Nell 3D concept ships

nell3d.blogspot.com











Keywords: concept digital vector software concept vehicle spaceship modeling in autodesk 3ds max by nell 3d warren fu inspired star wars speeder fighter model cell shade anime style plane render matrix ship the nebakanezer

"Metro map of Nürnberg"

Still more to come. Here is the metro map of Nürnberg/Germany.
Author unknown.
1 AI : 270 KB

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"Comic twister"

Beautiful comic style vector twister.
Author unknown. Only for personal use.
1 AI : 150 KB

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"Bull"

Vector bull. High detailed. Nice look.
Author unknown. Only for personal use.
1 AI : 1,2 MB

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"Dragon"

Very nice dragon icon.
Author unknown. Only for personal use.
1 AI : 200 KB

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Bosco The Black Lab

"Bosco" ( See all Proofs)

Today has been a very busy client revision day. I also managed to create a new pet portrait for Bosco the Black Lab. New clients that have placed pet portrait orders after the 17th of April and are waiting on proofs should sit tight for one more week. I should be caught up very soon. Anybody with a deadline concern can call us toll-free at 888-225-4278.

Marvel Papercraft - Spider-Man Mask

I got to looking at the Kaonashi Mask papercraft I did back in January and it occurred to me that the shape of the mask was pretty close to the shape of Spider-Man's mask. As an experiment, I re-colored the Kaonashi template. I was pleased with the result, so I thought I would post it for download. While the mask is full sized and can be worn (you are on your own in figuring out where to cut the eye holes!), I suspect that most people who build this will use it as more of a decorative object. With that in mind, I added to the template an optional cover to enclose the back and to provide extra support to help the mask keep its shape. I have also included two PDF templates in the download, one for a full size mask and one for a miniature mask. Look for more Marvel masks in the future! The template info for the Spider-Man mask is as follows:

Template Info
Scales: 1:1 & 1:2 (approximately)
Finished Sizes:
Full Size - 6"(15.2 cm) x 9.75"(24.8 cm) x 1.5"(3.8 cm)
Half Size - 3"(7.6 cm) x 4.9"(12.4 cm) x 0.75"(1.9 cm)
Number of sheets: 3 or 2 depending on size
Number of parts: 14
Difficulty: 3/5
Download: Here

Other comic book character masks:
Human Torch
Carnage
Deadpool
Silver Surfer

Peter Popken concept ships

Check out Peter Popken's website and impressive IMDB listing.













Keywords: concept spaceship vehicles ship art from by peter popken works as a veteran concept artist in the film industy peterpopken.com concept design works featured in making-of-books expose7 from ballistic publishing

Ollie The Wheaten Terrier

"Ollie" ( See All proofs)

Wow, I can't believe the month is almost over! This week I will be working on getting a few more pet portrait projects finalized. Don't forget that Friday is the very last day for our non-proofing Mother's Day Promo. This promotion is a great deal for folks that are either on a budget or in a hurry. I will not offer this type of promotion again until possibly July.

Mosaic Monday!

Ok, I can't start every week working on a mosaic due to the demands of my full time pet portrait business, however I can do a blog post every Monday and share other people's work with you guys. I think this is a great way for me to fuel my passion for mosaics and stay inspired. Hopefully I will discover some terrific like minded people in the process.

Bosco by Christine Humphries

Stunning work by Judit Bozsar from Hungary

Zoe Afloat, from Susan Crocenzi's Flickr stream

"Kalli" From Flamingo Fanny Mosaics

Also found on Flickr Today:
The Fisherman's Dog by Griselda from Argentina
Dog Mosaic (no.1) by Amanda Neville

Papercraft Video Game Skulls

What these two unrelated skull papercraft have is common is that they were both ripped from video games. On the left is a golden skull treasure reward from Tomb Raider IV: The Last Revelation. On the right is a skull that appears in a treasure chest in American McGee's Alice. The original templates for these were both very small so I enlarged them so that each template was as large as possible yet still fit on one sheet of letter size paper. The resulting skulls are 2.5" (6.4 cm) and 1.75" (4.4 cm) tall. The Tomb Raider skull was ripped and unfolded by Alex at Saschacraft Papercraft and may be downloaded here. The Alice treasure chest skull was ripped and unfolded by the Webdude and is available for download at his website here. The Webdude's website has been down a couple of times this year so if you can't pull up his website at first try again another time.

UPDATE 7/21/11 - Looks like the Webdude's site is down for good. An alternate location to download his skull template is here.

Nokhook Eve Papertoy

In 2008, Nokhookdesign hand-screen T-shirt shop in Thailand sponsored the "Nokhook Paper Toy Project" in which a blank template was issued along with a call for original papertoy designs. This papertoy is one of the many designs that resulted. Based on the character "Eve" in the Disney movie Wall-E, this template was created by the owner of the DIY+ blog and is available for download here.

My Space Themed Mosaic

"Blast Off" 12 x 12

Blast off baby! This is a piece I did in a tempered glass workshop last weekend. I still need to work on framing and deal with some jagged edges, but it is almost done. I used vintage space stamps, and threw on a lot of glitter, the rocket was found in an old 1950's astronomy book for kids. The book was a lot of fun and talked about "when" we go to the moon some day. I put a lot of gold flake around the fire part and ended up painting over the rocket & glitter a bit for definition. I am not 100% thrilled with my composition ( too heavy on the right) , but that is ok since I have a better plan in mind for my 2nd space themed mosaic. Special thanks to my teacher Katrina for her help and continued support.

Is All Innocence Tragic?

Some of you might be wondering about the title of this blog. What does it mean?

The title came to me last summer when I was reading the forward to John Barth's The Sot Weed Factor in a Barnes and Noble. Something about Barth's book suddenly caught my imagination--you know, the mystique behind a book which catapults a reader on a wild-goose chase to find it. But before I was going to shell out the money to buy the book I wanted to find out if the contents were as enticing as the idea (as well as the cultural fame of Barth's "greatest novel"). And so I found myself a big leather chair and began John Barth's Forward to the Anchor Books Edition. I read the following:

For one thing, I came to understand that innocence, not nihilism, was my real theme, and had been all along, though I'd been too innocent myself to realize that fact. More particularly, I came better to appreciate what I have called the "tragic view" of innocence: that it is, or can become dangerous, even culpable, that where it is prolonged or artificially sustained, it becomes arrested development, potentially disastrous to the innocent himself and to bystanders innocent or otherwise; that what is to be valued in nations as well as individuals, is not innocence but wise experience.

Other phrases he'd written in the Forward resonated with me, including "the bitter quest for independence." Yes, I could relate to being too innocent, dangerously innocent, and much of my adolescence revolved around this theme of tragic innocence.

Now that I'm an adult, what does it mean to be innocent? Can I still preserve some of that innocence without sliding into the despised state of arrested development? Nobody wants to be stuck in a place they were twenty years ago. And yet, sometimes my life strikes me as so foolish and pure. As if I were enjoying the thrill of it for the first time, even if the momentary delight meant forgetting my entire past and the very troubles which caused me to lose my innocence.

Which brings me to another Forward by an author speaking about his novel, Pornographia, in much the same way Barth does--that is, in trying to make sense of the novel for future readers. The novel is by the Polish writer, Witold Gombrowicz.

The theme is not innocence exactly, but the value of youth. Here he writes:

Let us try to express ourselves as simply as possible. Man, as we know, aims at the absolute. At fulfillment. At truth, at God, at total maturity . . . To seize everything, to realize himself entirely--this is his imperative.

Now, in Pornographia it seems to me that another of man's aims appear, a more secret one, undoubtedly, one which is in some way illegal: his need for the unfinished . . . for imperfection . . . for inferiority . . . for youth . . .

When the Older creates the Younger everything works very well from a social and cultural point of view. But if the Older is submitted to the Younger--what darkness! What perversity and shame! How many traps. And yet Youth, biologically superior, physically more beautiful, has no trouble in charming and conquering the adult, already poisoned by death.

In writing his epic historical novel, Barth comes to the realization that innocence poses a far greater danger to society and the individual than nihilism. It is "wise experience" which we should then aim for. But Gombrowicz takes a different angle. Fascinated by youth, he believes there is actually something valuable in incomplete experience and unfinished work. He believes that a sort of tragic innocence might save us. But it is not the same tragic innocence that Barth talks about. The tragic innocence of Gombrowicz is the body, sex, Eros.

Whatever innocence I have preserved in my life stems, I believe, from the sensual, artistic makeup of my being. I have an inherent curiosity in the moment--the moment when you are so engulfed by life you cannot possibly see it or examine it--your only option is to embrace it and live in it like a child in a giant body of water, lulled by the waves of emotion, sensitivity, and the sparks that humans create together, whether it is through an engaging conversation with a friend or a romantic encounter with a stranger. I become innocent to life in these moments.

Is this a case of arrested development? I hope not. But some of my behaviors lean toward what John Barth calls the "dangerously innocent". Take, for example, right now. It is 2:40 in the morning and I may stay up all night writing. Or my latest fall into dissolution which I talk about in the essay, "Aphorisms and Meditations". I may go to bed with the knowledge that sleep is good for me. Yes, an entirely adult thing to do. Or I may continue to break the boundaries I set up for myself in the adult world.

Am I embracing Gombrowicz's positive view of innocence or Barth's negative one? I see value and truth in both. Clearly, I cannot go back to being a drug addict. The life of an addict is the epitome of arrested development. It is a juvenile, idiotic and selfish person who thinks only of their own pleasure. Not innocence at all.

As an artist, I rarely display the behavior of a drug addict, but I get close to that of a child. I flirt with the boundaries in my mind, if not in reality. I attempt an attitude of innocence toward new experiences. I'm turned off by my cynical friends. They don't represent wisdom to me, or intelligence. They represent fear.

To be truly innocent is to be open to the world, unafraid to die, and looking forward to the "awfully big adventure" of life. That's what Peter Pan said when looked across the wide ocean. But where did he end up? Never Never Land, which can't be anything but a state of arrested development.

Or Don Quixote, another innocent saint. His innocence caused him a lot of bloody wounds and beatings. What do his strivings represent?

I'm drawn to the magical quality of innocence in life. I don't think I want to "preserve" my innocence. There should be no effort involved. Innocence should be a natural state. And if we've been hurt before and if it is impossible to be innocent, then we should try to forgive ourselves and others. Because love and innocence seem very closely related. To love someone, you must forget.


ARTWORK BY DAVID FULLARTON

More Essays . . .

LOTR Papercraft - Uruk-hai Sword

In the epic Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, the weapon of choice of the fierce Uruk-hai orcs is a wide bladed scimitar. In this film clip, several examples of the sword can be seen...

This miniature papercraft version of the orc blade has only four parts and is fairly easy to build. Full template information is as follows:

Scale: 1:3
Finished Size: 10.5" (26.7 cm) long
Number of sheets: 1
Number of parts: 4
Difficulty: 2/5
Download: Here

"Target"

A nice little target board.
Author unknown. Only for peersonal use.
1 AI : 200 KB

!REMOVED!

"Bruce Lee collection"

Oh man. In dedication to Bruce Lee. Enjoy.
By vectorstuff.
1 AI : 5,3 MB

!REMOVED!

Dog Mosaics

I have mosaics on the brain right now. I just completed a tempered glass workshop this weekend and I have the mosaic fever again. I will post my new piece later this week. I did a fun space themed piece. I know you guys would rather hear about doggy mosaics though so I will post some links to other people's work today. I guess I should start with someone I know so check out Jill's new Party Animal Piece below.

From Jill Beninato over at Flickr

"Blue Dog"By Artsyphartsy over at Flickr
( I just bought this Blue Dog)

From Stain glass garden over at flicker

"Chipper" from animal.artist over at flickr

From Ugly Boy Flutes at Etsy

From Rock Candy Mountain at Etsy
someone really needs to buy this leash rack so I will not be tempted!

A Doggy Named Picasso

Picasso in Progress

Today I am working on Picasso. I have a bit more work to do and I am having fun with this little Schnoodle. The penguin toy was lifted from another one of his photos.

Sci Fi Corridor Paper Model

When comic artist Matt Brooker couldn't find an appropriate backdrop for photographing his collection of miniature Doctor Who Dalek toys, he created this modular Sci Fi corridor system out of cardstock. The possibilities of Brooker's system are endless. The corridors might be used as a background for photographing Sci Fi papercraft or to create a papercraft diorama. The system might also be used for miniature gaming. What appear to be light fixtures on the ceiling of the corridor are actually nothing more than holes that allow outside light to enter. To learn more about Booker's system visit his blog here. PDF templates of the various components of the corridor system may be downloaded here.

Alfred E. Neuman Paper Mask

Alfred E. Neuman is the iconic fictional mascot of the long running American satirical magazine, Mad. Since he was first seen on the front of Mad in the mid 1950's, Alfred has appeared on all but a handful of covers invariably accompanied by the printed phrase "What, me worry?" This mask is a scan from an old issue of Mad and may be downloaded here.

On Science and Mystery

These quotations are taken from the science author and physicist, Brian Greene. Greene's most well-known works include, The Elegant Universe and The Fabric of the Cosmos.

For the most part, we teach science as if it were a technical trade: Learn these facts about cells. Memorize these equations describing motion. Balance these reactions that underlie oxidation. And then demonstrate competence by passing an exam.

With this lopsided focus on the end points of research, the scientific explorations themselves receive the most minimal attention.

But science is a journey. Science is about immersing ourselves in piercing uncertainly while struggling with the deepest of mysteries.

Einstein captured it best when he wrote, "the years of anxious searching in the dark for a truth that one feels but cannot express." That's what science is about.

To be a scientist is to commit to a life of confusion punctuated by rare moments of clarity.

Established truths are comforting, but it is the mysteries that make the soul ache and render a life of exploration worth living.

For me, the past decades of anxious searching have illuminated spectacular new landmarks: extra dimensions of space curled into tiny labyrinthine geometries, a cornucopia of universes bubbling up beyond the most distant cosmic horizon, the fabric of space and time being stitched from the threads of vibrating strings.

Regardless of the outcome, the journey has been exhilarating, and through it I feel an emotional connection to the cosmos that I don't think I could have acquired any other way.

My intuition tells me that this particular odyssey will arrive at a promised land, perhaps confirming today's theoretical insights, perhaps in a future form that will have evolved signficantly.

But if not, in the unlikely event that the work on which our generation has labored doesn't make it into textbooks, I can live with that.

It's what happens along the way that enriches us. The wrestling with mystery, not the ascension to resolution, defines who we are.



My Thoughts:

This short article, taken from Wired Magazine's May 2009 edition, gives me a lot surprised joy and it captures, strangely, how I feel about life itself. Greene's elegant sentences shape for me what life is really about. A language of science can describe the moon and the stars and the galaxies, but essentially it is a language that spiritually reflects our condition as human beings. The moon and the stars and the galaxies are the outward signs and symbols of our own inner mysteries.

I love Greene's approach and attitude to science. He almost has a disdain for textbooks and the "end points of research." I agree. It is a backward method we teach in school and this point of view has profound implications for education.

Greene comes close to capturing how I feel in a moment of heightened reality, when I attempt to capture the surrounding complexity of my emotions in a poem. My experience in these moments is palpable and through a poem, I seem to grasp, if not the meaning of the moment, then I grasp the mystery of my being. And so, Greene writes science books and conducts physics experiments, and me, well, I'm a poet, life is my exploration and my ongoing experiment. But I think the two of us meet somewhere--whether it is in language, in our attempts to express the thing itself--or perhaps we meet in the universal human condition, the experience of not-knowing.

Prehistoric Trilobite Papercraft

While it may look like some kind of science fiction cockroach, this papercraft is of an actual animal that lived on Earth millions of years ago. Trilobites were a group of marine animals that according to scientists became extinct around 250 million years ago. This paper model trilobite was originally created by the Australian Geological Survey Organisation to teach children about fossils. The one page, hand drawn template for the trilobite may be downloaded from the Houston Gem & Mineral Society website here.

Concept Ships Pod Pilot #1: Russell Chong

I'd like to welcome Russell Chong as my first podcast interview on Concept Ships. Russell is a traditional concept illustrator over at Lucasfilm working on the Clone Wars animated series.

Russell talks to us about the inner workings of the Lucasfilm animation studio and the process of designing the Malevolence and the Y-Wing spaceships from concept to model. ENJOY!

















Russell's personal work.















Russell Chong conceptships weekly header #45 April 16th - May 22nd, 2009

A huge thanks to Russell Chong for taking the time out of his busy schedule to Skype with us. A big thanks to Tracy Cannobbio from Lucasfilm licensing and my friend Joel Carlo for helping me with the flv player as well as Tommy McMillion of INLAY entertainment for hooking up the beat. THANKS SO MUCH!

Keywords: interview podcast with russell chong senior traditional concept artist illustrator designer employed at lucasfilm animation studio in san francisco california working on the star wars clone wars animated series spaceship art pod pilot #1 number one artrgc.com