2024 art summary

Had some moments of intense inspiration and went through some spectacularly blocky art blocks, but I made a lot of things I'm proud of, in the end. And a lot of sharp claws and teeth even with there being significantly fewer raptors.

I first started using a graphics tablet almost ten years ago now (summer of 2015), and up until then had used mostly traditional media, drawing things outside the computer even when I'd colour them digitally after scanning. After getting a tablet I let traditional media fade to the background as I focused on gitting gud at the new ways of digital arting unlocked by the new tool, but despite the bit of awkwardness of coming back to an old skill after a pause, I really like what I can do with both kinds of media now. It's been interesting to combine those skillsets, and discover that over the years I have indeed learned things relevant to one even while focusing on the other.

I also feel like I've made more original art this year than I have in a while, and that's pretty cool.

Blank template for the graphic is by yorunaka at deviantart

Sometimes less visuals is more

Okay but how intimidating is this as an introduction to a new area? A vast, dark cave you can't even see the floor of.

Instead of jumping into the unknown, I decided to play it safe and map out the dimensions of the cavern by spiderballing across the ceiling to the other side, and. Look at this. Nothing but pitch black in sight, the rocks I'm clinging to the only indication of where I am in this space. Alone in the dark and still none the wiser about what I would fall into if I let go. Well done, AM2R. Peak Metroiding.

Descending deeper

More screenshots and things from playing AM2R, or Another Metroid 2 Remake, which, as I neglected to mention in the first post about this playthrough, is a fan-made remake of Metroid II: Return of Samus (1991), published in 2016. Despite being a fangame, many fans consider it basically an official Metroid game, and I can confirm from what I've experienced so far, it's very good. This isn't a fully blind playthrough despite being my first, but I've admittedly forgotten a lot of the puzzles and item locations from watching others play it, and it's been fun to figure things out for myself.

Mild spoilers for all versions of Metroid 2's story (original + official and unofficial remakes).

Birbs holding birbs.

Huurtuneet

These, too, look pretty festive

Jouluvalot

Chozos spotted

Birds.

Birds!

BIRDS!!

Bad bird.

Commencing bughunt

I love the little arm cannon checking idle animation Samus has in AM2R. Which I suck at, but am having fun playing so far.

Managed to kill this cute space beetle, though.

Chirping simulator

The humans of Pleasantview are getting curious about their raptor neighbors again. Or perhaps Cassandra Goth simply has a special ability to spot other goths.

Tumult reassures Indo that her dad also sets the kitchen on fire a lot while cooking.

Lace filter

Kimallo

Path in a patch of wet powder

Painting Soft steps and Daydreamer

I'd say painting adult Soft steps and Daydreamer, but I never painted their baby figures (except Soft steps' pupils). But, yes, that's who these two are!

First, eyes, for some reason. Soft steps' eyes are very pale, so I painted over them with white before giving them their correct colour, to cover well the orange. Daydreamer's eyes were, on closer inspection, a little off their intended placement, so I had to touch them up, too, despite not changing the colour, but it would have bothered me otherwise. Both have glow-in-the-dark paint on their eyes - Daydreamer as a thin line around the pupil (not visible in normal lighting because it's translucent and close to the yellow in colour), and Soft steps over the entire iris.

Like with Tumult, I also covered up Soft steps' epoxy putty additions, and the dark stripes where I'll paint her base colour instead, with off-white before starting on her actual colours.

Wet powder

Extreme measures

New birbs on the waiting to be repainted shelf of bookless dinocase. By the time you're reading this, I've already started painting them, but here's a "before" shot. Both may look familiar:

The one on the left is an Extreme Damage JW raptor, another of which I repainted into Tumult last year. Like with Tumult's figure, I first patched up the extreme damage feature, using foil as filler and epoxy putty as sculpting material, and fixed a balance issue with one of the feet.

The one on the right is a Savage Strike JW raptor, whom I've had for a while now, but now I finally know who it's going to become. Kind of strange it took so long, considering this figure is actually pretty much perfect for the character. The other one is going to need to become a very different colour, but picking the same sculpt as Tumult's figure felt fitting, in more than just that I like how it looks.

Lisälumia

Sammalumi

Syysusvaa

Kukertavuuksia

Mustat marjat

Rowan branches

Spot colour spotted

Lucent

Deinonychus and derivatives

Various Jurassic World Evolution raptor screenshots.

Local influencer takes pre-unboxing selfie with snack.