Saturday, November 1, 2014

Inktober over the Years

I felt like doing a throwback/flashback/whatever type of post to recap some of the similar pieces I've done for Inktober over the past couple of years. It's fun to notice improvement, even if it is just marginal. I always wish I was better than I am, but I guess I'll just settle for better than I was! 








Saturday, September 27, 2014

Dota 2 - Slark item set

This post is essentially just a WIP thread for a Dota 2 Workshop submission. Updates and pics to follow, hopefully on a somewhat-regular schedule!

concept

zbrush sculpt



Test paintover

test paintover #2

polypaint on mask

wip polypaint + base model

Friday, April 4, 2014

Hand-painted Orc

I just updated my portfolio with this bad-boy, and I wanted to give Sketchfab a try. Let me know what you think!



Sunday, October 6, 2013

Follow me on Instagram!

Haha, not really... But it's over on Instagram that I've been posting a lot of my latest art and stuff. I just find it too convenient to sketch a little something on my phone and immediately post it to Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. On that note, I'll give this blog a bit of an update with just a few highlights from the past few months.

You might notice that some of these sketches are symmetrical, and that's because they were done using the mirror function on my 4.7" HTC 4G LTE screen in the SketchBook Mobile Express app. And the funky filters and fake depth of field are from the Instagram app itself, because in reality all of the sketches were done on the exact same grayscale background.

Right now I'm in the midst of working on my daily Inktober sketches, which I'm also posting on my IG account, and I'll probably compile a bunch for another blog post in a little bit.

Either way, thanks for looking!
(http://instagram.com/ezra_lau)

Elf
Dwarven Beard
Medieval RoboCop
Nose/Ear Face
More Bushy Beard
Fish

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Freelanced!

I had a spot of freelance working for a friend and it was a really great experience. He commissioned an illustration for the cover of his Young Adult Fiction novel. The book is self-published, and you can find it on the Amazon Kindle store at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DSUQZ7G.

I posted some of the process shots below. I built up the layers gradually, working in a methodical, iterative process, and trying to involve the client as much as possible. It was altogether a really fun, rewarding, and educational project!

Final Image

Linework.
Base colors with minor shading work.
Building up lighting and other effects


Thursday, May 16, 2013

Zbrush Sketches

Time to clear off the dust on this blog! I've been doing some speed sculpting exercises (about 30-40 mins) and I wanted to share some of them. I've also just started uploading some of the time-lapse videos to Youtube. I would love to hear what you think! You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Social media everywhere!




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTi33QIF9kY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_1TYo9nMWY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNHI3AqwgZA


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdlQS9CLyTM

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

A Shape Sculpt

This started as a speed sculpt referencing an old shape drawing from my character design class at BYU, but I tweaked the design a bit. I got into the polypainting and messing around with lighting and BPR renders and this is the result. 




Tuesday, October 30, 2012

#inktober Bat Spider hunting and breeding behaviours

Left: Bat Spider in flight
Right: Close-up of Bat Spider head

I was thinking about different animals that were considered "Halloween-y." Spiders and bats were at the top of my list. But then I thought, how about a hybrid Bat Spider? Then I started thinking about all the possibilities and unique evolutionary traits of such a strange creature. Some of my random thoughts are recorded below:

The first recorded encounter of a Bat Spider was in a deep cave amidst the jungles of South America. The entrance was draped with spider webs, and the ground was littered with the desiccated remains of unidentifiable animal corpses. The ceiling was a writhing carpet of many thousands of spider-like creatures. The villagers were extremely shocked when the spiders lept from the ceiling and dove directly at their faces. With deadly accuracy, the spiders darted nimbly after their fleeing prey. They maneuvered through the air like hawks with the aid of spider-spun wings stretched between their legs. As soon as the first sparrow-sized spider sunk its oversized fangs into its victim, a quick and potent neurotoxin disabled his muscles and he collapsed to the ground, foaming at the mouth. He was immediately swarmed by the rest of the bat spiders and the other villagers were able to escape.

While the adult variety of the bat spider is remarkable for its hunting prowess, its behaviour while still in its larval stage of development is truly terrifying. A female bat spider will spin a thin nest on ceilings or overhanging surfaces onto which she spreads her small spider eggs, forming what looks like chocolate sprinkles on a whipped cream topping. The larvae will burst from their eggs when they sense the heat of a living creature pass by underneath. The unsuspecting animal is then assaulted in any available orifice, usually the ears, nose or mouth, but also any open wounds that they find. Death usually results from suffocation or self-inflicted head trauma trying to dislodge the nearly microscopic invaders. The flesh of the dead animal is then used as nourishment for the voracious appetite of the young bat spiders. The most horrifying aspect of this method of laying eggs is that often the mother will place her nest above the head of a sleeping animal, and the larvae will enter the body and brain cavity while it is still unconscious.

Happy Halloween!

Friday, October 19, 2012

#inktober 18: No good deed unpunished


So my good friend and fellow BYU artist Meredith (@LaFemmeAtomique) posted an encouraging tweet aimed directly at me. There's no way I would let such an act go unanswered. Let this be a lesson to all of you potential do-gooders out there.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

ArenaNet Art Test 2013

This is where I'll be putting my WIP images for my application to the latest ArenaNet internship program. It was a huge relief when they moved their deadline from Oct. 20 to Nov. 14.

I've been learning a lot as I've been going along, and learning is good. Not always the easiest or most fun thing to do, but that's how it goes, eh?

Concept provided by ArenaNet:
3.5 weeks worth of modeling/sculpting
detail of wear/tear pass 1
detail of wear/tear pass 2
detail of wear/tear pass 3
tweaked proportions, details, fabric
retopo, uvs, baking: front
added alpha cards and misc accessory stuff
Finished!


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