PAUL SULLIVAN
Afro Samurai Concept Art
Paul started out at Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design with a BFA in IllustraDon. Specializing in AnimaDon. His work as an Illustrator started out at Pharos Films then led him to places like 16:9 Magazine, Z‐Axis/ AcDvision, Sanzaru Studios, Planetmoon Studios, Crystal Dynamics/ Eidos and where he is currently the Senior Concept ArDst at Namco Bandai. He has worked as a concept arDst in film since the beginning of his career. But his big break was Afro Samurai.
Character Design
The best thing I think about his work is that he is not limited in media. He uses tradiDonal methods as well as digital.
Some of his expressive lines and dramaDc poses are what really give me the inspiraDon to use more emoDon in my work. As you can see here we have a classic. “Whatchu lookin’ at motha bleep!?” expression that is priceless.
Some of his work can be very dark. The ta\oo on the le] arm is a skull‐ opuss…? But as you can see his so] touch and knowledge for light on the leather pants are really interesDng.
This character is obviously a villain. A lot of his characters seem to be very wishy‐washy on which side they are on. Could this be a representaDon of Paul’s own life? No one really knows.
Check out the clothes the guy on the le] is sporDng. Basic but very rugged. You can tell this guy is a b.a. The woman seems to be a li\le fantasy‐ ish and I’m not sure if they are for the same film or not.
This one is for Iron Man and I am guessing it is some sort of Marine. I can tell that through his por`olio he keeps a wide variety of styles so as to fit the right style with the right concept. This one is very smooth but the intricacy of the armor is very interesDng. Look at the gears and hoses on the mans le] arm at the elbow. Is that a cigar? How does one smoke a cigar through a shield? Hmmm…
I wasn’t sure which film this was for. I just enjoy the movement of the swords and the costume design.
Two words, creepy…nightmare? This looks to be some kind of zombie ent? Or a zombie that is so far decayed that he is growing plant life on his back. The detail on his garment is amazing! The way he focuses on one aspect of the drawing and not so much the rest is something that I am going to start doing for emphasis on the concept. It seems as though a lot of his characters have two or three defining characterisDcs and the rest are not as important or emphasized because he does not want to distract. Smart…
Frenchies…lawlz. This just made me laugh. It is funny how he can get a personality across to the audience without any kind of text to support the idea. I can just hear this guy saying something alonog the lines of, “HaaugggHaaauuggh, Stupeeed Amereecaauggghn Peegs.”
RepDlia Amazinarousin…oraus?
CreaDng an Atmosphere
This guy can do it all. Look at the rain and the strokes he used to achieve the atmosphere of this gloom. The fog around the bo\om of the cliffs are amazing.
AAAHHHH!!! UNDEAD!!!
The lines don’t really make sense on the arms of the undead. But do they have to? With the environment he has created it doesn’t really ma\er I think.
This was some concept art from back in the day. Tomb Raider! What?! Yeah that’s right… Tomb Raider. He shows off his technical ability with these ancient devices. His sketches are almost as interesDng as finished pieces. The process lines show that he works light and then goes in with a hard stroke…Keith don’t say it. (that’s what she said)
Figure drawing pracDce. Even the pro’s need to brush up on some anatomy! So don’t sweat it!
It is important to do stuff for your own benefit. This is one of his personal pieces. To end it I wanted to show that even this guy, (who probably draws more than God did when he was designing single cell organisms, Dinosaurs, Adam and Eve, the cosmos and Twinkies…) sDll does stuff on the side for his own good. Try to have fun with your gi]s. It’s not just work, it’s our passion. If not, get out now. h\p://www.pencilprimate.com/