Nuclear Hellscapes and Travel Posters

Holidays crashed over me and the New Year started pretty rough.

A mix up at the pharmacy has left me with a bit of a brain chemistry issue I’m still dealing with. (For the record; double check labels and spelling on any medications you take.) It’s been a fun month or two.

But despite the weird mood swings, head aches and drowsiness I have actually gotten something done.

Sadly not sure of the

original artists of these

hell we are lucky to have scans in the first place

It might be somewhat obvious on here but I’m a bit of a history nerd.  I also love and collect vintage posters and post cards (well reprints anyway.)  A few years back during a cross country road trip I got introduced to the National Park posters from the Depression era Works Project Administration and fell in love with them.

The Works Project Administration was a program that was part of the New Deal to stimulate the economy and get unemployed folks working. In an attempt to get out of work artists producing and as a way to get art to the lower classes they started commissioning posters for various events and projects. Public Service posters, Health Reminders, local events, and in this case advertising the National Parks. For more information and examples the Library of Congress has more information and over 900 examples of said posters.

Me being a graphic design nerd and a bit of a gamer, I tried this style out for a location in Fallout New Vegas – because making travel posters for imaginary, inhospitable locales amuses me. I had a lot of fun making that poster and it surprisingly was a great eye catcher at my last convention so I decided to try to give it a revisit when I had the chance.

“Say Pal…You Don’t Look So Good…” a step by step technique ramble

Sadly this is what my drawing table looks like AFTER I cleaned it up to work.

I got accepted to a video game themed art show with a deadline of a week or so. So I was short on time and needed to work really quickly.

I go through my list of favorite games and then go over a list of games I like that other people actually remember. My own taste in games tend to run towards the really old or really odd (Evil Genius, Thief the Metal Age, Viscera Clean Up Detail, Katamari Damacy etc.) 

After a bit of kicking around I finally decide to try to do a piece based on my personal favorite time sink, Don’t Starve.  Partially because I really like the style of the game, and partially because there’s a good chance that people might actually recognize that one.(My masterpiece based on a sci-fi mopping simulator will have to wait for another occasion. )