TRDL 2012 Series, No. 11 – Emma Frost, X-Men First Class Version [TRDL Redesign]

The TRDL R3 Challenge this week was to redesign a character from a comic adaption show or film that you specifically didn’t like. I chose to do Emma Frost from the X-Men: First Class film. Setting aside my frustration with how January Jones either played the role, or acts in general, depending on your opinion of her I guess. I’m focusing here on the costuming. They were after a 60′s influenced version of Emma Frost’s well-known duds, generally being white tall boots, long gloves, and white undies and corset, like an S&M maven inverted. What they delivered, however, was confusing to me. Now, I now full well from my experience as a designer that editorial changes can push a great design into dubious territory fast, but I was lost on this. Big furry shoulder puffs at the perimeter of a white cape, OK. Kind of a snow queen russian thing happening there. Then, a plain brazier (which looks like a bra), bare midriff, a plain white miniskirt, and thigh high boots with makeshift garter attachments. I don’t know if the costume execution failed or the concept as a whole. This is my take on what I’d have done.

I liked the massing of the shoulders but I made them glittering crystal, to allude to her ‘secondary mutation’ as we saw in the film, transforming to diamond. The cape is actually a draping over the arms that falls long but split open at the bottom. I used a white corset with lacing, and a blouse matched to the cape. I have briefs instead of a mini-skirt, and I used a silver ring detail for the garter attachment points as well as to affix a silver necklace from … Read on for more awesome…

Related posts:

1. TRDL Tribute: Emma Frost 2
2. TRDL 2012 Series No. 09 – Baroness
3. TRDL 2012 Series No. 10 – Nightcrawler [TRDL Redesign]

TRDL / Deadless Collaboration for Tag-Team Battle Royale Semi-FInal Round: The Ferrous Gentleman

As you may recall, I have participated over the past year in a series of Battle Royale contests on Outcast, the latest of which being a Tag-Team competition. We thought we were knocked out in the quarter-finals, as we were unable to complete ours on time due to personal obligations. However, the competition was based on tiered points, so they had a first and a pair for second place. So, we were back in, pitched against Batmanners and Seb-Printer to duke it out for that second seat and a place in the finals. We were assigned the topic: BOTTLE.

Our approach was to do a homage to the classic Iron Man #128 cover by Bob Layton. In ours, the story takes place at the turn of the century, and poor Science Hero Antony Stark is hooked on absinthe and in a world of trouble.

Good news: we’re headed to the finals, as just announced:
http://outcaststudios.com/forums/index. … ntry124914

You can find a larger version here.

Also, this variant was my personal preference. However I did not submit it, as I thought the normal color version would be more successful in the competition:

And as always you can read about some of the design notes in my process pics below.

Artists, come join us on R3 and submit to the jams! The R3 Illustration Jam offers new characters weekly, but all jams remain open so you can contribute to any that you like, here:
http://www.thirdraildesignlab.com/forum … m.php?f=27
or in the TRDL-R3-WeeklyJam group on DA, here:
http://trdl-r3-weeklyjam.deviantart.com/

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Background:

So here’s our famous cover… man I love that. Animated or not, ha.

Here’s my rough as sent to Miguel to work with.
Because it’s hard to parse and my idea … Read on for more awesome…

Related posts:

1. TRDL Collaboration: Micevengers!
2. TRDL Collaboration: Locked and Loaded
3. TRDL Collaboration: Appleseed

TRDL 2012 Series, No. 10 – Nightcrawler [TRDL Redesign]

This week’s TRDL R3 Challenge is Nightcrawler, from the X-Men (found here and here, always open for entries). He’s currently deceased, but you know how long that sort of thing sticks in comics. Anyway, I chose to do a TRDL Redesign (not a Blank Slate Redesign, but just a facelift) which focused on the aspects of the character I liked best as a younger guy: hiding in the shadows, ambush attacks, and weapon proficiency. Essentially, I looked at him as a tactical weapon, such as might conceptually be used in X-Force (the hit squad version) or some other black ops type mutant team. I know sometimes my redesigns, especially on fighting characters, skew perhaps over-realistically to black. It’s hard for me to put on that redesign hat and rationalize much color in the outfit if they are meant to evade detection. Anyway, that’s certainly the case here: I gave him a simple, body-hugging tactical suit, like a thermal neoprene kit, with arms and half the legs exposed. Bare hands and feet, because I never really grasped how someone with the mutations allowing for agile acrobatic maneuvers and hanging/swinging/climbing capability would dull their tactile ability with gloves, or use gloves and boots with grip in lieu of their own mutation. So. Also, forearm bracers contain throwing chits with nerve toxin lacing, and the two swords (in this case I used a more vaguely eastern style weapon, like a pair of even-length katanas, rather than a rapier, so that he would have an edged attack as well as the stabby business of a sport rapier) do criss-cross deliberately to give us a familiar ‘X’ motif without having to emblazon it on his uniform.

You can find a larger version here.
And as … Read on for more awesome…

Related posts:

1. TRDL 2012 Series No. 08 – Wonder Woman [New 52]
2. TRDL 2012 Series No. 09 – Baroness
3. TRDL 2012 Series No. 01 – Starfire (Happy New Year)

TRDL 2012 Series, No. 09 – Baroness [GI Joe]

This was done for the 2nd Cobra Art Jam Projecton the #Cobrafanclub group on dA. In this case, the jam is an aggregate of all the art submitted in a line-up. We got to pick who we wanted to draw, and frankly, while I have no time for extra projects right now, I can’t get Baroness out of the midbrain, so i joined the project. This also, sort of as a stretch, but was included in the Assassins Challenge on the TRDL R3 Forum.

My task specifically was to draw the black uniform version of Baroness. I was thisclose to drawing her classic cartoon version, but as I worked, I just felt like embellishing it in a more custom manner. The colors skew to the blues to allow detail to be seen, but I think it’s obvious it’s not the blue uniform she sometimes wore which is you know, technicolor blue. For action figure sales. Big gun too!

You can find a larger version here.
And as always you can read about some of the design notes in my process pics below.

Artists, come join us on R3 and submit to the jams! The R3 Illustration Jam offers new characters weekly, but all jams remain open so you can contribute to any that you like, here:
http://www.thirdraildesignlab.com/forum … m.php?f=27
or in the TRDL-R3-WeeklyJam group on DA, here:
http://trdl-r3-weeklyjam.deviantart.com/

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Background:

Who among us is unfamiliar with the Baroness? Even if you weren’t of the age to see her in the old cartoons or have the figures or read the comics, as I was, the GI Joe mythos has been revisited many times in the decades since, and thanks to Sienna Miller’s swagger in the film, and Adam Hughes’ everything else, … Read on for more awesome…

Related posts:

1. TRDL 2012 Series No. 08 – Wonder Woman [New 52]
2. TRDL 2012 Series No. 01 – Starfire (Happy New Year)
3. TRDL 2012 Series No. 02 – Admiral Hamilton (Time Traveler)

TRDL 2012 Series, No. 08 – Wonder Woman [New 52 Jim Lee Design]

This was done for the TRDL R3 Challenge this week, the subject being the New 52 version of Wonder Woman.

When I first saw this design (Jim Lee’s concept art specifically) I felt that the detailing was overwrought and the redundancy in the little gilded W’s everywhere was distracting. However, what I DID like about it was that he used silver instead of gold detailing, which was something I’d done myself when redesigning the previous Jim Lee redesign (the jacket one) so there’s that. Since this design was released, it was hacked up in public view, by other artists drawing off-model as well as by editorial decision, and we ended up first with a simplified version of the costume and later with no pants, apparently responding to the demands of fandom. I think I’ve found something to like in each design version, the longer I looked at them. Anyway, I chose Jim Lee’s first version of the New 52 redesign to see if I could make sense of the detail in the bodice and leggings and such. Wasn’t as painful as I feared, but there’s a lot going on!

You can find a larger version here.
And as always you can read about some of the design notes in my process pics below.

Artists, come join us on R3 and submit to the jams! The R3 Illustration Jam offers new characters weekly, but all jams remain open so you can contribute to any that you like, here:
http://www.thirdraildesignlab.com/forum … m.php?f=27
or in the TRDL-R3-WeeklyJam group on DA, here:
http://trdl-r3-weeklyjam.deviantart.com/

:::

Background:

This is the version of Jim Lee’s design that I approached. Ribbed bodice, multi-seamed ‘wonderpants’, star cutouts in everything, multiple W motifs in the silver, … Read on for more awesome…

Related posts:

1. TRDL 2012 Series No. 01 – Starfire (Happy New Year)
2. TRDL 2012 Series No. 02 – Admiral Hamilton (Time Traveler)
3. TRDL 2012 Series No. 07 – Xartherian Warmonger

TRDL 2012 Series, No. 07 – Xartherian Warmonger

This piece was actually completed in 2009/2010, but for the life of me, I don’t think I ever made it public after client approvals. If I did, whoops, but if not, we proceed. This is the alien race in my client’s world that operate the Xartherian Org Battle Carapace, which I had designed in 2005 for him. We talked a lot about some of the imagery he imagined for them, in rough appearance, affectation, nature, and the like, and this is what I came up with. Despite my general dislike of multi-armed anthropods, this was probably my most successful attempt, since due to the xenobiology I could rationalize a long torso with multiple sets of rotator cuffs and pecs. Process notes are below, if you are so inclined.

You can find a larger version here.
And as always you can read about some of the design notes in my process pics below.

Artists, come join us on R3 and submit to the jams! The R3 Illustration Jam offers new characters weekly, but all jams remain open so you can contribute to any that you like, here:
http://www.thirdraildesignlab.com/forum … m.php?f=27
or in the TRDL-R3-WeeklyJam group on DA, here:
http://trdl-r3-weeklyjam.deviantart.com/

:::

Background:

I don’t have any step-by-steps really this time, but I have a few items to share:

Here’s my original pencils. I was inspired by the long, fighter class martians from John Carter of Mars, but I had little formal experience with them. This was mostly from painted book art and the like. The rest of my cues were rationalizing the three operable sets of arms, a long torso, and big feet for stability. I gave them a body suit and a way to sling the weapons. Note the third set of … Read on for more awesome…

Related posts:

1. TRDL 2012 Series No. 08 – Wonder Woman [New 52]
2. TRDL 2012 Series No. 02 – Admiral Hamilton (Time Traveler)
3. TRDL 2012 Series No. 01 – Starfire (Happy New Year)

TRDL 2012 Series, No. 02 – Admiral Hamilton [Time-Traveler Version]

Admiral Hamilton is one of the creator-owned characters I’ve helped one of my longterm clients design and flesh out for his universe of stories and comics. Think space opera, but with a decidedly personal tether back to cultural experiences of the author. So, Admiral Hamilton, one of maybe 12-14 characters I’ve done for Al Hobbie, was already worked out last year or so in his middle-aged adult persona, which can be seen in the process notes below. The challenge this time, and I have to say one of the hardest ones to suss out as a designer to date, was to send him back in time, into the 70′s Projects somewhere in the hard inner city, but wearing victorian dress. Also, he was to have aged considerably, and wield a technologically-enhanced walking cane. And have a cyborg lower half. With ROM style feet. But not be pantless. And he was to look either angry or crazed, depending. He’s trying to get back home, etc. As you can imagine, it was a journey reaching a design that realized the client’s vision and made some visual sense. More on that in the notes! But it’s always fun working with Al, and I’m in this for precisely this reason: finding a design solution to the images in a client’s head, even when they are hard to nail down.

You can find a larger version here.
And as always you can read about some of the design notes in my process pics below.

Artists, come join us on R3 and submit to the jams! The R3 Illustration Jam offers new characters weekly, but all jams remain open so you can contribute to any that you like, here:
http://www.thirdraildesignlab.com/forum … m.php?f=27
or in the TRDL-R3-WeeklyJam … Read on for more awesome…

Related posts:

1. TRDL 2012 Series No. 08 – Wonder Woman [New 52]
2. TRDL 2012 Series No. 01 – Starfire (Happy New Year)
3. TRDL 2012 Series No. 07 – Xartherian Warmonger

TRDL 2012 Series, No. 01 – Starfire [New 52]
Third Rail Thrills Pinup No. 73

This was done for the TRDL R3 Jam this week, the subject being the New 52 reboot design version of Starfire from DC Comics.

I used this week’s jam selection as an opportunity to roll out our TRDL Happy New Year pic, which was a lot of fun, despite my general dislike for this character (going back to my childhood, frankly, but even with the reboot, I’m failing to understand the design logic of chaps slash thigh high flare pants over boots paired with impossible brazier business the likes of which even Quitely’s Emma Frost couldn’t pull off). That all said, half the fun is doing the superdeformed (well, thats how I knew them, from my youth; they are referred to as chibi these days) character for the new year’s baby. Last time I did MODOK, in 2009-2010′s Rogue pic, and this time we have the New 52 version of Darkseid. Anyway, I tried a few things out with Starfire’s energy fire hair, and tweaked her colors in her skin and outfit to have a bit more saturation and harmony to them. Otherwise, it’s the reboot design. So, Happy new Year (Western) from Third Rail Design Lab!

You can find a larger version here.
And as always you can read about some of the design notes in my process pics below.

Artists, come join us on R3 and submit to the jams! The R3 Illustration Jam offers new characters weekly, but all jams remain open so you can contribute to any that you like, here:
http://www.thirdraildesignlab.com/forum … m.php?f=27
or in the TRDL-R3-WeeklyJam group on DA, here:
http://trdl-r3-weeklyjam.deviantart.com/

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In addition, here’s the familiar Third Rail Thrills series variant of the same pinup. Say, I mentioned … Read on for more awesome…

Related posts:

1. TRDL 2012 Series No. 08 – Wonder Woman [New 52]
2. TRDL 2012 Series No. 02 – Admiral Hamilton (Time Traveler)
3. Happy New Year from Third Rail Design Lab 2010 – 2011

This con sketch is for Sightblinder. It’s his RPG character, Kaithan.
Happy holidays dude!

Follow this topic in the R3 Forum
here!… Read on for more awesome…

Related posts:

1. TRDL 2011 Holiday Con Sketch – 3Finger
2. TRDL 2011 Holiday Con Sketch – Generator Rex
3. TRDL 2011 Holiday Con Sketch – Snowtrooper

This con sketch is for Go Dorito. He requested an armor from the TRDL Universe. Because Go has contributed so much back-of-house labor to TRDL in terms of database entry and character stat conversion, I thought I’d do a sneak peak from the new sourcebooks.

The powered armor you see here is Campeao. This is a former (briefly) private security agent for the exiled king of Brazil, who went rogue, subsequently joining the Jolly Roger Gang, a posthuman piracy clan. The posthuman on the business end of his hand is Benefactor, from the Liberty Group, in his updated uniform.

Here’s the teaser one-sheet for Campeao:

And the same, for the new Benefactor:

Happy holidays to you and Ruby, bro!

Follow this topic in the R3 Forum
here!… Read on for more awesome…

Related posts:

1. TRDL 2011 Holiday Con Sketch – Iron Man
2. TRDL 2011 Holiday Con Sketch – Geibriian
3. TRDL 2011 Holiday Con Sketch – 3Finger

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