http://kirt.cgsociety.org/gallery/ kirt's gallery of images en-us 120 http://kirt.cgsociety.org/gallery/663847

I've been working on this portrait of Christina Ricci for the past month or so. This is derived from this reference image and a few other sources (including some pics of the Hollywood hills and Griffith Observatory - which a good friend of mine captured for me using his digital camera. Thanks Tom!). To get proportions correct on Christina's face, I used the grid method to draw an outline in Photoshop. More detail of the development can be seen here.

I'm not sure exactly why I started this image. I think I was following links randomly after reading reviews of "Black Snake Moan" and ended up on the above reference image. I remember thinking that she looked a lot like the Mona Lisa and began to imagine a variant homage image to Da Vinci's masterpiece. Can't say that I succeeded or failed, but I'm fairly happy with the way the image turned out.

I have to give some recognition and thanks to Steven Stahlberg who helped me bring this out of murky doom with his helpful overpaint and advice to correct lighting and shadows on the image. Thanks again Steven!

Original image is 2656 X 3636 @ 300dpi / Photoshop 7.0
Here is my initial sketch]]> Wed, 13 Aug 2008 22:15:01 +0000 http://kirt.cgsociety.org/gallery/656592

Christina Ricci portrait that I've been working on for several days now. There is more to this image, but I'm not going to post it until it's finished. This image shows the progression of this portrait in Photoshop. I started with a pencil sketch that I created from this reference image .

To get the porportions exact, I did cheat a bit by using a grid to duplicate. Normally I'd just freehand it, but I didn't want to have her face distorted in any way due to inaccuracies. Creating a grid over the ref image helps keeping my lines in the right areas in relation to each feature of her face.]]> Thu, 24 Jul 2008 17:41:26 +0000 http://kirt.cgsociety.org/gallery/646746

This illustration was done for my current employer. The car is a stylized representation of a 38 Ford that my company uses for parades and promotion events in our service areas.

The HR department is using this theme to promote it's on-boarding program (new hires, training and development) and contacted me to develop some sketches and illustrations for the project.

The illustration is painted in Photoshop over a pen drawing that was scanned in. Some earlier WIP images can be found in this thread (around page 4).]]> Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:38:45 +0000 http://kirt.cgsociety.org/gallery/642118

This character is based upon the game Team Fortress 2 by Valve. Sometime around the beginning of 2008 some discussion on Valve's community forums sprang up on why there were no female characters in the game. Which ultimately led to a lot of debate over the ethics of blowing up female characters with rockets/grenades and the reduced hit box advantage in a FPS game.

For curiousity's sake, I decided to try and develop a character that would fit into the TF2 universe and that whould have an equal hit box to the male character counterparts. I was sure that it could be done so I started working on a few concepts.

Although I did "sexy" this character up a bit for this image, I think it worked out rather well. This is an image that I made to illustrate the character as she would appear in the game. To create this image, I found a screenshot of the Medic character in-game and painted over to change him into a "her".

Here's the image showing only the parts that I painted over.

And finally ... here is my line drawing for the Nurse.]]> Thu, 12 Jun 2008 22:10:57 +0000 http://kirt.cgsociety.org/gallery/618134

Sketch exercise just to get myself in the habit of drawing again. No references.]]> Mon, 07 Apr 2008 20:14:55 +0000 http://kirt.cgsociety.org/gallery/319652

top left
Name: Zachary Billough (aka The Poser)
Age: 32
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Description: Zach spends a little bit too much time reading comic books when he's not working as a Custodial Engineer for the local school district. He aspires to be like many of his favorite pulp action heroes and has created his own costume out of remnants of a professional wrestlers outfit that he bought off of E-bay.
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Superpowers: Zach has a large video collection and is overly fond of catch phrases from his favorite action films. He can bore you death with his horridly off-beat impersonations of Arnold ("I'll be back"), Bruce ("Yippee Kai Yai Yay M---- F---!") or Deniro ("Are you talking to me?").
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Weaknesses: Zach doesn't fight crime (or get out of the house too often) because he finds that he looks rather "studly" in his homemade costume. He vigilantly flexes and poses for himself while reciting the aforementioned movie dialogs. Zachary cannot pass by a mirror without looking at himself.
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Base of Operations: Zach lives with his mom.
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top right
Name: Billy Thornton (aka Overactive Bladderman)
Age: 27
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Description: Billy was a frequent bed-wetter in his youth. As he went through puberty he discovered that what was once thought to be a childhood calamity, was in fact his unique super power. He soon learned that he could increase the volume of his urinations at will.
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Superpowers: Give Billy a 2 liter bottle of soda and soon you'll be facing the wrath of his "Bladder Buster Vortex", "Tsunami Splash", "Golden Shower" or "The Geyser of Doom!"
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Weaknesses: Well ... he has a weak bladder and they don't make diapers big enough for him. Kinda says it all don't it?
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Base of Operations: Billy has a secret hideout located beneath a rest stop on Hwy 99, just north of Turlock, California.
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bottom left
Name: specimen 1382B-21 (aka Samurai Sloth)
Age: unknown
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Description: Removed from the Brazilian rain forest by Japanese researchers, specimen 1382B-21 was subjected to DNA and hormone testing in an effort to amplify human speed, agility & stamina. Unfortunately the experiments failed and specimen 1382B-21 was released from the program. The sloth was transfered to a nearby village petting zoo/donut shop, where his cage was kept in close proximity to the employee's breakroom.
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Superpowers: A Television set in the breakroom, that was left on 24 hours a day, taught specimen 1382B-21 all he needed to know about the art of fighting and the code of the samurai. Using his skills, he vows revenge on the corporation that used him for their experiments & others who would exploit animals for testing purposes.
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Weaknesses: As already stated, the experiments failed. Instead of gaining enhanced abilities, the experiments had the opposite effect on him. The Samurai Sloth is unaware that to others he appears dead and motionless most of the time. (see image above for video sequence of Samurai Sloth in action)
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Base of Operations: Sugar Hai Donuts & Petting Zoo, Japan
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bottom right
Name: Tiffy Blair Winston (aka Tantrum)
Age: 23
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Description: Tiffy has had a rather fortunate life. Her wealthy parents spoil her with anything and everything that she desires.
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Superpowers: Over the years (especially through puberty) she has developed a unique vocal ability that is rather painful to those within a one mile radius. She can wail and screech loudly and also cause seismic activity by forcefully pounding her feet on the ground.
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Weaknesses: Tiffy can easily be distracted by shiny jewels, exotic automobiles, furs or men who work in the medical profession.
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Base of Operations: Classified by the Pentagon pending the outcome of Operation White Noise
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center
Name: David "Davey" Jones (aka Riptide)
Age: 42
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Description: Davey aspired to be a Marine Biologist. Unfortunately, he graduated with the lowest GPA of his class and was unable to find work after graduation. Determined to work with the creatures of the sea, he opted for a career in crime fighting.
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Superpowers: Knowledgable (as far as lowest GPAs go) in marine life, Davey utilizes the unique abilities of sea creatures as his arsenal (i.e. puffer fish as throwing stars, dolphins as clubs, jellyfish as paralysis devices).
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Weaknesses: Aside from his aforementioned underachievement in academics, Davey logically has many issues with the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Constantly involved in legal battles with the organization and being incarcerated for cruelty to animals, Davey boderlines being classified as a super-villian.
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Base of Operations: Montery, CA]]> Sat, 18 Feb 2006 02:06:26 +0000 http://kirt.cgsociety.org/gallery/319644

An illustration based upon the Brothers Grimm short story titled, Death's Messengers.
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In ancient times a giant was wandering along the highway when suddenly a stranger jumped toward him and shouted, "Stop! Not one step further!"
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"What?" said the giant. "You, a creature that I could crush between my fingers, you want to block my way? Who are you that you dare to speak so boldly?"
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"I am Death," answered the other one. "No one resists me, and you too must obey my orders."
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But the giant refused, and began to wrestle with Death. It was a long, violent battle, and finally the giant got the upper hand, and knocked Death down with his fist, causing him to collapse by a stone. The giant went on his way, and Death lay there conquered, so weak that he could not get up again.
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"What is to come of this?" he said. "If I stay lying here in a corner, no one will die in the world, and it will become so filled with people that they won't have room to stand beside one another."
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Meanwhile a young man came down the road. Vigorous and healthy, he was singing a song and looking this way and that. Seeing the half-conscious individual, he approached him with compassion, raised him up, gave him a refreshing drink from his flask, and waited until he regained his strength.
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"Do you know," asked the stranger, as he stood up, "who I am, and whom you have helped onto his legs again?"
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"No," answered the youth, "I do not know you."
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"I am Death," he said. "I spare no one, nor can make an exception with you. However, so you may see that I am grateful, I promise you that I will not attack you without warning, but instead will send my messengers to you before I come and take you away."
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"Good," said the youth. "It is to my benefit that I shall know when you are coming, and that I will be safe from you until then."
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Then he went on his way, and was cheerful and carefree, and lived one day at a time. However, youth and good health did not last long. Soon came sickness and pain, which tormented him by day and deprived him of his rest by night.
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"I shall not die," he said to himself, "for Death will first send his messengers, but I do wish that these wicked days of sickness were over."
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Regaining his health, he began once more to live cheerfully. Then one day someone tapped on his shoulder.
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He looked around, and death was standing behind him, who said, "Follow me. The hour of your departure from this world has come."
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"What?" replied the man. "Are you breaking your word? Did you not promise me that you would send your messengers to me before you yourself would come? I have not seen a one of them."
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"Be still!" answered Death. "Have I not sent you one messenger after another? Did not fever come and strike you, and shake you, and throw you down? Has not dizziness numbed your head? Has not gout pinched your limbs? Did your ears not buzz? Did toothache not bite into your cheeks? Did your eyes not darken? And furthermore, has not my own brother Sleep reminded you every night of me? During the night did you not lie there as if you were already dead?"
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The man did not know how to answer, so he surrendered to his fate and went away with Death.]]> Sat, 18 Feb 2006 01:36:04 +0000 http://kirt.cgsociety.org/gallery/319646

It is uncertain if the race of sapling fairies still survive in the realm of Middle Earth. Their hatred and mistrust of all races other than their own sent them into seclusion eons ago. If any have survived it would be near impossible to spot one. Their skills at cameoflage are only surpassed by their cunning and deceptive magics.]]> Sat, 18 Feb 2006 01:45:50 +0000