tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74623539639705410012024-03-14T00:14:54.389-06:00McLean Kendree: NewsMcLean Kendree's online illustration portfolio.McLean Kendreehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16253240909007263596noreply@blogger.comBlogger60125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462353963970541001.post-37090009851564252262014-01-13T02:27:00.000-07:002014-01-13T02:27:42.906-07:00Random Art Dump!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yEhVdrsxUUY/UtOreQbxiaI/AAAAAAAACRU/gIcryWbEzm4/s1600/dndcrystalimage_web.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yEhVdrsxUUY/UtOreQbxiaI/AAAAAAAACRU/gIcryWbEzm4/s320/dndcrystalimage_web.png" width="258" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UDKFgvZkvIY/UtOr8R6IZAI/AAAAAAAACRs/GV0DRnMBOJQ/s1600/dragonrune_ranged_assassin_beastmode+20130507a.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="159" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UDKFgvZkvIY/UtOr8R6IZAI/AAAAAAAACRs/GV0DRnMBOJQ/s320/dragonrune_ranged_assassin_beastmode+20130507a.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QXtU5Hx9t3k/UtOsiz_VqSI/AAAAAAAACR4/YuPMcvO8w4A/s1600/dragonrune_darkpaladin__creatureform_20130502a.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QXtU5Hx9t3k/UtOsiz_VqSI/AAAAAAAACR4/YuPMcvO8w4A/s320/dragonrune_darkpaladin__creatureform_20130502a.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j4hxmBvLMXs/UtOtEwszz8I/AAAAAAAACSA/CvCHM23yP4I/s1600/lunardragon_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j4hxmBvLMXs/UtOtEwszz8I/AAAAAAAACSA/CvCHM23yP4I/s320/lunardragon_web.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />McLean Kendreehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16253240909007263596noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462353963970541001.post-4684602775562090692013-06-05T02:34:00.000-06:002013-06-05T02:34:37.534-06:00Bone Mage<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PfIbKEdeBgs/Ua7x8nGRGjI/AAAAAAAACOE/OSixJn8j_h4/s1600/carvedwizard_20130604c.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PfIbKEdeBgs/Ua7x8nGRGjI/AAAAAAAACOE/OSixJn8j_h4/s400/carvedwizard_20130604c.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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So, he's like a mage. But with bones.</div>
<br />McLean Kendreehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16253240909007263596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462353963970541001.post-55905046690845514432012-08-13T21:43:00.004-06:002012-08-13T21:45:01.358-06:00Council of Spiders for D&DHey all, its been a while! Here's a new cover I did for Dungeons and Dragons. I've been eager to show this one, thanks for looking!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BsQEQKH6iik/UCnJQ_YumCI/AAAAAAAACBw/r_u5sYZdFCk/s1600/mcleankendree_councilofspiders_web.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="313" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BsQEQKH6iik/UCnJQ_YumCI/AAAAAAAACBw/r_u5sYZdFCk/s400/mcleankendree_councilofspiders_web.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />McLean Kendreehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16253240909007263596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462353963970541001.post-37462133997803458982012-03-18T17:14:00.000-06:002012-03-18T17:14:18.799-06:00Running Man redesign project<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Recently at school we wrapped up our concept design project with <a href="http://www.kempart.com/sgallery/images.html">Kemp Remillard</a>. The project was to update the 80's action/sci-fi classic The Running Man for a new generation. It was a balance of keeping the spirit of the original movie while updating the futuristic aspects and squeezing in some pop-culture references.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The first task was to figure out the look of the protagonists, as all subsequent characters would have to visually relate to our heroes. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uvHdgSF3IW8/T2Zl9WNRrqI/AAAAAAAABtQ/yCs_xtddFic/s1600/hero_runningman_cd_revisions09_web.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uvHdgSF3IW8/T2Zl9WNRrqI/AAAAAAAABtQ/yCs_xtddFic/s400/hero_runningman_cd_revisions09_web.png" width="341" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After designing the heroes, we had a great line-up of baddies to design. It was important to make sure they were "cool", yet had the over-the-top look you'd expect of a game-show personality.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v0CifAkHMyo/T2ZmAtgsL0I/AAAAAAAABtY/zBpjPhXNoyg/s1600/subzerofinal_04_web_mclean_kendree.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="390" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v0CifAkHMyo/T2ZmAtgsL0I/AAAAAAAABtY/zBpjPhXNoyg/s400/subzerofinal_04_web_mclean_kendree.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I had a few different ideas for Fireball, ranging from Serious Business to comical. Comical was a hit with the instructors, so my take on Fireball ended up looking like a certain popular rapper.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yMtv2-A7kkk/T2ZmEDXNB6I/AAAAAAAABtg/yzC6nJ9WSpY/s1600/fireball_08_web.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="332" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yMtv2-A7kkk/T2ZmEDXNB6I/AAAAAAAABtg/yzC6nJ9WSpY/s400/fireball_08_web.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Buzzsaw was a great challenge because his motorcycle was such a big part of his persona. I had a blast designing his ride, and Kemp's techspertise was invaluable during the process.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G5QYBBCcsPU/T2ZmIp_dQnI/AAAAAAAABto/w8IIGGIgrqQ/s1600/buzzsaw_web.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G5QYBBCcsPU/T2ZmIp_dQnI/AAAAAAAABto/w8IIGGIgrqQ/s400/buzzsaw_web.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And lastly Dynamo, I had fun with this one. It was so hard to take this guy seriously, as he was probably the most ridiculous of the bad guys in the movie. I hope I preserved that aspect.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EPfZdYwA2ls/T2ZmNdCVpoI/AAAAAAAABtw/3EwcNefJJB4/s1600/dynamo_prog_23_web.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EPfZdYwA2ls/T2ZmNdCVpoI/AAAAAAAABtw/3EwcNefJJB4/s400/dynamo_prog_23_web.png" width="277" /></a></div><br />
As always, thanks for looking! I did all this at the <a href="http://www.thesafehouseatelier.com/">Safehouse Atelier</a>.McLean Kendreehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16253240909007263596noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462353963970541001.post-90184274878173810282012-01-22T10:21:00.002-07:002012-01-22T11:56:38.069-07:00Sweet ToothOne time I turned in a piece to a client with a strong hit of the color pink in it, and they asked me to change it because it wasn't appropriate for their audience. A very reasonable request, though with the unexpected side-effect of me wanting to use the color pink wherever I can in personal work now!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MOUwvxmn790/TxxbqDxiacI/AAAAAAAABjQ/rmyidvCqfQw/s1600/mclean_kendree_sweettooth_web2_large_sharp.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MOUwvxmn790/TxxbqDxiacI/AAAAAAAABjQ/rmyidvCqfQw/s640/mclean_kendree_sweettooth_web2_large_sharp.png" width="420" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>This is a revisit of an <a href="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/33603_519924929939_82800675_30775701_4077499_n.jpg">old idea</a>. Who says I don't have a sense of humor?McLean Kendreehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16253240909007263596noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462353963970541001.post-78907728947938183162012-01-04T09:36:00.002-07:002012-01-04T09:36:00.069-07:00A Year of Head-Paintings - 2011<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Every Tuesday night we have portrait-painting class with Coro. Its a single 3-hour session with oil paint. What follows are most of the paintings I did in 2011.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lFoucX0EkJE/TwQBu1MomEI/AAAAAAAABaY/FZ_4YRQXh0s/s1600/comp_headpainting_01_web.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lFoucX0EkJE/TwQBu1MomEI/AAAAAAAABaY/FZ_4YRQXh0s/s320/comp_headpainting_01_web.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I did some oil painting back in college, but when I started these paintings I literally hadn't touched a brush in years.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VkN1HcjQEfY/TwQBwXG4CPI/AAAAAAAABag/FUyj6mE6O60/s1600/comp_headpainting_02_web.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VkN1HcjQEfY/TwQBwXG4CPI/AAAAAAAABag/FUyj6mE6O60/s320/comp_headpainting_02_web.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Cast drawing had an impact on these paintings early on, I kept trying to make them about form instead of just abstract arrangements of color and value... which runs counter to what I was taught through most of art school.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4aHnczSLaTg/TwQBxlF2byI/AAAAAAAABao/ruFN0uQNVVg/s1600/comp_headpainting_03_web.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4aHnczSLaTg/TwQBxlF2byI/AAAAAAAABao/ruFN0uQNVVg/s320/comp_headpainting_03_web.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Its amazing how you can stare at a painting for hours and not see your mistakes. I've got a bad habit of exaggerating foreheads, as we can see in some of these.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w5ozU_ZDkio/TwQBylLc98I/AAAAAAAABaw/54M9zhn_MA4/s1600/comp_headpainting_04_web.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w5ozU_ZDkio/TwQBylLc98I/AAAAAAAABaw/54M9zhn_MA4/s320/comp_headpainting_04_web.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Somewhere in here I started to occasionally get something I wasn't outright ashamed of. Definitely a step in the right direction, I think.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lqNHpFRmleY/TwQB0Ck6B7I/AAAAAAAABa4/96VBunSNhJw/s1600/comp_headpainting_05_web.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lqNHpFRmleY/TwQB0Ck6B7I/AAAAAAAABa4/96VBunSNhJw/s320/comp_headpainting_05_web.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<span style="text-align: left;">Its painful to have some of these online, but I feel like I've come a long way this year and thought that was worth sharing.</span> <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r81Mq6-l9fI/TwQB1lcvP6I/AAAAAAAABbA/ID_1jdCRTl0/s1600/comp_headpainting_06_web.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r81Mq6-l9fI/TwQB1lcvP6I/AAAAAAAABbA/ID_1jdCRTl0/s320/comp_headpainting_06_web.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Thanks for looking, can't wait for the next time I can post a year's worth of paintings all at once.McLean Kendreehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16253240909007263596noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462353963970541001.post-47332537530090681152011-07-03T23:10:00.001-06:002011-07-03T23:15:06.218-06:00Vampires vs. Werewolves, Pandora's VaseI did these covers for Capstone Press last year. I only just noticed them on Capstone's site, I have no idea how long they've been public.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XWqnnEpBeX8/ThFI0QbFsAI/AAAAAAAAA1k/68TopBvpzYA/s1600/vampireswerewolves_font.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XWqnnEpBeX8/ThFI0QbFsAI/AAAAAAAAA1k/68TopBvpzYA/s1600/vampireswerewolves_font.jpg" /></a></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2tqg0QOQsSI/ThFI0Vp6mwI/AAAAAAAAA1g/XbU2pUSKSR8/s1600/pandora_font.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2tqg0QOQsSI/ThFI0Vp6mwI/AAAAAAAAA1g/XbU2pUSKSR8/s1600/pandora_font.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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<div>Below are some larger versions without the type.</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tCvEsZ0z1AY/ThFJOnEtRlI/AAAAAAAAA1o/JuFACD1m1_I/s1600/pandora_mclean_kendree_web_01.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tCvEsZ0z1AY/ThFJOnEtRlI/AAAAAAAAA1o/JuFACD1m1_I/s320/pandora_mclean_kendree_web_01.png" width="251" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Being children's books I definitely was pushing the cartoon aesthetic a little more than usual.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CgY_2UbjuEE/ThFJPkfDHRI/AAAAAAAAA1s/QEvzNt5Oiok/s1600/vampires_vs_werewolves_mclean_kendree_web_01.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CgY_2UbjuEE/ThFJPkfDHRI/AAAAAAAAA1s/QEvzNt5Oiok/s320/vampires_vs_werewolves_mclean_kendree_web_01.png" width="248" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div>In the end I felt like I got some fun images, though like with any work under NDA, by the time I finally get to post it all I can do is think of what I would have done differently if I were doing the job right now. Thanks for looking, all!</div></div></div></div></div>McLean Kendreehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16253240909007263596noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462353963970541001.post-53043219508721638222011-06-24T20:09:00.005-06:002011-07-14T23:26:27.788-06:00Big Ol Monsters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">You guys like monsters, right?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V_D0aMSdAHA/TgVBZZQ605I/AAAAAAAAA1U/ffHOqWYTPZg/s1600/mclean_kendree_garm_web.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V_D0aMSdAHA/TgVBZZQ605I/AAAAAAAAA1U/ffHOqWYTPZg/s320/mclean_kendree_garm_web.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I was thinking of these as card illustrations, I wanted to have some fun with simple straightforward images.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ho0ZzJ8XHuQ/TgVBPvEIoNI/AAAAAAAAA1Q/wEg0LHNm2gE/s1600/mclean_kendree_stalker_web_02_.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ho0ZzJ8XHuQ/TgVBPvEIoNI/AAAAAAAAA1Q/wEg0LHNm2gE/s320/mclean_kendree_stalker_web_02_.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Please excuse my compositional redundancy, I'll try harder to prove I'm not a one-trick-pony next time! I did these images at the <a href="http://thesafehouseatelier.blogspot.com/">Safehouse Atelier</a>.</div>McLean Kendreehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16253240909007263596noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462353963970541001.post-10076080760999689262011-05-26T23:28:00.000-06:002011-05-26T23:28:39.453-06:00Cast DrawingsTo be honest, I didn't know what to think about cast drawing before I started.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qoEXzMXAKAk/Td8wi70bGyI/AAAAAAAAA1E/4T0Ld_JEsZA/s1600/mclean_kendree_cast01_web.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qoEXzMXAKAk/Td8wi70bGyI/AAAAAAAAA1E/4T0Ld_JEsZA/s320/mclean_kendree_cast01_web.png" width="210" /></a></div><br />
I soon found that a main goal of cast drawing is not just to render something immaculately, but to internalize the relationship between form and light. It's obvious in theory, but can be elusive in practice.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3DfmhU8FfDU/Td8wjcx1qmI/AAAAAAAAA1I/h1CZ844mhUs/s1600/mclean_kendree_cast02_web.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3DfmhU8FfDU/Td8wjcx1qmI/AAAAAAAAA1I/h1CZ844mhUs/s320/mclean_kendree_cast02_web.png" width="227" /></a></div><br />
The impact on my personal work has been solid. Light and form are becoming more of a reflex. When I'm working from imagination I make confident decisions where a year ago I would have been confused. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CTlJM1k_jm8/Td8wjyLsLYI/AAAAAAAAA1M/xIHBF2QG-P8/s1600/mclean_kendree_cast03_web.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CTlJM1k_jm8/Td8wjyLsLYI/AAAAAAAAA1M/xIHBF2QG-P8/s320/mclean_kendree_cast03_web.png" width="228" /></a></div><br />
I know many artists haven't given this a shot and don't see the point, but there are many artists who HAVE given this a shot and DO see the point. Don't knock it til ya try it, it could make a world of difference. ;)<br />
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I did these drawings at the <a href="http://thesafehouseatelier.blogspot.com/">Safehouse Atelier</a>. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKYkDwzi-FI">Represent</a>.McLean Kendreehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16253240909007263596noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462353963970541001.post-60148658194518280522011-04-12T14:43:00.002-06:002011-04-13T00:49:26.549-06:00Safehouse Atelier & Massive Black concept project<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So I've been hanging out at the <a href="http://thesafehouseatelier.blogspot.com/">Safehouse Atelier</a> in San Francisco since January 2011, and now I've got a couple of things to share. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you're not familiar with Safehouse, it is the new incarnation of the old NextGen Conceptart Atelier, headed up by <a href="http://www.johnpence.com/visuals/painters/dobsky/index.htm">Carl Dobsky</a> and some of the <a href="http://www.massiveblack.com/MBwebolution/index.html">Massive Black</a> guys. The NextGen Atelier produced artists like <a href="http://mikebierekart.blogspot.com/">Mike Bierek</a>, <a href="http://whitbrachna.blogspot.com/">Whit Brachna</a>, <a href="http://winonanelson.blogspot.com/">Nonie Nelson</a>, <a href="http://toeslikefingers.com/">Christian MacNevin ("Dirty C")</a>, <a href="http://karlaortizart.blogspot.com/">Karla Ortiz</a>, and lots of others. The program has some street-cred in the industry, to say the least.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I came into the school while this project was already underway, it was headed up by <a href="http://www.kempart.com/sgallery/images.html">Kemp Remillard</a> and <a href="http://www.coro36ink.com/">El Coro</a>. We were to design assets and flesh out the world for a movie set 50 years in the future. We had to make it seem futuristic without going overboard (like I did on the robot sketches below!). This assignment is coming to a close, and soon we'll begin work on the next project!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1197.photobucket.com/albums/aa422/mcleankendree/space_911_sketches_01_forum_fb.png?t=1302639352" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="259" src="http://i1197.photobucket.com/albums/aa422/mcleankendree/space_911_sketches_01_forum_fb.png?t=1302639352" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1197.photobucket.com/albums/aa422/mcleankendree/passenger_finalscomp_03.png?t=1302677310" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="315" src="http://i1197.photobucket.com/albums/aa422/mcleankendree/passenger_finalscomp_03.png?t=1302677310" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I am building up art-momentum, and should soon be posting more frequently with freelance jobs and classwork. Thank you all for looking!</div>McLean Kendreehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16253240909007263596noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462353963970541001.post-88606048317755904952010-10-21T23:56:00.000-06:002010-10-21T23:56:23.595-06:00Parade: Finished!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ah, finally done. Taking a break to work on those other pieces really helped me come back to this one and wrap it up. In my defense, I have been working on this piece for maybe an hour or two at a time, intermittently. Glad to be done with it though, it would bug me so much if I never finished it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BY2A7qbGkTU/TMElEljcNRI/AAAAAAAAAzo/6tyNncydneg/s1600/parade_final_01.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BY2A7qbGkTU/TMElEljcNRI/AAAAAAAAAzo/6tyNncydneg/s320/parade_final_01.png" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<div>Tune in next time for "Don't Cover Everything in Pattern, You Idiot!"</div><div><br />
</div><div>Thanks for looking! </div>McLean Kendreehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16253240909007263596noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462353963970541001.post-86322306283841490042010-10-11T12:15:00.002-06:002010-10-11T12:15:00.177-06:00Mister Monday<div>Here's another piece in my effort to round out my Middle Grade portfolio component. This image is based on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garth_Nix">Garth Nix</a> book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mister-Monday-Keys-Kingdom-Book/dp/0439551234">Mister Monday</a>.</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BY2A7qbGkTU/TK9gK6pm_JI/AAAAAAAAAzg/fzHcPbitb6g/s1600/mclean_kendree_mistermonday_web.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 305px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BY2A7qbGkTU/TK9gK6pm_JI/AAAAAAAAAzg/fzHcPbitb6g/s400/mclean_kendree_mistermonday_web.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525741008465624210" /></a><br />I proceeded on this one a bit more cautiously than the Canopy piece. That one practically fell together, as though I wasn't trying. This time around the image was a little more complicated. Two characters instead of one, distorted perspective, fantastical architecture, and blue jeans! A formidable foe indeed. I'm happy with the result, though. Turns out blue jeans aren't so tough.<div><br /></div><div>As I mentioned earlier this is from the book Mister Monday, a middle-grade fantasy-adventure published by Scholastic. I think it's easy to write off books aimed at younger audiences as being less sophisticated, and I guess to some degree that's true. Could you imagine "Cormac McCarthy for Kids!"? Better bring a dictionary, lil' squirt. However, it might be easy to forget that these stories aimed at kids are often crafted by sharp, intelligent adults. Being a fan of several Garth Nix books, I was unsure how I would feel about this story that was so intentionally marketed toward a slightly younger audience (Middle Grade instead of Young Adult... I could be splitting hairs here). Anyway, of course the author's imagination, humor, and drum-tight action sequences were just as present here as in any of his other books. Once I have some free time I'll be checking out the rest of the series (there's a book for each day of the week)!</div><div><br /></div><div>Oh, I'm writing this on a Friday afternoon, but I just had to set this to automatically post on Monday. Cute, right?</div>McLean Kendreehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16253240909007263596noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462353963970541001.post-10492568802915048622010-10-07T18:02:00.006-06:002010-10-07T18:31:09.784-06:00Cthulhutech - Ancient Enemies<div>Hey guys, looks like Cthulhutech: Ancient Enemies came out recently, which means I'm good to share the image below. I've worked on Cthulhutech <a href="http://mcleannews.blogspot.com/2009/10/cthulhutech-mortal-remains.html">before</a>, and again had the pleasure of working with <a href="http://mdvaillancourt.wordpress.com/">Mike Vaillancourt</a>. </div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BY2A7qbGkTU/TK5f_4BE1aI/AAAAAAAAAzY/aPBCa-EGBWI/s1600/cthulhutech_ancientenemies_web.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 261px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BY2A7qbGkTU/TK5f_4BE1aI/AAAAAAAAAzY/aPBCa-EGBWI/s400/cthulhutech_ancientenemies_web.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525459343803471266" /></a><br />I did this image almost two years ago, and after not looking at it for so long there are several things that jump out at me. For starters, I know that if I did this same image today, I would be MUCH more thorough with the architecture's design and rendering, and would have eased up on some of the photoshopped textures. I'm not so sure about the perspective either. The colors, however, I'm still pretty happy with. Cthulhutech always brings out my neon side.<div><br /></div><div>I was 50/50 on whether to share this here, since I feel like I've grown substantially since this piece. I decided to share it because hey, SOMEBODY might get a kick out of it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Keep an eye out, because I've got a new piece right around the corner. It's so close to being finished I can TASTE it!</div>McLean Kendreehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16253240909007263596noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462353963970541001.post-38827031486272718492010-09-26T16:11:00.006-06:002010-09-27T12:20:04.816-06:00Canopy III<div>So, this might look sorta familiar.</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BY2A7qbGkTU/TJ_GNrQyMFI/AAAAAAAAAzM/xPaE8ysPc60/s1600/shavi_full_04_web.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BY2A7qbGkTU/TJ_GNrQyMFI/AAAAAAAAAzM/xPaE8ysPc60/s400/shavi_full_04_web.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521349606433239122" /></a><br /><div>I got so attached to that first color sketch that I had to finish it up! And I did so pretty quickly too. I am continuing to try and cover more Middle Grade ground in my portfolio, in addition to the more classic fantasy stuff I already have. </div><div><br /></div><div>If you've known me for a while, or at least been familiar with my work for a while, you'd know that I can't seem to go for more than 2 years or so without painting a new picture of some <a href="http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs40/f/2009/013/8/1/The_Canopy_by_mc_the_lane.jpg">girl</a> running around in a <a href="http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs10/i/2006/103/3/0/Huntress_by_mc_the_lane.jpg">tree</a> (wow those are so old and bad). Thus the "III" in the title. As always, thanks for looking!</div>McLean Kendreehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16253240909007263596noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462353963970541001.post-48232529163336287522010-09-20T22:09:00.002-06:002010-09-20T22:16:25.355-06:00Color and Composition Practice 1<div>It always seems like when I'm in the middle of a lot of work, I always get ideas for images that I don't have time to create. I always tell myself I will eventually make that image, but I rarely do. The paying jobs always seem to come first. Lately I've taken a little time out of each day to do a quick color/composition sketch and at least materialize these ideas to some degree, before they disappear into the nether-regions of my brain, never to be seen or thought of again.</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BY2A7qbGkTU/TJgwRdwhoFI/AAAAAAAAAzE/XJjCu8Mdpbg/s1600/comps_01_web.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 218px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BY2A7qbGkTU/TJgwRdwhoFI/AAAAAAAAAzE/XJjCu8Mdpbg/s400/comps_01_web.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519214419946610770" /></a><br /><div>It's also great practice! I intend to continue this exercise whenever possible, and maybe I'll end up finishing the "home-runs" from time to time. Thanks for looking!</div>McLean Kendreehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16253240909007263596noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462353963970541001.post-24487798216823506102010-09-14T18:15:00.004-06:002010-09-14T20:05:33.762-06:00Portrait Drawin' 2<div>Hey people, here's a new portrait. Instead of using a spotlight I used the ambient day-light from the glass doors of our patio. The result was a more gentle modelling of the forms, instead of the harsh contrast of a spotlight.</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BY2A7qbGkTU/TJAQUaTTCwI/AAAAAAAAAy8/mJfI3SVWkcU/s1600/hali_drawing001_web.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 291px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BY2A7qbGkTU/TJAQUaTTCwI/AAAAAAAAAy8/mJfI3SVWkcU/s400/hali_drawing001_web.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516927486372547330" /></a><br /><div>Thanks for looking!</div>McLean Kendreehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16253240909007263596noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462353963970541001.post-86349054924052402412010-09-01T18:27:00.003-06:002010-09-01T18:32:11.702-06:00Influence Map<div>Well, there's a new meme making the rounds in art forums and sites like Deviantart. I decided to sit down and do one too.</div><div><br /></div><div>Most of this is either stuff that I think is apparent in my work, or stuff that I'm trying to incorporate into my work. </div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BY2A7qbGkTU/TH7vuQ5-ImI/AAAAAAAAAys/HOiOqJy-d6o/s1600/mclean_influencemap_01.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 274px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BY2A7qbGkTU/TH7vuQ5-ImI/AAAAAAAAAys/HOiOqJy-d6o/s400/mclean_influencemap_01.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512106572039201378" /></a><br /><div>If you want to do your own you can download the template from <a href="http://fox-orian.deviantart.com/#/d2vx881">here</a>.</div>McLean Kendreehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16253240909007263596noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462353963970541001.post-8618878930700506282010-08-22T08:14:00.003-06:002010-08-22T08:29:59.250-06:00On the Digital Easel: Parade Progress<div>I've been working on this image on and off for the last few months. I've been so slammed with work that I've not been able to give this piece much attention. Normally I wouldn't post something that's so half-baked, but its progress has just been dragging on and on, and I haven't posted anything on here in forever.</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BY2A7qbGkTU/THExBUMDG5I/AAAAAAAAAyk/VKwcTb5i7Kk/s1600/parade_12.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BY2A7qbGkTU/THExBUMDG5I/AAAAAAAAAyk/VKwcTb5i7Kk/s400/parade_12.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508237717919701906" /></a><div><br /></div><div>At this rate, between concepting environmental objects on a sweet upcoming video game (none of which I'll be able to share for a while) and painting up an illustration job here and there, I'll probably end up posting the final around Christmas time. I've got another smaller personal piece in the works that I will probably end up posting way sooner than that, though. At least I hope so. Til' next time, friends!</div>McLean Kendreehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16253240909007263596noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462353963970541001.post-18234952071680709822010-06-27T04:06:00.004-06:002010-06-27T05:33:17.553-06:00Portrait Drawin'<div>Had a local Santa Fean come to the apartment and sit for a portrait. My roomie and I were the only ones drawing. It was the most chill figure drawing session I've done in a while (ever?). </div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BY2A7qbGkTU/TCcjBMBK3XI/AAAAAAAAAyc/0vQHUnVtlEc/s1600/liz_drawing001_web.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 291px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BY2A7qbGkTU/TCcjBMBK3XI/AAAAAAAAAyc/0vQHUnVtlEc/s400/liz_drawing001_web.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487393174287211890" /></a><br /><div>Thanks for lookin'!</div>McLean Kendreehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16253240909007263596noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462353963970541001.post-34640638970082573672010-06-23T20:26:00.004-06:002010-06-25T03:08:12.082-06:00Dragons VS Dinos!!!<div>We were all kids once. When was a kid I apparently thought nothing was cooler than dinosaurs playing dragons in basketball. I've never even liked sports. </div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BY2A7qbGkTU/TCLDDMcQW1I/AAAAAAAAAyU/0DB2gupZq84/s1600/dragonsvsdinosweb.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BY2A7qbGkTU/TCLDDMcQW1I/AAAAAAAAAyU/0DB2gupZq84/s400/dragonsvsdinosweb.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486161755737447250" /></a><br /><div>Here are a couple studies I did from other people's photos. You know, to make up for the silliness.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BY2A7qbGkTU/TCLCz4uyINI/AAAAAAAAAyM/yKjpzelBuv4/s1600/apedogs_01.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BY2A7qbGkTU/TCLCz4uyINI/AAAAAAAAAyM/yKjpzelBuv4/s400/apedogs_01.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486161492748411090" /></a><br /></div><div>Busy as ever, doing a lot of work that I probably won't get to show for another year or two, if at all. </div><div><br /></div><div>But I'm working, I'm drawing, and enjoying the cool evening air tonight. Life can be nice.</div>McLean Kendreehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16253240909007263596noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462353963970541001.post-45610144534908490272010-03-22T22:33:00.004-06:002010-03-22T22:56:31.656-06:00Spectrum 17 - How'd that happen?I just found out last night that I was selected for inclusion into Spectrum 17, and I'm pleasantly surprised. I don't know yet which piece got in, but I'll find out soon.<br /><br />Congrats to all my friends who battled their way into this edition of Spectrum too!<br /><br /><a href="http://sambosma.blogspot.com/">Sam Bosma</a><br /><a href="http://kalidraws.blogspot.com/">Kali Ciesemier</a><br /><a href="http://www.teeteringbulb.com/">Zelda Devon</a><br /><a href="http://emcguire.blogspot.com/">Erin McGuire</a><br /><a href="http://www.aaronbmiller.com/Blog.html">Aaron Miller</a><br /><a href="http://sketchsam.blogspot.com/">Sean Murray</a><br /><a href="http://winonanelson.blogspot.com/">Winona Nelson</a><br /><a href="http://chrisrahnart.blogspot.com/">Chris Rahn</a><br /><a href="http://volkertron.blogspot.com/">Adam Volker</a><br /><br />And thanks for all the support and congratulatory words from everyone on twitter and facebook!<br /><br />Sorry if I missed you in the links above - its a long list! If you want to see the full list, you can click <a href="http://www.spectrumfantasticart.com/">here</a>.McLean Kendreehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16253240909007263596noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462353963970541001.post-27219789056256160622010-03-08T10:10:00.000-07:002010-03-08T10:12:17.979-07:00D&D Spot Illustrations and a Figure DrawingHere are a few 1/4 page illustrations I did for Dungeon and Dragon Magazines over the past several months. The two characters on the left I did for Jon Schindehette, and the four weapons I did for Keven Smith. I've enjoyed doing pieces this small, the variety is a nice break from some of the bigger, more involved pieces I've posted lately.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BY2A7qbGkTU/S5Q-4T8BfFI/AAAAAAAAAx8/mX8UqMxKLOs/s1600-h/wotc_spots01_web.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 386px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BY2A7qbGkTU/S5Q-4T8BfFI/AAAAAAAAAx8/mX8UqMxKLOs/s400/wotc_spots01_web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446046986543397970" border="0" /></a><br />Also, this past Sunday my friends and I went to an uninstructed figure drawing session, and it was great to get back to drawing from life. I felt a little rusty at first, but this stuff is like riding a bike.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BY2A7qbGkTU/S5Q-wZS3rHI/AAAAAAAAAx0/r5OUZ7bE1hA/s1600-h/lifedrawing_001_web.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 291px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BY2A7qbGkTU/S5Q-wZS3rHI/AAAAAAAAAx0/r5OUZ7bE1hA/s400/lifedrawing_001_web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446046850542447730" border="0" /></a><br />Thanks for looking, I'll have more goodies soon!McLean Kendreehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16253240909007263596noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462353963970541001.post-55707499143802411372010-03-01T04:16:00.001-07:002010-03-01T23:28:04.824-07:00Adventurous Youngsters: Part 1I'd really like to get involved with some YA fantasy book-cover work. I always felt that my color palettes were appropriate, and that my interest in the fantasy genre was evident. So what gives!? Oh, right, I need to draw 'Young Adults'. A little while back I reached out and got people's suggestions on good YA fantasy books (still open, BTW, just list 'em off in the comments of this post). My aim was to find some solid YA books that I could create illustrations for, and thus broaden my portfolio's horizons a bit.<br /><br />I plan to alternate between illustrations that depict already-published stories, and illustrations that expand my own personal sandbox/world and aesthetic.<br /><br />This first value-rough is for one of the personal pieces. I'm making an effort to have elements in this image overlap and not be too secular. My friend and former coworker <a href="http://jenecio.blogspot.com/">Jeremy</a> once made a good observation on an <a href="http://mcleannews.blogspot.com/2008/12/blue-giant-ver-20.html">earlier piece of mine</a> that each of the elements were very separate from everything else. I'm making an effort to push this overlap and interplay in my work until it becomes second-nature. That's really how I make any kind of progress: I work at it until it becomes a reflex.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BY2A7qbGkTU/S4uwpdSchgI/AAAAAAAAAxk/R8u406WVEsY/s1600-h/parade_rough_blog.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BY2A7qbGkTU/S4uwpdSchgI/AAAAAAAAAxk/R8u406WVEsY/s400/parade_rough_blog.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443638800890496514" border="0" /></a><br />And below are some thumbnails and outfit sketches for a Sabriel illustration. Sabriel is the title character in the book by Garth Nix.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BY2A7qbGkTU/S4uiIL91AFI/AAAAAAAAAxU/ZrInfF0Qiyk/s1600-h/sabrielthumbs_web01.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 237px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BY2A7qbGkTU/S4uiIL91AFI/AAAAAAAAAxU/ZrInfF0Qiyk/s400/sabrielthumbs_web01.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443622836142145618" border="0" /></a>If you're a fan of Sabriel, you should check out the work my other friend and former coworker <a href="http://kalidraws.blogspot.com/2010/02/unexpected-visitor.html">Kali</a> has been doing for the <a href="http://picturebookreport.com/">Picture Book Report</a>. I was a little hesitant to get rolling on this piece for fear of simply being outclassed in the Sabriel category. But hey, its a fun book, and the more art the merrier.<br /><br />I'm going to try and post my progress on this project every month, but I'm not making any promises as to how often this will produce a finished illustration. Work gets hectic, man. You know what I'm sayin'.McLean Kendreehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16253240909007263596noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462353963970541001.post-15979949732010539902010-02-22T21:16:00.001-07:002010-03-01T23:20:30.248-07:00Portrait Practice 2I've been continuing with these portrait studies for the last week, its been a good daily warm-up. I feel like the quality between this week's portraits and last week's is noticeably higher. That's the good thing about continued practice! I'm finding that for me personally, the greatest challenges are in overcast lighting (2nd portrait) and the extremely blown-out light sources (6th portrait). This is enjoyable.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BY2A7qbGkTU/S4NWtuW90kI/AAAAAAAAAxM/6qsxkUHAQ78/s1600-h/CD_comp_002_web.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 380px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BY2A7qbGkTU/S4NWtuW90kI/AAAAAAAAAxM/6qsxkUHAQ78/s400/CD_comp_002_web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441288118332150338" border="0" /></a><br />These were all about an hour's worth of work, from reference, done completely in photoshop.McLean Kendreehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16253240909007263596noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462353963970541001.post-58257377322706185602010-02-16T04:52:00.000-07:002010-03-01T23:27:00.553-07:00Portrait Practice 1Well, its been about a month since my last post. I figured I was about due for another one. Here are some head studies I've been occasionally doing to try and keep on my toes. These are from photo reference and took an hour each.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BY2A7qbGkTU/S3qHTDJvxSI/AAAAAAAAAxE/2jsbuwKxoRA/s1600-h/CD_comp_001.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 388px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BY2A7qbGkTU/S3qHTDJvxSI/AAAAAAAAAxE/2jsbuwKxoRA/s400/CD_comp_001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438808261336745250" border="0" /></a><br />I'm very happy now that I've changed the look of my blog. With a background that is essentially a mini-portfolio, I don't feel so pressured for every blog post to feel like it has to include portfolio-worthy artwork. I feel much more free to post sketches, practice paints, and works in progress. If I can manage to stay on track, I should have much more to post in the coming months along those lines.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">QUESTION!!!</span> What sites do you guys use for anatomy reference? Are there any sites that frequently have new images uploaded of the nude figure? Yeah, yeah, I can hear some of you chuckling with a snide remark to that last one. Really though, if you've got a favorite anatomy site then I'd love for you to share the link in the comments to this post! Thanks a lot guys!!!McLean Kendreehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16253240909007263596noreply@blogger.com9