Every now and then ideas pop into my head and I just have to put the idea down onto paper. Zombie Astronaut was something I came up with about a month or so ago and it just so happened that it was perfectly timed for Halloween! Zombie films,  zombie television show, zombie games and well basically anything to do with those crazy undead creatures instantly captures my attention. Even some of my earlier sketches and a couple of my illustrative pieces on this site feature a few zombie creations.

The idea behind the poster was to replicate something similar to the photos that the real astronauts have taken of themselves. It was going to feature a zombie posing for the camera much like this photo below:

NASA Astronaut, Michael T. Good. This is NOT who I based the illustration off of!

I liked the thought of replicating this but as I progressed, the idea of zombies not needing oxygen popped into my head and how terrifying that threat would be in space.

In the past, I would create my illustrations mostly by sketching first, scanning the image and drawing using Adobe Flash. For this particular illustration I wanted to work entirely within Photoshop as I’ve been trying to get used to the different brushes and more particularly the detail you can get from using a stylus. I went to town with the gore on this one and with the help of a few blood brushes created some decent splats and sprays. I built up the image using layers of shading and then added dirt/grunge and blood on at the end. This enabled me to go back and make any adjustments on any layer I wanted. A really handy tip if you ever make a mistake and have to go back to redo anything.

With the title of the piece I was inspired by the look of The Warriors font with it’s rough spray paint style and The 1985 Twilight Zone title. I wanted to create the title rather than use a font so I decided it was best to try and sketch my version out by hand and once again scan it in. I still haven’t mastered writing using a stylus so this was an easier option for the time being. I refuse to give up the sketching!

Detailed image:

So here’s my poster in all it’s GORY! I hope you enjoy it and have had a fun and safe Halloween! Might get one of these printed and see what she looks like full size!

I’ve always wanted to do a poster featuring my favourite web-slinger and I can now show you the finished piece! I like to make sure at some stage throughout each project to learn something new and this poster was no exception. I’ve never really gotten into illustrator before so I decided this was a good opportunity to dive in head first.

The entire poster was created in illustrator (all except a few touch-ups with lighting and the text) starting from a sketch I’d scanned in. As Spidey is frequently seen swinging through New York’s amazing cityscape I felt I could take advantage of Illustrator’s new ‘perspective tools’ and create a convincing backdrop. It takes a little getting used to but once you let the perspective do the work for you, you’ll get a better idea of the composition you’d like. Within Photoshop I added a few textures to the buildings, added his webbing and created the glow effect you see around him.

I’ve always sketched out comic book characters as a kid and it’s really where I started in terms of my interest in drawing so to be able to transfer those skills to digital art was a really fun experience!

Click the image to see the full poster!

Okay, so I’m not really into labelling anything as ‘favourite’ but watching Inception I can see why people could call it their favourite film of 2010. It’s one of a few films that has come out over the past couple of years that has made sci-fi sexy and cool without having to ‘dumb’ everything down for the viewer. It’s also one of those films that by watching it a second time you can be ‘gifted’ with another great experience.

I sketched out a few early doodles and I was liking where the idea of tracing the name and the buildings was headed. On a large scale I mapped out the maze one section at a time until the full piece came together.

The idea behind this design was to create something simplistic at first glance but once you get closer you could easily get lost and keep looking to find new twists and turns. I kept the style very monotone to reflect the drawn out colour of the film.

Joe the Faux-Fur Mink by Themrock

Tship-day by Kurunya

Black Baloon by Lora8

Half Minute Horrors by imaginism (one of my personal favourites this week)

Bad Dog by Themrock

beetlebum by nefar007

Venom 17 cvr by Eldelgado (can't resist adding a Spidey picture!)

Orgullosamente Hispano: Zapata by GENZOMAN

swan by dangerousllama

reach me to the sky by Fikrees Projects

Its not the first post I’ve ended with a cat image but this one is just so interesting, a moment in time!

- Jason

So starting this week I’m putting together a Deviant  showcase of 10 images that I’ve found that have inspired me.

Piranha Plant Problems - by Themrock

The Stand by - imaginism

Baby Alien - by imaginism

X-Men Origins: Wolverine - by patrickbrown

Street Fighter Kids - by imaginism

Goukiki - by nefar007

Mother Anarchy - by Lora8

Tree again - by WyA

banaNIKE - by Lora8

Code Red - by kizer180

- Jason