Laugh At Rejected 'Judge Dredd' Costume by Gianni Versace

Back in 1995, when they were developing the first Judge Dredd movie starring Sylvester Stallone, fashion designer Gianni Versace sent some sketches to the film production. Prop Bay put the scans online.

Prop Bay doesn't give a history, but gives these notes: "This concept was discarded and not used. On the back of one of the drawings is Versace stamp. This is one of the few non-fashion lines Versace did."

It's easy to look back in hindsight and laugh. So, I will.

Click on the jump to see the images and click to enlarge.

Here's what the final costume did look like:

It's not hugely different, but they just look goofier for some reason.

Synopsis:

In a dystopian future, Dredd, the most famous judge (a cop with instant field judiciary powers) is convicted for a crime he did not commit while his murderous counterpart escapes. Director: Danny Cannon Writers: John Wagner (characters), Carlos Ezquerra (characters). Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Armand Assante and Rob Schneider

via Giant Freakin Robot

What do you think of the illustrations? Would the movie have hit with Versace's designs?

Film Sketchr Talks To 'Grimm' Concept Artist Jerad S Marantz

Grimm (2011) "Billy" by Jerad S. Marantz

Mike said, "His work always stood out to me before I really knew who created it, because of the striking silhouettes and the unique designs of classic creatures." Jerad S. Marantz creates striking visuals. His creatures are always very distinct.

Jerad S. Marantz (I Am Legend, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, The Amazing Spider-Man) has worked on some of the biggest movies in Hollywood as a creature designer. He also teaches at the Gnomon School of Visual FX, and the Concept Design Academy.

I talked to him about working on the hit TV show Grimm and what its like to be a concept artist, even when you're working on a bad movie.

As always, click on the images to enlarge.


Q: What's It Like When You Look Up At The Screen And See Your Designs Come To Life, And They're Mostly Yours?
It’s incredible. It’s why every concept artist does it. It’s what you hope happens throughout the entire process. Of course it’s a team effort and we're all working towards the same goal which is to get something on the screen that makes everyone happy. But, it's an added plus if what’s up on that screen is yours.

Q: American Horror Story Is Nominated For An Emmy. You Worked On The Show. Tell Us About It.
American Horror Story is created by Ryan Murphy. It’s really well written with amazing story arcs. Last season I designed the Frankenstein baby (Infantata), burnt man and the twins.

American Horror Story "Burnt Man" (2011) by Jerad S. Merantz

Q: Every Movie Can’t Be A Blockbuster. What’s It Like Working On A Bad Movie?
That’s a tough question. There are ways around working on a movie that you think isn't going to be good. As a concept artist I think the guys that last the longest are the ones who are just in love with the process. If the film is great it's an added benefit. I've designed for quite a few films that haven't done well, but I've had so much fun working on them.

Dragonball: Evolution (2009) "Picallo" by Jerad S. Marantz

Dragonball: Evolution (2009) "Assassins" by Jerad S. Marantz

Q: Grimm Came Out This Week And You're One Of The Concept Artists On The Film. What's The Biggest Challenge Of Working On Grimm?
Grimm is a great show and I love working on it. I’m so happy it’s doing well. As a child I loved watching the X-Files and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It’s always been an ambition of mine to work on a TV show that introduces a new monster every week and it’s about time creatures made their way back to network television.

I get my assignments from Steve Oster (producer). I really like working with him. As a designer you want a client that gives solid feedback and propels the design process forward.

It's a fun challenge in every episode to capture what animal each creature is based on while maintaining the actor’s character in a subtle balance. I’m fortunate to be designing these creatures with my good friend Constantine Sekeris. We compare notes on the show all the time and we are motivated by each other’s work. Constantine has been designing in the industry for a long time and it’s truly inspiring working with him. 

Grimm (2011) "Rhino" by Jerad S. Marantz

Q: When You're Working On A Design For Grimm, Do You Take Into Account The Fact That It Might Be CGI Or Practical?
I’m never sure how the creature design will be executed on screen. At this point I just have to make sure the design can work as a practical makeup and as a visual effect. It’s always exciting to see how they end up using the designs. Either way we have great artists that bring these designs to life.

Grimm (2011) "Gator Man" by Jerad S. Marantz

Barney Burman at B2FX has done the majority of the makeups for season 1 and the work’s been incredible. Every now and then I’ll be in touch with Barney and he’ll tell me how the makeups are going. For the first episode of season 2 I designed a Saber-tooth Tiger man. I was talking to Barney about it and was so excited he was able to flock the makeup and get those teeth top work practically.

Edward Irastorza is the shows Visual FX supervisor. Ed’s in charge of making sure the creatures look their best in CG. He’s done a great job on the show. Grimm is incredibly ambitious with regards to visual FX. I think if people really knew how much work goes into the transformations of these creatures it would blow their minds. Ed was the guy that recommended me for the show and I’ll always be grateful to him for that.

Q: What Led You to Become A teacher?
I teach because I was very fortunate to have teachers myself. Many have been very gerous with imparting knowledge, like Constantine Sekeris, who nutured younger artists and wasn't afraid to share their tricks. They like me, recognize that concept artists are part of a group working to achieve the same goal. Plus, teaching helps keep my skills sharp. It allows an artists to hold onto techniques that they may not otherwise use. A director may say, "I want a sketch" and it keeps my skills sharp in these areas.

I always get very excited when I come across an artist that I think may have a real shot at making it in the industry.

Here are some more concept designs from the television show Grimm.

See more of Jerad S. Marantz' portfolio at jeradsmarantz.blogspot.com.

Make sure you tune in for Grimm on NBC on Mondays and check out the official site http://www.nbc.com/grimm.

What do you think of his illustrations? Did you learn anything from the interview? Can you name which episode each comes from?
 
@ Copyright 2011 GK Productions, Hazy Mills Productions, Universal TV, Jerad S. Merantz. All rights reserved 

'The Dark Knight Rises' Concept Art by Eddie Yang

Eddie Yang has shared some concept art of Selina Kyle aka Catwoman (Anne Hathaway) for the film The Dark Knight Rises.There has been very little concept art released from this film.

He also posted a video of his 3-D renderings.



For good measure, here are some sketches of Catwoman's goggles from the book The Art and Making of The Dark Knight Trilogy.

See more of Eddie Yang's portfolio at eddieyang.com

What do you think of the illustrations?
 
@ Copyright 2012 Warner Bros, Eddie Yang. All rights reserved

Related Posts

• Review: The Art and Making of The Dark Knight Trilogy' is More Making Than Art
• The Artists of 'The Dark knight Rises' (2012)

Concept Artist Constantine Sekeris Talks About Turning Bears Into Monsters For The TV Show 'Grimm' - Exclusive

The second season of Grimm starts next Monday (August 13th) at 10/9 c and I decided to contact some of the artists and share designs and stories for the show.

For those who haven't heard of the show, here's the official synopsis:
"Grimm" is a drama series inspired by the classic Grimm Brothers' Fairy Tales. After Portland Homicide Detective Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli, "Turn the Beat Around") discovers he's descended from an elite line of criminal profilers known as "Grimms," he increasingly finds his responsibilities as a detective at odds with his new responsibilities as a "Grimm."

First up is Constantine Sekeris (Blade II, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Jarhead). He talked with me about working on the show and the challenges of designing a good balance of creature and humanity.

Q: What's it Like Working On Grimm?
Its always a lot of fun to work on these creatures because of the theme of the show that has to be retained in the design of the creatures. I’m thankful to be a part of a team on a cool show. I’m very happy that it’s doing so well and audiences like it.

Jerad (concept designer Jerad S. Marantz) and I really like to push the design so people can really enjoy the creativity of the team and we help bring their ideas to life from a cool image. I love it each time I get an email from Steve Oster telling me what the next creature I will be challenged with.

Q: What Was the Biggest Challenge You Faced On Grimm?
My most challenging design was the Bear (Jägerbar) creature it’s hard to take the structure and round shapes with all that fur and bring it into more of a human creature feel so it’s a bit scarier. We had to remove a lot of the hair so it’s not so cute and we had to really be careful that it didn’t look like the werewolves from the show. I think they went with Jerad Marantz take on the character.

It’s great to have an objective and fresh eye like Steve Oster the main producer on Grimm who helps give tips of what is liked and what changes can be made when we all hit a wall sometimes to make the creatures still have a human quality. There has to be a good balance of creature and humanity for the character to work on the show.

Q: How Do You Design Your Creatures?
I begin my process with research and rough sketches to explore the best designs for the show and then render a few options that then go through a decision process with the team and then take the final design to finish. So the prosthetic team of Barney Burman and the digital team have enough time to do their best for the show. I can’t wait for the next creature.
I would like people to know that I’ve come out with a book called MetamorFXof Constantine Sekeris with Creature, Makeup, Robot and Costume design you can find it on Amazon and Barns & Noble.

Thanks for having me apart of your blog.

See more of Constantine Sekeris portfolio at constantinesekerisdesign.blogspot.com

What do you think of the illustrations? Have you seen Grimm? What do you think of the creatures?
@ Copyright 2010 GK Productions, Hazy Mills Productions, Universal TV, Constantine Sekeris. All rights reserved. Used with permission

Amazing 'Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith' Concept Art Video

Here's a video compilation of Revenge of the Sith (2005) concept art by DarthTaramasalata. A great video set against the John Williams theme music.

What do you think of the video? Do you have a favorite illustration?
 
@ Copyright 2005 LucasFilm. All rights reserved 

'The Wolverine' Concept Art Rises - Update

This is a day late, but concept art for the superhero film The Wolverine are online thanks to a set visit. There's not much to see, but anything is better than nothing I guess.

(Click to enlarge)

Some interesting tidbits are the shot of someone swinging a samurai sword, a POW camp and an Atomic explosion.

I tried to blow up some of the more interesting concept images.

Supposedly the story is about Wolverine traveling to Japan to train as a samurai warrior and is set during WWII.

No word on who the concept artists are, but IMDb lists Joshua Min, Michele Moen, Josh Nizzi and Manuel Plank-Jorge.

Directed by James Mangold

Starring
Hugh Jackman (Logan / Wolverine)
Will Yun Lee (Kenuichio Harada / Silver Samurai)
Svetlana Khodchenkova (Viper [rumored])
Hiroyuki Sanada (Shingen Yashida)
Brian Tee (Noburo Mori)
Rila Fukushima (Yukio)
Hal Yamanouchi (Yashida)
Tao Okamoto (Mariko Yashida)
James Fraser(Allied POW)

Cinematography by Amir Mokri

Production Design by François Audouy

Art Direction by Ian Gracie (supervising art director)

Via The Daily BLAM!

What do you think of the artwork? Are you more excited to see the movie?

Get A Good Look At Iron Man's Arc Reactor From Christopher S. Ross Concept Art

Tony Stark's chest Arc Reactor in Iron Man (2008) is a technical marvel. No one gives us a better look at it's wondrous technology than Christopher S. Ross (Men In Black 3, Avengers, Minority Report).

His site is http://dezyn.com/

It's interesting to see the elaborate device Tony Stark could - and should - have had to work on it. Of course, we wouldn't have gotten the hilarious scene of Pepper taking it in and out for him.



Official Synopsis:
From Marvel Studios and Paramount Pictures comes Iron Man, an action-packed take on the tale of wealthy philanthropist Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), who develops an invulnerable robotic suit to fight the throes of evil. In addition to being filthy rich, billionaire industrialist Tony Stark is also a genius inventor. When Stark is kidnapped and forced to build a diabolical weapon, he instead uses his intelligence and ingenuity to construct an indestructible suit of armor and escape his captors. Once free, Stark discovers a deadly conspiracy that could destabilize the entire globe, and dons his powerful new suit on a mission to stop the villains and save the world. Gwyneth Paltrow co-stars as his secretary, Virginia "Pepper" Potts, while Terrence Howard fills the role of Jim "Rhodey" Rhodes, one of Stark's colleagues, whose military background leads him to help in the formation of the suit. Jon Favreau directs, with Marvel movie veterans Avi Arad and Kevin Feige producing.

See more of Christopher S. Ross' portfolio at http://dezyn.com/

What do you think of the illustrations?

@ Copyright 2008 Paramount Pictures, Marvel Enterprises, Christopher S. Ross. All rights reserved

Felipe Sanchez' Never Before Seen 'The Amazing Spider-Man' Costume Designs

Click on the images to enlarge

Designing such an iconic costume for The Amazing Spider-Man was a huge challenge. One of the costume illustrators Felipe Sanchez (X-Men Origins: Wolverine, The Green Hornet, Speed Racer), shared some exclusive artwork of Spider-Man's costume and Gwen Stacy's (Emma Stone) look.

Here's what he told me about working on the suit.

"I was thrilled to work on style lines, web patterns and color blocks for the suit, gloves, boots and mask, but I have to say: What impressed me the most about working on Spider-man was the 'full circle' journey the ideas for the suit took from the original, vintage character to the end result. The exploration started with a broad scope of possibilities using Organic Life morphed with Advanced Technology, followed by a focus on Active Speed-Sport gear, then refined and developed to a plausible, Peter Parker invention. The concept coverage left no stone unturned for the 'right new look.'


"The payoff: A new suit design emerged with the Classic Formula respected, updated and enhanced. It was a great experience to be able to participate proactively through all the creative stages."

Learn more about artist Felipe Sanchez at his IMDb page.

What do you think of the illustrations?

Dream of 'Inception' Concept Art by Paul Christopher

Inception (2010) is one of those science-fiction movies that feels like it's not sci-fi. The technology is realistic and the story is grounded. Despite all that, it's a visual masterpiece of creative designs.

One of the artists on the film was Paul Christopher and he shared some art from his blog.

Here's what he said there:
"I was very excited to be a part of this project. I am an avid fan of Mr. Nolan's films and having heard that he penned the story, and the script as well...I knew this would be a very compelling project to be a part of, and feel very honored to have contributed. These images speak of the collaborative efforts and ideas of many talented associates in the Inception Art Dept. This was a very gratifying experience, especially working with such a visually accelerated Director. Bravo Mr. Nolan!"

Click on the images to enlarge

Official Synopsis:
Acclaimed filmmaker Christopher Nolan directs an international cast in an original sci-fi actioner that travels around the globe and into the intimate and infinite world of dreams. Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a skilled thief, the absolute best in the dangerous art of extraction, stealing valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious during the dream state, when the mind is at its most vulnerable. Cobb’s rare ability has made him a coveted player in this treacherous new world of corporate espionage, but it has also made him an international fugitive and cost him everything he has ever loved. Now Cobb is being offered a chance at redemption. One last job could give him his life back but only if he can accomplish the impossible–inception. Instead of the perfect heist, Cobb and his team of specialists have to pull off the reverse: their task is not to steal an idea but to plant one. If they succeed, it could be the perfect crime. But no amount of careful planning or expertise can prepare the team for the dangerous enemy that seems to predict their every move. An enemy that only Cobb could have seen coming. This summer, your mind is the scene of the crime.

See more of Paul Christopher's portfolio at paulchristopherart.blogspot.com

@ Copyright 2010 Paul Christopher, Warner Bros. Pictures, Legendary Pictures. All rights reserved

What do you think of the illustrations?