Mowrer Art Steampunk Frankenstein and more

The steampunk flying palace

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Mowrer) — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 13:22:00 +0000

Hello Friends
Today I'm posting a sneak peek of a building that figures prominently in the story. I can't give away it's role nor any of it's many secrets but I really wanted to share the broader view of it with you. As you can see, it's a grand structure that flies aloft with the help of four vertically oriented airship bodies. I can just imagine the view from up this high! The only thing I can tell you about it without giving away any story spoilers is that it is a secret and is one-of-a-kind.
Enjoy and cheers, Kevin

Steampunk flying palace

PS - forgive the constant use of "steampunk" in post titles and image titles. It's one of the unfortunate realities of adhering to search engine optimization so that people can find the work during searches.

Steampunk Storm Trooper!

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Mowrer) — Sat, 22 Dec 2012 21:16:00 +0000

I just had to finish the trio. I tend to be a bit obsessive in terms of realizing something I find inspiring and doing Star Wars inspired helmets in steampunk style has been a total blast. It just needed the storm trooper helmet to finish off the trio.
Oddly, I found this one the most challenging to do. I didn't want to just push parts into one another from a library of pre-existing bits. I wanted it to feel like heavy castings mixed with internal mech that is suggested on the outside. Doing the giant monacle/lens was the idea of Chris, my eldest son. I really liked adding the assymetry. It not only helped to make it unusual but it solidly brought the whole Gestalt into the world of steampunk.
I hope you enjoy. check out The Vader and Boba Fett inspired helmets as well.
Cheers, Kev

Steampunk Stormtrooper

Steampunk Boba Fett

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Mowrer) — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 22:46:00 +0000

Well, I just couldn't do Darth without doing Boba. In some ways, he's even more fun because the forms are more severe. I haven't yet "dirtied" him up as a proper Boba should be but thought I'd share where it is now. He was a one day project.
I've just added a closer detail shot of the antennae set up on the side of the helmet from some email questions I've been getting. Thanks all for the great comments and encouragement. The response and traffic has been way past what I imagined.
Enjoy and cheers, Kevin

Steampunk Boba Fett

Steampunk Bobba Fett helmet detail

Steampunk Darth Vader

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Mowrer) — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 20:46:00 +0000

So, My sons and I enjoy watching Star Wars a great deal. I was taking in episode #4 (the first movie) and had this idea for another take on Darth Vader. I've already done one sketch of him on the blog earlier but this time I wanted to spend time on the leather work and make the eyes much more watchworks and important. There's something so very prussian about his design anyway so leaning into that was fun. I didn't want to do the typical spike on the helmet and opted for a central metal spine instead. I've always enjoyed seeing the various takes on a Steampunk Darth Vader so what's one more...
Cheers, Kevin

PS - I've just added an additional shot with more dramatic colored lighting...just cause it makes him more ominous!

Steampunk Darth Vader

The Colonel

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Mowrer) — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 20:35:00 +0000

Just for fun and to loosen up I did a digital speed sculpt this morning of this animated character I've had in my head. It's not for Frahnknshtyne but then one must change up the diet once in a while to stay fresh. This character is "The Colonel" also known as Colonel Brumphry T. Trenchman. He's long on stiff upper lip and short on flexibility. He came up through the ranks as a drill sergeant and saved the generals dog one day resulting in a lovely promotion. (I always have to think about story before drawing or sculpting, even when doing it just for fun).
He's been sculpted in zbrush. I love realism but I also love true carricature. I think it forces one to boil out the elements that aren't revealing the characters.
Enjoy and cheers for now, Kevin

Steampunk Colonel Trenchman front view

Steampunk Colonel Trenchman lft 3/4 view

Steampunk Colonel Trenchman left side view

Steampunk Colonel Trenchman rt 3/4 view

Steampunk Colonel Trenchman rt side view

Steampunk Motorcycle 3D completed!

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Mowrer) — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 18:39:00 +0000

Here it is. The Gyrostator with all the elements on it. I've added the electricals, the hand brakes, the quilted seat and seat suspension and lots more. The drive is complete as well. Now I want to drive it! I've posted a number of angles on it to get a good sense of the form and details.
Cheers for now, Kevin

Steampunk Motorcycle Gyrostator

Steampunk Motorcycle in 3D!

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Mowrer) — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 01:42:00 +0000

I've gotten well down the road on the 3D model of the Gyrostator, the illegal invention that Vyctor creates. In Travaille, invention is carefully metered and controlled to keep the structured society stable and in compliance with the Praetor's grand plan.
Vyctor is rogue inventing at night in secret locations and the Gyrostator is as illegal as it comes. He takes to riding it through the darkened city in the middle of the night and it plays a very interesting role later in the story.
The Gyrostator has a locomotive drive and it weighs nearly a thousand pounds. That makes it very rough on the ankles and legs when it's not moving and Vyctor has to hold it upright.
It also makes it one heckuva battering ram.
There are no lights as the windscreen lenses are powered with an energy that acts a lot like night vision goggles.
The rear drive isn't complete yet as it will receive eccentric drive elements to run the valves and such. Still, I felt it was far enough along to start sharing.
Hope you enjoy. Cheers, Kevin

PS - just posted the completed design. Be sure to visit that post HERE!

Steampunk Motorcycle (Gyrostator)

Steampunk Motorcycle semi-front view

Steampunk Motorcycle front view

Steampunk Motorcycle Frahnknshtyne

Steampunk Motorcycle top view

Steampunk Motorcycle Gyrostator

Steampunk Aether Rifle on tripod!

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Mowrer) — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 22:30:00 +0000

Wow! it was quite a wrestling match with my computer to get the final models together in one document and get them rendered off but it's finally done. Here's the images showing all the details. I'm planning on making this into a poster for mounting over mantles like it is a real rifle. I've also gotten a number of inquiries about duplicates of the quarter scale model when it's done. Drop me a line of you have any interest and I'll look into the economics of it. I'll let you all know when that's done but for now, I hope you enjoy the results so far. more to come.
Cheers, Kevin

Steampunk Aether Rifle Lacette's moment

Steampunk aether rifle tripod

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Mowrer) — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 00:09:00 +0000

The design for the tripod that supports the immense Aether Assassin Rifle is well underway so I thought I'd share some of the images with you. It has to be built quite sturdy to steady a rifle that is shooting from almost two miles away with lots of ability to adjust it. It's also an artisan item, fully handcrafted and a one of a kind design. Lacette has very strong beliefs and specific rituals she adheres to as she prepares to take a life and that obsessive attention to detail is seen in all the unique tools of her trade as well.
Best, Kevin

Aether rifle tripod

Aether rifle tripod raising mechanism

Aether rifle tripod crank handle

Aether rifle tripod attached plumb bob

Steampunk Aether rifle new stock

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Mowrer) — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 01:25:00 +0000

It's interesting how sometimes, there's a single detail that makes a design really take on life. I had always intended to add extension to the tips of the butt stock like some of the marvelously decorated moorish flintlocks of the 1800's. I translated the whippet-like extensions into brass hardware and just added them to the design today. I am very excited about the effect it's had on the whole design and gesture. Now it is finding it's steampunk unique identity.
There's still more to go so keep checking back and I'll keep posting as it develops.
Enjoy and cheers, Kevin

Aether rifle side view new stock

Aether rifle gear detail

Aether rifle three quarter view

Aether rifle new stock close up

Aether rifle stock extensions

Aether rifle stock closeup

Steampunk Aether Rifle Video

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Mowrer) — Sun, 04 Nov 2012 20:53:00 +0000

I thought I'd add a flyby video of Lacette's Aether Assassin rifle. It's fun to get a sense of just how outrageous a six foot long rifle that can harvest a man's life force from over two miles away is. This is definitely not a handlheld killing tool. It has to be used with either the monopod or the tripod (that is being developed next).
The rounds themselves are fun because once the prongs pierce the skin, the lifeforce of the victim is rapidly drawn off into the round. Then when Lycette arrives, she transfers it into an Aether containment vial for transport and gathers up the round leaving little more than four small holes and a bruise on her victim,
As I had covered in the earlier post showing the development illustration, there is no gunpowder being used here. Once she has sighted you in on the glowing scope, she has your aether signature and pulls the first locking lever near the trigger. Once the trigger is pulled the targets own lifeforce shoots a carrier bolt of energy to the gun and the round rides it to the victim. Just before the round hits the target often swoons and feels dizzy as they are supplying the force of the hit.
Hope you enjoy. Cheers, Kevin

Steampunk Aether Rifle in 3D!

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Mowrer) — Sat, 20 Oct 2012 18:34:00 +0000

Hello all my friends.
I've been updating this post with new images and details of the Aether rifle. I've been down a rabbit hole lately with several projects. Even so, I've been able to work on bringing Lacette's Aether Rifle design to life as a 3D rendering. It's been so much fun doing this because once you can move around something and really see it, ideas and opportunities to evolve the design and add to the idea just start exploding. Now it's a proper assassin's rifle!

It isn't done yet but its far enough along to share with you. There's more details to come yet on the gun itself as well as the ammunition and its box for storing the life force of the victims. I'm also designing a tripod for those really long distance shots where the fold out monopod just isn't enough. There's more adjustments to come on the Aether scope but for now, I can show it both turned on and off.

In modeling this, I didn't want to take the approach of just making lots of gears and bits and then free form placing them about to "kit bash" a design together. That's a valid way to work but for the designs in Frahnknshtyne, I wanted everything to have that strongly grounded sense of visually being "purpose made." There's an industrial integrity liberally mixed with a sense of victorian exquisite handcraft that is important to me. Every knob, hold down, ferule and finding is custom designed on this rifle. I'm even considering doing a rapid prototype of it to see what it would look like as a nice 24 inch long model.

Anybody out there up for making a full sized rifle? :-)

Hope you enjoy a bit of gear from the world of Frahnknshtyne. Always good to feed ones own addiction to Steampunk tasties and share with others who like the same.
Cheers, Kevin

Aether Rifle full view

Aether rifle 3/4 view

Aether rifle scope mount

Aether bullet

aether rifle loading chamber

Aether rifle bullet prongs

Aether rifle view down the barrel

Aether rifle declination mechanism

Aether rifle fittings

Aether rifle strap fittings

Aether rifle brass housing

Aether rifle barrel view

Aether rifle scope skull

Steampunk Skull Muscles

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Mowrer) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 14:26:00 +0000

Whew! The final image of the Making of Frahnknshtyne's face is finally done. It is now a completed Triptych. This middle image shows the crafting of the leather straps and support structure that will drive the final skin to move. Like all things Vyctor does, he is obsessive in the detail and art of it even though it will not be seen. I've been enjoying the ironic nature of these images in the sense that they are a form of "still life" and chronicle one brilliant man's attempt at making a new receptacle for life.
More to come in the book. Cheers, Kevin

Steampunk Skull Muscles

Steampunk skull triptych

And a fun video so you can see how the face builds up layer by layer.

Steampunk Frankenstein's face

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Mowrer) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:07:00 +0000

Finally, I've gotten to a face for Frahnknshtyne's creation that is delivering the narrative I was striving for. The mechanical man in my story is not about gore or re-animating dead flesh. It is the result of an obsessive labor to create an artful receptacle worthy of holding the minds of the immortals.

Months ago I posted the highly detailed metallic skull (I've reposted it in this post so you can see the finished product on the same bench and in the same position).

The completed head is made from finely tooled soft leather. Each hair has been stitched into place by hand and the leather face is connected to an intricate series of tiny pulleys and leather straps that act like muscles to drive expression and movement. My next painting is the middle image in this Steampunk Tryptych. It will be the image showing the muscles and controls being built on the face. Can't wait to get to it.

For this painting I wanted a mad and complicated sense of Vyctor, bringing all his artisan skills and victorian technology to bear on making this creation of great and subtle intricacy.

I can't tell you any more as I'd like you to read it in the book (which is coming along very nicely). I hope you enjoy these ongoing glimpses into the world of Frahnknshtyne.

Be sure to see the just completed middle stage of the making of the Frahnknshtyne head. It's the crafting of the muscle structure you can find here.
cheers, Kevin

Steampunk Frahnknshtyne leather face

Steampunk Frahnknshtyne's metal skull

New Steampunk Motorcycle

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Mowrer) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 15:37:00 +0000

I've been gone far too long from posting new work on the site. I guess that's what happens when you are launching a brand new company and getting the first apps to market.
I've also been up to my eyebrows in writing the story and working through all the challenges that entails.
Anyway, since so many of you visit the site to see the art I've done a new illustration. One of the things I truly love is vintage motorcycles. I've already worked on a preliminary design for the Gyrostator that appears in the story and that gets the most hits on the site. I wanted to envision another bike that would fit in the world I'm writing but would represent a much more refined design.
I want this bike. It would be handy in heavy traffic. Nothing says "respect me" like fender mounted pistols.
I really enjoy painting rusted, rough and weathered surfaces and really got into the colors and textures on the huge, iron skull buttress and the large hanging pulley beneath it.
I hope you enjoy. I've posted the whole image and some close ups of parts of the painting as well.

Cheers, Kevin

PS - If enough of you are interested I'll assemble and post the making of video for this as well.
PSS - I've also got an older post with a much more fantasy bike sketch with a locomotive drive.
PSSS - I've also modeled the high fantasy bike in 3d!

Steampunk Motorcycle Frahnknshtyne

Pistol mounts on front end

Steampunk skull buttress

New Blog about Steampunk Inspirations

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Mowrer) — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 23:03:00 +0000

Hello Friends and followers.
While writing and drawing Frahnknshtyne I frequently come across other artists, ideas and thinking that help me in the work I'm doing or are just plain inspiring in a steam punk kind of way. I'm establishing a new blog to share those with everyone else. I invite you to visit and sign up if you like. Hope you enjoy and cheers for now, Kevin

Steampunk Inspirations

Viper Wolf before steampunking

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Mowrer) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 14:53:00 +0000

From time to time I go back into older illustrations and add to or rethink them. This is an image for the skull of a mythical creature called a viper wolf that I never fully completed from several years ago. The Jaw is articulated like that of a rattlesnake and it hunts using a pit viper's ability to sense heat (since it has no eyes and is completely unsighted).

I'm going to be going back into this older illustration and adding mechanism and detail to it just for fun. I love the idea of an animal experimented on to make it more dangerous for nefarious purposes. This isn't for Frahnknshtyne but is something I thought I'd share with you as I go just for fun.

I have additional images for Frahnknshtyne but many of them are being held back now as the book gets closer to being completed. I'll still be posting some of those soon (but I gotta surprise you with story and art in the completed book).

Cheers, Kevin

Viper Wolf Skull soon to be Steampunked

The Pinkerton and the Princess: Final

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Mowrer) — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 00:17:00 +0000

Well, here's the completed image. I had a lot of fun with this painting as it brought out a number of interesting ideas. One such fun detail is that the rifle is actually a rocket launcher using traditional oriental black powder rockets.
I've included a few detail images so you can see the sculpted face of her sky-train as well as some of the fun detail of the rifle.
Cheers:

The Pinkerton and the Princess

Sky Train

Rocket launcher

The Pinkerton and the Princess

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Mowrer) — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 22:53:00 +0000

sometimes when I'm developing a story, other stories come to mind that would work in the same world. I'm doing a quick illustration to capture one of those stories that will happen in the world of Frahnknshtyne called "The Pinkerton and the Princess." Here's a sneak peek of part of the image underway.

Steampunk, The Art of Victorian Futurism

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Mowrer) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 12:50:00 +0000

Today, I'm very excited! Korero's book "Steampunk, the Art of Victorian Futurism" has been released and I have received my advance copy! Jay Strongman did a fantastic job authoring the book and has collected quite a compendium of Steampunk art and creations. I am honored that my Frahnknshtyne art is featured in some very high quality prints in the book in quite a few places. Thanks Jay and everyone else who worked putting the book together and thanks for adding to Steampunk's momentum!

Amazing real pistols

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Mowrer) — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 21:49:00 +0000

A friend sent me the link to these amazing real pistols. Just had to repost the link and share them.
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=fd3_1310419871&jwp_version=5

Frahnknshtyne's weaponized arm

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Mowrer) — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 20:21:00 +0000

It's been a bit since the last post as I have been writing the book. I'm well into it and decided to take a break to add some more development art to the site to share with you. This image shows Frahnknshtyne's arm after he decides to build a weapon into it. It's exploding out of his woolen cape sleeve and the mechanical mounts (they look like small metal animal hands) have just thrown it forward to be caught by Wyctor in his gloved hand. There's a big surprise in this gun (beyond the fact that it's up his sleeve and it assembles as it ejects) that I'll hold off sharing for the book.
I'll be posting the "making of" video over the next week or so as well.
Cheers, Kevin

And a closer shot of the gun

The Aether Bullet come to life

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Mowrer) — Wed, 11 May 2011 13:05:00 +0000

A few months ago I was contacted by a very talented model builder named Arno Erol. Arno enjoys model making and some of what he makes are steampunk things. He asked if he could model the Aether Rifle in 3D and I gave my blessings to go ahead. I've just received some images showing the realization of the concept of the Aether bullet I originally designed for Lacette's assassin rifle. Arno has taken some poetic license and it looks like some beautiful work by a talented model maker! Nicely done Arno. I'm also including a link to Arno's flickr page showing some of his other cool work.
Arno's other models

Original Aether bullet design

Arno's Aether bullet model view #1

Aether Bullet design view #2

Aether bullet design view #3

Steampunk Frahnknshtyne's hand final

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Mowrer) — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 18:36:00 +0000

Well, I decided that adding another emotive object into the shot would take away from the singular narrative moment of seeing through Wyctor's eyes the raised hand that isn't your own. I completed the victorian etching on the metal and pivots and knuckle joints and I think this one is ready for its place in the story.

Steampunk Frahnknsthyne's hand

And here is the "making of" video that briefly covers the steps and thinking to make this painting.

Untitled from kevin mowrer on Vimeo.

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Steampunk Frahnknshtyne's hand

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Mowrer) — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 22:35:00 +0000

I have been busy structuring and writing the story but wanted to post a new image of one of the moments in the narrative. The first thing our hero sees when he wakes up with his consciousness inside of his own clockwork creation.
I wanted the hand to be a mechanically sophisticated and beautiful object made of steel, brass, bronze and copper with tendons of leather. I also wanted the moment to have a strange church-like victorian operating theater quality to it (with the horror of the moment as well). I'm considering adding a piece of broken mirror or perhaps the locket with his love's image in it being held between the thumb and fingers so this may evolve over the next week. I've already reposted the hand itself with changes to the hand mechanism and finger joints. I will be posting the "making of" video in the next few days so check back for it.

Steampunk Frahnknshtyne hand

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