NickyBeats- Wannabe Concept Artist

[danlambert]

That's badass man, loving the colours. Reminds me of your Dune images you started a while ago, good shit!

[Medusoid]

Very nice man, Im diggin it

[racca]

Amazing concepts! I'll try to learn a lot looking at your sketches! =)

[walnut]

Like that last one too, nice evangelic ring to it :p But maybe to spice it up you could vary the texturing from background to foreground? Some foreground elements would be welcome in any case. But now i wanna see some FIGURE studies! Presto!

[henri]

hey man and thanks for the regular visits in my sketchbook! there's great energy in your work!

i'm still learning painter but i've noticed with the chalk brush you can achieve different textured look by adjusting the grain setting. also try changing the dab type, you can get some cool effects that way :]

just keep at it and push yourself !

[Sycra]

Hey bud, I'm liking that last landscape, especially the sky! Looks quite impressionistic. You're getting better and better so keep it up!

[NickyBeats]

thank you very much for the comments! i promise ill answer them later, i am just too tired right now

[monstertree]

The volume in the armoured guy is really nice, watch the far foot though - it's looking flat and diminishing the 3-dimensionality of the figure atm.

[Lord Dubu]

That sculpt looks nice. I've always been a fan of those red-resin looking renders.

[Vritra]

Man, I remembered I'd seen a good texture tutorial on CA somewhere recently, and went searching for it for you. So anyway, after what seemed like ages I hit upon it, and see that you'd already thanked that post. What the hell.

Anyway, this is the one I'm talking about.

[HunterKiller_]

Ditto with Vritra, right on the money. (EDIT: I meant one of his earlier comments, wasn't on the latest page, oops)

I would like to offer some advice on taste. It's obvious that you love comic artwork, but imitation is a dangerous game that often results in stagnation, dead ends or just exactly what it is, an imitation.

Most of the greats in the comic industry didn't get there by copying other comic artists, they studied the fundamentals of art, and from the past masters of representational art.
I'm not saying you can't copy what you enjoy, but learn from it and incorporate it into your own work.
Having said that, I would recommend you don't use the colouring/rendering styles from comic at all. I can tell you do, please don't do it. They... do not make good sources of study, to say the least.
As before, study from the masters, or better yet, real life.

I would like to rehash Vritra's comment about your sensibility for 'energetic' pictures. Doing some serious study of gesture and rhythm will make this your great strength.
http://theartcenter.blogspot.co.nz/search/label/Drawing
Here's some great stuff about gesture from animators. They know their gesture.

[NickyBeats]

danlambert - hey bro! thanks for dropping in! this was just a quick doodle i did at work. nothing special haha. thanks man!

Medusoid - ha thanks a bunch man!! you honor me with your visits!!

racca - haha thanks man!! but take my advice, dont try to learn from my work!!! youll just end up repeating my mistakes!!

walnut - thanks man!! i appreciate the visit! yea, i really need to pay more attention to creating believable distances.. and i think subtle texturing could definately help there. ive just been experimenting with some actually. ill post as soon as its done!

henri - hey man! thanks for stopping by! i love the chalk brush! but i have never really tried messing with its settings.. hmmm ill have to give that a try! thanks for dropping by! and thanks for the comment!

Sycra - thanks man!! im glad you dig it!

monstertree - ahh that damn foot was driving me crazy! haha. thanks bro!! how you been man!? havent been by your sketchbook in a minute.. i gotta head over there soon!

Lord Dubu - they do look cool dont they? haha thanks man!

Vritra - haha yeaaa i get around... i hear that all the time haha. but thanks for the link because even though i saw it, i didnt save it, so now i got the chance too! so thanks dude!!!

HunterKiller_ - yea i totally agree with you man. im not sure where you got the impression that im copying comic artists. i havent done that since highschool i think haha. i do studies, and feel as though i have sort of established a personal style, but its more of a crutch these days, and a hinderance. i need to shake myself out of it, but always fall back into the same old grooves. i cant stand it sometimes. many more studies are in order.

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thanks for all of the comments everyone!! i really appreciate them!

ok it may seem like ive been somewhat absent recently, and that is because i have been doing lots of schoolwork, and i have also been working on a pretty fucking sweet pair of collaborations with Ross Grams (Mr. Corlan). and i am very much looking forward to showing you guys what weve been cooking up! so stay tuned!! its gonna blow your effing socks through the damn wall!!!!

[Vritra]

Hey man, anytime.

Picking up on Hunterkiller_'s comment about animators knowing their gestures, have you seen Ryan Woodward's work?

Good to hear you've been working with Mr. Corlan, he truly is a fine artist. Show us what you got when you have the time.

[NickyBeats]

Vritra - thanks for that link! awesome work on there!! but for some reason all of the images are tiny! i can barely see em. and yea man, Ross is amazing!! i cant wait to show what weve been cooking up. some really cool stuff!

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just some doodles and scribbles...

[LtPlissken]

I am the one who should apologize for not visiting lately, but the
thing that happened with this reply business is that I was visiting the books
ONLY of those who were visiting mine. This all cause of one reason, and that
is of insufficient time and as you know, replying to all of the sketchooks can
turn to a full time job. I started a few projects myself and that's how CA.org
got a bit neglected. But here I am now, like fresh and new, was going through
your last pages and noticed the discussion about your latest, as some said
"issues" Doing the frontal non-dynamic comic book style pose over and over
again. Well, we all have something that we do the most favorite and we
have our little safe zones, where we like to relax. I guess these frontal
muscled figures are your safe zone. So as everyone is preaching IF you
want to improve and to evolve, I have to imply the significance of the IF here,
then you will have to do other things. What things? Well, I am not sure
it's all about your personal goals. Your book title says that you want to
be a Comic book artist, than you should predominantly work toward that goal.
You got the comic book style, you got the digital art skills the only thing
you should do or evolve in your gameplan is the perspective and dynamic
feature of your figures. Try to do comic book pages, panels actions like
for example two Mortal Kombat characters fighting from round one to
round three, push them through of some of your personal scenario, do
above, below and all around screenshots. Try to push things beyond your
boundaries. Make it to be challenging. Do not rush with your updates.
Think of a story, think it through good, make thumbnails and small storyline
sketches about it. Make them larger, make the story come true, your own
unique story. Do not be hasty with this mission, let it last, let it last for
a month or even two. I think that's one example how you could evolve even
more, how you could be even better. Cause if you always do what you
always done, you will always get what you always got. And this story
goes out not just for you, it goes for all of us. We have to improve
and go through walls IF we want to evolve. On the other hand, as I said
lately to all, if you do NOT want to go better, if you do art purely for fun,
then forget everything what I said and just relax. Keep updating buddy,
and work hard, cause I will be following.

[HunterKiller_]

Oh, I just wanted to add one thing that's really important and relevant to your goal, you may very well know it, but anyway.

successful comic isn't about pretty drawings.

That is not to say you can ignore the fundamentals of draftsmanship, but there really is a more crucial aspect to tackle, and that would be storytelling.
In my experience, this is also the more difficult topic due it's abstract nature and it's really a large topic made up of smaller fragments, composition, pacing and timing are good examples.
Mignola is fantastic for these reasons. He is a masterful draftsman no doubt, but I really wouldn't call his comic artwork 'pretty' in the sense of dramatic effects, fancy anatomy, over the top compositions, etc.
(Of course this is no disregard for his achieved style, it is no easy feat to simplify to such a degree, and I personally enjoy it immensely)
He's boiled his style down to the bare minimum in order to enable full on storytelling, because that's the bottom line reason why people read comics/graphic novels.

Anyway, I got a bit ranty. Hopefully you find it of some use.

P.S. I would assume you've read 'Watchmen', but just in case, it is a master piece of comic.

[htkpeh]

cool updates man!

[NickyBeats]

ill have to reply later... sorry guys im about to jet off to class!

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some elementals done for a game design project...

[Medusoid]

I actually really like those traditional medium sketches ^^

[NickyBeats]

LtPlissken - yea haha i know what you mean man! i find that replying to lots of sketchbooks on here can take up a lot of time! but i end up just doing it unconsciously most of the time. its like an addiction haha. nah im not trying to be a comic book artist anymore.. i should really change the title of this sketchbook. im going for 2D and 3D game design. you have a great idea about trying to panel out a fight scene from start to finish! ive wanted to do that for so long!! i guess its time to put up or shut up haha. i gotta lace my boots up and man up.. thanks for the visit man!! and the hearty response haha!

HunterKiller_ - dudeee!!! yea of course ive read watchmen!! one of my favorite graphic novels!! and yea man, i love mike mignola. hellboy is also one of my favorite comics. soooo good. there was one story that was my favorite, i think it was the wolves of augustine or something. . but it was amazing...

htkpeh - thanks man!! haha

Medusoid - cheers bro!!

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ok just dropping off some school related art for a flash game i am co-developing for my 2D game class at school...

[JAB!]

Very nice, makes me want to get off my ass and draw!

[NickyBeats]

JAB! - ha thanks man!!

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an arm study.

this website is incredible for anatomy references. i recently found it through Daarken's website, (enliighten.com) and is just packed with amazingly detailed anatomical plates. great quality site.

inspirational artworks -
http://inspirationalartworks.blogspo...91aeeebec5474c

[AustenFM]

Cool-beantown-baked-beans, thanks for sharing the link man! Your study looks tight, hope to see more of the like soon!

Also, speaking of wanting to see more of something, your scanned images on post#2025 are great, you know i love seeing this kind of thing, so please share more! As for your flash game i really dig the elemental character designs as well as colors. They look quickly rendered but they're strong and still look well thought out. I'm working on a stone character similar to yours as a matter of fact. heh~

Keep it up dude, i hope your new-found path of concept/3D artist wont stop you from making a comic page or two. I'll be around!

[LtPlissken]

2D/3D artist for games sound outstanding,
you have my full support.

[Medusoid]

lol those are all pretty funny man, the planet one caught me off guard a bit and I started laughing in my last class while the teacher was talking. I need to stop browsing the internets while I'm in class XD

[KlineCreative]

I love the landscape! Your sketches are nice too. Comic book influenced? Now I feel old. Do they even print comic books anymore? I need to get out more.

[Elkishly]

I really liking your sketchbook so far, enjoying your comic(y) stuff very much. c:
I think you should do more figure studies and gestures though. idk. all your poses seem to be quite bland.

[Lav]

Great website, love the arm study

[MrFrenik]

Always good to come back and check out your page after a while, beats. Keep up the good work and good luck kicking ass in school.

By the way, love the concept designs. If you're going to go comic-book style (as I see that was a topic of discussion recently) you can definitely incorporate that into concept art as well.

[NickyBeats]

thanks everyone!! ill reply next time!! super busy at the moment...