My Vain Doodles

Victorian Airship

2011-06-02T11:01:00.001-07:00

I have been working off and on on this one. I started it after being inspired by rereading Mark Twain's 'Tom Sawyer Abroad.' I made up the name of the inventor and his invention: 'Dr Chas. Bigglesworth's Incomparable and Omnidirectional Aerolocomotulator.' The rigging is geeting more and more complicated, and I keep adding more golden decorations to it as well. I want to give it a copper bottom on the hull.

Mechanical Fish Regatta, 3D

2011-06-02T10:55:00.001-07:00

I started the fish using Strata.

Mechanical Grasshopper

2011-03-16T11:02:00.000-07:00

I did a series of drawings of mechanical bugs in high school, but now that I have access to 3D software, how much more fun it is!

Mechanical Fish Regatta

2011-03-03T10:55:00.000-08:00

I really intended more for this picture, with more watercraft in the background... The image is in Adobe Illustrator, and the rivets and corals are custom brushes.

Mechanical Diving Beetle

2011-03-03T10:39:00.000-08:00

It's been way too long since I last posted — almost an entire year since I posted the Sabbath Goat Fever... Here's something I did this week, started it last Saturday. -Updated: Beetle on water!

Sabbath Goat Fever

2010-03-14T16:49:00.000-07:00

So I had this idea years ago, that John Travolta's iconic dance pose in 'Saturday Night Fever' bears a striking resemblance to the hand up hand down pose on Eliphas Levi's famous picture of Baphomet. Time to mash 'em up! Note the Studio 54 moons -- the waxing (upper) moon is no doubt getting coke, and the waning moon heroin.

Carnivorous Succulent

2010-02-27T09:17:00.000-08:00

More fun creating Brushes in Adobe Illustrator -- addictive!

Carp

2010-02-24T07:50:00.000-08:00

Playing with Brushes in Adobe Illustrator: made a brush of a carp, set it to Hue Shift, and drew up a school of carp. Also shown is a the brush, as well as wire frame view.

Yithian Study II

2009-12-08T11:44:00.000-08:00

From HPL's 'The Shadow Out of Time.' This is an 'ink' drawing in Adobe Illustrator.

An Unfortunate Discovery

2009-12-01T19:03:00.000-08:00

In progress with sketch and detail... This is from Brian Lumley's 'The Burrowers Beneath.'

Satyr

2009-11-29T10:53:00.000-08:00

I drew this in ink, then scanned in and played with contrast reversal to create black areas.

Jamaican Ekranoplan

2009-11-25T08:55:00.000-08:00

A concept for an island shuttle. Ekranoplans fly close to the surface, taking advantage of the Wing In Ground effect (WIG). This makes them very efficient and fast. Isn't Jamaican Airlines' livery hideous?

Swoopy 'Moustache' Sea Plane

2009-11-25T08:52:00.000-08:00

Heron Ornithopter

2009-11-25T08:46:00.000-08:00

Flana Mikosevaar's Ornithopter: like the vulture, also from Michael Moorcock's Runestaff novels.

Smaug

2009-11-25T07:44:00.000-08:00

In-progress image Smaug attacking Lake Town from 'The Hobbit.' Bard the archer will be large foreground right.

This was done in Adobe Illustrator with custom brushes.

Italian Lounge Boat

2009-11-24T20:43:00.000-08:00

The concept on this one is an absolutely MASSIVE flying boat with twin pontoons, and a wing so thick you can put a huge passenger lounge in it.

Here's a couple of views in the lounge, with Eileen Gray furniture, which would have been über-trendy for the time. Given the nationalism of the Twenties, they likley would have furnished it with Carlo Bugatti's stuff, but that was hideous, so we'll pretend they broke the mold.

Luxury Italian Flying Boat

2009-11-24T20:17:00.001-08:00

Some in-progress images of a fantasy Italian flying boat... I was still (and still am) learning this software, so be nice)

Vulture Ornithopter of Granbretan

2009-11-24T20:06:00.000-08:00

From Michael Moorcock's 'Hawkmoon' novels.

A detail of wing sans cowls:

Russian Ramming Interceptor

2009-11-24T19:29:00.000-08:00

Something I came up with as an alternate history for Russia in WWII - a rocket interceptor with tungsten steel spikes on all leading edges so they could ram their way through formations of German bombers. They were to be rail launched, and would deploy a parachute to land, after the rocket motors were spent.

Here's the emblem for a squadron of the interceptors. I think he looks a lot like William F. Buckley

Here's a cockpit view of some of the interceptors racing toward the bombers. What's not pictured here is the high-tech (for its time) vodka delivery system for the pilots.

Flying Prawn

2009-11-24T19:19:00.000-08:00

Slake Moth

2009-11-24T19:17:00.000-08:00

The soul-sucking creaturees from China Mieville's 'Perdido Street Station.'

Griffin

2009-11-24T19:15:00.000-08:00

Griffin with laptop built using a limited number of Adobe Illustrator brushes I made.

Dancing Moonbeasts

2009-11-24T18:15:00.000-08:00

From 'Dream Quest of Unknown Kaddath'

Falling Angel

2009-11-24T18:08:00.000-08:00

A simulation of ink drawing in Adobe Illustrator.

Freaky Plants

2009-11-24T18:06:00.001-08:00

Cherubim

2009-11-24T18:00:00.000-08:00

I drew this in a rage in '08 while listening to McCain sneer and stumble and lie his way through a debate.

Tentaculanoid

2009-11-24T14:31:00.000-08:00

This guy is based on Precambrian fossils, to some extent.

Dagon Sketch

2009-11-24T14:29:00.000-08:00

Rough sketch for a Dagon altar.

Old One

2009-11-24T14:25:00.000-08:00

One of the first images I did last year when i started futzing with Photoshop brushes.

Cthulhu in the Depths

2009-11-24T14:16:00.000-08:00

Another quickie Photoshop illustration of the C-man.

Mechanical Coelacanth

2009-11-24T14:10:00.000-08:00

I did this for a friend, who asked for a coelacanth picture for her son.

Yithian Study

2009-11-24T14:06:00.000-08:00

My interpretation of the Yithians from Lovecraft's 'Shadow out of Time'

Soul Eating Spider

2009-11-24T14:04:00.000-08:00

From a nightmare...

Asteroids

2009-11-24T14:02:00.000-08:00

I just liked the texture on thhese. Not sure where I'll go with them.

Kinderfisch

2009-11-24T13:35:00.000-08:00

My idea for a species of freshwater anglerfish that lures children.

Cthulhu on Acid Series

2009-11-24T12:50:00.000-08:00

I started playing with Photoshop's brushes and effects, and what better subject matter is there than Cthulhu? I have tons of these. My favorite is this grayscale one, everyone else seems to like the green guy with the dramatic blue background.

This Fun Guy from Yuggoth

2009-11-24T12:44:00.001-08:00

The title is a spoof on H. P. Lovecraft's stories and poem about the fungus-crab aliens. My interpretation would need damn good makeup to disguise itself as human, as they did in the story (well, it was a dark room).

Owl Shaman Decalcomania

2009-11-24T11:41:00.000-08:00

The Surrealists used to press paint between panels and pull them apart to get beautiful random patterns (this was called 'decalcomania'). I had the same thing happen with some old stacked photo prints that got wet. They were symmetrically 'book-matched' like wood veneers, but in different colors. I turned them into an 'Owl Shaman' in mid transformation. Below are some of the original damaged photos. They were from New Years hike I took with my friend Kelli. Do you see the owl hiding in the damaged photos?

Mechanical Fish Regatta

2009-11-24T11:27:00.000-08:00

I had this idea for the Deep Ones of Innsmouth holding submarine regattas with animal shaped craft. This one is experiencing difficulties, and there will be another one or two Deep Ones emerging from the rear hatch.

This is in progress...

Hound of Tindalos

2009-11-24T11:21:00.000-08:00

This was from H. P. Lovecraft stories, as elaborated by Brian Lumley in his Titus Crow novels.

Hello

2009-11-24T11:18:00.000-08:00

Well, I finally took the simple steps to create a blog. I will start posting some of my art here when I can.