Sketchbook UPDATE 10/11/2009

[Micahshiro]

Hey everyone! I'm a new member and I just put up my new website portfolio. After posting in the "Finally Finished" section I figured I would post some of my digital and pencil sketches here. I'm so stoked on everything this community has to offer and I look forward to being a part of it for the many years to come. Crits always welcome and if you have some extra time let me know what you think of my site as well.

digital:
Attachment 800142










Pencil/marker:







Attachment 800128

[Quinn Simoes]

Micah,

Great drawings, your line work is nice. I checked out your website, really liked you character designs, look forward to more.

Quinn

[Lukias]

Hell yeah!. Great characters.. expressions.. hot chicks etc. Your work has 'Pazazz" and thats totally warranted.

[cout<mecha]

Your people sketches of just normal everyday situations are really attractive. Have you ever considered animating them? Your style is reminicent of an Alan Tew or Gez Fry. You are a bit flat in some places but I guess that goes with the territory...nice work. Love to see more!

[Micahshiro]

Thanks guys! I am glad you all liked my work. I have a huge archive of unfinished work that I will finish up and post. Right now I am still trying to get a job doing illustration or concept art. Wish me luck! Leads are appreciated.

Cout<Mecha, I would love to animate some of the characters that I have developed. I have tried a little animation here and there and experimented with different techniques, but I have found it to be very time consuming. I assure you that as soon as I get my "foot in the door" I will do a full body animation. I look forward to it!

Is there any particular character you guys would like to see animated?

[outlawzz]

great character design, looking forward to see more

[JanDaniel]

love the style and the anatomy!

[rupeshtalaskar]

Great characters.your line work is nice.4 star for u!!! * * * *

[Clochette]

You got some great characters, I love your line quality! Maybe sometimes you draw the hands too big, but maybe it was just your intention! You know best!
Hope to see more!

[Delmar]

Lovely work...checked out your website. I really hope you make it out there..since I'm in the same position (currently working on my online portfolio) it's always good to know some guys around having the same targets...

cheers..

and keep up the good work

[Micahshiro]

Wow thanks! I was actually expecting to get burned a little because I've never actually used a forum outside of just looking at some of great artwork people post here. I'm glad you guys like this stuff. This is also the first time I've really shown my stuff to anyone, so it's awesome to hear that you all like it!

Clochette, Thanks for the crit! I have always drawn big hands as sort of a stylistic choice and I have had a lot of people point them out to me. Sometimes I think I indulge a bit much when drawing hands and eyes. I have found that both are very effective when trying to define a characters personality in a pose. On some of the characters I think it is suiting but I have found that although they are fun to draw, they are a little strange looking on a human character when all the other anatomy is a little bit more proportionate.

Thanks again everyone. I really appreciate any crits because they give me a chance to use the other side of my brain and this makes my theory feel significantly less scattered. If you guys get a chance I would love some crits on the colored and finished work that I posted in the FF section. The stuff in that scetion is sort of being neglected, I think it's because I edited it so many times out of nervousness.

I do plan on doing some more animation so if anyone has any ideas I would love to hear em.

Thanks!

[nonie]

Looove these sketches! Your use of simplified shapes is really great. Why don't you post the colored stuff here too? It's ok to put things in more than one place, not everyone actually uses all the different sections here.

[rapxic]

man you have sum real great stuff , love the character desighns , diggin the fashion and colours in your portfolio, thats sum fresh stuff

[Havelock]

really like you stuff man

[cout<mecha]

Your animation is pretty ambitious for just a few frames. You have the character moving continously throughout the entire sequence. Did you rotoscope it? I tried it myself with your character design. Despite the choppy flashy look of the finish, it looks as if you managed to squash and stretch during the scream. That's good work for not using the transformation tool!

I love the first character of course which you posted. I'd love to see this animated in a series. I might try it out sometime if you would'nt mind! It'd be cool to collaborate on a story with some characters as we are both beached bums at the moment.

Laterz.

[Micahshiro]

Nonie- Thanks! And double thanks for the advice, I will do that.
Rapxic- Thank you!
Havelock- Thanks!
Lukias- I had a chance to look at the thread you updated and I'm in love with it.
Cout<Mecha- I tried checking out your animation but it appeared as only one frame. I don't know why but I am assuming it's because the only connection I have is this horrendously slow dial-up connection from my work that I am forced to use due to my room mate not paying his portion of the bills. But I'm sure that one frame would look great animated! And yeah man, feel free to animate anything you want. I can't wait to see it!

Here is some more stuff:
Attachment 319439

















Some environments:






An illustrated book that I have been working on:


I just need to add a few things to the new stuff that I'm working on and I will post it as soon as it is all ready.

Thanks again!

[smrtbob]

nifty!
abraxas and asmodeus are really crazy looking, I like the design on the scarf and the green, and the other dude's huge blood swords, and both of their overall looks
great work

[Jsmot]

Tremendous work Micah. I too am a new member but I have been some what of a long time browser on this site. I am not much of an artist but I would like to think that I have a good eye for recognizing quality art. I think your color work is phenomenal and your characters appear to have a unique mesh of eastern and western influences. I am currently working on an independent sic-fi fantasy project and my tastes are specific. I think your style would work very well with this project. I took the liberty of sending you an email with details. Furthermore, it is great to see such raw talent come from such a young artist and I look forward to the possibility of working with you.

James S.

[RaistlinTheDark]

omg those are so beautiful!!!

[Havelock]

Really like you characters mate. The guy with the swords looks menacing as a menacing thing can be

[Micahshiro]

Smrtbob- Thanks! I'm glad you like those designs, I have always been quite partial to those ones specifically because the motif on the scarf and the swords serve a very important role in the story I'm developing for those characters.

Jsmot- Wow I'm flattered. It's interesting that you should mention the eastern and western influences because they have had the biggest influence on me.

RaistlinTheDark- Thank you!

Havelock- Thanks! And indeed he is.

Well to say the least your comments have been very encouraging. I'll be back to post all the new stuff that I have been working on as soon as I find a place to live.

Later!

[Haxxxor]

what the ...

this is just great.
I like your character and creature design especially this one:
http://micahkaneshiro.com/asmodeus.jpg

but imo the blades are too big...

just keep it up and try to do some more colored work, i like them.
but as a critic... in a few environments, the colors are too different and a bit confusing

i will be very pleased if you check out my sb too

[Dirty C]

Your linework is beautiful.

[interstellar]

Wow, I love your style. It shows that you combined western and eastern artstyles, very unique indeed!
Your pencilstrokes are smooth and filled with confidence and your coloured concepts are simply breathtaking.

I'm keeping an eye on this thread. Subscribed and 5 stars from me!
Cheers

p.s.: Your site is very userfriendly, but sadly still a bit empty :p

[Grafguy]

Nice stuff, I like the first couple of characters, they really come alive.
Keep it up, grtz.

[TOOLED!]

my jaw has just dislocated from dropping so fast... just amazing work! im not feeling the paintings as much, they dont have the refinement your line work has, but with time the paintings will come. anywho, im subscribing to this sb for sure!

[Kan Muftić]

If I may give a little constructive crit: try to loose the linework when painting.
Your drawing skills are on a top level but paintings don't really match the drawings. I was the same until I started "sculpting" with colors..
Nowadays, I don't even sketch when I paint but define shapes as I go.

Hope you don't mind, your stuff is beyond cool! Relly fucking awesome!

Cheers,

[NewbbweN]

wicked character designs , i really like the girl with the star on her cheeks

[Micahshiro]

Thanks everyone for the crits and comments. I just did a portrait using a new painting/coloring technique (new to me at least). My shadows have always been a little boring and colorless but I got a great tip to use the warm light/cool shadows, cool light warm shadows technique from Nonie, and wow what a difference. Thanks again Nonie. I can't show the actual portrait but I just did a quick sketch of Thomas Mars that uses the same rule. I am completely self taught so my technique is based almost entirely off of observation. Does anyone know of any other cool techniques like this one?



Some more old sketches






Work has been insane lately so it has been hard to finish up all of the new stuff that I've been working on. One of big the pictures is almost done so I will post it soon.

Cheers!

[Sviatko]

Superb!5S!