--\-

The dash-dash-slash-dash ( --\- ) is a signature I started using over a year ago. You'll usually see that symbol hidden somewhere within my images, but what you probably don't know is why I use it.

The symbol came about when I was eating a cookie. I looked at the shape my bottom teeth made when I bit—turned out one tooth was crooked. I liked that pattern enough to use it. But sometimes I forget how to  do my signature and have to bite something as a reminder.

Search the symbol in Google and see what happens.


Not very many results at all, huh? It's far more exclusive than "Jonathan Duncan", or even "Jonathan Vair".  Eventually, it will only post to my work. My goal of having an unobtrusive and effective signature will then be realized.

It will eventually come in handy when someone posts your work on Tumblr, it gets famous, and the original poster never credits you. And to all the folks on Tumblr, it's graphite, not charcoal. :)

Asura's Wrath

Capcom was holding a contest. Submit your art based off of the game, and if they like it it'll be used within the game somehow. It sounded a bit shady, but I figured it was a good time to break out the oils. 

Here is my entry. If you'd like to see a GIF of the process, click the bottom image.

I have been busy.

Well, it happened. I am officially published. To think, I was at in the computer lab at school and thought, "I like Sims' stuff. I should do art for him," and then I did, and then he used it the images on his latest EP. Artists, that's all it takes.  

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.