Album Art and the Concepts

Hellllllo there! ;)

   Well I just finished up a project involving album art! I really enjoyed the process of thumbnails, graphic design, and finishing touches on a final illustration. The band, "Worth A King's Ransom" hired me to create concepts and finalize album art for the upcoming record, "The Kraken Awaits."

   I haven't really worked on many album covers, my past favorite being the Ruins of Tomorrow - In This Horror cover. haha. I had a blast creating this image, the whole journey I took creating thumbnails and, with the band's help, picking out our favorite base design was very rewarding. I'm really happy with how the final image turn out!

   Below are the thumbnails and rough sketches as well as the final painting.

Thumbnails

Quick Sketch

Base Color

Final

   The final image shows the Kraken towering over a ship set on fire. You find four sailors in the sea, some also set a blaze! :) Creating this image felt very natural and fluid, there weren't too many road blocks I had to over come!

Hope you enjoyed seeing this process documented! Time for me to take a shower!

Thanks
Ricky Casdorph
www.rickycasdorph.com

p.s. I stayed up until 4am last night playing Mount and Blade... UGHHH! Check that game out if you haven't. Its soooo addicting!

Mount and Blade Link:
http://www.taleworlds.com/

Anatomy and Walking out of Hell

What's going on guys!

   Late last night it was suggested that I work on some anatomy lessons! Those can sometimes be a bore... so I decided to spice this lesson up with creating a story and environment around the female I began painting. I used the photograph of a nude girl standing on her tippy toes in front of a black sheet. With a little of my imagination added, I created the same woman walking out of hell itself! Muahahaha :)

   Here is the process I went through creating the image!

I quickly painted out a rough sketch

Once I was happy with the composition, I began to add color

Out of the Crypt 9-24-11

   I am pretty happy with how this image turned out, it made my anatomy study all the more entertaining! Walking out of hell with cut wrists can never get boring! haha. I actually have 3 different projects going on right now with 3 different clients, so I had to squeeze this out fast! Its always hard for me to put a design down... but I think this looks finished! ... or do I? :O

Thanks

Ricky Casdorph
www.rickycasdorph.com

p.s. Fallout: New Vegas is better than Fallout 3! I can't believe it! lol...

Road Trip and Knowing When To Quit

What's up everyone!

   So I have a question to ask... when your working on something that involves your own creativity, how long do you work on it before you say, "I'm finished..." I have this horrible problem, when I'm almost finished with a painting, I just can't stop. I keep seeing problems and I keep changing things around that might not even need changed! I just can't put it down.

   I ask this... because I struggled with this design I created of a witch. I'm still not happy with it... but I FORCED myself away from my wacom tablet and computer. After awhile it was like every new stroke I made... hurt the design. :(

   Below is the process I went through creating the witch.

Basic sketch ... anatomy is way off

Added color and some minor detail... anatomy is still way off

More color and detail... anatomy is better but still off

I'm still not happy with it, but I made myself stop and move on. I debated even posting this design online...

   So this weekend I am heading up to Grand Junction, helping my wonderful girlfriend Heather shoot a wedding. I've never been there and I'm always up for going to new places! I have been craving the mountains too so I'm way excited! Well that's it for this post, have a great weekend everyone!

Ricky
www.rickycasdorph.com

p.s. I just bought Fallout: New Vegas and I'm playing through the game in hardcore mode. This should be interesting! ;)

Heather and Freelance

Hey everybody!

   So yesterday morning I decided to paint my wonderful / beautiful girlfriend Heather as a quick study! :) She was nice enough to pose for me... and this is what I ended up with! She has a ton of hair and I really wanted to play that up! I think I succeeded fairly well!

   Below you will see that I started off with a quick black and white sketch, once I was happy with the composition I began to add color and detail. I really enjoyed painting her... maybe she will continue to let me paint her if I behave? :) haha.

Quick Sketch

Heather 9-13-11

   Quick random thought: Maintaining a steady flow of freelance jobs is both time consuming and tough! I knew it would be hard... thats why I must keep painting everyday! Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

Ricky
www.rickycasdorph.com

p.s. I think I'm going to paint a witch now... its cold outside and you can really get a sense of fall, my favorite season! Halloween time! :)

Cyborgs and Selling Prints

Whats up everyone!

Well I made it back from my trip to Boston! I'm so excited about the Boston project I am apart of, if you like zombies and a post-nuclear setting... your going to love this once it's released! :)

Since I've been home I've sold my first print! I'm really excited that people are genuinely interested in my work! If you are interested in buying a print off me... just send me an email at rickycasdorph @ gmail . com or find me on facebook! All of my art work is on my facebook, under "My Daily Sketch Book." I offer "glicee" fine art prints on either canvas or somerset paper and I use the highest quality archival inks!

Here is a demon - cyborg character I painted and re-worked this morning.

Demon / Cyborg 

I can see this bad ass in Quake 5 or something similar haha. I really struggled with his mouth and lower jaw, I'm happy with how it turned out though!

Well... time to find more freelance work to sink my teeth into! Wish me luck! ;)

Ricky

www.rickycasorph.com

p.s. If you like Diablo 2... or any hack and slash game, check out Path of Exile created by Grinding Gear Games! It looks so sick, I can't wait to get my hand on it!

youtube link to Path of Exile - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8779Ff_qoc

Fish and Leaving For Boston

Hey everyone!

   Well in 2 days I am leaving for Boston to work on the next greatest zombie game! For those of you who don't know, I have been working on this project for the past few months and in two days now... I'm flying out to test it and see my art work printed out! I'm really excited! You can see some of the art work I have created for this project on my facebook! Check that shiz out!

   I know my last painting "Monday" involved a woman, lipstick, and fish. I have decided to create a series of 7 paintings now regarding women, lipstick and fish. Below you will find my second painting again entitled, "Monday" which portrays the same subject matter in a different setting. I'm excited to get these 7 paintings done... 5 to go!

  Here is the process of how this painting came to life... I took a break every once in a while and captured an image of it.

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3 (Final) "Monday" 12x12

   Here you can see my process! Woman, lipstick, and fish. This may seem silly, but in each painting there is a hidden word... it's fun to hide things! Ha! See if you can find the hidden word in both this painting and my previous one! (The image may be to small to find the hidden word on this site, but on my FACEBOOK they are the perfect size) They aren't hard to find... I made it easy! :)

   Remember in a few weeks my paintings will be available to purchase in print form on the highest quality paper (Somerset) with archival ink in the form of Glicee Prints! I'm really excited to get this going, once I'm back from Boston I am also planning doing more traditional oil paintings. I'm happy, what else can I say? :)

Have a great day!

Ricky Casdorph

P.S. Listen to Limp Bizkit's new album, "Gold Cobra!" It's stupidly awesome! lololololol!11

Link to listen to a song... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UUsMneOUT0

 

  

Mondays and Smells

   So since this is my first post, I guess I should try and explain the point of this blog. With every new painting I create, I will create a blog that goes along with it. I will unload my thoughts regarding the painting, my day, and what it is I'm trying to do. I hope you enjoy!

Title: Monday
Date: 8-29-11

   This painting took about 3 hours time. I did it late last night while listening to the newest Deftones record, "Diamond Eyes." I really love that record and I believe it DEFINITELY helped me along with this woman, lipstick, and fish. I hope you get something out of this painting. I don't want to just spell everything out regarding this picture. Take it for what it is, I think it's pretty obvious. 

   From now on I will post the stages of my paintings from beginning to end so you can get a better idea of my process. In the near future I will also make prints of all my paintings available to purchase! I just want people to find pleasure in my art, that is my goal! 

Thanks!

Ricky Casdorph

p.s. If you don't like the Deftones, I'm not sure we can be friends... ;)

Deftones Live

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-9y3U1SvMA