Pirate Contract

So if it was really a contract it probably wouldn't have a bunch of pirate skeletons scrawled all over it. I can't quite remember how this piece came to be. Something about trying to dress up a document with images. I like something about it though it doesn't quite make sense anymore.

Acrylic and Digital 11X14

--Starchie

Naughty Tiger

Here's another Tiger, obviously more of a science-fictiony character. Had fun with the colors and the chunky strokes around the face, though his muzzle is a bit funky. All in all I was pretty happy with this guy.

8 1/2X 11 Acrylic

--Starchie

Year of the...

Here is another character from the unmade feature pitch I referenced earlier. My standard washey acrylics on top of a loose pencil sketch xeroxed on bristol board. I fixed his near leg in photoshop because it was a hair undersized and always bothered me. He doesn't quite sit on the ground right but it was a very quick painting so I forgive it somewhat. Tigers are fun to draw and paint and I have another one I want to do this year, which is part of the Toybox cast of characters.

8 1/2 X 11 Acrylic

--Starchie

The Fantastic Mr Some-Other-Guy

This is one of my favorite character pieces done for an un-produced feature project. It started with a very loose soft pencil sketch, xeroxed onto bristol board and painted in thin washes of acrylic. It was one of my first in this style which I became fond of for the stretch when I was doing a lot of these.

Acrylic 8 1/2X11

--Starchie

Brush with Super Heroes

I've done very few "straight" comics projects and when I have the results have usually been unremarkable. This one I don't mind too much. I can't remember how I wound up doing a Superman pin-up but the first thing I asked myself is "how do I make it my own?" Well the answer can be seen here as Superman (this was during the short period when he sported a curly mullet) is hoisting a hideous monster baby just before lobbing him into a steaming lava pit. Enjoy!

10 X 15 Pen and ink

--Starchie

Tales of Monkey Island Roughs

When doing an illustration I tend to do three concepts for the client. I usually have an idea right away, a sort of gut reaction to the assignment, and more often than not that is the one I want to do. When I create the subsequent two roughs I have to make sure they are ideas that I would be just as satisfied to take to finish since the client won't always pick the one you love the most.

In this case Telltale was interested in which one I wanted to do the most. Based on the pitch of the story and some early looks at the artwork they were creating for the game I was leaning toward a kind of eerie feel in the first sketch. Since I had already painted LeChuck for the Monkey Island 2 cover I was more interested in featuring Guybrush for this one. And since I was never quite happy with my Elaine in the first Monkey Island cover I was happy to include her in each of the concepts.

These were done quickly on a Cintiq tablet to get an impression of the composition and potential color palette. My final painting had less of a green cast to it. As I work on a painting sometimes I go off on a different path than I had planned. I still like the green of the sketch but I also like the variety of background colors that grew out of the process of making the painting.

Digital 8X10

--Starchie

Tales of Monkey Island

This is the cover I did for The Telltale Games Tales of Monkey Island pre-order slipcase. I stuck it in the pirate frame for your viewing pleasure. Telltale Games is selling a print of the image at their online store. I'm currently signing a stack for their inventory. I will follow up soon with some in-progress photos and notes.

Acrylic 16X22

--Starchie

Tragedy

I tend toward using candy palettes so I was pleased that I was able to drain the color out of this one.

Acrylic 4X9

--Starchie

The Leviathan

I have a few more of these little production paintings.

Acrylic 4X9

--Starchie

The Curse...

Submitted for your approval - one random piratey concept painting depicting a moment in a speculative piratey piece of potential film entertainment - circa AD 2000. Stop me if I'm repeating any of these.
More to come.

Acrylic 4X9

--Starchie

Can't Show it Yet...

Something I've been working on. Should be able to reveal in a couple of weeks with a little journal post of the process.

--Starchie

The Dawn of Monkey Island

So I've been invited by Telltale Games to create an illustration for their Special Pre-Order edition of Tales of Monkey Island, a five episode series of adventure games coming this summer from Telltale. It's fun to get a chance to reconnect with Monkey Island since it was one of my first jobs at LucasArts, and I was fortunate to contribute artwork to various Monkey Island projects several times throughout the years.

I'm sketching the concept right now and I will plan to document the progress in stages. I'll have to wait until we are closer to the official unveiling of the cover to let you know what I'm up to but in the meantime I'll post some ancient concept art from the original games. Here's the sketch for my first Monkey Island cover done in 1990.
Pencil on Tracing Paper 8.5 X 11

--Starchie

A Bit of Process

Here's a cover I did a couple of years ago. The magazine provided the blank cover format so I was able to digitally sketch into it on a Cintiq tablet. For the final illustration I pulled back in the composition so the characters were not overlapping the logo, something the magazine didn't tend to do though they were agreeable about letting Sam & Max cross into the white logo area. Also, I thought showing some of the white floor in the final helped balance that white logo field at the top.

The painting took on a style of it's own as I worked on it, an extra choppy, scumbly effect which I observed happening as I was doing it and didn't try to fight. I sort of liked it at the time though I think I prefer the tighter composition in the sketch.

Acrylic 11 X 14

-Starchie

A Little Process

In a halfhearted effort to answer those who asked that I demonstrate my process here are roughs for the two pieces posted down the page.

They were done digitally in low res on a Cintiq tablet. I printed them out to the size of the illustrations, then roughly transferred the sketches to the final board loosely by flipping them like animation paper and roughing out the paintings with a blue Colorase and then black Prismacolor. I did a little clean-up to the line drawing but worked from a fairly loose sketch for both.

High school "art" coming next! BEWARE!

--Starchie

Sam and Max X Two

It's been awhile and the San Diego Comic Con was quite the distraction. At the show Telltale Games was offering the disc release of Season Two with my new painting which is also available as a print. Also, included here is the cover art for a new Sam & Max game soundtrack from Season Two. The music is by Jared Emerson-Johnson. It invokes the old Touch of Evil era crime flicks with smart, effortless nods to other genres.

Based on a reckless threat on my part to post some of my high school artwork I've had some requests to actually see that through. I've dug some out and I'll post them shortly if only to remind you to "Be careful what you wish."

--Starchie

Mister Snips

Last minute auction submission. Quick, thin acrylic washes. The art show is hanging and Friday the pieces will be sold. I have my eye on many of my co-workers paintings. A lot of amazing work has been submitted. I got the title for this one from my 7 year old.

--Starchie

You say Kanutu, I say Mugato

A goofy little painting for an art auction to be held at the office. Proceeds from the mounting contributions will bring high backed-leather chairs, overstuffed humidors and skull-shaped grog steins to an otherwise stark work pod.
Quick and dirty acrylic and Prismacolor.

--Starchie

Eggsucker

My version of a character created by super-talented Concept/Story Artist/Monster Aficionado, Derek Thompson.

--Starchie

Ivan

A character design/illustration for an audio book called "Ivan the Not So Terrible" written by author, musician, legal mind Rich Stim. Was fun to lay textures over simplified volumes. Tried to keep a lid on the color in order to help define the character.

--Starchie

Hey, Look! Pirates!

A few more character paintings from the dusty depths.

--Starchie