Steampunk Skull becomes the book cover

The first of the triptych images of the building of the monster's/hero's head is done.  I think it is likely to be the cover for the book.  It has the kind of iconic feel I was looking for.  Just like in the Darth image I did, if you look closely into the reflection in the loupe over the empty eye socket you can see the outline of the good doctor himself.  I felt strongly that the monster has a kind of painstaking artisan beauty to everything about him.  He is only a monster in that he is brought to life but is not human.  I'm also trying something new with this post.  Since this art is complete, I'm adding an MOV file to the post that shows step by step the drawing and painting of the image.  I'd like to know if you find this interesting so if you do, drop me a comment and I'll post more like this as I go.

Check out what the completed mechanical man's face with the tooled leather skin Here and the middle stage of building the creature, the crafting of the muscles and controls Here!

Steampunk Frahnknshtyne cover

 

Steampunk Skull

Well, this is "in-progress" and it's finally the first image getting a look at the making of the monster/hero.  I'm doing this as a triptych showing the underlying beautiful handcrafted structure and then adding the leather straps that act as muscles and finally the hand-tooled leather face.

"If sheer artistic application of will and mad obsession alone could bring the device to life, the Doctor Frahnknshtyne's marvelous clockwork being would have sprung from the table the moment its form was completed.  It's hand crafted beauty and subtlety of construction await only two final elements.  The power source, its heart, that will prove to the world that the terrible commerce of Aether can at last come to an end, and a brain that will live forever within this being of perfect craftmanship."

The former of these missing elements is still under desperate development and yet defies reproduction.  It is little more than a curiosity if there is but one.  The latter element will be supplied simply by choosing a worthy, kind and scholarly person whom has been recently deceased.  little does the good doctor know, he will make a far greater contribution to this being's rising than he ever intended.

Stay tuned for completing these images.  I Just replaced the first image with one that I'm under way with the background and the clamping mechanism that holds it on the workbench.  tools to add and other juicy detail coming soon.
PS - I really liked putting the mechanical eye in Darth Vader so I'm doing a very different version of it.

See the finished illustration Here and check out what the completed mechanical man's face looks like Here and take a look at the completed middle image showing the building of the facial muscles made of leather Here!

Steampunk Skull for Frankenstein in progress V2

Steampunk Skull for Frankenstein in progress V1

Steampunk circuit judge and librarian

A key character in the city our hero lives in is the crooked circuit judge who helps entrap indebted souls into being convicted to suffer the fate of the Leathermen.  His eyes glow because his reward is that the super rich kick back Aether to him to feed his habit and to insure they keep a steady flow of conscripted Aether coming in.  I based him on one of my favorite 60's actors Robert Morley (always loved his patrician raptor beak of a nose).  Mister Scribb, the court reporter/librarian, misses nothing that is said in the courtroom because of his amplification device and he records even the whispers heard in the back of the room.  This proves important in the story.  The sound collection horns turn towards sounds in the room like a dog's ears so he's a fun and animated looking character to watch.  He's not a gossip but is a stuttery and fussy man of obsessive detail and duty.

Steampunk judge and librarian

Steampunk Motorcycle contraption

Our hero needs something powerful and fast on which to get around the city and countryside in the inky blackness of the night.  Here's one of the concepts on "the contraption" (as the press calls it) seen well lit (which it isn't most of the time).  It's noisy, smokey, and weighs nearly a ton.  I wanted to develop this vehicle around the notion of "personal locomotive."  At full speed it can slam through masonry walls like brass knuckles through a sheet of plate glass.  It's in an unfinished state because he was building it when he dies and becomes the monster.  He'll be adding more to it as he needs.  I liked the idea of a locomotive type of drive for a two-wheeled vehicle.  It creates such a flurry of motion and seems even more dangerous/mad.  I've added the final image above the in-progress shot.  Added in  the big iron ram on the front and the rest of the fun steam lines and details.

I also have a new post up with another motorcycle design. Check it out if you get the chance.
I've recently just modeled and updated the design from this post and put up the images too!

Steampunk motorcycle contraption final

Steampunk Motorcycle Contraption in progress

Steampunk Medusa

As promised, here's the latest character sketch in the story development.  She's one of the bad guys/girls in this world.  Her name is Maydusa and she's over 200 years old (excuse the different spelling on the image title as it makes it easier for folks to search the picture).  She's kept herself in this child form by using the exotic Aether rig on her head to sap the Aether (life force) of man or beast she can manage to lure on to her estate.  She needs a lot of life force to remain a child and you see her in the image not fully regenerated.  The way the rig works leaves the poor victim literally petrified as you can see on the broken cat in the image.

Steampunk Medusa feeding

A a few in-progress shots:

Line work for Maydusa and cat

Testing ideas for light and color

completing grey scale painting

Steampunk Aether Rifle ammunition

Nearly done.  Have just added the Aether round for the gun.  It's a devilish ordinance in that it has no gunpowder that propels it.  Once the scope finds you and locks you in it's sight, your very life energy, your Aether, pulls it to you like the negative lightning bolt that flies up to clouds in the nano-second before before it guides the lightning to ground.  The sound of the gun firing is like playing a gunshot in reverse.

Steampunk Aether Assasin's rifle

Steampunk Aether seeking bullet