Here is another, larger attempt at a full Clip Studio Paint illustration using the iPad Pro. I didn't really have a plan in place other than some basic elements. Tried to pick colours and techniques I didn't normally use, apart from the new tech setup, just to stretch the ol' creative muscles a bit. I'm not 100% sold on this (am I ever?) but I like it enough to try some of the things I'd worked out here again in other places. Enjoy!

Labels: Clip Studio Paint, ghost, iPad Pro, ninja, robots

More than likely, I'm not going to make it to 31 drawings by this Friday. That being said, I'm currently at 20 drawings of varying success and quality, and if I had to stop today (I don't plan to, but you never know what life will throw you), I'd call this Inktober a success! My art output has been very light as of late, so producing 20 drawings in 28 days is a win in my book, especially considering I am proud of (most of) them.

This October, I've also finished some concept work I can't show you, for a project I can't tell you about. I will say that I am extremely proud of what I accomplished, I felt like I really pushed myself, and if/when I can show it I will. I think there may be some more art in that universe done soon, but we'll see. Really wish I could share!

Ok, back to Inktober and over-analyzing. Here's what I learned from week 4.

What I've Learned So Far

• I like a clean-ish line (a la Inktober 15 below). I've experimented with really varied lines, and unvaried lines and I feel that my personal preference is somewhere in the middle. I think I've gravitated there most of the time anyhow, but it's good to reassess every now and again.
• I need to stop 'cheating out' on faces and expressions. I think I'm more capable than I give myself credit for, and I need to just try and produce the best work I can without the shortcuts.
• I can draw cute and pretty women! I've been accused of drawing boxy, ugly women which, hey 'beauty in the eye of the beholder' and 'if it's good enough for Katsuhiro Otomo', but it's nice to know I have it in me. I'm never gonna draw pinups, but that's more so because I find that a bit gross and misogynistic more than anything else.
• I need to draw really terrible pictures every once in a while. I tend to think that every one has to be a winner, and if I don't feel like I'm going to put down a winner, I freeze up and don't move forward. It's almost like exercising demons in a way. Draw the terrible pictures so the good ones can be free.
• I find drawing details therapeutic. I need to find a fine line, but it can be a very zen experience drawing every ringlet of chainmail on a goblin. I can itchy sometimes if there's not enough detail in a drawing. Pros and cons to that I'm sure.

Here's the output for week four.

Labels: brush pen, goblins, ink, Inktober, Johnny Arcade, robots, video games, whales

This was just a quick idea that sort of came together. Lately I've really been trying to push the things I know I have problems with, in this case perspective. Again, I think there are some issues with this piece (although I'll probably almost always say that), but I need to keep pushing myself to get better. Any critiques or criticisms are always welcome.

Labels: fire, furnace, robots

I find myself constantly trying to find a process to a finished product that isn't a culmination of tedious sub steps. Some of my comic work in the past has seen 2-3 near complete drawings (pencils, second pass at pencils, inks). I'd like to ideally get to a stage where I'm roughing in non-photo blue pencil, and simply applying ink. No erasing, no clean up. The problem of course is getting a line quality I enjoy without needing all the sub steps.

After some experimentation, I think I'm finally getting a hang of this Pentel brush pen. These were all done with the brush pen, either as new pieces (the first two), or over older pencils I'd never really done anything with (the last). As always, feedback is appreciated!

Labels: cowboy, ghosts, Monsters, robots, shoot out, soaked

Here is the final colored "Chicken" piece. This one fought me quite a bit, and I think it had more to do with my tendency to want to overwork a piece rather than the piece itself. I enjoy the final result, but it was a fight all the way through. I really need to learn to abandon a piece earlier in the process; finding simpler methods to get the mood across. All part of the balacing act that is art I suppose.

Labels: chicken, Illustration Fridays, ink, Photoshop, robots

It's been a bit of a busy week, but I wanted to try to stick with the momentum I've built up thus far this year. The compromise was to concede to not getting this piece colored for this week. I will color it eventually, and perhaps over the weekend, but I did want to get it up before Friday. This was again for Illustration Friday; the topic this week was "Chicken".

Labels: chicken, Illustration Fridays, ink, Photoshop, robots

My head is all mucked up with cobwebs and glue these days. It's funny how life gets in the way of doing the things you love. I'm slowly trying to force myself back into a work pattern I find acceptable.

All of the periphery projects I've had on the go over the past few years have run their course or dried up, leaving me with just myself and my ideas. It's a daunting prospect, and can be debilitating at times; the idea that the only person depending on your creative output is yourself. It's easy to occupy yourself with projects when someone else is driving the deadline. The real challenge is driving yourself to finish something you could just as easily put off until another day.

All that being said, here's some sketching and ink work I've been chipping away at here and there. The first was a forest sketch I had tried, mainly to see the amount of time it would take for that level of detail. Final results are mixed. Second is an impromptu character design meant as a nemesis to an idea I've had in the vaults for a few years. Finally, another take on a character whose story always feels insurmountable, but who just won't leave me in peace. More soon.

Labels: character design, Forest, ink, pencil, robots

I'm not saying I'd ever write a vampire comic, but if I did, it would look something like this. I would also say it should go without saying that under no uncertain terms would this vampire ever sparkle in daylight.

Labels: pen and ink, robots, Vampire

Trying to do all my ink work traditional with a brush pen, rather than on the computer or using a handful of different pen sizes. I find the speed boost is nice, but challenging still to get exactly what I'm after. Practice, practice, practice..

Labels: brush pen, ink, Nautical, robots

Here's some more recent ink work I've been doing in the spare moments on my lunch hour. The first is a failed attempt at a design for a longer story I had planned for Popgun a while back. Never came to be, and may end up finishing it someday.

The second one is a small character that fits into a world I had always pictured as a graphic novel, but there's holes in the premise I've yet to be able to adequately fill, so it's always been on the back burner.

The final one is a character who fits into a story that's almost fully fleshed out in my mind. I'd love to tackle it after my current obligations are complete, but we'll see where things are then.

I had planned out a tutorial on preparing line work for coloring in Photoshop (at least the method I use), but I'm afraid I just don't have the time to give it the proper attention at the moment. It's on my "to do" list though.

Labels: comics, graphic novel, ink, Popgun, robots

Not too sure where this one came from. Just sort of a lunch time doodle that ran away from me. Moving on...

Labels: colour, ninjas, robots, trident

This character design felt like it had a little bit of life in it, so I decided to expand upon the idea in case I wanted to do anything with it at some point.

Labels: character design, robots, rocket

Here's a little ditty I whipped up on my lunch break today. I finally got around to scanning in a bunch of stuff from my sketchbook, but there's still a ton of stuff in there so I'll have to keep working at it. The sketch was lying around in my sketchbook, and I tried out a new coloring technique. I'm pretty happy with the results. Let me know what you think!

Labels: robots, rocket, sketch

Sort of a misfire in terms of what I was aiming for, but I liked this one enough to slap some color on it. Criticisms always welcome.

Labels: robots, rock

Labels: robots, sketch