Tag Archives: Halo Infinite

A Knight to Remember

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What I’m Drawing

Earlier in the month I had some time off work. It was supposed to be a family vacation that vanished into nothingness, but I didn’t feel like cancelling my time off, so I used it to my advantage. A full-blown colour piece. It was initially supposed to be just a quick one-night pin-up. No perfect ink or colour. But after finishing that, I found I wasn’t satisfied. The piece wasn’t strong enough to post or share, but the concept was strong enough to warrant a do-over, and so I did. Roughly 4 hours a day spread out over the 7 days off. And the result I am very happy with. Got it turned into one of my annual posters for the wall rotation too.

Aloy, from Horizon series. Below is the Ink, some details, and the final.

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What I’m Reading

In an attempt to improve, I recently got some new art books, focused on composition, and figure drawing. As I mentioned in a post earlier this month, my goals for 2023 are to do more colour and scene pieces, less straight up pin-up left at the outline stage. I want to add more to the inked piece, with shadow and rendering, and then add more background or scene elements, lighting, etc.

Also just finished reading another auto-bio-graphic-novel It’s Lonely at the Centre of the Earth by Zoe Thorogood. Like Ducks, which I read earlier this year, it’s a journaling of the writer’s life and career over a 6-month period, about her story, her art, her mental health struggles, etc. That’s a disservice of an explanation, but the book is very good, and deals with some heavy material, so not recommended for anyone that might not be in the best head space themselves. But one might find it relatable. I dunno.

  • Less: A Novel
  • The Wheel of Time Book 10

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What I’m Playing

Finally jumped back into The Witcher III after a brief trip that was Immortals Fenyx Rising. I had started The Witcher first, but it had a slow start and I was craving something a little more action-y. But now that I’m done with Fenyx, back to the Witcher. And happy to report that I’m fully invested again. The story has really picked up, and the combat gameplay, I’m starting to learn, has many strategic layers.

In the co-op space, after finishing Far Cry 6, we’ve moved onto Gotham Knights. A very pretty multiplayer Batman universe game. You can play as Batgirl, Red Hood, Nightwing, or Robin. It’s a very strong presentation, but maybe not quite at the level that the Arkham series left us expecting. It’s very pretty, as I mentioned, but the combat is not as nuanced. There’s also gear scores which are lame. But we’re still early on, so more thoughts on it later.

  • Recently Completed: AER

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What I’m Watching

  • The Last of Us
  • Andor
  • Babylon
  • The Witcher S2
  • Ted Lasso S3

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Lastly, I haven’t shared these in a while, last posted here was Episode 4 I believe?… but I’m up to Episode 9 of my Halo Minute: Co-op Misadventure Halo Infinite video series:

Take care,
iRogan
G360,350

Oh My Days

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I took some time off after Easter as a mental break, but also as a cleaning break. Spring Cleaning I guess? But also I haven’t really had any real breaks from work since last summer. So some time off was overdue.

Plus, the boys were about to start up again in daycare / pre-school. The wife ready to go back to work. Easter was already a four-day long weekend, so I tacked on the week after as holidays. Cleaned the house, cleaned the garage. It was cathartic in a way, but ended up not being a relaxing time off at all. But I didn’t turn the computer on a single time, so that was one positive.

Which means I didn’t draw. I actually hadn’t done any drawing since I finished the last Stranger Than Friendship comic. Which tends to happen for some reason. They take a toll on me creatively more than my other art projects. Plus, obviously, the screen break plays a role. Which got me thinking about getting back into physical art again, and not relying solely on the computer. So I’ve bought myself a toy to try out. Deliver me my Huion LED Lightbox!:

I did some research and its one of the better reviewed options available. And it’s portable. Which is good because I don’t have any spare room on my computer desk.

I think I’ll still do my layouts/sketches on the computer, and then print it out and lightbox it for Pencils, Inks, Watercolour, etc. We’ll see how it goes.

I’ve always had this nagging feeling that I wanted to do my wrestling comic traditionally with pencil and ink, and then just scan for colour and the rest. So now I can give that a go.

// What I’m Drawing

I did a quick cartoon drawing that I’ve had in the back of my head for a while, ever since watching the movie Luca:

Luca is a Disney movie about a fish boy who travels to land. When he’s above water he’s in human form, but underwater he’s more of an underwater mermaid boy. Obviously being a Disney property, he’s a very cartoony character design. But, I always thought it would be funny to do a darker, Tim Burton-ish version. More of a sea monster type.

So I drew this up quick last night and I think this will be my jump-back-into-physical-art attempt. I’ll print the sketch, lightbox the pencil onto watercolour paper, and then finish as a watercolour.

I should have a finished product by my next update, and hopefully keep it from my 3yo toddler who enjoys the movie. Wouldn’t want to spoil that for him…

Besides that I have a few projects cooking:

  • X-Ladies group shot: adding Magik and 1970s Mystique to the group, and then colour
  • Angela – colour
  • Harley Quinn
  • Finish Goblin Queen

And a few projects simmering in my head:

  • Let Me Solo Her (Elven Ring community player 😉 )
  • Deadpool
  • Scarlet Witch (hopefully before the movie comes out)
  • Boba Fett

Also I have the next Stranger Than Friendship webcomic idea, revolving around the popular game Wordle. I actually collaborated with a friend on this one. My idea/plot, but he volunteered to do the script.

// What I’m Playing

Knee deep in Halo Infinite. Half way through the campaign on Legendary; having just finished Mission 8 – Pelican Down and the 2 bosses. I’ve also been grinding through the collectibles as well, so it’s slow going. So far the campaign has been a lot of fun, feels like I’m at the part where its starting to really shine, and has an enjoyable story thus far.

Next week Season 2 of the multiplayer kicks off, so I’ll also be playing around in that. Trying out the new maps and modes, and the new Battle Pass.

In co-op, I’ve been playing Sea of Thieves – Pirates of the Caribbean Adventure. And also Grounded. Slowly expanding our base out a bit and exploring/completing objectives/crafting. We recently finished the Jungle Lab and stumbled across a might scary Spider Tunnel:

At home, my wife has volunteered me as the bug killer/catcher, so I wouldn’t say I’m afraid of spiders or bugs in general. But in-game, regardless of the game, I have a few phobias: Being underwater (very stressful / claustrophobic), and real world creatures, that are bigger than me, in-game. Like the Spiders in Grounded. Especially the Wolf Spiders. They’re just mean. Anyways, this spider web nest was creepy as hell and I was not interested in sticking around.

// What I’m Reading

  • Week of April 13th
  • Nocterra #9
  • King Spawn #9
  • Batman/Catwoman #11
  • Batgirls #5
  • Week of April 20th
  • Batman: The Knight #4
  • Blue & Gold #8
  • Catwoman: lonely City #3
  • Hulk #6
  • The Nice House on the Lake #8
  • The Walking Dead Deluxe #37

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I think that wraps up the last few weeks. Stay safe.

G325,501
iRogan

I… Cyberpunk

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So I finally decided to pick up Cyberpunk 2077. After many issues with the launch, I held off, and I wanted the Xbox Series X improvements when I played it. So I waited, and the patch has finally been released. So I think my updated queue looks like this:

  • Watch Dogs: Legion
  • Halo Infinite Campaign
  • Cyberpunk 2077
  • …infinite number of other games I own but haven’t played…

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What I’m Playing

I’m about half way through Watch Dogs last time I checked, and I’ve been putting more time into it lately as I wind down my Halo gaming. I’m level 90 in the Halo Battle Pass and will be playing this week as the Tenrai Fracture event is back for wave 4. But after that, the Battle Pass goes until May, so I’ll have some free time. So I’ll wrap up Watch Dogs, then jump into the Halo Campaign finally, so I don’t get rusty. And then try out Cyberpunk 2077.

In co-op we’ve played a bit more Far Cry New Dawn, but not much else going on there.

I also tried out the Crossfire X game that came out on Game Pass. The Multiplayer is laughably bad, and I haven’t tried the Single Player campaign yet. It looks like Pt 1 of the Campaign is included in Game Pass as well. IGN gave the game a score of 2/10 for MP and 3/10 for Campaign. So I’m not holding my breath. Also the single player doesn’t have any achievements by the looks of it. May be good for a laugh one night.

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What I’m Drawing

Last week I posted the inked version of the Daredevil and Electra. Well, I present the coloured version:

Overall I’m happy with it. A bit rusty in the colour as I haven’t coloured anything in a month or so…before all the X-Ladies. December maybe? Also coloured in Clip Studio which I am not as well equipped. There were also a few things I wanted to fix with the ink that I’d mentioned last week, but didn’t get around to doing anyone of those, and just coloured it instead. They weren’t noticeable to anyone but me, so would it have really been worth the added effort?

I also had inspiration to draw Kate Bishop from the Hawkeye comic/Disney+ show. Casual version anyways. I had this idea bouncing around since December when the show started streaming and found some time this past weekend.

Now that these two are wrapped up, I do seriously think its time to hit up the wrestling comic again. Even if its not layouts or actual frames, it could be something like these pinups above. Just my own character design instead. That’s progress at least. That’s what I tell myself to keep the flame burning.

But I should list off my other drawing ideas I have simmering to keep me motivated:

  • Medusa (In-Humans) – I want a hair challenge
  • Android 18 (Dragon Ball Z)
  • Angela – Spawn
  • Punchline – Batman
  • Also maybe another Street Fighter, after SF6 announcement.
  • Mystique & Magik (For the X-Men Group) (I dunno maybe not Magik again? I just drew her…)
  • Nightcrawler & Archangel (For the X-Men Group)

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What I’m Reading

  • Batman: The Knight #2
  • King Spawn #7
  • A Righteous Thirst For Vengeance #5
  • Supergirl Woman of Tomorrow #8 of 8
  • The Walking Dead #33

And my delayed Images books from the week before:

  • King of Spies #3
  • Radiant Black #12

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Happy Twosday.
2022/02/22

G318,521
iRogan

Je t’aime. Je te déteste.

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Dear Halo… see above. Thank you. ❤ </3

I was watching some of the Halo Championship Series this weekend to see how good people play. Maybe pick up some tips and ticks. Mostly to unlock some of the Twitch drops. I’m definitely not a pro Halo player, but I can hold my own among my friends. So watching pros play was interesting, depressing, informative, and exhausting. I followed that with a lousy night in-game. Where I couldn’t buy a win.

I still find it surprising how I’ve stayed in the Multiplayer Arena for so long. I looked up my stats and found that I’ve been playing for almost 60hrs and 278 matches. Level 75/100 within the Battle Pass. Over the last 3 months. I really like the battle pass idea, and the weekly challenges mix up which modes I play. I find myself looking forward to Tuesdays when it rolls over.

What I’m Playing

Halo mostly. See above. Also stepped back into Far Cry New Dawn for a bit in co-op. Far Cry 5 / New Dawn I think by a long stretch are the worst in the series to date. But that could also be because I’ve been playing them in co-op and the “co-op” just isn’t implemented ideally. By design. It allows you to play through the whole campaign with a partner but only one of you gets any story progression / story achievements. And I don’t understand why they do this. They were able to figure it out with Ghost Recon, and Borderlands 3, among many other co-op games. Why do they insist on this deal-breaker with Far Cry. Also the game constantly revisits old tropes from previous games, like the drug trips. And its getting old.

I’m hoping Far Cry 6 is better.

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What I’m Drawing

Made more progress with the DareDevils. I’m tempted to colour, but really, I think I’m ready to get back to my comic and take a break from these pin-ups for a beat. I’ll fix up a few things that are nagging at me, like the back of Electra’s mask, where the hair is bundled, and her back foot should be somewhat visible underneath her forward leg. And DareDevil’s mask needs a bit of alignment/touch-up. Otherwise I am pleased with how it turned out.

Eh, maybe I’ll do a colour pass. OK, you’ve convinced me. But then we’re moving on to some comic work. I’ll let the X-men group simmer on the back burner for a bit.

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What I’m Reading

  • Batgirls #3
  • Batman/Catwoman #10
  • Devil’s Reign #4
  • Batman: The Knight #1

Not pictured:

  • King of Spies #3
  • Radiant Black #12

My Image books did not arrive due to trucking delays. I’ll hopefully get them this week. Likely Protests or Freedom Convoy related, or something. Marvel and DC come by air. Image/Indies come by truck.

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Happy Valentines Day
G 317,726
iRogan

New Kid on the Block

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I took a little break from this following the holidays to reset a bit. Enjoyed some time off work. Did some review of the year that was. 2021. You could’ve been a lot nicer, and let’s be fair, the bar was set pretty low. Last week I posted my 2021 Quick Reviews which collected 20 of the most notable games I played last year into a condensed review. I try to do this every year.

I am also grateful that I was able to produce quite a few drawings this year:

// What I’m Drawing

This year I will unquestionably be building out the Gallery pages on this site to showcase my art more. If last year was any indication, I am clearly in a good place to continue drawing more regularly, and posting more often. With that said, I can show off what I’ve already been up to THIS year:

The group isn’t done yet, as I still want to add Rogue. But so far we have Psylocke, X-23/Wolverine, Storm, and Domino. Domino needs some tweaking, Psylocke’s power is unfinished. The composition of the team shot is not final. And I still need to colour it all once I add Rogue. Just trying to decide which costume to use. My overall idea is like the Uncanny X-Men group, hence all the black, and all female. Kind of like a Charlie’s Angels poster. But Charles Xavier’s Angels. I thought it was pretty smart.

// What I’m Playing

I wrapped up Dirt 5. 100% completion unless another DLC is released. We also played some Human Fall Flat and Embr and We Were Here Together in our Co-op nights. Embr is kinda fun. You play as firefighters in a cartoony type game where you have to save people from a burning building, or save their stuff. Or steal it ;). We Were Here Together is a 2-player co-op puzzle game where you are two guys up in the wilderness on an expedition and requires teamwork to solve the puzzles and you communicate through a walkie-talkie (or xbox party chat 😉 ). The puzzles can easily leave you stumped and require some real thought to advance. I am also excited to give Rainbow Six Extraction a show, maybe this week.

Also I’ve been playing a lot of Halo Infinite. Like a lot. And Multiplayer to boot. Which is very unlike me as I am decidedly a Campaign-Only player. But its been a blast. I’ve invested in the Battle Pass, and the Cat Ears, and the timed event cosmetics. And really enjoying my nightly gameplay sessions. At least up until those nights where I just get wrecked. But its really a no-pressure multiplayer game, and enjoyable. Right now its the Cyberpunk Event, and I’m working towards the glowing spiked mohawk for the helmet.

I’m a fancy kitty

// What I’m Reading

  • The Walking Dead #31
  • Supergirl Woman of Tomorrow #7 of 8
  • A Righteous Thirst for Vengeance #4
  • King Spawn #6
  • Batman vs Bigby #5
  • Undiscovered Country #18
  • Stillwater #12
  • King of Spies #2
  • Batgirls #2

I am sad that Supergirl is coming to an End as I always enjoy Tom King books and this has been a stellar series. But I still have The Human Target and Batman/Catwoman still going for now. There always seems to be at least one Tom King series going.

Batgirls I’m enjoying, especially because I really like Jorge Corona’s art. It was a pleasant transition following him from The Me You Love in the Dark to this. I believe this series is only 6 issues though, sadly.

King of Spies I’m excited to read more, obviously because of Mark Miller, but really Matteo Scalera is the star. Scalera I’ve followed from Black Science, Batman White Night Present Harley Quinn, and Dead Body Road.

// Achievement of the Week

I’m highlighting this one for the sole purpose of bragging as I unlocked this achievement within seconds of the Aquarium map starting. Such a fluke, but I’m sure where ever yetimachete1194 is now, they don’t see it that way, and they’re upset.

#humblebrag

Enjoy, and be good.
G314,986
iRogan