Zerg! - updated 27th

[Vorace]

the queen of blades would be very happy to see these killer zerg!! good job!|

[Pseudo-Kidney]

I'm especially fond of the green and black critter.
Very cool concepts overall, I'd love to see them in a unique setting!

[HunterKiller_]

When are ya gonna get to the Hydralisk already?

[KevinP]

Hey Luke, great stuff. You've been busy! I love your Zerg treatments. Top notch. I'm glad to see you are posting here. I had a good time kicking around with you at Blizz. Keep posting!!

[Dahami]

The Zerg Overmind is pleased.

[Mr--Jack]

Dizon; Thanks

Fumble; No probs and cheers!

Vorace; one would hope so! (she's not one to displease, after all)

Pseudo-Kidney Thanks

HunterKiller_ well well, I believe you'll be pleased with the next update, then...

KevinP; ahoy! Thanks indeed, and yeah, 'twas fun indeed! (I'm not sure if you tried or not but it turns out the email address on the card I gave you didn't actually exist so apologies there)

Dahami; I'm glad to hear it. (even in death )


So, without further ado, the Hydralisk! The most complicated and time-consuming so far, and I've a feeling they're not going to get any simpler, but still. All fun, and the motivation isn't falling away yet so . . . .
Thanks for the support, and enjoy!

crits + such encouraged

[phoenicorn]

Really loving your latest piece. Time well spent in my opinion.

[HunterKiller_]

He's... perfect.

Btw, how did you find out that the Roach has regenerative health?

[dem0n]

I think I'm in love.

[Hive_minD]

u need to come up with some tutorials, or screen capture. Love the way you paint

[HunterKiller_]

u need to come up with some tutorials, or screen capture. Love the way you paint

You should check the first page....

[Lotet]

sweet mother of good, that hydralisk is looking awesome.

[Duman]

Its no fair, you should really send some of these into blizzard. I am sure they would be interested. (any job openings?)
But really, keep it up.
Amazing work.

[Knarf]

Mr. Jack, just wanted to show my appreciation on your speed paint on the green mech. Really helped me gain some insight on more photoshop options on digital paintings. Keep up the good work.

Need addition Pylons,
-Frank

[keith_v]

I love the use of the chunky black outline! It really makes the whole image stand out.

[Mr--Jack]

Replies'll come with the next update (but thanks !), but in the meantime I've got a progress/tut thing for the Hydra as well if people are interested.

Cheers!

[Noplz]

Looking good! However there is something about the hydras belly area that feels strange. It feels like its poping out a bit too much. Everything else is great! can't wait for the next update!

[Nexus]

These are great Mr--Jack. I can't wait to see your take on some of the special units like Kerrigan and the Infested Space Marine.

[dkounios]

really wicked stuff man. nice style - clean and detailed.
please keep posting more!

[MrSmith]

dude these are insane. 5 stars

[- Anarchy -]

Damn! Man, yours zergs a best!

[Eveningkiss]

I wouldn't want to run into those guys in a dark ally.

or a bright one.

[Line]

I say Metroid! Great stuff!!!

[Mr--Jack]

phoenicorn; Cheers! and I'm glad to hear it. . . hehe.

Hunter_Killer; thanks! I follow the updates (on the battle.net forums, the SC2 site hasn't been updated unit-wise for months) pretty closely, and the roach has been pretty much as it is (aside from cost + hp/damage tweaks) since it was first revealed.

Lotet thankye!

Duman hehe. Apparently concept positions open at the moment are 'senior' but as soon as I kick myself out of this hesitation I'll send off an email anyways
Cheers!

Alm0st; no problems! always glad to hear they're of use.
And thanks!

keith_v; thanks! Yep, I'm comfortable working with this style I've got going here...

Noplz; Cheers! I see your point; i think the little specular highlights around the centre of the chest might be a bit much, always something I've got to catch myself not to go too overboard with.

Nexus; thanks! Kerrigan's not going to be for a while (I'm thinking she's gonna be last) but the infested marine's only a couple off at the moment

dkounious; thanks! And I shall

MrSmith; Much appreciated

- Anarchy -; thankye!

Eveningkiss; or an alley during the evening or while it's overcast . . . can't really think of a situation where I would like to run into one, really, now that I think about it



Line; ? Thanks!


I was a bit worried about the pose on this one, since it was looking a little odd, but once I got the shadow on the BG in it seemed to sort itself out pretty nicely; I suppose it's just a little odd looking at something with 5 legs.

So yeah, this is sort of in-between the old lurker and the new model; I don't exactly know what the original one looked like, really—the in game model was a lot bulkier and cooler looking I think than this render which came out at the time BW was released, which imo looks too much like a hydra with a couple of extra legs. Not entirely a fan of the current model either, so,this is a little more original on my part than most of the others. I like to think it's still recognisable, though...

Quicker than the Hydra, maybe 5 hours.

[Kvick]

These are beautifully gruesome renders of originally low res works. Awesome works, are those muscles from any specific type of reference or just improvised? they look right at home

[Duman]

Is it just me, or are these things getting even better?
I mean, these are improvements on the actual art blizzard is currently using.
You and your cyborg hands.

[Azuma, Hironori]

Gonna have to give this thread 5 stars. Great work- although with the hydralisk specifically you had an opportunity to really highlight a bug's often smooth and otherworldly carapace and your rendering technique would have done that very nicely. You did seem to be going in that very bug-like direction of "organic machinery specifically on the scales on his underside as well as the claws and the face. The one thing I do not like about the Hydralisk is that you made the top of the head rather lumpy after the very graceful and well-formed crown that you gave him at the front of his head... instead of something you'd see on a bug-creature it feels rather "beef jerky".
This type of interpretation seems to have made it across also to the lurker but not so much so. For how good all the other forms are on the creature, this one which should be most iconic and crisp does not seem to be so.

Regardless, I love starcraft and you've definitely done justice to its art.

Lurker is great and the explody green one (forgot the name off the top of my head) has a definite "Alien queen" vibe about the front of its head which is a really neat incorporation. Really nice what you did with its green bubbles. Colors and musculature definitely show you were having a great deal of fun with these.

[acapulco]

Uah, nice, I friggin love lurkers! Those are all awesome!

[Kogaras]

woah mr Jack didn't know you where on Conceptart.org too =D
just one of ya devwatcher passing through
your monster/creature concepts are as cool as ever

[Mr--Jack]

Kvick; Thanks and no, no other references really, just working with what seems right.

Duman; well I'd hope I'm improving, after all that's the point. Thanks!

Azuma, Hironori hehe. I see your point there; I tried to make it a bit of a separate plate after the headpiece since in the pose I'd given it the head is twisted in our direction, and solid carapace doesn't bend too well I don't think... And yeah, I suppose it could've been smoother but I did at least try to keep it all symmetrical
Thanks!

acapulco; thanks! (and glad to hear it)

Kogaras; well hello then! And thanks


And now the latest, with a slight variation in texture (at least in some areas)... the Infested Terran! Always a fun unit. This one was considerably quicker than the last couple (under 3 hours as opposed to 6 or 7 for the Lurker and Hydra respectively), and the rendering's all a little rougher but I'm pretty happy with this one.

I recorded a video of this one, too, so . . . enjoy!
(anyone know how to directly post a youtube clip? 't'd be much simpler..)