Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Ninja Attack!


Greetings. And welcome back for another installment of ninjaboy's sketch-a-day.

I found that I only had a few minutes free today to work on a sketch today, so I ended up doing a quick sketch and to my surprise I ended up sketching a ninja. The only plan of attack for the sketch today was to play with perspective a little bit. But I realized that I basically re-created my God of War sketch from last year.

Oh well. At least I got a sketch done today.

Hope ya'll dig the sketch and I'll see you back here tomorrow for another new sketch.

Monday, April 26, 2010

A Monday Warm-Up


A new challenger approaches.

Today's weekly warm-up sketch is of everyone's favorite Street Fighter Ryu. Why did I sketch him? Honestly I have no idea. I just sat down with the Bamboo and CS3 and Ryu is what I ended up sketching.

It's not as rough as the sketches from last week, but I still didn't have enough time to finish him up more. Eh, I'm just going to say his left jab is moving so fast that you can barely see it. Even in sketch form.

Well everyone, we're off to bed here at the ninjaboy dojo. So I'll see you back online tomorrow.

Hope you dig the sketch and have a great night.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Juuuust missed the deadline


Good morning everyone. I'll make this brief as I really need to get to bet.

Here is my unfinished sketch for Friday the 23rd. I was able to do a figure layout rough today, and started refining the linework over top of of it. However I was unable to completely finish this sketch.

Once again, it is of the kunoichi I sketched earlier this week. I wanted to spend a little more time with the design to see if I could make it more than a very rough sketch. I guess I'll have to finish it up some other time.

Oh well.

Hope you all dig it and I'll see you back here on Monday. Have a great weekend.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Trying to salvage the week



Once again I'm making amends for being a bad blogger.

I have two sketches for you all this evening. One to make up for the missing sketch last night. And one for today.

The first sketch (from yesterday) is of a half elven maiden, probably of a druid or ranger profession. I wanted to do something a little different with her coloring in that I gave her red hair. In all my plan for this week's sketching was to keep things simple and loose. I'm not too worried about details and final color jobs. Instead I am just trying to get over some artist block and not think too much about what to sketch.

The second sketch is of a chinese martial artist. No particular style and background. I just really wanted to draw a someone using twin chinese broadswords. It was pretty fun, and was a little difficult to prevent myself from going in and putting in more details. But that's not in the plan for this week.

Anyway, I'm about to head to bed. Hope you all dig the sketches and I'll see you back here tomorrow.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Too sleepy...

Hi there everyone.

I finally got to sit down with the laptop at 11:35 PM tonight and well... I'm just too tired (read: lazy) to hook up my bamboo tablet and do another sketch.

But I do want to share some inspiration with you. Jason Chan is an artist that I have been aware of online for a long time now. I remember finding his old website when he was in school and posting his art online. He did some updating after that, but after a little hiatus from posting online he returned with a drastically refined digital painting style. And he continues to improve and inspire me.

I know, you wouldn't really know it from looking at my sketches. But this guy has really got me to start rethinking how I want to tackle digital sketches and coloring.

Big props to you Jason. You're the shizznit!

Well that's all I've got for today/tonight. Time to sleep and see if I have any dreams that will inspire my sketch to make up for the missing one(s).

Making up for Monday...


Hi everyone.

I can't believe I missed my Monday sketch.

I had a quick gesture sketch done earlier in the day, but I never had any time to go back and finish it up.

So I spent a a little more time on it today, adding in some more rough colors to the image to give it a little more life.
It is of a kunoichi. Yes, again. What can I say, when I don't have much time to sketch I have to resort to what I know. And I know ninjas.

Time to get back to work, but I'll try and get another sketch done today. Later all!

Friday, April 16, 2010

Everyone was kung fu fighting


Well, what can I say everyone. After work we went to the grocery store, came home to make dinner and my daughter was in overdrive. She just fell asleep and I really don't feel like hooking my Bamboo tablet up to the computer to do a new sketch.

So I propose a compromise.

Here is a comic page sketch I did quite a few years ago now. Probably, 6 years. Let's take a trip in the Way Back Machine.

The Get Yo'self High video had just come out and I decided to try and do a comic based on the song. However, work being work, prevented me from really following through with it. And to be fair, it's a good thing. I didn't really have a solid idea of how I wanted to execute the comic anyway.

So here is the sketch. Hope you all dig and have a great weekend.

Wednesday, late. Thursday, MIA


Hi everyone.

Well what can I say. I missed two posts. I had a sketch started on Wednesday but I completely forgot to post it.

Then yesterday was very busy for me as I had a temp tester starting on my project at work, and a meeting with my lawyer in the early evening. So by the time I realized that I hadn't done a sketch or a new post it was too late and sleep was taking me for the night.

So here is my sketch I did on Wednesday. It was inspired by the DS game Hikari no 4 Senshi: Final Fantasy Gaiden. And this game looks badass. It's actually the first game that I will search out and play on the system. I haven't played a DS game outside of work because frankly, nothing on the system has impressed me. Sure, there have been quite a few games that look like they could be fun. But nothing really struck me as something I'd actually want to sit down and play.

Anyway, I'll be posting another sketch later today. Cross my heart. So till then, enjoy and I'll see you back here shortly.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

I'll protect you Chidori


Good evening everyone.

Today's sketch is based off the anime Full Metal Panic. One of my all-time favs. It's a perfect balance of action, humor and typical (will they/won't they) romance. The first series was perfectly executed. Very few filler episodes and always entertaining.
The characters of Sousuke and Chidori are so likable and you grow to care about them so quickly. And the emotional roller-coaster which is The Second Raid pulled at your heartstrings. One day I will do a sketch based on the scene with Chidori on the roof in the rain. If you've seen the series you know exactly what I'm talking about.

Anyway, this sketch is of Sousuke doing what he does best. Protecting Chidori, at all costs.

It was done in CS3 on my MacBook using my Bamboo tablet, and probably took around 15 minutes. Choosing the background color probably took the most time out of anything.

Anyway, I hope you dig and I'll see you all back here tomorrow.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Had so much fun DMing!!!


Good evening everyone. I hope you all had a good weekend.

I had a fantastic time acting at a DM for the first time. I still have a lot to read, learn and get better at, but it was really cool. I had a blast acting out the various NPCs that my 'heroes' were traveling with, not to mention make the enemies encountered more than just a picture from the Monster Manual and sacks of HP and treasure.

I've been listening to a lot of D&D podcasts lately, especially gameplay recordings and they have been extremely helpful with my role as DM.

Today's sketch is of the main NPC that was traveling with the players on Saturday. A dwarf merchant and caravan leader named Thurr. I made him a very boisterous and had a blast playing him. I ended up not having the most time today to get a sketch in, but I managed to fit in a quick 10 minute sketch.

Hope you all enjoy and I'll see you back here tomorrow.

Friday, April 9, 2010

2 Variations on a MGS sketch



Good afternoon everyone. And welcome back for the Friday update to ninjaboy's sketch-a-day.

Today's sketch is another Metal Gear Solid inspired sketch. This one of Snake moving through a jungle landscape, in order to dispatch someone silently. See, he has his knife out. I originally was going to have his pistol in the right hand, but apparently I forgot to sketch it in.

Why does this sketch have two different versions? Well I tried to rough in a background and was so unhappy with the way it turned out... I did a basic line background.

While I don't particularly like the 'painted' background, I'm still going to post it. I mean, I'm not just posting stuff I like on this blog. It's to make me work and get better as a digital/traditional sketcher. So I'm posting them both.

Both were done in CS3 on my MacBook using my Bamboo tablet.

Hope ya'll dig and I'll see you back here on Monday. Wish me luck on my first DM session. :P

Peace (Walker).

Sanchin by Hitomi


Hi everyone.

I realized this morning that I completely forgot to post my sketch yesterday. So here you go.

Thursday's sketch is of Dead or Alive's Hitomi practicing the kata Sanchin. It's no small surprise that she's my favorite DoA girl. She's a karate stylist. She also reminds me of the awesome character Natsuki from the great manga Natsuki Crisis.
Beautiful, and badass from training in traditional karate. That's a double win in my book.

Anyway. I'm gonna get back to work. But I'll see you all back here later on for my Friday update.

Till then. Osu!

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Watch your step


Good evening everyone. I wasn't able to get my Wednesday sketch up until now. But at least it's still Wednesday.

Today's sketch is of a swords-woman reminding you that her personal bubble is rather large. And that everyone had better take heed of its borderlines.

The costume was inspired by chinese styled dresses and high fantasy. I didn't want it to be purely asian, but to have that flair to it.

Anyway, I started coloring it and realized that I didn't need to spend a lot of time doing that. But instead of deleting it all and just posting the lines, I when ahead and left the colors I dropped in alone.

It was done in CS3 on my MacBook in about 20 minutes with my Bamboo tablet.

Hope you all enjoy and I'll see you back here tomorrow.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Feeling uninspired


Hey there everybody.

Well it's Tuesday and time for another sketch. I'm not going to lie, I was incredibly uninspired today. I must have sat with a blank CS3 document for 2 hours or so. Every time I took a break to do a quick sketch, nothing came to mind. Just blah.

I had been watching some videos on YouTube for the game Heavy Rain (which I think looks pretty cool by the way) earlier in the week, so I started drawing with that sense of feel. I think I drew a character that has undergone some hardships and is reflecting on some recent choices while standing in the rain. Or it's a street brawler who is feeling negative about his last 'sparring session'.

Either way, it's a sketch on time.

I have to get going now, so I'll be seeing you all back here tomorrow for a (hopefully) more focused sketch.

Monday, April 5, 2010

A spectral figure awaits


Welcome back to ninjaboy's sketch-a-day everyone.

While combatting a cold, I am also preparing for my first venture out as a DM this weekend. And during my lunch break I was reading more about the game that I will be running my friends through. I'm getting excited about running a story. However, I'm still feeling like I'm not yet ready. The cold and a very busy Easter weekend took away some more reading time for me. Oh well, we had fun anyway.

I'll just be sure to read some every night after my daughter falls asleep the rest of this week to prepare.

Today's sketch is inspired by the game module that I'm preparing to run through. It's of a spectral figure, trapped in the ruins of a keep. She holds either knowledge, or treasures invaluable. But not many adventurers have survived to find out what exactly she protects.

It's also one of the first sketches I've done in a while that actually has something of a background.

It was done in 20 minutes in CS3 on my MacBook while using my once again trusty Bamboo tablet.

Hope you all dig, and I'll see you back here next time.

Friday, April 2, 2010

Congrats Friday


Hi everyone.

I just wanted to do a congrats sketch for the Sword & Sworcery game for the iPhone/iPod touch. Apparently it was voted 2010 iPhone game of the Year.

It looks really interesting and like its a lot of fun. I'm a bit nervous about picking it up though as I'm afraid that I'll have a lot of problems with my colorblindness affecting my ability to play the game. But I love the art style. The use of color is stunning.

Anyway, I wanted to do a quick sketch based off the game but nothing was really jellin' for me. I'm catching a cold and it's having a negative affect on my ability to sketch apparently. So you get what you get.

Hope you all dig and I'll see you back here on Monday. Rested and ready for a much better sketch.

Thursday, April 1, 2010

A bit more work, time to move on


Good afternoon everyone. Well actually, I guess it's actually more along the lines of good evening.

Anyway, here's my final installment of work on my Chie sketch.

I created a zip-a-tone pattern and dropped it over her skirt to give it a little texture. I'm excited about this possible tool, and plan on experimenting with it a lot more in the future.
One of the things I adore about manga is their use of zip-tones. I never had the patience to use real zip-a-tone paper. So much cutting and masking, that I always felt I'd rather do an airbrush piece.

But now in this digital age, I can do zip-tones quick and (potentially) easily.

I also used a new brush while coloring the sketch today, and all in all the coloring isn't exactly my favorite. One day in the future I'll revisit this character and try to do a better job coloring her.

Anyway, I hope you all diggz and I'll see you back here tomorrow.