Doin' Those Things

Okay, I'm back in the WRJ and figured I should post SOMETHING. I saw Scott Pilgrim a few nights ago and thought it was cute and fun and extremely well composed/edited. If you want to have a good time, it's got a solid cast and some great music.

Anyway, not been feeling too great today and I've got a lot of commitments/deadlines coming up let's see what I can do here.

First, another random pen environmental sketch:



I need to sit down and design the outside logo for The Cave for real. On the plus side, it doesn't have to be pretty/fancy because The Cave is kinda a dump. A well meaning dump, though.

And because I've actually started inking the comic, because I am damn determined to finish this thing, here's the rough sketch for the cover to OFHH:



Alright, and a quick rundown of comic threes:

RASL because I enjoy Tesla science mixed with philosophy in a gritty, immersing drama that is just beginning to unravel itself.

MW because Osamu Tezuka was a man ahead of his time with amazing range that keeps you on the edge of your seat as he explores the depths of morality and the levels people are willing to push their own sense of value.

Jerry Ordway, Pete Kraus, and Mike Manley's run on The Power of Shazam because it is fun, and one of the best versions of Captain Marvel's story I've read. Start with the graphic novel, but if so inclined I recommend picking up the back issues. They're pretty cheap and your local comic store will thank you for taking them off the shelves.

And now I need to get back to work but much love to you all.

Work in Progress and Distractions

You know, it's felt like a long time since I've sat down and done a real drawing of Ace since I've had to put finishing my comic till I get back to WRJ. So, to make up for that I did this last night:



I've also been trying to get ready for thesis by doing layouts and other concept sketches since I'm pretty much just set up for sketches right now:



That's the first of my reference sheets for The Cave and I need to do a few more before I start making, hopefully, SketchUp! models. I want to have at least the few locations I know I'll be referencing multiple times laid out as best I can. Sorry for the random content but that's kinda how summer has been.

Speaking of random content, my brother is visiting and we're continuing this massive sort out of STUFF from our childhoods. Going through old puzzles, he told me to draw these two puzzles before he'd let me throw them out. I took my own liberties:





Yes, I know Shark Week is over, and the guys in the bottom picture are from something called Rock Lords which neither my brother nor I remember, but whatever. It makes throwing out stuff fun.

Stroll Down Memory Lane: Jeannie

Okay, I'm continuing on this weird-ass personal nostalgia kick for some reason. Maybe it's all the watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer and listening to Cibo Matto, but I had the strange urge to go over the artistic history of one of my characters to see how she's changed and how my art has changed since I pretty much started drawing back in 2001. This is really mostly for my own records, but it's kinda interesting to see what happens when I decide to actually learn how to draw.

WARNING: This post contains old, crappy, high school infested art and should be viewed with caution. Scroll to the bottom if you don't want to hurt yourself.

First, 2001 and one of the first pictures I ever drew of Jeannie:



A couple years later, I haven't learned a whole lot but I thought it would be interesting to see what happens if I re-interpret the first picture:



A couple more years later in 2005 I do another interpretation and I guess I've learned something but the growth isn't really there considering I'm still treating this as a hobby:



2007 and I'm in Japan and I've had the benefit of taking a couple of real art classes. I don't get around to doing a new version of the original but I do a sketch of Jeannie I'm particularly fond of:



And today, I just finished the inks for what will probably be the next version of the original picture:



So what have I learned over all these years? One, if you want to draw don't start out with manga, you'll spend years trying to unlearn all that junk. Two, it's never a bad to revisit old ideas because if you're not sure of your progress you'll at least have something to directly compare things to. Three, ridiculously long hair is ridiculous and have I mentioned I'm a fan of Uzumaki?

Overall I'm generally happy with the direction my art is going even if I've still got a ways to go. I've kicked a lot of my old bad habits and I'm starting to regain a certain amount of confidence in my ability to progress.