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Erebus professional and less professional works - Erebus - 03-09-2013

Hello all,
if you have read my introduction/presentation, you can understand a bit more of myself, my non-artistic studies and self-taught work. If you haven't and have some time to spare, you find it here: Erebus story (long :P)

I will post some of my works, to remember me what I've learned and how much I still have to learn.
I will start with my latest professional works: illustrations and graphics for boardgames. It's what I work on actually, other than websites and graphical designs in general.

After those, I will put some of my non-professional paintings, personal things done both for learning and becoming better, and for pleasure, for telling the tales I've created in long years of roleplaying and creation of fantasy/mythic places and histories.

In the end, I will put a couple of my oldest paintings, when I started to "relearn" to draw and paint after a career as a technical director for my father house-building company, just to compare and understand what I learned and what I still need to learn.

Even for my professional works, every critique is well accepted, expecially if it's accompanied by instructions on how to get better, what I could study and so on.
I'm not a touchy one, I work hard 12 hours/day for mantaining my family and my work is appreciated by publishers/clients and by some professional artists that work in my same trade from longer than me, so I'm proud of it even when it's not perfect.
But I know that it's not perfect, and I want to make better: I have to learn anatomy, to "blend" a lot more (I've got a nervous hand, and even when I draw with pencils I make often nervous lines and sometime I like to leave lines that have no sense but I like them, dunno why :D).
I also seem to have difficulty in drawing comics...even the simplest ones. I can try to make a realistic painting while observing a photo or by imagination, but if I have to draw a comic sheep I don't know where to start. Maybe I missed too much when I was younger, and I havn't read a comic in years (I still like them, but often I can't spend hard earned money for them), or maybe I stopped to "learn" basic drawing too early... I don't know, I could have a mind block on that, maybe my father voice that says "Stop reading that bullshit and study more!" (ehy, I love my father a lot anyway, he is not perfect, but who is?) :D

So, don't be shy, critique me, and make me learn and become a better artist! :)

LATEST PROFESSIONAL WORK:

This was only a trial for a publisher, he had already the boards done for his game, but this one convinced him to give me some work, and after a while the art direction for his other artists for the game.
[Image: dungeon_floortile_by_erebus74-d5tygnc.jpg]

THis is one of several pieces (you can see more in my deviantart gallery) for a racing game that will be published this year. It's an image for a card, so it will become much smaller when printed and probably some of the details will get lost. But it served me to learn more on f1 cars. I've done around 30 illustrations for the game, but it's finally almost finished. You won't find all illustrations on my gallery, since the game is not yet out.
[Image: cordolo_jump_by_erebus74-d59vzyu.jpg]

Wild boardgame board. It's a game for families/kids, about exploring 4 different ambients, a la "Bear Grylls". I've had fun in detailing the 4 places. It's a mix of matte painting, photomanipulation, and digital painting, add sugar and serve chilled as needed :D
[Image: wild_board_by_erebus74-d4wogy3.jpg]

Lupin boardgame. I've had fun expecially in painting the board, it had to be a bit realistic, a bit cartoon, and a bit gamistic...
For the lupin characters, I've not done the linework, only the colours, the lines are originals from the copyright holders, but I modified some a bit because they needed to fit on the cover or cards.
[Image: lupin_iii_the_expansion__materials_by_er...5bns0x.jpg]

The Incoming Storm, cover for "swordfish" boardgame. It's a game about swordfish fishers in the north atlantic, inspired by the "Perfect Storm" story. I've repainted the Andrea Gail, used references both for it and for the swordfish, and used a mix of matte painting for the sea. I had a tight deadline, and the publisher continued to make corrections for "non-essential" things for the painting: I want the storm seen from afar incoming...no, I want more storm, it's raining, add rain... no less storm, more wavy, less wavy, add barrels on the ship, take away the harpoon, argh. In the end the man on the bridge has been done without reference and also without studying it a bit, I just wanted to add a figure in the last 10 minutes before printing, and so it's not much realistic. But it adds to the scene anyway I think. I got a lot of critique on this piece when I tryed to put it in the gallery of "PaintingDigital" group on dA, but I don't think is a bad piece, I like it anyway. Sure I could have done better on the sea, but it was my first attempt at painting the sea in all my life :P
[Image: 7bebb0aea42b535569c94cda690b67ba-d4z2nzx.jpg]

One of the first jobs I've done in boardgames illustrations. I used a lot of references but in the end it got decently done. The publisher wanted a piece that reminded of videogames covers, and liked the end result very much. I don't think it's a perfect piece, and I got a lot better than that lately, but the publishers like it very much, dunno why :P
[Image: leader_1___hell_of_the_north_by_erebus74-d3gprhh.jpg]

This one is just a concept for finding the right angle for the drawings of cards for a new game that will be published this year. In the end the publisher preferred an assonometric "videogame like" view. I had to do as much as 60 illustrations for cards, all in assonometry. In the end I got tired, and have done some in a pittorical way: the publisher never approved them, but since they added variety to the game, and playtesters liked them, it never asked me to remake them.
But I still liked this pittorical approach more. If you want to critique this, please don't critique the targets for the bows and the guard on the right: I already know they are shitty and seem to fly, but it was added at last and while the publisher was saying to try different angles, so they remain as a reminder to me to what could be wrong in a painting. But I guess there are a lot of other errors you can aid me to find :)
[Image: roman_armory_by_erebus74-d4qx6p6.jpg]

I have a lot more, some of them can be seen on my gallery on dA if you are interested.

Following: Personal works
Now, my non professional pieces.
Those are some of the latest pieces have done. Some are several hours of work and study, I try to learn while painting finished pieces. I know is a bad habit and I could learn a lot more by sketching more and drawing more, but I have to focus and finish almost anything I do, probably because I've learned while working and "getting things done". Dunno. Anyway, I need to show those too to make a complete excursus of my skills and lack of skills too :P

2012:
This one, is a piece I've done for the blog of an University professor of Portugal, wich likes boardgames and makes students work and learn with them too! :O
He interviewed me for my job as boardgame illustrator, and asked me if I could do a simple cartoon based on Portugal, for the blog piece. Since I'm very bad at doing cartoons, I get a paralysis when I try and loose HOURS to do a shitty cartoon, I decided to paint a dragon and to use this piece to learn something.
I like dragons and fantasy, and painted some when I was 14 or 15 in acrylics, without any study and any idea of anatomy. Not that I'm much better now, and I had not painted a dragon in years. But I wanted to paint one. So I painted this dragon on the Belem Tower, on the shores of Lisbon.
I used no references for the dragon, in fact I got his left wing completely wrong the first time I submitted the piece to the professor. Then I repainted it: it's till not perfect anatomy, it probably should be more bent to be symmetrical, but I liked to hide it a bit, because I wanted the rest of the dragon to stand out more. Probably if I had desaturated and blurred and lowered it's value and contrast a bit, I could have done the same, but I thinked of it only lately :D
For the sea I used again part painting, part matte, and the tower is the least painted of all, since I repainted (I have to admit) a photo in painter (I usually work only in photoshop), because I didn't wanted to loose more than 4 hours on the piece, since it had to be a "simple cartoon" at start :|
Don't bonk me too much for this, remember my motto "sometime things just have to GET DONE!" :D
[Image: belem_and_the_dragon_by_erebus74-d5qvycq.jpg]

2010
This is an old piece. I wanted to try matte painting, and also wanted to depict Atlantis as I described it for years to my roleplayers :D
Probably there are a lot of prospective errors, and if someone points out the worst, probably I will repaint it sooner or later. I took more time in defining the various areas to be coherent with what I described to players for years.
Printed this on a big canvas and I have it in my study, because my wife likes this painting so much. Wifes... :D
[Image: atlantis___poseidonis_by_erebus74-d2xmhh4.jpg]

2012
This one is a repaint of an older piece, I post here the oldest and the newest. I still need to learn anatomy more, and to blend sking more and make better shadowing, but it's still better, and anyway I like it, because again, players like this and when they encounter Ra in the Stygian deserts, they think of this painting.
[Image: ra___sun_god_by_erebus74-d5b75l9.jpg]

The older one (2010):
[Image: ra___sun_god_by_erebus74-d2max6c.jpg]

2011
My cats!
This one I really enjoyed painting. So much that I've printed on canvas and put it in my house. Of course my wife like it too. If you wanna see the original cats look here: http://www.cuccioligatto.it/

[Image: taocats1_by_erebus74-d49qmlj.jpg]

2012
This one needs a lot of critique. It's a fast piece I've done for a campaign we are doing, it's a subterranean city full of pipes. It started as a concept, but I feel like it has an unfinished feeling.
[Image: city_of_steel_by_erebus74-d5rf181.jpg]

2012
This one is based on a precedent character I've created years ago, Gherald/Anubis.
I can't say if the face is completely correct, I've used some references but done mostly by memory/imagination.
[Image: gherald_anubis__dark_lord_of_agarthi_by_...5kahbr.jpg]

2010
This has obvious reference, but it's not an "overpaint" (as one of my friends suggested), I kept the photo (you can find it everywhere) in a floating window, and tryed to stay as close as I could to it, while reinterpreting a bit the characters. I really like this movie (and Sergio Leone's other movies), so I had a strong feeling for the characters. It's not perfect at all, but I liked it.
It shows my "nervous" handwork, and there are a LOT of little lines, almost no blending, only lines over lines over lines. Because I painted it while relaxing, hearing Morricone musics and painting freely.
It's not a style much liked by publishers and other artists I've hear around, too much lines, the skin is not like that, it's too graphic, etc, so I havn't used it in 3 years.
But I want to pursue it sooner or later, if I find the time, because it really makes me relax.
[Image: tribute_to_sergio_leone_by_erebus74-d31akgw.jpg]

2010
The God Seth. Had some good advice on modifying the background, and will have to repaint it sooner or later maybe.
I got criticized by friends because he seems a bit "fat" on the hips, while I think the worst part of the anatomy are the legs, wich I'm not used to paint.
[Image: Seth__Sethek_by_Erebus74.jpg]

2010
The Morning Star
I like the character, but I was still in the "crazy line" mode, and in the end the piece has a lot of problems.
If you can aid me find the areas I have to work more, this is a piece I want to repaint, because it will become the cover of my rpg when I publish it.
[Image: the_morning_star____by_erebus74-d320xs1.jpg]

2010
Premeteus.
Used several references for the eagle, and modeled a "poser doll" for Prometeus anatomy, and changed it while painting. In the end, the anatomy has several problems, expecially the legs I think. Again, friends (not artists) told me he seems fat. But I can't see why, I see other problems instead. Someone criticized the eagle, while I think it's the most realistic part of the piece (not perfect, but gets the job done I think).
[Image: Prometeus_by_Erebus74.jpg]

2012
A remake of an old old painting.
A lot of errors in the metallic arm, the belly, and the horrendous drapery.
I got lost in the crystal-look and transparencies, and in the end some are not even entirely visible. Anyway, this guy is the "God-King" of Keras. He destroyed half of his planet to stop an Apocalipse, but now he needs to contact other worlds in other dimensions to suck their life force, or his dimension (and he) will get to an end...
[Image: keras_the_god_king_by_erebus74-d5cnljt.jpg]

2012
An almost "quick" painting for finding the right mood for a game. Will not be used in the final game, so it stays in the personal pieces.
The pose of the character it's a bit stiff, used a poser model as reference, but poser is so rigid and even if I tweaked it while painting, I still have problems in the anatomy, at least in the left arm and general pose. Suggestions wellcomed, I will not repaint it probably, but I need to learn the weakest points!
[Image: demon_battle_by_erebus74-d5sfmow.jpg]

2012
Full relax piece, unfinished "speed" painting (at least it had to be speed, then it becomed 2 hours I think).
Used some photo references of sea, beaches, palms and worked a bit creating custom brushes for the leaves: I was lazy and wanted just to try colors and paint water again (I love sea) without using any matte/photographic technique.
I know the flare is overdone, but I'm old, I still like flares, what can I say :P
[Image: tropical_beach_by_erebus74-d5c26zm.jpg]




And now some of the oldest illustrations, when I started to relearn painting.

One of the first digital painting I've done I think. Don't remember the date. Anyway, behold baron fredo gughenaimer in all his summoning glory.
Eeek, it screams of errors. :D
[Image: baron_fredo_gughenhaimer_by_erebus74-d5sl2j4.jpg]

Carthagos the Carthaginian, master of the slums.
Based on a photo, very flat indeed. The background should be a photo with some filters, could not remember well.
[Image: cartaghos_by_erebus74-d5sl2nj.jpg]

Oh well, this is based on a photo of...me :D
Another very old piece. A lot of wrong airbrushes here.
It was my character for a friend rpg, Jack Slater aka "Coldhand".
I still remember his story tough.
It has lot of errors of course, but his mouth is correct: now I think my mouth is straighter, but 10 years ago I had the habit of talking with half mouth, dunno why, so I got a little deformation of lips form. It was not a phisical modification, just for the habit of keeping the mouth that way, don't ask me why :D
Probably was a nervous thing. But lost it when I becomed more zen :D
[Image: Jack_Slater_by_Erebus74.jpg]

My first attempt at a "concept" painting. Not so horrible if watched VERY small :D
[Image: Anubia___English_Watchtower_by_Erebus74.jpg]

And this should end the gallery for now. I have lot of other pieces, but either they are not loaded on web, or I cannot disclose them because are for yet unpublished games.

Hope I will find guidance and critique here.
I searched them on ConceptArt.org for years without response, dunno why. Maybe I write too much :P

RE: Erebus professional and less professional works - alexson - 03-09-2013

Hey! Great work man, really versatile portfolio!
If I had to comment on something it would be in some of the images, like for example the one with the Egyptian dude. The background can be pushed back a bit more with the help of atmospheric perspective, do some environment studies and think about what happens to the colors and values of stuff when they recede into the distance. If you paint everything the same way, with the same values and saturation etc. if quickly becomes flat. Usually you can exaggerate atmospheric perspective quite a bit without making it stand out as unreal, this is very useful to get some feeling of depth.

Anyway I hope to see more work from you soon!

RE: Erebus professional and less professional works - Erebus - 03-09-2013

(03-09-2013, 06:59 PM)alexson Wrote: Hey! Great work man, really versatile portfolio!
If I had to comment on something it would be in some of the images, like for example the one with the Egyptian dude. The background can be pushed back a bit more with the help of atmospheric perspective, do some environment studies and think about what happens to the colors and values of stuff when they recede into the distance. If you paint everything the same way, with the same values and saturation etc. if quickly becomes flat. Usually you can exaggerate atmospheric perspective quite a bit without making it stand out as unreal, this is very useful to get some feeling of depth.

Anyway I hope to see more work from you soon!

Thanks Alexson,
I agree I have to work more on backgrounds. I know the general theory of the receding planes, but I fail to apply it and too often I neglect to work enough on the background. For example, the image with Seth (the Egyptian dude I suppose, but also for Ra is the same :-) ) has a very boring background indeed, that damages the composition too, I think I will repaint those since is not a big effort and I could learn something. And I will hear your suggestion and do some atmospheric studies! :-)