Digital Art | tdcollins

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Digital Art

I seem to have a one-track mind when it comes to digital painting. But I can't help it, I love to create creatures, aliens, and characters. I've done so ever since I was in elementary. Science fiction and fantasy have always heavily influenced my work in both music and digital art. I only ever use Photoshop and ProCreate when I work on digital art. Mostly due to the simple fact that I've only ever used these tools. I know them like the back of my hand.

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Tattoo Design

Sine Anima

However rare it might be to create digital art for a client, I have only ever done so for people I know and trust. People tend to hire you because they love your work only to try and force you to create out of your comfort zone. And, most seem to think, in lieu of payment you should just feel honored to create something free for them. This is a back tattoo created for a friend. As I write this, he is still saving up his money while he searches for a tattoo artist he can trust.

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Alien Design Concept 1

Tripod

Did you ever see Steven Spielberg’s War of the Worlds? I loved that movie mostly because of one thing. The alien design! Even in the original version, they stayed clear of any “human” characteristics. I understand the concept and reasoning behind humanoid aliens in shows like Star Trek or Star Wars. Mostly because you need to have an emotional attachment to some of these characters. But, sometimes you don’t. So yes, I was enormously influenced by that movie (and a dash of Alien) to create my own tripod creature.

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Alien Design Concept 2

Bipedal

In that same spirit as the “Tripod” alien, I looked into doing a bipedal version. By the look of it, seems more like it’s a cow-like creature. Slow-moving and lumbering about its environment. Whatever that might be. Speaking of which, it’s quite the challenge to create an alien environment without it coming off a bit cliche. I mean, I guess you could say the same about these designs. But it’s still fun to do!

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Fantasy

The Orc King

Sometimes I will spend months on a project. Think it’s done only to come back to add more details. When this happens, I know I have to follow my instincts and take my time. This is why it’s important to me to work on my own personal work. No time frame, no client telling me to change anything. Just me, creating what I want, how I want it, and when I want! I think it’s important for artists of all kinds to do this. Keeps you loving what you do!

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Character Design

The Traveler

Remember when I said some aliens need to have a humanoid appearance? This is one of those. True, there are some small variances. Has only three fingers, grey skin, and what-not. But for the most part, he is recognizable and relatable through facial expressions. You can tell what he is feeling without words. When I was younger, that would always frustrate me. Aliens wouldn’t all look HUMAN! But when you think about it, how attached would you get to a blob?

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Character Design

The Alien

The face of the tripod alien. By the looks of it, you would think it wasn’t a friendly sort of alien. I would expect to see razor-sharp teeth or something. Actually, if I were to create a version with a focus on its teeth, I think I would make it one uniform row. A solid razor-sharp plate with a jagged edge. I assume it would also be very quick and agile. It’s fun to think about this sort of thing!

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Science Fiction

Los Angeles

Oh, look! A non-alien concept! All I can say is, “Where is my flying CAR!?” I remember in 8th grade scribbling on my deck to find out how old I will be in the year 2000. I thought for sure we would have anti-gravity autos by then. You know, right out of Bladerunner. How awesome was that movie? And The Fifth Element? Could watch those movies over and over again and never be bored. Anyway, here is non-alien digital art.