Life Never Gets Less-Crazy

One of my favourite things about my life—besides having the greatest friends in the world—is being constantly entertained. I literally cannot remember the last time I was bored. This is due to being an artist constantly trying to see my world objectively, but also comes from being thrown into situations bigger than myself on a regular basis. 

For example, in the middle of creating new work for this contest via ImagineFX, I had to apply for a last-minute passport after winning a contest to SIGGRAPH, a convention I wanted to return to this year, but couldn't afford. Now that my new images are done, I have to finish a cohesive concept portfolio as fast as possible. After that's done, I'll be finishing an EP package for one of my favourite hip-hop artists. From there I'll be completing two more designs for a snowboard company. From there, I'll probably hound Arenanet the rest of the year until they blacklist me or hire me. 

If I'm lucky, somewhere along the line I'll get paid! 

Here are the three images I completed in the last seven days. New record!

Environment Sketches

I've been meaning to do this for a while: I took the last two days (three if you count this morning) and completed a several environment sketches. Soon I'll be comfortable to the point of intelligently abstracting environments without references, and then my work is going to seriously level-up!

Most of these are referenced from my photos in Old San Juan. Such a great art opportunity!

Jonathan Duncan: ORIGINS

I owe a good bit to videogames. Ever since I was in Middle School anyone that knew me could attest to the fact that I was always drawing videogame characters from copies of Electronic Gaming Monthly or taking videogame guides into English class for mandatory reading time. It started out as an obsession, but after I matured (maybe) I came to appreciate games rather than have an unhealthy obsession with them. 

Metroid was one of my favourite franchises. It was by unlocking concept art in Metroid Prime that I knew I wanted to do concept art in videogames for a living, and Samus Aran is by far the character I've drawn more than any other. After a mother of an old friend found a rendition of Samus painted on her basement wall from around eight years ago, I decided to give it another go, for old time's sake:

There's something endearing I've lost with the newer version. 

Maybe it's the broken arm or the glam-rock boots. 

The Start of Summer

I apologize for my absence. In my defense, many things have happened! I visited Old San Juan, I moved to Columbus, and I've been sketching. 

Here's an update for the Guild Wars folio, just to prove I've been working. Each of these sketches will help actualize my goal for a Guild Wars class that revisits good aesthetic choices from earlier in the franchise, enhances the culture of the world, and offers more exciting real-time combat opportunities. My website will have the finished versions, including descriptions of each.

Now that I've graduated college, my desire to work in-house has never been stronger.  Wish me luck as I make that last push!

Guild Wars Post 1

Working on several images to develop a new class for Guild Wars 2.

Bad Time Zoo, 2 of 2

Gift for SIMS and the Doomtree crew

If you're a hip-hop artist, you're good at what you do, and you're looking for an artist, send me a note!