2021 Grad Show

Henry Hays

VCD – Character Design & Illustration

Born a slithering mass of seaweed and small crustaceans from the brine of the cold January Atlantic, Henry has become considerably easier on the eyes and nose since his start on this planet.

Living in Calgary and working at the local art store he spends his spare time sketching images of the Canadian Military, dreaming of the High Arctic, and writing and planning comics that always seem to be right around the corner. Though he spends plenty of time inside listening to podcasts and talking to his emotionally distant tarantula, when he is spotted out and about he is usually covered in splatters of paint and smudges of graphite. Henry likes to work primarily with ink, casein, oil paints, and pencils, but he has been known to draw on rocks with pieces of burnt wood so really he's down for anything.

For any business opportunities or expedition proposals Henry can be reached via his email or instagram account, but a large smoke signal somewhere in the South of Calgary will do just as well (just be sure to offer some crickets to his pet invertebrate as a peace offering)

Winter Aboard Erebus Desolate capture of a long dead and mummified corpse nestled in the corner of the captains room on HMS Erebus following the trapping of the ship in the Arctic ice. Ink on paper with Casein underpainting, 9" x 12". 2020.

Contemplating the Tilt of Whiskey Expedition Commander Armitage studies the map of the surrounding area, the place his ship "Horizon" has spent the past three years trapped in the perilous pack ice. Far away from home, suffering shortages of food an supplies, the three men come up with a plan to make a run for safety despite the insurmountable odds ahead of them. Ink on paper, 3" x 9". 2020

Northwest Passage This project was made to illustrate the journey taken by the protagonist in the iconic song “Northwest Passage” by Stan Rogers. Pulling from scenery across Canada, this piece shows the lengthy journey from the East Coast through the vast interior and all the way to the roaring Fraser while simultaneously illustrating the hunt for the Northwest Passage in the background. Rogers compared his journey to those of past explorers, and I saw it fitting to do the same. Ink on Paper, PS Colours. 2020

Lights Above the Horizon Illustration showing the dancing aurora above the icebound ship "Horizon" as it spends it enters it's third year locked in the pack high above the arctic circle. Scratchboard, 12" x 12". 2020

Crew of the Horizon The final expedition photograph of the "Horizon" crew, commanded by John Armitage. This would be the last photo of the crew to ever exist, after their mysterious disappearance into the Arctic wastes following the ship travelling through Jones Sound and further towards the open polar sea. Photo taken in the Spring of 1844. Ink on paper, 11" x 17". 2020

Illustrations

A collection of Illustrations primarily from my Third and Fourth years at AUArts. Everything seen here is for a class project unless stated otherwise.

Title Page

The Surface Fort Haven In the early days of the exodus from akvurm’s cradle, the only points of entry to the surface were the ancient wormholes that dot the landscape. Like blood to a wound, the ground-folk emerged from one of these wormholes and quickly reinforced their flimsy position. After decades of buildup, the surface-fort known as haven came to exist. 3D Render done using Blender, Aseprite, and MagicaVoxel

The Glowing Rotwood Formed after the last battle of the forgotten giant war, the rotwood grew fast and strong with the bodies of the wardead as it’s fertilizer. Influenced by the magic that flowed through the giants, the trees of the rotwood harbour glowing glass spheres, each one possessing an unbelievable heat that makes them next to impossible to handle and the soft glow from the orbs ensure the forest never grows dark. 3D Render done using Blender, Aseprite, and MagicaVoxel

The Perilous Needles If one were to tell you to meet them in the needles, chances are you would immediately ask for clarification. This area covers most of the known continent and it is one of the harshest and least forgiving landscapes one can encounter. The jagged peaks that make up this swath of land are what give it it’s memorable name, though few have ever been summitted. 3D Render done using Blender, Aseprite, and MagicaVoxel

AUArts Grad Show MapMaker-3D worlds presentation

Project Description

Closing Slide

Map-Maker: 4th Year Capstone Project

A project that was worked on for most of my final year, Map Maker is my first foray into the world of 3D Rendering for use in Video Games. Using assets from Aseprite, MagicaVoxel, and Blender I created 3 unique and detailed environments filled with natural formations, man-made structures, and characters to populate the world. This project will be pursued in the coming months after my knowledge of programming and game development is improved through online courses.

All work done digitally, and completed in April of 2021.

Over! Casein on cardboard, 2021.

Crouching Under A Tree Digital sketch, 2021.

Canadian Soldiers, Tired and Dirty Oil on canvas, 2021.

German Looking Right Digital paints, 2021.

Bloodied and Bruised Oil on canvas, 2021.

Soldier Portrait Oil on canvas, 2021.

Military Art

Collection of art, specifically focused on the Canadian and British Military during the time periods of World War 1 and 2. Mediums and dates listed on each individual work.

Homo Erectus Skull Casein on watercolour paper, 2021.

Sledge Casein on canvas, 2020.

Dead Duck Oil on canvas, 2021.

Plein Air - House Across the Spit Gouache on watercolour paper, 2020.

Canol Trail Gouache on watercolour paper, 2020.

View From the Hill - Death Stranding Fanart Casein on watercolour paper, 2021.

Paintings

A collection of paintings with no connecting factor other than the fact that my hands did indeed paint them.