AGsketchbook — January 15, 2018
Messing Around With Dragons So many zBrush sculpts are littered with detail. I still like the feel of clay smoothed with fingers, with minimal detailing. This is an exercise to emulate that look digitally. Besides, dragons are fun! #AGsketchbook AG
Digital Makeup Chronicles 2 — The Life of Brian
Practically Effective The addition of Digital Makeup in Falling Skies actually expanded the use of practical effects. I know that may shock some of you to read. In a time when computer Generated Imagery frequently replaces the practical world, this syndicated, wrapped series bucked the trend. Practical makeup artists used …
Lost Concepts: Part 4 — Transformers
An Idea On Its Own During the production of Transformers: The Movie, I was asked to submit some ideas for poster designs, and other concepts to sell the motion picture. I knew it was a Michael Bay film, and that he had a love for fast cars, scantily clad perfect …
VFX Between Shots — Get Up and Build Something Real
With Your Own Two Hands When I was a kid, I built things with my hands. Clay, wood, paper, tape, wire, and film combined together were enough to make a movie. If you had a motion picture or still camera, you could forge the materials of this world into worlds of …
Lost Concepts: Part 3 — Falling Skies
Concept Art by Johnathan Banta As part of any creative process, there are a lot of abandoned avenues and choices. When a final design concept is approved, all other art is shelved and a final creation guided from approved art. It is an evolution, sometimes directed, and occasionally as a …
Lost Concepts: Part 2 — Almost Human dMFX
The Lost Concept Series explores production designs by Johnathan Banta that never saw the light of day — until now. There is always so much work that goes into an entertainment property that no one ever sees. Were it not for the books that chronicle the preproduction of Star Wars, …
AGsketchbook — Feb 15, 2015
Digital doodle on custom made background. This was an exercise in creating an ink-stained paper look from scratch with digital paintbrushes. #AGsketchbook AG
Lost Concepts: Part 1 — Almost Human
Almost Human Concept Art Occasionally a sketch can become something else. I have taken to the iPad for illustration, as many have over the past few years. it is convenient, and allows me to do more finished work as well as sketch on-the-fly. Tasked to do some concept illustrations …
AGsketchbook — Oct. 26,2014
Not everything in a sketchbook is a scribble that needs to be finished. Occasionally it is a work of art that has no purpose other than to be drawn. This one was actually inspired by someone holding their fingers to their eyes as glasses. You never know what will inspire …
AGsketchbook — Oct. 19, 2014
Scribble Ships It is easy to fall into a pattern or style of illustration. To break the monotony, or creative block I occasionally like to apply an exercise I learned in Art School. The fact is, with a slight application of imagination, even a scribble can look like a face. …
The AG_Punkwerks Blog — Year One
One Year of Content and Cool Directions. Well folks, it is officially the first anniversary of the AG_Punkwerks blog (Sept. 11 is the actual date, but it went live in October). Thanks for your readership, and continued enthusiasm for the odd collection of things roughly hung from the limbs of …
AGsketchbook — Sept. 28, 2014
I Love A Good Sketch. Sketches have a raw energy to them that an inked line sometimes robs in final form. Do not misunderstand, a fully inked final image when done right is a beauty (Frazetta and Kirby come to mind), but that initial idea and energy are in the …
