‘Project Collab’ for Scientific Malaysian
Photoshop
I recently joined the Scientific Malaysian magazine team as their illustrator/designer, so I’ll be producing lots of work for them over the coming months. This is a small piece to go along with one of their new projects aimed at connecting researchers around the world and fostering collaboration.
‘Worker Harmony’ game art
Photoshop
Had the opportunity to join my first game jam over the weekend at the GAMBIT Game Lab in MIT. This is art created for our team’s proposed ‘Worker Harmony’ game, the concept being that each level contains a simple melody, which you match by dragging employees into the tray slots such that the notes and beat are correct. Each occupation is a different note, but we have ten different randomly selected sprites for each, of varying genders and ethnicities. Once you match the melody, you earn a block to add to your collection; these symbolize various things, from creativity to teamwork to strength.
A lot more metaphorical and abstract than what the people who supplied the base guidelines might have intended, though I think metaphorical games, if done right, are just as influential as more literal ones.
It’s surprising how much can be done in less than 24 hours sans the distractions of standard college life. Initially shooting for 60 employee portraits was a tad too ambitious, but I’m happy with how much I completed, considering I drew everything at 300dpi. Since the initial idea was to have it playable on an iPad, I intended the art to be visually striking and detailed, and the design conducive to a touchscreen interface.
It was a pleasure working with the great people on my team and brainstorming with all of the jam participants. Many thanks to GAMBIT for hosting us in their awesome space!
Showcase Poster
Photoshop, 11x17in
Second half of the previous set. The idea was that the ‘sketch’ seen in the postcard would become a fully realized painting in the poster here. Undoubtedly a fun project to do. I especially like the contrast between the lime green icons and the red apple - an apple’s such a clichéd symbol for education, that to have a plain one would not have been as interesting.
Showcase Postcard
Photoshop, 4x6 in
The first half of a postcard and poster set I designed for a university department’s showcase event.
Schizophrenia Research
India ink, pencil, Photoshop
Illustration for the College Hill Independent’s Science section. It’s about a researcher who dissects brains of schizophrenic patients to try and learn about the illness, but who also uses his knowledge of William Blake’s poetry to better understand the diagnoses and autopsy reports of those patients.
Doing this was pretty fun! Here’s a process shot:
Concept for a group project we did for Professor Swartz’s singular ‘Biological Design: Structural Architecture of Organisms’ class at Brown. We looked at how various marine organisms used bioluminescence and fluorescence, and took cues from them in designing the various components of this diving set - a ventrally-lit camouflage suit based on the velvet belly lantern shark, undersea goggles inspired by the fluorescence mechanisms of the dragonfish, and anti-turbulence fins based on whale flippers.
Quick rundown: if you’re swimming under a predator, it’s likely to cast a shadow on you thanks to the light coming from the surface - unless its ventral side is also emitting light, in which case you might not notice it. That’s the thinking behind the suit. The goggles emit red light of a frequency which most fish cannot see, but which humans can. The fins have bumped edges based on the tubercles on the leading edges of whale flippers, which help reduce turbulence - helpful if you’re trying to sneak up on fish. The suit also incorporates sharkskin texture for better aerodynamics.
I did the research for the materials aspect of the suit, and while the technology we’re proposing for it is probably not feasible yet, it can definitely be developed, if existing examples of flexible OLED screens (even stretchable P-OLEDs), electroluminescent ink (the Illum cycling jacket), and printed electronics are anything to go by. Exciting!
![Hudda Hudda HuhPhotoshop
More TF2 character art: this time it’s the Pyro with his/her flamethrower. I’ve also put together a few WIP shots to document the process, which is pretty straightforward - first the line art is laid down, with reference to a game screenshot; then all of the colours are blocked in using a flat brush, after which I add additional lighting and shadows on separate layers. I then tweaked the (stylized) fire slightly for a more dynamic look. You won’t see it being so solid and cauliflower-like in game, though, but perhaps it looks like this just before the flames spread out to their full extent…
[Click here to see a gallery of higher-res images]](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lv4jp8E8MH1qch97co1_r1_1280.jpg)
Hudda Hudda Huh
Photoshop
More TF2 character art: this time it’s the Pyro with his/her flamethrower. I’ve also put together a few WIP shots to document the process, which is pretty straightforward - first the line art is laid down, with reference to a game screenshot; then all of the colours are blocked in using a flat brush, after which I add additional lighting and shadows on separate layers. I then tweaked the (stylized) fire slightly for a more dynamic look. You won’t see it being so solid and cauliflower-like in game, though, but perhaps it looks like this just before the flames spread out to their full extent…
[Click here to see a gallery of higher-res images]
Practicing digital colouring in Photoshop by making character portraits of the Medic and Spy from Team Fortress 2 by Valve, which has quickly become one of my favourite games, not least for its outstanding character design and sense of humour.
IlluxCon/ Looking to the future/ Watershed magazine
Spending the weekend at IlluxCon in Altoona was a singular experience - I am grateful to all of the artists who graciously took the time to talk about their work and development, as well as comment on mine. Nothing can ever come close to seeing the originals of pieces which one has only previously encountered on a computer screen, or peeking into sketchbooks and watching different creative processes unfold. Needless to say, I am much more inspired now.
Travelling to and fro afforded me much time to contemplate the direction in which I’d like my work to head, and I’ve decided to devote more time to creating personal pieces. I have yet another science-themed image in the works, based on the pivotal scientists involved in discovering and developing the use of green fluorescent protein (GFP).
I’ve also been revisiting an idea of developing imagery based on Malaysian folk legends and Southeast Asian visual vocabulary; I’m curious to see what I can say with it, though social commentary is probably an area in which I should tread very cautiously, if not at all. That idea had been lurking in my mind ever since I read Petar Meseldžija’s ‘Legend of Steel Bashaw’, and it presented itself again during his inspiring IlluxCon lecture and demonstration. We’ll see what will come of this!
The kind folks at Watershed Magazine also sent me their latest issue, in which ‘Argosy’ was printed on the inner back cover. It’s a piece I’m not completely happy with, although people seem to generally like it, but I am honored to see it included in the same issue with Victo Ngai, Mando Veve, JooHee Yoon, and Ole Tillmann’s work, which I admire.
Also spotted this today at the Science Library:
And here is the coloured version of the previous post, done in Sketch Pad and Photoshop. The digital colouring was done in about one and a half hours - a quick job, really - and the inking took about the same time to do.
