Sketchy, At Best

2011-08-05T07:47:00.000-07:00

Stubborn, Proud Warriors

Two daring goat warriors ready to leap into battle!

2010-01-11T04:09:00.000-08:00

Edlings - Like Dwarves, But Not
Edlings! Creatures from my Star Bard story arc, Edlings are a mining race. They are specifically built for the purposes of mining ores from deep below the surfaces of planets and asteroids the universe over.

Edlings are a stocky, hardy race with a tough, pebbly skin akin to that of a rhino or elephant. This skin thickens and callouses with the rough environments the Edlings often find themselves working in. Their oversized ears are not particularly good at hearing - not much more than an average human - but instead are particularly well-suited for sweeping ore traces up to the edling's sensetive nose. Edlings are born with a highly-developed senes of smell that caters towards ores, stone and minerals of different kinds. In addition, this sense of smell allows Edlings to detect gasses of various kinds. Edlings need to breathe about half as much oxygen as human beings to survive in most places, making the deep cracks of the universe ideal for them to work in, as air is not plentiful.

Edlings are capable of seeing in little to no light but can be dazzled if they are exposed to light too easily. Edlings often wear goggles when going to and from mines, to keep their eyes from being damaged.

Edlings have a heavily build structure based on stability, and thanks to their digitigrade legs, they are able to push, pull and drag heavy loads easily. A stiff tail gives them great balance when traversing dangerous rockfalls and untested chasms. Edling males tend to shave their headquills short or off completely - females are encouraged to grow theirs long and keep them lustrous. Mining is a male-dominated field in Edling society.

The Edling homeworld of Ed is a heavily industrialized planet that is almost unsuitable for life. Thanks to robust pollution and overproduction of the planet's natural resources, most edlings now live in geodomes along the wastes. While these structures thrive, the wasteland of Ed is not a forgiving place.

About three percent of Edlings develop a rare disorder called Oreblight - the scent, touch or breathing of ore-touched air or surroundings causes violent allergic reactions, including the eventual shutdown of respiratory functions. Most infants that are dignosed with Oreblight do not survive unless they recieve proper medicine and training for use of respirators and hazard equipment, which is extremely expensive. One of the main protagonists of Star Bard, Ebbward, is living with Oreblight.

2008-11-21T13:59:00.000-08:00

Truly, Truly, Truly Outrageous?

Here we see a rough of Arturo Dugalle, from my second comic story Star Bard. He is a Taldarian - a rare breed of alien that is very feline in appearance. Space and rocking out? Totally not a ripoff of Jem and the Holograms. :)

Particularly proud of his lil Luke Skywalker 'do there. Just looks good, it' solid without being very committal. :) But that is the love of sketches.

2008-11-15T00:20:00.000-08:00

Home of the Fixer

One of the many things I need to work on is backgrounds. As I was writing the storyline for my comic I realized that, unless I started now, all my backgrounds would probably start looking like crap! So I cracked this out the other night at work. This is Arty's home and workshop - the main door is there in the hillside under the willow tree, and the stable lies a few yards off the main area.

Just a fun sketch that gave me some nice perspective.

2008-10-24T18:10:00.000-07:00

Rocket Knight to the Rescue!
So this is considerably less 'sketchy' than most of my previous stuff, but it's still technically a sketch. This image is a vector outline of Sparkster from the cover of the Rocket Knight adventures game for the Sega Genesis. 1993 represent!

I always thought Sparkster was cool. He was really different than his counterparts of the time - back in those days a lot of companies were trying to get their iconic mascot in on the action, trying to capitulate on the Sonic and Mario mascot craze - Bubsy, Awesome Possum, Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel - none of these really lasted. But Sparkster was really different.

He wasn't hardcore, he wasn't a bad-ass, he was just himself. There are several moments in the game where he gets suprised or shocked and actually shows a little emotion. It was kinda interesting coming from my background as a Sonic kid - after all, the only emotion Sonic ever really projected was a kind of mute disbelief once you smacked into a guy and lost all his rings. Sparkster gets mad, scared, and frustrated - this is something that was pretty rare in the early 90's.

He also has a freakin' sword and jetpack! How awesome is that, right? I mean it's enough that he jumps around and hangs by his little opossum tail, but he has a rocket strapped to his back and a big sword! C'mon!

Anyways, I just thought he was awesome.

Sparkster(C) 1993 Konami.

2008-08-23T00:13:00.000-07:00

We're Back!

I need to create things. I don't know if I mentioned that before.

I am a creative personality and I absolutely love it when something comes together. For example, it doesn't take much more than a properly placed line to get me excited about a sketch starting to take shape, and a well-written page gets me psyched to continue pushing more story. A few good colors and smooth application make my brush lighter - a great transition makes a long night of video processing all worth it - on and on it goes. I create, and I get that creator's high.

The actual problem is that I have a hard time staying motivated. Once the pages stop coming, or once the sketch starts to deteriorate and spin off in odd directions, I get discouraged and quit. Why do I do this? I'm not sure.

I think in this particularly digital world, distractions are everywhere; podcasts, video games and general surfing are something I find myself falling into. I mean, countless times during this post alone I've found things that have driven me from my purpose.

What's the solution? I'm not sure. Since I work in a primarily digital medium and have ample amounts of free time during my shifts at work, I can't see much else besides some discipline getting me out of this particularly annoying little rut.

I'll be trying to post more regularly. Keep it real!

--Danno

2008-05-08T14:54:00.000-07:00

Cameron Geer - Lute Hero!

A janky little pose of Cameron rocking out on his lute. After all, when one feels the power of Rock, one must follow the call. The craylings are in for a good old fashioned rock show - I'm sure somewhere Alquin is shouting for them to quiet down. Pfeh. Wizards.

Man, I love bards. There's always this hint of rockstar in every one of them, even the mellow lame ones that are really more like a gnome version of Willie Nelson. To have the power of music at your fingertips is a pretty attractive offer - I hope they have a place in D&D 4th edition.

2008-05-05T16:13:00.000-07:00

In the Sewers of the Rat King
A courageous dwarven warrior faces down the scourge of the sewers, swearing to put an end to the disappearances of his people.
Just another dwarf bein' dwarfy. I do enjoy drawing them since they have such a solid, organic frame while at the same time being so different from humans. The nice thing about them is theur lack of human style proportion makes them unique and fun to draw.
Only problem I have are the legs really, so I cheated and drew him in a sewer. Clever, if one can stand the poo-gas.
Also! Lookit the rats on the skull pile! They're all curious and squeaky.

2008-05-03T18:42:00.000-07:00

Lady of the Mountain
Here we have a dwarven fighter, one of the options for the pre-made D&D 4.0 demo. I really enjoyed the combat system and the abilities, made for a very fun couple hours. Sketched this while were playing (Actually moved soi quick that I had to stop a lot!)

2008-04-29T07:19:00.000-07:00

CHARGE!!!
A human ranger and a Crayling Outrider charge into combat. Had this image pop into my head a day or two ago and really liked the idea.

Still working on my horses. Not bad; not great, but not bad.

2008-04-28T06:57:00.000-07:00

Alquin Fired Up and Tavern Buddies
Another couple of sketches that I recently cranked out with Alquin. The first is something I think we forget about wizards - the incarnations we've seen in popular media have given us the preconception that wizards are unsure of themselves or not very flashy when it comes to cracking out the magic and blasting bad guys. Well I hate that.

When Gandalf was kicking the crap out of uruk-hai and orcs on the walls of Minas Tirith, I was all about the whack-bonk and sword-ouch. That made me happy. It was a reletive 6 HOURS of saga before it where he did no fighting and very little magic that upset me.

I'm spoiled rotten on fantasy, but c'mon. FIREBALL. How is it that with all the advances we've made in movie magic and special effects that a simple fireball is so hard to produce? That wizard fight with Saruman was cool, but...man...I just envisioned crazy stuff going all OVER the place, not two old dudes flying around Orthanc. Oh well. This is, anyway, the reason that Alquin tends to crack out the zappy from time to time - above, for example, he is deep-frying a goblin from the inside out. AWESOME. Remember; a sword says 'stabby,' but magic says 'BOOM!' :)

Also! A calmer scene of Alquin and Artemis drawing the bartender's ire at the Golden Flagon as Alquin's bean familiar takes a well-deserved draught of a fine ale after a long day battling the ogres and drakka goblins.

2008-04-27T19:43:00.000-07:00

Alquin Fross - Wizard
Alquin is one of the major characters of the Steam Knight universe, being a wizard of great knowledge and power. He's constantly hungry and has a taste for Dwarven whiskey. He is an oddity among wizards, never feeling quite at home with his own kind among the human settlements of Ghrans. He does however feel quite at home in the forests of the WIld Lords and amonst the palaces of the High Elves. He has been to Cogghaldt little but already seems to be quite interested in one Artemis Geer and his adventures.

2008-04-25T07:08:00.000-07:00

Bean Wanted!
JobHunt Bean pounds the pavement looking for a good job and a steady paycheck.

You and me both, bean-a-rino.

2008-04-23T03:29:00.000-07:00

The Clothes Make the Crayling
Artemis may eventually become a great hero in the Steam Knight storyline, but his humble beginnings are the core of who he is as a person. As a recent graduate of the Cogghaldt University, he has taken up a job running a coal wagon - an important job in the City of Forges. While not his chosen profession, he works hard and does the best he can, something that he reflects later as a warrior and a friend.

Coal drivers are throttled to a loose schedule, and Arty - through his great record and timeliness - manages a schedule that allows him 4-5 days on the road to and from the coal mines, and 2 days of rest at his flat in the city of Cogghaldt. Even with this degree of freedom he is adamant in making his deliveries on time. In his spare days he works on his steel craft and blacksmithing in his small flat, working on a piece to impress a local forgemaster so he might someday work with steel like his father. His two haflinger draft ponies, Pepper and Percy, hal the cart easily at full load.

The coal driver's uniform is more of the same from cray society - not exactly fashionable, but functional and protective. The large padded pant legs keep the cray comfortable sitting and riding long distances, as well as pad him from the bouncing and jostling of the cart on the road. The tunic is seasonal; a light one with the trademark crayling necking like this fits well with mid-autumn and keeps the cray from needing many pieces of clothing - he doesn't need to take care of a muffler with this shirt. In mid-spring and summer the tunic can be removed and allows for better ventilation.

2008-04-15T16:00:00.000-07:00

Leap Into Action
Arty in a dynamic leaping/punch pose. I was trying to get the bend of the body as well as the force of his punch apparent in his body.

2008-04-10T11:27:00.000-07:00

Standard Issue
Here is a quick concept of the Crayling infantry in Steam Knight. Not all of them are equipped with the PB-244 Portable Cannonade (or 'Boomstick' in trencher terms) however most squads do have at least four to cover advances and deal with heavy targets, such as Ogres or war machines like seige towers and battering rams.
The Boomstick is a primitive scattergun - nowhere near as sophisticated as a shotgun - but manages to reflect the qualities of the cray themselves - light, efficient, and adaptible. The PB-244 is capable of firing anything small enough to be shoved in the barrel with a load of powder - rocks, nails, chain links, you name it. However they are also capable of firing specially-made explosive rounds for hard targets. Most cray infantry with the PB-244 have 2 of these shells issued at time of enlistment but are encouraged to seek out more, of the means to manufacture more, be it from enemy supply caches or fallen comrades.

2008-03-20T19:53:00.001-07:00

Beans, Beans, Good for the Art...the More I Draw...
Just a couple quick sketches of Beanio running and a Beanjo player. :)

2008-03-19T20:38:00.001-07:00

There's Safe, and There's Stupid...
Grissel Bloodsong hides behind the protective shield of a Bouncer, the new light warbeast for the Trollblood tribes. He's strong, well-armored and very protective of his warlock. Not pictured is the awesome-in-concept but poor-in-execution morning star that he wields.

I'd be a little cocky too if I had a 12-foot tall bodyguard, covered in steel armor and tough regenerative skin.

2008-03-17T19:48:00.001-07:00

I Don't Need No Instructions to Know How to Rock!
Grim Angus rounds out my trollkin warlocks, playing some Bass and laying down the low frequencies. One, you lock the the target, two you bait the line...

Trolls are fun to draw, Privateer makes them an interesting group, not restricted to being green or lurking just below bridges.

2008-03-15T20:15:00.001-07:00

Lucky for Him, He has Triple-B...
There are certain pitfalls to owning a car that is 14 years old. Like the fact that it chooses now, of all times to start completely falling apart.

In one month I've replaced the ignition (which broke the cruise control and gearshift indicator) and the starter crapped out on me. It's just been one super fun ride after another with the Landmaster (my affectionate name for my 94 Buick Century Custom.)

At least Bean here has good car coverage.

2008-03-14T19:42:00.001-07:00

This Next One is for All the Ladies!
Grissel Bloodsong, another warlock in the Hordes wargame. She's a fell caller, able to split rock with her songs and voice - pretty awesome character. I figured she'd be able to set down a song or two with Madrak, kinda a feral USO Show for the trollkin troops.

Not as detailed as the actual model, but I was pleased with it anyway. Women look cooler when they're not sticks. I guess Gris here isn't really a human woman but damn it, since when has that mattered in fantasy art?

Eat a steak!

2008-03-13T17:02:00.001-07:00

We, Who Are About to Rock, Salute You!
It's no small secret that I'm a tremendous dork. I enjoy role-playing games, video games, fantasy novels, comic books, cartoons, and just as importantly, wargames. Specifically I like Privateer Press' WARMACHINE and HORDES games.

The flavor of the worlds is something unique and fun, and there's a seriously developed sense of story within the pages of these books. The models are gorgeous and the rules are rediculous. In short, it's a slam-bang, knock down drag-out brawl and I love it.

I play the Trollblood Tribes, a race of large, boisterous trolls and their ilk, with a specific celtic/native american feel. To the righ here is one of my leaders, Madrak IronHide - a troll cheiftan who took it upon himself to unleash the power of Rathrok, a mystical axe with the power to end the world.

Fun stuff. He's rocking out with that axe, because in my opinion, trolls are the rockstars of the Iron Kingdoms.

2008-03-11T14:43:00.001-07:00

On Laziness
One of the problems (among many) in working third shift is that your schedule basically defies all reason. A typical conversation with my body starts along these lines:

Me: Ok body, it's time to work. Good thing we slept during the day and are currently drinking coffee!
Body: No! I defy you!
Me: >Klunk! Snerk!< style="font-style: italic;">DID YOU JUST PUT ME TO SLEEP?!
Body: Nya ha ha!

It is always difficult getting used to a new schedule - however I've been doing this particular line of work for 5 years, and I would think by now the massive infusions of caffine and coffee would have eroded my sleep nudules or slumber nodes altogether. Alas, my inner workings seem unaffected by my futile attempts to tame my sleep.

In any case, I'm trying to get more sketchwork done. It's a frustrating thing, to have ambition, only for it to get sapped by something as unavoidable sleep. As an artist this is something I must overcome, and I believe once I find a proper occupation I'll have less of this.

Also! When you put more than 2 packets of Equal into a cup of coffee, something terrible happens. You know how sugar always makes things better? Well more and more equal only makes things WORSE. I was shocked and appalled.

2008-03-06T20:52:00.001-08:00

So Long, and Thanks for All the Favre.
You have been a tremendous #4 for 17 seasons, Brett. You have been a joy to watch.

Me and the Bean Superfans salute you. They're taking it a little harder than me, but I think they'll live.

Brett Favre: The only man to have made a Bean cry, and lived.

2008-03-06T18:13:00.001-08:00

These Boots Are Made for Whompin'...
A hasty doodle of a silly idea I had to switch the characters of the BeanQuest and Steam Knight comics.

Two today since I missed yesterday!

2008-03-04T19:20:00.001-08:00

The Horselords of Khador
...just a silly doodle proposed to me by my good friend. A Khadoran Winterguard of Privateer Press' Warmachine miniatures game.

2008-03-03T16:29:00.001-08:00

Servant of Shadows
Long ago the Kobolds and Goblins waged subterranean wars the likes of which Ghrans had never seen. So much of the aftermath of the Goblin/Kobald wars lay in secrecy that few even know who is in power under the earth.

With the appearance of the Drakka goblins and the Seige of Cogghaldt, it would seem that the Kobold Empire had fallen - but not so. There still lie, in the caverns and deep cracks of the earth, a great empire of kobolds, waiting to once again defeat their sworn enemies.

This is Bartleby, the finest trapsmith of the Kobold Empire. He stalks in shadows and slays goblins with his cunning, his bare combat prowess nonwithstanding, his tools are jets of flame, crossbow bolts and the deadliest of poisons.

Once the Siege is over...will the Kobolds rise as the dominant power and crush the Craylings?

2008-03-02T19:09:00.000-08:00

All for Each Other and All For One!
The three protagonists of BeanQuest: Beanio from the Kingdom of Kidney, Hambur the Dwarf from Bean Mountain, and Russet the Elf of Lentilglade.

Ever wonder how a bean would handle a sword? Well Beanio uses his mouth. For some reason, some beans don't use anything, their weapons just...are weilded. And that's because beans, really, can do just about anything.

2008-03-01T17:18:00.001-08:00

The Races of BeanQuest
BeanQuest is another project that I am excited to mention. It's no secret that I am a big fan of fantasy books (Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth, Weis and Hickman's Dragonlance, David Petersen's Mouse Guard, among many others) and it's also no big secret that I need to work on my art (Hence this site.)

I guess the idea behind BeanQuest is to give myself a starting point for bigger projects, like Steam Knight. To have a comic under my belt before I try and make an epic fantasy saga spanning 4 books and an RPG supplement. :)

Besides, look at 'em. They're ADORABLE. Tiny armor and weapons? Yes, please. C'mon, you guys love it as much as I do.

Anyway, from top to bottom: The Wild Lords of Lentilglade (Bean Elves) Bean Guardsmen of the Kingdom of Kidney (Kidney Beans) and the Underkings of Bean Mountain (Bean Dwarves.) All are intricate to the story of BeanQuest and all will play an important role in it's telling!

2008-02-29T20:06:00.001-08:00

Avast!
I think it is pretty much every little boy's dream to grow up and be a pirate. With Benjamin Geer, however, it seems like waiting to grow up isn't an option.

Almost completely forgot to post today. I am freakin' out of it.

2008-02-28T20:07:00.000-08:00

Sketchy, At Bean
Once again displaying my need to study and expound on human anatomy, here is a brief sketch or three of beans being beans.

Just a quick update today to keep things rolling. Back to normal tomorrow.

2008-02-27T10:49:00.001-08:00

...With a Little Help from my Friends
An elven archer practicing her marksmanship in the forest, aided by a delightful band of TreeBeans, each decked out in his own little Robin Hood hat.

I unfortunately have a lot to learn about human-style anatomy - can't think of anyone who doesn't - but I'm slowly working on it. Also isn't a very dramatic or dynamic pose, that's something I'll remedy next time. Unfortunately I was just so danged tired that I could barely get this out of my pencil.

At least it has some beans. Those guys always liven things up.

2008-02-26T13:49:00.001-08:00

Long Day
I am a fan of the work of Jeff Smith, the creator of the epic comic series 'Bone.' I am an equally big fan of Steve Hamaker, the colorist for the Scholastic book compilations of 'Bone.' Together they are a fantastic team - they bring such a richness to sequential art that I often just find myself looking at the drawing and the color in wonder - the rich tones, the organic lineart - it all fascinates me.
It stands to reason, then, that when I create images like this one, I try to set the color mood before I've even painted anything. Granted, this is a pretty sparse piece - but I envision a lot of rich, dusky oranges, earthy browns, and a slight tinge of red that would convey such a warm sense of exhausted satisfaction, as well as a gentle, oh-so-gentle overlay of light orange glare from the setting sun and the reflection off the Sea of Balkirk.

One of the things I learned in college was extremely simple. "Finish what you're doing." This site would seem like a slap in the face of that simple rule - but I look at it more as a single step in the journey of each piece. Draw it. Really draw it. Draw the crap out of it. Then begin again with ink. Then begin again with color, with shades, with effects.

Someday I'll be able to really put out the quality color and inked work. But for now, I'm going to finish what I'm doing.

Artemis from Steam Knight outside the city of Cogghaldt, looking east at the world that surrounds him.

2008-02-25T05:57:00.001-08:00

Look! Up in the Sky!
Faster than a sale at Krispy Creme! Rounder than a locomotive! Able to leap tall couches in a single bound! The Bean of Steel - SuperBean!

It's SuperBean to save the day! A wayward Frito truck almost plummeted off a cliff to a certain doom - but not while SuperBean is around!

2008-02-24T17:42:00.002-08:00

Underground and Outnumbered
Surrounded by goblins! Cameron, his younger brother Benjamin, and Sadie battle their way through the Cogghaldt sewers to unearth a terrifying secret!

Man, I just want to pick up Benjy and get out of there! Poor little guy.

2008-02-24T12:12:00.000-08:00

Another Round?
A clearer picture of Sadie the Barkeep, looking disapprovingly at a patron she just booted out. With her own boots, too!

She is an interesting character and fun to draw, though she doesn't really fit the 'Tavern wench' idiom that her clothing would make you think.

2008-02-23T14:22:00.001-08:00

Bean Superfans
Here they are! The Bean Superfans! Supporting their favorite NBBL team, the Bean Bay Packers, the Bean Superfans never miss a game. Veteran members Cheddar, Swiss, Gouda, and the newbie, Kraft Single, will always cheer for the Bean and Gold!

Also pictured left is the famous duo of Beanfox and Botter, sporting their own Bean Bay accessories!

2008-02-23T09:51:00.000-08:00

Bean Vacation
Had a pretty rough night at work, so I drew my beans going on vacation. I figure if I can't, they certainly can.

Pictured here are beans having escaped the rat race with cocoboats - a hollowed-out coconut. After they find the perfect island, beans turn their cocoboats over and make little huts out of them. Man, Beans sure know how to live.

2008-02-22T17:39:00.000-08:00

Fiery Barmaid
This is Sadie. She's the owner and bartender at The Golden Flagon, a tavern in downtown Cogghaldt. Her striking, volumous red hair is countered only by her foul temper and mysterious eyepatch. Nobody knows exactly how she got her wound - some say it dates back to the second Goblin War - but she gets to be rather cross with anyone who dares remark about it.

From Steam Knight, Yay more lady characters!

2008-02-21T21:53:00.002-08:00

Tech Savvy
Cassie, an Edling starship technician in the sci-fi story StarBard.

She is accompanied by Techbeans, beans that are trained an equipped in starship maintainence. And they have CopterCaps to help them get around.

2008-02-19T19:04:00.001-08:00

In Transit
A sketch of Artemis driving a wagonload of coal for the forges of Cogghaldt. I don't draw horses well...yet.

The horses are haflingers, very small draft horses much stockier than Shetland Ponies.

2008-02-19T18:32:00.000-08:00

Copyrighted!

These are the designs I submitted to the US Copyright office. The design covers most of the animals here, and hopefully Uncle Sam likes them just as much as I do.

2008-02-19T14:54:00.000-08:00

Artemis Geer, Cameron's brother. Also happens to be the Steam Knight. An experiment in perspective.

2008-02-19T13:24:00.000-08:00

An image of Cameron Geer, a Bard of some renown in the Steam Knight continuity. I'm working on making Steam Knight a graphic novel in the foreseeable future, and hopefully my sketches will inspire a more competent art style.

Otherwise, Just a crayling (Small fuzzy halfling) playing a bagpipe.

2008-02-18T13:43:00.000-08:00

So as I was working last night, I was treated to not one, but TWO showings of Ghostbusters on...I think it was TBS? Maybe USA? Not sure (It's been a while for me to actually watch TV - I have like, four regular stations: Cartoon Network, Comedy Central, Sci-Fi Channel, and G4) but regardless - this movie is and always shall be one of my favorites.

As a result, this sketch came up. the Beans masquerading as the intrepid four paranormal investigators!

2008-02-18T02:18:00.000-08:00

Welcome Back!

Sketchy, At Best! is the online sketchbook of Daniel Rattray. I'm doing my best to publish a sketch every day; this is more for my own continued growth of an artist, hopefully to prevent my recently-graduated skills from atrophy.

What you'll find here: Random odds and ends of my own properties, and the occasional wacky drawing I had to throw up here. I'm also going to try to publish some Photoshop work and finished images.

If I find the time / am able, I'll also try and link to short video projects that I've edited. In any case! Enjoy the new Sketchy, At Best!