Chris' Sketchbook

[chrike]

Hey folks!

Thought I'd open a sketchbook as this might keep me practising more frequently.
I mean I'm pretty much painting every day but I really need to increase my speed and often I just drop an idea after the problem is solved in my head..
so.. yeah :)
Thanks to Nick for giving me the initial push!

These are three sketches I did lately (first one obviously with ref); more to come soon.
C & C very welcome!

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p297/Chrike/Watch_The_World_Burn_by_chrike.jpg

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p297/Chrike/Final_Encounter_by_chrike.jpg

Cheers,
Chris

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p297/Chrike/EntranCe_by_chrike.jpg

[brad]

These are fantastic.
It would be good to see the last one in higher resolution.

[kay2]

realy great work! congrats!

[GordonTarpley]

wow! beautiful work! all of them are fantastic but the middle is my favorite. great stuff!

[nickmarshallvfx]

Awesome stuff Chris, really glad to see you started a sketchbook!!
Keep these up, the handling of light and texture in them is fantastic!

Nick

[chrike]

Hey thanks a lot guys!
Sorry though, don't have any bigger versions.

This one's from yesterday night, 1.5hrs Photoshop

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p297/Chrike/Maintenance_by_chrike.jpg

[chrike]

another one done yesterday in a couple of hours.

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p297/Chrike/Mecha_by_chrike.jpg

[san_balaji]

Nice works Chris!
Like the mood in your paintings.

[radkrish]

Hi!.

how u handle simple,speed brush strokes..these all works are very nice.

[lightwell]

Great sense of lighting!

Do you start with a an end goal in mind or do you let the composition and design come out of doodling and sketching around?

Jim

[nickmarshallvfx]

Awesome stuff buddy, keep pumpin em out!!

Nick

[britishrebel04]

beautiful paintings Chris! Congrats on working at Double Negative!

cheers!

[chrike]

Hey thanks san, radkrish, jim, nick and jessi!

@jim: in most cases i start completely randomly.. a kind of general goal in mind at best. for instance. i wanna try this kind of lighting. it's mainly like seeing shapes in clouds :)

cheers,
chris

[chrike]

Today's :)

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p297/Chrike/hunter.jpg

[nickmarshallvfx]

Love the lighting on that last one as always Chris, looking forward to the next update!

Nick

[chrike]

hey nick, thanks a lot mate :)

and another update:

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p297/Chrike/HKFanart.jpg

referenced from the TDK trailer and done in about 4 hours;

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p297/Chrike/market1.jpg
no ref for this one; wanted to try some different lighting

thanks for viewing!

[kay2]

Hey Chris! Realy good work!

[nickmarshallvfx]

So glad you posted the Hong Kong painting inspired by TDK! You captured that so well! Liking the other one too, the light and textures work well.

Encore!

Nick

[chrike]

Thanks Kay and Nick :D

[littlelizard]

Very nice style, love the last one atmosphere!

[nibuam]

Very nice style, love the last one atmosphere!

i agree, all your lighting composition in your paintings are really nice!

encore !

[chrike]

thanks a lot lizard and nibuam :)

[JWest]

Hey Chris, beautiful work! Got any tips for a young artist-in-training like myself? Specifically, I'm interested in how you get such rough yet artistic looking textures. Any chance you could share some of your technique?

BTW, as a more specific question, I saw the picture on your website (under concept art I believe) of two unfinished looking, or perhaps destroyed, buildings (the one with the very orange-ish sunset tone). How did you get such straight lines on those buildings? I know holding shift will give you perfectly straight up/down and side to side lines, but your buildings were drawn in two point perspective, so the lines were diagonal. Just curious how you got those lines so straight (as it doesn't appear to have been done with the line tool).

[cserbuj]

Nice!!! Specially the second one... oh, it is brilliant. Good composition, the aspect ratio of the image is perfect for that.
;)

[DEOKAR]

hi,
Chris, This is verrrrrry nice !!!!!!!!!

Regards
DEOKAR

[moakley]

WOW! Great work mate! Quick question how do you retain the crispness in your paintings. I've seen this done a few times before and I've never worked it out.

[RALawrence]

Ooo. Great stuff. The three-eyed spider mech lurking in the distance gives me shivers.

[chrike]

hey guys; thanks a lot for the nice comments! couldnt reply earlier; was moving and didnt have internet for quite a while.

@Jwest:
you can get those straight lines in any direction really.
u just tip any point, then hold shift and tip another one somewhere else and a straight line will be drawn inbetween :)
i use a lot of textures in my work; it's a quick way to introduce more detail and emphasize material properties. just try bringing them in with the layer mode set to overlay or soft light, for instance.

@moakley:
sharpening afterwards ;)
hehe seriously; i always use 'smart sharpen' when i'm done painting, otherwise it looks kinda blurry by default.

[Veritas]

Very impressive chrike...

The middle on is my favorite. It's like a mixture between Appleseed and Blade Runner.
Good work.

[chrike]

Hey cheers Veritas :)

Haven't posted anything in a long time:

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p297/Chrike/Docks_by_chrike.jpg

3 hrs, Photoshop

Happy Christmas folks!

[nickmarshallvfx]

Awesome painting Chris, always great to see something new from you!
Hope things are good at work, have a good Christmas!

Nick

[HazyWay]

amazing pic... are you gonna be working on Akira?

[chrike]

long time no see.. again... :)
here's a new one i did over three or four evenings the last week

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p297/Chrike/Final_Encounter_2_0_by_chrike.jpg

chris

[nickmarshallvfx]

Wow, it was worth waiting for! :)
Awesome update mate, love the composition and the textures rock as always! Good to see some more personal sketches from you! Hope you treat us to more soon ;)

Nick

[chrike]

cheers Nick, really appreciated! Will try to get sth new out soon :)
Chris

[Akajork1]

love your sketchbook man :)

got anything new to post soon ;)? we'll be waiting!

[nilk]

I love your pieces. I was wondering how many textures you are using in general per drawing, and what are the sources, do you use own photographs?

[chrike]

hey guys :)
damn, i didnt upload anything in aaages; in fact i didnt paint anything personal in ages.

finally getting back into it, though.

here are two sketches from yesterday.


rainy day:
http://img695.imageshack.us/img695/2575/rain1n.jpg

docks II:

http://img714.imageshack.us/img714/299/docks3.jpg



cheers!
chris

[aharnett]

Post removed by author.

[chrike]

cheers mate :)

here's another one; about 6 hours...

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p297/Chrike/mountain_base_v01.jpg

[chrike]

bout 4 hours, ps

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p297/Chrike/meeting.jpg

[nickmarshallvfx]

Love this last one Chris!

[chrike]

thanks nick!
man, when i come back to london we definitely have to catch up for lunch! :)
although that might take a while haha

[nickmarshallvfx]

Haha, sounds like a good plan! Definitely let me know if you are back in town. Hope you are enjoying yourself over there :)

[chrike]

i definitely will Nick!

And damnit, go get me one of those wedding dresses! that's like my favorite spare time activity...

[Elemento]

love it...!!! totaly!

[pratik]

lovely.....nice sketches...loved the joker