Here be the unfinished, slow-burner, and oddball projects. Sometimes I get an idea that clearly has intriguing implications, but on its own isn't much. Or perhaps I get a character that deserves its story, but no first idea of what that story could be. Or something commercially worthless that's fun nonetheless. Or an exercise grown out of all proportions because it insisted on it. You get the idea. These oddballs, orphans as well as late bloomers sit in folders patiently waiting for more flesh. The luckier ones get to sit here for all to see. Feedback invited heartily. Your comment might be the one to shift one of those off its stalling point to roll again, or inspire me to do unexpected interesting things.

Proto-ACEO doodles

Every now and then, I do these little exercises in exploring things way out of my groove. For a reason I forgot, I do it in standard collectible card format.

Some of them get painted and become ACEOs. You can see the sketches to the ones in ACEO gallery here, and many more odd things.

The Gracile Alien

The Gracile Alien is my most elaborate piece of creature design so far. It is byzantine; it is delving so unnecesarily deep that it borders on insanity. And it’s not even entirely mine.

It is based on a sketch of a critter that P.O.Holland had dreamed up in 2009. I found it odd but intriguingly logical, almost compelling in how it was constructed. It almost made biological sense in its quirkiness.

And so I embarked on a quest to invent a biosphere and embryology that would logically produce such a creature. (And add up a few oddities of my own on the way.) I am still inventing bits, from time to time, but I believe I have figured most of the essentials out. Now I need to illustrate it nicely…

These sketches are, mostly, not the polished, choice things I pick for the gallery. These are doodles, and hasty notes, meant for myself. Brainstorming oddities and bits of design that are figured on the way and reworked on the same page. I thought it might be interesting to show the whole "skunkworks" for once.

Re-ti

Re-ti alien concept done for Helpful Bear creature contest