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So glad to be back on the road! We're pleased to announce that we'll be taking 'Surrounding Structures' out on … More tour this summer in France:. We'll have the last vinyl copies of LP with us. Second pressing should be available in a few weeks via Fuzz Club. So excited to finally catch Saccades on stage! I'm pleased to announce that I will be taking Saccades out on tour this August! Having spent the … More last few years out of sight and quietly working on new music, Jonas Wehner's Warm Graves have now completed their long-awaited second album, which is set to be released via Fuzz Club in Originally released in , 'Ships Will Come' sees Warm Graves deliver surreal, dream-like atmospherics that are underpinned by repetitive, organic rhythms and echoing vocals, performed by a self-taught choir composed of a collective of friends.
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Liars' Angus Andrew said of his reworking of the track: "My favourite songs to remix are the ones that seem impossible to improve. I felt this way on first listening to the original 'Run From The Gullskinna'. A massive and tumultuous track that despite my efforts to tame it, still runs wild in my mind.
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Louder Than War. Taking aim at a bigoted, nationalistic form Shop now Fuzz Club. Learn More Fuzz Club. We're pleased to announce that we'll be taking 'Surrounding Structures' out on … More tour this summer in France: Notes from the Gean Page 10 Patent Leather Shoe A Kasen Renku more light to ponder what might grow Michele from here turning the earth with garden tools John sticky silk threads of a chrysalis Michele soon to shed its skin knitted doilies in the linen closet John the moon has drawn us Michele to a distant shore his confidence about edible mushrooms John alone like a ghost Michele on a windy corner diligent rehearsal of the kissing scene John I undress after dark Michele before a flame the rent is being raised again John observance of a day no one wants Michele to remember.
Tatjana Debeljacki - Serbia. Notes from the Gean Page 14 How an acceptance happens — Richard Krawiec I thought it might be interesting for some to read the process Penny Harter and I went through that led to minor changes in her poem which is published in this issue. This is an example of my process as an editor, her process as a writer, and the process we both engaged in together.
I have cut some of the familiar chit-chat out of these exchanges and left in the focus on the poem. I don't blow out my candles before sleep. What dreams? A gray ghost whispered, "Mirrors always lie.
Where do you sleep? In an abandoned steeple. Do you get it now? Sure, like a kid wading into the sea. First response by Richard Krawiec Penny, Do you see the italicized parts as another voice, or in her mind? Love the haiku. I do think "Sure, like a kid wading into the sea. Are you sure you even need that line and it's question? Do you ever play around with your line order? Visually if you began with 'Where do you sleep" then followed with 'A night light?
And I think the progression of questions makes narrative sense that way too. Notes from the Gean Page 15 3. That it worked better being that random— more mysterious. I'd wanted to change it the way you suggested, for the narrative progression.
I understand your saying "like a child wading into the sea" lacks the same level of poetry prose poetry as the rest. But the haiku is, in a way, an answer to wading into the sea—in that we never "get it" all—and are just treading water. Of course the Buddha would say that there is nothing to get. Perhaps I can rephrase that question and answer more elegantly. The questions could come from anywhere. I think it's best to leave them vague—could be from another speaker, or in the speaker's head.
Or from the void :. They are both random and narrative, but strange questions, thoughts, not unlike those one has sometimes in that state between sleeping and waking. They just came to me that way. Let's see: If I were to get rid of the "Do you get it now? Of course I wasn't consciously thinking about much, if any, of this while writing it.
Let me think on this a while and get back to you. I welcome any responses you have to my thoughts above. I am trying to look at haibun more from a broader poetry perspective not just a haiku poet's perspective. But as Jane Hirshfield says, I can give you my honest advice but you need to retain the right to reject it all because it's your poem, and you need to do what you want with it. I am not always right, and people who I have published in gean can tell you that I listen as well as suggest.
Again, that does not mean I'm right. But I believe I am in this case. Notes from the Gean Page 16 5. Penny replies Hi Richard, You are convincing me to go with my first impulseand your suggestionmove that line about "where do you sleep" to the first line. Let me think a little more about the "into the sea" line—to keep or change or omit—and I'll get back to you soon.
Penny again Hi Richard, I want to change that last line totally. The question completes the circle that begins with "Where do you sleep? And as I decided on "The sky" for my answer, I was remembering a haiku I wrote in the late eighties when Bill and I were staying in a pilgrim's dormitory on Mount Haguro, Japan.
When I entered the room, its entire far end open to the sky, I quickly crossed the space to the edge of the tatami-matted floor and opened my arms: fingertip to fingertip and still more sky--Mount Haguro. I think I like the spaces. And maybe "whispered" should be in present tense: "whispers". What do you think? A night light? And when you wake? The sky. Richard replies I love this. You're right, we should keep the spaces between questions and answers.
And I would change whispered to 'whispers'. Penny responds So we'll go with the corrected version, below. Only thing, is maybe we ought to change the title, since the "sea" no longer is in the poem. If so, it could be "Into the Sky. Richard responds I like 'Into the Sky' because the glint of mica pierces the sky, too.
I have really enjoyed working with you. I think editors and writers should work together. I don't see my job as trying to tell you how to write - but to recognize what it is you're aiming for.
I learn a lot from hearing what you have to say, and that helps me be a better editor on other pieces. So this is the final. Please turn the page for the final piece. A gray ghost whispers, "Mirrors always lie. Notes from the Gean Page 19 how did it begin neither of us made the first move— you empty your mind I empty the bins Jon Baldwin - USA when our eyes first touched my heart beat like church bells on Sunday Jon Baldwin - USA the kettle begins its cool moodswings.
Notes from the Gean Page 21 Man Standing in the Rain willow leaves turn away— first drops of rain rain coat one size too big— river down my back walking in the rain— missing one puddle but not the next listening to rain under my umbrella— thousands of haiku after the rain playing a game of pick-up sticks horizontal rain— what wind looks like Jerry Dreesen - USA.
This is best done as lightly as possible, however, for too much subjectivity or abstraction drowns a haiku. By inserting just this touch of abstraction, the poet reveals her engagement with the objects described, and we as readers see that as well as seeing the objectively described images.
Whether this was achieved consciously or accidentally is of little consequence. What matters is that haiku can be larger than a purely objective description, if carefully handled. The key detail is to find the necessary balance, as this poem does, between the primarily objective depictions and that touch of subjectivity or abstraction.
Notes from the Gean Page 23 wildflowers by George Swede: a commentary by Lynne Rees wildflowers I cannot name most of me George Swede The opening line, composed of a single word, slows me down with its first two long syllables.
And that pace is perfect for the contemplation woven through this economical haiku. But these formal characteristic serve the ideas behind the haiku too. The haiku instantly involves me, invites me to share the moment. The 2nd and 3rd lines present a different kind of couplet: a personal reflection that is both concrete and abstract. How many of us could recite the litany of parts that make up our own complex organism?
And how many of us are convinced that we truly know and understand ourselves: the different identities we adopt, the strange imagery that comes to us in dreams, or spontaneous and surprising emotion in response to unexpected events? Yet all of those things are offered to us in this haiku of seven words. Haiku are such light expressions it is easy to overload them with philosophy. The movement from the natural world in line 1 to the economy of expression in lines 2 and 3 avoids that through understatement and simple declarative phrase.
It manages to be both witty and thoughtful. Rather than close down the book, it opens it up for me, encourages me to reflect on what I cannot name, what I do not know, about myself and the wider world.
It sets me on a road of discovery, should I choose to take it. Notes from the Gean Page 24 the longest night. Notes from the Gean Page 26 a trace of warmth insomnia all the shadows of things when the day opens awkwardly I leave the house and walk through the orchard to the row of leylandii and look at the depressions in the dusty ground where I'm sure the wild pheasants nestle during the day, even though I only know them from claw marks left in the earth; my hand never finds a trace of warmth in the shallow bowls, not even a feather some days I catch a glimpse of them — the males barred bright gold and brown, their red wattles, the mottled females — skittering between the rows of apple trees, always keeping a distance how can they trust us after all this time?
I startled them once, in the farmyard when I opened the back door, a dozen or more of them taking flight at the sound then sight of me: the whirr of wings loud enough to make me step back suddenly, alarm mixed with delight, flashes of green and purple returning to me at moments for the rest of that day, like a charge to the heart Lynne Rees - UK.
Notes from the Gean Page 27 a crystal dewdrop rests on an oak leaf. Notes from the Gean Page 29 Sepia Blues a "renray" abandoned row houses— behind them in the field a scarecrow grins dust on his toes mud on his heels opened bindle— a hobo puffs his corncob pipe lucky stars a possum for the burgoo first snowfall crowns the highest peaks migrations— she hums while sorting seed from pod a waft of pumpkin spice in the cold crisp air quilt to my neck father reads of Ichabod Crane Penny Harter, Susan Myers Nelson, Curtis Dunlap and Terri L.
French — USA verses in that order. The pun is perhaps the simplest form of wordplay and yet also the most disdained. Generally speaking, people seem to fall into two categories when it comes to wordplay and either totally embrace it or reject it in all of its forms because of the negativity that has come to be associated with punning.
Yet, as we will see wordplay is a device that has often been adopted in haiku. The poem is a rather damning indictment on the futility of war. Surely, not all soldiers are great in stature or deed.
Notes from the Gean Page 31 Nobly, the great priest deposits his daily stool in bleak winter fields. The word nobly, however, in conjunction with human toilet actions should immediately alert the reader that there is more going on here than simple description of a scene. Nobly, sets this poem up so perfectly and allows one to instantly see the irony and impossibility of the situation: try as he might, the great priest cannot be noble while being observed doing something as common as his toilet.
No amount of pomp can disguise the fact that even the high and mighty are just the same as common people because they must also move their bowels each day. Plum blossoms in bloom, in a Kitano teahouse, the master of sumo 5 In this poem by Buson we see the delicateness of plum blossoms in bloom, symbolising the freshness of youth, juxtaposed with the strength of the old wrestler.
The master of a sumo wrestling stable was a retired wrestler who would have been a good wrestler in his prime. The image of a presumably large man sipping his tea in a teahouse, which was usually very small, is a funny one. The job of the master is, of course, to bring blossoming talent into fruition.
If there is one word that best describes Issa, it is probably whimsical. Issa is seemingly more concerned with his rest and how dare they, who sing through the necessity of planting, wake him.
Notes from the Gean Page 32 In this haiku, Issa cleverly shows us juxtaposition without ever directly mentioning it. We still see the shell juxtaposed with the moon as the snail extends outwards. The image of someone stripped to the waist usually implies work or action The humour of this haiku is contained in the absurd idea of a snail being stripped to the waist and ready for action The poem below by Kerouac is an excellent example of how several layers of humour can be employed in the one haiku: In my medicine cabinet, The winter fly Has died of old age.
Flies do not normally survive into the Winter and even though surrounded by medicine the fly does eventually die we realise that Kerouac has been in good health because he did not need to visit his medicine cabinet through the Winter. In the final irony, the dead fly is only discovered when Kerouac needs to take some medicine; if only he had been unwell sooner the fly may have survived. One presumes his father has died and the stick has been passed on to him.
There is a wonderfully slow sense of progression in the poem as we go from generation to generation linked through the continuity of the stick being handed down. Notes from the Gean Page 33 Is it not just simply a haiku about cycles of death and ageing now, as I have outlined above—with the pathos being clearly evident.
Heaney, however, is cleverly playing with the casual reader and while he is happy if you think this he certainly wants people to look further. Do you hear the unvoiced laugh and the devil-maycare tone of Heaney before he has even ventured outside?
Dangerous pavements. We could add more lines: He got through it And so will I. Though modern writers of haiku seem to mainly look for juxtaposition of concrete images, it could be argued that, they should also be trying to be more creative with their word choice and usage to highlight any humour in a scene. Whether one likes the idea or not the basis of all poetry is wordplay; and a joke also depends on wordplay to deliver its message. I have done this myself: empty bottle— was it you you little worm?
The Mescal worm was promptly eaten and, therefore, lost the argument; but did add much needed protein to my diet. In the following example Alan D. Taylor also uses the questioning technique to humorous effect: wasp in a jar— is there a point to your anger?
Likewise Jeff Winke points out the pointless and has keen sense for the absurd with his haiku: her training bra with nothing to train: bra in training 12 10 Colin Stewart Jones, A Seal Snorts out the Moon, Cauliay, Aberdeen, p. Notes from the Gean Page 34 Is it the bra that is in training for when it will be needed to be a training bra?
However, the poem also hints at other funny possibilities. Sailors seldom face the wind because it is difficult to make headway. One assumes he is listing badly. There is also a very real possibility his bladder is full and he needs to pee; any sober sailor would know of the danger of facing the wind in that situation. An objective writer would never disregard any device at his disposal which is capable of rendering a scene with the most precision to achieve the desired effect.
It takes great wit to play with words, and laughter is also a special gift which should be cultivated. From the sublime to the ridiculous, humour in its many forms has always been, and still is, present in haiku.
If the moment requires humour, then as writers, should we not keep on putting the hai with the ku. Notes from the Gean Page 36 a tiny snail on the long march across the pavement; overnight rain Timothy Collinson - UK paper kites above the mall's flat roof, strengthening wind Timothy Collinson - UK low winter sun warming up a row of chimney pots Marion Clarke - Ireland morning mirror caught staring into my own eyes Scott Owens - USA lost in a blaze of maples the yellow fire hydrant Angela Terry - USA.
The children are busy collecting pebbles from the river bank. The rock pebbles record the long journey to reach the moon-like shape. Out of joy, I also start picking a few and return home. My tiny daughter, Rupa, posts an eager look and smiles. Notes from the Gean Page 40 thick, congealed blood on the moonlit floor… ten years later slowly a face takes shape in my mind Chen-ou Liu - Canada meerkats in the zoo, tapping bewildered at glass walls, sniffing a blue-painted ceiling Amelia Fielden - Australia I walk alone beside Lake Ontario -an eagle circles above me on this windless day Chen-ou Liu - Canada.
It has just completed its second year and goes from strength to strength. Notes from the Gean surveyed members of the group with five brief questions and is pleased publish select answers to each question: a kind of community interview if you will.
No logo and Simpsons graphic by Michael Dylan welch. Notes from the Gean Page 45 Q1. Tawnya Smith I heard about it last year from someone in my writing group. Several of them were participating in NaNoWriMo.
I told them novels were beyond me at the moment, and one suggested NaHaiWriMo. I'd also seen it mentioned on a few blogs I read. Anna Yin I found it through Google and thought it very interesting and wanted to challenge myself since I seldom wrote with prompts I kept write one or three every day and had so much fun to read others and my own. It just kept popping Cameron Mount I recently joined a group of haijin in south Jersey, a new charter of the HSA which had its first meeting in early February.
In the email list that went around, one of the other poets Penny Harter, actually mentioned the Facebook group. I jumped right on it. For the last few National Poetry Months I've written a haiku a day anyway, and I've been a fan of Basho and Issa for quite a while, but never really had a community to share my own with. There was a post about haiku and its form from memory and everybody was encouraged to write one and link it to the post. I think, as part of the discussion through the comments section, one of the comments to the post had a link to NaHaiWriMo blog.
That is how I landed here. I would certainly recommend this site to anybody who is keen on learning haiku. Lot of fantastic writers sharing the same page with beginners like me, encouraging and providing constructive feedback, having fun together and learning from each other. And of course we have useful tips shared by members and most importantly Michael - lots of reading material on Graceguts. Every post that I make is one tiny step closer to understanding it Its all fun and good.
I enjoy being here. Hannah Gosselin I noticed a writing friend of mine doing a haiku a day challenge on a facebook page I missed half the month looking for it, as I didn't have the right name , but I've really been enjoying it now that I'm here and I've posted a link to a friend to help her get back into the poetry practice, too… Cara Holman I heard about NaHaiWriMo last year when I noticed several Facebook friends of mine clicking "Like" on the page.
I am always open to new poem-a-day challenges, so I decided to give it a try. Over a year later, I am still writing though not always posting haiku daily. I would definitely recommend NaHaiWriMo to anyone who wants to improve their haiku, develop a daily writing habit, or just connect with the online haiku community.
Tore Sverredal I found it when I made a Facebook search for haiku groups and sites last autumn. I would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in haiku! Terry O'Connor First heard about it when I eavesdropped a whispered conversation at a Haiku Anonymous meeting last year I don't tell people I have spread the word to the NW La.
Haiku Society, but have not seen any of the members posting yet. Alee Imperial Albano A Wikipedia entry! That's very likely and soon from you, Michael! And in answer to your question, Colin: I learned about it vaguely at first from Vicki McCullough during one of our meetings, the Vancouver Haiku Group. I always recommend it to anyone writing haiku or interested in learning more about it.
Writing to the same prompt is fun and the links are educational. I jumped in late last February, found it addicting and decided to stay for the ride. Haiku as many have said is a way of life, a way of experiencing the world.
NaHaiWriMo has been like catching a bullet train instead of a donkey cart. The interesting aspect of Kukai, is that the smaller the focus, as if 17 syllables isn't small enough the more creativity is called upon.
My only quibble is that more of the larger haiku community doesn't join in. There are many admired poets I'd love to see tackle some of these kukai. That would be quite a thrill. I'd definitely recommend this to any haijin, beginner or otherwise. Oh, do I still need to recommend it? Barb Westerman McGrory I first heard about this group when I was using a page I had under another persona a writer page I kept separate from my family page.
I networked with a lot of other writing enthusiasts and it was through some friends participating in NaNoWriMo oddly enough in that I found this page and briefly participated last year.
This year I decided to really work on the craft and now I seem to be obsessed. I appreciate it when I get feedback, I enjoy reading the compositions of others, and I appreciate the challenge of trying to fit the incessant dialogue running through my head into as few words as possible. I lean toward offbeat, but I like coming here in an attempt to broaden my scope. Yes I would and do promote it to new haiku writers.
It is an excellent site and a very welcoming place for people who are learning where they can post their early haiku. It is also very interesting to see what other people do with the daily prompts, so it is stimulating for seasoned writers too. When I asked them to speak up they said the same thing again whatever it was I asked Their eyes lit up and then they explained it I knew MDW had started it, so I thought.
This was about a year ago when I was young and innocent. Then it happened. It took over my life It's a trap, that's what it is, with magic incantations too. Well I dipped in over the last year and tasted it again a little thinking I was a free person.
But then it happened again I no longer had any control. Well the month never ends You have to think before you recommend it You will suddenly know the deep thoughts of hundreds of new friends Well the good energy and humor gives a great dynamic to your day I would recommend it to anyone interested in haiku. Writing to the prompts is very stimulating and results in haiku I never would have written otherwise….
Notes from the Gean Page 47 Q2. Colin Stewart Jones Does the sense of community work better than a closed forum which can sometimes intimidate? Hansha Teki It has quite a different dynamic, Col. Sometimes the sense of community challenges one to hone one's skills more but just as easily the cosiness can make one lazy and settle for lukewarm poems knowing that they will be appreciated anyway.
Violette Rose-Jones I think its much better here and we dont seem to b attracting the troll element which can b disheartening. James Rodriguez the way it works here is nice, everyone who participates is here to learn and share and there isn't the, crusty few i guess, ones with their own personal agendas or axes to grind that are so common elsewhere.
Rosemary Nissen-Wade I have not been in any closed haiku forums. I like the friendliness and supportiveness of people here, and feel the beginnings of that warm sense of community which I have experienced so abundantly in other open haiku groups on fb and elsewhere.
I think the standard here is in general quite high and that my own haiku have improved due to my participation this year. Jayashree Maniyil Q2: I have not been in any closed forums either.
This is my first time in something of this kind and that too on facebook. I was quiet first but soon realised that everybody here is serioius and keen to learn. Serious meaning not that we don't have fun. We do. But all in good spirit. Annie Juhl It was with a pounding heart I wrote my first haiku here a year ago.
I was an absolute novice, still am and my English was very limited. Susan Shand …They are different. There tends to be much less of the personality challenging stuff in NHWM which makes it more relaxed and less confrontational than some other groups. There isn't much critique either, which makes for a fairly non-judgemental comfort zone.
Everyone needs a comfort zone :. Mark E. Brager I think NaHaiWriMo provides a great sense of community but different from other fora which I have experienced which are more for workshopping. I would actually appreciate more feedback on my poems on NaiHaiWriMo. It saves me from having to try and find intelligent criticisms every time, when all I might really want to say is, 'I like this one'. NaHaiWriMo I'm hearing several people say they'd like more commentary on their haiku, such as ways to improve it, and hopefully explanations of what makes a poem work.
If anyone prefers just to click Like, that's always fine, but something to consider is that if think through the reasons why you like a poem, and try to articulate them in a short note, that act itself can help you improve your own haiku.
Kathy Bowman I appreciate the questions but find this one to be leading - future questions might be better phrased more neutrally - who doesn't want community?
But it could equally be phrased - does a closed forum provide a sense of safety compared to an open one where anyone can make intimidating comments? This doesn't mean I'm right but it seems like the questions are set up to lead the answers. Hey, that may be what is wanted. Other - and if so, what? Has I beated it to death yet? Asking is always good. Colin Stewart Jones just a simple Q from experience kathy. Patsy Turner …love the anonimity and internationality of this medium Notes from the Gean Page 48 Angie Werren yes : I actually left one 'closed' community because I felt the 'moderater' imposed his own viewpoint much too much.
I have been on both and have been intimidated on some closed forums. But with that intimidation one is also forced to submit to elders who have practiced the form longer and have a greater understanding. With this acquiescence, one learns at top speed. The key to any successful forum is focus on the art of haiku not on the individual. I owe a great debt to some of those that bashed me the most. I think the choice depends on what your goal is.
To learn how to write haiku, a closed forum will offer focus and critique. A Facebook forum is a gentler entry which offers overall encouragement, but won't offer the focused teaching a good closed forum can. Both can create a real feeling of community.
Terri Hale French I think it depends where you are at in your "haiku voyage. I think NaHaiWriMo is more about sharing with just little nudges of critique. Many things I share here I then take to my closed forum for critique, so both places serve a purpose. I liken it to exercise, here I warm up and there I get down to muscle defining. One of the nice things about NaHaiWriMo is someone is always here; my closed forum is much smaller and sometimes when I visit nobody is home.
Andrew McBride I like this open community forum and have found it validating to have fellow Haikuists "Like" my poems and make comments and suggestions. The other big thing is storytelling. In comics, the story and script are set from the beginning. In a video game you sort of have to let the player create the story as they play. So there is less to worry about in a comic book; in a game you have a thousand moving parts that all need to be coordinated properly for the experience to pay off.
Daryl Mandryk Interview Turok on the N64 was a big hit and conveyed a very visceral and violent environment which appealed to many players and suited the storyline. These are aspects that can easily be replicated on a current console, but what do you feel are the additional capabilities of the next-gen machines that can add to the sequel and specifically the gameplay in a way that advances the series beyond what earlier versions could achieve?
For example, our AI is really robust, which is something I think being on next-gen hardware really helps with. This level of AI really draws the player into the game and increases the replayability.
Another cool thing is that some of our dinos are huge! We now have the texture budgets and polygon counts to make these gigantic creatures, and that creates this whole other level of gameplay where taking down these huge creatures is just really satisfying.
I get inspiration from everywhere. Star Wars is probably the cause of my fascination with all things sci-fi. I have a huge collection of art books I love to flip through, everything from Frazetta to Van Gogh. I love anything with dark, gritty storylines, particularly spaghetti westerns. Can you describe one of your favourite paintings to us and talk about the brief behind it if any and how you decided on the composition and colour scheme, and so on?
There was no creative brief for it; as usual I just had an image in my head I was trying to get out. This helps me determine the composition as well. Like most paintings I start almost monochrome, usually painting in off-greys, and then I add in colour a little bit at a time as I go.
I find a little colour goes a long way, which is why my palettes are usually desaturated. Red is such a nice, aggressive colour - I like to splash it around here and there, and I thought his cape could make an interesting focal point.
Do you find that a painting reaches a stage where suddenly your interest in it starts to dwindle and then it is a case of finishing it off quickly and moving onto the next one? I find excessive detailing boring and time consuming, which is why I usually just detail my focal points and let the rest be a little looser. Daryl Mandryk For more work by this artist please visit: www.
Whether you need faster rendering with mental ray or picture perfect raytracing direct to the desktop, ARTVPS rendering solutions are even better than you imagined. Dedicated hardware solutions from the rendering experts.
Find out more about RenderServer and RayBox at www. The ideal combination of processing power and storage bandwidth for the Digital Intermediate process. Sixteen cores. This always keeps a thumbnail within view that I can frequently look at; if a painting reads well when small, then it will look even better full-size I then pick the best thumbnail and develop that further. Once I have the idea nailed down, I do a drawing for the purpose of a painting.
The paintings in this article cover that next step I like the natural look and texture of the watercolour brushes so I use this for blocking in. Once I had the figure blocked in I took it into Photoshop to start rendering.
I painted the body on a separate layer so that I could simply lay the clothing over the top without affecting the previous work. To paint the skin I began by laying down the light values so that I could define the direction of light.
From there on I laid down a mid-tone, and then started working on the skin to define the form of the body. I like to keep my mid-tone quite saturated to bring colour into the skin, since it is so easy to make skin tones too pasty. Once I was satisfied with the body I started blocking in the clothing, using the same process. Then when you paint over the top you will only be affecting the painted areas and the outline will be preserved.
Also, with this silhouette on a layer, you can select it and make layer masks that can be used in many ways to add textures and keep the edges clean. Once everything was blocked in, all that was left was to render until I was happy with the way it looked. After laying in a few textures and a few adjustment layers to fix the colour and levels, the character was finished. Jeff Jenney Sketchbook Jungle I started this one off by blocking in the main light and dark shapes, making sure they read well.
As a general rule of thumb, I want each piece to have a dark, middle, and light value, and to each have one designated to either the foreground, middle, or background. I try to stick to this value scheme as much as possible since this makes the piece so much easier to be read.
When blocking in the initial shapes I tried to paint with custom brushes to apply as much texture as possible, knowing that it would mostly get covered up later on. In the early stages I was using a much more saturated colour palate that I later changed to a more natural, subdued colour palette.
When painting anything in Photoshop, I always have the navigator window open in a small size off to the side. This always keeps a thumbnail within view that I can frequently look at to make sure what I am doing is reading well; if a painting reads well when small, then it will look even better full-size.
This all goes back to setting up a proper value scheme. Flying Taxi This one was done mostly in Painter, where I used watercolour brushes to add transparent washes of colour. I only used Photoshop for the finishing touches. With this painting I used a lot of atmospheric perspective, fog and smoke to push certain things further back in the space and bring other things more forward.
The I blended everything together to create a final image. The Nine Knights I used a similar technique as that used for the Mayan Native character; however this one was less refined. For the colours I wanted the only saturation to be in the face of the character, showing the human that lies beneath the cold, metal-armoured exterior.
Jeff Jenney For more information please visit: www. Thomas Pringle is a freelance Concept Artist from Denmark who has recently contributed to Dark Sector, a high profile next-gen game from Digital Extremes. He concepted many of the environments, has a passion for the industrial landscape, and has created some beautifully evocotive imagery that evokes a grand sense of scale You mention in your profile that you have recently returned from a stint at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing.
How has the experience affected the way you approach your work? The school was full of incredibly talented people and I was amazed at the technical level many of the students reached. What I learned the most from my stay was definitely wandering the streets of Beijing. It really. Maybe it has made me more aware of it. I try to be as free in the initial process as possible. I believe the secret to keeping work interesting is to change the process as often as possible.
If I recall correctly, Blue Castle was created without any use of texture overlays or tweaks of any kind. I was obviously going for a more painterly look. When aiming for that it helps greatly to start with the largest possible shapes and from there start defining specific areas.
In Dark Alley, I started out with a tight under drawing from where I began to define the dark areas and apply textures to get the gritty feel down.
Many of the characters seem dwarfed by their environments throughout your portfolio. Is there an existential reason behind this or is it simply a device to convey a sense of scale? The best way to show those is by comparison to something we all can relate to.
I like it when there is a sense of story or mood to a picture. In a way I strive for this in all my images, even if the primary focus is on the conceptual design. There is a distinct industrial feel to many of your pieces. Can you describe your interest in this type of environment? I like the cold, melancholic and impersonal setting of the industrial landscape. A lot of industrial machinery and structures have very interesting and distinct silhouettes.
In my personal work I like to walk the line between the concrete and abstract. Industrial structures seem the perfect subject matter for this. As well as your industrial scenes, you have a couple of battle paintings. What appealed to you about this topic and what challenges did they present compared to the images containing buildings? I wanted to capture the chaotic setting of a battle and describe a big crowd without painting in too much detail. Compared to painting regular landscapes or environments there are different challenges involved.
Layout and arrangement of shapes is, in my opinion, the biggest challenge when it comes to composing characters in a given scene. Which artists are amongst your favourites and why? There are a lot, but to pick one: I really like the landscapes of Andrew Wyeth, especially his watercolours. The desaturated colours, strong compositions and eerie feeling makes for some very powerful images with a strong graphical language.
Even though he is obviously a master of his craft, techniques seem not to be the main priority compared to the emotional nerve his images possess.
This is very appealing to me. In the field of illustration and concept art;. I like to read, watch movies, play video games, swim and go out! Thomas Pringle For more work by this artist please visit: www. If you work for art galleries, well, you pretty much make your own project so you can make it as great as you like. If you work for. It could be a concept. I would love to be in charge of every aspect of creature design on one sole project, overseeing the design process and the look of each character as well as producing the concept work for it myself.
Gaiman, Tim Burton, or the people from ex Troika games — all of these people I admire for their great and open-minded creations. Every month we will run the challenges, available for anyone to enter, for prizes and goodies from the www. The 2D Challenge runs in the ConceptArt. We will format this into some nice-looking pages to give you some great exposure, and us some quality content! Each competition will have one main thread which starts with the brief at the top.
Welcome to the Stylised Animal Monthly Challenge. Each month, we will select an animal and post some images in the Forum Thread as. We wanted to publish some content in 2DArtist Magazine on how to create stylised animals, such as you see in the many feature films and cartoon galleries. If it continues in success, we will try to boost the prizes as much as possible!
Here you can see the top 8 placed entries, as voted for by the public What are we looking for? The rules are pretty laid back: please submit 1 x 2D render minor post work is OK ; its up to you if you want to have a background or include graphical elements or text on your image. Renders of the pixel dimension sound about right, but the winners will be featured in 2DArtist Magazine, so if you can create some higher resolution images, too - all the better!
There will be one competition per month, with the deadline being the end of the month GMT. For a valid entry, just make sure your final image is posted in the main competition thread before the deadline. We require the top 3 winners to submit Making Of overview articles that will be shown on either 3DTotal or in 2DArtist magazine. These need to show the stages of your creation. He shows you how simple steps can help create a great-looking piece.
In this step-by-step of my monkey, I will take you through how I created my final image. This particular piece involved a new approach for me, and I think it turned out quite nicely. Quick sketches Before I started I threw some ideas around, looked at plenty of monkey images good old Google , and finally settled on an idea for a monkey that was kind of dinky and cute, but with an interesting expression. So the first task was to do a really quick sketch straight in Photoshop Fig The idea of having a really bright splash of colour with the flowers was one I eventually left I did try it out but it kind of interfered with the overall feel of the image Fig For those of you who are interested, I made a few custom brushes: the left and right ones were just done with a Hard Round brush with opacity and brush size set to Pen Pressure; the middle one was made out of strokes from another of my custom brushes.
I then applied other options to the brushes Angle set to Direction, plus a few Brush Shape tweaks. Aye Aye Stylised Animal Challenge get the mood of the piece down - no attention to detail at all, it was all about getting the feel right Fig I was still keeping it fairly loose, mainly just trying to get dynamic fluid shapes whilst thinking about the colours Fig I also slightly tweaked the Levels at this point increasing the contrast Fig I then set about refining the branch.
Ironically, the monkey, as the main feature in the picture, actually came about really quickly. I simply drew the line work in for him quickly, used one layer for the body colour and another for the eyes, and just blitzed through him in no time!
The body was done with a brush that I use a lot, which gives a kind of painterly effect. The eyes were just with a Soft Round brush. I do this kind of thing a lot so I just get into the groove of it Fig Another fun animal doodle. Dave Neale For more work by this artist please visit: www.
Step 1 First I chose one of the photos in challenge thread and I made a caricature of the little monkey accenting the main aspects to give the idea of a curious young monkey fig Big head, a slight grin and one hand in front showing intent to walk toward is the aim of its staring eyes.
I selected the colour according to the photo, always selecting two tones of the same colour for foreground and background colours F9g Step 3 Using smudge tool I worked the colour and line layers with rapid zigzag movements to get the fur shape. I changed the line colour to try and lower contrast with the fill colours fig Step 4 By this step I have a painted drawing, now I need to set the scene by adding the illumination. To aid in this step, I created a black and white silhouette layer of the monkey shape to work as mask layer fig04A.
I chose a white light that fades to yellow placed behind the character. To contrast with the main light I chose an opposite and less intense violet light fig04B. I loaded a selection from the mask layer I created before to put tones of yellow and violet in a layer under the merged layer to bring a fill light to the black areas fig Step 6 The image is almost finished.
Well, now I have a curious little monkey intending to leave a safe, lighted and known place to enter a dark, unknown, but fascinating path. Oh, yes!
Now I have a nice stylized monkey too fig Xerfilstyx Kieran Yanner www. Created In: Corel Painter IX Every artist knows that one of the most important aspects of your painting process is your knowledge of your brushes. I personally approach my digital painting in a very traditional way through the use of the basic brushes in Painter and Photoshop. Painter allows you the ability to use any of its brushes in many different ways, and all you really need to know is the basic brush controls and their uses in order to get the most out of them.
For example, my brush list Fig01 consists of only four different brushes, but they can all be used as blenders to mix colours or to paint a change in the texture without affecting colour. Most of the basic brush settings can be altered in the property bar Fig02 at the top.
Here are a couple of settings that you will encounter and are the only ones I use Size: Allows you to change the size of your brush. Opacity: Controls the transparency of the colour, just like in Photoshop. The lower your resat and. I typically keep my Resat at around.
Welcome to the Speed Painting section of the magazine. Here we will feature the final paintings and the overview of the creation processes. This month, Mark Muniz and Rich Tilbury tackle:.
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