skulldude's gallery

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11/02/10--00:16: Another Gift (chan 2067188)

A gift done for Livestream event pic... I'll try and set up a date to do recordings if others are interested in watching. I think it turned out well! :3Enjoy!-MC-









11/04/10--10:20: Just cause I feel like it! (chan 2067188)




Yeah, I don't have much to talk about really...got a call from a guy I used to do henna tattooing for at festivals and being currently unemployed without much immediate direction I said yes to meet up with him and see what new thing is going on (something more about airbrushing and working closed events)...

I'm heading into TO for the day to collect some work from Cuppa to put into my reel and folio, then supposedly there is a wrap-up party going down so hopefully I'll bump into someone who is going and I can follow them to where it is at (cause I dunno?).

I haven't been doing much of anything really, just sorting out the mess that is m


11/07/10--19:43: My Sentiments Exactly (chan 2067188)

I haven't done one of these in awhile so I figured I toss out a feeling I had in regards to something I'm going through. Maybe it works for some people...Enjoy!-MC-









11/11/10--12:26: Live it up... (chan 2067188)




Ok, so yes!  I have a Livestream account up and running (minus a few technical issues to work out still) and it is awesomely fun!!  Today I played around with my mic doing a few test runs for audio but deleted the videos there after because well they were just tests.  I find my voice is kinda down, like depressed or something (maybe that's how I sound all the time?) but watching how Seananers does it on his Minecraft videos, that's basically how I'd like to sound all the time... He's so upbeat and funny with his silly mannerisms I seriously can listen to him all day!  Anyways, I'm going to do videos wit


11/15/10--22:13: Flashing Circuits (chan 2067188)

Livestream pic, bit racy but it was fun to draw...Hope y'all like it! x3-MC-









11/16/10--07:52: Slay'd "yesterday" to DED! (chan 2067188)




Well yesterday for me goes down in the history books;

First off I finished an assignment for a friend who thought I dropped the ball on them (well last minute save is what I did really...), so they were super happy when I sent them the e-mail with it attached and so was I!  Then I did the gauntlet of trying to get shit done with the government of Ontario (seriously guys, what happened...or was it always this disorganized?), papers and documents I needed (and some I still need to do).  Managed to get stuff done there without completely loosing my shit (got mad at one guy for cutting the line and called him a dick, fun t


11/21/10--13:49: The Spaces between... (chan 2067188)




I live 2 lives, I have lived 2 lives for a long time now.  Some of you who know me well might know this about me already but if not now you do!  Only now has the contrast between them been so great and growing it's staring me in the face these days.  

In one life I have my nice and quiet art existence which includes my video game obsession and pretty much everything nerdy I like and do.  I have a social life connected to this as well, though mainly it's about working on my artwork but it doesn't mean I'm a complete shut in.  When I went to college, this life was at it's high since that's al


11/21/10--17:48: Here's looking at you kid (chan 2067188)

A paintchat pic I did a couple days ago taken into PS and made to look like [link] style.It's of me and Enjoy!-MC-









11/23/10--23:03: Something I forgot (chan 2067188)




Japan...

That and the Japanese language, because tonight I met a bunch of ESL students who reminded me how much of the language I had forgotten and how little of it I did manage to remember... communication is a wonderful thing.  There is so much want and desire to communicate with other that when it comes easy you forget about how amazing it really is.  As an artist you have more than one way of communicating with people so possibly we take it even more for granted.

Anyways, I have a re-kindled spirit for learning Japanese again... perhaps I will live my life long dream of going to Japan one of days very soon. 


12/02/10--15:56: The Good, the Bad, the...Mopey? (chan 2067188)




More developments and news are;
My house sold...yay?...well, not really I took a hit by just getting rid of it.  But in the end, because I sold it for what I owed on it still the bank is happy and my credit rating should be higher now.  Just had to fork out of my own pocket for the expenses of selling it though.  So, with debts piled high with no job, EI starts coming in at the absolute last minute (well almost).  But I can't complain (at all) because now I might have the opportunity I've been hoping and wishing for to shift my career into a higher gear...

I'll now have time I need to focus on my a


12/09/10--19:58: Double Zero Seven (chan 2067188)

Well I referenced Daniel Craig from Quantum of Solace but I don't think I really got him... :/It started out as a sketch for fun in pchat and I finished it up in PS all on 1 layer. For some reason...









12/10/10--11:15: Takin' Mah Timez! (chan 2067188)




Well, I think the title says all about me right now...

The lazy days are getting to me, but finding the motivation to get up in the morning (earlier than 10-11 am) is almost impossible.  I try not to stay up late but even still I've been tossing and turning most nights till god knows when thinking about things... it's frustrating! >_


12/11/10--20:10: Mucha More Mecha Color (chan 2067188)

Long over due... I finally finished the coloring of this mech! I don't know how many hours I've spent on this thing in total but it's a lot!Anyways, I still am not entirely sure where this mech is...









12/13/10--11:41: 5 Months in... (chan 2067188)




Yep, almost 1/2 of a year has passed since I came back home!  Feels good that I've made progress  in most areas of my life and in others...not so much... :/

So DTAC was yesterday;
Man oh man, did I ever feel like the odd one out there.  Maybe I'm not the "geek" I think I am?!?
Memorable comments to me were; "who comes to a convention to just draw?  Seems like a waste and they shouldn't have bothered to come!" and "you're so old!"...
FML!!!
I talked to lots of new(ish) people at the con, but oddest was on the train home talking to an old guy (carpenter from Sudbury of all places) who used to party


12/18/10--23:24: And now for something completely different (chan 2067188)




It's...

Yeah, if you got that you're as much of a nerd as I am! Let's be friends!! :D

So, another week has passed.  Not a great one for me, but I hope anyone reading this had a better one... There wasn't anything done to me or anything like that, I just didn't get stuff done like I wanted to.  My room here at home is like I'm squatting... I don't have much things that make my room "my room" yet and this is partly due to the fact I'm actually having a bit of an identity crisis.  :(

Yes, I'll admit it I don't really know who I am anymore in a certain degree...  I wishfully think about just taking


12/19/10--18:43: Because I can (chan 2067188)

Yeah, I drew some furry yaoi... wanna fight about it?I had the sketch done awhile back in pchat so I cleaned it up, livestreamed the coloring; [link]and finished it off today. I actually like pushi...









12/22/10--13:57: When you gotta hate! (chan 2067188)




Don't...

But if you must gripe and moan and be unpleasant, do it all you want to really.  But my comment to anyone who doesn't like something is; "that's fine you don't like it and you don't need to defend your reasons for not liking it.  But I'd like to see you try and be or come up with something everyone will like..."  

Having enough respect to appreciate someone else's work even when it doesn't tickle your fancy isn't very trendy these days or something.  It's sad when you have an internet full of neckbeards hating on things they never could dream up or come up with in a million years. &n


01/02/11--18:35: Welcome to 2011... (chan 2067188)




I bought in the new year with some great new found friends and probably one of the best new years eve's I've had in years!

What made it worth writing about was that I truly learned that age REALLY isn't a big deal... Everyone there was either just out of or still in high school or just a year into college, which in comparison to me being many years out of college working at my career as an artist, could have been a big deal.  I think most people would have allowed that to get in the way but I put it out of my mind and enjoyed myself.  

Sometimes (regrettably), I do jump on the "kids these days!" bandwagon... but I un


01/18/11--17:02: Demon Church Interior (chan 2067188)

I'm pretty sure this was the piece I was most proud of working on Ugly Americans show. I think it took like 3 days to complete but it was worth it in the end. I did quite a few designs that ended u...









01/18/11--20:39: Once lost, found again, lost once more! (chan 2067188)




So I thought about writing about my WoW history here because it comes to a close so to speak today.  Cataclysm trail runs out and like hell am I going to buy it and some time to play when I can hardly stand the game anymore...

Much like Miramichi N.B. it just has a sour taste left in my mouth now.  But it wasn't all bad, actually it was a hell of an experience to be honest!  Enough of the "omg waste of time MMORPG" crap though, while it is a rat race I think for some people its something they need in their lives... I'll spare you the rant tho!

I played along side some pretty awesome people, I achieved a few


02/03/11--22:13: Life Drawerin (chan 2067188)

Had a good night Life Drawing tonight, so I figured I'd share them. I cleaned them up in PS but they were pencil sketches (2H, F and a B).Enjoy!









02/03/11--22:15: More Life Drawerin (chan 2067188)

Another Life Drawing from tonight's session, cleaned again in PS but originally done in pencils in my sketchbook (2H, F and a B).Enjoy!









02/03/11--22:44: Incapable of Love (chan 2067188)




Don't get me wrong I think I can feel love but I've yet to experience that overwhelming feeling like you're going to burst from it... Also, love for your family to me is a completely different feeling of love and isn't what I'm talking about! D:<

I wish whole heartedly (no pun) to feel that way about someone.  But still to this day I don't believe I've ever felt it.
I think maybe my heart gave a flutter with my first girlfriend but it was too short and I think I was more just taken aback that someone actually liked me enough to go out with me.  I do enjoy the feeling of someone loving me, it's like a drug I can't get e


02/08/11--09:02: Attention spans Attraction? (chan 2067188)




Ok, two things here really...

First being my terrible attention span.  I have no idea what to do but I'm thinking I have adult ADD because I can't focus anymore, I struggle on the simplest of tasks to remain focused and finish them.  I usually just wander around whittling away at them until there done or done enough to move on... SO, what would take me maybe an hour to finish becomes a whole day or two event as I slowly chip away at it.  It's that or it doesn't get done... PERIOD!! I don't really know what to do about this, maybe I should get a prescription for it?

Second is attraction or being attractive.&


02/14/11--17:03: What do... (chan 2067188)




So the gym is the best thing for me right now in life.  I haven't been drawing much really, just watching what I eat and training my body for things I didn't think it was able to do.  I can run nonstop for almost 30 minutes at just shy of 10km/h and cover 5km pretty and even do 30 or more push-ups pretty regularly.  I "feel" better about myself and the way I look than I have done in years.  And I've actually got muscles now!  But...

Doesn't do much for my artwork however which has been sitting there unused for what feels like 3 months.  I've done a lot of artwork over the years an


02/21/11--17:33: At Long Last (chan 2067188)

This took a lot longer than I thought it would. I think it's in the 20 hour range but spread out over a many days of picking away at it.Overall I'm happy with it and the way it came out. A few bits...









03/03/11--10:42: Over troubled water! (chan 2067188)




I need a bridge to take me there...

Haven't got much to show since my last upload.  I'll post something from Ugly I guess for fun... truth is I'm pretty much lost at sea, I don't know what to do.  Time is running out and I need to find a job.  At first my approach was I'll wait it out which turned into I'll make a good portfolio and go after a job I REALLY wanted (which is still on the table), but now?

A part of me wants to just stay here in Ontario and work to pay down all my debts completely which I could do in a bit less than a year.  But it does mean living at home still as to not pay rent and


03/18/11--08:45: Inherit This (chan 2067188)




Ok, I do have 2 new drawings to post and usually I post before doing a journal update...

But I just want to get some stuff off my chest on here right now.  My Mum returned from her extended trip out to the UK to take care of my Grandpa who unfortunately passed away after a long bout with cancer.  I did manage to see him this last fall when he came for a visit (really was for my supposed wedding which never happened but thats another story) so that I'm glad for.  His ashes are with my Grandma now in the UK countryside and most, if not all, of the stuff has been sorted by my Mum.

I think the biggest issue I h


03/20/11--19:36: Only you... (chan 2067188)

Some more furry fan fair...Pchat sketch cleaned up and colored in PS CS4.









03/21/11--18:24: How do I feel now? (chan 2067188)

I drew this as a sketch when I first had broken up with my ex... I know this is a recent theme but honestly I was working on this well before the shitty e-mail I got. Just forced me to finish it......









03/21/11--23:59: Total surprise... (chan 2067188)




I never imagined that a single picture I created would resonate with so many people.  I am truly humbled by all the comments here and on reddit about my work.  I'm just glad something good came out of something bad for me...

All any artist wants is to have people look at their work and in a few short hours more people have visited here than the past 5-6 years of having this account.  Thank you all for stopping by, and thank you for all your comments/favs!

I'll try my best to reply to them all over the next day and I'll keep posting more artwork for you all.

Thanks again!

-MC-


04/04/11--01:04: Doug is coming (chan 2067188)

I've been working on a webcomic for; [link]This was a teaser image I created. The first comic is done, I'm not so keen on the colors and the BG is a bit rushed but it was fun.More to come soon...En...









04/04/11--01:24: Working it...Sorta... (chan 2067188)




Ok, a couple things I need to mention first...

I've been busy(ish) with a bit of fallout work from www.reddit.com + a few things I had going on over the last few weeks.  BUT, I have been working on a poster size version of "How do I feel now?"... just taking a long time to enlarge...

I know, excuses, excuses... but its on it's way.

Also, I've been neglecting some comments and commenting on some new submissions people I watch have done.  I've seen/read them, they're awesome/wonderful and I will drop a comment on them soon! :)

Find it hard to stay motivated sometimes, my mind likes to wander and I've wasted a fa


04/27/11--00:44: Paper weight (chan 2067188)




Disclaimer;
*Sorry to whine and moan here but its where I vent so don't read this if you don't want to.*



I can't really sugar coat this so I'm not going to, I'm pretty low/depressed for a lot of reasons at the moment even though I don't have really have any legitimate problems per say.

I have money, I have some work, I have friends and family but...

I'm struggling to produce artwork and aside from being in the best shape of my life, I'm running on fumes so to speak.  I'm beginning to think that maybe art should really just be my hobby but I'm also a bit of a 1 trick pony at this point without a clue as to what else to


04/29/11--10:01: Doug Harper comic 1 (chan 2067188)

So I've been working on a webcomic series for this company called Operation Maple. It's been going well so if you like my work please stop by (traffic keeps them interested in continuing and its pa...









05/08/11--11:22: Mother of us All (chan 2067188)

I love to make cards, I don't usually scan them though. I should do because they do come out really nice...I think beyond the imagery I put on this one, its just my way of sharing my gift with my M...









05/18/11--09:44: Everything you wish you were but you're not. (chan 2067188)




*Warning; incoming wall of text!*

I've actually been avoiding writing in here because I'm more aware of who reads it (not those of you who comment on it but more the people who don't).  I know people check up on me and I like that but I guess most recently I feel like my life isn't on the up and up and dressing it up to be as if it were would make me feel worse about it really.  I usually just vent my frustration here and in my journal (real life one that no one gets to read) and I think that paints a picture about myself that is far more bleak than it is in reality...

Not that it is a bad thing, maybe there are peop


05/18/11--10:18: Sneak peek at another comic (chan 2067188)

It will be featured on a site sometime soon, they're not paying me (yet) for them so I figured it'd be ok to post for now...Enjoy! (for now)-MC-









05/24/11--12:29: The things I've learned... (chan 2067188)




This has been in my head for the last couple days so I thought I'd share it.  
I think back over this past year and feel that I've grown a lot as a person, I definitely feel more rounded and whole.

Some of the things that I learnt were;

Communication - Sure, this seems like a 'no brainer' but honestly it is REALLY tough to express how you feel about someone or something when you know the consequence of doing so might hurt people or make them not like you.  Bottling it up and pretending everything is 'ok' just delays it and makes it far worse in the end... expressing how you truly feel just makes a world of differenc


06/06/11--20:47: Boy you are ugly (chan 2067188)

There is something to be said when you create a piece of art for a show. From concept to finished piece, for it to be an establishing shot in the show, really geeks me out!This was a fun location s...









06/06/11--21:17: Talk Nerdy to me! (chan 2067188)




So, total different tune I'm singing lately and will probably be expressed here as well...

Updates;

I'm working at a small studio downtown at the moment on a couple week contract for Ugly Americans (so much fun!), fingers crossed it pans out into more work.  I really missed studio life, if things don't pan out with these guys I really want to look into renting space with other artists... separating work and home life I'm finding is a huge must as I just don't have the motivation being couped up in my room working.

Other than that, my Doug Harper webcomic is still going and now a new one is in the works here; http://tattm.co


06/10/11--03:56: Damn you ugly (chan 2067188)

More Ugly Americans here; I thought it was great to get the visual gags in your quota because your image was what people would laugh at.I have to stress though, as much as it was cool to produce fi...









06/14/11--14:50: Girls and Guns (chan 2067188)

Fixing the lineart on the sketch of this took forever it seemed. I'm still working on the coloring of it still, hope to finish it soon but I've got a lot of unfinished work on my plate...Anyways, e...









06/20/11--10:48: No new news really... (chan 2067188)




I know I tend to update my DA journal more than my artwork at the moment but that should change by about next week.  My contract with the studio I am working for will be up by the end of this week.  Good news is that I will have some plans for more work and also time for much needed trips.  I still feel I should leave here for a long term trip away to find more of myself out in Europe or some place I've never been.  But it's hard to do this now.  Mainly because I have built quite a bit of a life going on here and starting over yet again has become a little less appealing...

However, I feel


07/11/11--00:17: Will and Kate (chan 2067188)

Kind of a final plug to an animation myself and *Karr420 did a few weeks ago... see it here;[link]I don't think it was very successful but it taught me a few things about creating content for the w...









07/11/11--00:50: It's been awhile... (chan 2067188)




Seriously, I don't really know what to write here but I just feel like I should.  

I guess an update on my life is in order (as personal as it can be);

Well, I paid off almost all my debts and now have money in the bank for a change.  I still don't have a job but freelancing was paying the bills but now I have enough I can relax for awhile.  I finally got my passport sorted so I can travel again, and found my UK passport as well (phew!).  I got a flight booked to the UK in about a week or so which I'm pretty stoked about.  I think more trips are in order for me as well seeing how I am a


08/17/11--09:53: Updatery! (chan 2067188)




I kinda left DA alone for awhile there... I'm alive still, though not drawing much... only my comic is going still (only source of income at the moment); http://www.operationmaple.com/doug-harper

I was in the UK for 2 weeks last week visiting the rest my family who I miss quite a lot lately, it was 10 years if not more since I had seen them.  I enjoyed the trip and now I have a camping trip coming up along with a journey to visit friends in CA (tickets booked already).  So I am trying to keep focused on those things because my hap hazard plans to get into school for September seem to have fallen through leaving me with


09/14/11--21:52: Heartless (chan 2067188)

Been having a shitty week, this image came out of the realization that I almost don't have a heart... I want to say I lost it not that long ago but I know it has been much much longer than that.I'm...









09/14/11--22:02: Another month goes by... (chan 2067188)




Finally finished something today and posted it!  

Hell has frozen over!!

Been a real shitty week, but more productive at least.  

I'm slogging away at things and hoping for the best outcome at the end...

We'll see what happens...

I still wonder who reads this stuff sometimes and keep a fair amount to myself in my personal journals in real life.  

I suppose I should talk in here as if no one reads it but...

I guess I feel that some people would use it against me.

Reading again, got a library card (woo!) and making trips to work there just to get out of the house for a few hours.

Disconn


10/12/11--22:34: Mirroring the Edge (chan 2067188)

Fired up paintchat tonight for the first time in a long time... I have been fooling around with my new videocard/computer so I was obviously playing Mirror's Edge when I came up with this doodle......









10/12/11--22:50: Computer Blue... (chan 2067188)




So I recently updated my hardware (finally!) and it has been quite a ride...

My new system bits (for the geeks);

2x OCZ Agility 2 40GB SSDs in raid 0 (400-500MB/sec reads wooo!)
EVGA GTX460 2Win (2 GTX460's in SLI on one card)
Cool Master 850Watt Silent Pro 80+ PSU
Cool Master HAF 922 case

The unfortunate part is my system has become a bit more unstable in the process now though.  I figure it's to do with basically overloading the old Dell mother I/O chipset (even if it is ICH10R)...
But the overall good part is though most of that stuff is gaming related, CS4 now benefits from Cuda cores on Nvidia GPUs so bonus!

Tho


10/17/11--10:28: Roller your Derby (chan 2067188)

I did this pic awhile ago but only finished coloring it recently for my friend's B-day. It turned out how I wanted it too but I think it's missing some details and maybe more shading/highlights to...









10/26/11--22:30: Computer Blues!!! (chan 2067188)




*Warning, first world problem rant incoming*

Ok, a month ago (for my B-day) I decided to pimp out my already good computer with some nice parts... expensive mistake...

The saying goes; "if it ain't broke, don't fix it..." and no truer statement could apply to my current circumstance now.  As nice as it is to run epic games at max settings, and load up windows and programs in a heartbeat... there is something to be said about system stability.  I don't want to crash every goddamn day let alone multiple times a day... and it's upon my own head to figure out how to fix it...

I remember why I bought my last 2 systems


12/07/11--19:56: Pebble Road BG (chan 2067188)

I found this on a USB drive I have, it's old(ish) work I did for my old boss out in N.B. which for me seems a lifetime ago now.

We were trying to make a Mr. Magoo style cartoon for I forget what now but it ended up being a pretty sweet short if I recall correctly. Anyways, I was pretty proud of it so here it is for all to see!

Enjoy yo self!!

-MC-









12/07/11--20:05: Fixed for the most part! (chan 2067188)




I fixed my computer, it's sitting pretty cool with a water cooled i7 @ 4Ghz and I RMA'd my GTX4602Win so everything is working as it should.

It was tough not knowing and replacing parts and assembling it all myself with limited knowledge gained from the internet but I managed to upgrade my system for under $1,500 (I think) in the end.

I ended up with spare parts like an 850 Watt power supply (replaced with a 1000 Watt one) and a Zotac GTS250 (basically an old 9800GTX) which was supposed to be a Physix card but I can't afford the heat or the space inside my rig now so not sure what to do... maybe raffle them off? I dunno...

ANYWAYS, a


12/10/11--13:57: Skeletory (chan 2067188)

Final from my zBrush class, inspired from another image of Skeletor I've seen but I cannot find the link to at the moment.

Also, did this all on my Asus slate tablet.

More still to come and another semester of zBrush!

Enjoy,

-MC-









12/12/11--09:07: From one Artist to Another (chan 2067188)

I enjoy drawing for people only when I'm not asked to... I gift people I feel deserving of my art. I'm sure this sounds like I'm a biggot but why should I feel otherwise? It's my ablities (and my 'gift', which is a concept I'm warming up to) so I get to choose who it is for, but I never expect anything in return.

Enjoy!

-MC-









12/13/11--06:32: Pebble that road some moar (chan 2067188)

2nd and last piece from that Pebble Road gig I did awhile back. I really liked how these BGs turned out. I need to work on a show that uses a similar style...

Enjoy!

-MC-









12/13/11--09:56: Friends, Relationships and Videogames (chan 2067188)




Of course this is of my own opinions on the subject but I have found that in relation to being creative, having fufilling relationships tends to cripples artistic creation... I know it differs from person to person but for myself if I become romantically entangled or continuously on the prowl for it, my artwork suffers greatly.  I suppose its a personal priority thing and not so much a circumstantial issue but I can't help it.  It's like there is a choice between happiness and comfort in the arms of another or fufilling that void with artistic creation.  I'm sure there is a balance to be met but I'm unsure as to


01/03/12--10:38: Abused... (chan 2067188)




I couldn't sleep last night, and this became something I wanted to share here.  

Don't worry, this isn't going to be a pity party.  Just something I wanted to talk about...

I guess I'd have to start with the very little known fact about myself.  I won't go into details but at a few points in my life I was abused.  It's strange, even right now I want to erase that *Edit; even all of what I wrote*... like admitting it makes it (more) real or something... also I know it is something that people judge you by too and I really don't want the empathy.

You'd be suprised (at least I was) how common it a