This is how you dress for the zombie apocalypse.

I feel like a military contractor would stand a good chance during the invasion of the walking dead.

Time to dust off the ol' blog.

Dear Blog,

I've neglected you and I am oh so sorry. In return I will have a solid week of updates. I have a surplus of sketches and I would like to share them. I'll start off the week with this fresh mini paint I did in photoshop today.

I've recently been reading my way through Cormac McCarthy's book, Blood Meridian. The main character, although it seems arguable he's just a mere part that loosely ties characters together, is "The Kid". He has no name, and his description is... brief. I know he's a male and has a white shirt. And that he is 14. So far it's one hell of a book though, and possibly one of the most unapologetically violent things I've ever read. If you need a cool book, pick it up.

Sincerely,

Mike Puncekar

Vamp Concept

If I made a vampire film this is what they would look like. Not some pretty boy teenager. They'd have a tail, a belly full of blood, and a face fit for scaring. I'm in a concepting mood, so expect some more of these, especially while I'm currently teaching myself z-brush. Which crashed a lot. So I quickly ended up back in my comfort zone, photoshop.

I've always thought nosferatu type vampires were the best though. To me that romanticism is strange for something that sucks bloods out of human throats. It's irritating how quickly people in the stories can overlook this quality. I think a vampire hunter is up next though.

I tried out some new techniques in this one. Let me know what you think. I'm building a concept portfolio and I need a direction.

More Character Concepts and A Fortune

First set of concepts were for my last Professional Practice assignment. Story behind this is the teacher, Dave Groff, used a random hero generator for us to illustrate. I managed to miss class that day accidentally, so as punishment my hero was a "Ballerina Karate Master". This is in contrast to "Amazon Adventurer", "Warlock Hunter", and annoyingly what I would have got if I had been there "Astronaut Zombie Hunter". Everyone in the class got something that was easily a winner of a character. I deserved it. The irony being that I missed because I was so exhausted from working on the assignment from this very class the entire night before. Lesson learned.

The last thing was from today's Professional Practice class. It was a 3 hour timed challenge where we had to illustrate our fortune from a fortune cookie. After about 2 hours give or take, once you include printing the thing and meeting up to discuss concepts. It was fun. I'd call it a sketch-a-day, but I'm not sure if I feel right using that term anymore with all of these sporadic updates.

Lastly, I got a tiny new red moleskine, pocket size. Love a new sketchbook. Nothing beats that feeling.

Sagat Redesign

Alright. I really have to start doing some work now. Not a whole lot changed on Sagat from his original design. Mostly just gave him some new shorts and roughed up his appearance more. I consider him an aggressive fighter more than a defensive one, so I smashed up his face pretty bad.

See ya tomorrow.

Chun Li Redesign

Here we have my Chun Li redesign, again from Street Fighter. So when Vega couldn't represent, she was my go to character. She had a gift, and that gift was button mashing kickery. No other character could tear through the bonus stages like her. She's also a girl. And I really need to paint more of these strange creatures. I'm always doing soldiers and knights, and I never remember to get some girls going.

Depending on how far I get on my actual school project I should have been working on, I want to squeeze in at least one more Street Fighter. leaning towards two fellows named E. Honda and Sagat. Guile could be fun, but I can't stand that signature hair. It just looks so freaking terrible.

While working on this I was listening to the new MGMT album. Not thinking I like it very much. On the plus side I discovered the internets virtual keyboard, and I got sucked into attempting video game themes. I at least couldn't stop until the Morrowind theme was perfect.

("We're watching you, scum..."

-every Ordinator in Morrowind)

Vega Redesign/A sketch 2 death event

Over in the Sketch-2-Death camp, a fellow CCADer started this activity, where we are all being a bunch of fanboys, and pretending we work at Capcom, sketching out some Street Fighters.

I took early dibs on Vega. Why? Because he is clearly the most super fantastic, and I mean that in the most arrogant way. While he may be a pretty boy under that mask, he was just so incredibly awesome in street fighter 2, that he just had to be done. He climbed on the cage wall, and slashed his foes to pieces with the only real weapon in the game, and it's an AWESOME weapon to have in a fighting game. No one beats him in sheer amazingness. Which is why they never bothered to change his character in future incarnations, because he is just that perfect.

I did try to make him a bit more matadorish, tone down the muscles, and spruce up that silly arm band though (he's still perfect though!). I also punched some holes in his mask, because that thing has to be hot. So that leaves the only real addition being the claw hand. I was just going to put another claw on him, but he isn't wolverine, and I think it fit's the whole snake tattoo thing resembling the fangs. Plus, just think of the cool in-game moves those could bring in tandem with the claw.

Lastly, I'm on spring break! But I don't have my scanner cord (although I have the scanner) so while I had planned to post a metric crap-ton of art on you to make up for my absence here the last month, I can't unless I get to a scanner. It'll be a busy month or so working up to graduation, so updates will be very sporadic as I get my portfolio together and finish branding, but I'll try to keep updating.

Lastly, lastly... everyone needs to tune in or somehow get their eyes on HBO's The Pacific. It's two episodes in, and it is glorious.

Before the Bull

So this is what I had to paint up last night for the CCAD Illustration Workshop Class. It was completed on a very tight timeframe, and at this point I swear it's the only way I can get my brain in gear. I've come to the conclusion, that I enjoy tight deadlines. Bit masochistic I guess, but I just like the silence of the night and the 4:00 am Mcdonald's breakfast trips. Working on something during the regular daylight hours just feels... wrong.

And I have an excuse to drink an unhealthy amount of coffee.

Story on this one was that we had to take our character concept we had done previously, and relate it to the Haiti Disaster. It was an odd one, very odd. I kept it simple though, since my character is placed in time quite a bit after the disaster. Not to mention I didn't feel quite right putting my character there in a mocking way. I tend to live in a box, and check the news every long once in awhile with no tv, and any reading time going to books or fun stuff like cracked and science/tech, not counting the infinite loop of wikipedia. So when I finally did see photos, it was the day before he gave the "twist" of the assignment, since when we designed the characters we didn't know the second part of it, and they weren't the easiest photos to look at to say the least. This was my solution. I wouldn't mind getting some more arena equipment in there and solve some outstanding issues, but for now it's off of the queue and on to something else.

A Space Rodeo

This was a fun one. This one was for Thom Glick's half of the Illustration Workshop at CCAD. Everyone had to concept out a few characters based on the theme "rodeo". I eventually landed on this rodeo rider that essentially rides a multi-rocketed platform with bull riding rules. I devised a ruleset for it, and arena type atmosphere that I'll be using when I take this concept further.

Interestingly, there was a "twist" second half to the assignment and we have to base an illustration on the character. Unfortunately for me, it has to include the character, and be based on the Haiti Disaster. Gonna be a tough one to pull together tastefully. Excited to see where it goes though. If you want to see what some of the others in the class came up with click here: CCAD Illustration Workshop.

Also on the table this week is a borderline children's illustration with some bird creatures. I got a bit ambitious and the scenery is very... perspective...y. A friend suggested I use sketch up to eliminate a bunch of the complicated perspective work. I have to really recommend this software. Absolutely great, if you haven't tried it. It's incredibly intuitive. Download it, it's awesome.

Also, also, I found a early leak of Massive Attack's new album. Just couldn't wait, so I nabbed it and I gotta say, definitely a return to form to the likes of Mezzanine. It's called Heglioland, and if you can get it, not sure on the actual release date, you have to check it out. Good stuff.

Portrait of a Mobster

Apologies for the lack of posting as of late. It's finals week though. Here's a quickie from tonight that I had to do for a homework figure drawing class assignment. I just sort of pulled this one all from my head so it has some issues, but it's also doubled as a bit of a skin tone experiment for an upcoming moby dick illustration I have due friday.

Here's everything due this week:

-One Exam

-4 four corner illustrations for monkey project

-25 11"x17"concept boards based on the monkey tale and present

-2 out of class figure drawing assignments, second one is going to be a painting. Over-gesso'd the canvas, though. Still drying. Need to Start!

-2 Editorial illustrations, one based on the tour de france, one on moby dick

-one artist paper

-and some other odds and ends like a contact list of companies, portfolio reviews, and a artist compendium.

In other news: Last week I had my website due. And now you can go there and look through my work without stumbling through this blog here. A lot of really dated work on there, but hopefully I can really start overhauling my portfolio soon, because in my opinion it's pretty weak right now haha.

Anyhoo: Check out the new website, hmm?

Some characters from a story.

Meet some of the cast, of "The Lifeless Bones of Edmund Barret".

This has been a long project in the making, that up until this point I've been calling the monkey project. I really haven't been posting as much as I'd like (everyday...) so I threw together this portrait of sorts off of the character boards I have thus far. I have such a long way to go on this before the deadline roughly two weeks from now. Not really sure how it's going to happen. Hopefully it will see a decent finish though, because it's certainly been fun up until this point. Alas, I have so much other stuff due, I'm afraid to write it all down.

But here is Agatha, Edmund, and Hanuman.

The Undertaker: Is Ready to Under Take

Wrapped up on "The Undertaker" art today. The story here is that he's leading a parade of the dead. I have more textures in this thing than I have ever used on anything else before it. I'm sure you can tell. Definitely a fun one.

Next big assignment is to illustrate an edgar allan poe story. Still flip flopping on what exact story to do but that should be a fun one.

In other news I'm embarking upon an older movies marathon of sorts. Whenever I can, I'm gonna squeeze in my favorites. I just finished "The Great Escape" and I think I'm feeling like "Jeremiah Johnson" to usher in the cold whether. The majority is totally going to turn out to be Steve McQueen movies, but the dude is awesome.

Edit: Toned down the blacks into something more manageable and easier on the eyes.

Sketch-a-day 84

After my Professional Practices class I sat down in the illustration office and painted this out once I had found my tablet stylus. I just wanted to do something spontaneous, so I asked my friend Alex Lyon for a type of soldier, and he said "a merc". So here he is. Maybe an hour or so long speedie once I cut all the talk breaks out and stuff.

Abe painting will be ready for scanning tommorrow hopefully, so expect that.

Riot.

So we meet again. One thing I have learned about summer at home is, there isn't a whole lot of inspiration, or much drive to do much of anything except all the things you didn't get to do while under the CCAD homework load. Well, I've ran out of things to do. So back to the drawing board. I've been drawing a tiny bit, but not very much since I've traveled back to Youngstown. If I had to describe my current state it would be "unproductive slob monster".

Mostly it has been the result of what started with a bit of CCAD burnout. Which then turned into a very long trip into the void that is the internet, and sitting out on the deck sipping iced tea. It's been pretty darn nice. My sleep is still so messed up it's a bit screwy, and all attempts to instill some type of circadian rythem is not really working as I can't even fall asleep at a normal time. So other than being nocturnal, it's time to be productive again, and get back into the sketch-a-days. No excuses now. If I don't update, I urge anyone who visits this blog to personally e-mail me at mpuncekar.1@go.ccad.edu and harass the heck out of me.

So to start things off, I'm putting up something I promised a long time ago, possibly about a month and a half ago, not going to dig up the post. Just scanned it today and threw some color on it after some very, very frustrating lassoing. Once Im back in columbus I plan on making some nice 13x19 prints of this to sell. I rather like it, and think it would make some nice wall art. Took a lot of will power not to turn this into a "Ra Ra Riot" fan poster. Ya, I know this isn't a sketch-a-day. But this is nicer than one of those. Right?

Thanks to the few who kept checking in.

A Teaser/Detail.

A little teaser shot of my latest project based on the Baba Yaga. Definitely an exercise in control for me. The size of her head is about the size of my thumb. Will be full color when I'm done. Stay tuned.

"Mad" Jack.

I live to tell the tales of Spring 2009 finals week. Only one in-class essay separates me from summertime. Feels good. Bit scary knowing I'll be a senior again. 

But I'm back, and since I'll be in columbus for 2-3 more weeks without a job, and enrolled in a pretty freeform painting minimester class, expect alot of updates and for sketch-a-days to resume like normal.

This here is my styles and concept. Definitely a favorite of mine from this year. Hadn't really done any fleshed out portraits this year. Was a lot of fun, and I wouldn't mind even going in more and fleshing it out. This is definitely going to be included in some prints I'm going to get going over the summer, along with my website and revised blog. Woo.

Finished Styles and Concepts

I wish I had the minutes to sketch some more. But I think this is better than nothing. Finished this up earlier today. Accidently slept in till about 12:30, from what was supposed to be a middle of the night nap (never works), today so I had to make changes and the entire back when I woke up. Then had class at five. But it went super smoothly, so I can't complain. Had a tiny bit of extra time, so I looked up the actual ingredients for pre-cooked bacon, distribution labeling, and a proper custom nutritional guide courtesy of an online generator. I screen-shotted a detail, cause it was my favorite part of all of this. 

Back to reading for classes.

Sketch-a-day 054 Cheat?

Did these awhile ago and just got them back. They were in-class assignments during comicbook class. I can't remember what the theme was. I want to say "Soldier". Either way, it was treated entirely seriously, and not seriously at all. A.k.a... just how many swords can one guy get away with, and the VERY sudden inclusion of robot legs.

Sketch-a-day 053/ Nothing Particularly finished.

Have a few things today to post. First is a comp for styles, second is my sketch-a-day (and painting sketch), and finally my comp for our final black and white illustration assignment. So nothing finished here.

Warning. This image is huge. Proceed Sir/Mam.

Colorless Concepts.

A friendly reminder: You can click these to make these bigger. No need to squint.

This is mainly just a little sketch dump of the little I've done this summer. I got pretty lazy, but I'm starting a few actual illustrations soon. I said I was going to get a website up, and still plan to, but it's on hold (again) in interest of doing some new art that will make me better. I also haven't uploaded year end art from school either. Laziness mostly, as I now not too many people will be seeing this, and some Counter-Strike Source has been taking up quite a bit of my free-time, along with some HL1: Opposing Force. Video games are the most enjoyable time-sinks... ever.

I was toying around with some concepts all within a similar universe for the first four here, and the last two pirates are random Photoshop speed paints. No references used all around, as per norm. I'm such an idiot for not, but all of this was rather random.

Next up, some horror and adventure illustrations... and maybe some quick landscapes.