Fireworks

Cool 3-D affect from my friend over at Smiley Generators.

To see the 3-D image, cross your eyes a bit when you look at the fireworks. The "third" image should be in 3-D.



Have a great 4th of July!

Inspiration

When looking for pictures of ice cream trucks for a recent Bitmap World strip, I found a lot of different pictures. This one struck my eye:



Of course, given the fact I have such a smaller area to work in, I couldn't replicate the detail on the original. Anyhow, here's my take...

Smilies on the Brain

I would say that it's a pretty accurate statement that I have smilies on the brain, considering I am co-creator of a smiley comic. However, this website takes that phrase literally. Here's my results:

World of Warcraft Headers 2

Here are some additional WoW headers I made which were not included in the Phorum package I mentioned in my last post. Click on the thumbnail for a full size version. When the window opens, right-click and save to your computer.













These images are for personal use only and should not be sold or redistributed.

Legal Disclaimer: World of Warcraft is a trademark of Blizzard Entertainment, Inc., and associated images are owned and copyrighted by Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. Pixel-Pushing is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.

World of Warcraft Headers

Jim and I have been working on some forum templates for the Phorum message board system. I wanted to do a Warcraft one for the heck of it. When looking for WoW header graphics to incorporate into the design, I couldn't find many that would work. Thus, I ended up making several myself. Below are the graphics that were included with the Warcraft Phorum template. You can easily add your guild name or other title to them. To view the full size and download, click on the thumbnail.















These images are for personal use only and should not be sold or redistributed.

Legal Disclaimer: World of Warcraft is a trademark of Blizzard Entertainment, Inc., and associated images are owned and copyrighted by Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. Pixel-Pushing is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.

Smiley Community

I recently joined an online smiley community. I've been a big fan of the site for several years, having purchased a few of the generators for my websites. I have to admit to feeling good being around others who can appreciate the art of pixeling smilies.

The site run periodic "competitions" where a smiley model is given and members are encouraged to modify it. I took my first shot at it today. It was a lot of fun (and gave me a nice reprieve from tedious web-work). Here's my entry. One of the original graphic is first. The blushing bear is my first variation. The second is a pixelate version which I really wanted to do to see how it would turn out.

                   

Fan Art

I do love doing pixels for other people. Partly because fan art is a gift to a creator--a homage to a work that has entertained and/or inspired you. For me, Sarah Zero has done both. It has been commented by MANY people that the art on the strip is so beautiful that it often makes one want to give up even trying. However, what *I* absolutely adore about the strip is the writing and the unique--almost Quentin Tarantino type--storytelling. It is edgy and symbolic and mysterious and overt and in-your-face...and definitely R-rated. However, that last part is not a bad thing (and I only note it because I have a lot of underage readers of this blog). This is not an adult comic at all, but a comic that broaches mature subjects. It is also an amazing tour of how pop-culture, particularly internet culture, is affecting our world, and oftentimes not in a very positive way. It's also about human nature and how we have to fight against our own self-destructive tendencies. As a person who feels my soul-searching journey is never complete, this strip just speaks to me.

Whether it's for the art or for the story (or both), check out SarahZero.com.

That said, below is the pixel art I did. My big challenge was the vehicle, which I decided to draw at the last minute. I actually love doing the vehicles in Bitmap World and wanted to tackle this awesome piece of fictional machinery. I think it turned out well, all considering. To see the original 6SUX, click HERE.

Here's my rendering (plus some "head-shots"):



Now, I know that the 6SUX is not 100% accurate. That was because I wanted to draw it in a particular scale. To get every detail perfect, I would have had to make the picture larger, which I didn't want to do. That's what I like about pixel-art, though. In it's limitations it creates something a bit unique.

I've been doing a LOT of pixel-art lately, not just for Bitmap World. I'll talk about that more in the upcoming few days.