Dwight K. Shrew

Admittedly not the best pun.

You kinda have to be familiar with 'The Office' to get the joke.

© 2010 Jeremy Owen

Cheers,

~J

Insect Argyle

Exactly what it sounds like.

© 2010 Jeremy Owen

Cheers,

~J

Renaissance

Back on track.

As a Phoenix is reborn from the ashes, so we too must sometimes pioneer a renaissance in times of adversity.

This is a tribute to everyone who's had to start over, make something good out of a bad situation, or has changed their life for the better.

© 2010 Jeremy Owen

Merry Christmas Eve.

~J

Window of the World

Again, out of sequence. This one was a remake of someone else's design on Threadless, as part of a community-based contest entitled, surprise surprise, Remake. It was really fun to do: different in terms of trying to rework someone else's actual piece while adding your own twist.

You can see the original picture here.

More up soon.

© 2010 Jeremy Owen

Cheers,

~J

The Dance with Death

These new ones I'll be posting are slightly out of sequence from the order they came into existence. You wouldn't know that, but now...well...you do.

This one was inspired by the old phrase "Dance with Death". I took it to be something literal (an actual 'dance'). While I was describing to my buddy how I was going to draw it, he said "You know...this reminds me of a poem by Oscar Wilde called 'The Harlot's House'". I'd never read it before, but after reading it, I must agree: it is very reminiscent of the poem.

Here's a link to the poetry for all of you who are as lazy as I am.

© 2010 Jeremy Owen

More to come soon.

Cheers,

~J

Hang in There, Hogarth

A long overdue tribute to one of the greatest films of my generation. And if you don't know the subject material, I suggest you get on that...RIGHT AWAY.

© 2010 Jeremy Owen

Cheers,

~J

Literature Comes Alive

This one has been a long time coming (and after looking at it, you'll know why). The idea behind this one (because, of course, you need some clarification) is of words coming to life when we read them. Some stories are so beautifully written that the words seem to jump off the page. In this picture, I wanted to convey what that would be like if a child was reading. Often times, a child has a different perspective on life or will take certain words a different way than, say, older people. In that sense, the way the picture is colored comes into play. Some of the areas are clearer than others. Some areas have a messy but somehow enchanting quality. In this way, I wanted to try to capture those moments of awe and wonder I had reading as a child. To this day, I find children's books (not many, but a select few) better than books written for adults. Maybe it's because the authors never really grew up and want to preserve that childlike quality. Maybe it's because I haven't grown up completely.

Whatever the case, I hope you enjoy this one. As always, you can take it however you want to: this could just be a cool picture to you (if indeed you DO think it's cool). I just thought I'd share the deeper meaning behind it.

And here's how it would go on a tee:

© 2010 Jeremy Owen

Cheers,

~J

Nobody Touches Grandma

Oh, look. Red Riding Hood...

I tried to do something different with the silhouette of the trees (instead of detailing the trees I used them as negative space.) I'll let you decide the story behind this one.

© 2010 Jeremy Owen

Cheers,

~J

Oscar the Groucho

Again, another pretty self explanatory one. I know this idea's been done before (having found this out by scouring the Internet after this one was done), but I still had fun doing it.

© 2010 Jeremy Owen

Cheers (literally),

~J

Hair Fit for a Queen

In a weird way, this one is self explanatory. I'll let you decide what was going through my head.

Final score: 2.76/5 (second highest)

© 2010 Jeremy Owen

Enjoy,

~J

Welcome Aboard the H. P. Lovecraft

This one is an (offhand) homage to H. P. Lovecraft (and an awesome coincidence that I'm posting it on Halloween). I was sitting one day, thinking of what an "H. P. Lovecraft" would look like, and this picture is the result. I tried to include as many 'monstery' things as I could. Not too much else to say. I know the colors might be weird, but this is what I envisioned. Hope you like it.

Final score: 2.37/5

© 2010 Jeremy Owen

Happy Late Halloween.

~J

Lon Tregacy

This was a design challenge for Threadless, and just by looking at the picture, you can guess what it's about. Tron Legacy: I can't wait. From the way that Disney has set up the plot and effects from the trailers, this movie is going to be amazing, especially in 3D, especially in IMAX 3D. That's all I really have to say about this one: it speaks for itself. The design process was experimental (as is often the case with my new pictures), but...well...I'll let you just look at it and shut up now.

Final score: 2.23/5

© 2010 Jeremy Owen

Cheers,

~J

The (self-proclaimed) Pope

First off, I mean no disrespect by this. I don't have anything against the Pope or Catholicism. This was just an idea that popped into my head. Well, actually, it came from one of my buddies at work. See, he was doing trash at the end of the day and had the garbage bags he hadn't done yet wrapped over his neck, like a robe/sash. So I said something like "Hey, you're like...the bag-man Pope." Then I thought, "That would make a good picture." We debated on what the final product should look like: he suggested I try to recreate the 'Pope-mobile' from a bum's perspective: shopping cart with plastic covering instead of raised backseat with bulletproof glass. You can find a picture of what I'm talking about here.

I ended up scrapping that idea. It seemed like it would take too long, so I opted for what I'm best at: drawing people. This is the end result. Hope you guys like it, and, again, I mean no disrespect by this.

© 2010 Jeremy Owen

Cheers,

~J

You're Getting Warmer!

Global warming/climate change is always a relevant issue, whether it is actually happening at the rate the media says it is or not. Taking it in a less seriously light could help spread awareness: a tee with a message, however 'non-serious' it is. The idea was to have the planets be at a party, playing a party game, perhaps Marco Polo/Hotter, Colder.
The Earth is moving closer to the Sun, hence the title. This will probably go over people's heads without a speech bubble coming from the Sun, saying: "You're Getting Warmer!" But we'll see.

This only took about an hour and a half collectively from start to finish, fairly quick. I didn't do a lot of effects because it is for a t-shirt. Hope you like it.

Final score: 2.51/5

© 2010 Jeremy Owen

Cheers,

~J

September 29, 2010: Arcade Fire, Live

Just a quick post about the concert last night: it...was spectacular. I've never seen a show so well put together. Arcade Fire is truly one of the best acts in the biz and definitely one of the best acts in the world. They really do have universal appeal: I saw grandparents in their 60's, kids as young as 15, all nationalities...they are truly a band that transcends boundaries (both socially and musically).

The show was at Key Arena in Seattle (about 3 blocks from the Space Neddle), and it was packed (all the seats available anyway). I would guess about 2500 were there in total for the start of the main act (AF).

Amazing lights show, awesome screen graphics, talented musicians (they can play all of each others' instruments (and did for some songs))...it was great. More than great. Amazing.

I'll have the Arcade Fire "Bands" tribute up by the end of October. They are currently my favorite band.

BTW, here's what they played:

Set:

1. Ready to Start

2. Month of May

3. Keep the Car Running

4. Neighborhood #2 (Laika)

5. No Cars Go

6. Haiti

7. Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)

8. Modern Man

9. Rococo

10. The Suburbs

11. Ocean of Noise

12. Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)

13. We Used to Wait

14. Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)

15. Rebellion (Lies)

Encore:

16. Intervention

17. Wake Up

Most amazing show I've ever been to. I'll try to post soon.

Cheers,

~J

From France with Affection

Okay. This one is probably the closest I've ever gotten to perfect translation (from brain-to-page anyway.) Everything I wanted in the picture came through exactly how I wanted it to. The only thing different from the original idea is that I used less colors than I wanted to, but I think the minimalism of color actually helped it: it kept the focus of the picture more on the art rather than the use of color.

The background picture was a real push too: I sat down and decided I was going to do a detailed line drawing. Forget proportions or whether the perspective was just right or what...it is just background after all. I finished it in about 90 minutes and depleted quite a bit of ink from my pen. It's probably been the most intensive drawing session I've ever been through: I was working fast and laying down lines constantly of that hour and a half. My hand is still a little stiff. Here's the entire picture:

Like I said, the perspective is a bit screwy, and the architecture is a bit flimsy looking, but again, it's just the back-piece. It's always fun to see a picture take form: that's another thing I have trouble with, seeing the final product I mean. When I draw something, it's often easy to see the problems with a picture, the first stages, and how it might take a miracle to make it look good. I can truly say with this one that it was not like that. I blazed through it, keeping my mind set on that final stage. It was very satisfying to know that I did have it in me after all. I suppose surprising yourself is a good thing (unless it's flipping the light on in the bathroom seeing yourself in the the mirror and screaming like a little girl about a serial killer in the house.) It, uhh, happened to a friend of mine...

The woman is inspired by Ellen Barkin. Her beauty just seems like it would fit in that 60's era quite well (bob-cut hair, apple cheeks, beautiful eyes, etc.) Maybe I have a misinformed picture of the 60's in my head: maybe I'm trying to focus on the part that was untarnished, the upper-class fashion part. I don't know.

Well, not sure when I'll have another one up. I've got one inked and ready to color, but I don't have a free day until the weekend, so we'll see. I'm going to see Arcade Fire in concert tomorrow, and that should be amazing. It's so hard to find good music any more (not too hard, but mainstream is so annoying sometimes). I'll probably have a 'Showcase of Bands' seg up for AF soon. I'm super exited to see them live.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a good rest of your (work) week.

Final score: 2.07/5 (so much for the scores getting better each time I try. Oh, well.)

I also did a shirt with the 'Franceplosion' by itself: the final score on that one was 2.78/5 (highest so far).

© 2010 Jeremy Owen

Bonne nuit,

~J

Mustache of Doom

The theme this month for Threadless is Movember. Movember, you ask? Well, a link to their site can be found here. If you're too lazy to go there, here's the short of it: all November long, men (hopefully no women) across the world grow a mustache in support of mens health. Since not many people can grow an effective mustache, it's more of a conversation starter ("Dude, what is that thing on your lip?"). It's a word-of-mouth type cause: not many people know about it, but hopefully that will change. Any cause that uses facial hair to raise money for men's health research is fine with me.

With this one, I tried to come up with something that no one else would. This popped into my head one day, and I thought I'd experiment. It turned out okay, I think.

The theme is Indiana Jones type lore. With the statue, I wanted to convey that he was in agony (having people tread on his 'stache all day long), hence the strained expression and tear carvings coming from his eyes.

I don't have too much more to add about this one, just that I hope you enjoy.

Final score: 2.27/5

© 2010 Jeremy Owen

Cheers,

~J

Montgomery Burns

The last couple of posts have had a more 'serious' tone to them, so I think it's time to lighten it up. This is, again, another design for Threadless. I probably said this before, but I'll say it again: a lot (if not all) of my posts, for a while, will be designs for t-shirts. I know I can do it: I know I can get chosen. Doesn't matter if I have to come up with 79 designs first. I'm not going to give up...at least not until I have to do design 80. *crickets chirping*

This one has to do with "The Simpsons". Some of the people I know (mostly my family) don't like The Simpsons, but I think a big part of that might be that it's kind of a 'generational thing', 'generational' meaning they might think the humor a bit 'low-brow' or 'silly'; 'generational' also like 'The Twist' was to my grandparents and what leg warmers were to my parents. You can fill in the blanks from there.

From the title of this post, you can guess what it entails. It's a little unconventional, but, as I stated a few posts ago, unconventional is good. Go ahead. Quote me.

I tried to make the man look like a 'realistic' version of Smithers, to give it a more "Simpsons-y" vibe. It might take you a second to see it, and yes, it could be said that this isn't the best pun I've come up with, but...just give me this. I don't have much else. *again, crickets chirping*

Whether or not you like The Simpsons or not, I hope you enjoy the picture. And for those you who don't know The Simpsons that well, here's what I'm getting at: for a picture of Montgomery Burns, click here.

Final score: 2.22/5

© 2010 Jeremy Owen

Doh!

~J

You Know When It's Love

This is my latest entry for Threadless. I've always like the era of the 50's, and love is almost the best subject for a picture (don't deny it), so...no brainer? We all had that girl/boy that we had a crush on when we were young, that boy girl/boy we could never quite talk to without feeling awkward. I know childhood crushes rarely go anywhere, but I know a few people who had childhood sweethearts from a very young age, and they've been married 30+ years. In this day and age, they deserve a round of applause/applesauce.

I always try to incorporate a bit of humor in my work. Although the message of this one is "you know when it's love", love can be fun. It doesn't need to be serious ALL the time. When people become committed to a significant other, it seems (and this is purely from observation) that after they get married and have kids, it's all about making it in the long run, making it work so to speak.

That is so...sad. If/when I ever/do marry, I vow to never leave a moment dull. I guess the most appropriate question to ask would be "why would you settle with a person that would 'get old' to you after a while?" Indeed, humans are strange animals. You'd think that functional vocal chords and emotions would make it easier. If only we lived in such a world.

Hope you like this one. I loved switching it up a bit. I'm working on another piece as we speak, so I should be able to get that out before school starts up again. After that, I can't promise regular posts. Oh, well.

Final score: 2.41/5

© 2010 Jeremy Owen

Cheers,

~J

Fallen Legend

Here's another Threadless entry. This picture of A. A. Milne's characters signifies something, but it doesn't need to be taken that way. If you look at this picture, and it gives you a laugh, that's alright with me. But I do have some behind-the-scenes to say about it.

It started out this way: I was just trying for a laugh. I thought this idea would bring a smile to someone's face somewhere, a parody if you will. But it evolved, as so many of my ideas seem to do. I found that this idea wasn't random: it's a metaphor. I loved the characters from the Hundred-Acre-Wood ever since I was a boy, and still enjoy the books and films from time to time. But that is my past...it was who I used to be. This picture signifies putting something to rest (a pastime, a memory, a grudge), something that, although you enjoy it, isn't really that important.

I have a hard time letting go. When something upsets me, I let it fester inside me until I explode. It could be because a great many things upset me. It could be that I put my trust in things and people that are bound to let me down. I don't quite know yet...but life is okay. It's steadfast enough to let you live most of the time, but also unpredictable enough to keep you asking why. The ride is fun, even though it is so difficult.

By putting something to rest that isn't essential, I'm teaching myself not to fall so easily, to look both ways before stepping into something I don't fully understand, to think before I act. It's a hard process...I let myself down every day.

But there are things that keep me going...they are far and few between, but they are there nonetheless.

Perhaps the words that best describe me are the lyrics to Keane's "He Used to Be a Lovely Boy." The words describe my situation perfectly: I need to stop following things that let me down, find a place that I can be safe from my past failings.

If you care to hear the actual song (and it is amazing), it's #99 on the playlist below (as of this post). I know that my ramblings might not make sense to any of you out there, but if you get one thing out of it, make it this: it's okay to make mistakes...but don't let them weigh you down. There is always a way out...you just need to take enough time to find it.

Final score: 2.40/5 (the scores are getting better every time I submit...hoorah?)

© 2010 Jeremy Owen

Cheers,

~J

MEGAPOST #1

I don't know if I'll ever do this again (or at least not for a while), but here's a mega post. I've been busy lately, with work and other projects. For the past month, I've been slaving away trying to come up with interesting designs for Threadless.com. I recently discovered the site, and there is a link to it to the right of the page (follow the link to learn about prizes/payment/etc.) . Sorry I haven't posted these before now: like I said, I've been busy. But here they are, and I hope you enjoy.

#1. Reversal: the idea was to reverse how things are done. Instead of bombs raining down, destroying a landscape, I thought it would be interesting to have rain acting like bombs, restoring the landscape. Overall, people loved the design, but thought it a bit too busy for the eye. Final Score: 1.94/5

#2. Charles Schultz vs. M. C. Escher: Threadless has contests every few weeks or so, and the theme for this one was to pay homage to comics. I've always loved Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang, and so decided to put a twist on the classic shirt that Charlie always seems to be wearing. Final Score: 2.02/5

#3. A Simple Seed: this was for another contest. The theme: MAXTOPIA, which is a combination of nature and technology. With this one, I drew a seed that was filled with tech, with sprouts in the shape of micro-chip workings. Final Score: 2.06/5

#4. I Pity the Fool Who Isn't Honest: This was a mashup of Mr. T's angsty style and Abraham Lincoln's demeanor. I wouldn't want to mess with him...would you. Unfortunately, this one wasn't getting enough votes, and the votes that did come in weren't good enough. Scoring ended early, after just one day. Final Score: 1.82/5

#5. Thought Transportation: This was a throwback to "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" but also a slap in the face to the phrase "Train of Thought". I'm tired of hearing that one way of thoughts to travel...why not a zeppelin of thought...or a camel of thought? Let your thoughts travel inventively...just...anything but a train. Final Score: 1.94/5

#6. Refined Caveman's Request: this idea popped into my head the other day. I'm not sure what I should title it. I used a font that says it's commercial free, but I'm not going to risk it. I emailed the creator of the font to see if I can use it. If not, I'll use another one. For now, enjoy the picture. Final score: 2.18/5

© 2010 Jeremy Owen

Model Photos Courtesy via Threadless.com

I suppose that's enough to keep you satisfied for now. I'll try to get more on soon. I'm working on projects for people that aren't getting done, and I'm feeling awful about it. Accordingly, I'm going to spend time working on those too and so may not post again for a while. Hope these were worth the wait.

Cheers,

~J

"I Wish I'd Stayed...Too."

How happy is the blameless vestal's lot!

The world forgetting, by the world forgot.

Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!

Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd;

- Alexander Pope

I just recently watched Eternal Sunshine again. I forgot how quirky and dysfunctional it was. That may be why I like it...I don't know. I can never forget the scene where it boils down to a choice that was made, a choice that was the beginning of the end, and, when contemplating a do-over, there's this line..."I wish I'd stayed...too." That's where this one is taking place: I thought about including that quote in the picture, but, as almost always, I messed around in Photoshop enough to make the picture take on a different feel than originally intended.

I don't necessarily recommend Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: if you like conventional movies, you won't like it. I've grown so tired of conventional movies: same plot, same ending. Yes...unconventional is much more rewarding, when actual thought is put into a film, when the money is second thought and creativity is the main goal. Yes...unconventional is good.

© 2010 Jeremy Owen

Cheers,

~J

Famous People Who Are Actually Kinda Cool # 5

If you don't know who this is, I'm sorry. Go look him up. Just in case Late Night television doesn't work out, Conan could always keep touring his act around the globe. He might even make more money doing that that just letting the networks foist him around every which way. If he does decide to tour again, here's an idea for a tour poster. You saw it here first: all copyrights belong to me, but I'll gladly let them use this concept if they ask. I hope they do ask.

© 2010 Jeremy Owen

Crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and, if life gives you lemons, make some kind of fruity juice.

~J

A Showcase of Bands # 5

No matter what they do, Yeah Yeah Yeahs never seen to get old to me. It could be Karen O's angst-y, crazy nature...it could be that Karen scored Spike Jonze's "Where the Wild Things Are" movie (and did a spectacular job I might add)...but it's probably because they sound...REAL. There's no auto-tune, there's no polished riffs: just plain music. I haven't actually followed them for that long (somewhere in between the releases of "Show Your Bones" and "It's Blitz"), but I've quickly picked up the slack. I hope to hear much more music from them in the future. And who knows...I may have some future Karen O inspired pictures in the future.

I'll try to have some more up soon.

© 2010 Jeremy Owen

Wait...they don't love you like I love you...

~J

"Yo, Aid-wee-ann"

I guess that this one was a bit of an update on an older picture too, but that's ok: it happens. This was, yet again, another one from work that was made using only pen. It's getting easier and easier to visualize where I want to go with the picture AND actually translating what's in my head without the use of pencil and, more importantly, erasers. It's not perfect: the proportions could be a bit off, but I'm happy with it. It's only the third big picture I've done without pencil that I can remember (well, that's probably not entirely accurate, but you get the picture), so the process is moving along swimmingly. I might not post again for a week or so (I'll be house sitting, working, and trying to hang out with a bunch of friends before they go either back to mounds of homework OR away to school many miles away (the nearest college is probably 2 hours drive away.) We'll see though. I've surprised myself before, but I suppose looking into the mirror early in the morning doesn't count.

© 2010 Jeremy Owen

Cheers,

~J

Revisiting the Past

I've always had this picture in my head, of how I'd like my life to be when I get older, when I've finally landed a career doing something that supplies enough money to fund my life. It's kinda stupid and will probably never happen, but it's nice to have dreams in mind to work toward.

I'd like to pursue music or art, but neither pays well unless you hit it big.

I'd like to live in the city for awhile, to see what it's like...I've always lived in a small town and have enjoyed going to the a big city.

I'd like to get in great physical shape, a road that I'm on but that will take a while.

I'd like, as you know from previous posts, to be able to grow a beard: if not that, at least some 5'o'clock shadow for cryin' out loud.

And...I'd like to find someone who appreciates me for who I am as a person, someone who'll respect and love me for me, not for what I can do, or, more importantly, what I can do for them. It seems like all my friendships are based around those things. And I'd like to change that, but, again, that's unlikely to happen.

I redrew the picture to see if my perception of my hopes and dreams would change at all, but not much has. I lost a lot of the random things: I've grown up and experienced a lot since the last picture: grown more...serious...about many things. And maybe, just maybe, in a few years, I'll update it again. Who knows? It's nice sometimes...to revisit the past...to see what's changed, but what's even more rewarding is to see that even after bumps, bruises, and backstabs...you can still stay true to yourself. I only hope I can retain that for the rest of my [insert adjective here] life.

P.S. If you look hard enough at the beacon on top of the Space Needle, you'll notice it's a different shape. Have a guess at what it is.

2008

2010

© 2008-10 Jeremy Owen

Background Image Courtesy via Google Images

Cheers,

~J

Sad Robot Face

This is an idea I have for a children's book. If all goes well, I'll have the illustrations done by the end of the summer, and maybe I can find some way to publish it. It won't be as colorful as the picture: this is just a tease for the upcoming project. I hope that someday I could do stuff like this for a living, but at the same time, I don't want to do this for the rest of my life. I enjoy it and all, but it's got its costs. Drawing requires a lot of thinking about what to do next. I don't have an employer, so I constantly have to come up with ideas, and my brain has a complex for that sort of thing: I've got good ideas, but they fall apart quickly because I don't have the resources or the time to follow through on a lot of the ideas. That frustrates me more than anything: I just wish someone other than my family and friends would appreciate my hard work sometimes, but that might come through someday. And sometimes...I wish someone would appreciate me for me, not what I can do, because it feels like that's all I've ever been known for among people: what I can do. I guess I should quit moping now. Just know why there's gaps sometimes between posts. Here's the picture:

© 2010 Jeremy Owen

Cheers,

~J

Abolishing Sugarcoated Vampires

Time to address this "Twilight" thing. I don't care if you like it or not, but I'm going to share my views and experiences on the matter. I read the first three. And to me, the plot didn't move forward at all. So I didn't bother to read the forth. And then this whole thing exploded where I live. You see, I'm from Port Angeles, and Forks is about a good 2 hour drive from where I'm based. So the majority of tourists now that come to my town are Twilight fans. I appreciate the flow of people: it might get this po-dunk town on the map...I'm just disappointed about the way it's getting the attention. I will say this though: when choosing Forks as a location for her books, Stephanie Meyer must have been selecting from a long list of locations. I see it this way: she closes her eyes, points to a random spot on the list, and thus Forks was chosen. But perhaps the thing I'm disappointed about is her description of Port Angeles (followed closely by her lack of writing skill...don't deny it...she uses about 100 descriptive words throughout the entire book...that's one per 1 1/2 pages). She obviously didn't visit these places before she wrote the book, because everything is off in a big way: the town, the locals, everything.

But I'm not here to judge you. I don't care it you like the books/movies. I'm just letting you know that I don't. I tried, oh, how I tried, but...it just didn't work out. And when this whole Twi-craze blows over, I'll be able to get a good nights rest.

By the way, I saw these people under a street lamp the other day driving home from work. It looked as though they'd just been dropped from they're jobs. I hope they find work somewhere, though I don't think it's likely.

© 2010 Jeremy Owen

Cheers,

~J

Blark and Wit

I've been into the whole "black and white" thing lately. I don't know why: it could be that coloring a picture takes a long time for me since I don't have the professional grade programs that most artists do. Just expect many more monochrome pictures in the future. This was just a random one that I sat down and drew. There isn't any meaning behind this one, just a lazy afternoon piece. It turned out a bit more complicated that was first intended, but to color it too would have taken me a few more hours than it did, so I'm grateful. Let me know what you think of it, by commenting here or on Facebook (the official group is located to the right.)

© 2010 Jeremy Owen

Dancer templates, wallpaper pattern, and floor tiling Courtesy via Google Images

Cheers,

~J

"It's All In Your Head..."

There was recently a video game that came out called "Alan Wake" (trailer here, info here), with the teaser that it was going to be something new: a "psychological thriller game". I'll let you find what it's about, but the themes borrow heavily from horror/thriller greats like Steven King. And one new mechanic that hasn't been in any other game so far is using light as a weapon. Again, you'll need to follow the link to read about the plot, but I found the notion to be very intriguing and was inspired by the early trailers that came out for the game. One of the ways of using light in the game is a flare (which provides a short, safe haven for Alan when he encounters multiple enemies or obstacles as you play through the game). Just watch the trailer (and even look at more on YouTube for commentary about it). This is a good one here. It looks really interesting to me, but it might not be to you.

On a side note, this was another one that I drew at work using only pen. Alan and the background faces I drew: the rest was Photoshop. More up soon.

© 2010 Jeremy Owen

Cheers,

~J

A Barrage from the Past 17

As I've done before, I took an older one and put some make up on it. Once upon a time, I liked Pirates of the Caribbean a lot, but they screwed the story over so much that it's just a novelty to me now (except the first one...that one will always be good.) Maybe they can redeem the franchise with the new one coming out in a few years. Anyway, one character I did enjoy from the last two was Davey Jones. His motion capture is done by the immensely talented Bill Nighy, and the performances he did with the character were great.

Here's the version I did around the time the second or third came out (I can't remember which), in 2007:

And here's the updated version (2010):

© 2010 Jeremy Owen

Cheers,

~J

"I'm Just Passing Through..."

I'm proud of myself, and it's likely the first time. I started this one at work, on break, and didn't use any pencil. I've been listening to a lot of Thrice: look 'em up if you don't know who they are. The lyrical content is amazing, and the music varies enough to keep me coming back for more (their music can be anything from headbangingly heavy to slow and melodic to strange and experimental...I love it). The lead singer, Dustin Kensrue, has a great voice (one which I wish I could mimic), and his visual aesthetic is strong and enjoyable to flesh out. He has accomplished beard growing abilities, and wears flannel effectively, both of which I wish I could pull off (maybe one day). This one's kind of a step away from what I normally do. It was hard for me not to use color, but I felt it would be better as monochrome as possible. I'm learning how to incorporate new things into my work each time I sit down to finish a new picture, and it's great to try new things (like when I first had decent sushi...man, that stuff is delicious). Working more hours during the summer makes me even more tired than usual (plus staying up late and having more time to get out and do stuff with people too), but I'll another one up in a few days. Hope you like this one. I do.

© 2010 Jeremy Owen

P.S. Here's some Thrice for you to listen to. These are my favorites from them (as of right now):

Cheers,

~J