Star Wars: The Old Republic - Art Dump

So here's rest of what I have to show from my time at BioWare. 

BioWare was a great adventure and I valued my short time there a great deal.  The people were amazing, and they taught me so much.  For personal "life" reasons, I had to cut my time there short for a more permanent opportunity, but I'll never forget my time at one of the most respectable studios out there. 

I'll post the ArtStation Link to each one in case you'd like to learn more.

Speeder Mount
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/oOLo8m

Stinger Staff
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/nQnqdO

Kitchen Props
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/VdmAn5

Extending Staff
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/rR8yaO

Driod
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/W2Ny52

Shotgun Inspired Blaster
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/0XJvPV

Troop Carrier Mount
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/BmrLJD

HP Blaster
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/QzeA8l

#SIXFANARTS

I always want to do those art challenges that pop up on social media all the time, but the timing never seams to work out with what's going on with life/work and by the time I get to it, I'm very late to the party. But with the quarantine and all, I figured this was as good a time as any to take on one of these challenges. So here is my #SixFanArts challenge image.

I know the point was to let your followers suggest the characters, but I don't have the followers to really pull that off, so I just went with some characters that meant something to me personally. Granted, I did get some votes for Predator, Mario and Yoshi...so it worked out. :)

Chun Li:
Anyone who knows me likely knows that I'm a long time Street Fighter fan. I put countless hours into the original SFII alone and would stick with the series through adulthood. SF3: Third Strike is my all time favorite and still consider it the best fighting game to date. Although not my best character in every SF, Chun Li will always have a special place in my gamer heart.

Leonardo:
Like many kids from the 90's, I fell in love with Ninja Turtles the very first time I saw one of the chunky action figures. Days later I would have watched the original 5 episode pilot series a dozen times. I got the TMNT NES game same day as my NES and I don't even want to think about how many hours and quarters I dumped into the arcade games as well as later console games.
The Turtles left such an impression on me over the years that my son's name is inspired by the leader on the group, so here's to you Leo!

Mario:
I got requests for both Mario and Yoshi, and it just so happens Super Mario World is likely my favorite Mario game due to my love and fond memories of the SNES. I was so in love with the game I even watched the less than mediocre cartoon on CBS every Saturday morning. To this day I can go back and enjoy it and often do. Also, much how Super Mario on the NES got me into the world of gaming, Super Mario Odyssey would be the catapult for my son as well. Thanks to a lifetime of joy my old plumber friend.


Predator:
I was about 10 or 11 when I saw Predator for the first time, and I remember finding it a tad scary, but also more badass than anything I'd seen before it. The film has aged incredibly well, making it one of the great sci-fi/horror movies of our generation. I'd also have to say it's my favorite Arnold movie to boot. Sadly none of the modern Predator films have lived up to the original IMO, but I do have a liking for the second film with Danny Glover, it's just a very different kind of movie. Regardless, the original film along with the character itself, are timeless and worthy of a spot on this image.

Biker Scout:
I couldn't really do a tribute to my favorite IP's and not include Star Wars in some fashion. They were my favorite films as a kid and remain some of my favorite cinema today. I know it can be easy for fans to fall into the negative rage surrounding some of the more recent SW productions, however I'd also like to remind everyone that we have been given Rogue One, a fantastic TV series and a recent single-player narrative game that was actually pretty rad! So, here's my favorite trooper who premiered in my personal favorite SW film who was also one of my favorite action figures.

RoboCop:
I knew almost immediately after deciding I was going to do this challenge that I'd be putting RoboCop on the image. Although the 80's had no shortage of violent action movies, RoboCop stood out as it wasn't just a badass action/cop film, but it was shocking by how dark, gritty and "real" it felt. And the violence...holy crap was it violent!! RoboCop himself is still one of my favorite character designs, as is ED-209! Also, I can't think of a single movie with as many rememberable one-liners. They just don't make movies like this today, and you know if they did..."I'd buy that for a dollar!"

How to Get Your Non-Gamer Partner to Open Up to Gaming

A conversation with a close friend got me thinking about something I feel is a bit of a common misconception that I'd like to address.  How many times have you ever heard someone say that they cannot enjoy a video game? For many of us, this person is often someone close to us, or even  our significant other. It is my opinion this is a dated way of thinking that can (at last in some cases) be changed by simply exposing this said person to games they can enjoy without making them feel overwhelmed by a media they didn't grow up using. 

If you're significant other has used phrases like "I don't do video games" or "video games aren't my thing" you have likely just accepted this as fact and become ok with it and let it be.  This is pretty common after all and it's understandable that most people would rather not push something onto someone if they just don't care for it. ...at least that's one way of looking at it.

However, what if I told you there was a much higher possibility of you and your honey bunches enjoying games together than either of you think?  Even better, what if I told you this was possible without having to force it on them in a way that would only push them from the topic even more?  Sound too good to be true? Perhaps not!

I believe this common misconception of video games is due to a lack of knowledge on how many different options of games there are available today.  As a gamer and a developer, I often find it very odd when someone makes a statement about never playing games. To me it's no different than someone saying "yeah, I don't do music", or "I have never enjoyed a movie, they just aren’t for me"  Statements like that are almost unheard of when talking about most media, so why are video games so different in this area? Well, there are actually some pretty strong reasons for this and it may be a bit deeper than you think.

To fully understand why this is and where the lack of interest comes from, we need to think about the individual's past experiences.  Let's start with a brief history of the culture of video games in the US, as in most cases this concept stems from the past of the industry itself.

If you're in your 30's or 40's then you probably remember a time when video games were almost strictly looked at as a pastime for children.  Even with the huge success of the NES, SNES and Sega Genesis, gaming was looked at as a kids play-thing and was most often advertised alongside Saturday morning cartoons.  Furthermore, television ads almost exclusively marketed these consoles to a young, male audience. Beyond that, regardless of gender, if you continued to play and/or discuss video games into you pre-teens then you were most likely met with others labeling you as a "nerd" and thereby banishing you from the cool kids table at the cafeteria. It wasn't until the huge success of the Sony Playstation in the mid-late 90's when 3D graphics started taking games to more extraordinary and adult themed places that this negative stigma surrounding games would begin to change.

By the early 2000's gaming was now something we commonly saw young adults enjoying regularly.  Every college in the country was filled with the sounds of plasma shots and shit-talk from Halo LAN parties. We were now starting to see an increase of both female gamers as well as older gamers as anime, comics, games and everything nerd-culture was now becoming far more accepted and appealing to a larger audience.  But it was a small device that would create a big change in the way of gaming, enter the smartphone era!

With smartphones, tablets, affordable PCs and even newer generation handhelds like the Nintendo DS, came much more casual games which would show our culture that there were now types of games for everyone!    Anyone regardless of gender or age could find fun in a game like Angry Birds or Cut the Rope and these types of games were now in many cases free and available on devices everyone had despite their interest in gaming.

Furthermore in 2006 the Nintendo Wii would bring motion controllers to the media that would aid in helping people get over their intimidation with complex, button heavy controllers.  This was such a huge success, we often saw our parents and even grandparents having a game console in their living room alongside a copy of Wii Sports and/or Raving Rabbids. The point being, gaming has changed and grown into something far more approachable then it was back when a lot of us grown-ups were kids. So it's important that we understand this as in many cases, you'll find that one if not all the factors above are the culprit to why this said person feels they simply can't enjoy video games.

Before we get to my advice on getting your partner to actually pick up that controller, we need to address ourselves as the gamer in the relationship. Being a gamer likely means we spend our couch (or office chair) time playing first person shooters, open world adventure games, fighting games or even MMO's.  These are often not good introductory games for someone who's already got a strong opinion that they do not enjoy games. In fact, putting these games in your loved one's hands will likely only confirm what they've already established, games are overwhelming and not for them. So this means you will need to be more open minded to other types of games yourself.

Take tabletop games for example, as most people have played and enjoyed a board game at some point in their lives.  But imagine someone has never played a board or card game before, you wouldn't go straight to Magic the Gathering right?  Instead you might teach them a card game like Uno or a board game like Pictionary. Something so simple that most people would be able to pick it up and understand it after just a few turns.  Once someone understands those first couple simple games they are almost always more willing to explore other table-top games. Now it's fair to say they may never get so into it that they are asking to join-in on your next Dungeons & Dragons night, but you just might get them to enjoy a good game of Munchkin with you from time to time, and that is still a win.

So now that we’ve covered these common game related topics, we can get to my advice.  It's actually pretty straight forward, if you ever want to play games with your non-gaming significant other, one of the first things a gamer must do is drop that gamer ego and be more open to playing more casual games.  Yes, I understand that for many of us "casual" is a dirty word when it comes to games, but let's not forget these games exist for this very reason. And take it from someone who's played both FPS's and fighting games on a competitive level, there are FUN casual games!  Having a 6 year old son, my wife (who's also a gamer) and I both find ourselves not just playing casual games with our kid, but actually enjoying them as much as he does. You just need to think about what your partner likes about other media, and what they don't like about the games they've tried (if any) and put a little thought and research into your approach.  I couldn't have said this just 10 years ago, but today I can say with confidence, there is a game out there for everyone! Yes, even your partner who's never heard of Zelda and swears they can not imagine enjoying a video game.

So the next time you hear your partner say “Go enjoy your little game while I go read my book” I hope I’ve given you some ideas on how you might be able to turn your lonely game night into something you can (at least on occasion) share with the person you wish to share things with the most.  Good luck gamers!

Pro Tip:
If your partner does/has enjoyed a card or board game with you, chances are there is a video game or app version of it.  This could be a fantastic introduction game as those types of games normally require little to no skill with a controller.  There are some serious fun trivia games out for every console and device, go find one and get started!

Texas Pin-Up

Likely going to be selling some prints at this years Vet Fest, so figured this was a great excuse to get back to some of the more patriotic art I used to make much for often.  Being that I've been in TX over a year now, I thought I'd dedicate a pinup to the Lone Star State. 

This was created in Photoshop from concept sketch to final render.

Star Wars: The Old Republic -Asset Dump 01

Hi all!

Being how I've now moved on since my Contract at BioWare, I thought I'd post up some of the first assets I got to make for Star Wars: The Old Republic.

Note:
Under each image is a direct link to the asset on my ArtStation if you care to check it out further.

Asset 01:
This was part of my art test for the weapon/prop artist position.  The test was to see how I would not only build the asset, but also design something new that fit correctly into the Star Wars universe.  Being a fan of both weapons and Star Wars, I knew that most blasters start off with a WWII era of firearm with other parts of different weapons or scopes attached to make them look "sci-fi".

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/N5JZR5

Asset 02:
Also part of the art test, this was pair of binoculars I created also of my own design.  Similar to the blaster, doing some research proved that previously created binoculars in the Star Wars films often started with a 60s-70s era of camera with additional parts glued over top.  So using Luke's binoculars from "A New Hope" as inspiration, I found a camera body I liked and then added some lenses and parts from appliances as well as some of the pieces used in the film versions of other binoculars.

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/A9akNe

Asset 03:

This was the very first thing I created once starting my contract on Star Wars: The Old Republic.  I was told to take inspiration from the "Siege Cannon" seen at the end of "The Last Jedi".  (Everyone's favorite SW film lol)  Beyond that, I had the pre-determined hand positions for this type of weapon and some direction from my supervisor, Brad Lewis, who helped me dial in the design.

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/Bmzq1z

Asset 04:

Lastly for this post, is the first "mount" I created for the game.  This one was based on a couple well crafted, pencil sketches from Brad Lewis.  He gave me some freedom with the textures which I pulled inspiration from both the Y-Wing and the Snow Speeder seen in "The Empire Strikes Back".

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/0XDBYw

More to come...

I have several more assets from my time at BioWare that I'll be sharing as time permits.  For those that don't know, I'm no longer with BioWare and wanted to wait awhile before showcasing some of the things I made last year.  I know BioWare has been under a lot of scrutiny in recent months for a multiple of reasons I won't get into here, however I hope like myself anyone reading this will continue to wish them the best in righting the ship and returning to making excellent products.

I am at BioWare!!

Oh wow, it's been a LONG time since I've posted a blog post!  I feel like writing about my craft and the industry is a great outlet for me to remind myself how great it is that I get to do what I love every day.  So expect to see some posts a bit more frequently here on Drawn with Lead!

So to start off on the right note, if you haven't seen through my other social media outlets, I am currently employed by BioWare in Austin TX.  :)

I am currently a Prop/Weapon Artist on Star Wars: The Old Republic.  I have been here about three months now and it's been a very rewarding experience.  I have a great mentor who's taught me a ton about 3DS Max and some pretty awesome techniques as well as just giving me a better understanding of what to look for when texturing different types of metals and materials that goes well beyond the standard "yeah, it's metal".  Probably the most exciting aspect of the job is that I get to not only create 3D weapons, props, droids and vehicles that go into an awesome Star Wars IP, but I have also been trusted to concept some of my own ideas and get them into the game.  To top this off, once assets are approved by Lucas Film, these assets become canon!  I mean, what Star War nerd hasn't dreamed about creating things for the most awesome sci-fi IP in the galaxy?!?!

It's been a very rewarding experience so far, and I know I have a lot to look forward to going into next year.  I will post some of the assets I've made once they go live on the SWTOR market place.

That's all for now, just wanted to update my blog with the big news.  And of course, may the force be with you!

Photo Source Textures VS. Han Painted Textures

I have recently started a Block tradition at the school for creating a Link shield each class to talk about creating simple props for games. I have found that some students like this little asset because it allows them to play with the idea of making something in low-poly 3D with an asset they find very familiar.  I mean seriously, who doesn't want to make a Zelda asset?

This Block I went in a more gritty (realistic) approach to the Twilight Princess Link shield.  I used photos of wood, metals, and grime to edit together a PBR constructed material.  You can see that just by using photo sourced texture, it really makes the iconic shield look far more realistic and medieval than what we are used to seeing in most Zelda games. 

Here is the ArtStation post:

http://www.artstation.com/artwork/K2Bbr

Last Block I did a much more stylized "N64" style version of Link's shield.  Lower poly count and very simple construction works nicely when coupled with hand painted textures that are deliberately trying to make the asset feel like it's from a "cartoony" world.  The asset pictured only uses a simple diffuse map which tends to work very well when going with this simple art direction.  Just as cool and as much fun to create as the realistic shield pictured above.  

If ;you enjoy texturing and are trying to branch into different art styles, try picking a simple game asset from one of your favorite game series and do something with it you haven't seen before.  Fun exorcise and really flexes those texture painting muscles. 

Here is the ArtStation post:

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/0o8we