Ruins with history

Gears of War style castle concept. Art test. Good times (c) 2012

Book covers

Sci-fi novels with my covers <3

Books by Kenneth Buff

Fortress Defense - step by step

Since most of my work now is NDA I wanted to share one of my older artworks (2014). I wanted to create an oldschool illustration, inspired by tech dwarfs idea. At that time I was mostly developing my workflow, let me tell you about it.

During one of short polish interviews after Gears of War: Judgment I was asked to draw a speed paint of a dwarf. The idea of tech dwarfs, interstellar miners stuck with me and I painted this quick artwork.

After some time I decided to develop the tech dwarf idea a little bit further. I did a round of sketches. I wanted it to be some kind of troop drop at first, but after a while I decided to make it a defense of a dwarf mining colony. Defense against bug's invasion. I can sketches in color but I do prefer black and white, I do love to work in grayscale.

After setting up composition I like to develop a basic color palette. I use adjustment layers and simply go where I feel is right. Also from time to time I do use a palette from (I recommend that - helps me to go out from my comfort zone): http://moviesincolor.com/

Also I remember I did a lot of sketches as a child. I found a few and one had a fortress defense with lasers piercing flying enemies. I was happy to use the idea after many years.

At that point I was learning Modo, and wanted to use it for base geometry. It was not very useful to be honest. I told you I was working on workflow?

It was time for rendering. I worked on design of the tank and dwarfs. I decided to make it a litlle bit cartoony and over the top. This one was for me so why not? I was not perfectly happy with but I wanted to end make it work. Main idea behind this was to develop tech dwarfs idea and workflow.

Fortress Defense -Tech Dwarfs, many hours later. At some point it is time to stop working one piece and start something new. Not super happy with this one but I have learned few things here.

If you have any feedback regarding this artwork or this small small tutorial please write here or directly to me.

Thanks, hope you like this.

MW

Need some inspiration for upcoming weekend? Here are a few photos from Louvre Museum.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/662gonj78n28ued/Louvre%20Museum_Wojtala.zip?dl=0

Recently I went to beautiful city of Paris and spent some time in Louvre for the first time. I will be coming back there for sure. Here are some photos, far from perfection, but you can
find few gems in this pack, small part of what you can witness there by yourself.

http://www.louvre.fr/en

Shadow Warrior 2 | Castle variants

Bellow you can see a few of my Shadow Warrior 2 production concept art. It is a development of variants of one setting.

Shadow Warrior 2 is coming in 2016.

https://www.facebook.com/ShadowWarriorGame/
https://www.facebook.com/FlyingWildHog/

Evil Fortress - Tutorial

A few words more about Evil Fortress.

I wanted to paint a snowy environment. At that point I was doing a lot of 20-50 minutes sketches. The majestic fortress sketch was my favorite. You can see some arrows and lines - I was thinking about focal points and path leading your eye, I had a plan.

At this early phase I still add elements and modify composition when I see fit. I used a lot of custom brushes and photo textures. It was something I was training at that point in time. I liked the environment getting more dark and moody.

I did like composition and overall feeling but I felt I can put more love in colors. I did a few color balance iterations, but the brightest idea was painting quickly the changing snowy evening outside my window. It helped me a lot to get the colors right. Plain air can be very useful.

After that it was just simple rendering. I used few new custom brushes, just to learn something new. Also I ended up with overpainting most of photo textures but I did like that. At some point I just stopped painting this Evil Fortress and decided to show it to the world.
I hope you liked this step by step. More to come soon.
Peace!

Art for The John Doe's Burial

Do you like Death Metal? My collegues from The John Doe's Burial used one of my artworks as a music video art. It is one of my older artworks after few modifications.

Check it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9nbwkIN2Ss

The John Doe's Burial Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tjdburial

Check the interesting way it was used. Artwork was cut into 3 layers (the foreground warrior, crowd and background) and animated by Andrzej Uszakow.  (https://www.facebook.com/andrzej.uszakow)

Painting techniques - First steps - Fast Photoshop Setup (Brushes, Actions, Keys)

From time to time I will share my art knowledge and experience. I will divide it into sections - Technique / Mindset / Insight. Let us start with the technique. Follow me for more www.facebook.com/wojtala

I decided to start with my very beginnings, a Photoshop setup.
I used to paint with classical techniques, but at some point in late 2001 I started to paint with computer tablet. It had so many useful tools and options I was amazed. It reminded me of a Starcraft game, where learning keyboard shortcuts made you faster and helped a lot.  I created a Photoshop setup I still use and develop. It helps to get all I want from Photoshop very fast.

Keyboard - try to set it up so you can have a good flow and you don't need to click on any icon or menu. Try to remember all useful shortcuts. After a while it will be natural and fast. When needed, record and use Photoshop's actions. Here is my setting:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/obey17vhm3b4ceu/Wojtala%20Keyboard.kys?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/x46jpp8krw8nor5/Wojtala%20Actions.atn?dl=0

(install it in Photoshop's Keyboard Shortcuts Menu and Actions Window)

Brushes - I have a lot of brushes, some of them I do use a lot, some of them are for special occasions, most of them I still try to get to know better.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/x15r6mgnonrzt87/Wojtala%20Brushes.zip?dl=0

My pack of brushes is strongly based on what other concept artist have shared (thank you guys!):
Maciej Kuciara brushes (http://maciejkuciara.deviantart.com/art/Free-Brushes-2015-534474486)
Jonas De Ro brushes (http://jonasdero.deviantart.com/art/FREE-PHOTOSHOP-GIMP-BRUSHES-Explanation-348274576)
Shaddy Saffadi brushes (http://www.shaddyconceptart.com/download)
Dan Lu Visi brushes (http://danluvisiart.deviantart.com/art/My-Brush-Pack-2-0-370697141)
Paweł Świeżak brushes (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003494336952)
Darek Zabrocki brushes (http://daroz.deviantart.com/art/FREE-PHOTOSHOP-BRUSHES-DAREK-ZABROCKI-BRUSH-SET-431393487)

Hope you like this few words, if something is unclear or wrong, feel
free to post me a message. Follow me for more www.facebook.com/wojtala

Cheers,

Maciej Wojtala | Facebook

Hello,

On my Facebook page you will find my artworks, art lessons, inspirations, project insights and work in progress steps. I will share and promote art, knowledge and experience here. Please don't hesitate to contact me, I do love to talk about projects and art, among other things. Peace!

https://www.facebook.com/wojtala/

Masked Ball - Giuseppe Verdi

I am glad I had a chance to paint a poster for Giuseppe Verdi's Masked Ball for Opera na Zamku w Szczecinie.  http://www.opera.szczecin.pl/pl/component/repertuar/spektakl/286

Few of the projects concept sketches.

Final art, clean version.

Niezmiernie mi miło, że miałem szansę stworzyć plakat dla Balu Maskowego Giuseppe Verdiego dla Opery na Zamku w Szczecinie.

Więcej informacji na: http://www.opera.szczecin.pl/pl/component/repertuar/spektakl/286

Bal maskowy Giuseppe Verdiego to prawdziwe dzieło sztuki operowej. Niemal kwintesencja tego gatunku muzycznego. Jest pełen pięknej muzyki, a w warstwie libretta opowiada dramatyczną historię miłości, zazdrości, spisku i zbrodni, rozgrywających się na tle dworskich komnat, z kulminacją, do której dochodzi podczas tytułowego balu. Ale jest coś jeszcze – rzecz szczególna, wiążąca ten utwór ze Szczecinem. Jedna z wcześniejszych wersji fabuły opowiadała historię rozgrywającą się na… zamku szczecińskim! Nie sposób sobie wyobrazić lepszego miejsca dla jej wystawienia w Polsce niż siedziba Opery na Zamku – dlatego zapraszamy do obejrzenia tego spektaklu w odnowionej przestrzeni opery.

Witcher 3: Wild Hunt DLC - Hearts of Stone

Here is the cover of the new and awesome The Witcher 3: Hearts of Stone DLC. Cover created by the amazing CD Project RED team (http://en.cdprojektred.com/), Digic (http://www.digicpictures.com) and Bartłomiej Gaweł (https://www.behance.net/BartekGawel) . Still I am very appreciative I could also put a few small brush strokes on it. Play this stunning game!

 

Find out what there is to see and do in the first paid DLC for The Witcher 3.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Hearts of Stone Expansion Teaser

E. Wedel commercial - Wargorr discovers the planet Joy | Televisor

I had the pleasure of designing a spaceship used in E. Wedel commercial - Wargorr discovers the planet Joy. It was really fun and just after a few iterations the final concept was created (cooperation with Televisor.pl). The commercial itself is really interesting and enjoyable. Here it goes:

Spaceship iterations:

Commercial: 

https://youtu.be/dW4wtmCqL94

Making of:
https://vimeo.com/138605368

And Wargorr website:
http://www.wargorr.pl/

EXHIBITIONS: Bolesław Biegas | Masterpieces of Japanese Art in Polish Collections at National Museum.

Bolesław Biegas

You can see Bolesław Biegas exhibition at al. Jerozolimskie 51 in Warsaw. Free admittance. I sincerely recommend!
http://biegas.pl/pl/muzeum-im-boleslawa-biegasa-w-warszawie/ 

Photos from exhibition:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/24uueelyii5gc3t/Boles%C5%82aw%20Biegas%20_%20al%20Jerozolimskie%2051.zip?dl=0
_______________________________________________________

Bolesław Biegas – polski rzeźbiarz, malarz i dramatopisarz.
Szczerze polecam Muzeum im. Bolesława Biegasa  w lokalu w al. Jerozolimskich 51.

Znaczną część wystawy sfotografowałem, zdjęcia są mocno poglądowe, robione telefonem, najlepiej zobaczyć na żywo:https://www.dropbox.com/s/24uueelyii5gc3t/Boles%C5%82aw%20Biegas%20_%20al%20Jerozolimskie%2051.zip?dl=0

Masterpieces of Japanese Art in Polish Collections at National Museum

I also visited Masterpieces of Japanese Art in Polish Collections at National Museum. Its over now
I can only show photos from this one.

More info at: http://www.kulturalna.warszawa.pl/events,1,140008.html?locale=en_GB&b=1&pNum=4

Photos at:https://www.dropbox.com/s/1tvf7qd7ud0te5i/Narodowe%20Sztuka%20Japonska.zip?dl=0

Google Dream AI

How to make art look alive? Use https://dreamscopeapp.com/

Advanced Photoshop

Hey,

Spaceship Wreckyard and small tutorial was published in Advanced Photoshop Issue 127. Yaaay!

Virtual Plein Air

More virtual plein airs. Good exercise.

Virtual Plein Air

Not much to post lately. I've been doing mostly NDA stuff and art exercises.

Still there is something I might interest you with. There is Facebook group called Virtual Plein Air, where artist do studies based on google street view, and post their artworks. So many inspiring art there and the idea is terrific. Here is one virtual plein air study from me and few steps.

go to -> Crete / Greece

UE4 sample game concept art

 Few concepts I did for Unreal Engine 4 sample game in early 2013.

Fortress Defense

Interstellar miners - the tech dwarfs- defending their factory fortress. Had this idea for a while and finally managed to visualized it. Also trying out some new brushes and technics.

Inspired by the laser battles I used to draw when I was a kid ;)

 Hope you dig, cheers!

Spaceship Wreck Yard

I wanted to visualize the idea of an environment covered with old spaceship wrecks, being absorbed by nature and decaying for many years. Personal project.

- Spaceship Wreck Yard - its one of the popular themes for the environment concept and I wanted to create one of my own. I wanted it to be epic, beautiful and dangerous.

- Reference - I have spent few hours looking for inspirations, most of the wreck yards are dark and gloomy and not well defined. I wanted to create something opposite with nature, sun and lot of metal. I was strongly inspired by Uncharted series at that time.

- Sketches - soon I decided to make a vista piece, base my composition on few curves and layers of land and water. I sketched few ideas but eventually found the one I liked.

- Definition and colors - I used a few textures here and there, wanted to define as much as I can and create a coherent shape language,

- Detailing - I used a lot of custom brushes and a few more textures, I spent a lot of time defining everything, creating few color accents in important areas,

- Last touch - It's very important to be patient and develop it still even at the end. I had a lot of good feedback from my colleagues it helped a lot. I defined mountains more, made few areas less defined, made few areas less saturated and worked on color palette. Also I added a few bridges indicating human presence. At some point I just decided to stop.

It took a while but it was fun, I do liked detailing part a lot and I was glad with the finished piece. Hope you liked this step by step. More to come soon. Cheers!