301: Jungle Heat

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Dear Patrons,

First off, for the past few months, the recent Discord Link leads to the SHARING ROOM (which is a side subsection) instead of the MAIN LOUNGE. Please make sure you've used the updated link revealed in the newsletter.

Welcome to the New Year, 2025. Even typing it out, there's a sense of surreality to how well into the future we are in therms of pop culture: movies and TV shows we grew up watching. Robocop, Blade Runner, Back to the Future. All now are technically have taken place in the past. And we have about 4 more years to go before we reach the year of Ghost in the Shell. And it seems that a lot of the technological advances portended by these shows are starting to materialize. Artificial Intelligence, Robots, and even flying cars (if one can consider large drones as a flying car) have now overtaken our zeitgeist. It sets us up for a very interesting new year.

But with all new things, our little website remains with a few changes. I can't believe we have already hit that round number 300. I could never imagine that I had produced that many artworks along this very niche fetish for over a couple of decades now, since the early days of the internet at the early aughts. 300 updates, multiply that with about 3 new artworks each and many others unpublished, we're looking at over thousands of artworks done so far in my lifetime. It makes one a little reflective over what I've done and very appreciative to those who have been with me along this journey, from the old forum days, until now.

But enough talking. The past update, Tunnels of Babylon, had taken a lot out of me, one that's years in the making, so I'll take it a little break on the storytelling and focus on the art this time around... particularly on the story DOOMED RAIDER which is shaping up to be quite an epic story.

Originally, I had planned for the story to take place during the 2024 Great American Eclipse, which occurred over some parts of Central America where this story takes place, in the jungles where the Olmecs, Maya and the Aztecs reigned and fell. And our intrepid "unnamed adventurer due to IP implications" adventuress, shall we call her "THE ARCHAEOLOGIST" along with her two friends "THE FILMMAKER & THE ANTHROPOLOGIST" have discovered a very special temple only to fall victim to a very secretive and a particularly gruesome cult that still practices the cannibalistic rituals of their ancestors.

Soon, a story will come, one that could rival that of "Tunnels of Babylon" and others.

Bon appétit!

The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this production are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred. 

I. THE EXPEDITION INTO HELL

In this ongoing project, we introduce a couple of scenes of characters who are heading into the jungles of Central America. We introduce one of Archaeologist's companion, the Filmmaker, on this expedition. It's safe to say that she'll bear witness to some of the most horrific scenes that would make even the characters in the movie "Cannibal Holocaust" cringe in horror. 

Image 1: (1 complete colored work) The filmmaker gazes longingly at her companion during the expedition.

The next is a very sweet and innocent view of our intrepid protagonist observing a relic of the past, a stone head of the mysterious Olmecs.

Image 2: (1 complete colored work) The Archaeologist admires a relic from the past found in the jungles of Central America.

II. ADDITIONAL WORKS IN PROGRESS FROM DOOMED RAIDER 

The following are sketches of scenes from this story. Some of these may spoilers to the story for those who want to enter into this fresh, so be forewarned! But I feel that if you are already here, you might already guess at the fates of all our lovely protagonists here. 

Image 3-4: (2 sketches for DISCIPLE members or higher only) A pair of threeway scenes between the Archaeologist, Anthropologist and the Filmmaker.

Image 5: (1 black & white inked drawing for DISCIPLE members or higher only) The Archaeologist, captured and tormented by her captors, the cultists.

Image 6: (1 black & white inked drawing) This drawing reveals the fate of our lovely Archaeologist, mocked and dined on

Image 7-8: (2 works in progress of a previous scene) These two are bonus works in progress for image 1 of the Filmmaker for those who are interested in my process.

III. THE DRAWING PROCESS

Here's a stand-alone piece that might appear in a story down the line. This project began thanks to a generous patron who wanted to see this sketch done. Perhaps I can use this stand-alone banquet scene as a little mini-lesson on how I illustrate, which could serve as a short guide to other aspiring artists out there. You could also see how I also make mistakes and with this piece, you could see how I also fall victim to "overthinking" and making my works too clean, instead of having a free-flowing approach which almost always makes the piece look more organic and natural. Is it "better"? Well, let's see.

The first is the shade work that I'd done to the piece, blocking each objects into background, middle-ground and foreground. I always try to pay attention to the lighting, and you could see already, I have made a rookie mistake here, particularly not specifying where the light is coming from. 

The following piece, you could see my next process, which is to start adding color into the piece. Again, lighting for me is more important than color, and at this point was when I begin to realize something was a little off with this piece, which I couldn't put my finger on at first even though it was so obvious (I'd probably rushed this and working through lack of sleep!), that's when I realize the issue with the lighting. Is it coming from the left, or the right or the front or the back. This is when I've decided to go back to the drawing board.

And this is where I've decided to first, decide that the light is coming from 2 directions, one from the left, and another from the back. I've also added a flowing sheen effect onto the roast to give it an appetizing gleam.

And now towards the final piece, I've muted the colors a tad more (sometimes less is more!). I've also enhanced the contrast between foreground and background. You can see a little more consistency of the colors, although even now, looking at the piece again, I can see areas of where I can improve. But I have finite hours of which I can draw my work and I have so many ideas to complete!

Image 9-12: (4 works in various stages of a similar scene for DISCIPLE members or higher only)

In the end, it isn't to say the 1st piece is bad in any way, nor that this 2nd attempt is better, it is almost always a matter of personal taste. How many of you appreciate these types of posts or would you rather see the final product than have me show some loose sketches here and there?

IV. VARIOUS BONUS WORKS IN PROGRESS & SKETCHES

The following are further pieces of projects I'm working on. The first is another addition to the "celebrity" trophy room.

Image 13: (2 works in progress of a previous scene) These two are works in progress artworks for image 1.

Here are a pair of sketches from the story PAINTED BIRD IN LOST CARCOSA.  

Image 14-15: (2 works in progress of a previous scene for DISCIPLE members or higher only) These two are works in progress artworks for image 1.

What do we have here? It seems like the season is night and warrants another revisitation of the story, THE LAST DAYS OF WINTER. I make no promises, but perhaps there will be more panels coming soon regarding this project.

Image 16: (2 works in progress of a previous scene for DISCIPLE members or higher only) These two are works in progress artworks for image 1.

Here is another piece from an old dormant project titled POSTMILLENNIAL, one of the Green Man's victims of romance.

Image 17: (1 black & white sketch for DISCIPLE members or higher only)

And the final pair are loose stand-alone sketches that are currently unattached to any particular project.

Image 18-19: (2 black & white sketches for DISCIPLE members or higher only)