Ta Koro Kolhii Poster

Ta Koro kolhii field. Can you feel the heat? A game well played by Toa and Matoran alike. 

 I mentioned on my main blog that I've been on a slight hiatus from Bionicle fan art, but of course I try again to bring myself out of this nearly one month long reluctance.

Personal feelings have taken a roll in my break, but no, I won't avoid my hobby for long, still liking this art form, regardless of aggravations that come along the way. 

As a warm up image (ironic since this is Ta Koro themed) to pull myself out from behind the door, I made a basic poster using an image from one of my existing comics Silvermask Not Jaller. This picture represents my OC named Silvermask, but his form is Jaller's, the comic makes sense of it a bit more. Anyway, I wanted to use this image as an anonymous fire type (could even be Toa Jaller this time) for the scene, being reminded of Ta Koro's kolhii match in the first Bionicle movie by the armor plating that the figure puts on. It reminded me of Jaller and Takua with their funny little arm plates. 

I've always imagined kolhii being a more dangerous and thrilling sport if played by Toa. 

For those rough in Matoran, it says, "Be a champion".

I gave my hand at making a digital watercolor background resembling Ta Koro's kolhii field, then posterized my character to make him look more painted and part of the setting.

Say Something Ero

"Say Something". There comes a time where we have to let things go.

 "I love you, but you don't love me....I have to accept that and live without you, even though it hurts. I'm leaving you be, because I love you."

This image has been on my mind for a long time, the idea originating from the song "Say Something" from A Great Big World. The words and emotion put into this song inspired an idea that remained concept for a future chapter in the Life of Lewa fan fiction, the idea itself relating to personal feelings and experiences of my own, expressed through one of my main characters with a slightly different scenario twist.

 The image of Erozion walking off into the evening after dropping his phone on the ground is from a day dream I had while listening to "Say Something". As a concept in the story, Erozion met a girl he really liked, and he pursued her because he loved her, but she took that the wrong way, and in fear she abandoned him, not wanting to hear his side of the story, not wanting to understand his pain, not able to handle the truth of Erozion's life. He knew she didn't want him and didn't care, so he stopped pursuing, but he never stopped loving, just knew he meant nothing to her.

How that relates to my own personal scenario, let's just say it connects to a friendship I had at one time which crumbled away through the years and eventually led to me realizing how much I'm actually worth to that person. 

To better express the mood of this image, I made this video that includes both the Bionicle version, and the normal version of the image, displayed to an edited version of the song.

This rendition of "Say Something" is a cover done by Dano Feehan and Elissa Ebersold. I found the MP3 for free download on Elissa's blog, right here http://elisitagayle.blogspot.com/2013/12/say-something-cover-of-great-big-world.html This was the first time I had ever heard the song, and loved it, but wanted to tweak it slightly to fit the idea blossoming in my head. Because I dreamed of a phone call being dropped (in the literal sense) when I listened to this song, I wanted to open the song with a radio sound like the music is playing through the cell phone, and then it goes from being gray to full color when the song becomes normal as the story is told, and then it ends with the radio sound like we're focusing back on the phone again, closing the story with a pan over of the normal image instead of the Bionicle image, showing two worlds, same concept.

I actually found the song more thrilling because of how I found it. First I checked out Elissa's Deviant Art page http://elisitagayle.deviantart.com/. So happens she does Bionicle art too, then I noticed in one of her journal entries she mentioned she does singing. I was especially thrilled to know this because I too am a vocalist who does Bionicle art work alongside other things, hence my higher appreciation for the song. I was actually a bit disappointed that her voice was less noticeable in the song, her voice being part of the background and not in the lead, but I guess that's how the song is suppose to be.

Regardless, I'm happy I found it, and glad to say it inspired me.

For the curious eyes, here's the normal version of the picture. I used a doll, scrapbook paper, an old cell phone, some creative lighting, and digital editing.

Tropical Punch

What a scene! Tropical punch, taste the victory. ;P

How did I come to this idea? The story is rather simple, one day while I was clothes shopping I saw a sign on the wall that said tropical punch, suddenly my mind scrambled this with several things I had been looking at recently, and then I imagined the Toa Nuva punching Skakdi.

What do you get when a group if island robots are in a wrestling match? Tropical punch of course, and all the flavors to match their color schemes. 

The song that kick started this image is by Te Vaka, called "Tamatoa".

  Have a listen while looking at this picture and enjoy. XD

Come on, who doesn't want to see the heroes kicking Skakdi skid plates. And for the record, this is the first time I've ever drawn the Skakdi. 

I also got a bit tired near the end and cheated on shading of the page, but hey, for such a simple concept it doesn't need to be perfect I guess.

Watcha Reading Ero

 "Watcha reading, lad?" This series of images came after "He hardly knows I'm here."  I felt it would be fun to show something less sad while the set was still up.

Sometimes on calm afternoons, Erozion will read comic books and race model cars across his floor. Now and then Lewa will come in to check on him, curious to know what his son is reading so intently.

 Days like these would take place sometime before "He hardly knows I'm here".

As always, I experimented with angles, the one above a side view, it's main version the more angled one which brings focus to both figures.

 You might not notice at first, but Ero is reading Travels of Frona comics. :P

  I tried to make the image even more focused with longer shots. The right version stands on its own as an image portraying just Erozion on a relaxed afternoon in his room.

He Hardly Knows I'm Here

 "He hardly knows I'm here" the saddened Venimbus states as she cradles her son Erozion in her arms. Lewa does his best to comfort her, depressed to see his wife in turmoil and his son so battered that he always appears to be taking his last breath.

The pain cuts deep in Lewa's chest, Erozion's injuries Lewa's fault. 

The above and following images relate to the Life of Lewa series near the ending days before the story stopped being acted (these images specifically relating to scenarios never played). I had invented a very depressing scenario where Lewa loses his temper severely due to a Jusha poison spike in his bloodstream, thus harming his son for something Ero didn't do. Since the Life of Lewa series may not be written for a very long time if not ever, I'm preserving memories and ideas through imagery instead.

The above image is the full view of the scene, showing the general concept of Ero's room as a prop instead of drawing. Scrapbook paper, Barbie supplies, miniatures, homemade and found objects used to create the scene.

 

I took multiple angles to show what's going on.

 

The up close scene is a nice way to show how sad they are.

A ceiling view of the scene, first time I've tried a picture like this. I wanted to make things feel uneasy and give a view of what Lewa and Venimbus see while they look down at their son.

Making the bruises and cuts in PSE was interesting, and I did my best to keep it accurate to the story. Ero's right hand was cut, his belly has a gash from the whip, his back is lashed, his ankles were lashed and cut along the tendons, his left arm was deeply scratched, the left side of his face was scratched, the right side of his face is bruised from a recent fight with his brother Paluthero, and his lip was split from the flick of the whip. All that on the surface, not including internal injuries.

Another slightly overhead angle. "It's all right, Venimbus".

 

 For a more artistic way of expressing sadness and gloom, I tinted one of the more angled images with a gray tone, noticing my hands always like to tilt slightly during photo shoots, thus resulting in Tim Burton-ex like images.

 "I'm so sorry, lad." Venimbus was pulled away from the depressing scene when she heard one of the babies crying, and left Erozion in his father's arms while she went to tend her other children.

Lewa cradles him remorsefully, and tries not to gaze at his injuries.

 

Not a word escapes Ero's lips, he hardly even stirs from sleep.

 

Shredwing In Chains

 Experimenting with a few new props. "In Chains" is a display of Shredwing in prison, his shackles a new prop I made to work for both GI Joe and Bionicle, or other figurines close in size.

Where is this lonesome cell? Who bound the bounty hunter in chains? Did Toa succeed in his capture, or are these the days of his beginnings? Perhaps he's not as monsterly as he seems, standing in a dark room may not shake him, and though a hatred may exist in his eyes, there is also a sorrow in his chest that keeps his eyes open and the nights long. This sorrow is beyond any kind of physical torture, this sorrow goes strait to the heart.

"I won't let them hurt you." a voice whispered softly in the dim of night within the prison walls. Was it a vision, or was it real? This question was surely torture for the weary warrior known as Shredwing. The touch seemed real, the vision a comfort; yet all at once heart wrenching, a bittersweet emotion to the sense of being loved and sought for by the one woman who captured the heart of this bounty hunter.

Cool light and warm light versions are shown. I decided cool light best fit the theatrical concept I was going for (left).

"To die for" (left) Physical ailments, Shredwing concluded, were of no comparison to the pain in his heart, the truest form of torture that of longing to love and be loved.

"If Only In a Dream" "I love you" (right). Was it just a dream? Or was Seawing really there to see Shredwing? Currently these images are concept for the Seawing story, possibly to become official scenes in the comic one day.

At this time I'm unsure, but the making of this post has sprung a few ideas which may very well be a great addition to the comic when I get around to it. I don't plan on leaving bunches of spoilers on this post, so I'll leave you guessing for now on what this is all about.

Silvermask Not Jaller comic

A very basic comic to make a point of something. By simple I mean no editing of background or eyes. 

"Silvermask Not Jaller" is a comic that expresses Silvermask's feelings (more specifically mine) about looking so much like Jaller Ignika because his body is the same, details about this dilemma explained on the Silvermask Darkness post. Back when I shared the posters of him, I found a majority of comments from others irritating and typical, feeling peeved by the fact no one bothers looking at the posts which state clearly things they felt a need to repeat.

Irritating as that was, it did inspire this comic which became a laughable thing to me, especially the final panel.

 

Yes, Silvermask decided to take his friends advice and wear some silver accent armor, his mooning of Takanuva a way to express my feelings towards the past comments made on his darkness posters. 

I do plan on keeping the silver accents on him to help him be identified more as his own character. This will be for when one day I hopefully make the Seawing comic.

This comic also explains that in the Seawing world, her friend Uma is in fact the Hewkii Ignika set, but in this dimension he's the twin brother of Hewkii.

The concept of Takanuva mistaking Silvermask as Jaller and wondering what dimension he's in when Uma (Oo Ma) says he's Hewkii's twin, can also connect to the random ideas of Takanuva's Travels.