twentyonetwentynine
Drawing I did over (a few) weekends, based on a photograph by Ted Emmons. tumblr here > http://tedemmons.tumblr.com/
Yoji Shinkawa – Metal Gear Solid
Yoji Shinkawa started working for Konami in 1994. He quickly established himself and secured the position of lead character artist in 1998, for the highly acclaimed PS1 game Metal Gear Solid. His method of using brush work to create an almost calligraphic, flowing quality present a unique style full of character that make them instantly distinguishable.
The above collection of work is from the aforementioned 1998 game Metal Gear Solid tactical espionage action
He continues to work as the primary creative lead for the franchise today.
Hotline Miami
Made by the two man development team Dennation, with a limited tool set they have created something that is only possible from the control you can get over a project in such small teams and what makes indie games like this so interesting.
Taking place in 80’s Miami, gaudy neon visual style reflect both its setting and also the frenzied stimulation your character experiences from the extreme acts of violence he commits throughout, It passively questions the nature of violence in such games through the effect on the character and his (and your) motives.
This all runs under an incredible soundtrack chosen for the game, available to listen here > https://soundcloud.com/devolverdigital/sets/hotline-miami-official if like me music is a draw to you for games then definitely pick this one up.
Its soundtrack, visuals and mechanics all fit into another example of an small indie game putting all the parts together with intelligence and a vision that creates something very unique.
Mirrors Edge
One of my favourite games to come out of 2008. In a world of brown shooters and endless sequels it was then, and still is now a breath of fresh air (a rare thing to come out of high profile developer/publisher team DICE/EA!).
Bold colour, high contrast and whitewashed cityscape gave Mirrors Edge one of the most recognisable styles in recent times - helped along by the big-name electronic soundtrack it all adds up to a truly unique experience.
Its by no means perfect but unlike most of the games I own, I just keep coming back, above are a few shots from my third play though of some of the things that caught my eye.
2129 - Vega
Vector artwork created for a client.
We split the images colour data down then used this with vectors to create a bold, clean impression.
Nonplayer, a beautiful comic.
With a style reminiscent of the late, great Moebius, Nate Simpson is definitely onto a winner with Nonplayer.
The clean and crisp line-work of this comic marries beautifully with it’s restrained, but carefully selected colour palette of soft pastel hues. The cover logo hints at the story’s sci-fi direction, with a strong and powerful typeface that wouldn’t look out of place on an old Nintendo.
Flicking through the pages of the first comic the potential is obvious. This was validated when Warner Bros. immediately snapped up exclusive rights to produce the movie.
You can find out more, and view some images from Nonplayer on Nate Simpson’s blog.
Fez
A great example of sound and visual design coming together to compliment each other. Perfectly. FEZ, a retro inspired 8bit puzzle platformer features a chip-tune soundtrack from the artist Disasterpiece.
If you fancy listening to something a bit different, you can stream the whole album for free or purchase it for just $7 on Disasterpieces website (link below)
Visiting @Silverstone in 2011 for the World Series by Renault, I took a few snaps with the old DSLR. As I’ve just missed out on visiting this year, I thought I’d share a few images from last years event.
