Ancient Sketches pre-2008ish

The lady was my first real attempt to shade forms. Prior to this I had just filled everything in like a child using a coloring book.

This was also my first real sketchbook. Before I started getting sketchbooks I just used notebook paper. Thankfully, other artists got on to me for this.

This was a large drawing that took around 8hrs or so.

The shadow pattern on her face is one I learned from the box art for Knights of the Old Republic. The female jedi (Bastila Shan) was lit in such a way and I just copied the pattern.

It's still a lighting method I use today.

An early self portrait; note the same shadow pattern as above. I was also developing my signature around this time. Very little has changed there.

This was, at one time, my crowning achievement. I was a serious Kotor fan and finishing this is the only thing I remember about that particular day. I worked so hard on this.

At this time I had acquired some Yu-Gi-Oh cards. I was rather obsessed with one particular card that had a blue-eyed, white dragon on it. Yu-Gi-Oh cards were basically the evil Pokemon card variant and growing up in a very Christian household, one had to be... discrete, shall we say.

I didn't know what the Japanese symbol meant, but I included it because it looked cool.

Yeah, this had to be like the same week. I think I may have seen some artwork of Niv-Mizzet around this time. At the very least, the small dinosaur, in Jurassic Park, who eats that guy in the car was very scary and cool to me.

I had trouble sleeping for a little while after that scene.

I was really messing with more dark themes around this time. You'll note the blood on the sword. It turns out, I don't like drawing or painting blood and gore. It's just not for me.

I remember I felt a bit ill after drawing this.

I really liked the Windwaker game. It was my introduction to the Legend of Zelda.

I didn't have an N64 like a proper Millennial. I played outside like some gods forsaken Gen-X child until I got a job at 15 and spent all my money on a Gamecube and an Xbox.

Good times.

I was a romantic lad at one point.

Having characters break the fourth wall is something I still love to do.

Violence in my art is acceptable, but I don't like it to leave you with a dark emotional state. I like it to be either humorous or heroic.

Metroid Prime was "my game" back in the day.

I remember sitting next to some kid at a piano recital and he was telling me about it. He said (and I quote) "don't get it. It's really scary and I can't get past the first level."

Obviously, I got it and I beat the whole game. That kid was a wuss. But if you didn't scream and curse your TV when fighting Meta Ridley or the back-to-back Metroid Prime, you're not human.

I remember that it was on a Sunday when I finally killed Meta Ridley. I can still taste that victory.

I hadn't seen Star Wars Episode III at this point, so I didn't know that General Grievous was the Jar-Jar Binks of this movie.

Who decided he needed to have that stupid cough? I was so disappointed. Don't get me started on the battle droid voices. Oh, my god.

The sign in the drawing says something to the effect of "next water 1,000,000 miles."

I was and am, hilarious.

Halo 2: I turned 17 and that was the first M rated game I discreetly acquired.

Oh, my god. You have no idea how good that game was. Unless you do.

In order to not feel bad about allowing my little brothers to play, the rule was that we would murder any humans who said swear words and operate on a "first rule of fight club" basis.

That made it ok.

I also had like a gallon tub of chiclet bubblegum in my little "shack" outside the house. So any friends who came over were free to get a freaking handful and chow down. I also frequently bought cheesy Chex Mix, and cherry coke Mike & Ikes. It was glorious.

Honestly, I had no idea people thought I was cool until years later when it didn't matter anymore. *sigh

Did I mention I could also do a backflip on a trampoline? :p