Hello DA Family!

Open this one up to see full version, WELL WORTH IT!!!

I am glad to post something new as I have been busy working on a Non-Disclosed Project hopefully soon to be completed and released. BTW, Palladium Open House was a wonderful success and a nice opportunity to debut some of the work in progress. I was also able to showcase some of the Commission art that I am finishing up. One of them is the Galactus-Kid aka on DA as “Fucuchama.” He has a Dreadguard named Fallon O’Connor and her personalized Host Armor named Brutus.
I would love to describe them for you but I think his own words best do the job so I will quote them here:

“I can't tell you how stoked I am about Brutus. I was trying to explain what he was to my friend on the on the phone the other day, and all I could say was "well, he's like a mix between a bulldog, a rhino, a gorilla, covered in spikes, horns, and mammoth tusks that like to ram, headbutt, and hit things...actually, just wait until chuck sends the picture, then you'll see."

”Brutus, her host armor, is a hulking beast that loves to be in the thick of combat. He has many physical enhancements, most of which are spikes and tusks and melee weapons. He has a reinforced head crest with large spikes in a single row (like a rhino, but nine horns instead of two) with large horns near the front of the row, and smaller ones the farther back you go. He is carnivorous and has large razor sharp teeth and a wickedly curved and spiked tusk on either side of his face. He has horned defense which has him covered in spikes, and a spiked weapon tail which he uses when he’s in the thick of combat. His shoulders have organic rockets mixed in with the spikes, and he has a bone tentacle harpoon which appears as a large barbed spike protruding from his right forearm. His forearms and wrists are reinforced bony plates, spikes, and claws over the thick bony hands. These large, oversized plates give him kind of a “oppey” look since his forearms are bigger than his already larger upper arms. These are his main weapons. After he fires some rockets to weaken a target, he charges them, headbutts/rams them, and continues to pound them with his massive arms. He doesn’t stand completely upright, and will often lean forward on his arms like a gorilla. “

I had a blast and a good work out working on this illustration as I was able to tests some techniques, identify various ways to illustrate biotechnology other than the more popular established aesthetics and yet also preserve functional morphology. I always try to implement a “function begets form” approach for a more believable and operational outcome. I can easily say that Dreadguard O’Connor and her Behemoth beast of a HA gave the Machina a very hard time in the game played at the Open House. Truly a wonderful creation and composition concocted by Fucuchama. This is just another great example of what the Role Playing Game of SPLICERS can reveal.

NOW again I say, imagine Several of these various types of Host Armors amidst an armor of bio-augmented soldiers called Biotics & Roughnecks as well as tank sized biotechnology War beasts called “Warmounts” battling it out against one another or the deadly cold & calculating Machines and you have a taste of some good ole Splicers.

As to work time imputed, I lost count of the hours as I worked off & on, striving to get many jobs complete at once, still cranking on others, but I can say this one was well worth the time invested and is one that I am truly proud of. If I had to guess, I would say …Naw… I rather not… lol

The size of the original illustration is 14” X 17” on a Strathmore sheet of 100 lb. (260 g/m) acid free, heavy weight with a smooth surface. Great for holding mechanical drawings and pencil, though I had a ton of clean up areas.

I used Several Zebra M-301with .5 lead along with a Pentel Clic Eraser for texture assist. Can’t rely totally on digital assist when it’s a commission piece and the hire is purchasing original art. So its always good to have the old school skills sharpened as well as the New School.

Cheers and I always welcome your comments!