alexries

Children of Time - Update

Back working on the Children of Time piece, still plenty to go but most elements are falling into place.

Creature Design Course - Unit 1 of 8

I was granted permission to distribute a creature design course I created exclusively for the online school Phoenix Atelier. I present here to you, Patrons, all of unit one. I am fascinated to hear if you find it useful! Let me know if anything is missing, or you have questions resulting from this Unit 1 content.

Backup Dropbox Link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/r0l5ywto47...

Masking Begins

The ugly-but relaxing stage of painting, masking, where I block in the base forms before actually painting them. This is a very flexible phase and I keep things on different layers to move them about. For example, her hand is not connect to the rest of her so can be moved with the baby etc.

Old Photos

Going through my collection of Mallacoota photos: A few of the critters I spotted during my night explorings a few years back.

Children of Time update and Waking Up Solution

Minor linework refining for the painting, needs more spiders! (and good references of human babies, who are basically never photographed from this angle it seems)

As for oversleeping; I bought an alarm clock I have to drag myself out of bed to turn off. We shall see!

Children of Time WIP and Life Updates

Putting together the composition for the CoT fanart, which features uplifted and perfectly reasonable giant jumping spiders. I want to render the human clothes as spider silk derived!

I signed up with the literary agent officially if I didn't mention that, which means I am putting the birrin book pitch together in written chapter synopses so that we can edit and work the story up to make it as solid as possible.

Mental health wise, not too bad! Though sleep patterns suck: ever mis...

Breaking the Drought

Going to do some fanart from the book 'Children of Time'. This is the species I will be working with. Portial labiata.

Life Updates

Just a general post: I am negotiating with my potential literary agent about how to sell the Birrin book. In the meantime, here are a few shots of a few of my pets.

The bubble tipped anemone hosts Sexy Shrimp as well as a Porcelain Crab. Love these little guys but lots of chemistry to learn keeping marine tanks!

Birrin Book Pitch Document - Two Sky River

Hey folks,

Here it is, for those who have paid: the document I put together to share with publishers.

I cant control what you do but would appreciate not sharing it around. Consider it an exclusive for you loyal paying folks!

1Up Steve Interview

I had the pleasure of being interviewed by @steve_1up about my work on #SubnauticaBelowZero, mental health, and things in general. 

Click over to hear my actual for-real voice!   https://youtube.com/watch?v=BTb-CR5K264 

Life Diary + Q&A

Figured it was worth giving general updates art and life wise for you folks! Free to Patrons of course.

1. Changing meds as we speak: trying to untangle constant fatigue so switching out SSRIs under the supervision of a psych. No issues so far.

3. Pics of Vex my dragon above!

2. A friend set me up with someone working for Design Studio Press. Got my Birrin book with them now for assessment!

3. Trying to get in contact with Wayne Barlowe: I would love to do a follow up ...

Subnautica Sketchies

A few early stage sketches developing ideas for 'shark' class predators. One would evolve into the Brute Shark, another into the Chelicerate.

Sadly the goblinshark angle had no takers!

My First Films

I don't believe I have ever released these anywhere: between 2003 and 2005 I studied at the University of Melbourne and completed a Ba in Creative Arts. During that time I made two slighty wonky short films. One in 3D, the other 2D in the style of Homeworld cutscenes which I was (and remain) in love with.

And so I present to you, my loyal Patrons:

Unity and Boat People

ht...

Mega Collection: Below Zero Small Creatures

Everything from my 'Small Creatures' folder! Any questions about them drop below!

MEGA EGG POST

Subnautica: Below Zero is out so behold - EVERY EGG I DESIGNED FOR THE GAME

Blender Pose Dummy - Finished-ish

Seems I got this thing to work OK! I simplified the behaviour of the skeleton so the limbs are basically controlled bone by bone, while the head is a Rigify arm Metarig which means you can move the head where you want and the rest follow.

The Horrors of 3D

Still working on the birrin rig... this was a lot simpler with zSpheres!

Going to find out if there is a simpler way to do this.

Blender Migration

I am moving towards Blender as my standard 3D tool, a medium I was never comfortable with. 

Blender has matured into a pretty amazing program however, and its free!

This is the first stage of making my adult birrin pose dummy in Blender as I learn the Metarig system.

Road to the Antlerworm

The road to the final Antlerworm design was a rather long one, thought ya'll might like to see some of the process while I gear up to get back into the birrin book :)

From the Archives - Barnards' Swordswallower

A little something to tide my loyal patrons over - here is the process I went through to create this piece, and the internal organ designs.

Its worth noting that it was THIS image that got the attention of the Subnautica art team!

Baryonic Lord - HQ

Finished! My take on the true form of the Xeelee, out of their Nightfighter craft. From the Stephen Baxter novels.

Mallacoota 2

More references being gathered.

Research Trip Finds 1

Going well gathering birrin inspiration on my Mallacoota trip. Here is a taster!

Research Trip

In a few days I will be leaving to spend a week in Mallacoota, a place that is very dear to me. In fact so dear it underlies a lot of the Birrin project.

Here are some photos my family took there when they were caught during the summer of fire.

Evacuation was by air and navy logistics ship.

Chipping away at the Xeelee

Working on the Xeelee fan piece between other tasks, taking it in a more... jellyfish/deep sea being direction.

Mars Hopper - HD Files

The full resolution PNGs for ya'll! The client will have their own idea, but my headcanon is that it was once re-entry capable. It was refitted and lightened for work as a suborbital hopper and given an all glazed cockpit for better visibility during piloting. Most of the thermal tiles were removed except for wing leading edges and those around the large medial RCS ports to protect the hull.

Mars Hopper WIP

Most of the major elements coming together: in my mind it WAS a re-entry capable shuttle used by the colony, but was later retrofitted for simple suborbital hops. They stripped off most of the thermal tiles and added a large all glazed cockpit for better visibility. 

Mars Hopper Progress

A selection of more refined WIPS. The client can then mix and match the elements they like from each for a final round. 

Mars Hopper

First round of sketches for a client commission: a small crewed suborbital mars shuttle.

Lunar Hopper - HD

With permission, I present to my patrons the HQ PNG of a lunar hopper design I was commissioned! Any issues DLing the full resolution file let me know. See also the sketch selection sheet.