Steampunk: Myths and Legends Contest

While wandering across the plains of the internet recently, I came across a website for the CG Society: Society of Digital Artists. Last year (from November 2008 to February 2009) they had a contest for Steampunk Digital artwork called Steampunk: Myths and Legends. If you follow the link to their website all of the contest entries are there, and they are most definitely worth checking out, a LOT of it is really really good with some incredibly interesting themes and ideas.

Now, while most of the entries are straight out traditional Steampunk, a few Weird Western works have slipped in as well, and it will be on two of those that I want to focus.

The first one is a piece called Samuel Colt by Renan Lima. He describes his work as such:

Samuel Colt, the inventor of the Colt Revolver.

In the end of his life, he built his greatest creation. However, it was such a massive weapon that no ordinary man could wield it. So he had to build an artificial arm that was strong enough.

I love the strength of the image, and the detail on the Arm and the Pistol. Also, though an action shot would have been fun, I like that it is more of a simple posed shoot with Samuel Colt and his creations. It really hearkens to classic Western images with the deep shadows across Colts eyes and the open outdoors behind him.....Great Job!



The second image concerns Billy The Kid (who seems to be a theme this week) its called The Kids Last Heist by Bobby Chiu. His artist pages have an almost step by step on how he created the image, which depicts the tail end of Billy the Kids last heist, as he tries to get away on a mechanical steed.

I love the whimsy of the picture, the exaggerated features on Billy (his overly tall hat and somewhat malformed head) to the overall dusty feeling. Also, if you click on the image, you can see some of the details that Chiu put in that aren't as obvious in the smaller version....such as the ashes coming out of his mount's nostrils and the gauge showing that its running a little too hot! I love it!

I'm always on the look out for good Weird West/Steampunk artwork (and will be showcasing some more in future posts (such as the work of Brom) So if anyone knows of good artists out there doing this stuff, a heads up would be much appreciated!

Carcass Pete!

Have you ever been in an Airport or someplace public and seen "that guy" laying, asleep, on his bags? And the airport security has been kind enough to block him off with portable stanchions?

THEN you look closer and you notice that there's something not right about him.....his watch is working, his hair looks real....and he's breathing...or is that just my imagination? I wish I knew the artists name who does those hyper realistic sculptures, but I saw one once in an airport and had that very reaction.

Now imagine taking that idea and making hyper realistic Freaks?! Ultra realistic sculptures of frightening and colorful people and situations? That's exactly what Thomas S. Kuebler has done.

Now this article isn't about Kuebler so much as one of his sculpture, Carcass Pete. Kuebler is great! But he isn't a Weird West artist, per say...But with that said I URGE you to follow the link and check out his stuff...its REALLY beautiful.

Each one of his sculptures comes with a story, and Carcass Pete is no different:

In life, Pete was hanged for a murder he didn’t commit. Being the vengeful soul that he was, his seething hatred for lawmen everywhere kept him bound to his decaying corpse until either his thirst for blood was quenched or he could no longer hold his six-shooter. Mere bullets only made holes in ol’ Pete. His only disadvantage was the smell of death that preceded him, giving the sheriff ample warning to make himself scarce.

Very Cool!