[Randis]

update

I have a clear mental image of this scene now

[Randis]

update

[Leonor]

Wow. That's very intriguing and strange. I couldn't figure out exactly what it's about yet, though, just to say I'm watching the progress with interest.

[Randis]

it will be more clear once i start adding creatures to the scene

here some update

[pearlyking]

Interesting, looks like the opposite side of being buried.

[comixnut]

absolutely love the final of that first one. Their expression and how clean it all is is great. The baby's face is great, with all the snot and everything! LOL

[Randis]

Thanks people!

@pearlyking
Thats actually exactly what it supposed to be, the opposite of being buried.
inverted death

here a small update btw

[Nickillus]

The first idea, beautifully executed made me smile big time, Randis. Super stuff. Anything that makes me smile is OK in my books.

The other idea is intriguing indeed and I look forward to seeing it develop more. Great angle too. A furtive imagination you have. Excellent.

[Randis]

Thanks Nickillus for the wonderful compliment

[Randis]

some update

[graphicgolem]

Great work on both! I really like the weirdness of the second - very different from the usual ideas.

[Pandashi]

AWESOME!

I really like this concept! It remember me of "dualism", like another life that is already here, but we can't perceive...

We know and understand only wen die (i think) hehehe.

[JLPastecchi]

LOL this concept is great....really funny! These big rough and tough guys are scared of a baby's diaper!!

[Leonor]

That's quite fantastic. I was guessing something like that, but it looks even better than I expected. I was wondering, though, should the body be a skeleton at that point? Wasn't he just buried?

[Bhrandon]

wow... i really like where the second one is going

i really really like it when people show the steps in their process. I think it is one of the most valuable tools for artists both learning and learned. To see someones process helps to improve or create new ideas for your own process.

anyway, great work

[Randis]

@ graphicgolem
Thanks man!

@Pandashi
Thank you. I had similar things in mind, tho i want the feel more like a fairly tale and less religious


@ JLPastecchi
haha yep, more scare of what's inside the diaper i guess. Nah, joke. Its the situation that scares them.

@Leonor
You are right,but to make things easier the skeleton has a much better symbolic value. I could have made a coffin but i think a skeleton does the job best. Its not about the realism here, but hey, maybe in this other world the present time is not in relation with the previous life, maybe the body shows up as a skeleton here while he just was buried over there, who knows...

@Bhrandon
Thanks, glad to hear that you like it.
There will be many more steps, at this point the image is still very rough.

[oren90]

wow you're amazing :) amazing concept for the second entry and beautiful exection of it as well keep up the good work

[Randis]

Thank you Oren!

[Randis]

New final image!

Vampire (see page 1)

[Craig Johnston]

great work, thanks for posting this. each concept is so good

whats your proses for working on these paintings, i meen do you paint on a larger scale then lower the image size to 1000pixels wide when your done? or just work straght onto that size?

[Randis]

@Geek
Thank you!
I always paint in print res, something like 4000 px high

Rough sketches i do in low res, 1000 px, as soon as i start liking the image i resize and paint over in highrez.

[Dorkthrone]

I love how the city of gods is progressing. The vampire piece has excellent mood and gestures.

[Randis]

Thanks Ninjacat, i will update the city of gods sometime soon

[oren90]

amazing work on the vampire one especially the reflections and the water :)

[Hexokinase]

The vampire piece is pretty legit - that smile is so sinisterly sweet. I'm liking how city of god is coming along as well :)

The feet of the vampire could use some major work though. The ankles look broken and the heels misshapen.

[GriNGo]

Nice take on both... amazing!

[Martin McKeown]

Great concepts on both, prefer the inverted birth/death myself.
What's with the naked girl fight?

[Randis]

@ Oren90
Thank you!

@ Hexokinase
Thanks man. Tho i can not agree here on the feet with you, imo the feet is one of the best part about the image. You might see that most body parts of the vampire are a bit twisted, thats what gives the creature expression.

@GriNGo
Thanks! I will finish the baby painting once i feel better (have a bad flu), need to work on the city of gods image too

@Martin McKeown
Thanks, there are 3 concepts actually, the naked girl fight, thats the 3th, its about a newborn vampire

[Martin McKeown]

@ Oren90
Thank you!


@Martin McKeown
Thanks, there are 3 concepts actually, the naked girl fight, thats the 3th, its about a newborn vampire

It's a beautifully painted piece also.

[miycko]

your paintings are awesome, i especially like the one with the vampire, the dark atmosphere, glowing eyes of the vampire and relfections in the water make it one of my favourites.

watching.

[Randis]

@Martin McKeown

Thanks again!


@miycko
i love vampires, reading all novels i can get. Big fan

[-leo]

The vampire stuff is really cool, the figures and skintones are great. The only thing I could mention is it's kinda motionless though we're in the middle of furious battle.

[MoonChilD]

i love the baby picture
,i prefer the 3rd wip for the baby's face,being happy is far more powerfull and its like he made things hard for the big guys on purpose,i dont like his expression crying in the finished one...

for the vampire one???newborn???if you didn't explained things ,there's nothing unborn in this piece...

for the grave one:
its a nice idea but it would be nicer to see a dead body lying on its back,with full clothes on, and not so decomposed...
it would better with him sitting on top opf his body in a "soul form" ,like the surounding ones, scratching his head,no?
,
(its very rare to bury someone at a skeleton stage and naked..)

[Randis]

@MoonChilD

Thanks for your thoughts.
The happy baby face does not fit here.
1) The baby did shit himself, at this point they are usually not so happy.
2) Dealing with a happy baby would not be a big problem.

yes, newborn vampire, turn not long ago, unable to control his thirst.
I could even name the image new born hate or new born fear, newborn is not exclusively about babies or eggs.

For the grave one, i see your point but that would be the first thing everyone expect, some ghost wondering what happened. Thats not very special or interesting imo. About the body.... this is a WIP is a very early stage, it will look different when its done, i suggest you want. But i can tell you for sure, there will be no full dressed body in a coffin pose sticking out.

[MoonChilD]

hey
for the baby here is what i was suggesting
http://www.definitivejux.net/files/u3/fire2.jpg
i think it's stronger with the baby KNOWING what he's doing ,we are not in the reality where baby cries when they poop.
,but you do what you want!

about the vampire:
"I could even name the image new born hate or new born fear, newborn is not exclusively about babies or eggs."
if this is true then any image would fit!!
you know, we can't stop having new feelings or emotions or thoughts all the time (even vampires)and if what you say is correct then,any situation and image is "newborn" in that view ....(newborn kill ,newborn this ,newborn that ,newborn spaceship...so on)

i'm really sorry ,your image looks great and all ,but i can't see any "newborn stuff" in there...

again ,you're the man and you do what you think is right...just my views

[Randis]

I get the point with the baby and i am sure that many people would love it.
Its so "home alone"... i personally hate it, i can not stand it when animals or newborn babies start to make faces. Thats not the kind of humor i go for.

If that were another scene where some military equipment was messed up by a 5 years old i could see that kind of face but not on a baby.

i know what you mean about the vampire, i guess the newborn message does not come out well here without telling, i agree.
Tho i must admit its really tough making any kind of image that would make you say it is about a newborn (something)
Most images will contain something newborn, sure but the main topic is always something else.

That photo you posted for example, lets imagine that lil girl is a newborn baby. No one would ever say the image is about a newborn, people will tell you that the topic is about a burning house or about kids playing with fire. You know what i mean?
Its not easy making the newborn a center of the topic.
So, making the content more obvious does not make it more right.

I try, i think the first and 3th image manages but i agree its a rather tough call in the vampire pic.

As a matter of fact i am working on another vampire image since 1 week already that will handle this topic. You will see it sometimes later

Thank for your time!
cheers

[MoonChilD]

I get the point with the baby and i am sure that many people would love it.
Its so "home alone"... i personally hate it, i can not stand it when animals or newborn babies start to make faces. Thats not the kind of humor i go for.


That photo you posted for example, lets imagine that lil girl is a newborn baby. No one would ever say the image is about a newborn, people will tell you that the topic is about a burning house or about kids playing with fire. You know what i mean?
Its not easy making the newborn a center of the topic.
So, making the content more obvious does not make it more right.



mhh... mhhh...
you misunderstood me there...
i dont say that the girl and the fire is newborn!!
i'm talking about her face expression that would fit on your baby,like he knows what he is doing :an awfull and smelly shit,and that would annoy the big guys ,that's all!!!
(and its not home alone at all)

[ArneSReismueller]

hey randis, i like the vamp-pic! catches the feeling of asian horror-movies!

[Randis]

@ArneSReismueller

Thats the main Problem about the image, it looks somewhat asian.
I guess its the hair
I need to make some changes to this pic, i no longer like it

[Huey Yeng]

LMAO your first entry piece is looking great to me. :D

Not much to crits but I find the fish eye lens distortion can be better but it looks fine to me. Its hard to create a perfect fish eye lens like seen through camera lens...

[IanLlanas]

Dude, love the vampire's pose, uber creepy, nice touch with the toe trailing in the water!

[ArneSReismueller]

Thats the main Problem about the image, it looks somewhat asian.
I guess its the hair
I need to make some changes to this pic, i no longer like it

what's the matter with looking asian? that's what sold it to me in the first place.
i mean the vampires' complete body-language gives the impression of asian horror-movies. but that's not a bad thing.
and considering your post in your other thread it seems to me that it's not the pic (or the fact that it looks somewhat asian) but you are unhappy with your overall work at the moment. at least that is the reason i delete all my online-portfolios and galleries from time to time...
but hey, all i wanted to say is i like the mood in the picture. and if you're unhappy with it and change it -the way i know you, it can only end up very cool!

[Randis]

what's the matter with looking asian? that's what sold it to me in the first place.
i mean the vampires' complete body-language gives the impression of asian horror-movies. but that's not a bad thing.
and considering your post in your other thread it seems to me that it's not the pic (or the fact that it looks somewhat asian) but you are unhappy with your overall work at the moment. at least that is the reason i delete all my online-portfolios and galleries from time to time...
but hey, all i wanted to say is i like the mood in the picture. and if you're unhappy with it and change it -the way i know you, it can only end up very cool!

Thank you for the feedback

As for the pose, its ok. I don't mind asian themes, the problem is that i did not plan it as a asian theme, so fo me it simply means, i failed here...

The image is not 100% final anyway, i will apply some changes here and there.
Also need to do something about the nudity, as it is now she has little reason to be nude, i need to fix that.

[diissar]

hey Randis,excellent work as usual,maybe you can dress the vampire with a more vampire like clothes(medieval,castlvania)good luck!!

[Phill99]

Very interesting paintings you have here

[LillyCat]

You have amazing work! I love the colors you use and the ideas are wondeful...super good luck :D

I cant say anything right now to help other then you are doing great ^^

[Randis]

Thanks a lot people for all the feedback and useful critics!

cheers~

[Randis]

The Vampire will no longer participate here, i will not submit the image.
Have to work on some jobs but will update the baby image sometimes next week.

[Seaport]

Looking good especially like the nappy bag and camo netting, though not so sure about the blue hat on the baby. The other concept is great, very intriguing love to see that one finished. Lol just looked through your website and realised you've done many of my past favourite images from Concept art, nice one

[Randis]

Thanks Seaport! I am still playing with the baby image colors, Still not happy with the image, also need refine the rendering a lot.
This days i am very busy with work, i hope i will find some time this weekend to work on the image.

Thanks for visiting the site. I really need to update it sometimes. Most of the work is pretty old there. I have done lots of new images the last 2 years, tho can not show most of it as the products are still in development. Sometimes when things come out so much time has passed that i no longer have interest to show the old work...

cheers

[DeadInTheAttic]

Very funny idea. It smells like a secret weapon! :D

Just take care of your lighting. There seem to be several light sources (look at the top of the bottle, the faces and so on).

Thought about anything like a logo or similar stuff on the hat of the baby?
Or perhaps a jacket or shirt instead of the nappy?

[Randis]

the lighting is not yet finished, i still need to add some light on some objects.

outdoor scenes always have various light sources. main source is the sun, then the bouncing light from the ground *can see best on the soldier with the phone) and then the bouncing light from the sky and other objects with large shapes. in my scene i have a yellow light in the back left, a weaker blue light from the front right, bouncing light from the floor but that does not affect the characters on the front.
i make simple scenes with dummy objects in 3ds max for images, then test lighting with photometric lights or vray to be on the save side. here and tehre you have to Trix a bit too, its a illustration after all.

Right now the background is wrong, but i will change that. in the BG you see a strong glow in the lower middle part, it suggests the sun but that is the wrong position for the sun obviously. It should look correct once i have the things more final.
about the baby hat, i was thinking about decorating it, not sure what i will do. i was also thinking giving him a camouflage cap or a sock, but that will distort the story part for me. the baby supposed to look as if does not belong there and not like the soldiers were dressing it up, taking care of it for a while. its their first diaper change. the baby blue does not go well with tanks, sure thing but i kinda wanted it that way.
Logo would be neat tho, maybe i should think about some funny logo or maybe give the hat some animal face, eyes, nose... let's see.

Thanks for the ideas! cheers

[Wilbur]

At your first post:

Really must tell you how awesome the character holding the diaper bag is. For me he really makes the image. Looks like the kind of guy just crazy enough to actually change the diaper, and in my mind that's totally appropriate and complimentary to the military context. Very well done.

[Randis]

Thanks Wilbur!
I am very happy that some people like the image, i was very unsure about painting a baby, it seemed not be the focus of common interests here.
I hope the image will turn out well when i am done.

cheers

[Beelow]

It's still feels a little unfinished. The main guys area around the mouth does not seem right. The distortion throws off the image a bit as well. Usually you pull it off well though. I'll just wait to see how this image progresses. Are you using 3d as well?

[Randis]

yes, the image is not final, there is still a lot going on.
There is some 3D too, thebase for the mechas and the grids of the table and roof, bottles.

[Baron Impossible]

Good lighting and composition. Nice folds on the canvas material. The guy's skin could use a bit of texturing and the baby's hat needs a few more darks but it's coming on fine.

[CreatrixArts]

@randis- That is so cool! I love the concept. It reminds me of Soul Reaver actually. The colour scheme is really gorgeous and it's really visually appealing. Kudos!

[Riddick]

Hey Randis,

You first idea was really strange, but beautiful/

The Baby scene is really well made!
Good luck!

[Randis]

@ Baron Impossible

Thanks man. Yes the colors need more depth and the shadows more definition, i will do that in the last render pass, i might discard the whole background tho, i stil dont like the image as it is.

@ CreatrixArts
Thank you! i am not sure if i will finish this one tho, as i hinted already i was working on some other concept but will keep that a surprise.

@ Riddick
Thank you! yes, the other one is a bit strange, not sure if i will paint that one.

Thanks everyone! Wish you guys good luck too!
I really enjoy watching the various entries from others develop

[Josif]

cute idea, great realization... i love the clarity , sharpness and lighting :)

[Libertadore]

This is a piece of abstract genious... i love how the idea of a death is represented and the looking-glass--like portal to the living world was made.

[Randis]

@ Josif's

Thanks man! Hope you will like the finale versions.

@ Libertadore
Thanks for the nice words man! cheers!

[Jakers]

Hey bud long time no see - The first image was a surprise but its a cool mix of topics. I agree that the man on the phone is more disconected and concentrating, its a bit more personality to his character.

With the last one -verry neat idea! its cool. I wonder though, did you play with many compositions? Right now, the focal point is totally the bright colors and not the dead being. Also the flowing shapes, did you try any other patterns? Maybe you arent going for a scary underworld, but it reminds me more of cartoon cloud like shapes or something elegant perhaps. Might be all in the mood you want to give! though I do feel that having your subject of the picture so small, may be hurting it.

[Randis]

Thanks Jakers!
Those are some good thought, thanks for taking yout time.

BIG UPDATE! Posted 3 new entries on page 1 YAY

[Huey Yeng]

WOW O_O

You caught me by surprise eh Randis. :P I love the Golem and Diver the most but I think the pose of the kids for the Golem piece is kinda stiff.

Other than that lovely work. Now back to my 3rd entry work since you are bloody productive. :P

[oren90]

amazing new entries loved the diver and the vampires :)

[Randis]

Thanks guys! Happy you like it.
Let's see how the Baby image will turn out...

[Oscar Austin]

The quality of your work is outstanding and your level of detail and use of colour I find truley beautiful. Your concepts are clever and varied, i dont have the know how to offer any beneficial criticism but I just wanted to say how much u have inspired me.

I have only recently started working in photoshop,
which is where u said u painted your three finished pieces on the first page is that right or did i miss read??

truley amazing work anyway, thanks for sharing

OA

[Randis]

Hi Oscar,

Thank you! You did put a big smile on your face, that will keep for all day.
Having others inspired is the greatest compliment for me.

The images are painted in Photoshop using 1 custom round brush. (i set it very similar to open canvas 1 basic brush)
Some base for some elements was rendered in 3ds max first, i usually do that to set the global perspective for outdoor scenes, cites and indoor architecture, its just quicker than working with a ruler.

[Oscar Austin]

ha Sweet, its true :)

I have never used open canvas, so is the brush similar to the basic round brushes in Photoshop or different?

It is really cool to know that you have produced such fantastic art work in the same program that i am using (photoshop). but i have never tried 3ds max, iv heard alot but never had the guts really it all seems a bit complicated to begin with, am i right?

Thanks OA

[NIRONERU]

your concept and artworks are stunningly beautiful... if only I have a pen tablet as well...

[Randis]

@ Oscar Austin
The brush i use is round, opacity change with pressure, size change with pressure slightly, corners are rather sharp.
everyone has their fav brush i guess, so you have to set up your brush the way it fits your way of painting best.

3d studio sure has thousand of functions, i guess it is a lot to learn if you want to master it all but basic functions are easy to understand i think. I dunno...
I use it since 3ds max 3.something back from when i was working in a game dev studio, i used to work with maya too, texture weapons and lots of other apps...
not that you need em all this days.

If you are not into 3d art you don't really need to learn it.


@ NIRONERU
Thanks man! cheers. Write the tablet on your BD list. You can paint fairly well with graphire series or any other wacom tablet, some series are cheap now.

[Oscar Austin]

your concept and artworks are stunningly beautiful... if only I have a pen tablet as well...

Hi Nironeru
I Brought a wacom bamboo from amazon for 50 pounds ish, and its is the best 50 pounds i have ever spent a great help and something i feel is a great investment for my future

sorry to go away from the point Randis

[Oscar Austin]

To Randis

Wow i had now idea you could change opacity with pressure in photoshop! thats awsome i will have to look into it.

And i will definatly look into 3ds although i feel that at the moment i am more focused on improving my basic artistic skills, such as form, composition, and colour. Im working towards a school project atm i posted one of the pieces (war of the worlds image) in my sketchbook if you get time to have a look.

Its kool that you have worked in game development, its something that I would love to do amoung other things

OA

[Randis]

i will check it out when i have time, tho i must warn you my critic way is usually a bit rough.

[Beelow]

Best images to date Randis! I love them. That golem piece is a hot concept. Technical execution is exellent. Thanks for sharing Randis. Good luck with those entries.

[Jason C-M]

You cool skin tones and textures in the vampire piece just blow me away. I'm deeply envious (in a good, inspired way).

[Simon Boxer]

Hot damn. Love the new images, especially The Turning.

[Randis]

Thanks a lot everyone!
I am glad you guys like it.

[scorge]

Holy paintbrush. I can't even think of words. It's almost as if you were trying to throw us all off with the baby/soldier thing then BLAMO!

Seriously stunned man. :D

[Vaejoun]

Usually I prefer pics with a more painted look, but this still looks reaaaaly good.
Especially the vampire piece. The diver has a very good lighteffect as well, but looks to much like a 3d model (on the helmet)

Do you have some earlier VIPs of the vampire pic ?

[AhChu]

Oh my god! 3 insanely cool pics....im just gob smacked.....just freakin amazing, love them all....

[Sirsketchalot]

Wow your final renders are just fantastic! Definitely a big inspiration to keep moving forward in my work. I was wondering how much reference you use and what kinds. You mentioned that you used the live models for the vampire piece, and it seemed to really pay off. Same goes for some of the 3d modeling/texturing.

[wakoes]

Wow! its amazing work Mr. Randis it so so awesome

[mohdmubasshir]

your work is more then awesome ............. hats off to u :)

[artina]

great narrative and amazing craftsmanship. Can't wait to see more.

[Josif]

you are a GREAT artist, Randis... and saying that i feel my words too poor.
I am overwhelm by your chromatic and realism, by the expressions and so carefully details. I just enjoy your work incapable even of envy :)

[davidherd]

Insanely good drapery on the vampire pic. Nice work.

[Randis]

Wow guys, thanks so much!
I dunno what to say honest, feel a bit shy now and i don't feel they are that good like you say. I guess i will have to work my ass off now to keep up haha :D

@ Vaejoun

Yes i saved some steps, thats fairly early WIP.
Let me attach it here

The diver helmet has a 3d base, its still VIP, i need to paint out some shades a lot more and tone down the 3dx max look here.

@Sirsketchalot

No, i wrote real model, not life model. I mean i had real, naked chicks here ;) not 3ds max models.

First i made some rough thumbnail to show the girls the idea, based on that and my direction they were posing, i made some quick sketch and shoot some photos. i had only 2 girls so one was reused obviously.
Based on that i started the painting using the reference loosely and mainly for anatomy.
When i was at about 70% i had my GF pose hands and feet for me, i always work those out late.
Colors changed a lot during the process, lighting too.
Backgrounds and some smaller details changed a couple of times.
I had some focus testing with many people and had some useful critics from other artists.

[rickardwestman]

breathtaking stuff man! got so inspired when you chockposted the 3 images. if you have more wip images i love to see it! top notch!

[lincoln.renall]

oh man ! - its a bit of a no-brainer to pick the winner now i think - you got my vote - love the vampire work the most, from a purely aesthetic point of view - its just fantabulous :-)

[Nickillus]

Good grief Randis. You are like some kind of masterpiece machine. I love all your ideas and the quality of the finishes is just outstanding.
That Golem idea is phenomenal. That's my favourite. Very original and so well done.
The vampire piece is gloriously atmospheric.
The diver piece is superbly handled.

Do you ever sleep?

[Randis]

@rickardwestman

Thanks man! In fact i still have 3 other entries, but i did not finish them, i might post the wips for fun later.

@Nlincoln.renall

Thanks man but i am pretty sure that there will come some awesome pics submitted last minute... as usual. It's not like everyone posted already.
I should have waited too and polished my work more tho i have no more time, lots of work needs to be done.

I might rework the golem pic tho... not sure

@ Nickillus
Thanks man! Glad you like em!
I do sleep tho not at the usual times, days pass by, have no feeling for time any longer.

[Oscar Austin]

Thanks for showing some of the steps Randis, its really interesting to see such a fantastic pice in its initial stages.

I was wondering did u draw the models with pencil or ink on paper first then begin photoshop work?

Ha and ur right when u produce work this good uv got to make sure u keep up with urself lol im joking, the only way is up :)

[miycko]

WOW :x my jaw is still on the floor. You were'nt kidding when you said you loved vampires & it shows in your work, you are SERIOUSLY GOOD. All three images look incredible. :teeth: I have a question which i hope you haven't been asked already, how many hours does it take you to paint one image? I'm truely glad to be able to see the WIP of such awesome creations. I wish you good luck, to tell the truth, you deserve to win IMO.

[WOMD]

GREAT JOB ! i truly love the The Turning ! it just blew me away :) nice works indeed!

[zimfin]

Holy Shit Randis!! Those last Three images are AMAZING! I am torn between being awed and gutted at the same time lol. Awed at the super skills and gutted that my Newborn work is seriously lacking in comparison. If you don't mind me asking, how long have you been painting?

[ManaBurn]

ursosic!!!

[Randis]

@ Oscar Austin

Thank you! I didn't use any of my life sketches for this paint, i made some roughs but only as a note and i think i didnt even look at those during the whole paint.
I was mainly referencing the snapshots i took, as you see the base was rather rough.

@ ManaBurn
hehe thanks man.
Didn't try to recreate the shapes exactly, only concentrate on the feel.
If you paint from life models you have to capture the details as qyick as possible, can not have people pose fpr you for 2 weeks without movement, taking shots you dont really need a precise under painting, you paint rough shapes and work out details and fix and refine thing during the process, same as you do a quick painting without detailed line work.
a digital canvas has lots of advantages. can crop things cut and move around elements, change colors easily.

@ miycko
Thank you! Yep , love vampires. I read all kind of vampire novels, all i can get in my hands. finished 13 books in the last 4 months only and many more before that.
I also work on a game about vampires, zombies and other monsters with my dev team. i will put up the site for the game online in a month or so.

I am not exactly sure how many hours i have been spending on each image. Vampire took longest, was working intensively for 2 weeks on it. Golem took me 1 week and the diver was done in 2 days because building the helmet base in 3d saved lots of time.

@ WOMD
Thanks man!

@zimfin
Thank you! I started drawing a lot when i was 13-14 i think, that is 18 tears ago. with 15 i started to paint, watercolor and all kind of other traditional media.
with 16 i started freelancing and painting for a dice and paper rpg production house. till i was 20 i was doing mainly gallerie art.
Digital imaging i started when i was very young too, i do not remember the year but i know that we had this monochrome apple computer in school, we learned drawing circles by typing in coordinates and doing some sort of asci images too...
later i was using all kind paint apps on amiga, when i got my first pc i was also looking into 3d things, started with morray, povray. Got into photoshop more seriously when a friend got a SGI workstation with photoshop 3.?
Painting with tablet i started when i was 22 i think, had to learn drawing from scratch and until today did not master it well. i still see a gap between drawing on paper and drawing with tablet.

[art80]

Amazing work! I like the concept of golem best though your finished product of the turning is fantastic. Can't wait to see the final products.

[miycko]

thanks for sharing your history & the WIP thumbs from the turning with us, it's good to know that it's possible to produce such an image from pencils. i guess there's still a lot of years to go before us newbie's can get the kind of experience you're at, lots work, practice, sweat & all that stuff. i visited your website & the stuff you've done looks awesome, i wish you'd upload some high res stuff for us to oggle at :teeth:

[Randis]

@art80

Thanks! I hope i will finish the diver in time, i still did not touch the image...
and i probably will not submit the baby image, no time to finish it. 3 entries pratty much enough, anything else would be paranoid? haha

@miycko
Thank you! i am not sure what you meant with "that it's possible to produce such an image from pencils"
Does not have to be that many years really, i see many people who are a lot better at their age than i was at that time. Its all about motivation and how much time you spend on your work. Most people who start out are a lot slower but they also spend less time on their work, its a huge difference finishing one image in 2 days or investing 2 weeks tweaking.
The pics on my site are small, probably to small.. i will have a new website soon, will have higher res images then.
Thanks for looking.

[smokenmirrors]

just wanted to offer another add on in compliments. Amazing work, very clean and cool concepts! :)

[Kuren]

Hey Randis,

Been a long time (since Eatpoo forums). Nice looking stuff there.

I'm wondering though. What's your process? How much of it is drawn/painted, 3D, and photo reference if any at all? I remember your stuff way back when, and I've often wondered how the heck you got it so clean and well cut.

I myself use all sorts of stuff to convey the visual message the fastest depending on the style I'm going for; I'm curious what steps were taken to get to your final results for any of your images.

I know you posted the work up/WIP for the vampire image, but the final image in the WIP looks like a huge leap to the final result. I'm curious as how you got there. If it's an artists' secret though, no worries!

[Sirsketchalot]

Thanks for the feedback and WIPs Randis! It's always nice to hear more about someone's process, especially when they get good results. I look forward to seeing more of your work and good luck with the contest!

[graphicgolem]

I cannot understand how you made these peices - but they are masterful in conception and execution - bravo!

[Randis]

@ Kuren
Thank you. I wrote about the process of each image a couple of times on page 3 and in the top info on page 1.
Golem and diver contain some 3d elements as a base. Such as Helmet, Books, some of the toys for example.

Things i paint often and have a lot routine i paint from mind, some other things i look up reference, to understand the form better or the material properties for example.

For some images such as the vampire i set up reference material before i start painting, it is a part of the process as i arrange and direct the models and take the shots myself.
The rest is all about how much time you invest in your work, one pass after another, paint at 25%, 50% and in he very last steps at 300% smoothing out small details.

@ Sirsketchalot
Thanks! you wills ee lots of new images soon when i upload a new dump on CA

cheers

[Randis]

@ graphicgolem
Thank you!

[Randis]

OK, diver is final now.
I will be submitting all 3 images today, unless someone will point out some dump mistake i made, i would give it a quick fix then

cheers

[Huey Yeng]

Wow your diver pic looks almost photorealistic to me.

Awesome work Randis. I admired your passion in delivering all three stunning pieces in a short period. :)

[VINCENTGOH82]

Awesome. It almost like a real subject appears right in front of me. Good job man.

[Nightblue]

Amazing stuff, Randis! My favorite is the 2nd image. It tells the story very well, and is beautifully executed. Kudos!

[Ghostbrush]

Really well done on the 3 finished pieces, an absolute joy to look at.

Excellent display of your talents :)

All the best

Alex

[Sidharth Chaturvedi]

Randis, you are awesome. These own.

[Randis]

@ hueyyeng
Thank you! I also enjoyed watching all other entries in development.

@ VINCENTGOH82
Thanks man!

@ Nightblue
Thanks! This one is also my personal fav.

@ Ghostbrush
Thank you! I am glad you like em.

@ Sidharth Chaturvedi
Thanks man!

[miycko]

wow you have three awesome images to enter when i haven't even finished my one, if you have some time could you pass through my thread, i could use some C&C.

btw have you heard of this http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/secret_agent/index.php

[Randis]

@ miycko
Thanks again! I will take a look.

yes i have heard of it recently, i am there already.
http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?f=291&t=790049

Tho i have to say honestly i do not like the rules of the secret agent challenge at all.
I do not see how that is fair to have 3d and 2d entries in the same category. Good for those who are fluent in both Illustration and 3d but rather unfair for people can not use 3d apps.

[miycko]

it is quite unfair, but for me it's another opportunity to learn :) thank for the link to your thread, i'll be checking it out.

[sony]

marvelous, magnificent Bravo :)

[ktkps]

Great works you've got there....The diver is my pick...(and oh the colors in the first image of yours...great)

[NicholasTeyKG]

Those are great works!! Well done! Bravo mate!!

[Randis]

@ Sony
Thanks a lot!

@ ktkps
Thank you, i am happy that all people like different pis here, made it worth making all 3.

@ NicholasTeyKG
Thank you! cheers!

[Baron Impossible]

Really nice work, very well finished. I think I prefer the robot pic the best, the lighting and composition really works. Great job all round, good luck!

[Randis]

@ Baron Impossible
Thanks man! I enjoyed your entry very much too.
Let's see what the others will submit, those who did not open a topic.
I am sure there will be some nice bombs.
:D

[Irawan]

Really nice work, very well finished. I think I prefer the robot pic the best, the lighting and composition really works. Great job all round, good luck!

just outstanding work!

[bWorx]

oh man, look the humble beginnings of the Vamp image, and then it turned out to be a kick ass image. I love it so much, I have it on my desktop. Good luck on yah mate, outstanding image.

[NIRONERU]

I hope I can get as good as you someday, randis... you are indeed a master... the vampire is just too stunning... too realistic to distinguish it from the real thing...

[st.s]

I was trying to find right words to say this. But I guess it is useless...
It is impossible to describe you work with any human words...
I salute you...

[Randis]

@ Irawan

Thanks man!
You have a very nice entry in the cgs challenge!

@ bWorx
cool, thanks! i need some new desktop image too, i always use the crap windows photos haha. need something with boobies.

@NIRONERU
Cool, i am happy you like the vampires.

@ st.s
Thanks a lot! I am also having a hard time finding words thanking all of you for all the nice comments and compliments. :)

[calyx]

Your work really pops in the forums with a serving of 3 in such quality. Kudos to your excellent integration of 2d-3d!

I'm going to dig through the rest of your thread, crossing my fingers so i could see how you came to your final pieces :) My favorite of the 3 is the Golem piece!

[Iridyse]

3 wonderful pieces, how did you manage to do this?! I'm totally rooting for you in this competiton.

That golem piece is just -delightful-. There's just so much charm in it. I think surface polishing-wise I would have preferred some more paintwork on the boys, especially on the hands.Looks way too much like a simple 3d render right now, but that's just me. The vampire and the diver are perfectly executed also.

So, you need another partner on that workshop ticket you're winning huh? ;D

[zimfin]

@zimfin
Thank you! I started drawing a lot when i was 13-14 i think, that is 18 tears ago. with 15 i started to paint, watercolor and all kind of other traditional media.
with 16 i started freelancing and painting for a dice and paper rpg production house. till i was 20 i was doing mainly gallerie art.
Digital imaging i started when i was very young too, i do not remember the year but i know that we had this monochrome apple computer in school, we learned drawing circles by typing in coordinates and doing some sort of asci images too...
later i was using all kind paint apps on amiga, when i got my first pc i was also looking into 3d things, started with morray, povray. Got into photoshop more seriously when a friend got a SGI workstation with photoshop 3.?
Painting with tablet i started when i was 22 i think, had to learn drawing from scratch and until today did not master it well. i still see a gap between drawing on paper and drawing with tablet.

Thanks for the in-depth reply! I was hoping you had been painting for a LOT more years than me but it seems we are almost exactly the same age. Only difference work-wise is that I have only done Digital for a couple of years now so there is room to improve I hope!
Anyway, keep up the great work. Very inspiring!

[Kuren]

Randis - Hey thanks for the PM dood. I'll keep checking out your CGtalk challenge thread!

[LillyCat]

AMAZING WORK! I just love them :D

[Randis]

@ calyx
Thanks man! I guess the golem is the more popular one of the 3.

@ Iridyse
Thank you! The golem pic is not supposed to be realism or in a painterly style, i wanted the kids more stylized, the first version of the image was a lot simpler...

@zimfin
Thanks man!
I think the age does not matter much. Tho i beleave that an artist needs some minimum age to be able to find interest innother topics than chicks in horny poses.
Most of the years i think i leaned how to learn before i actually started learning at all.
Today i truly believe that it has very little to do with hand eye coordination and how well people can handle a pencil.
To cut it short, i think people can learn painting in a relatively short time, rest is all about motivation, taste and a good sense for design.

@ Kuren
Cool, thanks!

@LillyCat
Thank you! Just checked your final entrie earlier today, the image turned our really well, good job.

[SalOnimaruRem]

daammmn.....you make me cry ;_;

3 awesome entry :mod:

[JessiBean]

I think my face melted off... these entries are ALL top notch. Every single one.
BRAVO!

PS: you should drop these into the FF section, CA would adore them, and not everyone knows to look in here for the awesome sauce...

[Randis]

@ Oni Rem
Thank you!

@ Thanks!!!
I will post them in FF sometimes later when i make a new dump with new work.

cheers
everyone!

[Kitten Poker]

If this is what not sleeping does maybe I should try it. The diver so needs to get the IFX cover ^_^

[Randis]

@ Kitten Poker.
Thanks! Tho i don't recommend not to sleep, you will work more effectively when you are fit.

Cover? come on people, you have not even seen all the entries, i am sure there are some more kick ass submissions from people who didn't bother posting and there are some real awesome submissions that has been posted already.

[Riddick]

Randis you killed me , you are too good!

Can I ask you which brushed you are using for your Artworks?

[Ian Barker]

Incredible work! Love all three, especially the diver. Would look amazing on the cover of IFX if I may say so. :)

[Randis]

@ Riddik
Man thanks! You did a great job too!
I only use 1 brush for everything, its a custom round brush that did set up very similar to the basic brush in open canvas 1. The brush is slightly smeary and has almost sharp edges and i control the opacity with pen pressure.

@ Liffey
Thank you! Glad you like it! Its funny how every one likes a different pic.
I should have made a poll, curious now what pic does the best impression.

[DeKal]

randis you beast! when i saw your vampire entry a wave of emotion poured over my soul. partially because i fucking LOVE it and partially because i was crushed that you totally outdid my idea. i posted in the final entry thread if you want to check it out. like android said, i dont know how you found the time to pull off 3 mind blowing entries but glad you did. they reminded me of my aspirations. you gotta win this.

[Randis]

@ DeKal
Thanks man! I will check your entry right away.
cheers

[LENGARTISTRY]

AWESOME !
I love your work

[Tommy Applesauce]

Dood, your entry along with cryptcrawler's is in the top 1% of this contest...

man, you guys sure do come up with some mind blowing stuff ^_^

I love all of em...

but as much as I dig vampire chicks...The golem picture just struck a note...

It's playful and a bit serious at the same time...

and the way you painted the girl's face in the turning...man, jaw's still lying on the floor with my tongue rolled out...lol

btw, when are you getting higher res images in your website?

[Randis]

@Apichart
Thanks man!

@Tommy Applesauce

Thanks Tommy for all the nice compliments!
That is a very friendly avatar you have there... :D

I will have a new website soon, need to redesign the old one...
i guess i will have higher res images again with comment function...

Thanks everyone for looking and giving me motivation to push my work more and more...

[Extollere]

You pretty much won me over with the toy robot coming out of the alchemy circle there. I'd love to see your process on that. But the image itself is particularly striking, especially in the colors. It's also a bit of a lighter tone in contrast to some of the others.

[Muttonhead]

Wow, these are something else! Pretty damn impressive, best of luck!

[Randis]

@ Extollere

Thanks, glad you like the golem.
I will post some wip steps later in my new big dump.

@Muttonhead

Thank you man! Love your pic too! great job!
Cheers and best luck!

[Art-n-Coffee]

The Vampire will no longer participate here, i will not submit the image.
Have to work on some jobs but will update the baby image sometimes next week.

Sad I got it right off the bat. People just need to think out of the box.

probably a stupid question, but Im assuming you use human refs. they are near perfect. Do you shoot them yourself? Pose them in 3d, or pull refs off the internet? Im very impressed by your works. Makes me want to get better

[Randis]

@ Art-n-Coffee

Thanks man!
The type of ref i use really depends on the type of image i make.

If i aim for a realistic portrait or something more classic like the vampire image i use real human reference. I build the settings, direct the models and shoot the photos myself.
Using 3d models for such scenes makes no sense because it would take to much time and effort to set up a realistic scene.

In other cases if you pain something from mind and get a bit stuck at one point because you fail to paint the right effect or need to look up some anatomy for a weird pose or a difficult head perspective then you can look up some photos or pose a 3d model.
Certain things are simply impossible to paint without a reference, no artist can do that, no matter how good he is.
For example, lets say you want to paint some specific animal or a car engine, you simply will need reference. It does not have to be the same pose or angle, but it should help you understanding the forms and materials.

For some images i use a lot of 3d too, simply because i can and because it saves time. I use 3d to save time, thats reason Nr1.
You cans spend 2 hours with a ruler drawing the perspective line work for a complex building or you make a rough 3D model in 15 min, do the math.
2d apps or 3d apps, does not matter what, those are art tools and if you can make a good use of em, do it!
The only 2 things i care about are: 1) Result 2) the time i need to spend to get the result.
They key is using 3d for things that would save you time and not for things that you can not make in 2d.

[Extollere]

You make some great points there about use of 3D. Everyone should take note.

[Randis]

Thank you, glad if the info was of any help.

I think most artists develop their own workflow naturally, but its always good to experiment and try out new things.
Over the years i observed that most of the artists who are active in art communities are experimenting and changing styles a lot more than the older and more traditional artist. I am sure if you take a closer look at the older generations, even after 10-15 years their style and quality of work often does not change much or at all.
I understand tho that some of the styles are like a trademark for some artists and they have no interest changing it once they become established and successful.

[artina]

Amazing work all round. Three authentic takes on a concept that were developed in a true display of artistic talent. I was very impressed when I saw these. Good luck to you and God bless.

[Randis]

Thanks man! cheers

[Lakeland]

Hello Randis!
Im here to congratulate on the contest win and wish you all the best in what is comming to you as an artist!
One thing that keeps bothering me about most of your works Ive seen:
Your paintings are something between the perfection of phototrealistic 3d renders like Vray or Maya, and flexibility of hand painting... but they really seam to be neither.
Doesnt that bother you in a way?
I mean, taking the Golem for example, the image could be done in 3dmax with better and greater results when it comes to light quality, and then again, it could be more stylish and "human" when it wouldnt be rendered with digital tablet, in That hard edge fashion. I dont know if Im making my self clear here.. its like if you aim at so much detail and light rendering perfection, why dont you go full 3d? or shoot a photo?
When I saw your works the first time I was like "photo overpaint or 3dsmax overpaint". It was only I came here and read about your workflow I realised its mostly handmade.
So, knowing I wasnt the only one ;) I can safely presume that its more common impression.
As to the 3d time saving argument, I fully agree, I use 3d references very often, for perspective issues, although Iam still learning to paint.


Taking the time while Im here Id love to express my admiration to the vampire embrace painting. The color pallette used and the light is just pure win. Love the face expression.
Only thing I would change would be the blue eye glow, since they stick out of the color set used in the image. Too much saturation imo in there. Otherwise its one of my favorite vampire related pictures EVER seen.

Best of luck, and keep making the world a nicer place to be with your art :)

-Lakeland

[Jepoykalboh]

Nice artworks.... Im just starting to discover my CG skills i've always practicing tecniques then I discover your works it really inspire me to go on and improve more... If you wouldn't mind will you visit my gallery here and leave a comment I want to hear a comment from a master... have a nice day Randis!

[Randis]

@ Lakeland
Thank you! Cheers! :)

@ Jepoykalboh
Thank you
You should make a link to you gallery or sketchbook in your signature.

[kelly x]

Randis, I never saw this until now, amazing work here!!!

[Randis]

Thank you!

You can see them all and manymore in my FF thread
http://conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=166776

and more speedpaintings, wip and scribbles in my SB
http://conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=166350