I have been working with another artist on a cover for a dice box.  My contribution is to provide the top box art, which he will then use a laser etcher to add to the precision-cut wood boxes.  At present, we’ve landed on a 10″ by 2″ box (5:1 aspect ratio).   The current piece is just me going a bit silly on the rendering since ultimately the final piece, minus either of us doing post etch work, will come out black and white. If I was serious about it, I would clean up my lines and coloring.  Nevertheless, I thought it a pretty cool design worth sharing.

I’ve been sorta been dragging my feet on doing value studies using movie scenes, although I know they are highly recommended by a lot of people online.  I have really no good reason for this aversion per se, but I’ve always been adverse to using references.  I mean, I use them from time to time, but I have long-standing belief started in childhood that everything had to come from my head, or directly by examination of 3D objects – never 2D photos – in order to qualify as an artist or art.  At some point, I should post on that but I digress.  Regardless, I know it’s something I really need to get over.