Machineflesh 2D Challenge Entry: Russell Collins

#2

This is an early concept that kinda shows where I was first going with this. Iā€™m actually educated as an engineer (mechanical at that) and I am friends with a few researchers who are working on a real-world version of this very topic. My first thoughts were to use their heat-engine project in a concept where the worker wears a suit of these engines that run on body heat. Unfortunately, this was not in the proper spirit of the topic (doesnā€™t actually become symbiotic) and so Iā€™m scrapping it, but hereā€™s a look anyway.

#3

I was talking to my girlfriend about this contest and it dawned on me. Iā€™m actually only self-taught in computer painting and so it takes a challenge this daunting to make me learn anything vastly different. Even though my hope fades with each new professional entering the contest, I am glad it will force me to learn a lot just to show up.

#4

Originally posted by Russell_Collins
ā€¦my hope fades with each new professional entering the contestā€¦

Quitter never winsā€¦Your cool! Keep it up.

Keep posted:thumbsup:

#5

I think itā€™s going to be a tough one to win. Itā€™s a very popular subject with 3d. You have to keep a positive attitude and push it to the next level.

Goodluck, nice concept :beer:

#6

I have been a programmer for 20 years, but just now getting into game development and seeing professional game developers intimidate me. But I know I wonā€™t get anywhere by quitting. So I just keep pluggin. :slight_smile:

Good luck in the contest! :thumbsup:

#7

Here is a second concept I have been working on. I like this one a lot better but I am having trouble coming up with a setting for this pose. I am pretty sure of the lighting I want to eventually use (not too close to the sun :wink: ) though, so that is nice.

I still donā€™t think Iā€™m all that likely to use this one but it is at least progress into a more bodily-integrated machine image. I like the idea of a modern-day escape from a labyrinth. Her wings arenā€™t made of wax so she can fly high, low, whatever. And sheā€™s got some high-tech vision implants that help with navigating the way out.

Perhaps I could have some patterned and stylized fresco in the background that looks like a labyrinth blue-print. That might be a good setting to underscore the mythological roots of this conceptā€¦

What do you all think?

#8

Here is more of the work on my second concept. I donā€™t have a color scheme figured out yet, but I knew I wanted it more saturated than the first version of this idea. Iā€™m open to suggestions on where to take this one.

Cheers!

#9

So, clearly since this image has gotten so little feedback, it isnā€™t very compelling.

Should I scuttle the image outright and start new?

or

What directions can I go with this existing image to give it more impact?

#10

No replies doesnā€™t always mean bad art, just often just bad luck ^0^

The story is nice and the drawing/pose/technique as well, but more people have made winged people.
So if you want to stick with her the drawing needs to be very good and the story behind it expressed in the drawing, since the concept isnā€™t superoriginal :slight_smile:

I saw another person referring to icarus btw, but that was more in the meaning of human arrogance, and not an escape scene.

#11

Man! I canā€™t believe I missed that! I was so caught up in mechanizing the story of Icarus that I forgot about the sheer volume of ā€œchicks with mechanical wingsā€ out there. Okay, dropped. Moving on. Will update with newer (less obvious and trite) conceptsā€¦

#12

So hereā€™s the newest one:

The story goes that we find ourselves investigating a series of lion attacks in African villages that resemble calculated assaults more than random maulings. To our shock and horror, we discover that the rapidly spreading rumors of a mechanical lion are not only true, they are only a hint of what is really happening. Many years ago, a brilliant scientist switches careers to repeat Jane Goodallā€™s seminal works on gorillas using the same techniques to integrate himself into a lion pride. However, one night he accidentally ingests a plant he sees the lions eating which happens to have immediate and enormous psychotropic effects in humans. He begins to believe that he really IS a lion. Over time as he realizes his limitations in human form to compete physically, he invents and builds mechanical adaptations for himself though he retains the ability to stand on his hind legs.

By the time weā€™ve found him, heā€™s more mechanical and beast than human as he replaced much of his beaten and tortured body as limbs and flesh broke and deteriorated after years of wear in a situation for which the human body was never designed.

Anyhoo, thatā€™s kinda the idea Iā€™m working from right now. I donā€™t recall seeing anything like this before but there certainly isnā€™t any reason to believe that makes this idea all that special. So I want to know what you guys think. Is the ā€œmechanical sphinxā€ a good idea? If so, how is it looking so far? If not, why not? Thanks for reading this. :slight_smile:

#13

Hello,

I think this one is the most original concept youā€™ve been working on. Itā€™s very good since itā€™s important to think more of the concept rather than the drawing and coloring.

A great artist can beautifully render usual concepts !
So bravo for the idea !

good luck !

#14

Um, here goes another one. I thought the lion thing was cool for awhile but Iā€™m not sure how to really sort out a mechanical sphinx. I think the scientist route was lame (but I liked the drawing). I donā€™t know if I want to do some sort of mechanical egyptian god thing, but in the mean time, hereā€™s some playing around with a sort of mechanical Grim Reaper.

#15

You have one very cool concept with your sphinx !

I liked also the girl with the wings :slight_smile:

What will be your final choice ?

#16

I donā€™t know which one. Iā€™m new to this whole thing so Iā€™m having trouble deciding. For one, all my ideas seem done before (I mean done to DEATH before) and that just struck me about the sphinx. I remember the mechanical masks of those guards from Stargate. I thought they were cool then and the more I try to come up with ideas for that sphinx, the more my ideas seem to converge with Stargateā€¦

I also want to come up with a compelling story for the character to develop out of; so far nothing grabs me and demands attention. But Iā€™ll keep workinā€™ at it.

#17

Hey Russell, I really like the sphinx character :thumbsup: IMHO he needs to look a little more savage to meet the story, but otherwise thatā€™s my pick of the lot so far.

#18

Well, I havenā€™t done much on this project lately and the respite has given me the chance to re-evaluate what Iā€™d done so far. I started sketching again tonight for about 30 minutes and started to find myself drawing a more cartoony style and adding a new character (plus changing the face of the old lion-man-machine). What do you think of the new direction(s)?

LionManSketch2.jpg640x640

LionManSketch3.jpg640x640

LionManSketch4.jpg640x640

#19

So I went through and looked at the sum total of all the entries into the Machineflesh Challenge (both 2D and 3D) today (took for-stinkinā€™-ever). In all those entries, some super-cool, others not there yet, I noticed a serious lack of comedy (um, is that a contradiction in terms?). Iā€™m still having trouble deciding on which direction to go because Iā€™ve got all these ideas floating around still. I thought it might be funny to do something completely off-the-wall though.

Hereā€™s Professor Bimble. He has 4 brains (3 external). Some of his graduate students played a prank on him and replaced one of his brains with a goldfish. Letā€™s see if he noticesā€¦

#20

Sweet! I like the Lion or the Sphinx guy on the previous pageā€¦he is cool! Hope to see some more update soon.

#21

Very good buhhahahahaha

and nice style -good one man