Redesigning the Thundercats

LATEST UPDATE:

Just completed another Thundercats Character. This time it's my version of Monkian

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe Moore

The forum isn't limited to Thundercats only art. You are more than welcome to post your TMNT art here as well.

Thanks Joe for giving me green light to post it my ninja turtles stuff, I really appreciate it.

So here is what I have done so far





For anyone interested you can see more of my art here: http://vshen.deviantart.com/gallery/

Here is Slythe








Hi Guys,

I'm new to the forum and I'm looking forward in future discussions here. I'm loving the new Thundercats even though I grew up on the old which is still very close to me. I'm hoping to getting to know as many of you guys here.

As I said I love both the old and new thundercats and have enjoyed the episodes so far so I decided to do some fan art. I wanted to do my own interpretations and I'm still in the process in going through as many of the characters as I can.

Here is what I have done so far and stay tuned for more

[Saint Phe]

Dude, those are unbelievable! If/when we get a movie, this is exactly the look they should go for.

[IndyCat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saint Phe

Dude, those are unbelievable! If/when we get a movie, this is exactly the look they should go for.

exactly my first thoughts. If they do a movie, the charactors need to look bad ass, not sissy looking charactors as in the defunct Thundercats trailor.

Your renderings are awesome, but wheres Cheetara's long hair!

[Joe Moore]

Amazing stuff. Not only are the designs very interesting, but the execution is beautiful.

[Wthompson]

Awesome Work, great job on Cheetara.

[PANTHRO HOOO]

I don't like the close up of Panthro. The second one is amazing. I realize its the same desighn with less deatail but I'm weird like that. Also if you could make 1 of each of his nunchucks red that would be awsome.

[Devinebull1978]

Id pay for a digital colour poster print of your artwork ! awesome keep it up....

[PANTHRO HOOO]

I think cheetara also came out well. Gonna be cool to see op get all the originals in here. I'm even more interested to see his stye on some bad guys being its a little darker. Mumm-ra and Slythe particularly.

[LiarDice Films]

i think the close up Panthro is outstanding. You should truly be commended on your work man. Are you using airbrushing, paints or mixing via photoshop?
these pics are very much rivaling the latest WB conceptual art released of Lion O. This is exactly how i would want a TC's reboot movie to be. Dark and sinister just how Batman was reinvented for the Returns and Darknight films.
Id commission you to do conceptual works for my movies anytime.

[boskoes]

These are amazing! Even tho Im a sucker for the classic look, it's always so great to see new takes on them.

[JASONKAT]

Im not liking this. ANY OF IT. Panthro looks like 1 of the vampires from "underworld" Cheetara looks like a washed-up older woman. Even i can draw a better version of this. The people who update these characters forgot what made these characters "likeable" in the 1st place. They need to go back and keep the delts, looks, background and keep it all the same. The only thing diff then and now, should be "detail" Not a make over. To tell you the truth, i like the updated TC way more than these paintings. But that doesnt mean they beat the 80s' version. However the updated versions beat these drawings for sure!, Thats my option. But im sure others will like these . :P

[JASONKAT]

After looking thru them over n over again. I think that if u wanna fix any of it. just fix the head/face/hair/ but keep the body/clothes/colors. I think the face is the only issue im having w them. Because the body/colors makes them look a bit darker, (which isnt bad) its a great idea. however its kinda hard to look at them and think, "man wat were they thinking?? lol.

[TJ Duckett]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JASONKAT

Im not liking this. ANY OF IT. Panthro looks like 1 of the vampires from "underworld" Cheetara looks like a washed-up older woman. Even i can draw a better version of this. The people who update these characters forgot what made these characters "likeable" in the 1st place. They need to go back and keep the delts, looks, background and keep it all the same. The only thing diff then and now, should be "detail" Not a make over. To tell you the truth, i like the updated TC way more than these paintings. But that doesnt mean they beat the 80s' version. However the updated versions beat these drawings for sure!, Thats my option. But im sure others will like these . :P

So, draw some better then.

[JASONKAT]

I will and i'll post it whenever i draw1. :P

Thanks Joe for featuring my work on the home page.... many,many thanks, I am greatly appreciative

Saint Phe: Thanks I appreciate your kind comments Hopefully a movie will be coming soon.
Are there any news or rumours about it?

IndyCat: Hehe thanks IndyCat, yeah I love Cheetara's long hair in both the original
and the new one, I just thought I would go the other way and do short one just to see
another side of her

Joe Moore: Thanks a lot Joe I really appreciate you stopping by and your kind comment.
Stay tuned more coming. Again thank you very much for the feature

Wthompson: Thanks I really appreciate it. I'm glad you like my interpretation

PANTHRO HOOO: Yeah I appreciate your opinion. The Panthro portrait was my first the first
piece I did and was kinda getting more comfortable as I went through all the other pieces.
Stay tuned though more coming though even the mutants

Bravestarr: hehe thanks for visiting my thread. I really appreciate it

Devinebull1978: Thanks for your kind comment. For you to consider buying a poster of my

art is great compliment, I am greatly appreciative. It is something to think about

LiarDice Films: Thanks for visiting my thread. For these paintings I am using photoshop
to digitally paint them. Would really love to see a live action Thundercats I've been
waiting for long time for it along with my other favourite 80s cartoon Voltron

boskoes: Thanks a lot man. The classic version are my favourites as well but I also do love the new one specially Cheetara. You're right it's great to see some other people's take on them, it keeps thing interesting

JASONKAT: Thanks for stopping by anyways Jason. I still appreciate your curiosity to have a look.
You are entitled to your own opinion so that's kool.

These are simply my own interpretations of the Thundercats and that's the beauty of the
human expression.... they're all different Everyone has their own unique way of
expressing different things and I always enjoy seeing and looking forward to that
diversity.

A friendly warning though, there will be more coming so prepare to be dissapointed

TJ Duckett: hehe Thanks TJ, I knew from the start that when I tried to attempt my own
version some people will have their own opinion about it and not everyone will like
it which is all good with me.

People just have different expectations on what a certain character should look like. Some
people love the recent look Optimus Prime and some didn't.

[si3ge]

these are freaking amazing. if you finish the character designs and make a group shot id love to throw moneys at you for a poster print.

[Beej B]

Pure BADASSERY. Dude, you have my utmost respect on these. Simply stunning - and the detail is staggering. Don't let some haters hinder you - these are truly OUTSTANDING. Cannot wait to see more from you!

[MONSTAR]

Your a beast ! nuff said lol

Here is the latest update guys. This time it's Tygra

[JASONKAT]

looks pretty sweet.
I may not have liked the others as "thundercats" since im all in for the classic looks, but these do look pretty good as a "stand alone".

[Saint Phe]

I can't believe how awesome these are. Your vision and skill are amazing. I can't WAIT to see the whole team!

[IndyCat]

seriously...are you going to sell prints?


also, I would be interested to see some of your your other work.

[si3ge]

yeah put these on deviantart or some other service where we can order these

[PANTHRO HOOO]

Not to say you guys shouldn't want to support artist. Specifically ones who deal in things we love. But till then can't you just copy image and print?

[PANTHRO HOOO]

Tygra is the best so far. He's also my least favorite thundetcat. Definately should do a snarf.

[Covenant]

Your artwork is very impressive but it seems like I've seen this kind of reinterpretation of Thundercats before. I've seen the YouTube trailer with Lion-O and Slithe which resembles your style and design but the faces remind me of Stan Winston's Realm of the Claw. Check out the action figures here: STAN WINSTON CREATURES (Realm of the Claw) action figures. That being said, your full body Panthro is excellent and hopefully you'll be designing for movie studios soon!

[si3ge]

PANTHRO HOOO: these are nowhere near print quality. if you blew these up to any poster size youd see a lot of interpolation. usually artists will post low res stuff so you can see what theyve done but theyll keep the high res versions non-public so they can sell prints

Thanks you again for stopping by and having a look at my Thundercats art. I appreciate all the comments and likes

Just for anyone interested you can see some more of my art

here: vshen's deviantART gallery

I have also updated at the top/start of the page

Cheers

[Joe Moore]

Amazing stuff. Love the TMNT stuff, especially the Rock Steady concept.

[Nachtsider]

Cheetara looks a shade haggard, and Panthro ought to be bulkier. Those issues aside, I absolutely love what you've done.

[Ocicat]

These are brilliant!

I love the scarred Panthro and Cheetara looks brilliant. Tygra is also very good. Well done.

[PANTHRO HOOO]

Tmnt is sick. Dbz is good freizas way better than the goku. Transformers was awsome. Some of the best stuff was the aliens that I don't even recognise though. Are those 100 percent new and original characters? If so I would keep pushing in that direction.

[Dedboy]

These are nice! They are exactly what I would expect if a Thundercats movie was ever made!!! :]

[Purrsia]

While this is a very feral take on the Thundercats, you've done a great job with the work here. The detail makes them come to life. I love to see the creative directions people take with the character designs. Thanks for sharing yours.

Hi Everyone

It's been a while since my last update. I have been very busy with work and went on holiday.

Here is my latest update and this time it's Lion O.

[AmorhideMB2]

Wow, Liono looks amazing(likda reminds me of mad max), but im not that big on tygra. keep it up i cant wait to see what you do with mum-ra

[Joe Moore]

Quote:

Originally Posted by vshen

Hi Everyone

It's been a while since my last update. I have been very busy with work and went on holiday.

Here is my latest update and this time it's Lion O.

Nice work once again. The face doesn't particulalry scream "Lion-O" in the same way it did with your Panthro design. Nevertheless, it's still a fantastic piece of artwork. Really love the different textures you have going on there.

[Matrix_Holder]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JASONKAT

Im not liking this. ANY OF IT. Panthro looks like 1 of the vampires from "underworld" Cheetara looks like a washed-up older woman. Even i can draw a better version of this. The people who update these characters forgot what made these characters "likeable" in the 1st place. They need to go back and keep the delts, looks, background and keep it all the same. The only thing diff then and now, should be "detail" Not a make over. To tell you the truth, i like the updated TC way more than these paintings. But that doesnt mean they beat the 80s' version. However the updated versions beat these drawings for sure!, Thats my option. But im sure others will like these . :P

Quote:

Originally Posted by JASONKAT

After looking thru them over n over again. I think that if u wanna fix any of it. just fix the head/face/hair/ but keep the body/clothes/colors. I think the face is the only issue im having w them. Because the body/colors makes them look a bit darker, (which isnt bad) its a great idea. however its kinda hard to look at them and think, "man wat were they thinking?? lol.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TJ Duckett

So, draw some better then.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JASONKAT

I will and i'll post it whenever i draw1. :P

As they say, "pics or it never happened" put your pencil where your mouth is. Let see your drawings, anything this good or better . To the TC, great job on the artwork...you are very talented.

[LiarDice Films]

Id love to see your redesign of Mumm Ra! If you do think of working on one then please PM me as id love to purchase an original or a print

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe Moore

Nice work once again. The face doesn't particulalry scream "Lion-O" in the same way it did with your Panthro design. Nevertheless, it's still a fantastic piece of artwork. Really love the different textures you have going on there.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matrix_Holder

As they say, "pics or it never happened" put your pencil where your mouth is. Let see your drawings, anything this good or better . To the TC, great job on the artwork...you are very talented.

Quote:

Originally Posted by LiarDice Films

Id love to see your redesign of Mumm Ra! If you do think of working on one then please PM me as id love to purchase an original or a print

Joe Moore: Thanks for featuring again Joe I really appreciate it Slythe is coming soon

Matrix_Holder: HEHEHE cheers man and thanks for the compliment much appreciated

LiarDice Films: I will be working eventually on Mumm Ra, right now I am putting the finishing touches to Slythe. I'll give you a heads up when I will be working him and completing it.


Slythe should be done by tomorrow

[Grune the Destroyer]

Wow, just seen Slithe on your deviant-art page link... another great picture! Truly reptilian.

I've only just stumbled upon this thread, and would like to echo the opinion of fellow posters. These really are very good, and I can see them working in a movie (I've previously said that I just couldn't see T-Cats working as a live-action film without looking way too cheesy).

The designs are substantially different than what's come before... but then, isn't that a good thing? I love to see new interpretations of old concepts and these definitely qualify.

Well done vshen, my only complaint... you're not getting them done quickly enough!!

Grune the Destroyer: Thanks for stopping by Deviant art page and here I appreciate it.

I am similar to you, I love seeing interpretations of art specially stuff that I loved as a kid such as Thundercats or Ninja Turtles. I'd like to know that we are all unique and filter stuff differently and that's what makes it more interesting

hehe Yeah I'll eventually get there Stay tuned

Here is Slythe

[Joe Moore]

I'd really love to see your process in doing these. The texture work, especially on the Slythe, is really outstanding. I'm curious as to how you approached the scales, as they are displaying some nice depth.

[IndyCat]

seriously, how is this even possible. you have super human talents. I want posters..or something!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe Moore

I'd really love to see your process in doing these. The texture work, especially on the Slythe, is really outstanding. I'm curious as to how you approached the scales, as they are displaying some nice depth.

In terms of the depth, the most important thing wasn't the scales at all, it was the shapes and forms and the underlying shading that was most important. I put a lot of effort to make sure the form and shading had volume, only after I was happy with that, then I started the scales. I thought about the flow of the scales and what type for each bodypart, There were a few trial and errors until I achieved the look that I wanted.

Slythe was pretty tedious at time because of the scale work. I studied a lot of references of lizards such as the iguana and observed the flow of the scales and see how it would related to the character.
I didn't follow it 100% becasue I didn't want it to be restrictive to the characters as I envisioned Slythe as a multiple elements of different repltiles. I took references of crocodiles and frilled neck lizards and other smaller reptiles.

I hope that helps Joe

Quote:

Originally Posted by IndyCat

seriously, how is this even possible. you have super human talents. I want posters..or something!!

Thanks a lot IndyCat I really appreciate the kind words I am strongly considering the poster thing after I get all the main characters done. I will be talking to some people about some High Quality Prints and setting it up. Stay tuned to this thread for updates about the Prints.

Thanks again for your interest

[Joe Moore]

Thanks for following up. Your work has led to a nice bit of discussion in the art department (where I am) at my work place. Thanks again for sharing.

No problems Joe Which art department do you work, if you don't mind me asking.

[Joe Moore]

Nothing too exciting, unfortunately. I work for a company that handles images for Yell website, print, and video publishing. I help with licensing, acquisitions, organization as well as handling some photography and art/design duties.

[Ravenxl7]

I absolutely love the work you've done on these. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought these work WIP pieces for a movie. I do have to admit that I'm not a big fan of Lion-O's hair, but that's literally the only piece to these I don't like.

Not sure if anybody else has pointed this out, but there's something to your Tygra design that makes me think of Wolverine. In a good way that is. Though I can't really figure out exactly what it is to him that's making the comparison.

I love how detailed Slithe is. It really emphasizes the idea that he's designed around the look of an iguana.

Your redesign of Panthro, my favorite of the cats, looks great. I love that you worked in the spikes of his costume, but made them believable. I also love the scars and how he really shows his age.

I look forward to your future works. Most especially when/if you get around to Monkian. If they ever do go to make a movie, I'd love to see them hire you to work on the designs. Much like the guy on TFW who designed Long Haul, and was hired on for RotF (I feel bad that I can't remember who that was...).