Tempesthole - Blog

Chainsaw Maid

2009-10-17T13:04:35Z

This one’s sort of a tribute to the wonderful Chainsaw Maid wax animation, a healthy dosage of gore and candy colored zombies. I saw the clip a long while back and somehow the concept popped into my head now so I thought I do an image. And why not, you can’t really go wrong with a sexy French maid with a chainsaw, cliché or not.

Forgot to add an apron and a hat, though.

I’ve been playing with the idea of setting up a scene in DAZ Studio and using a render as a reference for an illustration but haven’t gotten around to doing so until now. This time I did, however, and it really worked in my advantage regarding speed and probably outcome too. Much less thinking involved when it came to perspective, foreshortening and shading – even though this still just a sketch and a bit funky in places.

Crap lighting, but good enough for a use such as this. I probably took around 30-45 minutes to set up and render this scene.

In case you don’t happen to know what DAZ Studio is, it is much like the better know Poser except that it’s FREE. You just need to register (again, for free) at the DAZ website, and you’ll be able to download your own copy. There’s a ton of free content available – including figures, clothing, hair, props – in sites like Renderosity.com or ShareCG.com as well as DAZ’s own website – because for the most part DS uses the same files as Poser.

Essentially what you do with DS is clothe and pose a figure, possibly include some props, add lighting and then render the scene. It’s like a “virtual photo studio”. It’s easy to use and good fun actually, I’ve ended up wasting spending a lot of time playing around with learning the program myself.

Huntress

2009-10-16T00:28:16Z

Another fairly quick image done for the CTT activity at Unit 16. I did another sketch before this one but it kind of turned into shit, so I had another go. This is based on Audzilla’s sketch.

I See You

2009-09-06T10:32:19Z

Frank

2009-09-15T08:31:07Z

For the Movie Tag Team activity at Unit 16. The theme was Frank from Once Upon a Time in the West as portrayed by Henry Fonda.

I played a bit with the thought of “What if Harmonica had instead been called… Banjo?”

Another addition to the list of things I never thought I’d draw…

Excerpts from the Sketchbook

2009-08-23T19:44:56Z

Here are a few pages from my sketchbook that I doodled last week that I spent at a summer cabin. The first one is actually from an earlier visit but who cares…

The third page is just some random people I drew from a few magazines. I’m not too crazy about how clinical the line work looks when I draw from referenced so I tried a different approach for one of the faces. It ended up looking like a teenage girl drew it – no good.

You’ve Been a Bad Boy

2009-07-18T10:04:05Z

… and you’ve got hell to pay for it.

Another one for the CTT.

Gator Food

2009-07-17T14:40:06Z

I was away on holiday last week and happened to catch an episode of “CSI Miami” on TV.

So inspired by the myriad of expressions mastered by David Caruso, this is what I came up with for this round of the Character Tag Team after Sticmann’s watercolor.

Aava & Bang Promo Illustration

2009-07-17T14:51:08Z

Here’s an image I did for Aava & Bang advertising agency’s new visual identity. I tell you folks, this thing is HUGE – roughly 217 cm wide and 42 cm high in 300dpi resolution. That’s 25638 x 4962 pixels for anyone who’s counting…

It was quite an enjoyable challenge, and even more so for my old computer which really couldn’t handle files this big. I had to do the final, full sized image in pieces (which the client put together with better hardware), and still the working file for the biggest of the pieces was 542 MB. Phew.

Check out some details too. These are 25% of the actual pixel size:

This was a fun project – very clear brief and just few minor, good changes in the sketching stage. The client seemed happy with it and I like how it turned too. There’s a slightly bigger version of the image in use on their website.

Danzig

2009-06-24T21:50:55Z

Here’s someone I’ve been meaning to do for quite some time and who seems to fascinate me to no end: Glenn Danzig.

A bit of eerie synchronicity going on as well: Going through some biographies I just realized that I finished the image – truly unbeknownst to myself – on his damn birthday, June 23rd. So happy birthday, Glenn…

Fucking metal. Serious business.

Girl with a Towel

2009-06-22T23:10:11Z

This is just something I’ve been doodling in Photoshop over couple of night before bed. To be frank, I got really bored with it…

Not crazy about the style and it’s sloppy too.

Rodent Fashion

2009-06-09T13:20:38Z

Another two for the CTT at U16. First one is after Mike Monroe’s sketch of – to me – a bit insecure looking rodent. So here he is with a friend, overcompensating:

And my entry for the next in line, a gentler, more confident fella:

Drafty Comic Panel

2009-06-05T10:00:18Z

I’ll huff. I’ll puff. I’ll blow

Another panel for the Stylus collaborative comic activity. My previous panels can be viewed here.

Grace Kelly Blues

2009-05-27T09:10:43Z

Grace Kelly was gorgeous but unlike – for example – her contemporary Audrey Hepburn who had a very distinct face and look, Grace was more of an epitome of neutral beauty – whatever that may be. That makes her really difficult to draw. Even if you get a decent likeness, you might still end up with a drawing of beautiful but generic looking dame…

So I decided to go for mood instead. Maybe young Grace Kelly getting a brief glimpse at the crystal ball – and her eventual fate.

Shut Up, You’re Dead!

2009-05-06T17:48:33Z

Just a random tough guy to go to the CTT Turbo with the Superwoman from previous post. A screaming, severed head also featured.

Superwoman

2009-05-05T20:26:03Z

Jacob Winkler did a nice take on Superwoman at U16’s CTT Turbo, so I thought I’d do a take on his take for fun. Originally I was attracted to the nightmarish quality of Jacobs image, but in the end went for something else.

I opted to go for a more practical, “realistic” design rather than the typical top-heavy spiked heels and microskirt type of designs you often see in superhero comics.

Didn’t even realize that Hulk is a Marvel character until I’d already finished the piece. Oh well, same difference.

Re-education of the Navigator

2009-04-14T16:14:33Z

Here’s another fairly quick one for another U16 activity, the Movie Tag Team. The idea of the activity is to do an image about the movie character that the person before you picks. My movie was Flight of the Navigator and this image. The kid’s the navigator…

I didn’t really like these children’s fantasy movies as a kid, and don’t like ‘em now. So this is what I came up with:

It’s a reference to one of the lines in the movie. I think I could use some educating like that myself…

Rocker Sketches

2009-04-07T19:56:01Z

Here’s a few sketches that I drew awhile back when we were doing a bit of drinking and drawing before heading out to see some bands. Consider this a little insight into the kind of music that was played that night…

This is what we were listening to first…

… and this is what we listened after that. I was having some trouble drawing the pentagram by that time. The last sketch of the night, heh.

And finally a sketch anticipating the live stuff…

This music business is serious stuff, you know.

Robots

2009-03-30T20:15:28Z

Here’s a couple of quick images I did based on other people’s characters. First one is after Sticmann’s sketch of a little robot. I streamlined the design a bit and I guess it isn’t that little anymore either. It was done for the CTT activity at U16 again.

And the second one is a take on Scott Vanden Bosch’s character. I thought it (my take, that is) was a bit stupid* and unfunny*, so I haven’t posted it until now.

*) Like that has ever stopped me before…

Friends or Foes

2009-03-13T21:09:53Z

“Friends or Foes” is a short comic I did last fall for a comic anthology that unfortunately hit the rocks and never got published. Too bad. Based on what I saw there would’ve been good stuff in it. Curse you, recession!

Read it here! And enjoy…

Tempesthole in How Top Ten

2009-03-04T11:19:24Z

I received a pleasant email from the Senior Editor of How Magazine. It informed me that Tempesthole.com has been chosen as one of their Top 10 Sites for Designers for this month, March 2009.

A utterly and completely unexpected honor but no less appreciated. It’s nice to see the effort I’ve put into the site doesn’t go unnoticed. Thank you very much, How.

Woes of Scifi Rockers

2009-02-23T22:25:20Z

This is my take on Scott Vanden Bosch’s singer character for U16’s CTT again. It appears that the woes of this fictional band aren’t completely unlike those of another, more famous one.

Black Paladin

2009-02-20T20:10:02Z

Just a character design… His hood setup reminds me of nuns so I figure he must be a man of cloth. Loin cloth.

And a thong.

Supermanager

2009-02-13T13:32:36Z

Hard times are a-coming but fortunately the help is here.

We just have to let a few (thousand) of you go, and it’ll be just fine.

The Shipless Sailor and His Murdering Friend

2009-02-11T19:36:10Z

Here’s a couple of images for U16’s CTT – Turbo Mode activity. The first one is after Josh Hall’s character and, well, someone else’s too.

Riot Squad

2009-02-09T00:53:45Z

I managed to do another entry for the SPAM fest 2009 activity over at Unit 16. This time the spam subject line I illustrated was:

“Shoot like a Pornstar?”

Well, hell yeah!

In fact I did two versions of the illustration since I couldn’t decide which one I like best.

Second one is referring to a famous quote by Pierre-Joseph Proudhon:

Whoever lays his hand on me to govern me is a usurper and tyrant, and I declare him my enemy.

Dreams

2009-02-05T18:23:04Z

Had a peculiar experience earlier this week. I hurt my ankle on the weekend and couldn’t really put my weight on it for a couple of days. On Monday I stepped out to get some groceries from the little store across the street. This is what happened:

Oh wow, don’t go over the top with those dreams man! A little depressing but, still, I found it oddly funny since I was acting so true to form, being caught off-guard.

I was drawing an hourly comic (a day late) but it was really boring to do when you have nothing else to do but sit by yourself with your leg propped up. This strip was part of that thing…

Poet Comic

2009-01-29T21:17:49Z

Here’s a short comic for U16’s SPAM fest 2009 activity. The idea of the activity was to take a subject line of a spam message and illustrate it. I took the idea a bit further:

Honestly, the message didn’t even have a link anywhere and the only indication of what the point could have been was the sender’s address which linked to a project that apparently happened in year 2000. Go figure…

Good Riddance, Cowboy

2009-02-26T07:30:15Z

Barack Obama’s inauguration will be happening tomorrow January 20th, which means the good ol’ boy in power will step down too.

So, goodbye Bush – don’t let the door hit you in the ass. Hope the next time we hear from will be when you’re put on trial.*

In the mean time, the Guantánamo Bay detention camp is still running with full steam. You can sign a petition to challenge President Obama to close Guantãnamo, put an end to illegal detention, torture and impunity at Amnesty International’s 100 Days Challenge website. It only takes a minute to do it.

For more info about Amnesty’s framework to end illegal U.S. detentions check out tearitdown.org.

*) Not holding my breath, though.

Apes and Their Money

2009-01-15T15:59:06Z

For U16’s CTT activity again.

Kids Say the Damndest Things

2008-12-22T01:42:29Z

Inspired by this little gem. I guess she wouldn’t be impressed though.

Well here’s something else to wash the bad taste away, whether you disliked the gag or the song. Merry Christmas to everyone, too.

Robot Arm and a Cop

2008-12-14T21:02:26Z

Couple of Images for U16’s CTT again. First one’s based on Shakes’ sketch.

Update: Tempesthole 2.0

2008-12-11T14:50:26Z

I finally finished what I’ve been working on for the past month or so: Tempesthole version 2. Mostly I just needed a site that’s easier to update and manage so that I might actually update it more than once a year. Expect updates at least twice a year from now on – every other year. As always, the new stuff shows up on the blog first, so you might want to subscribe to the feed if you haven’t already.

Anyway, have a look around the new site. I like think It’s matured like any fine lady should, becoming slightly more charming and considerably heavier than before. If you find anything that isn’t broken (images, links, etc.) please let me know and I’ll do my best to break them too. Please update your bookmarks as well.

Here’s an illustration to fit the theme:

What actually is under the hood is Wordpress with a custom theme specifically developed this purpose.

Pimping

2008-12-08T13:33:07Z

This one is kinda after Adam Duncan’s sketch, for the CTT activity at Unit 16 again. A pretty perverted version of the character, I would say.

Supermodel

2008-12-11T14:51:30Z

A woman in her prime, she’s just turned 18 (15 really). Sorry to say to you guys out there, but she’s already taken, and her 62 year old fashion designer boyfriend does not handle competition like a gentleman. But one can always imagine how her bones rub together – sounding like whispers of lust – as she’s writhing in her gigantic designer bed.

Here she is modeling the hottest of the hot in fashion for Fall 2008! Perfect for every body type and occasion! Wow!

More Caricatures of Stylus Members

2008-12-11T15:15:17Z

Two more quick caricatures – even thought the second one is more like a sloppy portrait. The first is Tristan and the second is Minusbaby.

Cancer Face Halloween Mask

2008-12-03T16:31:04Z

This is a Halloween mask I did for a Stylus activity. It’s gross. Your mom will love it.

Download Cancer Face mask (2,9MB) »

Tall Self-portrait

2008-12-03T16:47:59Z

I’m a fairly big man but not this big.

Initially this just supposed to be a stylized self-portrait for a forum activity, but then it occurred to me that with minor adjustments it would fit another activity too: Japanese Giant Monsters at U16! Better to look like a silly giant than some lame-ass pop punk promo picture.

Swiped the photo for the quick montage from Satyendra.

Comic Frames for Collaboration

2008-12-03T16:49:29Z

These are just a couple of frames for a comic collaboration going on at Stylus. They’re out of context, so they don’t make much sense, but I thought they’re entertaining enough to posted anyway. The second one is all natural media.

The Hapless Horseman – Paper Toy

2008-12-03T16:51:40Z

- Where’s your hat, soldier?
- I, um, misplaced it. sir. And I’m actually cavalry, sir.
- Cavalry? Then where’s your horse, man?
- Uh, hmm you see, sir …
- Ungh, don’t tell me. I bet you’d lose your head too if it wasn’t attached to your shoulders.

This is a custom design for Christopher Bonnette’s Squealer paper toy. Since Halloween is coming up shortly, I thought I’d something to fit the theme. Live by the sword…

Anyway, here’s a low resolution version of the template. You can download a printable PDF here (about 1MB). For instructions on how to put it together visit Christopher’s site for a tutorial.

Download Papertoy (1MB)

Thanks to Christopher, who put the thing to together and took the photo too.

Monsters in Pink

2008-12-03T16:53:58Z

Couple of images for the CTT activity at Unit 16. First one is based on Evolution’s monster sketch. The second one is my image for the next in line – as per usual.

The Mating Habits of the Deep Ones #1

2008-12-03T16:55:49Z

Here’s what Wikipedia has to say about the deep ones.

The Deep Ones are a race of frog-like, ocean-dwelling creatures with an affinity for mating with humans.

Despite that they’re basically mind bogglingly horrific, fishy frog-creature-horrors, the mating does happen regularly. Much of how it happens is still a mystery but thanks to recent advances in sciences, the scientists at Miskatonic University have unveiled more facts about the process.

The males have a special mating dance to woo the ladies:

The females on the other hand have a more direct approach:

Stay tuned for more exciting revelations that everyone wants to hear!

Blonde with Blue Background

2008-12-03T16:57:10Z

Hah, couldn’t put this after the two previous naked ladies. Three in a row is just too much for a family entertainment blog such as this one. But now that there’s an image with a girl in lingerie breaking the pattern, I can post this one as well. Sooo…

Hee’s another nude blonde I did as warm up.

Marker Fun

2008-12-03T16:59:19Z

I’ve been fooling around with markers and a brush pen and trying something a bit different. Fun fun fun.

So here’s couple of quick drawings. They depict the harshness of country life and some mellow vacancy in the city.

Sinister Girl

2008-12-03T17:00:51Z

And yet another photoreffed girl. Yes, I’ve been doing other stuff too, but can’t show that at least for the time being. So you’ll have to settle for these quickies.

A Traditional Bunch

2008-12-03T17:04:35Z

First another photo referenced girl. Pencil, colored pencil and paint marker on recycled paper.

And a few that were drawn from life.

Intermission

2008-11-24T16:26:53Z

- You haven’t posted in almost a month, you slacker.
- Been busy. I’ll post something bad – like a random comic panel – to make up for it.

Winter Fairy

2008-12-03T17:05:33Z

As promised here’s the second image for the CTT. This one’s based on Adam Duncan’s fairy sketch. You can ask him why she’s all naked.

I imagine she likes to sit down with a nice, hot cup of fermented rowan berry juice to keep the cold, bitterly lonely winter away.

Killer Robot

2008-11-24T13:32:13Z

Forget about Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics.

For the CTT activity at U16. Another illustration coming up shortly.

Why the Long Face, Hulk Hogan?

2008-11-24T13:32:32Z

I can’t imagine why… Or can I?

Edit: Revised poor Hulkster for better likeness and overall betterness.

The Wrong Crowd

2008-11-24T13:32:58Z

On some of those foggy nights out, when the fog somehow clears up a bit, you may realize that that crowd you’ve been keeping isn’t exactly what you thought it was.

Don’t worry, it happens to the best of us. More often to the worst, though.

For Illustration Friday’s theme "Foggy" and slightly inspired by this. (And apparently someone beat me to it slightly with his "vampire zombie" comment. Vampire zombie?).

Mutiny

2008-11-24T13:33:19Z

Mutiny on the pirate ship for U16’s Pirates activity. Did the rule of the ship change or not – I do not know.

Another Caricature

2008-11-24T16:25:42Z

This blog needs an update. Here’s one. It’s a caricature of yet another Stylus member, Emma.