James Kei
Digital Figure Painting
I was a bit shocked when James Kei stopped working with traditional materials. It’s not because I have some bias towards traditional, but because the guy was really good at it.
The entertainment industry has been walking away from traditional materials for a decade now, but it’s still not a common thing to see someone do life painting from an actual model. That is, of course, unless you’re in Kei’s class. And now you can be!
In this demonstration, recorded from a one and a half hour life painting session, Kei covers all the basics to his approach. If you want to get started with digital life painting, there is no better place to start. (And that’s not just marketing talk… I looked around.)
p.s. All you traditional folks can probably pick up a thing or two as well.
$15
1024x684, Photoshop, 50 Minutes, Quicktime
kemp Remillard vehicle concepting
This four-part series covers the process and working methods Kemp uses for designing science-fiction vehicles for the games and entertainment industry.
In part 1, Kemp utilizes a typical job sheet to assess the goals and needs of a client. Once he has his general direction he begins creating thumbnail sketches in Photoshop to begin the design process. Working in a side-view, plans are drawn up to work out issues of proportion and engineering.
Part 2 begins with Kemp choosing the three best thumbnails and taking them into Google Sketchup. The rough models are made and then Kemp takes these into Photoshop to add mood, lighting, and texture.
Parts 3 and 4 refine the processes above to further develop a single design. The Sketchup model is finalized and then Kemp returns to Photoshop to create a deliverable ortho and final illustration for a client.
The whole series provides a beautiful example of the way in which artists (and their clients) can use the iterative process to refine a rough idea into a fully developed asset. Kemp’s candid narrative reveals a great depth of experience in areas of design, approach, client relations, and more.
$15 eachIntermediate Level. 60 minutes, Quicktime Format 1024x768
Andrew JonesBoss Monster
Concept artist "Android" Jones, famed for his contributions to games like Metroid Prime series, unleashes his shape-shifting demons to create a boss monster character. In this Q and A style interactive demonstration, recorded live at the 2008 Revelations Workshop in Seattle, Android covers Zbrush and Painter X, workflow and philosophy. By bridging the gap between the technical and the creative, this lesson will show you how aggressive shapes and a simple color palette can open up infinite possibilities to the adventurous digital artist.
$15
Intermediate Level. 2 parts, 60 minutes each. Quicktime Format 1024x768
Andrew JonesFine Art Series, Volume 1
One of the things that distinguishes Andrew Jones from other artists is that he does a lot of his artwork before a crowd in a live setting. There are no revisions, no second takes. In this video, covering three separate works, Andrew talks about the moment-to-moment state of awareness that helps faciliate this type of approach. He also discusses a few of his favorite tools in Corel Painter X and how he uses them.
This is a must-have for anyone interested in some of the philosophical underpinnings of one of today's leading
visionary artists.
$15
Intermediate Level. 60+ minutes, Quicktime Format 1024x768
Andrew Jonesthumbnail demo
In this video, recorded live at the Insomania Workshop in San Francisco, Andrew uses a blend of ZBrush, Painter, and Photoshop to create character thumbnails. Throughout the demo Andrew weaves together both practical advice as well as clues about his attitude and outlook to creating his artwork. Andrew is a rare soul who can get in front of an eager crowd of students and pull off something he's never even attempted before. You just have to see it to believe it.
$15
Intermediate Level. 47 minutes, Quicktime Format 1024x768
Jason ChanQuick Sketch
Your client has a big cover illustration. You show him your brilliant idea in a tiny two inch thumbnail sketch. Oh cruel fate! The poor man is unable to extract the brilliant image sealed within your mind. You fail to get the job, which means you fail to make the money, which means you fail to buy a toothbrush, which means your breath stinks.
Enter the "Quick Sketch" (tm), a powerful tool used by artists to convey their ideas powerfully and without a lot of time expenditure. Short deadline? No problem. Want to make something cool in the two hours before your girlfriend comes over? Check and mate.
In this download, Jason Chan takes the viewer through the completion of two sketches, the first of which being his winning Thunderdome entry at the Revelations workshop in Seattle. He won't tell me where the second image came from, but it does look like his own work (pretty much). As usual, Jason delights the viewer with his discussion of both technical and non-technical apsects of art making. He also talks about his approach to working on shorter images, which gets into the nitty gritty of what makes an image really work.
This is definitely one to get, unless you enjoy bragging to your friends about how many weeks it took you to render just the clouds alone!! In that case, don't get it, because then who would you be?
$15
Intermediate Level. 60 minutes, Quicktime Format 1024x768
Jason ChanThunderdome Illustration
Before watching this video, I was always worried about how to look sexy if a giant tentacled sea monster pulled me down to his underwater lair. That is a concern no longer. (Thank you Jason Chan!!) I'm also no longer concerned with how to complete a digital illustration based on an approved thumbnail sketch.
This digital download is replete with valuable insights on a variety of topics
including drapery, textured surfaces, depth of field, and unusual lighting scenarios.
Don't just be a wannabe Jason Chan. Be a Jason Chan. Buy now.
(Photoshop files included)
$15
Intermediate Level. 60 minutes, Quicktime Format 1024x768
Jason ChanPainter Sketch
In this video Jason Chan walks the viewer through the creation of a sketch done entirely in Corel Painter. No thumbnails. No plans. He just gets in there and paints, revealing his thought process and revisions along the way. The resulting image turns out beautifully, and throughout the video he discusses all the important art principals necessary to achieve such an outcome. We hope you learn as much from this demo as we did.
$15
Intermediate Level. 60 minutes, Quicktime Format 1024x768
Richard DobleCreature Design part 1
You know what we love at Massive Black? We love artists who chase after perfection and and get completely attached to their ideas no matter how crappy they are. We love them because there's a lot of them, and they keep our jobs safe.
Richard Doble is the opposite of that approach. This tutorial is not about anatomy or color theory or anything too technical. It's about creating. It's about quickly coming up with dozens of interesting ideas on the way to arriving at something new and unique. This is Rich's specialty, and we all enjoy seeing the insane visions that come from this agile young mind.
Part 1 - Four Thumbnail Sketches
Part 2 - Final Image
Watch, learn, enjoy, and don't take our jobs. Thanks.
$15
2 Parts
Intermediate Level.60 minutes, Quicktime Format 1024x768
El CoroWeapon Design
Justin 'Coro' Kaufman has worked on literally hundreds of titles in his career as an Art Director and Concept Artist. This experience has made him someone who clearly understands that at the end of the day the goal of a concept artist is to provide a very specific visual solution for a client or game.
While this demonstration has plenty of information about painting techniques and design philosophy, it always comes back around to making a deliverable asset.
If you want to know what it takes to work in the games industry, this is is where it's at.
$15
Intermediate Level. Two parts, 60+ minutes, Quicktime Format 1024x768
NoxIzMadFinished Illustration
In this two-part demonstration, condensing some 30 hours of work, Nox talks about all the things he does wrong and then ends up with a masterpiece. We don't really get it, either. His frank narration gives insight into the unique mind of one of today's top digital artists, and watching Nox work is an enlightening and beautiful thing. This tutorial is definitely one not to be missed!
2 parts, $15 each
Intermediate Level. 60 minutes each, Quicktime Format 1024x768
Whit BrachnaEnvironment Design
In this download, concept artist Whit Brachna explains how to break down and create an environment one step at a time. Going from thumbnails to a simple 3D model to a final Photoshop render, Whit constructs a unique and detailed piece with ease and creative ingenuity. As he does so, the viewer will witness a display of foundation skills and Photoshop wizardy combined to create an interior environment suitable for industry-level production. Psd, mov, and several jpgs included.
$15
Intermediate Level. Two parts, 50+ minutes each, Quicktime Format 1024x768