For this week's character of the week we'll take a look at Torog's Brain-Bot-3.0.
The thing that attracted me to this is the attention to detail used when constructing the subject. This is especially prevalent around the centre of the picture, the rocket mechanism made from the glove and shoulder items. The masking here really works, sometimes masking to join two items together can leave a mismatched line along the join, but here there doesn't appear to be one.
Also, the design is very well thought out, it looks like it could conceivably be used in either a comic or a sci-fi movie. The item choices work well together and nothing seems out of place. There is also a menacing quality to the machine, having no face (the essential part of the anatomy for human interaction, without it there is no emotion, something which is inherently unnerving to us) as well as the large, fearsome looking claws, which, coupled with the non-humanoid body structure, suggests something alien and antagonistic.
The final thing I like about this piece is how it is finished. The colour choices for the body help the menacing aura, being dark and dingy. This is nicely juxtaposed against the bright and brilliant flame from the booster, although this may have been enhanced if there was some sort of reflective glow on the adjacent bodywork. Finally, the shading is very effective, especially on the claws and head. There are still some bits that could have been shaded where they aren't, but there is a very good contrast between light and dark, especially as the dark seems to be more prevalent on the main body whilst the light is more noticeable on the extremities, such as the head, booster and claws.
I think what makes some robot/drone type characters scary to normal humans is kinda what you said about it not really having a face. There’s really no way to read its body language or emotions. Unless it’s screaming kill or destroy in a garbeled robotic voice and trying to shoot lazers at you. Being that it has projectile weapons as well as huge blades i would think it’s safe to say he’s not a surgen or looking to launch newspapers.
First I would like to say that this is just one of many creations from Torog that will leave you dumbfounded.In keeping to his form and consistant style he ha managed to once again inspire!The fact that the position of the arms are not the ame and it looks more like it is alive and active!the shading is more on the darkside and highlights are all in the right place.Love the color choices and the glows are as usual very brilliant and well placed.All and all the whole concept is as JR said ,menacing.It’s stuff like this that really makes me think……”Hmm,what am I doing wrong?”and that’s what makes me aspire to be a bettermachiner.Great work of art!congrats’ Torog!
I am truly honored to be featured here. A big thank you JR and such high praise from Scatman makes me blush a bit. Admittedly this one was a bit of a pain in rear. Lots of backtracking, shading, and items unexplainably going poof. The above image was not the original “final cut”. Being a perfectionist of sorts I see every little detail missing or out of place. It’s not bad but it could be better and all the introspection “aspires me to be a better machiner ” as a great man once said.
Yah. A robotic sentry or low-impact game hunter of free-range food would be about the only ‘peaceful’ app of that–and could be ‘Runaway’ed. Who’s seen the old Tom Selleck flick? Nice one, Torog.
Nice work Torog and good choice JR. A detail I particularly like is the bubbly effect in the brain dome. Little things like that really “sell” an illustration for me.