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 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 Darth Vader

Well, here's a non-sequitor for the blog.  I got asked what would Darth Vader look like in my steampunk illustration style and thought that might be a fun one day project.  It has nothing to do with the Frankenstein work but I found it fun to do none the less.  I wanted to show the tortured man trapped in the technology and wanted to reflect his rank in the detail of the helmet.  Luke is reflected in one lens.  Now back to Frankenstein.

Steampunk Darth Vader

Here's a few of the in-progress shots showing starting with the line sketch, blocking in two tone blacks and greys and then adding the shine and detail.  The color and toning layers are the final pass above.

Rough sketch

Adding two tones of grey

Refining greyscale, detail and shine

Steampunk portrait of an Aether Kill

The painting of Lacette the Aether Assassin and owner of the Aether Rifle from an earlier post, is finally done.  It's an homage to those shots taken in Africa when a big game animal is taken down.  I've added some of the in-progress shots under the final for anyone who wants to see the process I go through building up a painting.

Lacette: Portrait of an Aether Kill

And a few close ups for the detail:

And here's the in-progress shots.  These don't include the layout roughs but focus on the act of making the painting.