ENTIRE TEAM IS ZOMBIES!

A promotional poster for my TF2 clan's annual Halloween event. Note to future Gareth: If the majority of the people in the clan are around 18 years old, don't pick a movie poster from the 70's to parody. They wont get it. 

Ninjas in Paris

I had intended actually having some kind of signifier that he was indeed in Paris in the background somewhere, but when it came time to try and draw the Eiffel Tower again I was over it.

Gotta hash 'em all.

Snoop Dogg used Sky Drop. Dropped it like it's hot!

Gotta catch 'em all!

Since work was in desperate need of another game competition for me to win, and also because childhood memories, we're having a Pokemon tournament at work. The difference between now and our childhoods though is all that experience. We're pretty much masters now. So it's only fair everyone gets a badge (and plus it gives us something to win). Who will be N3VRF4IL region's ultimate trainer?

Shaine - Lumberjack Gym
Signature move: Beardslap [Fighting] -
Slaps the enemy Pokemon so hard they instantly grow a beard, confusing them but also raising their attack power. Pokemon remains in bearded state (BRD) until your opponent uses a razor item.

Aron - Webcomic Gym
Signature move: PA Sight [Psychic] -
Enemy Pokemon is immediately presented with a Penny Arcade comic pertaining to whatever situation they're currently in, and is stunned for X turns while they trawl through the PA archives.

Alex - Jimmes Gym
Signature move: Rustle [Bug]-
Enemy Pokemon's jimmies are rustled. It's super effective. Jimmies remain rustled until the enemy Pokemon faints.

Johnny - Troll Gym
Signature move: U Mad Bro? [Dark]-
Enemy Pokemon is taunted, dealing damage and lowering its speed and strength, while your Pokemon gains speed and a perversely inflated ego. Later, everyone calls your Pokemon a dick behind your back.

Saxon - Valve Gym
Signature move: Email GabeN [Steel] -
Gabe Newell appears out of nowhere and stabs the enemy Pokemon with one of his knives. Damage depends on what knife is used. Every time this skill is used, Half Life 3 is delayed another day.

Gareth - Flava Gym
Signature move: HipHopHoliday [Grass] -
Enemy Pokemon moves to Adelaide, starts hip hop career.

You dirty rat.

So my Uncle has joined some kind of gang. They already had a logo but he wants a shirt made, so it was up to me to employ my ace tracing talents and make that a reality. It's hardly my best work, but it does match the logo and I'm in dire need of content anyway.... So huzzah.

Grey maps are going to clear up, put on a happy face.

Although this isn't a thing for me, I figure if I have to do overtime for it, it's fair game to go up here. Plus, at least it's something I actually want to do for a change. This, plus a few other things are the reason the website still hasn't gotten finished. I always kind of knew it wasn't going to be something I'd just do and be happy with, so I'm thinking it's just going to have to be something that develops over time because I really need to get a move on with things. So huzzah for that.

Other reasons why the website hasn't got finished:
- Other things related to this map that aren't capable of being displayed in picture form.
- The Steam sales.
- Max Payne 3.
- Dear Esther.
- The Dark Knight Rises.
- Family things.
- Barry Morgan's "The touch of you".

Underwater's where the activator is.

And so, Automajune ends. Not with a bang, but with a seahorse. With hope that it balances out all the skulls.

It's goal has been met with great success, although the first post appears to be marked from last month, I can guarantee it indeed came from this month, but due to some kind of internet time displacement went back in time a day. As a bonus not only is this my most postiest month so far, I've almost already beaten my post count from last year and "ROBOTS" now takes its position as the largest word in the label list at the bottom of the page.

Whats next? Well it's not going to be another month of things because it takes so much time and doesn't really get me anywhere. What is will be is something that can hopefully get me on the path to actually making some money. It's probably going to start with some webpage renovation...

Band of Skulls

Yo dawg, I heard you like skulls so we put skulls in your skulls so you could skull while you skull.

I may have gone a little overboard with the amount of skulls now on the blog.

Wacky Racers: Stompy edition.

I thought I'd been drawing too many skulls so I added a rabbit and a bear to even things out.

But then, I checked and it's really only been like 1 - 1.5 skulls so far this month. So now the next pic will have to be a robot made only of skulls.

The herp-a-derp express.

Everyday I'm coupling.

You smell that?

Do you smell that? Toast, son. Nothing else in the world smells like that. I love the smell of toast in the morning. You know, one time we went through a whole loaf, in twelve hours. When it was all over I checked the toaster. We didn't find one piece of bread, not one stinkin' dink slice. The smell, you know that toasty smell, the whole toaster. Smelled like... victory.

I was going to do more with the colouring, but gosh darn it's late. Also JC, you only specified "coloured" so just be glad there was even shadows. I was contemplating just using a rainbow gradient fill over the whole line work, so also be glad it didn't come to that.

In return I want a coloured picture of Stephen Hawking and a Gorilla trained in carpentry playing Dance Dance Revolution.

Toast of Duty

Johnny C writes:
" full colour, perspective, with rainbow shitting unicorns and bad ass toaster soliders"

It took me waaaaaaay to long to come up with even a rough sketch for this... and hence I got hardly any of the actual line work done. Also its really tough to draw something based off a toaster because aside from the slide on the side and the vents on the top, its just a rectangular prism. I spent too long trying to use the slide as the face, but then couldn't work out how to get the top of the toaster in view. in the end, despite it not solving any problems, I ended up just using a blank side as a face. Wow.. a paragraph on the problems of drawing toasters. I think I need some sleep.

So a Greek robot deity and a Norse robot deity walk into a cafe...

I'll let you come up with your own punchlines.. It's late, I'm tired and it's the month of robot pictures, not robot jokes.

Soooooooooo... As requested, Robot Zeus and Robot Odin, eating brunch. I didn't think it would take that long to colour and shade it, but after doing the shading I realised the error of my ways.

Next?

Clash of the titans

Too much for one day... so Work in progress shot it is.

Inevitable Wolverine Cameo

I had intended on finishing the legs but you know... time.

Robocraft

I've been playing on the office minecraft server a bit lately, and decided it was probably time to make myself a custom skin for it. Also robots. Also Deadpool, who is not a robot.

While I tried my best, it can be a little hard to represent complicated robot designs in 64x32 pixels, so for clarification (left to right): T-800, Soundwave, Patlabor, Optimus Prime, Cylon, Deadpool. If I'd had know how much easier it was to do Gen 1 transformers from the start, I would've only done Gen 1 transformers.

If for some reason you're interested in these skins, you can grab then after the jump.

David does what he pleases.

That's like, the only explanation isn't it?

Personally, I want to believe that he was against the humans all along and when he speaks something to the engineer it is "The humans are here to kill you, hit them with my robot head".

Run run run, faster than my plasma bolts.

Animation is haaaaaaaaard... Especially when you've only got a night to do it. That's why you only get 3 frames. Also because I'm tired.

Shout-outs to Megaman. Respec'

Kull the Computor

Some things turn out exactly as you want them to, and some things do not. This is one of those things that didn't.

I thought that maybe with some of the new colouring techniques I'd learn I'd be in a better have a better shot at this kind of thing. I guess i need some more practise... Although it looks a little better when smaller.

Conan the Botbarian

What is best in life? To crush your rival products, see them obsoleted before you, and hear the lamentation of their users.

Robo-Rumble in the Techno-Jungle

Punchbot: Because what else can you do with steel balls for hands?

Square Eye

I couldn't decide if I was basing this on a computer or a TV/VCR/DVD combo unit.

Droidlodocus

I wanted to try the coloured line thing with the new girl robot but totally forgot until I put it up... So I tried it here instead. Kind of worked but I need to be neater with the lines and base colours.

Also, RAWR stands for Razing And Wrecking Robots.

Wreckasaurus Rex

I was going to colour it but things have come up tonight... So maybe tomorrow?

Who's that gynoid?

It's Jessbot.

Impbot

Waiting all day for a new Game of Thrones episode, and then remembering the season finale was last Monday, is no way to start the week. However, a robot based loosely on Tyrion's battle armor is a good way to start the week.

Seriously though, in a story filled with people lying and backstabbing to get what they want, how great was the scene where he told Shea honestly why he didn't want to leave Kings Landing?

Nope.

Nope.

Doin' the Robot.

It's the only dance I know.

I got a virus.

I assume this is Steve Jobs' revenge from beyond the graves.

iDrew Vs. Matt Presbot: The Chickening.

The hardest part of this was trying to work out what Drew would look like. Obviously I had to make him like an Apple robot, but how? I couldn't think of what an Apple item with moving joints would look like for a start. Obviously sleek and white (RACIST) was a requirement, as was prominent logo placement. Hipster-ish glasses and scarf accessories add just enough personality while still letting other people see that yes, that is an Apple robot and yes, I have good taste. Then lastly, steal some elements from previous robots that kind of hit the mark and package them into one unit. Voila.

Further failed ideas:
- Multiple limbs aren't aesthetically pleasing, remove all of them and replace with one big limb in the middle of his chest (and a small limb on top for turning the robot on/off)
- Just like the Presbot, but with a prettier exterior and double the cost.
- Exactly like an iSketch, but four times the size.

I kid, I kid... If i was going to draw myself based on my computer I'd be covered in a gaudy combination of fans, neon backlights and LEDS.

Anyway... so... next?

Disasterchef

So... I think I might just be getting a little carried away here. Gotta post something so here's a wip screenshot. Place your bets on what Drew's going to look like.

TARGET ACQUIRED.

UNIDENTIFIED MUTANT DETECTED.

*Not pictured: Inevitable Wolverine cameo.

Are you John Connor?

I had intended this to be a full body shot, but holy crap you guys: So many lines, too little time. I may end up revisiting this later in the month to finish it up.

Meanwhilst:
@Drew: Done. Be aware though that a robot Matt Preston would be designed with only two specifications in mind: Devouring everything in his path and cravats. He'd be like a massive classy Unicron.

@Aliesha: Exactly. Did you know that I was once mugged by two guys out the front of an orphanage as it suddenly caught fire? James Hollibot not only saved all the children in the orphanage but also used the muggers to put out the fire. Then he convinced the muggers to give up their life of crime and turn themselves in to the police. Then he gave me $50.

Feel the power of ATTORNEY

And it's that easy... leave a comment, and it gets drawn.

I thought it might be a little easy to only draw James, so I also drew his arch-nemesis as well. For those of you following at home, here's how our fighters stack up:

James Wallabot:

Strengths: Can program binary load lifters, which are very similar to vaporators in most respects; Laser eyes
Weaknesses: Lasagna

James Hollibot:
Strengths: Everything
Weaknesses: Nothing (except maybe being a little too modest)

Bird of prey

Woah... Day two and I almost forgot to post something?.. Just as well I did or things could've gotten... Hawkward.

Welcome to AutomaJune.

Month of robots? Month of robots.

So, two things:
a)  I need to get back into some kind of groove where I'm actually doing things again, and

b) There's not nearly enough pictures of robots in this blog.

In an attempt to rectify this horrible oversight I'll be attempting to draw/sketch/paint a new robot every day this month.

If you have a robot you'd like to see, comment and let me know and I'll see what I can do. Hell, even if it isn't a robot write it down and I'll robotify it.

BY THE POWER OF GRAYSKULLLLLLLLLLLL

SKELETOR UP IN THIS MOTHERFUCKER.

Hey remember that time I said things were going to change? You know, three months ago? Ha ha ha yeah... those were some good times.

I can't even remember why I started this, but I know it'll be good practice for the inevitable day I have to spray paint it on someone's wall.

How could I lose? I've got a bionic arm!

I spent last night going through a lot of my old posts, just to see how far I'd come since starting this blog thing. I was pretty happy with how much better I'd gotten with the drawing, but what the hell has happened to my motivation? Or my enthusiasm? Or my passion? I mean... I think I have some idea what's beat me down (and I guess there's been a few other things happen...) but dammit I was going to kick ass and do great work.

Things are going to change. 

I don't make things difficult. That's the way they get, all by themselves...

So finding time to get anything started at all is already proving difficult... Hopefully once things start getting into a groove it'll get a little easier.

The plan is to start working on a game of my own. I have a few designs in mind, but finding something that will be relatively quick to make solo is the challenge here. Ideally I'd be after something high on gameplay mechanics but low on art requirements, so something like a puzzle game (or at least something with puzzle elements). Unfortunately I don't have a good candidate for that at the moment, so instead I'm going to work on the best option I have despite that it's likely to be pretty art heavy. If I end up having some kind of epiphany I'll switch over or (unless I'm most of the way through already).

The game itself is a side scrolling brawler designed specifically for phone/tablets, with an emphasis on over the top action and ridiculous Marvel Vs Capcom style combos. Further, because I've been watching a lot of 80's action movies lately I want to give it that kind of a look and feel. Combinations and moves should provide enough depth to expand gameplay away from straight beat-em up and into challenge and puzzle territory as well. What's more important is that it remains accessible and fun to play... I'm aiming to have it so that cool stuff should happen even if you just randomly slash around the screen. The downside to this is that it will be too simplistic for a proper PC/console release, but there are options for expansion and reuse for phones/tablets.

With all that in mind, I've decided to use Stencyl to make this game rather than Unity, just because its seems like it should be a lot quicker for one person (also 2D friendly). It reminds me a lot of doing things in Flash, so I already feel pretty at home in it. It's still one more thing to learn, but that wont take as much time as doing the art... Particularly because I just can't seem to get into a decent flow with it at the moment. Having to rely on 2 underpowered laptops instead of my regular desktop machine doesn't help either... But at the same time I don't see any point in wasting time until I have access to it again.

Today's pic is some random character and enemy sketches/colour considerations. I think a lot of the references/homages/rip offs should be obvious. At the moment I'm thinking final art will be pixels.