Assingments for week 3 of James Paick's Environment II class.

Under My Bed

Based on an image I did back in 2006 for a Portuguese cg forum contest titled "Under My Bed". Having grown up with movies like "E.T.", "The Goonies", "Poltergeist" and "Cat's Eye" where kid's rooms were gateways to fantasy worlds, I thought I would come up with my own homage to those wonderful movies.
I struggled somewhat on the latter stages of this painting, as I wanted to really cram the room up with toys. However, as I kept adding things they all looked out of place or seemed to detract from the main focus which were the tentacles. In the end I don't know if the image ended up feeling too "empty".

Endless Streets STEPS

You can find some steps of the painting process HERE.

Endless Streets

Watching my portfolio I can definitely say I'm more of a Lord of the Rings/Dungeons&Dragons kind of guy. However, there are 2 sci-fi movies which had a huge impact on me when I watched them as a kid during the 80s: "Star Wars" (original trilogy) and "Blade Runner". I remember being completely blown away the first time I saw "A New Hope". "Blade Runner", on the other hand, was a bit different. As I watched it over and over again I slowly started to realize the masterpiece it was. What I admire most are the moods...the constant rain and darkness, the blue/green hues, the lonesomeness, the smoke, the juxtaposition of different architectural styles, the soundtrack...everything just brilliant! One might think that some of these aspects would equal discomfort, but they are portrayed in such a romantic way that they become captivating and soothing.
So, concluding...this painting is an homage (another one) to this superb movie.

An-Thonn Gate

Final painting done for James Paick's masterclass. Let me hear your thoughts...

Fog in the Dawn

This was one of the last assignments I did for James Paick's online masterclass. It was a very enriching experience. A great thanks to James for sharing his precious knowledge and also a special thanks to my father for convincing me to take the class. Always learning...

The Prize

Another work for James Paick's masterclass. It's in the same alignment as my previous two paintings. However, this time I wanted to retain a more painterly look. An evil army returning home with their "prize"...the rest is up to your imagination.

House on Fire

Same technique as previous work.

Ritual

Took one of the thumbnail sketches and developed it into a more polished concept.

And even more sketches...

More sketches...but I think now it's enough! Next step will be to develop one of them (out of the castle/ruins/Scotland batch).

More sketches...

Here are some more sketches. Each of these took me longer to do compared to the previous group of thumbnail sketches.

Environment Sketches

Here's a bunch of environment sketches done for James Paick's online masterclass. Each set of 4 took me between 90 min and 120 min to complete. It's a very good exercise in trying to focus on the essential parts of the image and not getting lost in details. I still have a lot to learn, but it's a very entertaining and fun process.

Retreat

Same inspiration as my previous painting: monsteries in Greece.

Monastery

Putting to use my new aquired knowledge from James Paick's online masterclass. Based on a photo of the "Holy Monastery of Rousanou" in Greece.

Sci-Fi Power Plant

Here is an assignment I did for an online course I am taking with James Paick as instructor. I am loving it and learning a lot.

Lost Thoughts

Blade Runner is just one of those movies where everything was done right. The mood portrayed in this movie is just so unique and captivating that sometimes you wish you could lose your thoughts in that futuristic city...it is almost soothing, although there is nothing really "attractive" about it.
This painting was very much inspired by said masterpiece and I wanted to share my admiration for it.

Lego Atlantis

Here's an image I did last year for Lego's Atlantis toy line.

Waking Light...first post of 2011, although I finished this one in 2010. It is based on a 2 year old concept.

The Gathering

This is based on a thumbnail sketch I did almost 2 years ago. (http://www.andreasrocha.com/gallery/scene_rough/090126_4_concepts.htm). Again, you can make up any story you like as I believe that is what fantasy is all about. It could be a gathering of monks, a satanic ritual, a portal...whatever you like.
I hope you like it...and Merry Christmas and wishes of a Great 2011!

Crashing Waves

For this painting I used a similar technique as my previous one -Dry Winds- It's a great exercise trying to reach a pleasing balance between different textures, moods, values, etc. I also wanted to create some kind of "dialogue" between the wet, cold, hard foreground and the warm, soft background.
Let me know your thoughts and thanks for watching.