Autumn SwapIt!

Yeah, I know, I'm the worst at this. I get it!
Just a quick post, as exciting times are (expectedly) coming my way. Hopefully I'll have more in the coming weeks (...hopefully I'll actually update/post on my blog more frequently). Been very busy with moving and work and the other joys of life.

But for today, I have this.
Autumn SwapIt, a seasonal game on GSN.com that I worked on, went live today.

I made the background for the game. Lots of fun to make, and didn't come out too too shabby.

Hopefully you will get a better score than I did while trying to take this screenshot. Here's the background without the game-board.

I had thought I would have something else to show today, but it may be turning into something more significant. So until it's official (or until it crashes and burns) I can't share it.

So there you go, something new, and something cryptic. #MeetingDemands

Process

Just some playing around.
This was a first pass at the "Oodle Ogre" (O_o) for GSN Games.

Decided to play with it during my free time. We'll see where it goes. If it goes. This is where I'm at so far.

WOF

Yeah, I know. I'm awful at this. But I made no promises, so I reject your judgement.

#takingthehighroad

Anyways, I recently got to do a project involving Wheel of Fortune for the GSN Games' Facebook page. The idea was to post puzzles from classic episodes of Wheel of Fortune for our fans to try and solve, and so they wanted a classic puzzle board to go along with the theme. I had to get approvals from Sony and some of the Execs at WOF, which was kind of cool. Though my manager played it smart and told me that after all was said and done.

The image above was the classic board they approved inspired by a board from the 80's (I was given [grainy] pictures of the sets from different decades). Below are the other iterations I made that were also considered, the first one is also an 80's inspired board and the second is from the 70's.

Unfortunately Vanna White did not make the cut. I imagine she's pretty choked up about it.

Look for the puzzles on GSN Games' Facebook page.

Till...sometime!

Inkling

Okay, I've said it before, I'm bad at this. So whatever, get off my case.

Nothing 'fresh' yet, but I'll get it here. But hopefully this is something cool to tide over whoever's interested.

Someone at work just receive the Wacom Inkling and brought it in for all the play with. (Unfortunately for 'All' I got to it first)

I love it. I've heard some people give negative reviews about it, but I think those reviews may have arrived upon some unrealistic expectations. It's kind of fun and super easy to use.

It's biggest problem is that it doesn't always grab everything you put down on paper, but for various reasons: Your fingers can cover the sensor depending on how you hold a pen, you might not apply the right amount of pressure, and if you're not drawing on a hard surface (like I was drawing against my knee) then it might shift some lines. But these are all issues that can be worked around.
The coolest thing is that you can sketch in layers, there's a button at the top of the sensor that allows you to create a new layer as you're working. No backsies though :-/

I love it! I want one. Someone make it happen!

Punxsutawney Phil

I still intend to use this blog to post new things I'm working on, but unfortunately that wont be the case this time. (Never start a blog with a cold!!)

These were candidates for a groundhog's day promotion on GSN Cash Competitions. 

Both designs take a great deal of artistic license, one a bit more than the other. But given that the reference images that were included with the creative request were istock images of what can only be described as a coyote/bear floating above an oval, I don't feel like I totally missed the mark.

Again, neither of these show the whole promotion, just a snippet. I won't tell you which one made the cut, but I will say that the absence of a "sharp looking top hat" was cause for some brief hostility in the work place.

Something fresh to come, I promise!

Not in the Cards

Sorry all. Still nothing fresh to post here.
I will be working on new stuff all day today, but I have a feeling it won't make it on here just yet. And in keeping with my resolution to update this blog more frequently here is something "recent" that I did.

This is something from this past December. It was intended to be the front of the company holiday card for GSN Digital. The project wasn't going to be mine initially, but due to work load I ended up being asked to do it. I wasn't given a lot of time to work on it, but I was still excited for the opportunity.

The empty space towards the bottom-center was left for the company logo.

Ultimately it never got used, as it was decided to go with an animated digital card using ready made creative instead. (womp womp)

The prompt that was given to me before I started is exactly what it ended up being: Snowmen sitting around playing cards. (Fun Fact: One of the reasons the image wasn't used was because it looked "too much like Snowmen sitting around playing cards." But I digress)

Even though it never got to see the light of day, I still enjoyed working on it. At the very least it lives on here.

-Later

Two for Two

Hey, would you look at that, I actually followed up with a post!

I said I'd try to put something current up as soon as I could, so I'm posting something done back in October (o_O). They're both from promotions that ran on GSN.com. Mind you, they're not the whole promo, just snippets.

This one is from a sweepstakes where if you entered you could win cash.

This is one is for a similar promotion, where if you pay cash to play your returns would be multiplied. 

I'm not responsible for the coin, or the background. Those were required elements.

I was hoping to get something a little more fresh and exciting up for this first post, but I've been a bit under the weather. Terrible way to start a blog. (What where you thinking!?)

Goal is to post something new by the end of this weekend. Wish me luck!

Rebirth

Greetings true believers!
Yes it is I, that guy who started a blog in 2009, never kept up with it, futzed around with the design a couple of times, wrote a couple of entries but never posted them, and ultimately just took the blog down.
(Oh, right! That guy. What does he want now?)

Well, truth is, I completely walked away from blogging. I don't think it was for me at the time. That and I'm really not very good at it. But since then I've noticed that I actually have followers on this space. In fact, my number of followers has doubled since I took the blog down. (Hmm...) So I think it's only polite that I post something on here once in a while. Plus, I'd be lying if I said that the idea of blogging again hasn't been an endless series of whimpers and pawing at the back door of my mind, so it's probably time to let it out so it can do its business on here. (Wait, what!?)

And of course, now is the perfect time to start up an art blog since I finally have a full-time design job, as opposed to before when I had...no job, and...free time. (...oops) Oh, well. It'll work itself out.

I don't know what I'll be posting on here first, but I'll try to get something current up soon. I realize the layout and design is a bit off, it'll take a little while before I get it to where I want it to be. But knowing me it's probably best to court this thing for a little while before I put a ring on it.

Until then, well, I don't know. You'll figure something out I'm sure.
Blog 2.0 has officially lifted off the ground. Will it soar above the clouds? Or will it crash and burn just as it did before? Stay tuned.