Nendil's Procrastination Outlet

Zoo deux

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:53:15 GMT

I just found out the other day simhuman volunteers to let insects crawl all over her at the SF Zoo! She wasn't there when we visited last month but she can probably tell you the names of all these bugs!

BEEEEEEEEES.

Big ol' beetles having a big ol' lunch.

This is a scary sight. Even though the picture was hard to take due to dark.

Silkworms are the only type of larvae that don't traumatize me into a whimpering quivering ball, because I raised them in elementary school. At least, as long as I don't think about it too hard.

A big-ass stick bug thing!

An even bigger-ass mantis-ish thing!

Wolf spider, I think?

That cricket is screwed. (Actually the spider let it live for a while longer.)

And uh, some song about fish, fish, fish

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:56:17 GMT

And we also went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium! By the way, there are a number of nice videos I took too at both the zoo and aquarium, but I'm kind of too lazy (and inconvenienced) to put them up on Youtube. Maybe later.

Durrr fish.

Comb jellies are super cool. How do they make those colors?

Requisite jellyfish wallpaper. Ask for bigger.

I really loved the seahorse exhibit they've got right now, not the least because there's also SEA DRAGONS, the best things ever.

More backlit seahorses! I didn't know they got that big!

Zoom demonstration. Both of these pics were taken from the same place; the not-very-well-looking fish is that white thing in the center of the picture.

The open bird exhibit is so convenient for pics :)

One more.

More obligatory jellies.

Egg-yolk jelly, more like egg drop soup :P

Welcome to the zoo, zoo, zoo

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:35:32 GMT

A month ago we went to San Francisco Zoo and I never got around to posting pictures. So here they are because NO MORE CHRISTMAS CAROL POSTS. I could've posted probably twice as many pics as you see here, but I decided to just do the ones that best show off the 18X ZOOM on my shiny new PANASONIC LUMIX FZ-35. ::smug:: As always, images are available in MUCH BIGGER.

I always love African crowned cranes; when I was little I called them "sun birds" because they have a sun on their head :) Too bad there wasn't a place to get a more close-up view of them. This picture is from like 30 yards away.

In Chinese I think they call these "pearl pheasants". I just like how this guy is standing here like a mafia boss or a cassowary that got put in a dryer or something.

Exhibit A to why bird-watchers love this camera! :P

Gorillas giving that come-hither look.

Ostriches are hilarious ~~when they're not eating your watch~~ ALL THE TIME.

BABY MONKEH.

I thought for sure I would JUST miss this photo but I didn't :)

Naughty koala is naughty.

Face full of bear.

Penguin who may or may not be Chuck Norris.

Ooooootters :3

The Final Countdowwwnnnn

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:44:06 GMT

Christmas Carol opens this Friday. So go see it. In 3D. It may just be the best 3D you've seen this year ~~or ever???~~

P.S. If you haven't replied to my email for this Sunday's viewing in SF... WHY HAVEN'T YOU? XO

Of course it takes the Japanese to get something (mostly) right)

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 20:41:47 GMT

YESSSSSSS the Japanese trailer is out. Now you guys can see how hilariously creepy the edit was. XD Although this is a very different cut from the rough teaser one I saw, it's still about the same in atmosphere, and represents the overall tone of the movie INFINITELY times better than the English trailers.

http://www.disney.co.jp/movies/christmas-carol/

It's interesting that the Japanese translation calls the spirits "dead ghosts". Not quite true, but spoooooky. Then again about half of the subtitles in that trailer were inaccurate. XP

Edit: Notice not a SINGLE "humbug" in that trailer

Our trailer x2!

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 15:02:36 GMT

What do you know, they managed to make that second trailer after all! :D It's not significantly more respectable (more squeaky voice than the actual movie D:) but at least it shows more better-rendered scenes.

http://www.apple.com/trailers/disney/achristmascarol/

Out the door

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 18:29:47 GMT

MOVIE IS DONE.

Well at least the part we do is.

Our trailer!

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 02:07:17 GMT

480p
720p
1080p

Yaaaay, they finally put it online. I don't know why they finally decided to do it now - maybe because of D23 Expo? But we're scheduled to have a longer trailer out next week with Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, so this one is like virtually obsolete :P Though from what I've heard about the new trailer, it doesn't really paint the movie in a much more respectable light. JUST GO SEE IT OKAY I SWEAR IT'S NOT RIDICULOUS HIJINKS

At least now you can see for yourself how good the animation quality is! And personally I think this looks better than what I've seen in the theaters because the color timing has been kind of weird and blown out. These online clips are representative of the original color space from the images I've been seeing at work. :3

Pow! Right in the kisser!

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 12:48:08 GMT

Wow, where'd this mofo come from in the Bay Area in September?? Peeked out the window just in time to catch a spectacular fork, that's when I knew I had to grab my new shiny PANASONIC LUMIX DMZ-FZ35. It took five minutes of video to bring you these screencaps of the one strike I waited long enough for:

It's no Extreme Instability but it's as good as it gets without moving to the midwest. By the way we're amazingly actually wrapping up at work so I shall be alive again in about a week. Now back to sleep!

(Yay, I get to use the weather tag! :D)

HP Tarot thumbnails - The Devil

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 15:17:24 GMT

I didn't expect to feel so satisfied with a composition that I had to redesign and re-think several times over since that usually leads to stagnation, but then I drew a big black blob and suddenly it worked. Please feedback to how well it works, because I want it to have an emotional impact a little bit.

-----

"... [Riddle] sank so deeply into the Dark Arts, consorted with the very worst of our kind, underwent so many dangerous, magical transformations, that when he resurfaced as Lord Voldemort, he was barely recognisable." - Albus Dumbledore *

The Devil warns against being trapped by ignorance, overindulgence, materialism, and all those corruptive things. Rather than using Voldemort, I chose to depict young Tom Riddle, when he still had a chance at breaking out of his unfortunate mold, but chose to follow the path of egotism and hatred instead.

Notable art bits:
1. This is a very different layout from the previous version of the card. I still like the original concept a fair amount and would have used it, but I don't want two green Dark Mark cards in a row. So instead I went with the Creepy Horror Movie Child version. The style guide for this card shall be attributed to Linda Bergkvist, in particular this picture but also others. I can only HOPE that I'll live up to it.

1.5. This is kind of an intricate card so let me explain. I did still want to have the Dark Mark in here, so I imagine it as one of several doodles little Tom drew (burned??) on the wall next to his bed, as kids are wont to do, in designing his ~~trademark~~ identity. (I'm also thinking of this scenario that I saw posted somewhere about Riddle doodling his name in his books like a teenage girl:
~~Tom Riddle~~
~~Tom Marvolo Riddle~~
~~Thomas Riddle~~
T.M. Riddle
~~T.M.Revolution~~
~~Lord Thingy~~
*~* Lord Marvolo *~
and so forth. But I digress.) However, in the course of playing with his powers he also discovered that he could make the little snake come alive, and perform as he wished. Which leads to...

2. The traditional Devil is holding loose chains around the necks of a male and a female figure, symbolizing that they are enslaved by their greed and materialism and other base wants, but they are also free to escape if only they made the attempt. In both this and the old concept, this is represented by Riddle allowing himself to be wrapped up by the snake coming out of the Dark Mark - his own power-hungry thinking. The larger shadow on the wall is like the consequences of "playing with matches" - it's on the verge of snapping him up.

3. I quite liked, and was tempted by, the concept I saw in one other HP tarot deck that shall go unnamed, where Voldemort is holding the chains enslaving Bellatrix (lust) and Wormtail (weakness). The symbolism is strong, however I ultimately feel that it's off-track, because I don't think Voldemort himself is THE higher, conceptual driving force of corruption - rather, he himself is the victim of it, then drew followers who were already predisposed to violence and prejudice. On the other hand, Pettigrew and particularly Bellatrix aren't particularly representative of the corrupted souls who could save themselves - they are actually more one-dimensional stereotypes than the characterization Voldemort's been given. Can you imagine Bella at any point slipping off the chain and redeeming herself? Don't think so.

3.5. One might argue that Tom Riddle was born a psychopath and never had much goodness to corrupt to begin with. The characterization is apt, however I quote from the creator herself: "[Merope's love potion] was a symbolic way of showing that he came from a loveless union – but of course, everything would have changed if Merope had survived and raised him herself and loved him." There are some kids who are psychopaths no matter how you try to raise them, but I feel that all Riddle needed was some knowing attention and guidance at a much younger age while he was developing his powers and identity. As to whether Merope was a strong enough woman to do that, well that's a bit more questionable.

4. In my mind, Riddle is left-handed because it's the sinister hand. No offense to you lefties out there, I love southpaws really :P

5. You also can't really make this out at all but under his bed, along with his slippers, are his trophies won from the other orphans - a marble, a harmonica, Billy Stubb's rabbit or some other poor pet who met a similar fate. I've done my share of lurking on the tarot forums and have heard the more sensitive readers complain of blood or disturbing imagery in some otherwise normal decks, and I'd hate to alienate anyone that way with my artistic vision, but then again, the Harry Potter series isn't exactly all fluffy rainbow cakes. So onward ho!

5.5. However, I do kind of feel like this picture came out of a different, more gothic-type deck. It doesn't deviate too much from my style does it guys? Especially if I give it a little more color (it's not grayscale or sepia-toned)?

* I like this quote quite a bit:
"The time is long gone when I could frighten you with a burning wardrobe and force you to make repayment for your crimes. But I wish I could, Tom... I wish I could..." - Albus Dumbledore
But it doesn't really describe the concept of the card with the excess, materialism, closemindedness etc...

Heh, from this point on, I've got 4 more character cards, two of which I'll probably be doing next, and then all the rest are scenes from the last book. Maybe I subconsciously didn't want to get to them because they're not quite as ingrained into my HP-mindscape. :P

Puffer tank diary, day uh... 45?

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 05:58:59 GMT

FROGS.

We've also got some kuhli loaches and otos. No puffers yet!

HP Tarot thumbnails - The Hermit

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 17:43:49 GMT

Wow, the internet will tell you everything.

-----

"Trivial hurts, tiny human accidents. These are of no more significance than the scurryings of ants to the wide universe, and are unaffected by planetary movements." - Firenze

"They're deep, mind, centaurs... they know things... jus' don' let on much." - Rubeus Hagrid

The Hermit withdraws into solitude in order to seek wisdom and insight. I found the centaurs of the Forbidden Forest to best represent this, but in particular the centaur Firenze, who seeks to impart his wisdom on humans instead of treating them with disdain or hostility.

Notable art bits:
1. Wow, I was under the completely wrong impression of what palominos are. I guess I had it inverted with roan.

2. The traditional Hermit carries a lantern to light the path to enlightenment. This is replaced by the sage & mallowsweet Firenze is ~~toking up~~ burning for capnomancy. Centaurs are tall, and it seems kind of inconvenient to burn stuff on the ground even if they're sitting down (Think about how big a horse is when it lies down. Then add a whole human torso on top of that.) so I gave him a stone bowl which is pretty cool and kind of pagan-y. I hope.

3. The six-pointed star in the lantern is the Seal of Solomon which represents insight and balance. This is referenced by Mars (the reddish star) which is bright tonight.

4. Nobody will ever notice this but Mars is in Scorpio. The Hermit is associated with Virgo, and I thought about putting that in the sky, but well... Scorpius just naggingly felt more right to me for some reason. Upon a trip to Wikipedia, I found out that Scorpio is astrologically ruled by Mars, which really helps with the war-like augury, AND it's also ruled by Pluto, which is of course death. Plus of course it also doesn't hurt that it's a giant poisonous scorpion that stung Orion to death. As a matter of fact, The Tower and Death are the cards associated with Mars and Scorpio, so quite apt that the stars would be warning of that. Furthermore, I like the juxtaposition of Mars close to Antares ("anti/counter-Mars") which is the heart of the scorpion and therefore ITS BLOOD. It's also memorable to me because I was in Australia in summer of 2001 when Mars was at its closest (and thus brightest) opposition point to the Earth in its orbit, and got to see just that conjunction of Mars and Scorpius when we were out on a crocodile farm at night and able to see the clearest starry sky ever because of ~~depleted ozone layer~~ no light pollution. (summercomfort, remember that?)

</> (Hey, I used to be an astronomy buff ~~because of Sailor Moon~~, okay?)

5. By the way, I'm not trying to make The Hermit look like an ominous card or anything, so hopefully all that crazy crap will just be an unnoticed background easter egg book reference thing.

6. Alternate pose study for man+horse:

Finally, a chance to bust out my muscular anatomy skills outside of impractically idealized sculptures XD I'm not sure whether I'll go with this one or the one in the thumbnail above - my brain says #2 is a more readable (and natural) pose, but for whatever reason I feel like #1 has more dimension and interest (once I fix the awkwardness). Anyone have a preference or suggestion?

I wonder if centaurs ever use their own ~~butts~~ backs for a table. I think I would.

HP Tarot thumbnails - The Hierophant

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 18:42:00 GMT

Work has been deadly hectic lately so it might take me a few extra days to build up the reserve of thumbnails again. Nonetheless I still have this one left:

-----

"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,
Teach us something please," - Hogwarts alma mater

The Hierophant represents the structured institution of learning, religion, and societal moores. This is the whole of Hogwarts instead of any individual character because it's such a defining standard to the wizarding student's education through their whole adolescence.

Notable art bits:
1. Hey look at that, I managed to fit Ron and Hermione into the Majors after all. :D The traditional Hierophant has two acolytes kneeling at his feet to receive his knowledge, one dressed in the red roses of instinct, and one in the white lilies of intellect. I was originally going to just put some generic students in there, but realized those two fit great because Ron is all hot-headed and rash while Hermione is all about reason and learning.

2. Originally I planned to basically just do this scene, but I figured I had enough dark-colored cards as is, and it doesn't really show the academic aspect of Hogwarts. Plus, this way I can include the...

3. Two pillars bracket the Hierophant, because ~~they just like those pillars so much~~ inner balance and so forth. I'm glad to have a chance to draw Hogwarts' winged boars! :D

11/22 cards posted, 2/22 in progress. Halfway done!

HP Tarot thumbnails - Justice

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 05:45:22 GMT

I would have saved this for tomorrow's schedule, but it's 10:30pm and I'm STILL sitting at work so I feel like producing something. Here's a LOT of rambling about a simple(?) card.

-----

"I'm worth twelve of you, Malfoy." - Neville Longbottom

Justice is about karma and just rewards. I chose Neville Longbottom for this card because he truly is the one character who achieves his potential despite all unlikeliness.

Notable art bits:
1. The traditional portrait of Justice bears a sword, which is representative of decisiveness, consciousness, and intellectual acuity. Of course here Neville has the Sword of Gryffindor, which marks him as a true Gryffindor, as well as being the physical means to accomplish his greatest deed. I chose to have it lying across his lap instead of him holding it upwards or downwards because it felt more true to Neville's nature - not combatative or judgmental, but at the ready if needed.

2. The Sorting Hat is here because it's, you know, judgement and destiny and stuff again, as well as doubling as the crown worn by Justice which is wisdom and insight and that kind of stuff I don't care to look up right now. Justice might be blind, but most tarot decks seem to have her seeing clearly, and I think that's a pretty good thing, being such a visually-oriented person myself. Besides, if I pull the hat over Neville's eyes you wouldn't be able to see most of his face and then how would you know it's Neville huh?

3. Justice carries the scales of balance and judgement, harking to the weighing of a person's soul. Neville is holding ~~a Rememberall~~ the prophecy, which is the evidence that he had the potential for a great destiny even before his birth.

4. She sits before a drapery between two pillars, which represents balance and harkens back to the High Priestess. Oh look, the Room of Requirement hideout just happens to be decorated that way :P

5. Wardrobe is undetermined. The Hogwarts uniform boarding school look is pretty cool, but I figure that would be a class-time only thing along with the pointy hats that are supposedly part of uniform but you never see depicted anywhere because it looks silly (and hides faces), really. T-shirt and jeans is about as good as you can hope for when (previously) in hiding as a wanted fugitive, eh?

6. I originally had a composition that was much more literal to actual book events, but as I was drawing it, it occurred to me that it really doesn't feel very much like a Justice card. And even though this is slightly more of a Harry Potter fanart project than a tarot deck project, I would still much prefer to have a deck that's readable on its own. I can still be pursuaded to the alternate image if you guys speak up, but honestly, I think this one works better because MOAR SYMBLSM.

By the way, I can't think about Neville in book 7 without thinking about him as he was in Dumbledore's Army and the Year of Darkness. I can't exactly recommend you guys read that fanfic, because 1) it's FREAKING HUGE 2) it's 10 times darker and more gruesome than JKR would EVER get 3) you might never think about the book and characters the same way again. However if you dare to chance it, you'll read a story that's 1) unbelievably canonical 2) better than the actual books themselves 3) the best characterization for practically every single minor character at Hogwarts. Just don't read the sequel(s) unless you have a really strong gut. It'll haunt you, I guarantee.

(Anyone out there already read them previously?)

HP Tarot thumbnails - The Star

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 16:42:54 GMT

A lot of fanartists, at least ones whom I've followed, tend to fall out of the habit as they "grow up". Spare time becomes short as careers take over, and/or original ideas dominate as personal skills (and business sense) develop. I think I'm uniquely in the position to turn out just the opposite of that - I have more personal time now that I'm making a living and not deluged with homework; I'm not doing actual art for my job so my creative energy isn't all spent; and I... never have original ideas. ._. Working on this project kind of makes me want to make a tarot deck that's original or at least public domain-themed that I'd be able to publish (AS IF I'D EVER FINISH EVEN ONE DECK AHAHA), but nothing inspires me nearly as much as a well-crafted pre-existing work. So um... I think my only hope is that one of you will write a really great story that I'd want to illustrate for. How's about dem old-time plans, ctrl_a? :P

78 pieces of fanart. I'm never going to finish it. But what if I do?

-----

"You will find that I will only truly have left this school when none here are loyal to me. You will also find that help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it." - Albus Dumbledore

"Phoenix song is magical; it is reputed to increase the courage of the pure of heart and to strike fear into the hearts of the impure." - Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

The Star is a card that stands for guidance, spiritual enlightenment, and hope. Fawkes the phoenix is the representative of this card, being literally the embodiment of faith, comfort, and the undying spirit (see wat i did thar)

Notable art bits:
1. PERSPECTIVE. My alternate concept was to illustrate this scene from the opposite angle, with the central focus on Fawkes above and looking down on Harry. But I felt that this way was more "hopeful" because it was from Harry's perspective. Here's the old card, by the way. I like it okay because it's slightly less situation-specific, buuut feels a little... boring, maybe just because of Photoshop cloud filter.

2. Funnily enough, the traditional Star card has a little red bird (scarlet ibis) in the background, who is actually given extra focus on this card in some other decks. It might mean heavenly influence or inspiration or wisdom, but I just think it's a cool coincidence :)

3. I kind of slightly don't want to have Riddle there, but he balances out the composition. Thoughts?

4. In case you care (and for my own records), Fawkes's plumage will be based on the Raggiana Bird of Paradise, Brown/Black Sicklebill, and possibly the Ribbon-tailed Astrapia. Birds of Paradise are cool.

Morning kitties

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:57:17 GMT

Zzzzzz

I...I've been snuggling with... with... you??

I'm flying!

Is there a problem here?

Internet's been mostly down at home for the past couple of days (thank goodness for the workplace :P) so I've gotten a little more art done. Yay!

P.S. Finally upgraded my layout to S2, not that it matters. I wish it were a little more designed to my aesthetic tastes, but eh :effort:

HP Tarot thumbnails - The Sun

Sat, 08 Aug 2009 15:30:42 GMT

Long anticipated by ~~some~~ at least one of you!

-----

"There are other ways of flying than with broomsticks." - Luna Lovegood *

The Sun card represents bright ideas and positive energy, including aspects such as confidence, vitality, and enlightenment. The character with the most inner harmony and grace in the books would have to be Luna Lovegood.

Notable art bits:
1. The traditional Sun card depicts a baby (or two), who represents the childlike innocence and confidence contained in the card. The child is riding bareback on a horse to show his perfect balance and control over the conscious and unconscious. Luna lives up to this by not only easily making friends with a wild thestral, but riding it side-saddle and bareback too.

2. Doing a GIS for "thestral" pulls up a bunch of awesome designs by other people (including the movie) that I wouldn't be able to top, so just gonna go with the general consensus. It's pretty well-described, after all. P.S. Wings D:

3. "I told Daddy most people would probably wear dress robes, but he believes you ought to wear sun colors to a wedding, for luck, you know." :3

4. Sunflowers are prominent in the card, reflecting cheerful solar energy. Happily, Luna wore one in her hair too! I probably would've done it even if she hadn't canonically, but she was just clever enough to be one step ahead of this too :) I might move it to the other side of her head as long as it doesn't block her face.

5. I was going to draw the usual bright & sunny card like most decks, but I also wanted to place the scene in the Forbidden Forest since that's where the thestrals live. Looking through my collection of reference photos, I decided on this as a happy medium. Forgive the current blobbiness I'll make it look better I promise if I have to paste the photo in and paint over it pixel by pixel.

* If you can find a better quote than this (anywhere, not just by Luna) to encompass the meaning of the card and describe her personality as well, you get extra thanks from me :> But I doubt you will because I ~~have no life~~'ve ctrl-F'ed through all the books.

HP Tarot thumbnails - Wheel of Fortune

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 17:23:36 GMT

WHEEL

OF

FORTUNNNNNNEEE

-----

"There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be." - The Sorting Hat

The Wheel of Fortune represents a turning point in one's life that may be due to chance, where "anything could happen". I have the Sorting Hat in its place because it's what determines a large part of a student's developmental path throughout their teenage years, and <insert rant about Hogwarts system of segregation and self-fulfilling prejudices>

Notable art bits:
1. Hey look, I made a wheel-ish image. Originally I was just going to have the Sorting Hat sitting upright like normal, but when I went to draw it I suddenly had the inspiration to draw it from the top so it'd be circular. Does it work, guys?

2. The traditional Wheel of Fortune card has four angelic animals/figures in the four corners, which are apparently icons of ~~Ringo, Paul, George, and John~~ Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and/or possibly representing the four elements. I've got the four House mascots (in the order of the Hogwarts crest) because they represent the "destinies" that the Sorting Hat will assign people into, plus they're also each of the minor suits.

3. Each of the mascots is also pulling back a corner of their "background" to beckon you into their House. OH LOOK AREN'T I SO CLEVER

4. Eagle sucks and needs redo. I really suck at drawing birds (or at least wings), even with reference. This problem will crop up again. And again.

HP Tarot thumbnails - The Fool

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 17:16:12 GMT

Hey you people who care, please go back to the comments section of the High Priestess entry and put in your opinion for which layout is better (and why). :3

-----

"All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop and don't be scared you'll crash into it, that's very important." - Molly Weasley

The Fool depicts the excitement of a naive newcomer taking the first step into a transformational journey. I'm not even going to bother explaining any further because duh.

Notable art bits:
1. The traditional Fool is stepping off a cliff into the unknown. Harry is, of course, taking the first step onto the Hogwarts Express, going from the mundane (gray) Muggle world to the realm of magical potential (red).

2. The Fool has a dog yapping at his heels, which may be a representation of energy and excitement, or a warning from the conscious about the risks of the unknown. Hedwig is here taking that role and I'm going to redraw her to look a bit more natural I swear but there is no room to stretch out inside that cage oh god it's not easy being an owl. Incidentally female snowy owls are very much speckled and at the beginning of movie 6 Hedwig had a few spots and I thought "Oh, they finally made her a girl?" but then later on she became pure white again.

3. The layout is not very much changed from the old version of the card, aside from improved perspective and pose. The one thing different is that Harry was previously not looking at where he's going, which is kind of a Fool thing, but I thought it was nicer to convey the wonder and anticipation instead.

4. The sky is golden?? No, it's (will be) just the ceiling inside King's Cross Station on a sunny day. Who, me, anal?

10/22 cards done, 4/22 cards in progress, 6/22 cards posted!

HP Tarot thumbnails - The Tower

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 19:38:51 GMT

~~SNAPE KILLS DUMBLEDORE~~

-----

"Then he gazed down at the wise old face and tried to absorb the enormous and incomprehensible truth: that never again would Dumbledore speak to him, never again could he help--" - HBP28

The Tower represents a drastic, possibly traumatic, event that leads to a great shakeup in the status quo. The best example of this from the books is, of course, Dumbledore's death.

Notable art bits:
1. The traditional Tower card depicts a tower struck by lightning, and people falling out of it. This scene in the book is, obviously, roughly based on it (and directly referenced in the chapter title and by Trelawney earlier). I'd just like to say that the snake is being intentionally lightning-shaped. ;)

2. So years of art training means I can now draw a perfect skull but still suck ass at drawing people from unusual angles. I can manage a falling Dumbledore with perspective, but then putting flowy robes and beard on him screws everything up. I expect (hope) I'll be able to get those details better when working full-size. Incidentally a decent way to get reference for this is to GIS "trapeze" :P

3. If you look closely you can see tiny Snape (and invisible Harry) on the tower. I wonder how much detail I'll be able to get in there when working on the full-sized card, because I definitely would like to capture the horrified expression on Harry's face.

4. Aspects of The Hanged Man in this picture too. That is not unintentional.

5. Addendum: I tried putting in a couple more towers and roofs and such in the fore/background, but dramatic composition won out over architectural integrity. Let's just say the Astronomy Tower is the tallest tower... by a looooot. XP

P.S. Was not 100% satisfied with this scene in the movie, but everything in The Cave was perfect.

Edit: Did a separate study of the pose, with more definitive success. Know what the secret was? Turn it upside down and draw it like someone swimming upward :D

Hmm, might have to minimize robe-ness to preserve clarity of pose.

HP Tarot thumbnails - Strength

Sun, 02 Aug 2009 20:27:15 GMT

I was going to present the cards in the order I finished the thumbnails, but I wanted to talk about this one, so here it is today.

-----

"The Patronus is a kind of positive force, a projection of the very things that the Dementor feeds upon - hope, happiness, the desire to survive - but it cannot feel despair, as real humans can, so the Dementors can't hurt it." - Remus Lupin

Strength refers to inner strength and fortitude that overcomes and controls raw impulses. This card depicts Harry summoning the true form of his Patronus for the first time.

Notable art bits:
1. The traditional Strength card depicts a woman taming a lion (the primal, baser instincts) through her grace and purity. Of course, here we see Harry "taming" his Patronus, which requires overcoming his fears and acknowledging his magical potential, etc etc.

2. This is one of my favorite cards, largely because it depicts one of the most ethereal and touching scenes in the books. It's largely unchanged from the old version I had previously, except for improved art skills and an even more delicate touch, because the visual of the scene in my head (or as JKR described it) is so strong. In fact I was quite amazed when the Prisoner of Azkaban movie produced visuals almost exactly like what I had envisioned, except that much to my disappointment Harry never actually met his stag in the movie. Maybe it's for the better because then I feel free to do my own version instead of fighting with perfection from something that already exists.

3. Yeah, I cheated and used a photo of a real deer. It looks much more ~~non-distorted~~ realistic that way! I will be repainting it for the big card of course, this is just a thumbnail. I'm just glad to have found a pose that sufficiently conveys the sensitive emotional impact of the scene.

Oh my god speaking of Harry and his patronus, you guys have to hear my coworker tell his story of what it was like working with Alfonso Cuaron for the patronus CG effects, except I can't really tell you because it's, like, sensitive work ~~gossip~~ information. Let's just say that it's no coincidence that Harry is shooting silvery stuff out of his wand at thirteen.

</MOMENT RUINED>

HP Tarot thumbnails - The Chariot

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 14:37:20 GMT

The best thing about doing thumbnail sketches in Photoshop, as an artist who's not very good at layout and design, is that I can resize/rotate/shift elements around until they look right. THANK GOD FOR THE DIGITAL AGE I WOULD BE A FAILURE WITHOUT IT

-----

"I'm just going to give you some good, general advice. And the first bit is - play to your strengths." - "Mad Eye" Moody

The Chariot represents the victory that comes from control and mastery over one's inner nature and abilities. This is depicted by Harry's accomplishment in the first Triwizard challenge.

Notable art bits:
1. Originally I had assigned this card as a regular Quidditch victory, with Harry catching the Snitch of course, before I decided that the First Task was a better fit. The funny thing is, and I just noticed this like a week ago, the Rider-Waite Chariot actually has a Golden Snitch on it ;D I will probably put it as a design on the golden egg just to pay homage to it.

2. The Charioteer commands two sphinxes (horses, etc.), one black and one white, representing his control over two opposite forces. I can't very well have Harry riding two brooms, but flying a broom and dodging a dragon are two tasks he has to balance in order to succeed at... the... thing... yeah.

3. First card with PERSPECTIVE XO There's gonna be quite a few of those because it is DRAMATIC. The dragon and her flame are going to get tweaked. Though I did manage to do better than I expected on the first go.

HP Tarot thumbnails - The Magician

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 15:00:15 GMT

Yeah, that last one was huge, but relax, most tarot cards aren't QUITE as packed-to-the-gills full of symbolism as the High Priestess card. This one is, though.

-----

"And you feel that you have exerted your very best efforts in this matter, do you? That you have exercised all of your considerable ingenuity?" - Albus Dumbledore *

The Magician is a card representing the masculine, outward creative force. Albus Dumbledore best embodies the resourcefulness and capability shown in this card.

Notable art bits:
1. The traditional Magician has one arm stretched towards the heavens and one arm pointed towards the earth, to show the descent of divine inspiration. Dumbledore is slightly less ostentatious about it.

2. The Magician has the four suits of the Minor Arcana before him - Wand, Cup, Sword, and Pentacle - to show his mastery over each of the elements. I have here the crest of Hogwarts featuring each of the four Houses, as well as the artifacts that you can't really make out from the four Hogwarts founders on the table. He is headmaster, after all.

3. There are red roses and white lilies in the foreground symbolizing... passion and purity or something like that I don't really care. I thought I'd put them on a plush rug, because Dumbledore is the kind to enjoy a cozy, super-luxurious office rather than bare wood (stone?) floor. However I'm not sure about how it looks (I'm no interior decorator despite hours of HGTV), maybe I'll take it out and put one or two of those silver gizmos that are always making sound and smoke in the foreground... but I think that would shift the attention off Dumbledore.

4. The Sorting Hat is also behind him ~~because that's how his office was described in the book~~ because it represents the choices in life or something like that blah blah blah

5. The silver inkwell on his desk represents NOTHING but I have to put it in there because having a phoenix feather quill is so badass.

* I also considered using this set of quotes:

"You are omniscient as ever, Dumbledore." - Voldemort
"Oh no, merely friendly with the local barmen." - Albus Dumbledore

But the other one was more wise and summed up the card too well, even as sarcasm. :P

HP Tarot thumbnails - The High Priestess

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 04:43:16 GMT

I've been doing a lot of invisible work on the Harry Potter Tarot lately, and although I had wanted to do concept drawings for all the essential characters first (and I still will; it will take FOREVER), the layouts for a number of the cards have been banging around inside my head and I thought it was for the better to get them out. Right now I'm working on thumbnail layouts for the Major Arcana in a grid so I can see them all at once in relation to each other; it's working out pretty well with 6/22 sketches ready and 4 more in progress. I plan to do the same for the Minors but that's going to take at least twice as long.

And all that was to say that I'm going to be posting these one by one ~~every day or two or several~~ whenever I get around to it, because if I posted them all at once I would dry up real fast. Cards will not be in order. Thumbnails will be displayed at 2x actual size, which is about 1/4 the size of the final image. Also, these entries are going to be a LOT more words than art because I'm going to be describing here everything I plan to do and why - I welcome any Harry Potter fans or tarot scholars or even art critics to come discuss my decisions or make suggestions! ~~But you guys probably won't~~

-----

"There is a room in the Department of Mysteries that is kept locked at all times. It contains a force that is at once wonderful and more terrible than death, than human intelligence, than the forces of nature." - Albus Dumbledore

The High Priestess is a card about intuition, feminine mysteries, and the unconscious. I chose Lily Potter for this card because she is the embodiment and figurehead of Love, one of the most important, and perhaps mysterious, thematic elements in the HP series.

~~Nerdy~~ Notable art bits:
1. The traditional High Priestess is carrying a scroll in her arms (the Torah), the source of her knowledge. It is partially covered by her robes to show that the information is hidden and mysterious. You can't see it too well in this sketch but Lily's cradling a bundle in her arms - her infant child, the physical representation of her love and yadda yadda you know the story.

2. The High Priestess sits before a veil, which conceals secret knowledge and deeper understanding. It is patterned with pomogranates, showing a connection to the underworld, and thus the unconscious. As you probably recognize, I have here The Veil from the Department of Mysteries, which seems to be a sort of gateway to "the other side". I thought about putting her in front of the unopenable Department of Mysteries door mentioned in the quote above, because then she would be "guarding" the secret of looooove, but I think it would kind of look too boring. Confirm/deny?

3. Speaking of which, the High Priestess is seated between two pillars, one black and one white, symbolizing duality and balance of opposites. I'm gonna try to make the two sides of this archway look black and white-toned, but we'll see how doable it is.

4. Her robes seem to dissolve into water, symbolizing the unconscious. It's also the feminine wellspring that's the source of water in all the other cards... although I don't have as much water in my cards as a normal Rider-Waite deck.

5. I tried to give her clothing a bit more color, but it just didn't look right. So white it is - purity, and also the color of death in Chinese culture.

Despite all this complicated-ness, this card still feels a bit empty compositionally (you'll be able to compare when I put up more thumbnails). Wonder what else, if anything, I could fit in here?

BAH!

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 20:45:37 GMT

http://movies.yahoo.com/photos/collections/gallery/1922/2009-comiccon-photo-reveals#photo7

...Hum-bug.

::blows snowflake off nose::

(Gawd, finally a decent looking promo shot. Now where's our trailer dammit?)