Team chow III: Chaotic Sketchers

[AndreRuben]

Hi ca,

Chaotic sketchers are gerezon, ottehg, blackcherry and andreruben


Ok groupies, this will be the place to communicate it, share it, discuss it , etc it.

So how will it be? i guess the best way is each of us do our art and as we progress we would share the wips here and give strong opinions/sugestions to eachother.

maybe 2 paintings for each member would be fine? ending up with 8 total pieces.

We could also share the files to try single collaboration pieces i guess.

but let me know what you yhink then.


Ah and we could also make some kind of simple image/logo to put in our signatures as well! that we can do now =)

[AndreRuben]

Hey people? hows going? I did some research about the tarot as i was not very familiar with it but i found it maybe couldnt be any better topic to illustrate, and you can get to choose from a wide field of choices!

Each team has to do 2 final images per member so we have to get 8 final images!

And we cant do more than 4 major arcanas. (each of us can chose max. 1 major arcana)
You can though do 2 lesser arcanas if you don't wanna draw a major one, theres no limit for lesser ones per team.

So, I made my choice already and i'm gonna go for the major arcana VIII - Strength and lesser arcana seven of swords.

check out tis site for the meanings of cards! cool

http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/basics/index.html

[blackcherry]

Sounds like an awesome topic I'm doing some reading on it now. I'm considering doing 2 of the lesser arcana.

What's really random was I picked up a Tarot book today and was flicking through it. I almost bought it for some research and inspiration, really wish I had now!

Anyway I'd like to do the Seven and Eight of Wands.

Edit: I made a post on the main thread today to request my cards for our team if that's ok?

Can't wait to get started on this!

[gerezon]

Whats up guys!

Sounds like a real cool topic, I havent had the chance to read up on it yet though. Im out of town until sunday the third, so I wont be able to begin anything real 'til then.

edit: Ok, so I read the post and I was wondering what our thoughts are about the cards, should we just pick cards we want to do and then figure out how they will fit together? I guess so, since you guys picked already, ill post in the main thread claiming the following for me/us:

XXI The World
and uhmm, since noone's takin it so far Five of Pentacles

[blackcherry]

I was wondering about the cards fitting together and things along those lines too but I'm figuring we can probably link them through a common theme or something like that. I guess we'll need to brainstorm it and decide how we want to approach it over the next few days.

I'm also away at the moment. I'll be back at home with access to my own computer on the 4th, travelling on the 3rd.

[blackcherry]

Hey everyone! It's rather dead here...

So are we going to get started? Start brainstorming the project, share ideas and decide how to approach the brief. That's if everyne is still up for it?

I think we still have a member who needs to pick cards too!

[AndreRuben]

Hia! yes one of our members still has to choose hsi cards but he can do that during the event. I'v told him what the event is about, he will soon post something =) hes an awesome drawer!



We can design one back piece for the deck also! as we are 4, we could each draw 1/4 of a single image. it would be nice having one image with all our styles mixed up!

SO, about getting started.. I'll post my card's concepts here below.I would like you all to do the same. post your card's meaning or concepts and share it. We should then give eachother any opinions we might have for the other member's cards! this should be a nice start.

here are mine:

Strenght: self control, stability, serenity, discipline, patience, power, mercy, health, courage.
visual symbols: lion, mountains,wreath. "A woman with a lemniscate hovering over her head, a lion."

seven of swords:"A thief sneaks off with 5 out of 7 swords. This is the "Thief" card."

We can start posting some sketches also and do opinions from there, but pls post your cards basic symbols/concepts.

cheers

[gerezon]

Hey guys! I got back to town yesterday so I'm ready to go!

My card meanings:

The World: The Great Mother, The Cervix through which everything is born, Doorway to the next life after death, Fulfillment, Accomplishment, Integration, Involvement, Prospering, Satisfaction, Contentment, Wholeness, Bull, Lion, Eagle.

My original idea when I picked the card was that I wanted to paint something grand in scale, a character absolutely huge constructed from different parts. Like a huge building thats also a character, if that makes sense :p Ill make some sketches to show what I mean. But this was before I read what the card actually meant so Im wondering if you guys think we should follow the actual meanings or make or own interpretations? According to the brief it seems fine to make up your own so..

Five of Pentacles: Two poor folk sit outside a church with five pentacles on its stained glass window, Predicts loss, Financial loss, Bad luck, A set-back in health, Difficult times, Earth, Divinity.

So does anyone have a particular theme in mind? I would personally love to something steampunky, old robots, maybe with a bit of humour attached to it.

[blackcherry]

I'm back now too.

My card Meanings:

Seven of Wands: Sevens are about finding yourself in a situation where you are not in control and are about overcoming fears and finding a way to succeed in a tough situation.

This is the "under siege" card. Stakes are high, under attack, on the defensive,
courage and determination, willing to fight.

Eight of Wands: Eights relate to strength and are about moving and taking action.

The power and energy of eight combined with the energy of wands makes this a card of movement and expansion. There is no fear. This is a card of fast action and excitement. Success assured.

Some other info:

Wand suit: Fire element, creative, often have images of dynamic creative people who charge forth and take action, masculine or yang energy, will power, outer world activities, positive, visually bright,symbolised as branches, sprouting leaves, staffs, clubs, rods, torches.

Seven: symbolises inner life, solitude, soul searching, a mystical number.

Eight: symbolises abundance, worldly power or influence, leadership, authority, cosmic consciousness.

----

As for the tarot theme I really like gerezon's suggestion of robots with some humour. That sounds like it could be good fun!

I also like the idea of designing the back of the card incorporating designs by all of us. I think we should do that after we've moved on with the card's though.

[gerezon]

blackcherry That's great, ill try to get some reference/inspiration/moodboard goin with some stuff I like. Or does anyone else have another theme in mind? Andre? What do you think?

I started sketching on a The World last night (ill scan later). If we keep the theme I think I'll go with a huge robot that serves like a factory for young robots, like "Mom, where do us 'bots' come from? - Why, from The World of course"

[AndreRuben]

Hey ppl!

The theme matter, i like steampunkysh stuff but im personally in a mood for fantasy/classic paintings. I guess i can incorporate a litle steampunk on my paintings though and it will be fine.


I guess its better for us to follow the card's descriptions and draw from there, at least respect the visual symbols of each card, that gives us space for a lot of creativity already.



gerezon i like the world card's aspects! lion bull and eagle, you have a lot to play there but i guess you'll have to do a character also, so thsat will be up to you. i would personally try to design a symbolic world in the background with the creatures and character in front of it, somehow relating to eachother.

Also like the five pentacles' description. it seems it can turn out in a good drawing with the homeless guys and the whole misfortune symbology that there might be. strong feelings going on in that card .


blackcherry seven of wands: "A man defends himself with one wand against 6 others". i actually like almost all symbology of the tarot deck. this one is also a powerfull card with lot of feeling into it. courage and reacting against hostile attacks, outnumbered but still holding our ground. makes me think of all the heroes in the movies that allays prevail even trough greater evils. good drawing prespectives around that card!

eight of wands sounds also a good oportunity to draw cool stuff. the movement, speed and strenght around this card can give the drawer some nice ideas to go for the drawing


Let's go for the sketches!

[blackcherry]

I think we should all agree on an idea for a theme for our cards before we get too into the designs so our designs link. I think creating some moodboards and the like would also be useful in helping decide the overall look and style we want.

Personally I think whole robot/humour approach would be a good choice as it's different from the normal and could be an interesting way of interpreting the cards in our own way, whereas the fantasy/myth approach is a more widely used theme for the tarot so maybe something different would be a more unique take.

gerezon, when you suggested this idea for a theme were you thinking of the robots being rather stylised?

Also where's our 4th member?

[AndreRuben]

Ye you'r right we have to decide a concrete theme.

I agree that the fantasy/myth theme is indeed rather common for the subject so the steampunk/robots/humurous idea is very good ye!


Gooled out a bit and colected some stuff, though im thinking of aproaching my drawings in a more cartoonish look. I Like the style of the ones in the end of the post, they'r from fydbac ( http://fydbac.deviantart.com/ ) hes also a member of ca. I would like to aim for +- that style:

So do you think we should include the way to draw into the theme as well? or should we illustrate as we like as long it fits the theme? Im cool either ways, because we cant really do equal illustrations so as long as the whole robot steampunk funny style is recognised its ok

[blackcherry]

I really like the research you've gathered there I particularly like the first robot with the dog and also the very last pencil sketch. I think the cartoonish approach would work well with the theme. I think it would be a good idea for us to all aim to illustrate our cards in a similar style so when presented they work well as a set. What do you all think?

I'll put together a moodboard and post it here too and then start on some initial sketches if we all agree on the theme and style approach.

[blackcherry]

Some mood boards I made for steampunk robots:

[gerezon]

Wow so many awesome robots, you guys hit the nail with these boards.Thats exactly what I had in mind.

Andre if you dont want to do draw robots, I think the styles of the characters you posted would work well, if they also are a bit humourus/stylized.

[gerezon]

Hey guys, whats up?

Is anyone painting anything? I have to say that this has kinda been a bid timing for me. I just quit my job and im gonna start atelier training next week, so my job is keeping me real busy with tying up all loose ends before I quit.

But Im gonna do my best to get my images done!

Anyways, here are a few thumbnails I did last night for the world. Im not sold on anyone yet but my idea is that the world is symbolized by this huge robot that produces smaller robots, maybe he would even have some kind of buildings on top of his back where smaller robots would live. Im think it would be kinda of funny seeing a small robot standing on top of him doing laundry or something.

So Im just throwing out some ideas, im gonna continue produce some more thumbs and see if I can come up with something good. Let me know what you guys think!

edit: heres another one.

[jozulus]

nice sketches, yeah!!! this big robomother is an intersting idea, original, but not an easy way (so i like it). Keep on surfin' your creative waves!

[blackcherry]

gezeron, love the thumbnails you've done

My favourites are 2 and 3 of the card thumbnails, particularly two for the composition, though I do think the big robot could maybe be more round in shape like your very last sketch so it looks more like a 'world'.

I really like your idea of having little houses and things on the robot too, I think that would be awesome.

I've been giving some thought on how to depict mine. I'll probably follow your lead and do some thumbnails later.

For the seven of wands card I'm thinking of having a small robot fending off 6 others, or maybe fending off big robot tentacle arm things. I'll have to experiment.

I'm not sure what to use to signify wands either in terms of the theme.... Any suggestions? I'm thinking maybe some sort of tool?

[gerezon]

thanks cherry! Glad I'm on the right track. I'm also leaning towards 2&3 but with the roundness of the last one. I'll try combine them some way.

I like the idea of having the seven of wands fighting some big robot, I'm thinking david vs goliath, a small robot doing the best he can against all odds. You could save time by only showing parts of the big robot (ie. its "tentacles") so you wont have to paint both the monster and the robot maybe. But thats up to you.

Hmm, not really sure about how to signify the wands either, but I don't think we would have to be that literal about it, aslong as its seven of something and it gets the overall meaning about beeing on the defensive and under attack it should be fine.

Looking forward to seeing your sketches, will be easier to discuss then, dont be afraid to just spam some thumbs, try out some ideas.

[AndreRuben]

Hi all, gerezon , i didnt said i woudldnt like to draw robots, you miss understood, i just posted those drawings in the matter of style and not about the actual robot theme. Nice start! go for the round-robot idea to emphasis the "world" aspect ye =)


blackcherry , You just gave me a great sugestion, maybe it is indeed cooler to use mechanical tools instead of actual swords in my piece also. Tools such as these: .

and here's my first rough sketch for "seven of swords" ("a thief running away with 5 swords and leaving 2 swords behind") after some initial doodles:

[gerezon]

Sweeet! I love it Andre, made me laugh

It would be cool to use tools instead of swords, great idea.

It feels like we're on the right track guys, im pumped!

[blackcherry]

Here's my thumbs for the seven of wands aka 'the undersiege' card.



Got my little robot under attack and standing up for himself. Decided to use spanners as wands to fit the whole robot theme. Not sure which one I prefer at the moment.

Nice sketch Andre

[AndreRuben]

I like the 2nd thumb where the robot is surrounded by the other wands, blackcherry.

[gerezon]

I second that Andre, thats the strongest one.

[blackcherry]

Thanks for the feedback. I'll probably develop that one then. So how are things going for everyone else? It's pretty quiet on our thread...

Is our team just the three of us now or is there still a 4th member?

[gerezon]

Hey guys, sorry i havent been here much, i've got the flu, and I dont really have any energy..

i will probably have to work in bursts when I get better and find the time...

That dont stop you guys from workin tho, cheers!