Operation: Star Trek

Week two-sixty of Operation Graphite – theme: Star Trek.

It has been five years, and 260 themes. When I started this blog, I was unemployed and looking for a way to motivate my self to draw more. Now I have a wife, two kids, and hardly any time to poop. Ah, times change.

I end Operation Graphite, or at least this incarnation of Operation Graphite, with the theme Star Trek. Picked mostly because of the,”Five year mission” line. I have reached a milestone, and though I had initially hoped to keep this going on indefinitely, I feel continuing for five years was enough time that I can end this without the crushing guilt of quitting. That and my scanner died, so these last few Grey Ops have been a pain to upload. I made it till the end, and five years is good duration, at least that is what will keep telling my self as I curl into the fetal position.

I also want to thank my fellow members of the Graphite Corps. While I was running many solo missions towards the end, I often had a hand full of amazing artists submitting. I joke that this sites greatest accomplishment was getting my far more talented friends to send me artwork every week, but it was that work that kept me going this long, without it I doubt I could have made it two years. Thank you, everyone who has contributed, especially those of you who were regulars.

And Operation Graphite will be back… maybe. Ideally, after some down time, I will come back with a new project. Perhaps I will chronicle a long term project, or think of a new batch of smaller projects. Till then you can find some of my work on DeviantArt.

See you space cowboy…

Shock

Operation: Batman

Week two-fifty-nine of Operation Graphite – theme: Batman.

That ninja Batman anime now has a trailer, and it is even crazier than I imagied. Batman can go anywhere, get recycled, revamped and reinterprited a million ways, and most of the time, can still be great. He’s a pretty versatile guy for a weirdo who dresses up like a bat.

Contributing Dark Knights:

Shock

shawnbrookwilliams

Week 260: Star Trek

The theme selected or week two-sixty of Operation Graphite will be: Star Trek.

The five year mission has come to an end. What better way to end the project than with a beginning. The Final mission will be Star Trek. There is a new series to pull from as well as all the past series and theatrical films.

Please submit any drawing or painting, using traditional or digital media, that fits the theme: Star Trek.

Week 254: Armor

The theme selected for week two-fifty-four of Operation Graphite will be – Armor.

Alright, were done with the not so subtle jabs at the unfortunate choice for POTUS mk45. It’s back to basics, good old fashioned geekery. The theme is armor; it can be historical armor, fantasy armor, living things that are naturally armored, the modern military armor branch or even the metaphorical concept of armor. Whatever makes you feel save.

Please submit any drawing or painting, using traditional or digital media, that fits the theme: Armor.

All art work is due on Friday, 2.10.2017. Submissions will be published the weekend of 2.11.2017

 

Operation: Troll

Week two-fifty of Operation Graphite – theme: Troll.

 

Trolls come in a variety of shapes, sizes and temperaments. Some might only bother you if you tread to closely, some might purposely hunt you down, some are small and hide under bridges, some are huge and roam the frozen forests of Scandinavia. Either way, you probabaly don’t want to meet one.

Shock – Troll

Operation: In Memoriam

Week two-forty-nine of Operation Graphite – theme: In Memoriam.

We lost a lot of great people this year, and it was hard to pick someone to honor. It was hard to think up something too with a long week of artists block. Carrie Fisher’s passing was pretty major, but there have been no shortages of memorial artwork for her. Kenny Baker, another Star Wars Alumni also passed this year, and hasn’t had near the attention. Instead of portraying him in his R2-D2 tin can, I went with his character from another of my favorite movies, Terry Gilliam’s Time Bandits.

Shock – Fidget

Week 249: In Memoriam

The them selected for week two-forty-nine of Operation Graphite will be: In Memoriam.

Family, friends and celebrities have all left is this past year.  Too many have left us too soon. Which death hit you the hardest? Who is going to take care of Gary Fisher?

Please submit any drawing or painting, using traditional or digital media, that fits the theme: In Memoriam.

All art work is due on Friday, 1.6.2017. Submissions will be published the weekend of 1.7.2017

 

Week 248: Krampus

The theme selected for week two-forty-eight of Operation Graphite will be: Krampus.

Christmas is this weekend, and this year not only are Christmas and Christmas Eve on weekends, so are New Years and New Years Eve. Thus, no one will get extra days off from work, which is pretty devious. Speaking of devious, good old Krampus, the devious disciple of jolly old Saint Nick is the theme again. Leave it to the Germans to think up a child eating demon to frighten children into behaving.

Please submit any drawing or painting, using traditional or digital media, that fits the theme: Krampus.

All art work is due on Friday, 12.30.16. Submissions will be published the weekend of 12.31.16

Week 247: The Galactic Empire

The theme selected for week two-forty-seven of Operation Graphite will be: The Galactic Empire.

 

Rouge One hits theaters this week. I have only heard good things so far, and I am pretty excited. We’ve got Ghost Dog and Ip Man in a Star Wars movie, and that is pretty cool. This week we will focus on an unusual obsession with pop culture, the Galactic Empire of Star Wars. Now I realize that a cool set of armor and an awesome helmet are pretty tantalizing, but does it ever strike you as odd that so many people rather dress up as storm troopers than other characters? There is an entire squadron of fans around the world who painstakingly research and complete authentic uniforms and armor for the Galactic Empire, who for all intents and purposes, are space Nazis. One might imagine the draw to such bad assery would be stymied by the fact that those jingoistic troopers are enforcers for a totalitarian regime that controls the galaxy though fear and violence; but they I guess we would have to delve into human fascination with evil. In a fantastical space opera, where good and bad are clearly defined, the unquestioning shock troops who carry out all of the evil mastermind’s orders are the ones more people want to emulate? Why is that?

Please submit any drawing or painting, using traditional or digital media, that fits the theme: The Galactic Empire.

All art work is due on Friday, 12.23.16. Submissions will be published the weekend of 12.24.16

Operation: Extra Terrestrial

Week two-forty-three of Operation Graphite – theme: Extra Terrestrial 

Did you see, Arrival? it was pretty cool. A smart movie about radially symmetrical heptapods that give a new idea to both how aliens would look but also communicate. We tend to portray aliens that are similar to us for various reasons. Convergent Evolution is just one reason why this might actually be possible, however the possibilities of what sentient extra terrestrials could look like is perhaps beyond our comprehension and would very likely be determined by environments much different than ours.

Shock – Alien Cocktail