Just finished the pencil work for Scrumtrulescent's request. I wanted to try a new perspective; I hope it doesn't compromise the essence of the character.
I'm toying with two alternatives: should I use my microns and my brush pen, or should I draw the lines digitally?
Tell me what you think!

I opted for digital lines, using dark colors that will match the flats.

Preliminary flats...

This is a request from Xanamiar for a new species of Elf like creatures inspired by Gelflings from the movie "The Dark Crystal".

These are just initial ideas, the design might change as I work on them.

Update 16th July 2008 Something about my previous designs just didn't sit right with me, maybe they were too cutsey, but I had to back away from them for a while after a string of unsuccessful redesign attempts. Having returned to the sketchbook today, I think I managed to get a look I was originally trying for and with a slightly more realistic feel this time.

Here is a series of saved progress images to show the build up to the completed image.

Here's a rough posture sketch of what I've got for DarNamell's request for a Strill. I might even go crazy and build this guy from the bones up. GROSS!!

See if you can guess what I used for inspiration (besides the wonderful sources provided by the requestor)! Also, I can't find anywhere whether or not these little guys have ears or not. Has anybody recently read a book that definitively says?

Looks like its been done before...lol.

So here's how JediScholar's starfighter carrier frame is coming along. If he's around it would be great to hear what he thinks of it so far.

Okay, I fixed the image, and I'm also providing a LINK to the original request thread while I'm at it...

Alright folks, first log entry and my first SWAG Request taken on for RedDragonRipper... Woot for me!

I've got the resources & materials to do this one and don't have to purchase anything extra, so thats the only reason in the future that I'll ever take on or do requests. And this is a learn in progress. A brand new challenge :)

Ok, I've already started this one, and got the body: torso, legs & arms covered in fur. Fur follicle amount is in the 75,000 count right now just for what I've got right now. These are just simple quick test renders, takes this Core2Quad about 30 seconds to pump out a 640x480 sample. Mighty useful when making minor adjustments as I progress along and dont have to wait eons for a result.

Hmm, I wonder if i can upload multiple images in one go? If so, then here's the side & front profiles. Yup! there we go.

Ok, the RedDragonRipper's GM wants the fur in the usual variety of brown, white & black fur colouration. *I might* be able to do some lengths of patchwork on some of the areas - I'll have to see when I get to that point. What I can do for sure is make the fur more corse, or longer or shorter - from a shaggy stuffed animal to brushcut.

Fur colouration: well, i'm in luck. I've made over a dozen color shader patterns, mostly camouflage variants and other variety. Theres 2 or 3 of them that'll work just fine for Wookie hair. The fur as it is right now has one of the camo shaders applied. It was for vehicle scale so i'll have to shrink the pattern a bit. But its a great start IMHO. For the fur, theres both Hair Root, and Hair Tip. The camo shader is only applied to the Hair Tip. the Hair Root base color is black.

The Difference:
- front view: Hair Tip: Camo #13 / Hair Root: Black / Skin: Default Alien Texture
- front view2: Hair Tip: Camo #13 / Hair Root: Camo #13 / Skin: Default Alien Texture
- Doc3c.JPG : Hair Tip: Rust3A / Hair Root: Black / Skin: Default Alien Texture
- Doc3d.JPG : Hair Tip: Rust3A / Hair Root: Rust3A / Skin: Default Alien Texture

See the difference it makes? I added 2 more variants with my Rust3A shader to illustrate this further. Making both the Root & Tip the same and the Root as Black... I'll leave this to RedDragonRipper's choice... Fur pattern coloring is still open for customization at any point in the process towards completion...

The "Camo Shader #13" or "Rust3A shader" is what I'm using for now.

Do note the green skin underneath - thats the area of the model that the fur has been applied to. The actual skin is a texture which I may use... or Apply the same camo #13 shader on both the skin. Thats why you see in the front and side profiles, the multi-brown (like calico style) fur, and underneath is black.

Trivial fact - you can see some of the 61 shaders I've already made since getting into Carrara. Theres the camo shaders I used on both Levrr, the Togorian, and on Missy's jumpsuit.

Well, I gotta jet for now. Will check back later today and work on it more I've the head and tail to cover in fur yet. Comments and whatever welcome :)

BTW: RedDragonRipper , I want to hear back from you. I need your input - at least i'd appreciate some feedback, otherwise I'll just have to assume what I think looks best and that'll end up being what you get.

========================= June 10, 4pm =========================
Images Edit / Addendum: 2 New sample renders

- Doc3.JPG - front view: Hair Tip: Camo #13 / Hair Root: Black / Skin: Default Alien Texture
- Doc3a.JPG - front view2: Hair Tip: Camo #13 / Hair Root: Camo #13 / Skin: Default Alien Texture
- WIP 1a.JPG - Hair modeling room. 75,000 hair count on body!
- Doc3b.JPG - front view2: Hair Tip: Camo #13 / Hair Root: Camo #13 / Skin: Default Alien Texture
- Doc3c.JPG : Hair Tip: Rust3A / Hair Root: Black / Skin: Default Alien Texture
- Doc3d.JPG : Hair Tip: Rust3A / Hair Root: Rust3A / Skin: Default Alien Texture
- Doc3a-1.JPG - same shader camo #13 w/ hair root black. 2048x1536 sample render size. Render time: 9 minutes
- Doc3c-1.JPG - same as Rust3A w/ hair root black. 2048x1536 sample render size. Render time: 9 minutes

:edit: uploaded picture size less than 2048 res. (exceeded forum gallery software max sizes)

========================= June 10, 7:45pm =========================
Images Edit / Addendum: 3 New sample renders: full body hair coverage

- Doc3.JPG - front view: Hair Tip: Camo #13 / Hair Root: Black / Skin: Default Alien Texture
- Doc3a.JPG - front view2: Hair Tip: Camo #13 / Hair Root: Camo #13 / Skin: Default Alien Texture
- WIP 1a.JPG - Hair modeling room. 75,000 hair count on body!
- Doc3b.JPG - front view2: Hair Tip: Camo #13 / Hair Root: Camo #13 / Skin: Default Alien Texture
- Doc3c.JPG : Hair Tip: Rust3A / Hair Root: Black / Skin: Default Alien Texture
- Doc3d.JPG : Hair Tip: Rust3A / Hair Root: Rust3A / Skin: Default Alien Texture
- Doc3a-1.JPG - same shader camo #13 w/ hair root black. 2048x1536 sample render size. Render time: 9 minutes
- Doc3e.JPG - same as Rust3A w/ hair root black. 1024x768 sample render size. Render time: 0:05:13 minutes:
- Doc3f.JPG - same as Rust3A w/ hair root black. 1024x768 sample render size. Render time: 0:05:13 minutes
- WIP 1b.JPG

Had to take a break from work, eat supper and relax by continuing on this project request. Got the full body fur coverage now. I'm quite pleased, there probably won't be much 'combing' of the fur needed. I'm taking a liking to the Rust3A shader, as its producing a nice salt'n'pepper kind of effect. Its way more intricate and detailed in the mixed color pattern, while the palete's much wider. Includes several shades of brown from dark to orangy and grey, with traces of white.

I also shortened the hair from .3ft to .2ft . the hair/fur seems to conform and follow the model's UVMaping more. Especially noticeable around the side of the head, front chest, shoulders. It virtually brushed itself, appearing to have shape and definition rather than appearing to have been dunked into the washer and fluff-dried in the dryer...

I think I need to work on the teeth a bit, make a shader that'll give them a milky pearly white sheen. The default texture supplied with the model just isn't cutting it for my tastes.

========================= June 17 =========================
I lengthened the fur from 0.2 to 0.4 , and added a thing called Gravity to the fur. Presto. Whatever pose I put the Xenomorph in, re-apply gravity and down it drops. This way it dosn't end up looking like either a plushie kid's toy or it took a dip into the Kashyyk Village Communal Washer & Dryer hut tumblers... (skickers & grins...).

Didnt use any Light through Transparencies or Caustics, though I did use Field of Depth as you can see the camera focus is on the Xeno coming through the doors, not the R5 Astromech in the foreground... Test render settings, 1024x768 and it still took a good 9 minutes to roll out this image... And that is the 75,000 fur at Large folicle size, and the rust3A pattern...

Take note how the shoulders and top surfaces of the Xeno's body is smooth (not plushy toy bear fuzzy), and the lower parts 'where the fur would hang' theres actually hanging shaggy fur... like the arms and stuff.

========================= June 20th 2:23pm =========================

Images Edit / Addendum: 2 New sample renders: scene lighting and fog setup

- Doc3.JPG - front view: Hair Tip: Camo #13 / Hair Root: Black / Skin: Default Alien Texture
- Doc3a.JPG - front view2: Hair Tip: Camo #13 / Hair Root: Camo #13 / Skin: Default Alien Texture
- WIP 1a.JPG - Hair modeling room. 75,000 hair count on body!
- Doc3b.JPG - front view2: Hair Tip: Camo #13 / Hair Root: Camo #13 / Skin: Default Alien Texture
- Doc3c.JPG : Hair Tip: Rust3A / Hair Root: Black / Skin: Default Alien Texture
- Doc3d.JPG : Hair Tip: Rust3A / Hair Root: Rust3A / Skin: Default Alien Texture
- Doc3a-1.JPG - same shader camo #13 w/ hair root black. 2048x1536 sample render size. Render time: 9 minutes
- Doc3e.JPG - same as Rust3A w/ hair root black. 1024x768 sample render size. Render time: 0:05:13 minutes:
- Doc3f.JPG - same as Rust3A w/ hair root black. 1024x768 sample render size. Render time: 0:05:13 minutes
- WIP 1b.JPG
- Fur - Gravity - default large thickness.JPG
- Fur - Gravity - medium thickness.JPG
- scene1b test.JPG
- Doc1e - lighting ok.JPG new!
- Doc2e - alien fog density 1.0 caustics.JPG new!

* Note: No postwork has been done to the images sofar.

Alright guys and gals. Fixed the lighting closer to what I had in mind, from above and behind the Xeno, with the light spilling in...

Since I was listening to the song Sweet Dreams (Are made of these) - not the original 80's pop version by the Eurythmics, but the darker heavier Marilyn Mansion rendition... Talk about mood setting music...

I added some mysterious ground fog / mist... Really adds that exotic 'you know its from another planet' creepiness to the atmosphere don't it? The fog/mist also has this eerily glow to it, the self illumination playing with the shadows and off the walls, and even enhances the darker Xeno-Wook silhouette from below.

I also toyed with the fog/mist density from 2.0 to 1.0 settings. Displayed here is the 1.0. 2.0 wasn't so much thicker as it was brighter, suggesting it was being illuminated from some underneath light source.

I'm still hassling with the elbow fur lengths. works on one arm, but not for the other, not sure why. And its on the arm that isn't as visible, else i could get away with it and nobody would be none the wiser.

Other then that, I think i'm just about done with this picture unless anyone has anything to add, critique, suggest, comment on ;) (only need make a higher resolution render at full quality)

What do you guys and gals think?

:edit: I can also do a 2 for 1 feature, making a stand alone Xeno-Wook profile picture, so the detailing on the fur is not lost.

========================= June 22nd 11:11am =========================

Images Edit / Addendum: 1 New sample renders: New Camera angle with Twi'lek added

- Doc3.JPG - front view: Hair Tip: Camo #13 / Hair Root: Black / Skin: Default Alien Texture
- Doc3a.JPG - front view2: Hair Tip: Camo #13 / Hair Root: Camo #13 / Skin: Default Alien Texture
- WIP 1a.JPG - Hair modeling room. 75,000 hair count on body!
- Doc3b.JPG - front view2: Hair Tip: Camo #13 / Hair Root: Camo #13 / Skin: Default Alien Texture
- Doc3c.JPG : Hair Tip: Rust3A / Hair Root: Black / Skin: Default Alien Texture
- Doc3d.JPG : Hair Tip: Rust3A / Hair Root: Rust3A / Skin: Default Alien Texture
- Doc3a-1.JPG - same shader camo #13 w/ hair root black. 2048x1536 sample render size. Render time: 9 minutes
- Doc3e.JPG - same as Rust3A w/ hair root black. 1024x768 sample render size. Render time: 0:05:13 minutes:
- Doc3f.JPG - same as Rust3A w/ hair root black. 1024x768 sample render size. Render time: 0:05:13 minutes
- WIP 1b.JPG
- Fur - Gravity - default large thickness.JPG
- Fur - Gravity - medium thickness.JPG
- scene1b test.JPG
- Doc1e - lighting ok.JPG
- Doc2e - alien fog density 1.0 caustics.JPG
- Doc1f - Twi'lek added needs work.JPG new!

* Note: No postwork has been done to the images sofar.

What do you guys think? the Missing item in the scene? Helps gives clarity to the scene or detracts from the main feature? I still have a bit of adjusting on the Twi'lek's pose if so...

Need your opinions, comments, critique guys & gals! ;)

========================= June 25th 1:32pm =========================

Minor update. Final scene renders are done. Just working up a Xeno-Wook profile that'll be done tonight. Profile view 1/2 done. You're gonna love this

========================= June 27th 11:16pm =========================

Alright folks, I declare this blog W.I.P done!
Images have been submitted to the SWAG Galleries, as well as their respective full 2048x1536 versions to my DeviantArt Gallery

Thanks to everyone viewing, commenting along every step of the way for my very first SWAG Art Request completion.

Another request, this one by defense374.
The pic has turned out more 'Film Noir' than originally requested, but I'm hoping it's still what he's looking for. And you never know, I might actually get a reply from this one...

I'm not as pleased with it as the previous two but it might straighten out when the colour goes on. We'll see.

I am trying something new here. I am not drawing it first. Thus the swooshes of color to set roughly where I want things. I am starting with face details and moving steadily out from there. The gun will be on the ground next to him ready to fire. I am saving it, along with foreground sand( like around the knees) and a wreckage for another layer.

I you see anything that needs changing Mr.B please feel free to shout at me.

Request by Phyrefli...

"What I'm looking for is a picture of a Male Miralukan, with traces of Arkanian blood on him. He's young (about 20-21), but wise beyond his years. His Arkanian heritage lends him milky-white eyes that do not function, as his Miralukan blood gives him force-sight.

As far as other physical details go, his hair is a silvery-platinum blond. He wears black clothes, in a conservative style. He's on the lean side, but not herion-chic or anything.

Attitude-wise: he's very cool and collected, almost to a fault. It's hard to get him to show emotion, but there is a definite air of peaceful enlightenment. Although he's a jedi, he eschews lightsabers as tools of violence, and rarely carries anything except a bag of marbles. He is a pacifist, mediator, and diplomat. He's not naive, though, and practices a soft form of martial arts similar to aikido and tai chi.

I've always pictured him as having a soft face, with a slight smile that shows he can see the problems in your soul, but accepts you anyway."