Born In Concrete

FINAL BLOGGER POST

noreply@blogger.com (Derek Stenning) — Sat, 30 Dec 2017 20:41:00 +0000

After sporadically posting on this blog for almost 9 years I've decided to end it....so this will be the last post. It was with this blog that I first shared my work, and while it feels a little odd for me to shut it down, it is time for a change. I find that I am spending what limited time (and interest) I have for social media on other sites like Facebook and Instagram, and maintaining this blog has become to feel like somewhat of a chore. Most of the content that is featured on this blog is also posted on my website, and I will continue to post similar content and updates there. So for the followers of this blog, and anyone else that has found their way here, you can continue to keep up to date with me with the following links:

My website.

Artstation

Facebook

Instagram

I hope to see you around. Cheers - D

UNHOLINESS ARRIVES BY SATELLITE

noreply@blogger.com (Derek Stenning) — Sat, 30 Dec 2017 08:32:00 +0000

I recently became involved in a project that requires/affords me the opportunity to dive back into my Entartete Kunst work to create a few pieces that, for various reasons, I had omitted from the first series. This is the first one that i have finished...and I won't get into any details regarding the project here, but there are a few more new EK images coming down the pipe in the near future.

Enjoy!

FURIOUS....NO, NOT REALLY

noreply@blogger.com (Derek Stenning) — Sun, 24 Dec 2017 07:44:00 +0000

Over the past couple years I've helped out on Anki Overdrive with character design and illustration. Earlier this year I was asked to work on their Fast & Furious cross over...again with character design and illustration. Working on film related projects can be bit tricky...as you have to jump through many levels of approval: internal developer approval, production studio approval, the I.P. holder approval and then the actors themselves. But I've worked on other film related projects in the past, so I know the drill. Things went fairly smoothly, but there were a few hick ups along the way, with the scope of the work being cut back, the Anki art director being replaced half way through the project and a few scheduling issues. But in the end, the work was finished and was given over to Anki. Fast forward a few months to release and I see that the characters that I had done have been changed - painted over and modified with body parts skewed and scaled. It was disappointing to see. But you can't get too upset as these things. At the end of the day it is their property so they do as they wish and the new versions must have been approved by Universal and the actors.....so I guess everyone else is happy with it. That is the way it goes....

Anyways, here are my originals.....

VIKING HOUSE PUBLISHING

noreply@blogger.com (Derek Stenning) — Tue, 19 Dec 2017 05:58:00 +0000

Here is a logo design I did recently for small independent publisher Viking House. I usually shy away from straight up graphic design gigs....as I am much more of an illustrator than a graphic designer, but this one seemed that it would be pretty fun. It definitely helped that they had fairly good idea of what they wanted, a design blending a dragon and a viking longship, so that made the task easier. We went through a few different design iterations and we eventually settled on this.

After the primary logo was finalized, different logo display options were created.

Thanks to Jeremy!

HAPPY (HONK) HOLIDAYS

noreply@blogger.com (Derek Stenning) — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 18:36:00 +0000

This one is a holiday card graphic designed for Toronto based marketing and design firm G.L. Smith Planning & Design. They wanted something fun, that spoke to tech, design and Canada, but given current sensibilities, couldn't have any overt Christmas imagery or motifs. After a few iterations and options we settled on "The Greeting Machine", a bold graphic design of a contraption that displays well wishes and incorporates cute robotic interpretations of iconic Canadian animals.

The final design was printed as a greeting card to be sent out to clients, colleagues, friends, etc., and it was also printed as a large format poster for use within the G.L. Smith office.

Thanks to Matthew at G.L.Smith Planning & Design.

MR. BODHI

noreply@blogger.com (Derek Stenning) — Sat, 02 Dec 2017 22:27:00 +0000

Years ago I designed a group of mascots for Vancouver based game developer Next Level Games. These simple, graphic characters, known as the NLG Family, were created to represent different aspects of the company's culture and were used in internal branding situations. As the company celebrated it's 15th year, they asked if I would design a new "family member", one that would encompass some new traits that the company has picked up along the way: wisdom/experience, awareness and consideration.

After several design rounds Mr. Bodhi was born. He is meant to be jolly and wise so visually he is somewhat reminiscent of Budai, the Laughing Buddha, and his silhouette is meant to be similar to the Mandelbrot Set. His long flexible arms enable him to hug any sized frame and his colours are warm and inviting.

It was a little challenging designing a character to fit in with a group of designs I did so many years ago...but in the end I think he turned out pretty well.

Here he is lined up with the rest of the family.....

EK COSMONAUT 02 BACK IN STOCK

noreply@blogger.com (Derek Stenning) — Fri, 01 Dec 2017 18:21:00 +0000

The 1/8th scale EK Cosmonaut 02 is back in stock over at Industria Mechanika. Order now if you want to get one of these shipped out before Christmas!

Get one at: industriamechanika.com/shop/derek-stenning

The inventory of the 1/6th Dystopic kit is also getting low, and my not be re-printed until late 2018, so if you are interested in that kit, now may be the time to pick one up!

TWINS

noreply@blogger.com (Derek Stenning) — Fri, 01 Dec 2017 18:09:00 +0000

Here are a few pics of a personal commission done for a client out in Toronto. The piece was created to celebrate the birth of the client's twins, a boy and a girl. The composition is similar to the Taijitu, the Chinese yin and yang symbol, and encompasses the idea of individual forces that are seemingly opposed are also complementary and interconnected.

As with other personal commissions I've done in this series, the final image was printed as an archival quality giclee on fine art paper.

Thanks to Matthew and Terry!

BOOTLEGGER.....AGAIN......

noreply@blogger.com (Derek Stenning) — Mon, 04 Sep 2017 18:10:00 +0000

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery…but this isn’t cool! It looks like those clowns at “Dream Cast” are at it again...bootlegging my EK model kits! Last fall they had released copies of the three figures in the 1/8th scale EK Cosmonaut Series, and now they have managed to produce a knock off of the popular 1/6 scale Dystopic kit. These bootlegged kits are recast from an original kit, often using cheap materials and parts, so they are of an inferior quality. But more importantly, they are produced without consent, and completely cut the creators, Gene, myself and Industria Mechanika, out of the loop. So if you are interested in purchasing a kit, please order directly from Industria Mechanika at: industriamechanika.com

DYSTOPIC BACK FOR PRE-ORDER

noreply@blogger.com (Derek Stenning) — Mon, 04 Sep 2017 04:42:00 +0000

1/6th scale Dystopic resin kits are back for pre-orders! Sculpted by Gene Campbell and produced by Industria Mechanika, this popular kit hasn't been in stock since January.....

Head over to Industria Mechanika to pick one up!

EK COSMONAUT KITS

noreply@blogger.com (Derek Stenning) — Wed, 23 Aug 2017 23:45:00 +0000

All three 1/8th scale EK Cosmonaut kits are back in stock over at Industria Mechanika (I think this is the first time all 3 kits are available at the same time). Expertly modelled by Gene Campbell, and produced by Industria Mechanika, these are great High quality garage kits.

As I mentioned in a couple previous posts, bootlegged versions of these kits appeared last fall, but you can be sure that these are the real thing!

So if you need a kit or 2 to complete the series, or if you are looking for a full set, now is the time to pick them up!

More details here at the Industria Mechanika shop!

CYRUS LONGBONES

noreply@blogger.com (Derek Stenning) — Mon, 31 Jul 2017 01:20:00 +0000

Here is a cover I did for Cyrus Longbones and the Curse of the Sea Zombie, the first book in a young readers series by Jeremy Mathiesen.

This one was fun to illustrate, as there was a lot to pull from Jeremy's story.....an action packed adventure with an interesting setting.....think Pirates of the Caribbean meets Keepers of the Maser. Jeremy wanted a murky-like feeling...which worked well with my desaturated, hazy style. I also had the opportunity to create the logo and tag-line wordmark.

Cyrus Longbones and the Curse of the Sea Zombie will be available later in the year from Viking House Publishing.

MORE PRINTS ADDED TO THE SHOP!

noreply@blogger.com (Derek Stenning) — Sun, 30 Jul 2017 22:44:00 +0000

Some more prints have been added to the shop on my website, borninconcrete.com. All are high quality, limited edition giclees printed on fine art paper. Signed and numbered with a certificate of authenticity. Various sizes, shapes, etc. Check them out at the shop!

INSTAGRAM

noreply@blogger.com (Derek Stenning) — Mon, 29 May 2017 23:40:00 +0000

I've started an Instagram page to post images more regularly....EK stuff, other side projects, material from abandoned projects, sketches and other musings.

You can check it out here.

THE ROOKIES

noreply@blogger.com (Derek Stenning) — Sat, 27 May 2017 00:07:00 +0000

I'll be participating in the judging panel again for The Rookies, an international awards competition for artists, designers, animators, creators, etc. Entries have to be submitted by this Monday, May 29th. Every year The Rookies hand out a bunch of great prizes and paid internships to some of the top studios in the field. Winners should be announced in July.

You can check out the current entries and the judging panel here.

Good Luck!

EK_02 MODEL KIT BACK IN STOCK

noreply@blogger.com (Derek Stenning) — Sat, 27 May 2017 00:00:00 +0000

The EK_02 1/8th scale resin model kit is back in stock at the IMech Shop. Expertly sculpted by Gene Campbell and produced by Industria Mechanika!

Bootlegged versions of this kit surfaced last fall....but this is the real deal!

Get it here!

RENEGADES

noreply@blogger.com (Derek Stenning) — Fri, 17 Mar 2017 06:30:00 +0000

Here is a cover illustration I did for the book "Renegades", the third instalment in the Randoms Series by author David Liss. This one is another great science-fi adventure, with Zeke and his friends continuing their adventure, traveling to strange worlds, encountering bizarre beings, battling aliens, while learning and growing along the way. Plus there is a dose of tween romance thrown in there for good measure.

Anyways, the cover was a lot of fun....being a wrap around image like the previous books and featuring a host of the characters from the series in a circular graphic arrangement. This one was a little different in that it contains 2 different locations....one on the front cover and the second on the back, whereas the previous 2 books featured singular locations. This also introduced more colour...but in the end I still think it fits with the other covers.

Renegades will be released in hardcover next September.

Thanks to Lizzy Bromley at Simon & Schuster.

EK COSMONAUT 01 & 03 PRE-ORDER

noreply@blogger.com (Derek Stenning) — Wed, 15 Mar 2017 04:03:00 +0000

The 1/8th scale EK Cosmonaut 01 and 03 kits are coming back for another run and are now available for pre-order over at Industria Mechanika. The shipping ETA of these kits is May 2017.

Lower quality boot-legged versions of these kits were circulating last fall so if you've been looking for an authentic version, now is the time to pick one up.

For more info. and ordering, head over to Industria Mechanika here.

DUCHESS

noreply@blogger.com (Derek Stenning) — Mon, 06 Feb 2017 01:19:00 +0000

I'm happy to announce a new model kit I have in the works with Industria Mechanika, the 1/6th scale Duchess. Sculpted again by the talented Gene Campbell, this figure was conceived as a companion piece to the popular Dystopic kit.

Production on this figure has begun, so hopefully the kit will be ready for pre-order and release sometime later in 2017.

I'll post updates in the future!

MOVIDIAM PODCAST

noreply@blogger.com (Derek Stenning) — Sat, 04 Feb 2017 06:43:00 +0000

Here is a short interview I did recently with creative networking site Movidiam. We discuss working in the games industry, networking and my Enartete Kunst art project.

You can listen to the podcast here.

or, if you prefer, you can read the print version here.

MORE ANKI OVERDRIVE......

noreply@blogger.com (Derek Stenning) — Fri, 16 Dec 2016 21:29:00 +0000

A couple months ago I posted some character design/illustration work I had done for the Supertruck expansion to the racing game Anki Overdrive.... and I recently received permission to post some more of this work. So I've added an Anki Overdrive section to my website. You can check it out here.

Thanks to Eddie Visser!

DYSTOPIC & EK_02 RESTOCKING / PRE_ORDER

noreply@blogger.com (Derek Stenning) — Sat, 10 Dec 2016 03:24:00 +0000

My 2 most popular EK Model Kits, Dystopic and EK Cosmonaut 02 are in the process of restocking over at Industria Mechanika. They are available for preorder now and they should be shipping around late January 2017.

Plus, Industria Mechanika is now selling copies of my book, Born In Concrete: The EK Series in their shop. They are currently offering it at a discounted price, so you can pick one up while ordering your model kit!

Here's the link to the IMech Shop!

SPECTRUM 23

noreply@blogger.com (Derek Stenning) — Sat, 03 Dec 2016 21:08:00 +0000

I have a small piece in the latest edition of the annual fantastic art compendium, Spectrum. As always the book is full of incredible art from comics, games, book and editorial illustration, and more. Plus this year they honoured one of my favourite artists, Mike Mignola, with the grand master award. Well worth picking up!

Thanks to the all judges for including me in the book! Spectrum 23 cover art by Android Jones.

SHOP!

noreply@blogger.com (Derek Stenning) — Thu, 01 Dec 2016 03:43:00 +0000

I have re-opened the shop on my website borninconcrete.com....just in time for the holidays....because nothing says "Merry Christmas" quite like a bunch of gnarled old cosmonauts! Some prints, t-shirts, and signed copies of my art book are available in the shop now, and I'll be introducing some new items in the future. Here's the link!

For those interested in the Industria Mechanika kits based on my work they can be purchased at the IMech store here.

Unsigned copies of my art book can be purchased on Amazon, at Design Studio Press and at other fine book dealers.

BOOTLEGGER

noreply@blogger.com (Derek Stenning) — Sun, 27 Nov 2016 22:58:00 +0000

It appears that some bootlegged versions of the EK Series Model Kits have been surfacing on Ebay lately, so buyers beware! If you purchase a kit from a re-distributor (that is to say, someone other than Industria Mechanika), please look for evidence of recasting and make sure the kit contains all the original, authentic pieces.

Industria Mechanika has shut down a few of these clowns before, at least temporarily anyways, as it is easy for the bootleggers to just change their online store handle and start selling them again.

The easiest way to avoid this is to purchase your EK kits directly from Industria Mechanika on their website. Here's the link!