Scarecrow part 2

This is the first final scarecrow design I did and the same one I'm going to use for a compilation I'm putting together called The Halloweenies. My inspiration for this design was loosely based on the generic stick figure ideology, and the style was meant to be a combination of the DC Universe animation and my own style, all while holding a bit of a sense of a Burtonesque feel to it as well. The scythe was made big so as to offer a slight balance between thin and thick; also, although it was unintentional, the handle and blade combined seem to make an ''S'' shape, so it works out for me. The raven atop the scythe is meant to serve as a familiar - I figured that if a scarecrow is meant to scare crows away, why not have one that isn't afraid and instead becomes the scarecrow's pall. His gesture will be explained when the final compilation is put together and posted. This was done on 5.5X8.5 sketch paper in standard graphite. Please post any and all comments. Vaya con Dios.

Scarecrow part 1

Just some draft sheets for a scarecrow design I had been contemplating for less than a day. These are a good representation of my current design and drawing processes. All were done on 5.5X8.5 sketch paper. Comments, complaints, thoughts - place them below. Vaya con Dios.

Digital Comic Test

These are the images that make up my digital comic I had to do for an Animation II class. The idea behind it was loosely based around a water world and the main character is considered a nobody even though her occupation is of the utmost importance. However, she must give it all up when she discovers that there is more to water than it just being a source of survival and livelihood. All of them were done on 11X17 paper in Col-Erase pencil. The course had run out of time - it runs for only ten weeks - so the comic never got to the digital stage, however I am thinking of finishing it on my own time, if I find any. Vaya con Dios.

Level Design

A level I designed in class; the basic concept was that the Disney Fairies universe went through a black hole and their magic transformed while in a new dimension - my idea was to have it transform into music -- the magic lies withing the music, hence why the structures resemble musical instruments. I thought it was a cool and different take on the concept, and thus I decided to create an actual character to place within the realm - I will post it soon, I just have to prioritize my projects first. Although this is only the final piece, the entire production process took the initial seven hours as printed in the upper right-hand corner. This was done on 11X17 paper in warm grey copic markers. Please leave a comment and tell me what your thoughts are. Vaya con Dios.

Character Design

A character I created for my character design class; his name is Malik - M. Ali K -- first letter of my last name. I decided to break my comfort zone of more detailed and realistic pieces by doing him in a more stylized/cartoony style all while still maintaining a certain reality to it. Unfortunately I never came up with a backstory for him-leave a comment if you think I should make one or if you have a suggestion. This was done on 9X12 smooth Bristol board in standard graphite pencil. Vaya con Dios.

Different Console, Same Controller

Okay, so I was having a discussion with a friend and I've come to realize entirely-gamers need to stop saying they can't play a game properly because they're used to playing on Playstation instead of Xbox - it's the same freaking controller. So what, one is black and one is white; so what, one is a bit bulkier than the other-the button layout is exactly the same people. So on Playstation it's ''X'', ''Triangle'', ''Square'', ''Circle'' and on Xbox it's ''A'', ''B'', ''X'', ''Y'' - its the same thing if you simply say ''top button, bottom button, right button, left button'' - same exact layout people; even the top buttons-left trigger, right trigger, left bumper, right bumper. Stop using the excuse that you lost because of the controller - don't blame the controller for your ignorance of simple and similar button layouts and configurations. You lost because you suck, not because of the controller. Vaya con Dios.

Story Premise / Gameplay Styles for Fighting Games

Okay bloggers, this is my second post and I've decided to post about how most fighting games these days are pretty much about the same thing - tournament. Mortal Kombat-tournament; Tekken-tournament; Dead or Alive-tournament; Soul Caliber-tournament; even Street Fighter became tournament-based. It seems that fighting game creators cannot think of anything to base their games off of other than a tournament showcasing fighters abilities or to save the world. Of course with some of them, such as Tekken and Dead or Alive, there is a tournament held by a huge corporation to ''enlist'' new recruits to join the franchise. Others like Mortal Kombat host tournaments to save the world - been there, done that. Now by no means am I knocking these games - Mortal Kombat is my favorite out of these -- GO SCORPION -- it's just that I feel there are unexplored premises to base a fighting game's storyline off of.

Of course many, if not all, of these games go further and deeper in regards to story with their individual characters, Mortal Kombat seeming to be the most prevalent and intriguing in terms of creativity and conjunction between characters. And although this does add spaces for favoritism, the primary basis for the game itself is no different than any other. Not trying to sound like an expert on story art, but even a child can say ''hey, lets have all the fighters fight each other in a tournament.'' Of course there isn't much room for creativity in terms of making a fighting game different story basis-wise, but there are some options that have yet to be recognized [and I'm speaking only for myself]. Something that could be done about this is to spend a little more time thinking of stories that would make for a uniquely new challenge in terms of differentiating stories between fighting games - for instance, take out the whole tournament idealistic process and in turn create a story based on a single character that has the opportunity to be branched out from and expanded upon. One such game that I feel ''tested the waters'' on this style is Marvel Nemesis-Rise of the Imperfects. Of course, reviews were not all that positive for this game, but I feel that it was a pioneer in trying something new, and for me, that made for an open door.

To give a brief image for those who have not played the game, the basic idea is that you play as one character at a time, being allowed to switch back and forth between four at a time, and once an individual character's story is finished a new character becomes available, and continues on as such until the end of the game. Now this style of gameplay will create a linear story arch, but all fighting game fans will not be surprised as that is how most all already are. But a solution to this is that the Mortal Kombat idea of taking and heeding fans' suggestions will allow for greater playability and a bigger fanbase in the coming sequel[s]. Imagine it - playing as any character you want at a given moment, playing his / her story through and finishing it, seeing each character's interaction with other characters, and possibly even being able to make certain choices within the game come to instead of the standard side-scroll fighting game [although I personally do enjoy side-scroll fighters] -- that could even be an option - 2D or 3D gameplay. It's all just a matter of fans joining together and having their voices be heard. As always, this is just my opinion without knocking any games mentioned or not mentioned. Please leave a comment and let me know what your thoughts are on this, and any suggestions / critiques you may have, but please keep all critiques professional. Vaya con Dios.