Steam Pirates Loose Sketches

Honestly, I'm not even sure if anyone reads any of my posts on here but I can tell you that they are truly important to me since I have been spending the last year working on designs for this story. This is also an effort to help me develop my writing and inform myself and others of my process in designing characters and elements for this story.

I started developing a very loose concept of what the final group of pirate designs will be for this story. The best description in my head that I could come up with for them was "Hipster Steam Pirates". These pirates will use a steamboat as transportation and use steam power, mist and vapor to create a cloud that they can hide in when fighting enemies. Drinking coffee will also be a part of their lifestyle. They also have an anthropomorphic otter that helps them fight battles and juggles. Orange, earthy brown tones and a distinct black and white checkered board pattern will be their color pallete.

About two weeks ago, I decided to research possible pirate clothing styles, hipster clothing styles, actor personalities and steam powered appliances. I continued more in depth research last night by finding such machines as espresso machines, steam irons, old plastic vaporizers and tea kettles. The point of this research is to gather the specific ideas and element that I would want these pirates to have and decide how to design specific characters using these elements.

For personalities a few actors that came to mind were Kate McKinnon from Saturday Night Live, Musician Reggie Watts from Comedy Bang Bang and Kumail Nanjiani from Silicon Valley. I only use a few of these people as a guide for the style and personality that I want this group of pirates to have.

It's really been a struggle for me to continue with this project. I really spent a lot of time recently trying to scratch some drawing in a small sketchbook that I carry in my bookbag. What it really comes down to is that I have to motivate myself to do this. No one else can do it for me.

Today, I reflected on the many tiny sketches that I did in my small sketchbook and decided to try to make a few more developed sketches of a few of the characters that I came up with based on my research. These are the three that I did today. They are no where near a completion only a template to work from. I still want to develop how they will use the steam in their weapons and what kind of weapons they will use. It really is a struggle for me but I'm happy and content with what I created today. I will also probably try to design a few more of these pirates.

Neon Stingrays Rays complete design portfolio

I posted this same video on Instagram, showing a compilation of some of the designs that I have been working on for this story. What you are seeing here is some of the work that I have been working on in the past year condensed into a video that is under a minute. Character design sketches, finished digitally colored character designs, costume designs, logo designs, linoleum block prints, weapon designs and a vehicle design. All of which took a lot of time to complete. So if I'm spending a long amount of time on this, it really means whole lot to me. Thank you for taking the time to view this blog. I appreciate your support.

Neon Sting Rays Jet Ski Design

Its been a little while since I have worked on any designs for my story. My goal this past weekend was to do the research, draw and get this vehicle design complete. So on Saturday, I spent a few hours looking up and drawing jet skis. On Sunday, I tried to take what I learned and apply it to designing a stingray shaped jet ski. After several rough sketch on Sunday, I felt I was sort of getting there. I then proceeded to give it another shot on Monday and finally came to a final developed result.

This is the vehicle that Jimmy Fishbone would ride. In the final color version you can see the area between the seat and handlebars where he would keep his bat. I’m thinking for the other characters vehicles I may have to alter their designs to accommodate their specific weapons to fit properly.

Rosa Laguna Design

Another gang member of the Neon Stingrays, Rosa Laguna. I've been chiseling away at this drawing for the past week and a half. 

This is her weapon. A mace that turns into a morning star whip. The neon electricity from her body powers the neon whip that shoots out of the staff. 

Jimmy Fishbone and his Weapon

This is a very Raw Pencil version of this character colored in Photoshop. It was done very quickly and I feel the new story will fit this raw style. However, I did decide to expand upon this character more. I wanted to define his baseball bat weapon a little better

I decided to zero in on this weapon and create a version where it looked like the axe pieces would come out of the sides of the bat from a glowing green center. The crystal piece would fit in the base of the grip area. In order for Jimmy to electrically power his bat and allow the axe blades to protrude, he would squeeze the grip and his tattoos would electrically charge the bat and transform it into a new axe weapon.

This version was meant to be a lot cleaner and emphasizing the character's electric tattoos in addition to his baseball bat morphing into an axe.

 I took this concept a whole step further and created an elaborate animated gif illustrating how the axe would work. In the process, I learned that in order for the axe blades to come out of the green area of the bat, they would need to be a little smaller. So, in the end the axe blades are really not physical blades that need to fit inside the bat. I think of them more as a green electrically charged central crystal that forms the shape of the blades.

This will be another set of characters that can each be a self sufficient energy source in the Swashbuckling Steve Silverado Universe.

Neon Sting Rays High Seas Biker Gang

Developing a High Seas Punk Rock Biker Gang that will exist in the new Swashbuckling Steve Silverado Universe. I don't want to say too much about this gang only that they also have the capability to power electronics with their bodies. I want to start conceptualizing "Sting Ray Jetski/Chopper Bike Hybrid Vehicles" that they will ride on. Also, I have some ideas about possible weapons they may use.

This Character name is Jimmy Fishbone and he is the leader of the Neon Sting Rays. 

From left to right the member of the Neon Sting Rays are:

Tony Mackarel, Jimmy Fishbone and Rosa Laguna

Captain Blackberry Beard and His Crew

This composition that I decided to work on would sum up all of the character designs that I completed in the past few months. My goal was to draw Captain Blackberry Beard on his ship with his Bluejay "Tweakus" on his shoulder and his crew of the Impazoid's behind him.

                                              This is the first rough sketch that I completed.

This is a tighter version that I light tabled over the original sketch. I also decided to copy the original sketch and reduce the size around 90% so you could see more of the chainsword on the character to the left.

I established that The lighting will be at night with a pale moon backlight and the Impazoids almost completely in darkness. Captain Blackberry Beard you will be able to see a little in the darkness but the main focal point in the composition will be his glowing purple beard and the glowing eyes and torsos of the Impazoids. I attached a small cropped area of what the coloring will look like.