Blazing Godzilla Concept Art Goes Old School

The art below was released at San Diego Comic-Con on a t-shirt. The best part about it is that fans could view their shirt in a webcam to watch trails of fire coming from their chest.



One thing is for sure, it's a lot more faithful than the 1998 Godzilla film.



Concept artists unknown.
[Image credit: Legendary Pictures / Toho Kingdom]

Is A New Superhero Show UNION DUES Coming to TV?

Based on an ad posted to ConceptArt.org and a discussion in a forum one of the most popular superhero podcasts may be coming to TV.

I listen to the "Escape Pod" podcast and one of my favorites is the superhero series called "Union Dues" which follows the trials of a world inhabited by superheros. It's one of the most realistic worlds ever created. I ran into an ad on the forums looking for artists.

We recently acquired the TV rights for Union Dues, a superhero series by Jeffrey DeRego. I am a producer who just finished the television series Monk, and my partner is Exec Prod of visual effects at the Toronto based Intelligent Creatures.
We are currently putting together a pitch for Union Dues, and are seeking new concept artists with a passion for superhero characterizations. Pencil art, 3d work, etc. This is intended as a live-action series, and you will be credited with your work in the presentation.
A little about the project:
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Union Dues is a superhero story series combining the morally gray world of Watchmen, the ensemble melodrama and overlapping story lines of Lost, and the superhero action of X-men.
Created by Jeffrey R. DeRego, the Union Dues literary podcasts have already generated a base of nearly ONE MILLION fans and have gained critical acclaim amongst the independent literary community.
---------
A new website is currently being built, but a bit more about the project, including our press release, can be found here.
http://www.1-800-go-union.com/

To contact us, please email mail[at]1-800-go-union[dot]com

I haven't heard anything since, but it's exciting to think about. I'd love to talk to someone involved in the project. Apparently, Darren Bell hired concept artists who’ve worked on Farscape and "Fallout."

5 Life Lessons Learned from STREET FIGHTER: LEGEND OF CHUN LI Storyboards

The producers of Street Fighter: the Legend of Chun Li released a bunch of storyboards on their blog by artist Ted Boonthanakit and they tell an amazing story through his smooth visuals. They also teach important lessons about life. Here are five of them:

1. If you're being shot at on a roof, always head for the top loader.

2. To toss someone from a kitchen island always grab under the jacket.

3. The best way for a woman to jump a fence is to do a "Nadia Comaneci" vault.
4. Remember that guys with blades on their hands can slice through a chain-link fence.
5. If you're going to do a upper-cut to the jaw make a profound connection.

 That's one to grow on.

Are there any more lessons we can learn from Street Fighter: Legend of Chun Li?

Superman's Spiky Concept Sketches

James Carson's Superman concept sketches are awesome with the spiky costume design. It seems like a lot of artists got a chance to work on Tim Burton's proposed Superman film, but James Carson's sketches are some of my favorites.


Superman appears with a reimagined costume enhanced by Kryptonian armor. The costume is black instead of blue and red because they felt the old colors were effeminate.


Superman bonds with Kryptonian robot, The Eradicator.


A closer look at Superman's Eradicator costume.


The reimagined "Fortress of Solitude."


Superman fights the bizarre alien Doomsday.

See more at http://www.jamescarsondesign.com/

Vin Diesel "Left For Dead" in Patrick Tatopoulos' Concept Art

Vin Diesel loves to tease out projects on his Facebook page. "Early Riddick concept art... first frame of a 2D Motion Choreography Study. Grrrr...The Furian... left for dead.." Vin is talking about the David Twoy directed sequel to Pitch Black and Chronicles of Riddick called Chronicles of Riddick: Dead Man Stalking (2011).

Official Synopsis: In the upcoming third installment of the popular sci-fi franchise, Riddick get's betrayed by the Necromonger army and is left for dead on a desolate planet. He has to fight for survival against alien predators and must deal with two squads of bounty hunters, who are coming after him to collect the bounty for the most wanted man in the galaxy.

The drawing by Patrick Tatopoulos is amazing for its sense of despair and isolation. Riddick is broken and defeated lying covered in muck. Then, a vicious looking creature stalks him ready to bite. Truly amazing.

The rest of the images were screen caps from a video shown to investors by "OneRace Films" Diesel's production company.


The man Riddick, looking spiky.


A "Battle Study" of the fiercest creature on the planet. The Apex predator.


The mercenaries arrive by spacecraft.


The mercenaries ride "Jetcycles" that are part hovercraft and Scud missile.


Riddick steals a Jetcycle in a big action scene to turn the tables on the mercenaries.


Mercenaries

Alien motion studies

[Image Source: Collider]

Cesar Lemus Took A Flying Leap For HEROES

Heroes was a fantastic show in its first season. After that, it jumped a mutant shark. Cesar Lemus is an accomplished storyboard artist in film and television who worked on the show.  Here's a storyboard from season 3 episode 14 A Clear and Present Danger.

There's lots of  action in this storyboard.

Check out his blog The ARTBlog of: Cesar Lemus (aka phyrhed)

Update: Modified link to blog

Alien Embryos is Now Flick Sketchr

I started this blog a while back and two things have bugged me: the name and the design.  So, I tested a few names on some focus groups and came up with a new title that is easier to read, remember and understand.

Welcome to "Flick Sketchr."

More updates to come as I set out to make this the premier concept art and storyboard blog on the Internet.

Two New Magnificent Captain America and Thor Concept Posters

Ryan Meinerding's Captain America battlescene makes Cap fit right into WWII.

Charlie Wen's Thor vs. Loki fight looks epic.

Marvel is releasing some concept posters at Comic-Con this weekend and we have a sneak peek thanks to Yahoo. Action packed and colorful, its a good sign of things to come. Neither of the two artists - Ryan Meinerding and Charlie Wen - are listed in IMDB for these films, so it makes me rethink my research path.
What do you think?

David J. Negrón Gave Action To Indiana Jones

David J. Negrón has done a ton of movie storyboards for decades. This is a very action-oriented one from the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark.

http://www.davidjnegron.com/

Slamming Thor Concept Art

Last week, some new images of the movie Thor (2011) hit the net and a lot of people hated the costume design.

Here are some pictures of the released concept art a while back. I'm skeptical that these images were ever used for pre-production, but, with the industry moving more towards CGI and digital effects it's possible.

Compare to the original costume design by Jack Kirby.

The movie has a ton of concept artists attached to it, so I have no idea who created them. Here's the list from IMDB: James Carson (concept artist), Vance Kovacs (concept artist), Ron Mendell (concept artist), Kurtis Richmond (concept artist Fuel: VFX), Raj Rihal (concept artist), Maury Ruiz (concept artist: Legacy Effects), Craig Shoji (concept artist), Tully Summers (concept artist), Daphne Yap (concept artist).

[Image Source: Collider.com]

Disney's Tangled Concept Art Gives Hope For CGI Animation

I'm not a huge fan of CGI animation. CGI cartoons are often hysterical and enjoyable, but the best CGI looks like traditional cell animation. So, bleedingcool has released some concept art from their upcoming CGI animated film Tangled, based on the fairy tale Rapunzel, and it looks good. Its interesting to see the Disney style applied to CGI. Will they one day dominate CGI animation like they dominate traditional? Who knows, but for now we can enjoy these and wonder.

Star Trek's Early Ferengi Designs Actually Look Cool

When Star Trek: The Next Generation came out they tried to introduce a new villain in the form of the Ferengi. They were kind of cool at first, but soon became a joke. I came across these concept drawings by Andrew Probert and have to say he did an amazing job.  I wish some of his ideas, like the Babylonian style beard had made it in, but such is the life of a concept artist I guess.

"I wanted us to loathe them, and despise them, and fear them, and also think they were ridiculous." Probert said. "We played around with a bunch of concepts. I kind of scrunched up my face, and popped my eyeballs, and bared my teeth, and put my hands up behind my ears. It was probably the most grotesque thing you could get. We always fear the thing that doesn't look like us. In this case, the idea was to take them away from looking like us, but of course they do look like us in some ways. They're weird, but they are still humanoid."

http://www.probertdesigns.com/

Sharktopus Concept Art Vs. Sharktopus Trailer

The trailer for the SyFy monster film Sharktopus was released and its hilarious. You can read our post on the trailer at Geek Twins. Concept art for the film by Matt Leach was released last year and it looks quite a bit different from the final product.


The original looked like a huge hulking creature frothing the water in a life or death battle against a destroyer.


In the actual film, the oceans are calm. The boat is smaller and the beast is smaller. You can't tell here, but they also added a bunch of spikes and scales which isn't native to the shark or octopus. Personally, I like the concept art better, but with a name like "Sharktopus" it has to be good.

Matt is really good at creating bizarre imagery so make sure you check out his other work at http://www.mcleach.com/illustration.html

What do you think of Sharktopus? Will you be watching it?

San Diego Comic-Con Panel Features Film Concept and Storyboard Artists

The San Diego Comic-Con is coming up fast, on July 22nd through 24th, and the schedule has been released. If you're planning on going, or need a good reason to go, there's going to be a panel discussion and
Q&A on concept illustrators:

 Saturday July 24th

10:30-11:30 "Film Illustrations, Storyboards, Concept Art: The Art Behind the Images" - Meet the pros who use their artistic talents to create the visual magic that producers, directors, writers, and production designers depend on to create iconic images. Panelists include moderator Len Morganti ([Twilight] New Moon), Harrison Ellenshaw (TRON), Dave Lowery (Cowboys and Aliens), Simeon Wilkins (Hellboy), Tim Burgard (2012), and Ricardo Delgado (How to Train Your Dragon).

Awesome to the extreme. You can read the whole schedule on the San Diego Comic-Con website.
Would you go to the Comic-Con to see these artists?

[Image source: speaker.tv.blogspot.com]

Artist Profile: Richard James Bennett Lamas

Richard James Bennett Lamas, credited simply as Richard Bennett, is a former comic book artist and current freelance film concept and storyboard artist from Uruguay. He was a storyboard editor on the 2009 film Star Trek. [1] He previously worked on the Star Trek comic book crossover title, Divided We Fall for WildStorm Comics.

Bennett broke into the comic book industry in 1990, penciling and inking the Cyberrad series for Continuity Comics. Not long after, he began freelancing for Marvel Comics on various X-Men titles and then had a brief stint at Image Comics before joining WildStorm Comics in the mid-1990s, where he worked on a wide variety of titles.

In 1993, Bennett joined HBO where, before departing in 1997, he did background and character design work for the first season of the animated Spawn series. From 1998 through 2003, Bennett attended the Art Center College of Design in Padadena, California, graduating with a BFA in Illustration. He also studied in Film Transportation and Product Design.

While attending college, Bennett continued providing artwork for a number of comics, video games, and films. He did keyframe sketches for the 2002 HBO movie Live from Baghdad (starring Bruce McGill) and worked on designs for the character of “Happy” (played by Anthony Edwards) for the 2003 independent film Northfork.

Since then, Bennett has been a storyboard artist on such films as AVP: Alien vs. Predator, Alien vs. Predator: Requiem, 300, Zodiac, and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. He also did conceptual art for the CBS series Numb3rs. More recently, he was a conceptual illustrator on the upcoming Paramount Pictures release, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

Official Site: http://www.richardbennettart.com/richard.htm

Shawn Trpcic's Stylish Wonder Woman Costume Sketches

With all the chatter about Wonder Woman costume design, its worth noting the concept art shared via Twitter by Shawna Trpcic.

She was working with Joss Whedon on his proposed Wonder Woman film. I like how she kept the feel of the original costume while modernizing it.

Notice the stylish trench coat too.

Check out her website and gallery at http://www.ishawna.com/

Dawn Brown's The Last Airbender Concept Art

Yesterday, I shared an exclusive interview I did with Dawn Brown, one of the concept illustrators on The Last Airbender. She kindly sent over some awesome concept art from the film. These were listed as her favorite designs for the film.

Have you seen The Last Airbender. What did you think of her amazing set design for the film?

Exclusive: Dawn Brown Talks About Working on The Last Airbender and With Hubby Warren Manser

Dawn Brown is an illustrator and set designer as well as the creator of two critically acclaimed comic book titles, Little Red Hot and Ravenous. Recently, her work has been seen in the film The Last Airbender. She graciously agreed to do& an interview for the blog.
***

Thank you for this interview Dawn. How did you get started as an artist for films?
I've been a set designer since 1995, and made the transition to illustrator in 2007. Set design has really migrated to digital over the last few years, and computer drafting holds absolutely no interest to me. I really just love to draw, and so I made the transition to another branch of the art department that utilizes my skills in a more productive way.

Do you prefer the title "Concept Artist" or "Illustrator?"
I use the terms interchangeably. "Illustrator" is the title that is officially recognized by the union. "Concept artist" has become a very popular title over the past few years. It is not an official union title, so a lot of the non-union guys use it.

Was it hard to make the shift from the fantastical world of Alice in Wonderland to the more realistic tone of The Last Airbender?
Huh? Both films are set in fantastical worlds! No, it was not hard to shift from one world to the next. Those kinds of films are the most fun.

How did you get the job working on M. Night Shyamalan's The Last Airbender?
Phil Messina was the Production Designer for The Last Airbender. I have worked with him on several movies through the years. (Ocean's 11, Solaris, Ocean's 13) He introduced me to Larry Dias, the Set Decorator. I get most of my jobs through Production Designers, Art Directors, or Set Decorators. There's kind of a "6 degrees of separation" thing that goes on in this industry, and it plays a big part in who gets hired on what.

What was it like working with M. Night Shyamalan?
You know, I've actually never met M. Night Shyamalan. I've worked on 2 of his movies, but I've never had any interaction with him whatsoever. I mostly work in Los Angeles, and he mostly works in Philadelphia.

That's the nature of the industry I guess. Movies like Alice in Wonderland and The Last Airbender have a more fantastical tone than films other films you've worked on, like Ocean's Eleven and Charlies Angel's. Do you feel like these films open your mind to more creativity?
Oh yes, of course! Like I said before, the fantastical films are really the best ones to work on. At least from an artistic perspective.

Did you mainly focus on set, costume or character design for this film? Do you have a favorite?
I mainly focused on furniture design. I worked with the set decoration department. We were responsible for the set dressing, the furniture, the light fixtures, etc. I work with the set dec quite a bit, actually on The Last Airbender, Alice in Wonderland, Star Trek, The Island, Planet of the Apes andBatman & Robin.

What is the creative process for you when working?
I receive an assignment from the Set Decorator, (Larry Dias on Airbender) or the Production Designer, (Phil Messina on Airbender) and whatever research or reference relates to said assignment. Then I usually do a round or two of rough comps, then a tighter sketch or illustration, and when the design is approved, I do the construction drawings for the shop. Then on to the next thing. It is very fast. I love it.

What was the biggest challenge you faced in working on the movie?
No big hurdles or challenges on The Last Airbender. It was really a pleasure for me. Some of these movies can be really, really tough. But this was one of the fun ones.

What does it feel like to have your ideas come alive on the screen?
Of course, it's great! But honestly, I can not take credit or blame for anything that ends up on the screen. Making a movie is such a collaborative process, by the time anything gets to the screen, a hundred carpenters, painters, plasterers, electricians, grips, actors, etc. have added their own contributions and interpretations to any given idea or concept.

If you could sit with us in the theater and point out one thing to look for, what would it be?
The Fire Nation war room table, the landing crafts, the Fire Lord throne room screen and lamps. Whoops, that's more than one thing.

You're married to fellow concept artist Warren Manser. What was it like working as a husband-and-wife team on The Last Airbender?
Yes, Warren is my husband! It was great. But just to clarify, we don't bill ourselves as an illustration "team." We worked together from home. He worked in his studio, and I worked in my studio, each on our own assignments. We bounce ideas off each other all the time. We've worked together a few times, actually. But we are each hired on our own terms, we are not a package deal.

An often asked question among artists is if they should go to art school. Having graduated from
University of Kansas with a BFA degree in illustration/graphic design, would you suggest other aspiring concept artists follow the same path?
Of course getting an education is important. The best school for learning concept design for the film industry is The Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. It's not a requirement, but a formal education in art and/or design is a great place to develop your skills and start building a portfolio.

Which concept artists do you admire the most right now and why?
I have the privilege of working with the finest artists in the film industry, and consider many of them good friends. (and I even married one of 'em!) Warren Manser, James Clyne, Ryan Church, John Eaves, Darek Gogol, Ed Natividad, Jaimie Rama, Tim Flattery, Paul Ozzimo, I could go on and on.... If any of your readers are interested in becoming concept artists, they should check out these guys' websites. School is in session!

Who do you get the most inspiration from and why?
See the guys above. Seriously, I am surrounded by the most amazing and talented guys in the industry. They motivate me to keep learning and growing as an artist.

Some say the only way to succeed as a concept designer is to move to Hollywood or New York. Since many artists, like yourself, work from home, do you think this is still the case?

I don't work from home all the time. Most of the time I have to go into the studio. Over the past few years, more and more and more film industry work is done outside of Hollywood. Other states and countries offer financial incentives that the producers can't refuse. Who knows what the future holds, but for now, it certainly helps to be in Hollywood in the beginning of you career, at least to establish yourself. There is no "only way" to do something in this business. But the ones who tend to succeed all have certain things in common. Talent, drive, flexibility, patience, good people skills, energy, resourcefulness, are some of the main qualities you need to succeed.

There's been a movement from traditional art mediums to digital. Where do you stand on this? Do you ever see the pen and paper going away in the industry?
Everyone has their own take on this issue, but I feel strongly that I should keep both pencil and digital skills strong. Putting pencil to paper is where the rubber meets the road. There is absolutely no substitute for strong drawing skills. Period.

What& can& we look forward to next from you?
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides will be in theaters next summer. Ahoy!

Thanks for taking the time to do this interview Dawn. I wish you all the best.
Thank you! Best wishes to you, too!

Check out Dawn Brown's awesome website and gallery at DawnBrown.net. Come back tomorrow for some exclusive concept art from her latest film!

What do you think of the interview and her views on concept illustration in general?

THE LAST CITY Concept Art Brings It Home

I've got some gorgeous concept art for a film I've never heard of called "The Last City" by Philippe Martinez. Here's the synopsis from Cinepro:

Set in post-apocalyptic New York City, "The Last City" is a noir CGI thriller that follows detective Michael Blake, who sets out to avenge the brutal murder of his brother Gabe and save hispregnant widow (May) from the clutches of New York City's overlord, Max White. As Blake strikes down White's henchmen one by one, street battle after car chase, his vengeance begins to takeon a new meaning. He realizes he is leading the hope of his brother's underground society to a new salvation by challenging White's grip over the city.
Blake, in all his fury, brings a full assault to White's doorstep by rousing the spirits of the underground survivors and arming them to challenge White's authority. By the time Michael reaches White, the fight brings him to the edge of hell on earth where the victor determines the fate of the human race.

I don't normally post an entire run of concept art, but I was tempted because I couldn't pick a favorite. The rich use of muted tones just sets the mood perfectly.
 

 Library Hall (Nice sense of scale)

Library Office (The Justice statue seems so ironic in this setting)

Madison Square Ariel View (Nice to know NY hasn't changed)

Madison Square Arena Battle (Check out the mayhem)

New York City (I love the dry river)

 No word on who the concept artist is because its still in pre-production, but the storyboard artist is Christopher Hosey. I look forward to seeing more.

Image source: io9 via Cinepro