Any moment, a young botlet will be assembled that will appear in our universe, whose very existence will change the course of history forever, causing design to be more interesting, and robotic artists to become more passionate and curious. I’m not talking about the Star Treks!

This botlet may come at any time within the selection set of [now - 25 May] and so my availability for supernet tohomfoolery will be decreasing exponentially as we get there from here, and thereafter for awhile. I’ll be around, but i’ll be brain-scrambled from lack of sleep and general delerium, so if my posts are abrupt or non-sequitor, you’ll understand why!

When the botlet arrives, I’ll let my TRDL R3 Army know, of course.

If you need something and can’t reach me, ping Ironlung post-haste!

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This was done for the TRDL R3 jam, the subject being the sweet, sweet Boba Fett.

I LOVE Boba Fett, like many of my age. He was enigmatic, mysterious, and the pinnacle of the less-is-more coolness that was rampant in the Star Wars films when I was young. I don’t know about you, like-aged readers, but for me, I was hot for the characters that you saw here and there but never got to explore: the weird droids (the pissy silver 3P0 in Bespin, the tortured two-legged bots in the Jawa crawler) and the side characters we knew more from their figures than from the films. That was the good stuff right there. Boba is the best of it. He has a few lines, stands around, and we’re TOLD he’s the best there is at what he does and by and large, never really see it. Other than, of course, the dodgy asteroid action. And yes, like everyone else, I was mortified he was taken out like a bitch in Jedi, and even more mortified that his father was taken out like a bitch in the prequels.

I was trying to decide what i wanted to draw about this character… Kris already hit the textured, weathered Boba look, and I always found mainstream Boba’s piecemeal armor awesome to look at, but weird when illustrated and colored. I toyed with the idea of doing a TRDL redesign, or drawing Boba from the cartoons or something… then I remembered the story of Boba as the Vader role back in the genesis of the SW story, so I looked it up and fell in love with white Boba Fett. This is the design where they prototyped it in order to give it a look over and a feel (complete with a Star Wars … Read on for more awesome…

Related posts:

1. TRDL 2011 No. 4 – Fett Boba [TRDL Blank Slate Redesign]
2. TRDL 2011 Series No. 39 – Kreg Bennett
3. TRDL Tribute : Liz Sherman [Hellboy Animated]

Okay, I’ve been doing a few experiments using Paths in PS. This is nothing new but I have had a few questions asking me to explan. So I felt I’d lay it out here.

First I do a little sketch, like so.
(Sanford COL-ERASE Carmine Red pencil, 20045.)

Then I ink it. At this stage, I keep in mind that I want to close all the "borders" to make selections easier later. Also, when I’m "inking" the outside lines, if two sculpted lines that I intend to fill in PS later, get really close together, I try and fill them here at this stage as selection later becomes more time consuming.

(And just my regular Pilot Drawing Pen for the inks. I favour the 0.2 nib)

Okay, you need to add a new blank layer.

Then go to the Channels tab and hit the little dotted circle. This will select all the negative space, inverse your selecion (cntrl/shift I).

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This was done for the TRDL R3 jam, the subject being Cable.

A TRDL Redesign this time around.

I previously tole that i never much liked the look or even the concept of Cable, though there have been times in the character’s history where updates to the original concept made him more interesting to me.

This redesign:

- While I don’t like Cable as the rip-off of Reese from Terminator, I do like the imagery of the man on the run in a post-apocalyptic future, sort of merged with the ‘last X-Man’ concept (not from X-Man, but rather, Cable lost in time, trying to undo terrible mutant genocide to come)… so I went that way with the vibe of this redesign.

- The cloak was originally supposed to be Storm’s old cape and hood, but…

- I can’t handle bright yellow all over a guy constantly being hunted, especially since I can’t handle Cable’s apparent invulnerability and wishy-washy power. So, I couldn’t have the yellow in the cape were it to be Storms, nor could I have yellow small-gift pouches, boots and the like. Dark and somber, this Cable is. I gave it a tiny peak of yellow in the 99% obscured belt buckle though, for science.

- I’m not too into the Askani business, but I chose the X-foe race I always enjoyed most as a kid, the Aliens ripoff The Brood. Here, Cable wears the husk of a dead Brood Queen over his shoulders.

- This Cable has suffered injuries: a deep cut on the face, and severe acid damage from Brood busting.

- No baby not-Phoenix here. While I like Lone Wolf and Cub, I didn’t want to homage the homage.

- The big knife on his side is a reference to a period when I actually … Read on for more awesome…

Related posts:

1. TRDL 2011 Series No. 33 – Cable and Siren [X-Force 1996]
2. TRDL 2011 Series No. 40 – Iron Man Series: Force Redesign
3. TRDL 2011 Series No. 79 – Catwoman Redesign

This was done for the TRDL R3 jam, the subject being Jun [Princess from Gatchaman/ Battle of the Planets].

I drew Princess quite a bit as a kid. Well, not as much as I probably THOUGHT about drawing her. Which was not as much as I thought about her in general. Despite not being into pink, or swan-shaped beak visors, I always liked her design the best of all the Gatchaman uniforms. Hmm… could have been the miniskirt and mod boots/gloves? Nah. Couldn’t possibly be.

:::

You can see this illustration herein the TRDL Tribute Gallery.

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Related posts:

1. TRDL Tribute: Jun 02 [Gatchaman]
2. TRDL 2011 Series No. 56 – Jason from Gatchaman
3. TRDL Tribute: Princess Jasmine

This was done for the TRDL R3 jam, the subject being Jun [Princess from Gatchaman/ Battle of the Planets].

I actually never liked the Gatchaman [Battle of the Planets, as I saw it here in the States] crew in their weird 70s get-ups as civilians. As a kid, before I could actually identify the awkwardness as being a 70′s fashion problem, I knew something wasn’t right. However, I’ve grown to realize the issue was really the excessive color coordination and the sequential numbering of the jerseys. That all said, quite nice that Princess rocks the mighty THREE on hers. I had to draw her in the civilian gear, for science.

As far as personal touches go on this one, I tried to capture something of my mental image of Evangeline Lily from Lost, during her likable period, and I threw in some TRDL-approved butterflies for good measure.

We should also note that Jun’s enjoying this earthly plane’s most perfect product, sweet sweet melon. Inspiration for my own Team Lope Cycling Clubbe…

:::

You can see this illustration herein the TRDL Tribute Gallery.

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Related posts:

1. TRDL Tribute: Jun [Gatchaman]
2. TRDL 2011 Series No. 56 – Jason from Gatchaman
3. Temporary Service Stymie Alert

This was done for the TRDL R3 jam, the subject being Madelyn Pryor.

I thought this was an interesting challenge for the R3 Illustration Jam: how do you draw a character that was a clone of another character? Well, I should say, retconned into being a clone of another character. I actually prefer to think of Maddie as the uncanny (so to speak) doppleganger of the deceased Jean Grey, as that was how she was during what i consider to be the X-Men’s golden period, when I was first reading the title as a curious youth. We accept many things in comic parlance, like domino masks or glasses obscuring an otherwise recognizable face, or superhero costumes hidden under otherwise tight-fitting clothes. But I thought it was perfectly presented that Maddie looked like Jean. A LOT. But not as a twin. Ie. not a genetic clone. It was a far better mind-screw that way.

Anyway, what to draw? Maddie as a pilot was a great look, and I *almost* went that route, but man, it’s intimidating working from Paul Smith, so I continued to consider. Post retcon, her goblyn queen persona was during the heat of the Silvestri period, which i didn’t much enjoy any which way. It didn’t interest me as a design, either, really. Tattered black somethings and boobs. However, there was a short-lived, but very interesting book called Mutant X, which I followed favorably until the creative line-up fell apart. It was like a What If? taken seriously (the way Exiles COULD be, and was, for a spell)… Havok falls into an alternate timeline Marvel U where Scott never led the X-Men, and HE married Madelyn Pryor. The that-dimension Havok, and Pryor, together ran the Six, which were like evil X-Men, many of which turned vampire thanks to … Read on for more awesome…

Related posts:

1. TRDL Tribute: Dream Queen [TRDL Redesign]
2. TRDL Tribute: Queen Bee
3. TRDL Character Factory, No. 114: Winter Queen

This was done for the TRDL R3 jam, the subject being Minmei/ Lynn Minmay, from Macross/ Robotech.

Wheeee boy! Takes me back! I’m not afraid to admit it: I was hot on Robotech right as I hit puberty, and that Minmei/ Rick Hunter/ Lisa Hayes triangle basically taught me everything I needed to know. I think I was well imprinted right there: japanese girls in pigtails, bright red chinese dresses, executive women in business skirts, BIG HAIR… hmm… well, anyway, good stuff all around. But I tell you what: I hated Minmei the performer. I mean, later I hated Minmei in general, the vapid cow. But as a kid, I liked her as the girlfriend, the love interest, even the celebrity… but when she took the stage in hr 80s glamor and twinkle lights and pastel gauzy costumes and sang a bunch of overdubbed pop claptrap, I was bored out of my skull.

So, the natural thing to do would be to draw Minmei at her best, in the chinese dress. But I’ve done that a few times before. So I thought I’d play with the theme of Minmei as Rick’s civilian girlfriend, go for a little sexy teasing. Nothing quite like someone walking out in your shirt or jacket, i say. (This being a general -audiences appropriate illustration, Minmei ain’t Yogi Bearin’ it… but she COULD be.)

Please enjoy.

:::

You can see this illustration herein the TRDL Tribute Gallery.

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Related posts:

1. TRDL Tribute: Lisa Hayes [Robotech]
2. TRDL Tribute: Silver Sable

This was done for the TRDL R3 jam, the subject being Dr. Strange.

It’s no secret that i love historical fiction, and especially alternate timeline/steampunky business. I’m drawn to this stuff in literature, and especially in design. I’m fascinated by it. So I’ve been slowly collecting a series of TRDL Redesigns and special projects that involve an old timey redesign of the subject. I call it the Cryptohistorical Ephemera series. There will be more.

The mysterious Mister Stefan Strange, and his assistant, Clea Orcutt…

- I went with a stylized international period colonial uniform for Strange, as I’ve established he was a field surgeon crippled in wartime. I picture him like the famous King of San Francisco, wandering the streets in a tattered but well-maintained uniform and finery, a majestic ragamuffin. A street guy. With something going on. The colors of the uniform reflect the primary colors of Dr. Strange’s tunic, and the general Sgt. Pepper motif spreads out like Strange’s Ditkoesque chestpiece.

- I gave him tell tale mustache and greying hair, but as any gentlemen who’s anyone, he has to wear a hat. So i gave him a late 1800s military cap with no insignia, keeping the colorway dark to reflect the real Strange’s head of hair.

- I always liked the idea that Strange was a surgeon who lost the ability to perform precision surgery. So I crippled our man, here in a isturbing, un-reset manner, like he got his hands caught in some black-smoke belching industrial age press of some sort.

- I made him the Director Emeritus of the Curious Agamotto Society. So the medal of course wil look familiar, and I gave it a little ribbon with an Illuminati eye on it, which is of course a nod to Bendis’ concepts.

- Some TRDL-approved … Read on for more awesome…

Related posts:

1. TRDL 2011 Series No. 83 – Dr. Strange and Clea [Joao]
2. TRDL 2011 Series No. 31: Scandal Savage [TRDL Redesign]
3. TRDL Tribute: Old Timey X-Men [Cryptohistorical Redesign]

This was done for the TRDL R3 jam, the subject being Nariko, from Heavenly Sword.

I have never actually PLAYED Heavenly Sword, though I saw it being run at the now-dead Playstation Store at the Metreon, and I saw the pre-release game footage in that Heroes episode where the kid was playing it. But I remember, when reading about the game’s development, that they were rotoscoping a gorgeous but unknown European actress for the character modeling. As it turned out, this was the highlight in the news following Anna Torv’s casting for Fringe, which shows you the limit of her resume work at that time. She is AMAZING. And I watch her on Fringe and imagine her doing sweep kicks in a loincloth. But anyway.

When I draw big, people seem to respond well to it, such as was the case with Big Barda. I thought I’d give it another try. Filling the page in my normal illustration composition means the character is sitting or stooping in some way, so I gave her a natural posture, and frankly, I cropped out the wrongBlades she wields, because they’re pretty stupid. I quite like the costume design on this character.

:::

You can see this illustration herein the TRDL Tribute Gallery.

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Related posts:

1. TRDL Tribute: Snow Stark [Marvel + Disney Mash-Up]
2. TRDL 2011 Series No. 33 – Cable and Siren [X-Force 1996]