Extraterrestrial Mammoth

[M.C.Barrett]

This is a concept for a huge beast of the steppe on an alien planet. Its social structure would be similar to that of the modern african elephant, with a large matriarch leading the herd in migrations, with the distinction that she also serves as a fortified hatchery for the smaller, younger, breeding females. The animal would lie down while eggs are deposited in the shade beneath her carapace, receiving food and water while the young gestate.
I'd like to thank the elephant, Irish elk, matamata, estemmenosuchus, desmatosuchus, and cape buffalo. Rendered in marker and pencil.

http://www.moonkatz.org/mbarrettart/elephantlersweb.jpg

I like this critter, I'll probably be exploring it a bit more.

[endercoskun]

great one!! did you consider doing how will this creature would look when it was young and baby. it would be VERY cool ;)

[quickman]

This is really awesome, your use of edges and values is really conveying the dimensionality of the creature. One thing to be nitpicky, maybe plane out the face a little more. It's pretty flat now, and I understand you are going to that, but the more I look at it, the more it starts to look very thin, like one of those binders for school or something. These are really some great sketches though, I really like them.

[stoph]

id like to see one of these things fall over and then try to right itself :P very neat concept, id like to see these things with 5 legs instead of 4.. thatd make it even quirkier :D

[wierdteaparty]

Thats really awesome. Reallu imaginitive creature design on that.

[J-boogie]

That looks scary. Well done. It just seems like the legs would be a bit more muscular in appearance carrying all of that weight.

[M.C.Barrett]

Good point about the legs, though I don't want them to be too fleshy. I want to keep a pillar-like effect, similar to elephants and indricotheres and sauropods. Here's a work-in-progress scan, more markers. Sorry it's so huge, but I'm lazy and most of you probably have broadband connections.

http://www.moonkatz.org/mbarrettart/cowwip.jpg

[Helium Macaroni]

Hey Barret,

I'm that random guy that IM'd you the other day (maphistobutercup on AIM).

Fantastic work as always. In your technique, are you laying down the marker values and then going back over them in gouche or anything to get the highlights, or just progressively going darker while leaving the highlights a lighter tone?

Once again, excellent stuff.

[M.C.Barrett]

I'm doing it straight markers, light to dark. Probably my watercolor experience coming in there. I'll have to try some gouache over marker sometime, though. It sounds interesting.

[J-boogie]

Good point about the legs, though I don't want them to be too fleshy. I want to keep a pillar-like effect, similar to elephants and indricotheres and sauropods. Here's a work-in-progress scan, more markers. Sorry it's so huge, but I'm lazy and most of you probably have broadband connections.

http://www.moonkatz.org/mbarrettart/cowwip.jpg

oooooo!!! Now this is purty. Seriously though, great work. I'm impressed by the light/shadow work on the front legs. Can't wait to see the finished product.

[Liquidspider]

that is badass, ur rendering with ur markers blows my mind. Awesome concept too!

[M.C.Barrett]

Updated WIP, just replaced the image to save bandwidth. I'm not sure I'll be completing this particular piece, since it's sort of crammed onto too small a sheet of bristol board- started too far to the left, hence the cop-out lowered head and all. This is really more of a study in texture and marker technique, which I'm sort of working out as I go along. This technique seems like it would work for dinosaurs and such, as well.
(the random dark line on its head appears to be a dog hair, too lazy to scan again.)

[Hive_minD]

wow.... love that! how do you draw those wrinkles and "hard-skin", grrrr, tell me.... :dur:

Hive_minD

[the machine god]

Oh thank god it lays eggs. I'd hate to see it try and birth one of those things.
Great rendering. I can really see the watercolour background coming through there. I actually much preffer teh boar shaped head of teh original sketch to the second more rendered one. it seems more fitting in my mind. Great stuff dude. I can't wait to see more

[Jarons20]

That skin is great, I would really like to see some color on that.
Head reminds me of a giraffe and those jutting shell extensions are really great, they look suple, but they still convey strength.
I would love to see what eats these...

[Eclectix]

Looks like it's made to survive on a planet with frequent meteorite showers with all that armor on top! Very cool looking.

[-Optix]

Yeah a very nice concept going on here. I love the lighting and the texture work.

[Stupidude666]

That is a very nice concept, but the new head you gave it, doesn't seem to fit very well. As the animal behaves like an Elephant, it would not need to burro. The new head has a duck like bill that could be used to dig. Then again they might have to dig out nests for the eggs, but with a neck like that, it leaves itself pretty open to attack. Then again, no animal is completely invincible, so that is a good thing.

[sone_one]

wow your stuff is pure eyecandy and very creative... i dug through your imagestorage and most of them went to my inspiration folder.

<3

[Deimos]

this is an excellent concept, great work

i would LOVE to see a series of concepts within this theme of extraterrestrial creatures influenced by the animals of our own world :rendered:

[melvin]

holy crap! you better finish that. it's just too good. amazing marker rendering :x

[vigostar]

dude, I just spent like an hour on your website or art content site.. Damb dude... I knew you were a talented fellow but, i never knew you were that talented... were those characters for a project you were working on??? i love the dino saurs as well... everything was great.. all around.. i can wait to see your site up again... i know there were alot of finished pieces that werent on there right???

BTW- i really like what your doing here with the dino alien thingy... i gotta get me some markers!!!

[loomer]

fuckn' awesome. Lately I've been obsessed with elephants, so this had me grinning like a toothy fool.

Gotta check your website -everybody is creaming in their pantaloons over it..guess I should join in
cheers mate

[Alday.J]

The tones, the texture, the design... argl ! Man, you're simply BADASS ! Amazing stuff !!! <3