I sketched these over the weekend – I wanted to try something I rarely get to do – characitures. Most of my work usually requires a pretty straightforward interpretation of likeness, so it’s fun to push things round a bit. 
A little collection of speed paintings done for practice. 
This is a good exercise if you have an hour to kill. Do 1 thumbnail composition every minute for 60 mins. You’ll get some bad ones (I certainly do), but there might be a few gems in there you can develop further.
I played a lot of stuff this past year. I won’t run through everything, but here’s my top 10 in no particular order and some thoughts on each.
Dark Souls (PS3)
This game blew me away. Incredible world design combined with refined Demon Soul’s combat made this the most immersive and satisfying game this year. I found the spikes in difficulty greater than Demon Souls, but overall it seemed to be a smoother experience with less head banging. The move to the bonfire system was nothing short of genius, and I can’t say enough about the world design….the inter-connectivity is amazing. No other game this year made you feel so exhausted by the end of it, but also such a badass at the same time. And then you just want more…..
Outland (360)
I am a sucker for a good side-scroller, and this one came out of nowhere. The visual design is just so smart, and the gameplay feels perfect. It get’s hard as hell, but kept me entertained the whole way through. Probably the best thing I downloaded off of LIVE in 2011.
Crysis 2 (PC)
Essentially Thief meets GI JOE meets Michael Bay, this game really grew on me. Once you start getting good at the suit controls, switching in and out of modes, the sense of empowerment is awesome. It doesn’t hurt that it’s DX11 visuals look amazing and runs like butter on a 2yr old PC. Crytek certainly knows what they’re doing.
Dead Island (PC)
I’ve seen a lot of divided opinions on this one, but I gotta say I loved it. 1st person Melee combat has never been done better, and smashing zombies in the head with my sledghammer never got old. Some odd design choices aside, I had a lot of fun with this.
Portal 2 (PC)
Wow – anyone who doesn’t play this because it’s ‘just a puzzle game’ need’s their head examined. Easily one of the most creative and interesting titles of the year….and that ending..SO good.. Give whoever thought of that a raise.
Red Faction Armeggedon (PC)
I doubt this would be in anyone else’s top ten, but I loved this game. Sure there is no more open world, but played as a straight ahead action game, things don’t get much better. The weapons all have great punch, and the environmental destruction engine constantly delivered moments I’ve never seen in any other game. Wreaking havoc has never been so much fun
Infamous 2 (PS3)
I felt this one was underrated. The only thing that didn’t work well was the morality system – everything else – the combat, the environmental design, the character design, the story…all top notch. I actually had more fun with this than Batman AC because I enjoy the mechanics a little more. Ice Jumping anyone?
Deus Ex Human Revolution (PC)
The best rendition of ‘cyber punk’ I’ve seen yet….amazing visuals and art design. They did a great job of doing so much with so little – the riot level for example. The gameplay was so solid. I’m so happy they didn’t ruin this by adding parkour and shit.
Defense Grid: The Awakening (PC) In a great year for tower defense games, this one was my favourite, and I also felt it was the most straight-up addictive. Tight gameplay and some of the best voice-acting in any video game made this one really stand out. The control scheme on PC was just really brilliant as well, it was a pleasure to play.
Bulletstorm (PC)
Just sheer silly fun, the heavy metal of videogames. I liked the trickshot system and the fact they tried something different gameplay-wise. The art style was gorgeous as well, with rich saturated colors and amazing vistas. A satisfying roller-coaster of carnage. I wish this one did better at retail, because I would love to see a sequel.
These were just some of the highlights for me, what were you guys playing this year?
Away for the holidays I didn’t do much but draw in my sketchbook. I did these DVD studies to shake off some rust and get back in the painting groove.
Here’s a new one from the other day,
Here’s a recent life study I did, going for something quiet and sombre. I need to find more time to do lifepainting more often, I learn quite a bit from each one.
probably one of the most chilling, fascinating and accurate presentations on current gaming trends….check it out!
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A round of fast robots before bedtime.
