Barmaid Painting
*Print available over at deviantART.
With this painting I used stock photography by Cathleen Tarawhiti as my starting point and color reference.
The finished file consists of three layers of paint (rough underpainting, medium detail and a touch-up layer), and two
layers of pencil (one shading, one sketch) also a couple effects layers and a ridiculous amount of adjustment layers.
The final painting was done in Photoshop CS6 at 3,600 x 5,400 in 16-bit with the ProPhoto RGB gamut, so in comparison
with these jpg’s, the real color count is actually far higher and more intense. (and a pain to convert back for the web)
Big thanks to Cathleen for her beautiful stock collection and to the wonderful model, Mahia Keepa-Hale!
Here is a desktop wallpaper version (2560×1600). You can catch more detail in this crop, click through to get the full sized image;
Here is a 1:1 crop from the full sized original;
Leeloo from “The Fifth Element”
Painting of Leeloo from the movie “The Fifth Element” as played by Milla Jovovich.
Click through the first image to get to the wallpaper sized 2560 x 1078 image.
This is a second version of my Leeloo painting and I had actually finished it some time ago but have just been forgetting to upload.
The first version I had put up on my Facebook and you can see that here if ya want.
Version two here was made because I was generally not 100% happy with the overall look of the first and
I had additionally wanted to further the realism of the canvas with some new techniques I had developed.
Both versions were painted in Photoshop CS5 64-bit with 16-bit color.
v1 = 2,552 x 1,065
v2 = 5,700 x 2,400
Here’s a half sized detail from the original;
And, here’s a full sized piece from the original;
“Community” – Chang Rising Poster #2
“Community” RETURNS – March 15th – 8:00pm – NBC
Community Returns TODAY, so be ready with my next Chang Rising Poster!
This one may be half size but still looks Chang-tastic printed out full sized at 24 x 36!
Glorious “Manilla” poster: (4.5Mb, jpg) (3,600×5,400)– Download Here!
Again;
All rights reserved to: NBC, Sony Pictures Television, Universal Media Studios, Russo Brothers,
Harmonius Claptrap, Krasnoff Foster Productions, the eternaly Chan-tastic Ken Jeong and
anyone else at NBC that will promise to never even THINK about cancelling “Community”!
Now pardon me while I stare at my blackened HDTV for the next 12 hours until COMMUNITY COMES ON.
Kirk
kirk@kirkdunne.com
#changrises !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
“Community” – Arise, Chang Army!
In Chang We Trust
*NOTICE – If I did happen to guess WRONG at what is at the bottom of this poster, I WILL be adding a corrected version.
Chang Poster available in;
Wallpaper sized: (104kb) (2560×1600) – Download Here! - Also, a 16:9 ratio wallpaper: (62kb) (1920×1080) – Download Here!
Gloriously full-sized poster: (714kb) (7,200×10,800, which is 24″x36″) – Download Here!
This one is so Chan-tasticly huge it probably won’t load into most browser windows.
I suggest right-clicking the link and choosing “Save Link As”
Info;
Based upon the Chan-tastic Chan poster being unfurled in the “Community Returns!” trailer.
Watch the video here, Chang poster at the 0:30 second mark)
Obviously, I’m just guessing at what’s actually at the bottom of that poster.
Come March 15th, the full Chang shall be revealed!
All images are in png format, created in Photoshop CS5.
All rights reserved to: NBC, Sony Pictures Television, Universal Media Studios, Russo Brothers,
Harmonius Claptrap, Krasnoff Foster Productions, the eternaly Chan-tastic Ken Jeong and
anyone else that would like to dogpile in on some of this copyright action.
“To know your Chang, you must become your Chang.”
– The Art of Chang
Kirk
kirk@kirkdunne.com
*This page is in fandom spirit of the AMAZING NBC comedy Television show “Community“.
If you’ve never seen it, do so NOW and level up your coolness by a roll of at least +10.
*So, realize this is all in fun and therefore I am not a communist.
(Sorry commies)
*I am also not a rabid celebrity stalker of Ken Jeong.
(Sorry Ken, you are awesome…but at this moment in my life, you’re just not “go to jail” awesome…as I am still paying off my plasma flatscreen)
“Left Turn” – The Road Poster
Based upon Director Mauricio Marin’s idea of having the lines of the road fading outward from the expressionistic
facial lines of Danny Trejo (Samuel Lopez) this is the first in a series of posters for the film “Left Turn”.
I finished this piece quickly, so what you see here will most likely be the first version with a more refined second
version to come as I feel this could be fleshed out much more faithfully to Mauricio’s original idea.
But, for now v2 will wait as more and different art is to come for “Left Turn”.
Here’s a 1:1 detail, click through to see its full size;
Technical Info;
Painted in Photoshop CS5 in around 50 hours.
Because of how quickly I needed to completed this, it is only half sized at 12″ x 18″, 300dpi.
(v2 will be the standard 24″ x 36″)
For the initial sketching and layout, I used VFX Workshops Pencil Brush Pack, available here.
For painting, I used mainly the default CS5 Mixer brushes. I have some custom
Mixer brushes but they aren’t very far away from the default setup’s at all.
Happy Halloween!
“There are nights when the wolves are silent and only the moon howls.”
- George Carlin
Happy Halloween everybody!!
Painted in Photoshop CS5. Keep clicking on image to see full size.
Cheshire Bound
“The rabbit-hole went straight on like a tunnel for some way, and then dipped suddenly down, so suddenly that Alice had not a moment to think about stopping herself before she found herself falling down a very deep well. Either the well was very deep, or she fell very slowly, for she had plenty of time as she went down to look about her and to wonder what was going to happen next.”
I had downloaded and got inspired by the “Alice In Wonderland” free epub book for pc Kindle, available from the Project Gutenberg site HERE.
(they provide many formats and also carry a lot of other public domain books).
Painted in Photoshop CS5, on five layers in around 20 hours total.
Click the image to grab the full sized version.
Eight-Legged Art
After clicking the thumbs above, you will see a larger version AND an additional text link to download the full / original sized pieces. (they’re BIG)
A Photoshop CS5 sketch and painting. As far as the final painting goes; I wanted to experiment with a stylized look to the Octopus
and I eventually chose to use two divided styles together; a tight cell-shaded line work laid atop a loose wet-on-wet painting below.
To play a bit further on divisions, I used a hard, flat wood surface to contrast the pliable, gelatinous characteristics of the Octopus.
The sketch was created at 2K, the painting made at 3K, with probably around 30 hours total put into making both.
(about an hour or so for the sketch and with a good amount of the rest just being spent on various experimentation’s with the painting.)
Gotta admit, although I don’t eat Calamari often, this does kinda makes me wanna pull out a chopping board and skillet.
Suicide Girls #1 – “Phacet”
Around six weeks ago, I received a commissioned request to create a portrait painting from “Phacet”, a very cool and unique lady who is over at Suicide Girls.
SG is a (nsfw) website that shows pin-up, rocker and just basically alternative looking girls in various stages of undress. She had wanted me to build from her
existing photo’s, so after choosing a few as reference, I created a pin-up themed painting for her. I’m very happy with the results even though I believe my work doesn’t
hit a perfect bullseye for her, it’s on the dartboard. When I have time, I have promised Phacet a second piece.
Detail from original#1: 
Detail from original#2: 
*On the subject of art showing humans and specifically here women, I will almost always opt for something that shows “sexy over sexual”. When it comes to something
artistic I myself appreciate more the attitude of an expression, style or of a pose over just showing nudity. Basically in my opinion, nudity is easy. Great lines, composition,
and attitude; those attributes I believe are harder to achieve yet makes for a better piece of art in any media. So, that’s what I am striving for, whether nudity happens to
exist in the final result or not, to me, is beside the point.
Painting created in Photoshop CS5 at 6K.
©2011 All rights reserved to each individual model and to suicidegirls.com
Suicide Girls #2 – “Talena”
This is Suicide Girl “Talena”, she is a wonderful model and had beautiful reference photos in which to work from and I do really like how this painting turned out.
WIP stepsAnd, with that being said…I will most likely re-visit this painting again one day as I’m not 100% happy with my work on it. I’m not sure the style I used works as
well as it could with this setting and I know the paintwork didn’t come out the absolute best. Looking forward to tackling this one again, and bringing up my work
a notch or two, as she does have a subtle and cool expression and the setting has great, bold colors.
Painting created in Photoshop CS5 at 2.5K.
©2011 All rights reserved to each individual model and to suicidegirls.com
Suicide Girls #3 – “Mary”
Detail from original 4K painting: 
Mary is one of the very early Suicide Girls and in my personal opinion, has a very “classic” look in the vein of pin-up girls and of the SG website.
Mary had a huge amount of reference to go through and I chose a seperate pose, expression and hair to use as reference for the final painting here.
I believe the style and paintwork mesh pretty well with Mary’s pose and composition as overall I see the final result here being very sexy but not over the top.
Painting created in Photoshop CS5 at 4K.
©2011 All rights reserved to each individual model and to suicidegirls.com
“X-Men: First Class” Posters
I had wanted to take a stab at some new posters and coincidentally enough, one of my fave site, Super Punch announced a contest for users to create anything better in a “X-Men: First Class” movie poster than what had already been made by the studios. Sadly, this wouldn’t be hard for say, even a newbie Photoshop user, since at this time the only graphics that have been released so far are….just not great. I like the studio made one with just the metal “X” logo but I’ve always been biased towards any kind of rendered metal so there ya go.
Click images for larger versions.
I didn’t win the Super Punch contest but no matter, the look of the posters was supposed to be 60′s inspired (that’s when the new film will be set in) but of course, I went off on my usual, personal tangent and missed the themes target. I’m happy with the final results though, especially the “Group” poster and very especially the “Torn” poster.
The contest winner was Clyde Bailey and I gotta agree, he hit the poster theme square, dead-bang, imo but yeah, I really liked all the entries. See the poster page here over at Super Punch to have a look at all the entries along with a users animated video version of a James Bond/Saul Bass inspired opening credit sequence for the movie. Be sure to check the rest of Super Punch out, it’s truly unique and cool (toys, comics, video games and artwork but really just anything cool)
“Bloodlust”
I wanted to paint what I had been avoiding, which was something human and with emotion. Adding the subtle fangs to the girl was a bit of an afterthought done near the end.
I am really happy with how I’m getting along with Photoshop CS5′s Mixer Brushes. I feel I am fine tuning them more with each new painting and getting them and myself closer to where I want to be with the look and feel of the final result. The overall style I like and am aiming for is one of looseness, one in which you see hopefully see expressiveness in clearly seeing the brush strokes.
This is all serving me well in stepping back from the perfect exactness of 3D, which I love to do and always will but this more raw looking 2D painting, feels great to be able to make.
“Bird’s Eye”
Photoshop CS5 with Mixer Brushes. Original painting made at 4K.
I wanted to force myself to try and represent something in a painting with a limited amount of solid shades (each on a seperate layer, actually). I got it down to about 15 shade layers; a couple layers for the yellows of the beaks and claws, a couple of layers of white for the highlights and the rest are shades of black. All the layers are set to various levels of opacity to; either screen (for the yellows and white) or multiply for the blacks. What this did was “tint” the original background, which is a scan of a grocery store paper bag.
This is either a Brown Hawk or Eagle, I’m not truly sure what it should be considered as I found out later the only major difference between the two bird types are that eagles are larger than hawks. Imo, I say hawk.
“Sony Move” Photo Manipulation
Gizmodo had a contest to see how people could insert the Sony Move into snapshots from movies, trying to integrate the Move into the scene itself. I had ten ideas and screenshots but only had time to complete three entries. One of my entries placed third.
This is Christina Ricci and Liam Neeson from the movie “After.Life“. This is the entry that had placed. I think you can see why…
Fight Scene from “Repo Men” with Jude Law. This was actually my favorite entry that I did.
Chris Evans (Capt America) from “The Losers“. The guard on the right is Stunt Man Garret Warren, he also worked on A Christmas Carol and Mars Needs Moms (as I did).
Original Contest Link – Contest Announcement.
Final Entries – Gizmodo has changed the format of their website and the entries are not showing up, so the link is to a Google cached view of all the entries, which right now, does work.
“Memento” Poster
Memento is one of my all time favorite movies and since it had came up on its 10 year anniversary, I decided to make my own version of its poster.
Work was all painted in Photoshop CS5, original size is 3000×4500.
The Title/Block credits were reversed as to mimic some of Guy Pearce’s tattoo’s from the movie which were backwards, so he could read them in a mirror.
The text that is lightly laid out over the entire poster is a listing of all the text, in tattoo form that Guy Pearce’s character carried on him to remind himself of important facts.
“Cowboys”
Another Photoshop CS5 painting using its new dynamic Mixer brushes.
At this point in using PS CS5′s Mixer Brushes, my workflow is as many CGI painters do and that is to build up each layer each with an increasing amount of detail to it. So, the bottom layer will be extremely loose and messy and as the layers go up, each one carries a little more detail in it. The final top layer will have little painting done to it, but it will be the most detailed lines.
“Cranium Collection”
This was a big change for me. This is my first shot at painting using the new Photoshop CS5 and its dynamic painting brushes, called the Mixer Brushes. They are a HUGE difference over the old brushes as they can actually mix colors together as you would in the real world and they can simulate the look of traditional media pretty well.
Another thing I have tried for the first time here was that this is a 3D “paint over”. I had set up some low-poly skulls in a scene, arranging them how I wanted along with frame composition, then after rendering that simple scene out, I brought it into Photoshop CS5 and painted over it, using the 3D render as way to have it all blocked out in advance. It’s a faster way to experiment with composition before committing to painting in addition to having zero problems with perspective. You can see a short workflow example below.
“Wasp”
This was an exercise in using Photoshop (CS4) to make a 2D digital painting resemble traditional media, in this case, watercolor.
There are a lot of layers with lots of various technique’s here.