Alvin Hew's Blog

Preview

2012-01-31T16:07:00.000-08:00

Trying to do this between two jobs proved to be more than I could handle. There's no way I'll finish this before January is up. I'm quite upset with myself, but I suppose there's only so much I can physically do given my time constraints...

I guess this will just be one of those "it'll be done when it's done" scenarios. In any case, here's a small preview of the illustration to come.

New Year

2012-01-03T11:17:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Year. I certainly did!

Here's my first upload for the year. It's just a bit of practice from photo reference. Finding time to do personal art between my two jobs is pretty tricky, but I plan to have my next major illustration out before the month is up (hopefully).

Teddy Bear Village

2011-12-10T08:16:00.001-08:00

This one was a paid commission. I'm working on an illustrated storybook and this image is for the first page of the book.

Masen, Half-Elf Wizard

2011-11-29T08:32:00.000-08:00

This is my friend's character. I painted this using his line art.

Check out his version:
link

Paladin

2011-10-28T13:57:00.000-07:00

Here's a portrait of a paladin that I did in my spare time.

More Practice

2011-10-19T17:23:00.001-07:00

More practice from photo refs.

Practice

2011-10-13T20:05:00.001-07:00

Here's a little practice I did in my free time. These are two characters I like a lot from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.

I decided to change up my painting technique to something that feels more natural. I'm liking this method of painting, so I want to see if I can incorporate it into my future paintings.

Desert Oasis

2011-10-12T09:24:00.001-07:00

I've always found the idea of a desert oasis appealing. The concept of a nourishing pool of life-giving water located right in the middle of a nigh unlivable environment of scorching sand is a juxtaposition that I like a lot.

Azza the Swift

2011-09-08T21:08:00.000-07:00

Character design for my project Myandir. Been a while since I got to do any personal art. Hope you like it!

Desert Island Concept

2011-08-24T13:26:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone

Some of you may already know why I've been so inactive lately, but for those who do not, it is because I was hard at work doing contract work for Canadian Film Center on a game prototype they are developing.

Well, that's done now and I'll post the work I did if I still feel like it by the time I'm actually allowed to post it.

In the meantime, here's a concept painting I did in my free time. It is inspired by the game I was working on but not actually for it so I can post it.

Nyveon Sunrise

2011-07-05T05:10:00.000-07:00

Here's another piece for my Myandir project.

Vaiath Album Art

2011-07-05T05:02:00.000-07:00

Here's another painting I did for an album cover. This time for black metal prodigy Vaiath.

Here's what the album cover looks like with the band logo, which I designed myself.

Tales of the Coin Spinner

2011-07-04T20:33:00.001-07:00

Long time no see. Sorry for the inactivity.

Here's a piece that I was not allowed to post until recently.

This painting was commissioned by the talented musical group Easily Embarrassed. This artwork will be used for the album cover as well as the album's booklet art.

Check out the band at their site: www.embarrassed.nl

Deep Meditation

2011-03-03T19:45:00.001-08:00

Rhaya Shadowslayer

2011-02-24T18:37:00.000-08:00

Just something fun.

Goblet of Bel

2011-02-21T12:08:00.001-08:00

Some concepts for Myandir.

Young and Proud

2011-01-26T14:08:00.001-08:00

Finally, the last of the 10 commissions, whew!

Traveling Tortoises

2011-01-21T14:46:00.000-08:00

1 more to go!

I like the way this one turned out.

Owls in the Mist

2011-01-19T12:20:00.000-08:00

Number 8!

Hidden Grove

2011-01-06T12:04:00.001-08:00

Hope everyone enjoyed their holidays as much as I did!

Here's the first painting of the year. This is 7/10 of the commissioned works. 3 more to go!

Penguin Family

2010-12-17T20:27:00.000-08:00

Last one before the weekend! Four more to go... but first I'm taking a couple days break!

Fireflies

2010-12-16T13:18:00.001-08:00

5 more to go!

Desert Fox

2010-12-15T18:33:00.000-08:00

Aaaand here's the second one for today.

Tree Frog

2010-12-15T08:27:00.000-08:00

And here's the third of the commissioned illustrations. It's still early in the day, gonna try and finish another.

Ocean Dwellers

2010-12-14T12:39:00.000-08:00

Hooray, I was commissioned to do nine more paintings! Here's the first of the nine.

Quick Art Test

2010-12-08T20:26:00.001-08:00

I did this relatively quick painting today as an art test for a potential freelance gig. I've always enjoyed painting forests. Hopefully they like it and commission me for more work, haha!

Amber Point

2010-11-26T09:57:00.000-08:00

Quick Creature Concept

2010-11-04T17:56:00.001-07:00

Timelapse: link

Sky In The Snow

2010-10-29T14:50:00.000-07:00

This is a portrait of my girlfriend that I painted for her birthday.

Timelapse: link

Reference image: link

Unreal Tournament Flash

2010-10-25T13:11:00.000-07:00

Commissioned splash page for a flash version of Unreal Tournament coming out on Newgrounds.com

Valyrie Void

2010-09-24T22:19:00.001-07:00

It's the shadowy mistress of doom and gloom, Valyrie Void.

Beryllia

2010-09-07T21:38:00.001-07:00

More environment art. Painted between work with PSCS2.

Joa the Fisher

2010-08-24T20:13:00.000-07:00

Character concept for Myandir.

I would like to update more often, but it's hard to find free time to paint these days.

Shipwreck Cove

2010-06-24T20:10:00.000-07:00

Another concept for Myandir. Enjoy!

Painting process:
[link]

Rainpuss

2010-06-15T22:25:00.001-07:00

This is a painting I did for my little sister. It's a portrait of her character. 2 hours of work, PSCS2.

Check out the timelapse video here:
[link]

Bay Town

2010-06-07T20:52:00.000-07:00

Another concept for Myandir.

Check out the timelapse video on YouTube:
[link]

Practice

2010-06-03T08:57:00.000-07:00

Some practice paintings from photo ref that I did between work. Using photos as reference while painting is a good way to practice observation skills and a great way to figure out how to render different materials and textures.

Red Baron Right

2010-05-14T22:22:00.000-07:00

Another paid commission from the person who commissioned the last Red Baron painting. He paid a lot more for this one, hence the detail.

I've been so busy lately. Planning to stop taking commissions and concentrate on Myandir instead.

Anyways, hope you guys like it.

Port City

2010-03-22T16:27:00.000-07:00

Another concept for my project, Myandir.

Seafoam Sanctuary

2010-02-22T21:31:00.001-08:00

This is the first official piece of concept art for my upcoming project, Myandir. More will be revealed soon!

The Red Baron

2010-02-19T15:57:00.000-08:00

This was a paid commission. I painted it while slacking off at work, hahaha.

The Red Baron is a wacky character from a popular flash game on Newgrounds.com. The character design does not belong to me.

Sneak Peek!

2010-02-05T17:37:00.000-08:00

Here's a sneak peek at my next project, "Myandir". I spent the last couple days painting up this site layout. This next project is going to involve a website.

I'm pretty excited to get this underway, but for now, this is all I will be showing.

Blood Charm V. Bloody Anne

2010-01-15T21:46:00.000-08:00

The Blood Charm
Chapter 4 - Bloody Anne

"General Khur's log, entry 1333

Yesterday, scouts reported an unknown faction advancing from the East. Received confirmation today that the army belongs to the war general Bloody Anne. Even now, I can scarcely believe that this brutal war general was once a sweet, gentle girl. Before Annika mysteriously disappeared years ago, she had become unstoppable in battle thanks to her bloodthirsty split personality, Anne. Doctor Blith pleaded with me to take her out of the army so that she could receive therapy and counseling for her condition. But I didn't listen; I believed Anne was a blessing. Because of her, our defenses were stronger than ever. She was doing the army outstanding service. But the cursed charm around Annika’s neck was slowly breaking down the mental barriers that held Anne at bay. Her madness grew and when she disappeared many assumed she was dead. She is not dead. Annika is still alive, but she is not the person I once knew. Anne has taken full control and now, with her own army, seeks to conquer our great city. For the first time in many years, I am afraid."

"Doctor Blith's journal, entry 897

Bloody Anne, the unstoppable war general from the East-- after all these years, she’s finally returned to her home. But today, her home is nothing more to her than a new city to conquer. If only Annika had not disappeared that day, I could have stopped it all. Annika had found the Blood Charm in the Yette Forest along the old trade route, just the place where the rare Nykin flowers sometimes bloom. The pollen from those flowers is known to temporarily alter the mental state of some people when inhaled. Annika must have been especially susceptible to the pollen. The charm must have been lying close to the flowers for many years, and even though the flowers were not in bloom at the time she found the charm, it must have had enough pollen stuck in the crevices to alter Annika’s mental state with prolonged exposure. The constant disturbance to Annika’s mental state caused Anne to surface, and if I had only discovered this sooner, I would have been able to stop Anne from taking full control. But now, my regret is overshadowed by fear as our city prepares to face our greatest battle. If Anne was able to take the city of Darnoom in just two days, how will our city even stand a chance?"

"Reina's diary, entry 571

Our city stands on the verge of its greatest battle yet. I have been transferred to Primary Defense against my will. This Bloody Anne was once my closest friend but now I must battle against her for the survival of my home. It’s hard to fathom how she was able to amass such military might in a matter of a few years. Most of us will not admit it, but Anne scares us like nothing ever has. My heart is sad, for deep down I am afraid that even our great city will not stand against Bloody Anne and her army. I fear for the future but I will fight to the death to protect those that I love."

The End.

Perdition

2009-12-16T20:23:00.000-08:00

This was a commissioned album cover.

Scaled down album cover:

Original painting:

Blood Charm: IV. Bloodthirsty

2009-12-04T16:31:00.000-08:00

The Blood Charm
Chapter 3 - Bloodthirsty

"General Khur's log, entry 133

The enemy continues it's restless assault. Defenses hold firm. Annika has requested that she be assigned to Primary Defense. Something doesn't seem right about her. She is too bloodthirsty, even for my standards. Regardless, her victories are boosting army morale.

Rumour going around that the charm Annika wears around her neck is cursed. They say that it is driving her to madness and that is why she has become so violent. Not sure I believe it. Seems far too absurd to me. But even if it were true, what does it matter? If this charm of hers is the reason she has become such a powerful fighter then perhaps this is a blessing, not a curse!"

"Doctor Blith's journal, entry 105

Success! It is in fact the tiny germs that sometimes grow on purro roots that contain the pain-relieving drug, and not the root itself. This is a great discovery indeed!

Earlier today Reina came to speak with me. She told me she thinks the charm Annika wears around her neck all the time is cursed.

Reina explained to me that Annika suffered from a rare split personality disorder when she was younger. The strange split personality, who referred to herself as Anne, first appeared when Annika was ten years old. Through intensive counseling and therapy, Annika was able to contain Anne. Reina thinks that the charm Annika wears is awaking the long dormant Anne. She told me that the way Annika has been acting lately is exactly like the way her split personality acted: indifferent, greedy, and violent.

What Reina has told me is disturbing to say the least. It explains why when I last saw Annika she had insisted I call her Anne. Annika has always disliked it when people shorten her name to “Anne”, and had always stated that she prefers to go by her full name.

I’m not sure if I believe in cursed charms, but this situation certainly deserves some looking into. Reina mentioned that Annika found the Charm in the Yette forest along an old trading route. I will go there tomorrow after my shift to see if I can find anything that could shed more light on this situation."

"Reina's diary, entry 71

After speaking to Doctor Blith last night, I saw Annika leaving her quarters with many of her belongings. I called to her but she ignored me. No one has seen her since that night. Where could she be?

I was informed that one of the horses was stolen from the stable. Why do I get the feeling that the thief is Annika? And why do I have a sinking feeling that she’s not coming back?"

Blood Charm: III. Inner Darkness

2009-10-30T21:57:00.000-07:00

The Blood Charm
Chapter 2 - Inner Darkness

"General Khur's log, entry 117

Strangely quiet day today. Scouts reported enemy movement 3 days ago but still no sign of an attack. No doubt this is the calm before the storm.

Annika has requested that she be assigned to Secondary Defense. It's about time! I was beginning to wonder if that girl would ever stop being such a bleeding heart. Surely my stories of wartime glory have inspired her fighting spirit! Still, I must admit I was a bit surprised. She was always so intent on being assigned to scouting missions in order to avoid shedding blood. And now all of a sudden she wants to be assigned to Secondary. I wonder if there is something more to her sudden change of heart."

"Doctor Blith's journal, entry 93

There have been far less injuries for me to attend to recently. I am thankful for this break in action, while it lasts.

I've spent the extra time continuing my research on pain relieving drugs. The experiment with the purro roots was a failure. I am unable to repeat the success of the first test. Perhaps it is not the root itself that provides the results I seek.

There is something strange about the way Annika is acting lately. She usually comes in for her weekly check-up without a single scratch. She told me she refuses to shed the blood of another and always insists on taking missions that do not require her to fight. But today she came in with a large gash on her left arm. She told me she has been assigned to Secondary Defense, which is a surprise to me. Her superiors have always been understanding of her decision to avoid violence. It seems strange that they would suddenly assign her to such a position. I can't quite explain why, but somehow I think she wanted to be assigned there."

"Reina's diary, entry 66

I am concerned about Annika. We've been friends since childhood and I've always known her to be a kind and gentle person. Everyone knows that if it were not mandatory, she would have never enlisted to the army. She always tells me how she'll leave the army as soon as she has served the required two years. But lately she's been acting really strange. She smiles less now and seems so intent on fighting. She also spends a lot of time by herself. She didn't even say hi to me in the training room today.

I know it sounds crazy, but I think it has to do with the Blood Charm. That's what Annika and I call that medallion she found the other day because of the blood-red coloured stones that decorate it. She told me she liked it because it symbolized the worth of blood and how it was wrong to spill it. She wears it around her neck all the time. Is it just coincidence that she only started acting like this a couple days after she found it? I talked to Doctor Blith today and he agreed that there is something strange about the way she's acting.

I told her I was concerned but she said she was just having a mood swing and that I was just being paranoid. But my gut tells me it's more than that.

Tomorrow, I will speak with Doctor Blith about the Blood Charm. I think I will also tell him about Annika's troubling past. I promised not to tell anyone about her... condition. But I don't think I have a choice."

Jellyfish Heaven

2009-10-20T20:00:00.001-07:00

The goal was the paint a picture that is soft, calm, and beautiful; just like the person I painted it for.

Blood Charm chapter 2 coming soon...

2009-10-02T16:39:00.000-07:00

The Blood Charm
Chapter 1 - Annika

"General Khur's log, entry 103

New recruits came in today. I see a lot of promising faces and potentially powerful fighters. As always, there are some who do not wish to fight. Already gotten two applications for non-violent scout missions. Bah, where do all these self-righteous pacifists come from anyways? Our great city is at war! In time, they’ll see the only way to truly defend our great land is to fight!

Besides, with Annika as a full time scout, we don’t need any more scouts. I’m certainly not interested in appointing more scouts just to appease those weak-minded peace lovers!

I may have failed to convince Annika that spilling the blood of our enemies is necessary to defend our home, but I will not fail to do so with the new recruits.”

"Doctor Blith's journal, entry 81

Mending the wounded can be so tiring sometimes. Today I worked non-stop; I did not even break to eat till my shift ended. In this time of war, I am thankful for General Khur’s sturdy and confident command of the army, but sometimes I think his impulsive orders cause more harm to the soldiers than necessary.

Annika has brought me the purro roots I requested, as well as her usual stories from her various scout missions. I will begin the experiment on the roots as soon as possible."

"Reina's diary, entry 56

I have been assigned to patrol duty for the next week. That's just the nice quiet break I've needed. Though I still intend to continue my rigorous training.

Today, Annika came back from her scout mission in the Yette Forest with a strange looking medallion. It’s forged with solid silver and decorated with blood-red gems. She says the forest is full of hidden treasures. Gosh, I'd love to explore that forest one day."

Mutant Moth

2009-09-14T22:10:00.001-07:00

Blood Charm: I. Hidden Curse

2009-09-10T19:45:00.001-07:00

The Blood Charm
Prologue - Hidden Curse

“Among blue flowers it laid, glimmering in the morning light; so beautiful, with its brilliant jewels and intricate design. Yet it was the bleakest of curses that hid behind this façade of beauty. Indeed, no one could have known the dark future that this charm would bring…”

Thing

2009-08-19T20:10:00.000-07:00

Just practicing from photo ref so that the next attempt at the first Blood Charm illustration doesn't turn out as bad as the previous attempts.

Work's keeping me busy so it's hard to find free time to do this. But I'm not out for the count just yet! This project WILL be manifest, or I'll die trying.

Rejected Paintings

2009-08-05T21:12:00.000-07:00

So I've got a series of illustrations planned. The series is called "The Blood Charm", and it's a little story I wrote presented with 5 accompanying illustrations.

The written part is finished, so I started work on the first illustration of the series and failed miserably. Twice.

I'm about to start my third attempt at this first piece. Sure hope the rest of the illustrations don't turn out so poorly...

I've never posted my rejected paintings before, but it was suggested to me that I save my failures instead of permanently destroying them. So here, gaze upon my paintings of questionable quality.

Attempt 1:

Attempt 2:

Airmail

2009-07-14T11:46:00.001-07:00

Service with a smile!

It's starting to get really busy at work, so this will be the last upload for a while.

Painted in PSCS2. Took about two full days of work.

The Luminous Cavern

2009-07-08T18:58:00.000-07:00

Sequel to "The Secret Cave".

This is what you see once you enter the cave. Who knows what lies deeper within...

Rage

2009-07-06T20:13:00.000-07:00

The personification of Rage; blind, powerful, destructive, and insane.

The Secret Cave

2009-07-04T20:20:00.000-07:00

Painted today.

A secret cave to explore!

Arctic Druid

2009-07-02T21:17:00.001-07:00

More practice. This one was about 10 hours of work.

The Strategist

2009-06-30T13:34:00.000-07:00

Lightweaver Illustration

2009-06-03T17:12:00.000-07:00

Gave myself a two day time limit on this, and as you can see, I failed to finish it in that time. But I might as well post it anyways.

Handsome Fellow

2009-05-28T22:49:00.001-07:00

A handsome fellow indeed!

Dusk

2009-05-28T19:54:00.000-07:00

Just messing around with brushes.

Things

2009-05-25T17:15:00.000-07:00

Here are some paintings of questionable quality. They're for a summer group project that a bunch of my former classmates and I are working on.

Nowhere To Hide

2009-05-20T22:25:00.001-07:00

Quick illustration between work. Full View please!

TWEWY Rock Concert

2009-05-10T22:34:00.001-07:00

Painted this for a secret project that a friend of mine is working on.

The characters are from a game called "The World Ends With You", they do not belong to me.

I've never played the game and I have no idea what it's about so I apologize if I got some details wrong.

Lightweaver WIP

2009-04-24T19:32:00.000-07:00

Just a character I'm designing. Not sure if I actually want to finish designing her. Regardless, here's where I'm at with it.

Desert Oasis

2009-04-24T13:35:00.000-07:00

I was recently asked if I could give a painting demo for a bunch of my fellow classmates, and of course, I was more than happy to oblige. In the demo I did a quick speed painting while talking about some of the things I keep in mind when I paint.

This is the painting I did, posted at the request of the attendees. About 30 minutes of painting. Photoshop/one layer/round brush.

Background Painting

2009-03-11T13:29:00.000-07:00

Speed painting for the group project.

Statue

2009-03-03T21:32:00.000-08:00

Another concept that I painted for the group project today.

Game Mod Concepts

2009-03-02T12:09:00.000-08:00

A couple concepts for a school group project.

Valyrie Void

2009-02-17T11:08:00.001-08:00

Character sketch.

Jellyfish Sunset

2009-01-02T13:20:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year everyone!

So I have to say that I'm feeling a bit overworked. These days, so much of my time is spent on school and my job. The school workload is pretty heavy as it is (the teachers were kind enough to assign projects to do over the winter break), but on top of that I've been hired as a concept artist to work on an upcoming online game. I am very happy with my job, and the pay is quite nice, but having to balance it with school is killing me. This will probably the last bit of personal artwork I do for a long time.

Shield Face

2008-12-11T16:43:00.001-08:00

3D project for school.

Concept Sketches

2008-11-27T13:42:00.001-08:00

Sketches for upcoming 3D projects.

Young Mage

2008-08-27T10:06:00.000-07:00

This was a tough one. I redid this a total of six times before settling on something decent.

PSCS2/round brush/one layer.

Awakened Evil

2008-07-25T01:55:00.001-07:00

I would say more but I'm exhausted...

Mermaid Fish Riders

2008-06-16T23:21:00.000-07:00

Haven't posted new art for a while because work keeps me real busy. Right now I'm one of the concept artists at the studio, designing creatures and monsters for an upcoming project. Things have been going great for me so far. Thanks for all the support!

I figured mermaids must get bored of eating fish all the time. So I painted this illustration depicting one method mermaids could use for hunting animals that live above the sea.

PSCS2, round brush, one layer.

Baby Dragon

2008-05-18T12:45:00.001-07:00

Work has been keeping me pretty busy. This week I modelled some simple props for a 3D cartoon series. It's called Zigby (link) and it's airing in September. It's a kids show though, so I doubt it'll hold anyone's interest.

So anyways here's a new piece. I spent a couple hours on this each night after work.

Assassin

2008-05-08T20:06:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone, sorry for the inactivity lately. I don't have much time for internet browsing these days. I'm back home visiting family and friends so a lot of my time is spent just hanging out and stuff. Also, I was offered an internship at a small gaming/animation studio and I'm really happy about that but that also means less time for going online. I still do my own personal artwork in my spare time so I'll try to post whenever I have something decent to show.

Anyways, here's something I've been working on in my spare time. Hope you like!

Photoshop CS2, round brush, one layer. I normally paint stuff on one layer but I felt I had to mention it this time cause at first it looks like I used lots of layers.

Pacify

2008-04-21T17:30:00.000-07:00

This was inspired by too much power/death metal. A warrior endures a powerful spell.

Secluded Temple

2008-04-01T10:27:00.001-07:00

A secluded temple nestled deep within the forest. The goal was the create a nice contrast with the Silent Ruins.

Concept Sketches For School

2008-03-27T13:08:00.001-07:00

Concept sketches for a school project. Character and environment designs.

Life Drawing!

2008-01-27T13:10:00.001-08:00

A bunch of 1 minute and 3 minute gestures. Charcoal pencil on newsprint paper.

Wandering Healer

2008-01-11T19:39:00.000-08:00

With this piece my goal was to design a character that represented "light". I plan on creating another character that represents "dark". Well, whenever I find time to do it.

Hawk Speed Painting

2007-12-23T11:53:00.000-08:00

Speed painting of a Red-tailed Hawk. Painted the hawk in about 1 hour with Photoshop using only the default round brush set at 100% opacity.

Forest Speed Paint

2007-09-11T19:29:00.000-07:00

Just a quick digital painting of a forest.

Hello

2007-09-10T21:18:00.001-07:00

So I finally decided to set up a blog. I'll be posting stuff here every now and then.