Holli Alvarado

2012-02-15T00:29:00.000-08:00

Jerusalem Sketch

2011-03-27T21:36:00.001-07:00

Zombie Self Portrait

2010-09-19T02:33:00.001-07:00

Sky Sketch

2010-09-02T23:57:00.001-07:00

This is a sketch - tomorrow I will add some more details and see where it goes.

Princess and the Frog inspired

2010-08-16T00:24:00.001-07:00

Lots of sketches...

2010-03-06T21:07:00.000-08:00

New sketches

2010-02-10T23:38:00.001-08:00

Trying to do at least one decent sketch a day, this is from the last two days.

New speed sketches

2010-02-05T19:38:00.001-08:00

Pandora Inspired

2010-02-05T15:39:00.001-08:00

Doodles

2010-01-13T15:13:00.000-08:00

I have not sketched just for me. Just because - i have been very busy with paying matte paintings. Which I hope to post very soon. Till then. Doodles.

2009-12-23T02:12:00.000-08:00

Nuclear Destruction Sketches

2009-11-23T01:20:00.001-08:00

These are sketches for a client. Matte painting of destruction.

acrylic tulips

2009-11-01T15:36:00.001-08:00

animating

2009-08-24T23:30:00.001-07:00

sigh. I didn't get to work on my matte even a quarter as much as I planned...but it was because paying work came my way. And here is one of the tests.
Enjoy.

update to vertigo

2009-08-07T00:54:00.000-07:00

Vertigo

2009-08-04T22:55:00.001-07:00

Wild Thing

2009-07-29T16:56:00.000-07:00

I made some art while playing play dough today with my son.

I've been a busy bee...

2009-07-21T17:05:00.000-07:00

two new mattes finished within days of each other.

Update: Future City Matte

2009-07-16T01:36:00.001-07:00

more hallie pages

2009-07-16T01:34:00.000-07:00

Future City Update

2009-07-11T18:06:00.001-07:00

Hallie childrens book

2009-07-08T17:58:00.000-07:00

my husband is the concept artist on this one and I am painting the pages. I am busy with this, the cgtantra challenge and some other free projects at the moment - so there will be a few scattered posts here in the blog. This is a kids book about the history of the town of San Clemente, but it is a fun version where kids explore and find the magic that already exists there.

Future Cityscape - Update

2009-07-07T00:23:00.000-07:00

Future Cityscape - July Challenge at CG Tantra

2009-07-04T17:38:00.000-07:00

I have a lot more work to do to this but here is the first draft.

It is far enough into the future that most smaller rivers have dried out. As land began running out for building outwards structures were starting to be built below ground. Apartments and other dwelling were blended into the pipwork that already existed below ground level. Further into the future, when building below ground was not possible anymore due limited space, structures began growing higher and higher and bigger and bigger.....

Cerebus Update

2009-06-29T02:38:00.001-07:00

Cerebus Matte Update

2009-06-26T16:51:00.000-07:00

for the Cerebus Animated Film

2009-06-26T12:11:00.000-07:00

I am doing some matte paintings for the Cerebus Animated Film. With permission of my client I am showing the progress here. he has also posted some of the other artwork on his facebook page
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1740469&id=765308765

Photoshop Extended Comps

2009-06-24T14:47:00.001-07:00

Yup it has been awhile but I am back and this morning made a couple of super quick comps for a friend. All Photoshop Extended. The fire footage I took myself whole camping in Big Bear this weekend.

Update: Ancient Temple

2009-05-22T16:25:00.001-07:00

2009-05-12T23:11:00.000-07:00

New attempt at the Ancient Temple and I am liking thsi comp much better. Has a ways to go but it is working for me.

Ancient Temple WIP

2009-05-05T12:38:00.001-07:00

Cherry Blossom Moons

2009-04-22T00:45:00.001-07:00

Not done. Just a sketch.

Final Haunted Matte

2009-04-20T17:17:00.000-07:00

I have been spending time at www.cgtantra.com and they have this monthly challenge for matte paintings. this months topic was "Haunted" and this is my final entry I have also included a link to an animated making of matte. MAKING OF

New Site Design

2009-04-13T14:34:00.000-07:00

www.halvaradoart.com

I have launched a redesigned website with new art posted as well. I designed the site and my very good and talented flash friend made it work and function.

If you need a site made or any other flash related work take a look at Alan Sheaffer at www.alanasaurus.net.

2009-04-08T00:20:00.001-07:00

Update: Haunted Matte

2009-04-07T01:27:00.000-07:00

Swamp

2009-04-06T14:37:00.000-07:00

I think I am going to go witht he last image. The swamp looking sketch.

i will for sure do an illustration of the first one - I really like that for some reason but it just doesn't feel like a matte painting that is haunted.

Haunted Matte Sketches

2009-04-04T21:50:00.000-07:00

Haunted is a challenge on cgtantra.com they do monthly challenges and this is my first time participating.

Here are my sketches so far.

2009-03-26T01:12:00.000-07:00

2009-03-23T01:13:00.000-07:00

Another Warm up painting....the learning apple. :)

2009-03-21T13:38:00.000-07:00

warming up. Another Sky.

Another Sky

2009-03-09T16:19:00.000-07:00

Part of a sky created for a background on a job I am working on.

Jindal is Wrong article

2009-03-04T09:55:00.000-08:00

I found this article to be right on the money. It is so true that so many people are either ignorant or small minded that artists actually do make a living and that there are a LOT of us out there. This article only strengthens my support of the stimulus package having a chunk provided for the arts.

www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/03/04/alexander.arts/index.html

Artists can stimulate the economy just as much construction jobs can.

sketch night

2009-03-01T15:09:00.001-08:00

sketch

2009-03-01T14:45:00.000-08:00

2009-02-27T15:19:00.000-08:00

Sky Studies

2009-02-26T14:56:00.000-08:00

While working on some projects I have been doing some skies for warming up.

Final -"Two Choices"

2009-01-31T00:57:00.001-08:00

Two Choises - Update

2009-01-29T11:05:00.000-08:00

EOW#10 - Two Choices. One Less Travelled

2009-01-28T10:36:00.000-08:00

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth;

for those not familiar with the Robert Frost poem here is the entire texthttp://www.bartleby.com/104/67.html
These are some thumbnails. I am leaning towards the one on the right.
Conceptart.org Environment of the Week

How it was made.

2009-01-27T08:30:00.000-08:00

This is a holiday card we do every year. The theme will change now and then but still is the same idea. All the employees who wish to participate will be greenscreened somehow. Then placed into a created rendering that includes something about the company. Somes we use 3D to build the set and sometimes it is a bit of both. This year to save money and time the card was digital (not printed and mailed out) and only the 2D department was used in the creation.

Art History Brush Paintings

2009-01-14T15:15:00.000-08:00

So I have taken a thousand photos and I keep them around for reference all the time for creating new art - but today I decided to make those photos into digital paintings.

No it is not just a filter. The art history brush is a brush and photoshop is the medium. Just as you use brushes in oil or water color paintings on canvas. So in playing around i am just testing photoshop limits and creating custom brushes for myself.

Enjoy.

2008-12-31T17:46:00.000-08:00

Something I started back in sept when I took a class by Alp Altiner. He did something similar in class and I went home started to work on it. I hated it and put it away. Now three months later I opened it on accident and wanted to finish it.

So here is the original photo.

And the finished concept.

2008-11-24T13:54:00.000-08:00

Just sketching and trying to find a good color scheme.

2008-11-17T11:39:00.000-08:00

2008-11-17T00:45:00.000-08:00

This is a animation showing the original photo provided
by the client and then the layers used to create the final
matte.

2008-11-14T09:27:00.000-08:00

2008-11-14T09:23:00.000-08:00

2008-11-13T13:57:00.000-08:00

Aged Film Matte

2008-11-12T08:48:00.000-08:00

Just taking the matte from below a little further. Well not further but just seeing how many directions of style I can take this one shot.

2008-11-12T00:17:00.000-08:00

God save the clone tool!

2008-11-04T01:03:00.000-08:00

So I started cleaning a photo from a friend who just got back from a tour in Europe. This is the Popolo in Italy. The before photo has tons of tourists and vehicles and modern day ites such as lights, wires antenae etc. I have spent the last two hours removing all those items and getting it "clean".

Tomorrow night my plan is to remove any structures that would not have existed in say around 1830 when this area was in its hay day. I then will reseach what it might have looked like as far as landscape or water features and continue creating a period believable matte painting.

Photoreal Matte Painting

2008-10-29T12:04:00.000-07:00

This is a combo of photos from vacations I have take including Wicklow, Ireland - Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and Pasadena, CA.

2008-10-24T16:18:00.001-07:00

2008-10-21T23:01:00.000-07:00

2008-10-20T23:13:00.000-07:00

So these images are just sketching and I am thinking about a book I am reading.

Speed Sketches

2008-10-17T00:49:00.000-07:00

Back to the spiral

2008-10-15T00:08:00.001-07:00

A friend said he wants to see me do an underwater scene, and even though this is not what he or I had in mind this was just something I did tonight. Just because.

Photoreal Update

2008-10-10T14:07:00.000-07:00

So this is an update. I have been working to add photreal texture to the base painting I had going. As I go I have new ideas and want to change the composition, but for where it is right now I like it...but I need a brain break.

2008-10-09T22:34:00.000-07:00

Speed Sketch

2008-10-09T16:40:00.000-07:00

Maybe an hour - with TONS of revision. It started out with the photo seen below

2008-10-07T11:53:00.000-07:00

Future City

2008-10-07T00:15:00.000-07:00

In a effort to just keep painting I did this tonight. I am ot sure I like itand in fact I deleted the file and all that exists is this small jpg. But I consider it a warm up for something better to come later on.

The Spiral

2008-10-01T16:52:00.000-07:00

Another update.

Color Comp for The Spiral

2008-10-01T14:08:00.001-07:00

This is one color comp for The Spiral sketch. There is a contest on IFX forums that ends tomorrow night at midnight - and I just saw it today...yeah.

So lets see how much I get done in 24 hours.

Some sketches

2008-10-01T13:38:00.001-07:00

These are just doodles and stuff I do when I am hanging out on the couch - want to do something creative but at the same time I just want to be away from a computer and not be so formal about sketching.

2008-09-26T13:22:00.000-07:00

This is a new image started with photos rather then a sketch. The objective for myself is to use lots of photos but get them to all appear as if theylive together. Lots of people can make a college of photos and that is just what they look like. This is trying to appear like a photo taken at a real location.

It is very early and I have only spent about 4-5 hours on it, but I wanted to post this so I could show some friends.

Rough Waters

2008-09-24T15:58:00.000-07:00

This is the final version for Rough Waters. I am happy with it and ready to move on to a new painting ;) Enjoy.

2008-09-22T11:43:00.001-07:00

Working out some composition issues and color adjustments. It is still a very much work in progress. AND

thanks for the comments !

Another round

2008-09-19T13:20:00.001-07:00

This is another round of painting and adjusting and adding texture...I like the darker night lighting better, I feel it is more mysterious and moody.

Love to hear some comments.

2008-09-17T10:35:00.000-07:00

So ithas evolved a little. I am messing with texture, light, color all at once. I like where it is going but i have a ton more ideas I want to get in there, but at the same time I want to edit with a refined restraint.

2008-09-16T10:46:00.000-07:00

Just another concept (very early stages).

Just painting.....

2008-09-11T14:09:00.000-07:00

New York City Before and After

2008-09-04T15:02:00.003-07:00

I just felt like finding a random photo and painting on it.

Before Photo After Painting

2008-08-26T16:43:00.001-07:00

Just another update. Reworking the tree, the water, the glass onthe windows, shadows and highlights.

2008-08-26T11:57:00.000-07:00

Sunset version. This was the 5th class assignment. I am sure we are moving onto another view for the next 5 classes.

I have enjoyed the process of taking the same shot through three different lighting.

2008-08-25T13:34:00.000-07:00

As said below...I have to do a night scene. I need to spend a lot more time on this but this was my 15 min jump start.

2008-08-25T13:07:00.000-07:00

Just working on this at lunch. I am starting to use some of my personal grunge photos to add some texture and to eye drop other colors and paint new things. This just keeps developing as I go.

I am supposed to turn this into a night scheme for my next class so stay tuned....if I would just stop messing with it no I could get a move on to the night view ;)

2008-08-25T08:48:00.001-07:00

Just another update.

Matte Studies

2008-08-05T00:15:00.000-07:00

Just an update. Some studies I worked on tonight for the matte for another class I am taking...yeah I know I take a lot of classes - you cannever learn too much. So this is the thumbnail I decided to develop further. I am hoping to do a little green screen composite of some people, or animals or something later on down the road. For now it is just going to be a matte painting.

2008-07-30T15:24:00.000-07:00

2008-07-30T15:23:00.000-07:00

2008-07-23T15:43:00.000-07:00

About 15-20 min

Color Thumbnail

2008-07-23T14:29:00.001-07:00

So this is just the first Mid Day color thumbail. I will be working on the other 5 tonight.

Speed sketches

2008-07-23T09:39:00.000-07:00

Sketches for matte painting course.

Speed Painting

2008-07-23T08:42:00.001-07:00

I am taking a matte painting course online and have been doing some speed sketches. I will post what I can when I have time. Here is the first one.

2008-07-02T10:52:00.000-07:00

So yeah. Just some updates. They are not earth shattering but they are updates.

The first is an update to the dana point matte painting. Just more painting and trying to get into the image.

The second is a 20 min study of a ...well I have been sick lately and had fevers and the other night I fell asleep on the couch, all hot and sick and had super vivid dreams and this environment came into my head and I am so mad that I cannot get it down the way I dreamt it...but I WILL. I sketched it out on my husbands pad of paper (thank you sweetie) and then I started to do a color test - which is what this is.

I will paint this - I have to. It felt so amazing in the dream..

2008-07-01T08:20:00.000-07:00

It's been a while i know but I have been really busy. I had an update to the matte extension I have been working on for the movie "Elements". Just wanted to post it up.

Enjoy.

2008-06-12T09:08:00.001-07:00

Just updating my painting. I also wanted to show the original photo I started with as a base.

2008-06-09T22:20:00.000-07:00

This was just a sketch I started. This started out as a day photo of Dana Point as reference.