Spades
We have had our first battle, Master Splinter. They were many, but we kicked… We fought well.
The ancient martial art of ninjitsu found an unlikely student in Leonardo. The Big Apple sewers were to become the stomping ground of a quartet of mutated turtles and in turn Leonardo would learn to channel his frustration of being caged in the New York underground to become an able leader and skilled fighter. Master Splinter’s favorite student eventually discovered that his worst enemy were not the likes of the Shredder or Krang, but his own pride and stubbornness. Fortunately his brothers influence and good deep crust Pizza are known to have a calming effect on even the most dedicated students of the ancient arts of the ninja.
- This is a digital illustration of about 48 bitmap layers. Using my mouse and standard Photoshop brushes and layer blend modes. The cards and textures I got from FusRoDa and edited them to suit our needs. I also tried to preserve as many of the steps as possible for the process animation. I then made the animation in Premiere Pro CC, simplified it, sped it up, added inserts, rendered it as an mp4 video file and then converted it to an animated gif online (nifty!)
| Category | #FanArt |
| Medium | Photoshop |
| Suit | Spades |
| Character | Leonardo |
| Style | Digital Illustration |
| Original Artists | Kevin Eastman & Peter Laird |
| First Apperance | 1984 |
Lore
Leonardo and his brothers were once ordinary turtles: when they were infants, they were adopted from a pet store by Hamato Yoshi. When their soon to be father walked passed a strange man, a Kraangdroid, he felt something odd about him and followed. Unfortunately, Yoshi gave away his position when he accidentally stepped on a brown rat’s tail. The Kraang him and attempted to kill him, but Yoshi fought back hard. In the end, the Kraang dropped the canister of Mutagen they were holding, causing the turtles and Yoshi to mutate. Yoshi, having to have stepped on that rat, thus mutated into a humanoid brown rat by the name of “Splinter”, while Leo and his brothers, after coming in contact with Splinter when he was human, mutated into humanoid turtles.
Splinter knew they would never be accepted in their urban society, so he took them to the sewers, made a home down there, and made the four turtles his children. Knowing the world would be dangerous and there would be a time where they want to explore the outside world, Splinter trained the boys in the art of Ninjitsu. Leo and his brothers were named after great Renaissance artists from a book Splinter fished out of the storm drain.
Process
Here’s the animated process for Leornardo that I made out of the individual layers. Since I didn’t have my original sketches anymore I reverse engineered the beginning stages of the drawing. I’m also trying to make a unique transition at the end of each card. Hope you dig it.
Worry about a girl, eh? Hah! If they think they can cut me off from where the action is, they’re mistaken! I restyled this motor bike for just such an emergency!
Barbara “Babs” Gordon stumbled into a life of vigilante crime fighting after her relation to Gotham City’s police commissioner Gordon brought her within the vicinity of the Batman and Dick Grayson. When Commissioner Gordon is framed by the notorious Two-Face, Barbara dons a bat costume and finds that the uniform fits her better than she thought. As an expert hacker, martial artist and scientist, Babs was well equipped to take on some of the more fearsome criminal elements of Gotham solo and in team efforts with the dark knight. A “no-nonsense” and pragmatic heroine that favours efficiency over drama.
- This is a digital illustration of about 32 bitmap layers. Using my mouse and standard Photoshop brushes and layer blend modes. The cards and textures I got from google and edited them to suit our needs. I also tried to preserve as many of the steps as possible for the process animation. I then made the animation in Premiere Pro CC, simplified it, sped it up, added inserts, rendered it as an mp4 video file and then converted it to an animated gif online (nifty!)
| Category | #FanArt |
| Medium | Photoshop |
| Suit | Spades |
| Character | Batgirl |
| Style | Digital Illustration |
| Original Artists | Gardner Fox & Carmine Infantino |
| First Apperance | 1967 |
Lore
As Batgirl, Barbara Gordon has been described as one of the most popular characters to appear during the Silver Age of Comic Books and is also regarded as a pop culture icon due to her appearances in the Batman television series of the late 1960s and continued media exposure. The Barbara Gordon version of Batgirl has been adapted into various media relating to the Batman franchise, including merchandise, television, and animation. During the early 1970s, the character was also used as an advocate for women’s rights.
Her double life as Batgirl sometimes puts Barbara at an emotional crossroads. As the daughter of the Police Commissioner, Barbara was raised with respect for law and order, but her actions as Batgirl technically label her a vigilante. If Batgirl were ever caught and unmasked, the scandal would certainly destroy Commissioner Gordon’s career. Still, Gotham is a city that breeds an extreme kind of criminal and extreme crimefighters are needed to handle situations regular cops can’t. Barbara believes the good she does as Batgirl is worth the potential risk to herself and her father. She often takes on some of Batman’s dangerous villains including Harley Quinn, Catwoman, and Poison Ivy.
Process
Here’s the animated process for Batgirl that I made out of the individual layers. Since I didn’t have my original sketches anymore I reverse engineered the beginning stages of the drawing. I’m also trying to make a unique transition at the end of each card.
“First lesson: stick ’em with the pointy end.”
Warning! Game of Thrones spoilers ahead.
Jon Snow, the Bastard of Winterfell, forged by fire and tempered by ice was picked by the hand of fate to fulfil a destiny with a scope few would have believed in the early chapters of George R.R. Martin’s fantastic “A Song of Ice and Fire”. Casting himself out of his heritage at Winterfell, the ancient seat of House Stark, Jon chose a life guarding the realms of men by becoming a Brother of the Night’s Watch. An ancient order of outcasts that protect and maintain “The Wall”, a magical structure that separates the northern “Lands of Always Winter” from the rest of Westeros. With his trustee Direwolf “Ghost” at his side, Jon Snow’s adventure has taken him from servitude, rebellion, warfare, command to leadership owing to his own skill and bravery while experiencing and overcoming challenges like Wildling armies, Giants, the Undead, treachery from within and even Death. Unbeknownst to most Jon actually was conceived of two royal bloodlines thusly making him the rightful heir of Westeros. A peerless warrior and intuitive leader, Jon has managed to preserve his humanity against all the odds and looks set to turn the destiny of Westeros on its head. Now that the army of the dead approaches it will fall to him to unite the warring kingdoms for one final stand. Winter has come.
- This is a digital collage of about 42 bitmap layers. Using my mouse and standard Photoshop brushes and layer blend modes. The cards and textures I got from FusRoDa and edited them to suit our needs along with the animal stencils, photos and house words. I also tried to preserve as many of the steps as possible for the process animation. I then made the animation in Premiere Pro CC, simplified it, sped it up, added inserts, rendered it as an mp4 video file and then converted it to an animated gif online (nifty!) with 25 fps 🙂
| Category | #FanArt |
| Medium | Photoshop |
| Suit | Spades |
| Character | Jon Snow/Stark/Targaryen |
| Universe | A Song of Ice and Fire |
| Style | Digital Illustration |
| Original Artists | George R.R: Martin, Kit Harrington |
| First Apperance | 1986 |
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“You Know Nothing, Jon Snow”
– Ygritte to Jon
Lore
Jon Snow, born Aegon Targaryen, is the son of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen, the late Prince of Dragonstone. From infancy, Jon is presented as the bastard son of Lord Eddard Stark, Lyanna’s brother, and raised by Eddard alongside his lawful children at Winterfell but his true parentage is kept secret from everyone, including Jon himself. In order to escape his bastard status, Jon joins the Night’s Watch and is eventually chosen as Lord Commander. However, he is later murdered in a mutiny and resurrected by the Red PriestessMelisandre. Freed from his Night’s Watch vows, Jon joins his cousin, Sansa Stark, in building an army and together they retake Winterfell from House Bolton, restoring House Stark’s dominion over the North with Jon being declared the new King in the North. However, after successfully capturing a wight and presenting it to the Lannisters as proof that the Army of the Dead is real, Jon pledges himself and his army to Daenerys Targaryen, Rhaegar’s sister, and steps down as King of the North.
Because he was raised by Ned Stark at Winterfell, Jon has adopted a clear moral compass and a true sense of honor, which he tries his hardest to abide by even when he must make a difficult decision, especially after he became Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch.
Process
Here’s the animated process for the King in the North that I made out of the individual layers. This is a digital Illustration with some collage elements so I borrowed freely from established imagery for this one. I’m also trying to make a unique transition at the end of each card. Hope you dig it.
“All I am surrounded by is fear, and dead men!”
The vaunted Ace of Spades was an easy pick for me. The fallen Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker better known as Darth Vader needs little introduction. One of the most iconic fictional character of all time, Vader’s natural power over the Force did eventually lead him to “return balance to the Galaxy” by systematically betraying and destroying everything he loved during his fall to the dark side, which was perhaps not quite what the Jedi council and Obi-Wan had intended. After the Republic was reformed into the First Galactic Empire and subsequently plunging the galaxy into a state of perpetual war, Vader did eventually redeem himself and dispatched of then Emperor Palpatine by throwing him into the one of curiously many bottomless pits that populate the Star Wars universe after his son Luke turned him back to the Light. Make no mistake, this Sith Lord was one of the most feared and powerful entities in the entire galaxy with the ability to kill a man with willpower alone.
- This is a digital collage of about 32 bitmap layers. Using my mouse and standard Photoshop brushes and layer blend modes. The cards and textures I got from FusRoDa and edited them to suit our needs along with the Imperial Logo and Tie Fighter. I also tried to preserve as many of the steps as possible for the process animation. I then made the animation in Premiere Pro CC, simplified it, sped it up, added inserts, rendered it as an mp4 video file and then converted it to an animated gif online (nifty!) with 25 fps 🙂
| Category | #FanArt |
| Medium | Photoshop |
| Suit | Spades |
| Character | Anakin “Darth Vader” Skywalker |
| Universe | Star Wars |
| Style | Digital Illustration |
| Original Artists | George Lucas & Ralph McQuarrie |
| First Apperance | 1975 |
There is no escape. Don’t make me destroy you. Luke, you do not yet realize your importance. You have only begun to discover your power. Join me and I will complete your training. With our combined strength, we can end this destructive conflict and bring order to the galaxy.
Lore
“Anakin, as Skywalker, as a human being, was going to be extremely powerful,” he says. “But he ended up losing his legs and an arm and became partly a robot. So a lot of his ability to use the Force, a lot of his powers, are curbed at this point, because, as a living form, there’s not that much of him left. So his ability to be twice as good as the Emperor disappeared, and now he’s maybe 20 percent less than him. So that isn’t what the Emperor had in mind. He wanted this really super guy, but that got derailed by Obi-Wan. So he finds that, with Luke, he can get a more primo version if he can turn Luke to the Dark Side. You’ll see, as this goes on, Luke is faced with the same issues and practically the same scenes that Anakin is faced with. Anakin says yes and Luke says no.”
Blessed with impressive reflexes that were typical of a Jedi, Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn saw enormous potential in the 9-year-old Skywalker, and believed him to have been conceived by the Force itself. Indeed, when his blood was tested, Skywalker’s midi-chlorian count was above 20,000, reportedly even greater than Yoda’s. The total amount was, however, unknown, for the reading was off the scale.
Process
Here’s the animated process for ol’ Darth that I made out of the individual layers. This is a digital Illustration with some collage elements so I borrowed freely from established imagery for this one like the Tie-Fighter and Imperial Icon.
It says right here: ‘Goombas are underlings of underlings.’ …That is totally rude!
A rare card perhaps but this foe was not rare at all during the golden age of video games starting with the Nintendo Entertainment System and the perennial Super Mario Brothers. Goomba was the first opponent you would face as a new player and it stands to reason that perhaps no other creature has been hit on the head as many times as the ever faithful Goomba. Lumbering ever to the left of the screen to do Bowsers bidding. We got an NES in the early 90s and I remember playing it with my brother. Since Mario Brothers was the first game we had it’s safe to assume that Goomba was also the first virtual enemy I defeated (and that defeated me). As such Goomba marches on and is a staple of every Mario game across the generations. A true legend!
- This is a digital collage of about 26 bitmap layers. Using my mouse and standard Photoshop brushes and layer blend modes. The cards and textures I got from FusRoDa and edited them to suit our needs.The sprite I pulled from the internet too. Perhaps I could do some Koopa Troopa pixel art next time? I also tried to preserve as many of the steps as possible for the process animation. I then made the animation in Premiere Pro CC, simplified it, sped it up, added inserts, rendered it as an mp4 video file and then converted it to an animated gif online (nifty!)
| Category | #FanArt |
| Medium | Photoshop |
| Suit | Spades |
| Character | Leonardo |
| Universe | Super Mario |
| Style | Digital Collage |
| Original Artists | Shigeru Miyamoto & Takashi Tezuka |
| First Apperance | 1985 |
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A Goomba bravely vanquishes an obnoxious plumber in his original NES form.
Lore
In the first 10 seconds of play, level 1-1 teaches you the fundamentals of playing a “Super Mario” game: question mark blocks are full of potential, mushrooms make you grow bigger, and there are evil, walking mushrooms who can hurt little Mario. Those “evil” mushrooms are known as “Goomba” or “Kuribo” in japenese.
Initial designs for level 1-1 actually had a Koopa Trooper there in place of a Goomba, but Miyamoto and co-designer Takashi Tezuka decided that an easier enemy made more sense for the educational focus of that first level in “Super Mario Bros.
Originally, we had a Koopa Troopa that came out, but we thought it might be a little too difficult for the player to jump on and then kick it. That’s why we created the Goomba. If it was a turtle, we couldn’t really just jump on it and defeat it. So we decided we needed a “bad mushroom.
Process
Here’s the animated process for Goomba that I made out of the individual layers. This is a digital collage so I went a little nuts on the pixelisation and video game elements.
About the Project:
The “Deck of Heroes” is an independent mixed media art project by Nikolai Schmid. It is a collection of some of the most influential (fictional) characters and heroes of my youth.
These characters, assembled from a slew of the most famous imaginary worlds, come together in a series of playing cards held together stylistically by the themes of Blood, Fire, Ink and Water.
This project began on the blockchain based platform “Steemit” and has since
made its way into the real world. It is an exercise in fandom, congruent styles, technology and fun.
Now you too can “draw” a card.
Which hero will you choose?
Fine Art Prints and Strechted Canvas Prints are available upon request.
Hearts
“..a double life you say? Not a bad idea.”
Donald’s superhero alter ego Duck Avenger or Phantomias (in german) is certainly more popular in Europe than stateside. Being the invention of an italian artist for the Comicbook series “Papernik”, this caped crusader has proliferated himself in 100s of stories since his inception. When Donald receives a strange packet one day that leads him to the abandoned “Villa Rosa” he discovers the journal and secret hideout of the original “Phantomias”, a gentleman thief in the Duckburgh of the 1930s. Donald decides to don the cape and carry on Phantomias’s mission of justice, equality and protecting the weak.Trusting only the brilliant Gyro Gearloose with his secret who in turn supplies the dark duck with the technical edge to take on the dark side of the law.
- This is a digital “freehand” (no reference) illustration of about 50 bitmap layers. Standard Photoshop brushes and layer blend modes. The cards and textures I got from google and edited them to suit our needs. I also tried to preserve as many of the steps as possible for the process animation. I then made the animation in Premiere Pro CC, simplified it, sped it up, added inserts, rendered it as an mp4 video file and then converted it to an animated gif online (nifty!)
| Category | #FanArt |
| Medium | Photoshop |
| Suit | Hearts |
| Subject | Duck Avenger/Phantomias |
| Style | Digital Illustration |
| Original Artists | Guido Martina & Giovan Battista Carpi |
| First Apperance | 1969 |
Lore – German Edition
Durch ein Versehen des Briefträgers wird Donald Duck ein Päckchen zugestellt, das eigentlich für seinen Vetter Gustav Gans bestimmt ist. Es enthält einen Schlüssel und ein Schreiben, woraus hervorgeht, dass der Empfänger im Lotto gewonnen hat und nun glücklicher Besitzer der Villa Rosa ist. In freudiger Erwartung machen sich der frischgebackene Hausbesitzer und seine Neffen auf den Weg, um den Prachtbau zu inspizieren. Wie sich rausstellt handelt es sich bei der Villa Rosa nicht um ein Traumhaus sondern eine Bruchbude, die allerdings ein Geheimnis birgt…
Diesem Geheimnis kommt Donald auf die Spur als er unter einem Sesselpolster ein Tagebuch findet. Es ist das geheime Tagebuch des Phantomias, einem entenhaften Edelmann, der vor langen Jahren als ein schattenhafter Superheld Gutes getan hat. Und wie aus dem Tagebuch hervorgeht war die Villa Rosa sein Unterschlupf. Mit diesem Buch in der Hand schlägt Donalds große Stunde. Er beschließt in die Fußstapfen von Phantomias zu treten und fortan unerkannt seine schützende Hand über Entenhausen zu halten (aber nicht ohne Onkel Dagobert in seiner neuen Verkleidung, erst mal gehörig zu ärgern…). Ausgestattet mit speziellen Flugstiefeln, einem besonderen Auto und anderen Hilfsmitteln, die Phantomias allesamt dem genialen Erfinder Daniel Düsentrieb verdankt, wacht die “Dunkle Ente” nun über das Wohl und Wehe von Entenhausen.
Process
Here’s the animated process for Optimus Prime that I made out of the individual layers:
Alright that’s all the face cards for Hearts done! Thought I’d give the unluckiest Duck in the world some love. I also think we will be able to create a full deck over time, let’s see where we can take this.
“…that’s so cute. You think you’re scary. Well I’ve seen scary and you don’t have his smile”
This was a fun one! Doing established comic characters gives you a lot of room to play with. Take this Harley for example, my take is rather different than what you saw in Suicide Squad. This one is more akin to the 1992 animated version but a lot more evil. This is a straight up Photoshop painting that I made using my mouse, regular brushes and color blend modes. I think the playing card format rounds it off nicely. Perhaps a “full deck” of heroes and villians would be cool?
Harley Quinn is the frequent accomplice and lover of the Joker, whom she met while working as a psychologist at Gotham City’s Arkham Asylum, where the Joker was a patient. Her name is a play on the name “Harlequin”, a character which originated in the commedia dell’arte. The character has occasionally been depicted as an antihero, and she has teamed up with fellow villains Catwoman and Poison Ivy, the latter serving as Quinn’s close friend, recurring ally, and romantic interest. Harley Quinn has also been depicted as a member of the Suicide Squad. – Wiki
“Face it, Harl, this stinks — yer a certified nutso wanted by the law in over a dozen states — and hopelessly in love with a murderous, psychopathic clown.”
| Category | FanArt |
| Medium | Photoshop |
| Size | 4800×3600 px |
| Subject | Harley Quinn |
| Style | Digital Illustration |
Here’s the animated process for Harley that I made out of the individual layers:
Alrighty, enough geeking out for today.
I know exactly what I’ll be doin’ about it, son of Hellscream. I’ll be watchin’ as ya people slowly become aware of ya ineptitude. I’ll laugh as dey grow ta despise ya as I do. And when tha time comes dat ya failure is complete and ya “power” is meaningless, I will be dere to end ya rule, swiftly and silently. Ya will spend ya reign glancin’ over ya shoulda and fearin’ tha shadows, for when tha time comes and ya blood be slowly drainin’ out, ya will know exactly who fired da arrow dat pierced ya black heart.
Vol’Jin to Garrosh
Vol’Jin was the chieftain of the Echo Isles Trolls and Warchief of the Horde. It was an interesting turn of fate that led to the ascension of Vol’Jin as Warchief. After the defeat of Garrosh Hellscream and his old friend Thrall’s devolvement from politics it fell to him, the first non-orc to ever be in charge of the Horde of Azeroth. Before his death he passed the mantle to Sylvanas Windrunner. Ever since Warcraft II I really dug the art style of the trolls taking a lot of inspiration from the then concept artists Metzen and Samwise in the process.
This is a digital “freehand” (no reference) painting of about 60 layers. Standard Photoshop brushes and layer blend modes. The cards i got from google and edited them to suit our needs. I also tried to preserve as many of the steps as possible for the process animation.
| Category | FanArt |
| Medium | Photoshop |
| Size | 4800×3600 px |
| Subject | Vol’Jin the Troll |
| Style | Digital Illustration |
Lore
“Warchief Vol’jin is an interesting anomaly in Warcraft lore — he leads the Horde, an organization originally formed by Thrall with its roots firmly embedded in Orc society, yet he’s a Troll. And he was promoted to this position after orchestrating the downfall of the last Orc Warchief, Garrosh Hellscream”
“Thrall led a rebellion against the Humans that kept the Orcs imprisoned in internment camps after the Second War, earning the respect and admiration of the Orcs by setting them free. And Vol’jin earned much the same when he led a rebellion against a Warchief that viewed any race other than Orc as tools to be used and discarded at his whim, and the Horde itself as a war machine. Vol’jin was made Warchief for much the same reason that Thrall was originally made Warchief of the new Horde — in uniting the Horde to fight a common foe, both had proven that they could effectively lead.” – blizzardwatch
Process
Here’s the animated process for Vol’Jin that I made out of the individual layers:
“Thrones are for Decepticons, and besides, I prefer to roll.”
Optimus Prime is a Transformer from the planet Cybertron. Perhaps the most famous fictional robotic character of all time, this noble leader of the Autobots has seen his share of sacrifice. Yet even after countless battles with Megatron and his Decepticon in defense of Earth, the spark has never gone out and Optimus continues to seek a path to peace. He famously transforms into a huge truck too!
- This is a digital “freehand” (no reference) illustration of about 45 bitmap layers. Standard Photoshop brushes and layer blend modes. The cards and textures I got from google and edited them to suit our needs. I also tried to preserve as many of the steps as possible for the process animation. I then made the animation in Premiere Pro CC, sped it up, rendered it as an mp4 video file and then converted it to an animated gif online (nifty!)
| Category | FanArt |
| Medium | Photoshop |
| Suit | Hearts |
| Subject | Optimus Prime |
| Style | Digital Illustration |
Lore
Optimus Prime was created as the last of the Thirteen, the first generation of Transformers, each created directly by Primus as a band of unique warriors to combat and defeat Unicron. Upon his creation, Optimus united the Thirteen by his greeting: “All are one.” While all of the other members of the Thirteen each possessed unique abilities and artifacts, Optimus wielded no special powers or weapons. It was only through his vision and encouraging words that allowed the Thirteen to finally defeat Unicron.
In response to Megatron’s attempts to seize the AllSpark and conquer other worlds, Optimus assumed his proper title and rallied the Autobots to stand against the Decepticons.
As obsessively as Megatron strives to achieve his objective, Optimus is equally as dedicated to stopping him even at the cost of his life, his world and – if necessary – his own people. It was on his order that the AllSpark was jettisoned into space, dooming Cybertron to a slow death and his people to a nomadic life. The sacrifices he has made weigh heavily on his spark, but they must be done for there is no other choice. He knows the ambitions that lurk in his brother’s spark and they must never see the light of day. Lives must be kept free from the threat of Megatron’s tyranny, no matter the cost.
Process
Here’s the animated process for Optimus Prime that I made out of the individual layers:
Phew that was a fun one!
Clubs
“Push through the Pain. Giving Up Hurts More.”
After perenially being in the shadow of Son-Goku, Vegeta, the proud prince of the Saiyans eventually accepted the role of “second best” and settled on Earth. It was the legend of the Dragon Balls that drew him, and it were the Dragon Balls that forever altered his fate, in life and in death. Following a transition first from villian, then anti-hero and finally reluctant hero I found him to be a good fit for the Suit of Clubs. One of the most recognizable characters in Manga history, Vegeta while sometimes cruel and unforgiving in his fighting style eventually found a cause worth committing to. Even discovering something resembling a sense of humor along the way. One of my all time favorites, this tortured Saiyan is the perfect embodiment of “never giving up”!
- This is a digital collage of about 25 bitmap layers. Using my mouse and standard Photoshop brushes and layer blend modes. The cards and textures I got from FusRoDa and edited them to suit our needs.. I also tried to preserve as many of the steps as possible for the process animation. I then made the animation in Premiere Pro CC, simplified it, sped it up, added inserts, rendered it as an mp4 video file and then converted it to an animated gif online (nifty!) with 25 fps 🙂
| Category | #FanArt |
| Medium | Photoshop |
| Suit | Clubs |
| Character | Vegeta |
| Universe | Dragon Ball |
| Style | Digital Illustration |
| Original Artists | Akira Toriyama |
| First Apperance | 1988 |
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…Don’t remind me. I’m mad enough to hurt somebody and pounding you just might be the therapy I need.
Lore
From a young age, Vegeta (ベジータ Bejīta) showed tremendous power even by the standards of First-Class warriors and the royal bloodline of the Saiyan race, able to effortlessly defeat eight Saibamen simultaneously and noted to have even surpassed his father, King Vegeta, putting his power level over 10,000. By the time he first arrived on Earth as an adult, his power reached about 18,000, putting him well above Nappa, who proudly declared he was the second strongest Saiyan ever. Once fighting against Goku, it took Goku tripling his power with the Kaioken to overpower the prince. Even when battle-worn from Goku’s various energy attacks, Vegeta showed remarkable resilience, able to continue fighting against the Earth’s defenders and even hold his own against the Great Ape Gohan.
Regal, egotistical, and full of pride, Vegeta was once a ruthless, cold-blooded warrior and outright killer, but later abandons his role in the Galactic Frieza Army, instead opting to remain and live on Earth, fighting alongside the universe’s most powerful warrior, specifically with the mission to defeat and surpass Goku in power. His character evolves from villain, to anti-hero, to a hero through the course of the series.
Process
Here’s the animated process for Vegeta that I made out of the individual layers. This is a digital Illustration with some collage elements so I borrowed freely from established imagery for this one like the the Shenron dragon and the stencils at the end. The suit of clubs is going to follow an ink/water theme and should portray antiheroes.
“I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure.”
Ellen Ripley (as played by Sigourney Weaver) was the only survivor of the starship Nostromo after its deadly encounter with the titular Alien. A classic horror movie at its core, the Alien universe has branched out considerably since its humble beginnings in the seventies. H.R. Gigers iconic Alien design imbued these creatures with an aura of unknown danger and Ripley would go on to encounter these terrifying beings on several occasions. Fighting them, understanding them and becoming weirdly connected to the Xenomorphs and their queen, her adventure had no shortage of strange twists. The whole series has abundant imagery of egg, fertility and queen imagery making it rather Freudian on the whole. Ripley is one of the most recognizable science fiction characters and a testament to the badassery of female willpower and strength. Her appearance in Aliens is particularly hailed as influential in future action films starring women.
- This is a digital collage of about 30 bitmap layers. Using my mouse and standard Photoshop brushes and layer blend modes. The cards and textures I got from FusRoDa and edited them to suit our needs along with the photos and alien stencils. I also tried to preserve as many of the steps as possible for the process animation. I then made the animation in Premiere Pro CC, simplified it, sped it up, added inserts, rendered it as an mp4 video file and then converted it to an animated gif online (nifty!) with 25 fps 🙂
This is the source photo I used for this, isn’t she awesome?
| Category | #FanArt |
| Medium | Photoshop |
| Suit | Clubs |
| Character | Ellen Ripley |
| Universe | Alien |
| Style | Digital Illustration |
| Original Artists | H.R. Giger, Ridley Scott |
| First Apperance | 1979 |
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- “Final report, the commercial star-ship Nostromo. Third officer reporting. The other members of the crew—Kane, Lambert, Parker, Brett, Ash, and Captain Dallas—are dead. Cargo and ship destroyed. I should reach the frontier within six weeks. With a little luck the network will pick me up. This is Ripley, last survivor of the Nostromo, signing off.”
Lore
Ripley is a strong-willed woman who rarely gets emotional, but when she does so, deals with it without it interfering with her purpose at hand. She has a professionalism, a person who would follow the rules when required in her early career, such as when Lambert and Dallas demanded they and an infected Kane be allowed into the ship despite there being a 24hr quarantine (The rule was broken by Ash, the android science officer of the Nostromo)
The events on board the Nostromo, heavily traumatized Ripley and affected her greatly after being brought out of a unusually long hypersleep, she suffered from nightmares related to the creature and while trying to get her concerns over to others, her anger got the better of her and she thus lost her flight license. Possessing little tolerance from now on for the company and their cover up, she wanted nothing to do with the aliens ever again, however her trauma was impacting her life so much she found the courage to face them again to maybe get a closure on the events she witnessed on board the Nostromo.
OPEN FILE 9376-FGDB
NAME: Ellen Louise RIPLEY
Warrant Officer, NOC-1
COMPANY ASSIGNMENTS:
U.S.C.S. NOSTROMO, class M towing vehicle, Reg. No. 180924609
Crew of 7 (cryosleep mode)
Cargo: refinery, processing 20,000,000 tons of mineral ore.
Departure: LNB-14(transit via the Solomons CT) 2/17/34 ERT
Arrival: SECURITY CLASSIFIED/cf. Document 81 under File BG97-G
Process
Here’s the animated process for the Ripley that I made out of the individual layers. This is a digital Illustration with some collage elements so I borrowed freely from established imagery for this one. I’m also trying to make a unique transition at the end of each card. Hope you dig it.
Quest almost complete! Most cards are done, this really took on a life of its own didn’t it? Hope you enjoyed Ellen Ripley as the “Queen of Clubs”!
“ *-koff- As Mark…Twain said…-koff- I forget what the hell Twain said, but I ain’t dead.* “
Born as James Howlett in the late 19th century, the mutant known as “Logan” or by his X-Men name “Wolverine” is perhaps the most battle hardened human to have ever lived having fought in every major conflict of the 20th century. And that he lived he indeed owed to his mutation that afforded him with rapid regeneration, physical strength and an unusually long life. Lest we forget Wolverine’s trade mark claws made out of bone that were later covered in Adamantium when Logan was captured and used for the Weapon X program. One of the most iconic comic book characters of all time, Logan redeemed himself for much of his earlier deeds when he was taken under the wing of Prof. Charles X. Xavier and then firmly stood on the side of the good as part of the X-Men, well chaotic good anyways.
- This is a digital collage of about 25 bitmap layers. Using my mouse and standard Photoshop brushes and layer blend modes. The cards and textures I got from FusRoDa and edited them to suit our needs along with the Imperial Logo and Tie Fighter. I also tried to preserve as many of the steps as possible for the process animation. I then made the animation in Premiere Pro CC, simplified it, sped it up, added inserts, rendered it as an mp4 video file and then converted it to an animated gif online (nifty!) with 25 fps 🙂
| Category | #FanArt |
| Medium | Photoshop |
| Suit | Clubs |
| Character | James Howlett/Logan |
| Universe | Marvel |
| Style | Digital Illustration |
| Original Artists | Len Wein, Roy Thomas, John Romita |
| First Apperance | 1974 |
…I’m Wolverine. *I’m the best there is at what I do, but what I do best isn’t very nice*.
Lore
Wolverine is a gruff loner who had a strong sense of personal honor. He also had a wild, animal-like nature to him and a savage, or “berserker,” rage which he tried to control. He is also perfectly at home in the wilderness. He is known as one of the most fearless, brave, and dangerous men in the world, stated by Steve Rogers. Wolverine had established himself quickly as the X-Man most willing to “permanently” deal with their adversaries. He developed close friendships with his teammates Nightcrawler, whose personality diametrically opposed Wolverine’s, and Colossus, who often performed the “fastball special” with him. He was something of a father figure to Natasha Romanoff, Shadowcat, Rogue, X-23, and Jubilee. He loved many women, including Rose, Itsu, Viper, Silver Fox, Phoenix, and Mariko. There is only a few people that Wolverine truly trusted, which are Captain America (Steve Rogers), Nick Fury, Jean Grey, and Spider-Man (Peter Parker).
Process
Here’s the animated process for Logan that I made out of the individual layers. This is a digital Illustration with some collage elements so I borrowed freely from established imagery for this one like the X-Men logo and the classic Wolverine icon. The suit of clubs is going to follow an ink/water theme and should portray antiheroes. I’m also trying to make a unique transition at the end of each card. Hope you dig it.
“Come with me if you want to live.”
Originally sent back through time by a rogue A.I. called “Skynet”, the T-800 Terminator Model was chosen as the Assassin to take out Sarah Connor, the leader of the future resistance. In its first iteration, the Terminator was a truly merciless and frightening opponent that would stop at nothing to fulfil its programming of ruthless termination. Capable of adapting to combat situations, near indestructability and the mastery of most conceivable weapons, In later versions the T-800 would be imbued with more human traits and even become an unlikely ally with an even unlikelier sense of humor. This character and role would propel both James Cameron (for directing the movie) and Arnold Schwarzenegger (for his unique acting and appearance) to international super stardom becoming one of the most famous cinema icons of all time. Personally Arnie is one of my absolute favorites and I admit that we’ve been to the museum (several times) in his home town of Thal in Austria but that’s a story for another time. Truly larger than life.
 | It can’t be bargained with. It can’t be reasoned with. It doesn’t feel pity or remorse or fear and it absolutely will not stop EVER until you are dead! |  |
|---|---|---|
| – Kyle Reese telling Sarah how deadly the Terminator is |
- This is a digital collage of about 46 bitmap layers. Using my mouse and standard Photoshop brushes and layer blend modes. The cards and textures I got from FusRoDa and edited them to suit our needs along with the movie posters, water color textures and Arnie photos. I also tried to preserve as many of the steps as possible for the process animation. I then made the animation in Premiere Pro CC, simplified it, sped it up, added inserts, rendered it as an mp4 video file and then converted it to an animated gif online (nifty!) with 25 fps 🙂
This is the source photo I used for this. Classic movie posters have a wonderful nostalgic energy don’t you think?
| Category | #FanArt |
| Medium | Photoshop |
| Suit | Clubs |
| Character | T-800 Model |
| Universe | Terminator |
| Style | Digital Illustration |
| Original Artists | James Cameron, Arnold Schwarzenegger |
| First Apperance | 1984 |
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- The Skynet Funding Bill is passed. The system goes on-line August 4th, 1997. Human decisions are removed from strategic defense. Skynet begins to learn at a geometric rate. It becomes self-aware at 2:14 a.m. Eastern time, August 29th. In a panic, they try to pull the plug.
Lore
The Cyberdyne Systems Model 101 Series 800 Terminator was sent by Skynet in 2029 to Los Angeles in 1984 to kill Sarah Connor, the future mother of John Connor, the leader of the future human Resistance. It was the first of the Infiltrators sent back on assassination missions by Skynet, and is arguably the single most significant Terminator unit as it inadvertently “fathered” Skynet in its journey through time, similar to how Kyle Reese fathered John Connor in his.
In comparison to most other Terminators, who could exhibit emotional attachment, frustration, shock, fear and a sense of humour, the first T-800 was extremely emotionless, cold, violent and ruthless. It almost never showed any facial expression beyond a cold and flat face, and it usually only spoke when it meant to engage others for information or when it intended to throw unwanted attention off of itself. The T-800 was noted to have an “attitude problem,” tending to physically throw others out of its way to get past them or to use a phone booth. The T-800 was also very brutal and completely merciless, and was quick to killing when others in any way didn’t cooperate with its plans and demands. Like most Terminators, the first T-800 was single-mindedly and inhumanly relentless in completing its mission at all costs, to the point that it continued its pursuit of Sarah Connor without giving up, even when it lost its skin sheath and its legs in the process.
Process
Here’s the animated process for Arnie’s T-800 that I made out of the individual layers. This is a digital Illustration with some collage elements so I borrowed freely from established imagery for this one. I’m also trying to make a unique transition at the end of each card. Hope you dig it. A Tutorial on how all of this works is still to follow too 🙂
Wow I actually completed all 16 face cards! What started with a random experiment on the Harley Quinn Card turned into a creative journey of epic proportions. I wanted to thank all of you for your thoughtful suggestions, feedback, critique and encouragement. It helps more than you know!
Diamonds
“If you wanna talk to me, do it while I cut you to pieces. But, I’m not gonna hold back one bit! Bankai!”
As a perennial understudy to both Captain Byakuya Kuchiki of the 6th Shinigami Division and later to Ichigo, Abarai Renji eventually came into his own as one of the strongest characters in Bleach after confronting his fears and allowing his stubborn nature to be more accepting of help from others. A hot head in his younger days as Lieutenant of the 6th, he later tempered himself and managed to subdue his more primal sides. A disciplined martial artist, Renji calls upon the wild forces of his Zabimaru Bankai. Deeply protective of his friends, this Shinigami expert is a dangerous opponent in any situation.
- This is a digital illustration of about 38 bitmap layers. Using my mouse and standard Photoshop brushes and layer blend modes. The cards and textures I got from FusRoDa and edited them to suit our needs. The flame footage I got from the wicked creative commons video repository Pexels – I also tried to preserve as many of the steps as possible for the process animation. I then made the animation in Premiere Pro CC, simplified it, sped it up, added inserts, rendered it as an mp4 video file and then converted it to an animated gif online (nifty!)
| Category | #FanArt |
| Medium | Pencils & Photoshop |
| Suit | Diamonds |
| Character | Renji Abarai |
| Style | Digital Illustration |
| Original Artists | Tite Kubo |
| First Apperance | 2006 |
“A man who raises his hands on a woman is trash. If I have to become trash in order to survive… It’ll be just like dying.”
Lore
Renji has brown eyes and long crimson hair, which is usually kept in a high ponytail. As a child, Renji’s hairline was leveled. Later, he styled it in a large widow’s-peak. His upper body is covered in tribal tattoos, which have increased over time, starting from his early days as an academy student to covering his entire back, much of his chest, his extremities, and even much of his forehead. He wears a standard Shinigami outfit, though he usually includes some sort of headgear, usually expensive glasses, or a white headband when he is saving up to purchase some new glasses. Despite being of appropriate rank, Renji does not wear his Division’s lieutenant badge. While out of uniform, Renji often wears a white kimono-like type of night clothing, with pink floral patterns on it, and a dark grey sash tied around his waist. It has also been said “that the women within his Division do not mind that he usually walks around in his night clothing.”
Process
Here’s the animated process for Renji as the Jack of Diamonds that I made out of the individual layers. I reverse engineered the beginning stages of the drawing. I’m gonna have a look around for the original sketches, those are still knocking about somewhere. I’m also trying to make a unique transition at the end of each card. This time I used some extra plugins for Premiere from Boris Continuum to achieve some effects. Hope you dig it.
Card number “9” takes us into the realm of Anime and Manga for the first time. Also sticking with the flame theme for the suit of diamonds methinks.
“I am gonna ask you questions. And every time you don’t give me answers, I’m gonna cut something off. And I promise you, they will be things you will miss.”
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. When Bill shot Beatrix Kiddo at her own wedding he did not make sure that she was indeed dead. Eventually waking from a lengthy coma, Kiddo would go on one of the most violent, righteous and stylish revenge killing sprees in movie history. Kill Bill as such is a gorgeously crafted homage to Spaghetti Westerns and Kung-Fu movies with a special eye for composition and design. A master of the ancient japanese Katana blade, Beatrix (who went by the code name Black Mamba in her assassin days) is emancipated badassery in its purest form.
- This is a digital collage of about 28 bitmap layers. Using my mouse and standard Photoshop brushes and layer blend modes. The cards and textures I got from FusRoDa and edited them to suit our needs along with the movie poster and yellow jump suit. I also tried to preserve as many of the steps as possible for the process animation. I then made the animation in Premiere Pro CC, simplified it, sped it up, added inserts, rendered it as an mp4 video file and then converted it to an animated gif online (nifty!) with 25 fps 🙂
| Category | #FanArt |
| Medium | Photoshop |
| Suit | Spades |
| Character | Beatrix “The Bride” Kiddo |
| Universe | Tarantinoverse |
| Style | Digital Illustration |
| Original Artists | Quentin Tarantino |
| First Apperance | 2003 |
Looked dead, didn’t I? Well, I wasn’t. But it wasn’t from lack of trying, I can tell you that. Actually Bill’s last bullet put me in a coma–a coma I was to lie in for four years. When I woke up, I went on what the movie advertisements refer to as…’A roaring rampage of revenge.’ I roared and I rampaged, and I got bloody satisfaction. I’ve killed a hell of a lot of people to get to this point, but I have only one more. The last one. The one I’m driving to right now. The only one left. And when I arrive at my destination, I am gonna kill Bill.
Lore
Beatrix Kiddo was once a member of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, a group of highly trained assassins each working under a snake themed aliases. In the Squad Kiddo went by the name Black Mamba and worked for her employer/lover Bill, code named Snake Charmer. Each member of the squad had one area they excelled at over the others, Black Mamba’s was blade master, specifically katana’s as a favored weapon. Kiddo was specially trained in martial-arts by a master monk named Pai Mei and was one of only three of the six assassins who would ever receive such prestige training, along with Bill she was also the only one to complete said training. On a routine assassination assignment in China, Beatrix discovered she was pregnant and defaulted on her contract, thanks to her target’s own counter assassin, who allowed her to back-out once both realized Black Mamba’s baby would drive her into retirement.
Armed with the only type of blade she considered worthy of killing Bill and his Squad Beatrix began the main crux of her quest to wipe-out each member of the Deadly Vipers Assassination Squad, Cottonmouth – the sword-master and crime-boss, Copperhead – the knife master, Sidewinder- the gun master and tactician, Californian Mountain Snake- the trap/poison master and Snake Charmer- the Squad’s leader and mastermind. The Bride took on each of her targets one by one saving Bill for the last.
Process
Here’s the animated process for Kiddo that I made out of the individual layers. This is a digital Illustration with some collage elements so I borrowed freely from established imagery for this one like the Kill Bill movie poster and Bruce Lee’s yellow jump suit. As you have noticed by now the suit of diamonds follows a flame theme!
“I’m not up on my voodooo lore, but nothing I heard about it involved radioactivity.”
Perhaps it was immoral to make billions selling weapons to the highest bidder. But it is undeniably impressive for a man to break out of a guarded military complex in Afghanistan by building a power suit out of scrap metal. Through ingenuity, engineering prowess and an unlimited budget, Tony Stark was able to perfect the Iron Man model power suit and Arc Reactor technology in several incarnations and thus be able to adapt and in fact dominate most combat scenarios via hardware and AI advantage against opponents both terrestial, super human and alien. As one of the founding members of the fading Avengers Initiative it was Tony who’s humanity and resolve was perhaps tested the hardest by friend and foe alike. With the coming of Thanos and the assembly of the Infinity Gauntlet looming it seems that this Avenger’s hardest trial is only just beginning.
- This is a digital illustration of about 32 bitmap layers. Using my mouse and standard Photoshop brushes and layer blend modes. The cards and textures I got from FusRoDa and edited them to suit our needs. The flame footage I got from the wicked creative commons video repository Pexels– I also tried to preserve as many of the steps as possible for the process animation. I then made the animation in Premiere Pro CC, simplified it, sped it up, added inserts, rendered it as an mp4 video file and then converted it to an animated gif online (nifty!)
| Category | #FanArt |
| Medium | Pencils & Photoshop |
| Suit | Diamonds |
| Character | Iron Man |
| Style | Digital Illustration |
| Original Artists | Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Don Heck, Jack Kirby |
| First Apperance | 1963 |
“Well, look–scarcity, need, desire–ugly as these things can be, they’re the building blocks of most any societal structure. With nothing to lose, there’s no sacrifice. When you need for nothing, do you dream of anything? From struggle comes virtue. It’s part of our nature.”
Lore
Tony Stark was enrolled in boarding school at six, where he would soon start experimenting with erector sets. He went on to be his high school valedictorian. He then joins an undergraduate program at MIT where he majored in physics and engineering. Double majors in physics and engineering were easy for him.He drifted into his 20’s and became the idle rich. Shiftless and rootless and traipsed around the world turning into a jet set playboy adventurer. When he was 21, he inherited his father’s business, Stark Industries, and within a few years turned it into a multi-billion dollar industry complex whose chief contracts were for advanced weaponry and munitions for the U.S. government. Also buying the company that built the car and redesigned the brakes and fixed any of its future flaws.
Process
Here’s the animated process for Iron Man as the King of Diamonds that I made out of the individual layers. I reverse engineered the beginning stages of the drawing. I’m gonna have a look around for the original sketches, those are still knocking about somewhere. I’m also trying to make a unique transition at the end of each card. Hope you dig it.
“It’s dangerous to go alone! Take this.”
Link is the pereniallly mute (“…”) yet always courageous hero of the Legend of Zelda series. It is certainly one of the most fun and lovingly crafted game universes of all time, a gorgeous tale of good vs evil but at the end of the day it’s all about saving the Princess! This character from Super Mario inventor Shigeru Miyamoto is a reflection of the player, thus you, giving you an array of tools to beat the adventure in your style of choosing. Zelda has existed in so many visual styles already but always remains recognizable at its core as one of the greatest games and stories of all time.
- This is a digital collage of about 43 bitmap layers. Using my mouse and standard Photoshop brushes and layer blend modes. The cards and textures I got from FusRoDa and edited them to suit our needs along with the screenshots, concept art and stencils. I also tried to preserve as many of the steps as possible for the process animation. I then made the animation in Premiere Pro CC, simplified it, sped it up, added inserts, rendered it as an mp4 video file and then converted it to an animated gif online (nifty!) with 25 fps 🙂
| Category | #FanArt |
| Medium | Photoshop |
| Suit | Diamonds |
| Character | Link |
| Universe | The Legend of Zelda |
| Style | Digital Illustration |
| Original Artists | Shigeru Miyamoto |
| First Apperance | 1987 |
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- “After the gods had finished their work, they left the world, but not before creating a symbol of their strength, a golden triangle known as the Triforce. A small but powerful portion of the essence of the gods was held in this mighty artifact, which was to guide intelligent life on the world of Hyrule.”
The Creation of Hyrule
A Link to the Past Manual
Lore
Link (リンク Rinku) the main protagonist of the Legend of Zeldaseries. In all games thus far, Link has been descended from the Hylians. In A Link to the Past, Link is said to be the last descendant of the Knights of Hyrule, and as such is destined to rescue Princess Zelda. In many games, he has or earns the Triforce mark on the back of his left hand, either to signify possession of the Triforce of Courage or, in some cases, to simply signify his exemplary courage.
In that way, he was made blank so the human player can fill him with his/her own characteristics, experiences, motivations, feelings, thoughts and emotions. While he is traditionally known as Link, even his name is chosen by the player.[44] This is in order to allow the player to enter this fantasy world and to have an intimate experience with it, and with those who live in it. So, the intention is for his role in dialog and plot to be filled with the words and thoughts of the player, to some extent. His speech is usually replaced with simple and concise answers that the player can pick.
Link also seems to have a particular fondness for sleeping. Most of the games begin with him oversleeping and having to be woken up by some other character. This seems to be done to show that at the beginning of the game he is a regular boy, while by the end he is a true hero.
Process
Here’s the animated process for Link that I made out of the individual layers. This is a digital Illustration with some collage elements so I borrowed freely from established imagery for this one. I’m also trying to make a unique transition at the end of each card. Hope you dig it.
Power, Wisdom and Courage my friends! I can’t believe I’ve almost completed all of the face cards. The Zelda series is one of my favorite things ever and I must admit I’m even sportin’ some Triforce Ink ;).