B-Movie Entry: Matt Baldwin

#1

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

Latest Update: Work In Progress: Attack Of The Shoggoth

#2

Hello everyone, glad to be here again - intend to improve. Already there are some terrific entries so I’d better get cracking.

My concept is ATTACK OF THE SHOGGOTH!

A shoggoth is a creature from the realm of HP Lovecraft. Probably Lovecraft’s most famous story THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS has to main characters being chased back to their plane out of the frozen Elder city by one of the creatures.
Lovecraft writes them as massive amoeba-like creatures looking like they’re made out of tar, with multiple eyes “floating” on the surface. They are described as “protoplasmic,” lacking any default body shape and instead being able to form limbs and organs at will. An average shoggoth measured fifteen feet across when a sphere, though the story mentions ones of much greater size.
I think the world of Lovecraft is a classic arena for the likes of a B-Movie challenge like this. Simply put I intend to paint a poster which sees some Miskatonic University (Uni that features in a few of Lovecraft’s works) scientists/explorers being chased away by a large Shoggoth. They are attempting climb a wall as the creature pulls them back down with it’s tentacles.
I intend to concept the explorers into more HG Wells like style by using early space suit designs.
What I hope to capture is the sheer terror on the front most explorer’s face, with the Shoggoth mass in the background.
I also hope to put a slightly different take on the shoggoth and add extra details other than the usual tentacles, eyes & mouths.
So heres my first concept sketch to get things going, thanks in advance for coming by and suggestions are most welcome, so let me know what you think.

cheers.

#3

Here are some simple concepts I whipped up this morning, the explorer character and some potential eyes and tentacles - much more to come.

#4

Here’s a basic sketch to show my progress thus far. Gonna work on separate parts of the creature tonight. Different types of tentacles, human forms like faces and hands near their eyes, claws, different types of mouths, etc.

#5

Hey Matt,

NIce to see you in this new challenge :smiley:

Your concept sounds really cool. Like a lot the idea. Your first sketches look really good, nice composition on it. Perhaps a more terrified expression. Only a comment :slight_smile: Cool start.

Have fun and good luck. Waiting for more updates. Cheers!! :beer:

#6

madbot,

combining HG Wells with H P Locraft sound amazing. The victorian space suits design is looking great. Since the shoggoth is a shapeshifter, maybe you can find room for a pinup type shape to be taunting the exporers.

Cool entry.

Nice to meet you. :buttrock:

#7

Thanks guys, appreciate the feedback.

Ferx - The terrified expression on the main guy’s face will hopefully be posted soon, as I believe that’s the gold for this image. I want old fashioned pure terror, I hope you’ll like it :slight_smile:

ravioli_rancher - thanks I hope the combination turns out well. Nice idea about the pinup shape. I’m currently exploring shapes that are a bit gross, like screaming faces, body parts, fangs and so forth, so an idea away from that theme could be very useful :thumbsup:

hope to update soon

#8

Here’s an update. I’ve drawn a few pencil sketches of separate parts of the shoggoth, scanned them in and then placed them on a simple tentacle-like background. The idea is to just get pretty much everything I need onto the canvas so I can start to push and pull at the values and hopefully have everything blend together well.

#9

Looks cool best of luck on your production.

#10

I wasn’t happy with my last post, things were looking a little messy. I went back to my sketch book and drew separate pieces of lineart that I would collage into the final composition, adding extra detail where required.

#11

With my linework now placed, I’m happy with the image. Even though it looks pretty busy, by adding some basic lighting ideas (I think it would be best having the lighting from above, say from a powerful torch), I’m pretty sure I have a good idea where I want to take this. Now onto some values and bringing this image to LIFE!
Wo ho ha ha!

#12

Yep, surprise, surprise my original concept wasn’t working very well. The camera angle was a bit dodgy and I really wasn’t clear where the details of the shoggoth were going to end. All in all I wasn’t happy. Then I decided that I would like to do a big quad sheet movie poster just like Forbidden Planet, War of the Worlds, etc.
So here’s my new drawing - it’s still the same concept just with much better execution (I hope). As you can see the shoggoth is coming from an ice cave-like entrance (free photo from www.sxc.hu)and grabbing our hero to pull him back into its lair. There will still be the terrified look on the face of the explorer but now there’s an opportunity for more tension to be included in the image. Let me know what you think.

#13

Here’s some basic colour & lighting, just playing around on a slow day at work. Critique welcome.

#14

Yeah, it’s been a little while, but here’s how I’m going so far. I intend to make the explorer a warmer colour but I’m not to sure just yet. Any suggestions would be most helpful. Thanks.

#15

Hey Matt,

Cool updates, like a lot your new version of the concept. :smiley:

Perhaps you can extend the canvas a bit to the right, because the extended arm of the astronaut puts the viewer eyes out of the image. You can put the right hand of the astronaut grabbing one tentacle.
Perhaps you need to slim a bit the tentacles and make them to exit from a central point to gain in perspective. For example the most upper tentacle touch the ceiling of the cavern and inmediatly the shoulder of the astronaut that breaks a bit the illusion of depth on the image.
Maybe you need some warm source of light, maybe can be a lamp that astronaut dropped to the floor.

Nice work and waiting for more updates. Cheers!! :beer:

#16

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