Sketch-Tastic Triptych

With these I was mostly just playing in the shadows. This is a character that's been kicking around my head for a number of years. What's his story? That will have to wait.

Eloise and the Nebo Ljudi Sketchbook

1. Eloise front and side view before being abducted.

2. Post abduction Eloise, the costume evolved quite a bit from this point. In the final design I definitely took some cues from Prometheus, but I've always like the work of H.R. Giger.

3. First sketches of the Nebo Ljudi. I was going for a sort-of insect look. I also wanted to have the spine attached at the front of the head. The final design also featured a clear dome at the top of the head, with some sort of pheromone producing organ below,

4. This view really helps to show the fluid nature of the limbs, the idea is that they are boneless muscular tentacle type limbs. Although the spine is all wrong, it looks too much like a trunk.

Questions and comments are always welcome. And I'm always looking for next thing to draw so any suggestions are also encouraged!

The Emissary

"The history of advanced races meeting more primitive people on this planet is not very happy, and they were the same species. I think we should keep our heads low" ~Stephen Hawking

Eloise Sharpe stared blankly at a fly slowly circling the dull green fluorescent bulbs of the convenience store she was lucky enough to be night shift manager of. The hum of the lights was deafening. Her co-worker, Paresh was dividing his time between mopping up fountain drink syrup and staring at Eloise's cleavage. The Friday night bar rush had passed and the slow crawl from three AM to seven had begun.

Fi'ing Sketches

Some of my initial sketches of Fi'ing



1. Profile view of the night vision eye exposed without cover. The crosshatched section is where the eye cover attaches.

2. Profile view of eye cover and tusk. The idea is that the eye cover would open and the primary eye would close simultaneously.

3. Extra finger that folds into the wrist. The concept was to have a venomous claw what could be used in close combat. The idea was abandoned.

4. Front view rough sketch of bone and muscle structure. Most notable is the wide set hips and long lanky arms. This view also shows a side view of the abandoned venomous claw.

Dead or Alive lifestyle

Two centuries ago the Taa'Rukc race were on the verge of venturing off of their planet of Vallen and out into the wilds of space. Their cunning and strength would have garnered them a powerful position in the galactic melting pot.



The Klamat, an alien race whose home planet shared the same system as Vallen, had monitored the Taa'Rukc since their first sub-orbital space flights. The progress was moving rapidly, but withou warning the great "Descent" occurred. The Klamat were master strategists and scientists, they worshiped logic and would even strategize centuries in advance. They would even "Adjust" events to better future generations of the Klamat based on their projections. The impending progress of the Taa'Rukc showed an unfavorable outcome for the Klamat in their projections.

Soldier of Will - Part 3: The Man from Below

Bischof's project the "Chisel of the Reich" utilized a strange black metal found inside a temple in the Harz mountains of Germany. A small amount of the metal was implanted into the frontal lobe of eight test subjects. These test subjects were hand-picked by Bischof for their ability to resist the negative effects of the metal. Bischof had personally experienced one of these effects when he became unfixed in time and traveled over a month into the future. The trip seemed to be instantaneous, but when he reachieved sync with this temporal plane he was close to death from starvation. It was at that moment when he realized the true power of the metal. The black metal allowed Bischof to subconsciously manifest a bowl of stew and a glass of milk to sustain him until he could get help.



By means of chemical sedation and hypnotic suggestion the eight test subjects were directed and controlled. In under a year they transformed the temple into a massive fortress and laboratory. But the Ahnenerbe scientist's crowning achievement was coordinating the eight to manifest the mythical substance known as Vril. Despite the Chisel of the Reich's resounding success, Bischof and the Ahnenerbe were ordered to focus their resources on the Vril. Hitler and members of the inner circle thought that harnessing the Vril could win them the war. The eight test subjects were kept in a chemically induced coma and periodically revived to produce more Vril. Bischof wished to continue experimenting and pushing the limits of the eight. But he was told again and again to focus on the Vril.

Soldier of Will - Part 2: The Gypsy's Daughter

Vandlo Hearn was respected among his people, the Romani, German Gypsies. He was known as a leader, a scholar and a source of hope. Unfortunately those qualities were not revered by those who looked to persecute his people. His powerful words often found him a beating within the work camp at Marzahn. Before the police crack-down Vandlo and his daughter made a decent living around Berlin trading goods and doing odd jobs. But in the camp he was forced to work in an armament plant. Aishe, his daughter would help tend to their tribe's needs when she wasn't pickpocketing the guards, or breaking into the supply shed. A girl of only eight years, she had a knack of understanding how things worked. She could pick almost any lock, Vandlo secretly admired his skill, but always scolded her for taking such risks. He would point to the scar above his eye, one he had gotten after they were first moved to Marzahn, and ask if she wanted to end up like him. Aishe was his world and he would do anything to keep her from harm.

Soldier of Will - Part 1: The Harz Expedition

Strange things were happening long before Müller arrived at the secret mountain fortress in the Harz mountains. The massive subterranean stronghold started out as a small excavation site, supervised by members of the Ahnenerbe. In charge of the original excavation was Wolfram Bischof, a talented archaeologist who joined the Ahnenerbe to further his research into a legendary artifact that foretold of immeasurable power. Naturally Hitler was interested in such an artifact and allowed Bischof to assemble a team to track down its whereabouts. Their research eventually led them to a small temple carved deep into the Harz mountains.

What Happened to the Robots?

To mankind, the fall of earth's robot society was a mystery. The island they inhabited, a giant waste processing facility in the middle of the pacific, continued to function. It was tended to by a force of giant lumbering robotic custodians.

Mankind had prospered much from their alliance with the robots. The planet was less polluted and the robot's scientific progress had garnered numerous technological advancements. The robot society was born of man's intellect but had surpassed it in under a hundred years, and then vanished two centuries later with no known explanation.

Preview: What happened to the Robots?

I am currently working on a slide show for my wedding social, and if I were to do another picture before finishing it I would be looking into permanent residence in the dog house. But I do have some thing in the works.

The next piece will center around what happened to the robot society that was created in "The Canary of Garbage Island". How a sophisticated society of intelligent robots could suddenly become simple drones completing menial tasks and maintaining the systems that once gave birth to some of the most advanced robots ever created on earth. In "The Canary of Garbage Island" alluded to the "Island of Robots" but this piece will draw a straight line of connection between the two, and explain how an advanced society could, without warning, be reduced to lumbering giants maintaining the island.

If you haven't seen the posts I am referring to click on the links above and take a look. I hope to have my next post ready by the end of the coming week.

Let me know if a preview like this is something you would like to see more of? Or is it better to just wait and see what comes next?

 

Exoskeletal Excellence

Science... never solves a problem without creating ten more. - George Bernard Shaw



In the midst of the deadly human cordyceps outbreak, scientists scrambled to find a cure, a vaccine or some way to contain the spores. It was not before half the world's population was overtaken that they finally discovered a way to stop the spread. The poor souls who were already infected would be lost. but at least the human race would live on. The discovery was a vaccine, the compound was produced en mass in the few CDC facilities that were still operational. Soon after clinics were set up across the entire world. United under the common goal of saving what was left of the human race, countries and governments cooperated without indecent. The vaccine was hailed as the savior of the human race, and the men and women who had created it were regarded geniuses. But our accomplishments are viewed through the eyes of those who come after us. Years after the cordyceps threat had ended, women who would have been children when they received the vaccine started having children of their own. In about fifteen percent of cases the infants were born with a new and aggressive bone disease.

The Headless Clone Fighting League

Born from military applications the Headless Clone Fighting League, or HCFL, dominated sports in the years following the war of 2099.



The war had seen rise of many technological advancements, but only one was credited with turning the tide. The headless clone battalions were elite trained troops who linked into cloned versions of themselves. The clones were genetically altered to be stronger, faster and tougher. They also were grown with a small protrusion where the head would normally be. This was known as the "cortical bulb". The cortical bulb was a simple organ responsible for involuntary actions such as breathing and sweating. After maturation of the clone the cortical bulb would be mapped and then merged with a computer equipped with a myriad of sensory inputs that would be attached to the spinal column. The DNA used to make each clone would be specific to one unique operator. The soldiers chosen for these elite battalions underwent numerous genetic, psychological and intelligence tests before being cleared. Controlled remotely, the clones were perfect for ground warfare. With the added benefit of learning from mistakes on the battlefield. The clones would die if the battle was lost, but the operator would learn. Clones couldn't be interrogated for information, and if they were captured they could lead troops straight to enemy hideouts. Additionally the neck mounted CPU was also equipped with a small self destruct charge for emergency use. The clone battalions ended the war swiftly and with less human casualties.

The Cyborg Canary of Garbage Island

By the mid 2100's the amount of garbage carelessly deposited into the earth's oceans had reached unbearable proportions. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch had grown into a floating island twice the size of Texas, it was held together by floating debris and chemical sludge. The island had been a hot-button issue with environmental activists and scientists alike. One attempt to bring attention to the growing problem saw a group of activists docking to the writhing mass and attempting to chart the vast garbage landscape. The group planned to produce a documentary featuring their expedition to "Garbage Atlantis" the name they had bestowed on the island. Tragically the expedition was cut short when a section of the mass gave way and swallowed all but two of the intrepid film makers. All footage was lost and the surviving members never attempted to return. While the environmentalists were bringing attention to the issue, members of the scientific community were attempting to find a solution. In small-scale tests, scientists had observed promising results from very simple robots called  nano robotic separators and nano robotic sorters, or NRSs as they had been dubbed. The simple robot pairs were able to break-down even the most complex compounds and then sort and compile the components into simple forms. The nano robots had originally been developed as a method of cleaning up oil spills and radioactive materials from the ocean. The tough robots were even able to self-replicate as long as the correct resources were present. As a safety measure the devices were unable to break-down living tissue. After the findings were presented to various governments and agencies the project was given the green light. Environmental agencies were split on the proposed deployment. It called for a payload of two tons of NRSs and an additional three tons of support and storage equipment be sunk into the center of the mass. Some thought it was just adding more garbage to the patch. Others were hopeful that project "Sinking Atlantis" would work.

The Unknown Ones

In the Autumn of 1972 a group of physicists, biologist, mathematicians and artists came together to do the impossible. They had plans to manifest matter by sheer will alone. After three years the men and women participating in the project declared it an utter failure. They abandoned their research and all parties went back to their respective disciplines, with strict directives never to disclose the nature of the secret project they had been a part of. The facility, a century old theater house, was abandoned and Anomalous Research Department of the U.S. government sealed the facility until use of it was needed. The property sat on the books as a government facility for over twenty-five years until, during the Bush administration, an internal auditor discovered the abandoned theater. The building was put up for auction and purchased by a property developer with plans to convert the theater to condos.

Last Shot

After seeing a number of the great works that Ralph McQuarrie did in his career as a concept artist I thought of doing a little science fiction homage to the man.



In true human fashion, mankind continues to fight each other, even in the far reaches of space. With hundreds of other alien species to start trouble with, most of the time it's still with each other.

Wendigo

In the frigid north where the wind can cut and the night can kill, a thing exists. The forests offer little respite from winter's grip. Many men have fallen prey to its cold embrace. A sad few have resorted to unspeakable acts to survive in dire times. It is said that a man who consumes his fellow man will be haunted. The hunger that preceded the cannibalism would not be sated. No amount of gorging would stop it, and a chill that would cause your bones to ache would nearly always reside. The story-tellers who live in the far north call it the spirit of the wendigo.



Whether the condition is some form of virus, mutation or some malevolent spirit is unknown. What is known is that the wendigo is a dangerous and crafty creature. With the keen instincts of man and an unnatural strength and speed, the wendigo has remained a thing of myth to most. Reports very, but most put the creatures at around eight to ten feet tall with razor-sharp claws. their gray skin hangs off the limbs, and the skin around the face and forearms is dyed red from feasting. The abdomen is concave revealing the bump of the spine below, and the ribcage is expanded outward. The skin of the neck hangs loose all the way down to the clavicle. The eyes are pale and wide, and the jaw is massive, with teeth that continue up the side of the face making a sinister smile. Human meat is the wendigo's main choice but in times where humans are scarce any wildlife will do. The site where the creatures have fed are easily identified. The snow is melted around where the feeding took place, and only the least edible parts of the prey remain. It is believed that the near instant metabolizing of the meal creates a massive amount of heat, and that is what melts the snow. When kill sites start to appear near populated areas, missing persons reports are soon to follow.

The Instrument: The Brass Jawed Golem

Toward the end or the 1690's the creations known as golem were not longer being used by their masters. The High Rabbis, who once utilized the hulks of dirt and sand for numerous tasks, had heard the wide-spread accounts of the golems turning on their creators. Or had themselves been punished for their misuse. Regardless of the reason the golem was in decline in Europe. A maddeningly brilliant alchemist, Fogdan Demoldov, also used a golem for menial tasks in his work. Demoldov always found the golem to be simple and unpredictable. Before meeting a most unfortunate end, Demoldov went to work on what would become his legacy. He set out to create a golem that was sentient. To achieve his goal, he created a computer of sorts. The device would rapidly cycle through commands in the interior of the golem's mouth. Traditionally a golem was controlled by placing parchment in the mouth of the creature. This computer bypassed the process. The alchemist fashioned each command to be what he saw as being sentient "Live" "Think" "Intuit" "Learn". He used the lower half of decorative brass mask to house the unpious piece of mechanical genius. The inner workings of the device were staggering. It appeared not to follow rules that applied in this world. A cylindrical gear appeared to make a figure-eight when placed in the device. Acute angles appeared obtuse and the whole interior of the thing seemed to be vastly larger than the housing would allow. When the device was completed it was placed on the deactivated golem. The brass jaw whirred softly when it made contact with the still earth of the creation. Demoldov was enraged by the apparent lack of life. The golem sat with its half crumbled face, still as the soil it was made from. The mad alchemist went feverishly back to his notes and books, leaving the unmoving thing to sit. After some time the discourage creator entered the laboratory with plans to salvage what he could from the failed experiment.



To his astonishment, he found the seven-foot behemoth reading one of the many books in the lab. It's face had completely reformed and in the black holes that represented the eyes a dim amber glow emanated. The golem worked for about a year for his creator. Demoldov had set his sights on a new goal. To cheat death. This new aim prompted the mad alchemist to delve deeper into the darker side of his craft. He set his sights on the Necronomicon, and all of it's evil.

Human Afflicting Cordyceps Fungus (Update)

This is an up a followup to a post I did a while back. I always thought I should do a bit better version the original was quite rushed. And now a video game called "Last of Us" is coming out with a similar theme, so I figure what better time to do a more polished version. The original write-up an artwork can be found here.



This scene is the damp dark places the infected gravitate to. This specimen is in the final stages of the infection and will soon burst out of this isolation, fueled by adrenaline and the human need for help from others. This panic is the fungus's way of propagating. The host searches for help and in doing so infects all in its wake.

Zombosapien: What happened after man?

When the first reports of zombies started to filter in the masses panicked. Enormous groups of people rioted, looted and unfortunately added to the dead that would return. Centers with large tightly grouped populations bloomed with zombies. Those who could, fled the cities looking for secluded refuges. In a matter of months the earth's population had dropped to under 100,000. All of the technology and progress that mankind had created couldn't stop the mass of mankind from reverting back into scared animals when the hoards came. No bombs were dropped. No cure was developed. The last of the human race slowly died out over the following six months. Mankind did not go out with a bang, but a quiet whimper. in the months that followed the zombies began to congregate and feast on the freshest of their kind. The zombies were decomposing, and earth was about to witness its second extinction event in the same year. Their bodies continued to break down and the congregated groups become indistinguishable as individuals. Just a mass of rot of millions. Whatever force had brought the zombies back to life continued to keep them animated until the last strands of muscle fiber had broken down. Then something miraculous happened. In the immortal words of Dr. Ian Malcolm(Jurassic Park) "I'm simply saying that life, uh... finds a way".



Somehow the mixing of the zombie fluids combined with the number of different bacteria, fungi and viruses, incubated and maintained a new form of life from the rot. The first crawled from the and shortly after hundreds more came. Fully grown. These creatures had not been grown from an embryo they had been constructed using the human framework. these first appeared very human-like in appearance, but they were still almost brain dead, mostly functioning on a base instinct. Like baby deer they struggled to stand up but eventually did. This wouldn't be evolution. it would be revolution, the physiology of the newly birthed species allowed for massive leaps in genetic change from one generation to the next.

Müller's Secret SS

During the fall of Berlin, Hitler's inner circle was collapsing. Himmler lost faith in a German victory and to that end he had betrayed Hitler. In the final hours of Hitler's life he ordered that directive Auferstehung(rebirth) be carried out. Heinrich Müller, Chief of the Gestapo, was ordered to escape Berlin and travel west to the Harz mountains. In a subterranean fortress and laboratory Müller carried out the task of preparing for Hitler's arrival. In Berlin the Red army was closing in. Berlin had fallen. the Soviets were blocks from the bunker. Eva Braun bit a cyanide capsule and Hitler shot himself. Their bodies were carried to the bombed-out garden behind the Reich Chancellery where they were placed in a shell crater. A strange liquid was poured on the bodies and set ablaze. The chemical burned hot and fast, it produced a thick black smoke that consumed the garden as the city shook as the shelling continued. Directive Auferstehung had begun. when the smoke finally cleared and the crater was investigated, it was found to have two skeletons. One black and charred, crumbling as the heat died. And the second that appeared to be fully intact and made entirely of glass crystal.



The status of Berlin did not concern Müller. His task in the Auferstehung was to prepare a clone body to receive the fuhrer's consciousness. Ten such clone had been grown in the Harz lab. All brain-dead, waiting for a host.

Spring Heeled Jack

In the Mid 1800's Great Britain's population was exploding. Villages turned into towns, and towns to cities. The demand for resources was great. As the Cities grew the spirits of the forest stopped talking to man. Seeing only his greed and shortsightedness. Most of the fairy folk, content with their thousands of years of dominion over the forests and the fields, chose to step away into nothing. The world was changing, the new magic was called science. Most of the creatures of nature understood it was now the time of man. The goblins would no longer make deals with drunkards. The fairies would no longer light the way home, for those lost in the woods. The queen witches would no longer gather any covens of young women and teach their secrets. Some Fairy Folk, before fading away into the earth, entered the cities and towns, curious of these strangers inheriting the earth. They peered in windows and watched from the shadows. Reports of ghosts walking the streets of London were common in the 1800's. One such ghost was not a ghost at all. He was a Faun, still young, only three hundred or so. The faun had watched man take and take from the earth, without giving any back. His forest bordered London and he had seen the city spread like spilled lamp oil, spoiling the soil it sat upon. As his kin left this plane and entered back to the womb of the earth, he wanted to stay a bit longer before he going. The faun told them he longed to see the good in man before he took his leave. His brethren believed the lie, and left him to it. In 1837 the faun entered London by cover of night. the first of many victims were the destitute on the fringe of the city. Soon greed drove him to venture deeper into London. The Faun found a sinister joy in the extinguishing of human life. Soon reports of a strange man who could leap as high as a house began to come in. The man was described as a devilish figure with black clawed fingers and eyes that glowed like lit pipe tobacco.



A popular publication dubbed this ghoul "Spring Heeled Jack". He terrorized the citizens of London and surrounding area from 1837 - 1904. In early 1904 Jack was stalking a group of soldiers just outside the city. As he waited he started to hear a voice from behind him. Jack was taken aback by the voice. It was speaking his native language, words he had not heard or spoken in over 50 years. He turned to see a robin sitting on a branch. As the robin continued to speak, jack squinted to hear, straining to make out the words. He was certain he knew the words but he could no longer understand. The robin stopped briefly as though surprised by Jack's confusion. Angered by the bird's taunting Jack grabbed for the small bird. Like a kick in the chest he fell back, astonished by the sight of his own hand. A soft pink five-fingered hand. Jack lived out the rest of his days as a human, in an insane asylum in London.

It would appear, as Jack discovered, that not all magic had left the world.

Spring Heeled Jack is an actual Folklore Character. For more information click here.

Alien Gypsy

This character seems firmly rooted in a Universe where aliens of all kinds have set forth into vastness of space. In such a Universe paths must have crossed, colonies formed, alliances made and broken. She would be comfortable in the bustling corridors and alleyways of the markets on a planetary Transportation hub. A meeting place for aliens of all kinds, some to find work. legitimate or otherwise. Some to set up shop a peddle their wares to unsuspecting humans (at an impressive mark-up.) A chaotic, claustrophobic village of sorts, and often very dangerous. A transient place always moving and changing, but oddly familiar at times.



You push through a tight corridor through crowds so dense all you can smell is hot breath... or at least you hope it's breath. Some alien races smell like vomit at the best of times. The eight armed octopus-looking guy's shop to the right is full of... lets say "Meat" that is also contributing to the bouquet of the marketplace. But as you exit the mass into an open area, what's this? A shop run by a human couple...and they even speak English. They are selling cinnamon and nutmeg, and a myriad of other spices. Your olfactory center sends you right back to earth...Starbucks. Sadly this moment is short-lived as you feel something brush up against you. As you turn to look all you see is a slender purple-skinned female walking casually into the crowd. nice legs on her... but your wallet is gone.

This character is the type that thrives in a crowd. she is always getting herself into trouble of one form or another. A gypsy traveling from planet to planet, living to experience as much of the universe as she can.

When I was drawing this one the right arm was a bit bulky so turned it into a Tool...Weapon...Thing. It looks a bit like a taser on crack, But it's actually a Kinetic Arc, an energy field that enhances the wearers physical hits, basically giving them a super punch, while absorbing the equal and opposite reaction of such a punch. The Arc can also be used in a similar fashion to a zip line by hooking to overhead cables and cords. A valuable tool for an alien pick-pocket in a place that encourages you leave your guns in you spacecraft.

J.