B-Movie Entry: Matt Dixon

#1

Matt Dixon is entered in the “B-Movie” update: View Challenge Page

Latest Update: Final Image: Revenge of the Gherkinoids

#2

Hi man wow you joined, look forward to your work in this contest! :thumbsup:

#3

Chances of me getting this finished are pretty slim ( especially now I’ve noticed that the image category finishes in March rather than the April date splashed around with the challenge ads! ) but the topic is irresistable. Right now I my concept isn’t any more sophisticated than martians, chicks and cheese. That may ( or may not ) change as things develop.

#4

Hey, Matt, good to see you in another one of these. I was thinking that this topic seemed like it could be up your alley. I don’t think you need anything more complicated than what you have planned - it fits the theme and your strengths equally well. Hope you’ll keep fishing around for good alien designs, though: the current one seems a tad simplistic. Good luck! :thumbsup:

#5

Love the alien’s posture and expression, Matt. Priceless.

#6

Here we are with things developed a little further. I tried to think of a way to give the concept an interesting twist but I think it’s fair to say that most ideas are going to fall short against competition like ‘Attack of the Killer Tomatoes’ and ‘The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-up Zombies’.

If you can’t beat 'em, join 'em. My aliens are going to be food.

I’ve kicked around lots of ideas. I really wanted to keep the basic pose and design from my first doodle, so whatever it was had to be recognisable and look good inside that goldfish bowl helmet. Giving the alien an expression is also key, so it had to be something that could have a face of some kind. Eventually it came down to broccoli, hotdog or gherkin.

The Broccolians looked suitably alien, but I didn’t have any gags to associate with them. I liked the cheeky pairing of helpless bimbo with Wienerites but, even with faces made of mustard and ketchup, the surface of a hotdog was just too bland to make an interesting looking alien.

I may still change my mind, but the Zucchinians win. It sounds like an alien race right of the bat, I can think of several gags to go with the idea and, let’s face it, gherkins are just a funny shape!

#7

This is the sketch with values applied. I wasn’t going to add any text to my image, but it seems a good way to reinforce the B-Movie flavour, and it’s a good compositional device. Besides, everyone else is doing it…!

Why the dog? She’s called ‘Miss Pickles’ so she’s tied up in the whole gherkin thing and is trying to protect her owner ( the chick ). And I needed something to fill the gap in the composition down there.

Added some gherkin-shaped spacecraft to this one too. Pickle jars makes more sense, but they don’t look as good.

#8

eonridr - Thanks! I just hope I can finish on time!

Walrus - Hey hey! Yeah - I don’t think it was obvious in that first sketch that he was wearing a space helmet - at least, I hope that’s the simplistic part you were referring to!

Nickillus - I hope I haven’t spoiled it in the new one…!

#9

Looking great already, can’t wait to see those colours… and your meaty textures of course. Good luck :slight_smile:

#10

Yes, that’s exactly what I meant! Looking pretty cool now that you’ve sketched it out more. One might even say cool as a cucumber (if one were given to bad puns (which I am.))
Good luck with the rest! :thumbsup:

#11

Hey Matt,

Totally cool concept :smiley: Nice cartoon style on it, liked a lot. The character designs are really great. Good luck and waiting for more updates. Cheers!! :beer:

#12

First colour. The red’s too feisty at the moment, but hopefully that will balance up as work progresses. Still deliberating on the colour of the alien’s suit - I had imagined it as purple, but a unqiue splash of colour down there throws everything off so I think this pale blue is the best choice.

Might darken the background further. I want to make sure the characters have plenty of pop and I don’t want to have to faff about with outlines or rim lights as I think that’ll kick against the B-Movie poster flavour.

The alien is now a Gherkinoid. I discovered that the Zucchini is a more distant relative to the pickling cucumber than I thought and while that gave me some fun ideas for an extended storyline I’m creating a still image, not writing a movie, so I’m waving a sad goodbye to a bold ‘Z’ in my title in favour of a speedier digestion of the concept.

#13

BaronImpossible - Thanks, Si. Hopefully, at least a small amount of texture on this one will be fruity. :slight_smile:

Walrus - No better place for bad puns that a B-Movie poster! Thanks.

Ferx - Cheers!

#14

hello,

i love it! simple, clear and cute. love it how you got movement in the underdrawing, compared to the concept sketch. a- theres a tangent on the dogs and gherkenoids foot.(which i prolly dont have to point out )

best luck!

#15

All tidied up ready for details and a final render pass. Getting this bit done is always the part which feels most like work - thank goodness it’s behind me!

#16

Brandish - Thanks. Simple is always best! Yeah, the paw and foot do sit rather uncomfortably in the sketch. Hopefully it’s solved now.

#17

Gherkin juice - mmm! Love the way it’s splashing around, makes me want to raid the pickle jar. Excellent, can’t wait to see it finished.

#18

:slight_smile: I like this kind of humour. The idea with the juice is hilarious :smiley:

#19

Pretty much done with the basic rendering now. Just a few highlights and details to add. I want to get the logo in place next.

#20

Looking good, Matt! I especially love all of the subtle hues in the sky, those lovely greens and blues and purples, and against them, the warm colors of the woman really look stunning. The planet itself feels a tad underdetailed, but that may not be necessary if it’s just going to get covered with a logo. Good luck with the last bits! :thumbsup: