Phantasmagoria : Jason Snair's Sketchbook : Updated TODAY!

[McLean]

Hey dude, I really like a lot of your stuff.

This most recent finish though, still feels a little unresolved for me. A lot of the marks in the background read more as flat sketched in color and any real depth or atmosphere. I also feel like having the same range of warm-to-cool on the figure as on the background flattens it a little. I can appreciate that the figure is reflecting the light of her surroundings, but i wonder if you can do that while making the figure more cool and the BG more warm, or vice versa. I dunno, something to consider, but I know sometimes i feel like when I'm done, I'm done, and I just hafta move it along.

So, how is that Illustration Masterclass?? I really would like to go, possibly as soon as next summer, and I'd love to get an honest opinion on the program! How many students attended this summer? Is everyone attending top-of-game up-and-coming talent? Worth the tuition?

See you around man.

[themissinglink]

hey man, the robin hood piece for the master class turned out great, did you work on it any more after the workshop? Dont know if you remember me but i was the one sitting in front of all the greg manchess paintings and sitting in the comfy chair. I agree with McLean that the background isnt resolved enough and it just looks unfinnished. Also the figure looks a little like she is floating and not standing on the ground. Sweet work man, hope to see you at the master class next year.

McLean-since I went to the master class too i thought i would give you my feelings on it. I thought it was the probably the best artistic descision i have ever met (even more than going to art school) you cannot belive how much i learned there. the tuition was worth every penny (some people said the workshop paid for itself by the second day!) there was about 70 students and the talent and age ranged greatly, I was one of the yougest people there at age 22, there were some people that were 50. if you have a passion for art then i strongly recomend this workshop.

[Merlkir]

Hi Jason, awesome updates since I've been here! Really love the inquisitor piece.

[Jason Snair]

McClean: Wow...thanks for the comments. I think you might be right actually. I did have another background layer where I played around with defining the background elements, but chose to leave it off because it just got too distracting. I really wanted to focus on the figure. Butttttttt, you might be one to something with the cool/warm relationship. I think I will work on the more...and still define the background more. At ComicCon, the biggest thing people told me was some of my pieces look 97% done. So I just need to push them just a bit more finished...and I plan on it.

The masterclass was amazing. It was so much fun and so informative. If they do it again, I'm totally signing up again. It cost $1700 for classes and room and board, plus 3 meals a day. Not bad, considering you get a week of classes taught by some of todays best illustrators. The students ranged from just starting out/beginner in oils, to working professionals (one guy worked in animation for Warners Bros...and worked on Iron Giant and the Matrix) So there was a good range of talent.

MissingLink: Hey, I do remember you. I didn't really have time to finish up Robin Hood. Between class and work and getting ready for ComicCon...I just didn't have time. I did, however, overlay some color in photoshop...just to harmonize the color and temp. I plan on doing it completely over, once I get some free time.

Merlkir: Thank you, man. Glad you stopped by.

[mrdoom]

Awesome stuff. The last one has a few issues with the leg anatomy, but the costuming is da bomb.

[Jason Snair]

Mr Doom: Yeah, I think I see that now....it's kinda bent outward a little too much.

Here's this week's chow: Blood Moon Monk. I think with this topic, we're going to get a lot of similar entree...but I'm just going to go for something 95% cool looking, 5% original.

[Senira]

The monk looks like it's going to be interesting. I've seen your stuff in a lot of CHOWs; your characters have a very distinctive upper-class look to them, and I think the way that contrasts with your costume choices and character attitudes is always fun to see. Good luck on the CHOW this week!

[Jason Snair]

Senira: Thank you!

Just a little update: A friend of mine and I are putting together a book of villains. We started a blog to set up challenges every few weeks. Check it out - artgasmchallenge.blogspot.com

This week's challenge is to come up with a villain concept for a Boss and Assistant. Here's what I came up with. Going for underworld arms manufacturer. He's the guy that other villains go to get their crazy, diabolical weapons made. Need a spiked mace that leaks poisonous gas. Go to him. Need a gauntlet that also serves as repel line. This is your guy.

{I haven't done his assistant yet...but right now I'm gearing towards making that character his daughter. Plan to paint it this week. Update to follow}

[jedininjaman]

doesn't look very evil or creative, breathe some life into him

[Jason Snair]

Jed: Perhaps, you're right. I started painting, though. I think I'm going to make the daughter the character that's more 'out' there. He's just a workshop bad guy. Nothin' fancy about him. I'm not trying to skirt the issue of him not being super original or creative. No excuse, really. Just in my head, I wanted him to be the boring one and the daughter to be the "whoa" one.

Here's the painted updated: (Just the basic underpainting)
I did add some biker tattoos on his arm. And I've got to redo the face.

[katinki]

i love your painting style! everytime i see one of your pieces i can recognize it immediately. and the way the iron glows is very simple yet effective!
concerning him being a villian - i dunno. he doesn't look evil at all, rather concentrated. but life would be boring if all bad guys could be easily identified...

and i look forward to see with what you come up for the daughter!

[Jason Snair]

I haven't been doing much art for the past month. Been kinda busy with work and other life. To boot myself into gear, I've been attending this little (great) Figure Drawing group in Quincy. It's only going to last 3 sessions, and I kinda wish it lasted longer.

Here are some of my faves from last night's class.

[Jason Snair]

So, I've been in a little funk lately. Haven't drawn much. Basically work, tv, eh, more-work. blah. I took a figure drawing class for the past few weeks and, as I was hoping, jumped-started my creativity a bit.

My friend and I are doing a book of villians. This weeks' topic is to create a hero's doppleganger.

Here's my take:
The Hero is a telekinetic human, who's very much in charge of his abilities. I always figured, though, that if telekinesis really existed it would probably leave the person with some sort of mental handicap. Like, the brain just can't handle all that information. In a way, I'm thinking something similar to autism, where all the information is stored, but processing is difficult. I'm also thinking that if someone were to be able to control things telekinetically, then their motor functions would probably be limited.
Here, my villain has the telekinetic gifts, but he has almost no real control of them. He lashes out in fits of rage over his circumstances, and is quite powerful. This is just a real quick sketch. Just wanted to get some attitude on paper. I'll have to fix the body and hands some, maybe add in some levitating object, like a car, in the background. It also sort of looks like Punk-rock Snair...which I wasn't really aiming for.

[hunchback]

nice art dude i like the figure work. x)

[Jason Snair]

Jesus! I've got to get back to doing this book on a daily basis.

Here's some recent work: A friend and I are doing some Villain of the Week challenges over at our blog Artgasm (artgasmchallenge.blogspot.com)

This week's challenge was to create a Bond-like villain who creates machines. I decided to go for a guy who builds submarines and is plotting to alter the underwater sea currents which control the Earths land temperatures.

[young paddy1]

that last character looks pretty cool kind of a mix between drax and goldfinger with a touch of anthony hopkins, really good stylization.

cheerio

[Kian]

some great character designs here man! The blood moon monk's my fav I think

[Jason Snair]

Young Paddy and Kian, thanks guys...

here's an update. I'm not sold on the green/blue rim lighting just yet. it's coming off too strong and drags my eye downward too much. Perhaps it'll be okay once I add in the green light in the port hole...but right now I'm probably gonna nock it down a notch or two. And the boots need to be reworked, even though they're pretty much in shadow.

[zhonked]

Fantastic sketchbook Jason! You have a really great sense of design and color. And your style really grabs attention I hope work and life slow down a bit more soon and that you can get back to producing more of these great pieces! How did that convention a while back go? Anyway, I hope to meet you sometime at the Boston sketch group!

[Jason Snair]

Zhonked: Things are slowing down a bit at work. I'm back to drawing at least every other night again. Hope to join in the Boston Sketch group soon.

Here's the Sub-villain finale. (well, really close to final. I've got to clean a few things up)

[Jason Snair]

Working on my xmas card / evil santa villain challenge.

Artgasm Challenge: Take Santa, mix with element power (fire, wind, water, earth)

Here's my concept.
Sain Nekvos was a brutal Viking God, who would come to the aid of believers while in the midst of battle. According to legend, he would give blessings and gifts to those he deemed worthy. To enemies he brought forth the cruel winter wind, which he ruled over. He rode atop Ruedov, the mythical giant reindere beast, whose footsteps would leave a coal-like black stain upon the white snow. Believers would give thanks to him (and friends as well) on the Darkest day in the land, the Winter Solstice.

Over the centuries, his legend changed. Most dramatically came after one particular battle, where he failed to come to the aid of true believers. Soon, tribes far and wide assumed his power had weakened. His myth transformed into children's tales of forgotten times. During Pagan years and eventually after the Romans conquered the land, parents began telling their children of a wise old man, named Saint Nicholas, who would give gifts of gold or food to good children on Dec. 25th.

And that is the true legend of Santa Claus.

Here's my sketch, I'll starting working on the drawing this weekend.

[Flaskpost]

love the model drawings man.
sub-guy could use some atmospheric perspective, to make him pop from the background, and to add some more mood to the picture.

[Jason Snair]

Flaskpost: Thanks....I think I might play around in PS a bit and try it out.

Here's my christmas card. Be painting this week.

[purb36]

hey, jason, how's it goin over here?

nice concept...can't wait to see how it plays out. just a note for the action, you might want to extend the legs of the reindere to have him on the falling side of a jump. cause sein's beard is falling from top to bottom, meaning that he is on the falling side of a jump...i think it might be more consistent if you did it that way. good luck man, i hope to see it some tuesday. hope all's well!

[Jason Snair]

Plurb: Hmmm. yeah, you're probably got something there. I'll try and fiddle with it a little.

I started painting. In Photoshop. This is my first time actually painting in PS. It's nice. It's like painting with light washes of acrylic on glass. It flows fast too. I was having problems getting the "paint" to draw out fast enough in Painter. Besides the slight lag to each stroke, it just felt like I had to work the digital media more to get it to make forms.

[Jason Snair]

Finished and then turned it into my christmas card.

[DeKal]

your under-rated snair. i still feel the same about your linework. just so much stronger than a lot of your rendered out work. would love to see more of a compromise between the two.

[Jason Snair]

Dekal:

Artgasm Challenge: Take a timid, harmless, innocent animal and turn it into an evil character. Went with Golden Lion Monkey

[purb36]

hey man, merry belated Christmas!

with the christmas card, i would ask, what's the focal point? to me, the thing my eye gets most attracted to is the reindere's eye and nose, which seems to be the most detailed thing. it's legs look MUUUUUUCH better now, awesome. good job with the color scheme, definitely looks winter. and i LOOOOVE the colors with the evil monkey dude. i love a great, sunny orange. what about him makes him evil? i think you could push the pose more, cause the colors are definitely not going to help in that department. and just holding a skull stick doesn't make him evil, just maybe a bright shaman or something.

hope this helps. g'luck with it man, and i hope to see you after the new year. happy new year; enjoy!

[Jason Snair]

Purb36: hey man. Thanks for the crit. I've worked on the monkey a bit today...painting in the face now. Yeah, that first drawing was just sort of so I could see what the animal looked like when drawn. I just wanted a clean base to get started. Instead of going all out on weird evil costume, I decided on un-cute, evil expression/face. I started drawing in the costume, then realized that the cool element to this animal is their hair and by having costumed up, it just covered that coolness.

Happy New Year to you and everone!