The Black Book (Updated 6/22/2006)

[Fingers]

Hi all, this thread is for scans from my real, black pleather bound hardcover sketch book. Rather than true sketches I try to spend a couple of hours each day to make a complete if often simple piece of art (while "working" in a military base post office), usually with just black permanent markers. Some more sketchy than others but hopefully interesting nonetheless... A few have been colored in PhotoShop.

At the moment of starting this thread I've been doing this for a little over a month and there are 27 pictures here. I'll try to update this each weekend with that week's art. Wish me luck! :)


Week 1:

3/27: "Dark Horde" ... The illustrious beginning
http://www.digital-eel.com/scans/blackbook/0327_dark_horde.gif

3/28: "World Tree"
http://www.digital-eel.com/scans/blackbook/0328_world_tree.gif

3/29: "Dragon Rider"
http://www.digital-eel.com/scans/blackbook/0329_dragon_rider.gif

3/30: "Orc Halberdier"
http://www.digital-eel.com/scans/blackbook/0330_orc_halberdier.gif

3/31: "Castle Ruin"
http://www.digital-eel.com/scans/blackbook/0331_castle_ruin.gif

[Fingers]

Week 2:

4/3: "Dancer"
http://www.digital-eel.com/scans/blackbook/0403_dancer.gif

4/5: "Girlie"
http://www.digital-eel.com/scans/blackbook/0405_girlie.gif

4/6: "Angel"
http://www.digital-eel.com/scans/blackbook/0406_angel.gif

4/7: "Breakthrough"
http://www.digital-eel.com/scans/blackbook/0407_breakthrough800.gif

[Fingers]

Week 3:

4/10: "Necklace"
http://www.digital-eel.com/scans/blackbook/0410_necklace.gif

4/11: "In The Dark"
http://www.digital-eel.com/scans/blackbook/0411_inthedark.gif

4/12: "Buddha"
http://www.digital-eel.com/scans/blackbook/0412_buddha.gif

4/13: "Blonde"
http://www.digital-eel.com/scans/blackbook/0413_blonde512.gif

4/14: "Self Portrait"
http://www.digital-eel.com/scans/blackbook/0414_selfportrait.gif

[Fingers]

Week 4:

4/18: "Mountains" (Attack of the Sky Mouse)
http://www.digital-eel.com/scans/blackbook/0418_mountains.gif

4/19: "Citadel" (rare use of red marker...)
http://www.digital-eel.com/scans/blackbook/0419_citadel.gif

4/20: "Barrier" (Anatomically Incorrect Woman Breaks The Audio-Visual Barrier...)
http://www.digital-eel.com/scans/blackbook/0420_barrier.gif

4/20: "Lake Shore" (View Outside)
http://www.digital-eel.com/scans/blackbook/0420_lakeshore.gif

4/21: "Scrapers" (Future Is Fluffy)
http://www.digital-eel.com/scans/blackbook/0421_scrapers.gif

[Fingers]

Weeks 5&6:

4/24: "Chaos Engine"
http://www.digital-eel.com/scans/blackbook/0424_train.gif

4/25: "Rain"
http://www.digital-eel.com/scans/blackbook/0425_rain.gif

4/26: "Castle"
http://www.digital-eel.com/scans/blackbook/0426_castle.gif

4/27: "Slash"
http://www.digital-eel.com/scans/blackbook/0427_slash.gif

4/29: "Leap"
http://www.digital-eel.com/scans/blackbook/0429_leap.gif

4/30: "Ghost" (pencil, not actually in the book)
http://www.digital-eel.com/scans/blackbook/0430_ghost.jpg

5/2: "Ringworld"
http://www.digital-eel.com/scans/blackbook/0502_ringworld.gif

5/3: "Radiance"
http://www.digital-eel.com/scans/blackbook/0503_radiance.gif

[Fingers]

I should've learned by now not to plan anything... Had a couple of weeks away from the base and no time to draw. Trying to get back to it. Here's the weeks 7-9(?), tried to do something different: Well-known paintings interpreted through a Lovecraftian obscenity filter.

05/09: Mona Lisa / Monalithotep (made a mess trying to render it... switched to just lines after this)
http://www.digital-eel.com/scans/blackbook/0509_monalisa.gif

05/22: Olympia / O Lumpy
http://www.digital-eel.com/scans/blackbook/0522_olympia.gif

05/23: The Birth of Venus / The Re-Emergence Of Chtulhu
http://www.digital-eel.com/scans/blackbook/0523_birthofvenus.gif

05/24: The Scream / The Migration of Dhole
http://www.digital-eel.com/scans/blackbook/0601_scream.gif

[Smitherines]

I really like the Master painting alien themed illustrations. Watch out for tangents though, because you got a lot going on in all of your peices.

[Ferg]

hah master paintings are great... you've got a nice style going with all of these. Should try doing more characters, would be interesting to see how you work chars into an environment with this style... could make some sweet compositions.

[Fingers]

There's a limited number of paintings that fit this sort of thing well and remain recognizable. With most straight portraits it would be tough to tell what the original was.. Mona Lisa is so iconic that it comes into your mind immediately just from the composition, but e.g. "Young Man with a Glove" probably wouldn't.

Heh, the other day I started to sketch a version of "Nude Descending a Staircase" (now that would've been something) but quit in frustration... Too hard. Anyway I'll probably look for an all new thing again next week. Possibly go back to volume over line again.

[Fingers]

Short week, but did three more. I was thinking about doing some creatures in this "implied lines" style but after doing the first one I switched the theme to fast motion as that one successfully gave the impression of running at high speed and I liked it...

6/6: Dart Lizard
http://www.digital-eel.com/scans/blackbook/0606_lizard.gif

6/7: Escape
http://www.digital-eel.com/scans/blackbook/0607_runner.gif

6/8: Afterburner
http://www.digital-eel.com/scans/blackbook/0608_afterburner.gif

And that's the logical supersonic conclusion to this theme. What's next?

[Kicek]

hey fingers.. nice style here. the last one is my fav, good feeling for the speed... keep it updated dude.. and what ferg said. wanna see some more characters.!
cheers C

[Fingers]

Now with attachments!

I started doing a remake of the old "World Tree" picture.. Kinda screwed it up and couldn't get the globe to look right, but then did a couple variations, "Galaxy Tree" and "City Tree" that I like much better.