Bigass Sketch Dump

Daily sketches posted on Instagram (http://instagram.com/zachschoenbaum/)

Gas Mask Study

Here's a study of a gas mask I did after reading about the reported chemical attacks the Syrian government is directing at its own people.

Chestnut-tailed Minla Study

This study was based on today's Wikimedia Commons pic of the day.

Monstrous Manual 005: Arcane WIP

This week I thought I'd show a bit of the mid-process artwork for the Monstrous Manual Project. The next monster I'm working on is called an Arcane, which are slender blue giants that roam around selling magical items.

I've started by creating a silhouette of the creature, gradually pushing and pulling at the edges until the shape looks right, flipping it horizontally from time to time to make sure it looks good both ways. I then start to block in different elements of the creature into separate layers: it's body, robes, bag, and cloak. This allows me to begin organizing the tonal structure while continuously making adjustments to the major shapes. I also usually put some extra time into the head, as I've found that allowing the focal points to be a bit more developed than the surrounding areas tends to help keep my creative momentum.

Once everything's blocked in and I like how the shapes are looking, I lock the transparent pixels on each layer so I don't 'color outside the lines' and start modeling the form. I usually try to travel around the piece evenly, working on adding details and pulling things into focus here and there. If I find myself focusing too much on one area, it's time to move on to the least developed area, or any other element that is calling for attention.

This technique has its drawbacks, but it is a quick way to play with ideas and start to get a sense of whatever it is you're creating. As for this artwork, I'll probably try to approach this monster from a different angle, but experimenting with this idea establishes a landmark from which I can determine a direction to move towards with the final artwork.

Practice

Here's a figure study of a random cute girl for absolutely no reason whatsoever.

Monstrous Manual 004: Ankheg

This monster is like a big, nasty cousin of the things from Tremors.

Figure Drawing Warm Up

Before I start working for the day I usually warm up with some figure drawing sketches. Here are some two minute poses I did the other day.

Monstrous Manual 003: Aboleth

I haven't done one of these in a while. This creature's an odd one. It's got psycho-mind manipulation powers that turn adventurers into pwn-drones.

Figure Friday

Brefext Astiff Knees

A figure study based on a still from Breakfast at Tiffany's:

Covering Up

I recently completed the promo cover of a fantasy novel. The book's sort of a mix between Narnia and Harry Potter with super powers. Recently (as of May '12) the book was picked up by a publisher, and I've been asked to take down the artwork while the publisher considers what they want to do with the cover.

I also took a class from Anthony Jones about creature design at Red Engine. During which I came up with these:



I also put together this set of portraits as a personal project. They are based on the RGB color system.

I'm also proud to announce my new position as Illustrator and Designer for a company called Puzzled Inc. I've been working there for a few months now, illustrating Christmas ornaments, designing plush dolls, and photocompositing packaging for 3d wooden puzzles. Their products are sold all over the world in gift shops and amusement parks.

Also, I will have a bunch of pieces up at WWA gallery in Culver City in a few months, more on that as it develops.

Sukechi Sketch

Here are some character development sketches I've been working on for the Red Engine class:




And here are a couple of the environment thumbnail sketches from last week taken to the next stage of development:

And finally, here's a portrait study I did today. I gave myself one hour to finish:

Sketchbook Update

Hey, where'd November go?

I've been working diligently on stuff for the Hive, and don't want to ruin any surprises by showing it off here, but I don't like going so long without posting anything, so here are a few random things that have distracted me over the course of the last month:

Necrodancers

Here's a preliminary sketch I did today for the He Man show. After watching a few episodes of the 2002 Toonami re-release of He Man, I decided to take my re-designs of the characters and costumes a lot further. I also wanted to play with the relationship between Skeletor and Evilyn, adding some of the sexuality often associated with black magic.

I HAVE THE POWER!!!!!!!!!!!

I've been working on some preliminary sketches for the He-Man show coming up at Gallery 1988. I'm really excited to be working on this. He man was one of the first things to spark my interest in fantasy. I've been re-watching the old episodes whenever I can get my hands on them. They're awesome. Full of really weird design, cheap animation, and lots and lots and lots of cheese... delicious, corny cheese.

Sketchbook Update