BUILT FOR CRIME - the big dump

**Uncharted_Artist** · December 26th, 2011, 06:29 PM

Dude man, really great stuff.

**matty_mcmullen** · December 27th, 2011, 01:21 AM

Thanks guys!!

Just here quickly. A sketch and a paint study for it.

**matty_mcmullen** · December 29th, 2011, 03:27 AM

Im trying to get better at drawing on my wacom so here are my efforts. It was difficult at first but it has gotten easier. So I shall do more.

**Snyder** · December 29th, 2011, 06:55 AM

Hi matty!

Are the last figures from head or reference?

If from head: Really good!
If from reference: Really good!

**Uncharted_Artist** · January 4th, 2012, 08:54 PM

nice sketches man, those pencil push ups are paying off eh lol. Keep her up.

**patram** · January 9th, 2012, 04:03 AM

I know what you mean by trying to get better at drawing on the Wacom. I found quite daunting at times to make thise perfect curves and verticals. Your sketches look good. Also i really like your sketch with that kid in the middle (post #242). It would be nice to see a colored version of it, may be a more finished illustration. Anyway, I can wait until your next posts. Hopefully you are going to spoil us!

**Shadowseeker** · January 9th, 2012, 04:41 AM

Cool stuff man, I'm really diggin' your pencil stuff - great work! Thumbs up!

**matty_mcmullen** · January 10th, 2012, 11:37 PM

Hey everyone!!

Those sketches were from ref and imagination, 2 from ref the rest imagination. Good to here from you guys. Thanks patram the sketch is currently being painted and hopefully in the next week or so I'll get enough time to finish it.

Haven't had any internet for a couple weeks but it will be working again in a couple days hopefully so should have a big update. But for now a painting on top of a sketch I posted about a month ago I think. It's not perfect but it's good to have a painting finished its been so long. It's fom that book I have been writing for ages. Hope you guys like it.

**patram** · January 12th, 2012, 09:19 AM

Wow, great update you got there. The choice of blue hue works pretty well! If I may add a crit on it..I have the feeling that the main character is a very small old man, is it intentional? Something kind of bugs me with the pespective. Also I wish there were more details in your picture which would reveal in what sort of environment this particular picture take place. I do not know about the story of the book (but I am quite intrigued to know more about it), however, apart from the polls and the crowded space I can only assume that we must be inside a carriage. I know that your efforts on this last post were more about the colors so please forgive my pickyness...Anyway great work...Now, I am watching out for the next updates with impatience!

**matty_mcmullen** · January 19th, 2012, 11:48 PM

Hey Patram! Thanks for the crit! I know what you mean with the perspective, It's intentionally squished as this is the style i wanted with a graphical composition, just to push the idea of a crammed train. The character isn't always really small just here because of who he's amongst "big scary characters" lol

So my study of the landscape PATRAM and i are doing, now onto the landscape from imagination.

Thanks for looking!

**patram** · January 23rd, 2012, 09:47 AM

Really good job there! Your proportions are quite accurate. You have remained very faithful to the orignal photo reference. Tell me if i 'm wrong but it sems that do not work with opacity and hardly used the soft brush on this piece. This is quite interesting. I used the soft brush a lot to create atmosphere and to integrate my strokes into the paintings. The one out of imagination is almost finished so it should be in my SB by the end of the day (hopefully!).

**matty_mcmullen** · January 26th, 2012, 11:39 PM

Thanks Patram! I understand what your saying about the hard edges, I use a chalk brush when i paint landscapes so i can get all the little rocks to be readable. There is some atmosphere, but as far as this study went the reference has no blurring or sweeping transitions in value and colour so i basically tried to stay as true as possible to the reference. Which is really the point of studies. Where as below the landscape from imagination is pretty different I tried to give it some good atmosphere, altho the end result is pretty loose I kinda realized part way through that it wasn't what i wanted to paint so i got bored and rushed the finish.

Should we do a figure paint study next? I'll email you.

**The Fez** · January 27th, 2012, 12:46 AM

Hey friend, you've got a pretty amazing sketchbook here, and that's a good landscape as far as I'm concerned.

And yes, the chalk brush is magical.

Oh, and this blew my mind:

**matty_mcmullen** · January 30th, 2012, 08:59 PM

Thanks FEZ you got a great sketchbook btw!!

So here's this weeks study, a figure from ref. Now onto the one from imagination.

**matty_mcmullen** · February 20th, 2012, 01:36 AM

Hello.

Recently decided to start painting the way i want to rather than what i think i should be doing. Which kinda made it really frustrating to do any work. I like using textures and keeping things loose rather than making really tight detail paintings. So here is my first stab at making a change.

**Eternal Apprentice** · February 23rd, 2012, 07:27 PM

Hey matty did you start that group where you guys would challenge each other and stuff. You made the thread around December and some people posted in it but IDK what happen? Is it still going on? By the way your stuff is pretty darn good. I took some time off digital (was not that good anyway) to learn some more traditional skills.

Let me know what's up!

**matty_mcmullen** · February 27th, 2012, 02:08 AM

Eternal Apprentice - Hey man, well im not sure if its still going i had a couple guys who joined me but soon just fell out of contact. I think patram is still out there but i haven't heard from him in a while. Im happy to partner up. But i have decided to get involved in the Deathline challenge! So u should join that.

The Deathline challenge has been taunting me and it has seemed pretty scary to get involved but i have decided to bite the bullet and start my own.

So my goals are as follows:
1: Build an awesome portfolio that I'm proud of focusing in Illustration and Concept art.
2: Work hard on staying fit and becoming and awesome rock climber (random i know but its really fun and a few months in and im loving it.)
3: Get a place of my own close to the city with studio space
4: The dream! get a job on a film as a concept artist.

So there they are. And now my first deathline post:

A portrait study, painted how I wanted to paint it. Heaps of texture yesssss!!!
And a concept speedpaint.

**matty_mcmullen** · February 28th, 2012, 03:38 AM

DAY #2

A reclining nude.

Worked late today so hopefully i can get time to do a speed paint as well.

**matty_mcmullen** · February 29th, 2012, 04:58 AM

Day #3

Some crappy character sketches

**matty_mcmullen** · March 1st, 2012, 09:09 PM

Day #4 and #5

Been so busy lately but I'm carrying my sketchbook around with me and I hope to get more sketchin done.

**matty_mcmullen** · March 5th, 2012, 01:41 AM

Day #6, 7, 8

Been a really busy weekend but I managed to get these studies done for a series of portraits I will be doing.

**matty_mcmullen** · March 5th, 2012, 03:19 AM

Another one for today that surprisingly went pretty quick so I thought i would post it.

Character portrait for a graphic novel. A noir novel Character named Detective Bulkowski!

**matty_mcmullen** · March 6th, 2012, 04:24 AM

DAY #9

Another busy day, so i could only muster another study.

**Eternal Apprentice** · March 6th, 2012, 11:05 AM

Matt! OK if we partner up do you think you could provide me the favour of challenging me a bit? I feel like I might not be doing enough work in a way and I kinda need that "push" of a challenge to get the steam flowing.

Awesome work for day 9 Keep it up. I am trying my best to draw every day and I have I think draw 14/15 days. I usually fail after the first week but I am pushing extra, extra hard.

**patram** · March 8th, 2012, 08:36 AM

Hey Matty man! awesome updates since I last checked your Sketchbook. I really agree with what you just said about drawing the way you want to instead of the way your should do...After all, there ain't freakin' rules as long as you put the efforts and keep improving! As for me I've continued to work aside (in the dark away from CA) on some projects. As you know, I found it hard to stay productive with the family life... but I am sure some may be in even harder situation and they still make it. Also I like the personal goals you set to yourself, Go on boy!!! I can be a heck of motivation if you need to! wish I could be the same for my own personal goals though! Anyway, I am still motivated for challenges and I guess the more the merrier, so if you guys (making allusion to you and Eternal apprentice) are up for it.... we can work things out!

**matty_mcmullen** · March 9th, 2012, 07:43 PM

Day #10 #11 #12

Eternal Apprentice- Try keep up the hard work! Prob a good idea is to get your studies done for each day. Ill pop over to your sketchbook and offer some pointers.

Patram- Hey man!! its been a while. I was wondering where you were. I know your busy but i hope your still getting time to paint and draw. Thanks for the encouragement it means a lot! I cant wait to see some of your new work!

Well heres a couple of days work. I have been doing these portraits for a noir novel. So i have been doing 3 studies then the character painting so here are 2 more studies and then the character painting 'Jonesy' a semi crazy pyromaniac.

Currently working on Day 13's stuff so should be up tomorrow!

**Eternal Apprentice** · March 9th, 2012, 08:00 PM

Originally Posted by matty_mcmullen

Eternal Apprentice- Try keep up the hard work! Prob a good idea is to get your studies done for each day. Ill pop over to your sketchbook and offer some pointers.

Thanks Matt.

**matty_mcmullen** · March 13th, 2012, 04:05 AM

Day #15

Been really busy lately. My website is finally finished. Just gotta put up a nice new post on it and i will share the link.

So here are a couple really quick rough studies.

**Eternal Apprentice** · August 7th, 2012, 11:17 PM

Dude! Update! Be alive!

**David Keen** · August 20th, 2012, 10:49 AM

Hey bud, how's things going? Any news on the book so far? I hope you're going well and am looking forward to checking out your new stuff if you put some up. Talk soon.