[TJFrame]

Today I came across a very useful book at Borders. It's called Photshop, Painter, and Illustrator Side-by-Side by Wendy Crumpler. If you use these programs in conjunction with each other this book is a great refrence guide that compares the various tools of each program and how they differ.
I have really found it quite useful.

In my spare time I am working on a personal project to re-envison the 1950's movie The Day The Earth Stood Still. Here are some rough sketches from my sketchbook..

A few various looks for Klatuu's robotic escort, Gort.







Here is a sketch showing the "musculature" for Klatuu's technology. The fibers resemble muscle tissue from afar, but up close they reveal their synthetic/mechanical nature.



Here is an unused idea for Klatuu's landing ship. Gort is stored in the large coccoon-like pod.



In my "version" of the story, Klatuu deploys thousands of massive "Enforcer" drones that descend upon the planet. Each drone is massive - perhaps several kilometers or more in length. Here are some sketchs showing possible configurations





Well, that's a tiny portion of the rough design work I'm doing for the project - renderings and paintings will come later. Hope you dig em.

-TJ



[This message has been edited by TJFrame (edited January 19, 2001).]

[-- Transcendent --]

oh, my, wow !!

Are you doing this in 3d ?

[SporQ]

wow, great renderings. i still have no skill in that particular style and am trying to learn so it is great to see such detailed pics. i loved that movie btw

as far as that book is concerned, i've heard mixed reviews. some say that it is nothing more than a list of these programs' features, and not a very detailed one at that. but, i haven't seen it myself so i don't really know what i'm talking about

SporQ

[Rinaldo]

those are some fantastic design sketches

nothin' much to say besides, more please

[Rhomb]

well, I dig them big time. You have show us some more of these

-Ville

[tayete]

OK TJFRAME, you achieved your goal: show us, poor mortals, how far we are from drawing mith a minimum quality.

[micke]

Jeesus!
These are great!
What do you do for a living?
-Mikael

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Mikael's artwork

[::Dino::]

Holy crap! These are awesome Great Work.

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-Dino
TMM

[ZenDrag0n]

Fantastic. I have some new goals heheh.

[Binke]

Wow, this is TIIIIGHT work!
micke: I believe he is a concept artist at Westwood? Or?

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Art Dimensional

[Tinusch]

NICE. Haven't seen any new pics from you in a while. Awesome job on those sketches.

[Nex]

*gawp*

[Kjetil Nystuen]

My heart just skipped a few beats... Need... nitroglyserin...

This is simply incredible, where did you learn to do stuff like this? Schools, etc...

Please post more of your GREAT stuff!!!

-Kjetil

[Zaphod]

NIIIIIIICE!

Are the white colour dry-pastel or some pen?
(really wanna know. Since I need to buy some more material soon.)

/Magnus

[TJFrame]

Zaphod, the white is all Guache paint - I carry a tube and a brush in my art bag. Even if i'm skteching out in public at a book-store or something you can usually round up some water. This is kind of gross, but in school in a pinch we would use spit as long as you just needed a dab for hilights and and stuff. Another combo is white prismacolor pencil for the larger areas, and white-out for really thick, pure white sparkles.

-TJ

[KroM]

You have a web site TJ? I'd love to see some more of your work.

------------------
Kelsey Martin
[email protected]
http://kromillustration.20m.com

[Jenn]

OMG! I love this stufff.. reminds me of Feng's stuff


Awesome~ Whats your website url?



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DarkChyld
http://asylum.wibble.net

[steady]

hey today i went to the art store and bought 30,50, and 70% cool grey prismacolor markers after seeing doug chiang's tutorial... Amazing sketches, what markers did you use for those?

[bell_maker]

woaah!! thats some nice ... stuff!! looks really nice ! i like the idea.. keep it up!

[dreddawg]

TJ,

While although I love your revision of Gort (I wonder if most folks on this forum are old enough to have seen the original film?:-) I have 2 unreasonable requests: 1.Lets see your rendition of the Micheal Rennie character:-) 2. I'd love to see the standoff at the Washington Monument.

Stunning

[dreddawg]

TJ,

While although I love your revision of Gort (I wonder if most folks on this forum are old enough to have seen the original film?:-) I have 2 unreasonable requests: 1.Lets see your rendition of the Micheal Rennie character:-) 2. I'd love to see the standoff at the Washington Monument.

Stunning

[TJFrame]

dreddawg,

The whole issue of Klatuu (Rennie) has been interesting. In the 50's it was ok for an alien to be completely humanoid, but today it would seem really cheesy especially considering the grand, exotic, alien machines he brings with him. So what's the solution? Well the whole alien transformed into human body has been done in films like Cocoon and Stargate, but Klatuu must appear completely human because of the nature of the plot. So I've been toying with the concept of having Klatuu to be just a random guy - an abductee if you will.

Picture this: In the opening hook of the film, a small town businessman is abducted by an ominous ufo. He is taken aboard the exotic craft and once there, squidlike machines transport him to a device which binds him down and opens his skull up to implant a device that allows Klatuu (who's true organic appearance - if he even has one) to control a host body. The sequence end with the unconscious man being released and slowing drifting in zero gravity.. Perhaps we see his eyes open up with his new "brain"

It makes sense that the best way for Klatuu to communicate with various alien beings who look nothing like himself is for him to control the body of a member of each particular species. Later when the landing craft arrives at the Washington monument, out steps from the bizarre landing shuttle not an alien - but a humble man in a business suit of all things! Of course he's not really a man anymore - but a body with Klatuu's mind. That would explain why, when at the end of the film Klatuu is killed, his "resurrection" is just him taking on another host body. His true self is safely stored away in the mothership, or perhaps even THAT itself is just a recreation of the true nature of Klatuu who is in some other galaxy, who knows? I want klatuu's true nature to be enigmatic.

As for the standoff - yes this could be an amazing sequence if done right with a large special effects budget. In my own "version" Klatuu emerges from the landing ship, and is shot when trying to communicate just like in the original. He falls to the ground unconscious and this activates Gort - who organically unfolds from his cocoon-like pod. The circle of spectators and military is speechless at the transformation. With lightning speed, the massive drone leaps onto the spot where Klatuu is. Standing over the fallen Klatuu, the massive robot's center eye piece begins to glow - suddenly a beam shoots down and encompasses the body of Klatuu. Its actually a force-shield protecting Klatuu, but the military assumes it is a prelude to an attack, and unleashes with everything they have - M1 tanks, machine gunners, and infantry all fire nearly point blank at Gort. As the smoke clears, we see Gort standing unharmed still protecting Klatuu with the force shield. But this attack has activated Gort's own defense systems, and his formerly compacted arm gauntlets unfold to reveal an array of weapons. Gort raises his arms.. and WHAM a concussive blast of unbridled power radiates out in all angles from Gort. In a moment it's over - we see Gort standing, alone, over the body of his creator. Radiating out from Gort is a complete circle of devastation extending for several miles. Literally nothing is standing, no tanks, people, or buildings - imagine ground zero at Hiroshima. Only Gort, Klatuu, and the landing ship remain. Klatuu staggers to his feet. Gort's shield beam deactivates and Gort appears inactive once again. Klatuu views the devastation Gort has wrought, and is overcome with sadness. He begins to stagger off, but Gort starts to follow. Klatuu turns to Gort and quietly speaks to it. Gort turn around and heads back to guard the landing ship. Klatuu wanders off through the ruble to begin his journey among mankind to see if they are worth one last chance...

So that's what I envision for the landing sequence. I'll do some storyboards and some paintings to help bring the scene to life, but that won't be for a while.

Thanks for taking an interest,

As to those of you who asked about a website. I decided to make one recently and am in the process of putting it together. I will let you guys know when its done.

- TJ

[Sergenth]

Ever since playing Metroid, I've always appreciated alien design that deviates from any earthly animals or at least combines many of earth's uglier animals to create a unique concept.

These are swell designs indeed! "Living Ships" (or biomechanical ships I'm guessing in your case) rock!

[shardik]

very nice designs tj and the ideas for your version of the plot seem kickass,
what kind of paper/markers/pens do u use?

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-matt

[Blitz]

HOLLY SHIT
This, this, this is awsome.

Great designs, nicely done. WOW

How old are you and how long have you been doing this. You have to be profesional by now. GEEZ

Guache? is that just paint then.

Do you start off with a pen sketch or a pencil?

Damn good man

Blitz

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BEER,
helping white guys dance since 1842

[::nox|silicon::]

**GULP**

that's... gawd! --A-W-E-S-O-M-E--

how long have you been working on this?

[TJFrame]

Thanks for the nice comments...

Steady and Blitz.. I love to sketch in pencil markers and ball-point pen equally. These marker sketches we unerlaid with pencil, then erased after I blocked in the major forms in pen. I use gray Staedtler Pigment Liner pens for the linework. They go all the way down to .005 and are colorfast so you can marker on top of them without bleeding (if that's the look you want). The markers are just Trias/Prisma and AD markers in various shades of gray - doesn't really matter to much since the toned paper will give a tint to the markers anyway. Feng (Vortx) uses prisma pencil to accent I think, but I prefer white guache. I'm suprised that people ask about this style becuase I thought everyone knew about it by now. At Art Center we spent all of Norm Shureman's Viscom 6 (an art class) using this technique so I guess dorks like Feng and me know this method pretty well but the genral public might not. And yea Blitz, I'm a "grown-up" who works professionaly as a concept artist. hehe.


PS: Just kiddin Feng, you're not a dork!
-TJ

[This message has been edited by TJFrame (edited January 14, 2001).]

[dreddawg]

TJ,

I was semi joking when I put those questions to you, but like any true concept designer you began to brainstorm:-) Actually I've done my share of concept design (Batman game coming this year most recently) but recently took time off for my own projects. So, is a remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still public domain or what? Maybe it's something you could look into. Perhaps animate it in that loose monotone style you've got going there. The reason I'm saying this is that I thought your plot was great; great enough for some suit (executives for the younguns to apply their money hungry "suggestions" to sell more happy meals:-( Either way, it's great. Perhaps just do an illustrated script? (ie. write the script and have spot illustrations) Actually Doug Chang is doing Robota that way. Thinking about it I'd pay 50 bucks for that. Perhaps use the forum here to keep your energy so you can finish quickly? Bah...I'm depressed:-)

Regards

Ps. Actually check out this site. It has any and everything you'd ever want to know about DTESS. Go for it http://www.dreamerwww.com/tdtess/screen.htm



[This message has been edited by dreddawg (edited January 14, 2001).]

[TJFrame]

dreddawg,

Thanks for the interest. I was planning on spending a few more weeks ironing out the bsic designs of various stuff, then make more detailed color renderings and paintings and a storybaord sequence or two. This project is going to be part of my "film" portfolio, which means basically that at some point I'm looking to get into doing film design work. I'm not sure where else I'll go with this project - I suppose it depends on how it all turns out. But I dig what Doug Chiange is doing. Have you checked out Wayne Barlowe's Expediton or his Barlowe's Inferno? They kick ass! I alos already had that DREAMER link. thanks though!

As far as scripts go, I actually spent the better part of a year working on my own original script - a full 120 page labor of love. After the Day project is over I'm going to go back and start visualizing it out. I was just so burnt out from writing the damn thing I didn't want to look at it for a while. I'll post parts from it when I get my website up and running..

I drummed up a few other pages from my sketchbook. Please rememeber that this is a WORKING sketchbook, which means it's often very messy, confusing, the text is muddled etc.

Here is a "texture study" I started out with to help determine the look of the technology. I love the idea of organic shapes and metaphors at the macro level contrasted with machine forms and devices on the micro- detail level.



Here is a study of various Enforcer Drone looks. You can see that I liked the one on the upper left enough to give it its own page (see original post)


Here is page of simple thumbnails of the landing craft. Nothing majorly exciting, but I though people might be interested to see it none the less.


And here is a very rough sketch (I did it on a plane) of another general look for the landing craft.




[This message has been edited by TJFrame (edited January 19, 2001).]

[TheMilkMan]

( right click save...right click save ..right
click save .....owwww my finger hurts ) Wow man these are AWSOME!!!!!!! Just the kinda thing I like to see .I am a big fan of complex line work..the kinda stuff you find in higher manga mecha comics like Gundam and Evengalion. Your design work is very orginal how do you come up with such complex designs!!!...I cant waite to see what you come up with for the final conception... Who do you look towards for insperation?? Man those ship designs are killer...pleaseeeeee post more of your work!!!

Hmm I have the feeling that you work with Feng huh????