Nate Skate

Wildlings

2011-09-23T12:19:00.000-07:00

Hi,

I haven't posted in a really long time but I haven't become a blog quitter. Here are some of the backgrounds I did for our mobile game. The game has a lot of good reviews and everyone says they cant stop playing once they start. More info here: Metamoki--We Take Fun To The Next Level

Sketch Book

2011-04-01T17:48:00.001-07:00

Forgot

2011-02-12T09:51:00.001-08:00

Forgot to add Page 1. wheres my head?

Panel by Panel

2011-02-11T15:21:00.000-08:00

This is a small comic I started a while ago, and got about half way trough. I figured it would be around 15 pages, and I just started by panel one and kept drawing with no preliminary work. I don't recommend this method.

drawing with Jeltron at the mall

2011-02-05T16:31:00.001-08:00

Me and my bro collaboration

2010-12-11T23:49:00.000-08:00

Chill spot on his roof. He did a piece for his girl, and did a girl.

Book Signing

2010-12-01T09:08:00.000-08:00

I got back into California just in time to swoop down to LA with the sketchbook X4 gang and do a book signing. See the details here: Anthology 451 / Sketchbookx4 release party + book signing - Nucleus | Art Gallery and Store

and here:Anthology 451 / Sketchbookx4 release party + book signing - Nucleus | Art Gallery and Store

New stuff

2010-10-20T00:07:00.000-07:00

I was holding back on posting these to keep the book stuff up top. That book doesn't need my help.

Sketchbook X4

2010-10-03T16:02:00.000-07:00

It was a real honor when my friends from San Francisco said they wanted to include me in their New sketchbook publication.

George is the sketchbook machine. He is obsessed with unique works of fiction in any form, and also has a steel trap for retaining knowledge of history. Like me, George can become completely infatuated by a confidently drawn piece of drapery on a figures arm, but equally disgusted by 25 hours of needless digital brush strokes on a bad comic book cover.

Konstantin might draw as much as George, and so might I if we didn't think "fuck it, I'm gonna go drink some beers over at Conlins". His grasp on accurate anatomy, and technique translates effortlessly from simple comics, to advanced oil paintings. His style has slowly become very sophisticated which I admire, and unlike me he generally uses every mark to tell a story with his sketches.

Ben's art I might think is weird for the sake of being weird. Like some people do for a gimmick, but Ben's art has to much unique personality for that. His work is surreal without being arrogant, its gross without being gory, its disturbing without being offensive. Also he can tell an awesome story with it which adds to the authenticity. I'm jealous of his students.

For more info go to George's link, and make sure and check out all these guys.

George Cwirko-Godycki
Ben Jelter
Konstantin Pogorelov

redeveloped Red Tape Elementary

2010-09-06T16:47:00.000-07:00

The idea of Red Tape Elementary began based on examples I would observe in society. A particular rule or restriction would be placed in power based on no more research than the particular enforcers personal ego driven paranoid delusion. I have not only evolved the project visually, but I have also advanced the idea. I myself watched my school become more like a bleak failing socialist country. Big thanks to Tim Lamb for helping out with this.

Also I have recomposed, and redeveloped some aspects of my Skating project

Self Portrait

2010-08-31T19:42:00.000-07:00

I was pretty inspired by this guy Pascal Campion http://pascalcampion.blogspot.com/

He does Tadahiro Uesugi esque compositions but he doesn't try to make it look like it was done in gouache. the digital gouache thing is cool for Tadahiro, but has been abused by the animation industry lately. The thing that really attracted me though was how personal his work is. He really puts you in the moment, and after a few images you become very familiar with the characters who I believe are his family.

Anyways it inspired me to try to create how a moment felt for me when I was living in LA.

Fort Wayne

2010-06-17T13:48:00.001-07:00

I love skating so much that It is kind of a religion. I drove an hour and a half to the skate park yesterday even though I knew a storm was rolling in. Not only that, I knew that today was supposed to be beautiful. When you gota skate, you gota skate. Although I know the universe, if I went to that park today it would have been to much build up. I have learned that to much build up kills a lot. I really have to sneak up on myself. Maybe its my over developed imagination from being an artist, but I can't give my mind a second to develop an expectation.

Long story short, the storm rolled in after about 2 hours of skating. I was at the point of exhaustion where I wasn't quite running on empty, but I did have to develop a system of gathering energy and executing before stumbling into a corner to repeat the process. It was about 10:30 pm at this point (lighted park) and the storm was one people know well in the mid west. Even though its 85 degrees out, thats not going to stop the sky from releasing quarter sized drops of rain to turn the park into a swimming hole within a matter of minutes. The seemingly endless flat planes of Indiana only enhance the dominating feeling of the colossal storm clouds. Almost as a sign of being in tune with the universe, the storm gives me an extra 20 minutes of skateable ground while thunder begins to crash, and lightning silhouettes the tall trees that consume half of the outskirts of the park. Needless to say, an epic night of skating. The downpour camouflages my sweat soaked clothes as I buy 2 big drinks from the gas station for the ride home. I immediately consume them both, and have to open the sun roof to tilt the bottle high enough to get the last few drops.

Blog Revamp

2010-05-01T18:52:00.000-07:00

The new look of this blog is due to my new website which I built on here (thanks Blogger).

I have yet to work out the domain problems but you can take a look for the time being here

Nate Skate

After hours in LA

2010-04-28T22:36:00.000-07:00

I painted this on the wall of an awesome after hours spot I used to frequent in down town LA. I did it a while ago but didn't have any pics. I grabbed this from my buddy Blue Ones blog
He hooked up the wall, and did some of his own stuff. check it out
http://blueoneartwork.blogspot.com/

PS. use the blur in the corner for scale relativity

My project

2010-01-30T17:32:00.000-08:00

So I have been working pretty much non stop for the past couple months on this book. the reason I started this project is because I got frustrated working for a video game studio who's art department is pretty much downward spiraling to the point... you know when you hear a commercial on the radio that is so bad you feel embarrassed just to be listening. It went like this, one month I was doing great, they loved my work. A couple months later, I show one of my designs to the art director and he looks at it like its a Jackson Pollock painting. all I can say is the stuff they wanted me to do seemed like hallmark greeting card caliber, maybe I'm going crazy.

Anyways I had fun putting this little teaser together, and I hope it inspires people check out my book when I finish it. I know it may seem a little over the top, but what can I say, it was the first time I have touched photoshop in a while.

Personal Work

2009-12-26T13:35:00.000-08:00

I moved away from the the big city and fancy production work. Im going to try to develop something not polluted by a diluted committee.

go skate

2009-08-11T10:48:00.000-07:00

Menue Posters

2009-07-01T14:02:00.001-07:00

Ok , because my last post was a little dramatic , I decided to bring it back to the art, and the industry work . These are a few menu posters I had the privilege of illustrating for GH4. My personal favorite is this first one below for the San Francisco ball park. I also conepted the actual venue itself, and if you have seen the venue I hope you notice the references in the poster. You may notice two versions of the make your own gig poster, the one with the light shining down was really just me having fun. One thing you will learn really fast when you work in a game studio is that kind of cool stuff always gets rejected.

subway ride and photoshop

2009-04-30T16:33:00.001-07:00

More goods from the subway ride

2009-04-21T11:00:00.000-07:00

Tribute to my old site

2009-03-06T10:46:00.000-08:00

Some of my favorite sketch book pages.

Random

2009-02-10T16:04:00.000-08:00

One of the tattoo designs I did for the game.

some more figure drawing

2009-02-10T15:58:00.000-08:00

Might as well post them.

Mental vomit

2009-02-03T20:34:00.001-08:00

Makes the subway ride go by faster.

classic

2009-01-26T15:44:00.000-08:00

Promise to show a taste of what I have been working on soon. In the meantime I have been able to find some cool figure drawing spots out here.

Rush

2008-11-26T13:05:00.000-08:00

First venue

2008-11-24T14:48:00.000-08:00

This didn't actually get into the game so I don't think anyone will mind it here. This is sort of a test I did (that I didn't actually have to do) once I found out I would be working on Guitar Hero. My designs have gotten much better since then, but I still find this stage kind of charming. The Idea is that this venue would be very low budget, in a high school gym or something, and all the props would be made out of cardboard and crap. I hope this changes my blog up a bit, and I will try to post more stuff like this in the future.

Stars

2008-11-21T15:40:00.000-08:00

Some hands, and a little comp from internet reference once again. Just trying to get back in the mode.

Some stuff

2008-08-05T15:36:00.000-07:00

some more stuff I feel doesn't express what I have in my head, but I did feel like the girl with the mask is getting closer. I cant help but really exaggerate proportions lately don't know why.

Hat girl

2008-07-28T14:03:00.000-07:00

Just a drawing I did from a photo on the internet

2008-06-23T15:01:00.000-07:00

Kinda Metal?

2008-05-01T09:15:00.001-07:00

I did this drawing for this small competition on a website called sketch theater, www.sketchtheater.com it was supposed to be like a Metal album cover, but fuck if I'm going to follow guide lines outside of work. So I threw metal elements over what I usually draw. I told my co worker Cameron about the competition and apparently they liked him a little more because he won. Yay for him!

one thing I have been wanting to say on this blog. Although my work on this blog is (I think) all figurative, my job at work is actually set, and venue design. If I ever draw the figure its because a poster on the wall involves it. The venues are heavily genre based which means the director, or producer comes to me, and says we need (example) a star wars convention venue, but it can't be actual Star Wars, and it needs to be more nerdy than cool...and no robots, spaceships, or aliens. That is the kind of stuff I deal with all day at work, and is why the stuff that ends up on my blog doesn't tell much of a story, I'm burnt out. I am becoming much faster, and better at nailing these things so it may come out soon.

Warrior

2008-04-14T11:24:00.000-07:00

Pretty much the theme of my education as an artist has been "you can draw, but that doesn't matter" and if that statement makes any sense, I understood it when it was told to me even before I started art school. I really took it into consideration when it was told to me in Art 1A city college. So before I do some real work, I grab a shitload of reference, read whatever I can, some times I need to get a little electroshock therapy to get it right, but for some reason it seems like people do actually get some kind of enjoyment from a drawing of a massive ripped warrior dude, with a huge fucking spike belt. Its crazy.

Heavy

2008-03-21T17:24:00.000-07:00

So recently I have been getting comments from a lot of really talented artist from all over. I did a little bit of searching and found that John Nevarez who does some amazing work, put my blog on his weekly links list. I would say that I did this drawing for him, but I'm not sure if he would like it. Essentially the boost of attention inspired me to put a little more time into this piece. I still had to do real work, but I like the way it turned out. Thanks John, if you see this.

few more

2008-03-12T14:37:00.000-07:00

struggling to draw somthing cool

2008-03-12T09:55:00.000-07:00

I drew these when I was going over some rock reference. I would like to do some really elaborate work, but it seems like something cool dies when I work from roughs, or even think it through to much. Not saying it doesn't work at all, its great for my commercial work.

2008-03-04T17:57:00.001-08:00

2008-02-22T09:41:00.000-08:00

So, I haven't posted anything in a while, and this is (semi) no exception. Heres the thing, one of the guys at my work has a bunch of Jim Henson action figures at his desk. I would pass by them every day, and my brain would register the usual "oh look, I remember those things". I figure I know their design through, and through, no need for farther examination.

One day as we were going over some designs, I took the opportunity to do such an examination. It was like looking into my own head. Yeah sure, still no need to put much time into Kermit, or miss piggy, and discard any "regurgitated Jim Henson" (his design mixed with grotesque, modern, graphic design), but look stuff like this news reporter, and his set. Maybe its me, but this image holds the quality of child like amusement, and terrifying nightmare, I love it, i don't feel like I can get much into the reasons, I don't know if credit should actually go to the man, or simply the era

Hands

2008-01-14T11:29:00.000-08:00

You know me.

Graphite

2008-01-07T13:08:00.000-08:00

I have a feeling I will do some really cool stuff with this thick, dark, graphite pencil I found in my desk.

Rockers

2007-12-16T21:08:00.000-08:00

I saw this photo in one of those heavy metal coffee table books at Barnes, and Noble.

I used to draw in this style when I was just messing around, but I really feel like its turning into something. let me know if the color does the drawing any justice.

more crap

2007-12-10T13:38:00.000-08:00

A couple more I liked

Blue girl

2007-11-29T17:58:00.000-08:00

This is on of those sketches that you really didn't mean to spend that much time on, but you think to yourself I will just keep fucking with it until I fuck it up. seemed to keep getting better as I worked on it.

My bus ride

2007-11-26T17:55:00.000-08:00

This is a bunch of crap I normally wouldn't post, but it pretty much documents my mood as I rode the bus all day from San Francisco, to L.A. It was crowded, bumpy, I didn't even really have enough room for my sketchbook in front of me. I had to lean over to draw let me know when it looks like I got frustrated. I also re-drew my fat lady, and gave her a lolly pop. I might even draw that one again, its a good pose for describing how fat hangs over bone landmarks.

Hot girls

2007-11-15T09:55:00.000-08:00

We went to the skate park at lunch yesterday, and there was this pretty hot skater girl doing some radical tricks. I'm talking nollie kruks, tray flips, nollie heel, and on top of that, I have to watch my homie Cameron design all the hot girls for Guitar Hero III. So I busted these out. I really like the way the girl with the tattoo flowed, I don't think I second-guessed any aspect of that drawing.

Life drawing

2007-11-15T09:47:00.000-08:00

for those of you who don't know (out of the 8 people who view my blog I can't imagine who that could be), but I now work at Neversoft, and Yesterday was the first studio life drawing workshop. here are a couple of 10's I was happy with.

2007-11-13T18:10:00.000-08:00

Slow day today at work. All about breaking in my new drafting table, and sketching some Adelmo Jr.

flab flap

2007-11-12T09:05:00.000-08:00

Another fat chick. work has been eating up all my personal drawing ambition lately.

skulls

2007-11-01T18:20:00.000-07:00

I draw these things practically in my sleep. Here are some from the note pad I take to meetings.

some more old crap from my sketch book

2007-10-29T13:27:00.000-07:00

skaters, fat chix, people at cafes

Me, when I'm trying to get a job

2007-10-21T20:04:00.000-07:00

I did this design to show a studio that I don't just draw skater guys, and people on the bus all day. The leads didn't like it, they wanted to go more realistic. why does everyone say my work is so stylized... most of the people I draw, thats pretty much what they look like to me.

Tweeker

2007-10-21T20:00:00.001-07:00

90% of the kids at warped tour

2007-10-21T19:59:00.001-07:00

Lynn

2007-10-21T19:48:00.000-07:00

lynn is my old roommate shes also a sweet artist. all my old roommates were cool our lives consisted of making art, drinking beers, going to gallery openings, and drinking beers. I sure as hell hope thats not the last time I live in an awesome household.

In the beginning

2007-10-21T19:13:00.001-07:00

in hopes that I don't become one of those guys who never posts, I'm just gonna throw crap on here. Sometimes you might see something really cool, but it will be between weeks of crap.