Milestone and breakthrough

This has been an inspiring weekend for me to say the least.  I was in a creative hole for a while trying to find out where to go next.  Do I stop drawing completely? Do I finish my comics books that I have been sitting on in partial state for years? Or do I try to go a different direction into internet  comics and limited animation. All the while I was getting better in my drawing skills and have started using digital tools a lot more in my finished products.  Do I really look at comics as business or just a hobby.  It took the lost of two really important people in my life to get me to  start moving for myself. I understand I am that kind of person that moves only after confirmation from multiple sources- this is hinderance as well as a virtue. You don’t seem to move fast enough for most. But when I do it’s more deliberate and thought out.  I have gotten two different sources of inspiration to complete the unfinished work I have in my possession.  In the start of 2017, Arvell Jones  (Art director for books 2 and 3 of FX Mulrooney Series) encouraged me to start building my audience and just get the work, that I have been sitting on, finished and then build from there .  After the loss of my parents ,in mid year 2017, Darnell Sealie , ( the background design artist on the books) also encouraged me to to continue on that journey.  So as I go into 2018, with the new skills of digital inking and coloring I plan to embark on the great journey for finishing what we started almost 20 years ago.  My goal is to retouch my pencil work with better designs and digital art tools…. This will also be the year to solidify the Trademark status for the FX Mulrooney brand before April  24, 2018- so Here is retouch- mock up of FX Mulrooney Issue three less color and copy — a colored version will be used for the Trademark Specimen…

Open source image???

I decided to try to create more open source images- ie images made with software that is open source or free to use and obtain- I have downloaded copies of Blender 3d, Gimp, Inkscape, OpenToonz and Synfig Studio and Scribus.  I have only really played around with OpenToonz, Synfig  Studio and Scribus.  I have spent the most time with Blender3d  and have presented at seminars about the program, but still believe I am only a novice. Hopefully I will remedy that in 2018.  But today’s illustration was completed using Inkscape.  I initially was cheating by using a drawing completed in Sketchbook Pro from a photograph… I  realized that some features are best laid as copies from the photograph itself- So I ended up using a photograph of a friend to create the image…. I have done similar images in the past with Adobe Illustrator. And I figured using an alternative to the program might give similar results…. There are a lot more images to create and utilize these programs to push the art- Here is looking up in 2018….

Just as a comparison:

Blender Vs Maya and 3dsMax

Gimp Vs Photoshop

Inkscape Vs Adobe Illustrator

OpenToonz Vs Toonboom studio 

Syfig Studio Vs Flash or Adobe AnimateCC

Scribus Vs Adobe Indesign or Microsoft Publisher

I can not rate comparisons, because the pro versions , linked above, have either been in the market longer or have followings that can’t be denied- I used most of them before, myself, and really like them- I am just trying to be cheap and small business budget demands small business expenses- who can beat free???

Note you can also get a download of these programs  in links attached:

Blender

Gimp

Inkscape

OpenToonz

Synfig Studio 

Scribus

So Long live the Open source generation- or until my business explodes and my expense budget can warrant the more established software

new color posts

I needed to create some color posts again- so here are a few pics.  I am getting more comfortable using this new technology- so the I-pad Pro will be making a dent in my production pieces from now on-- I used #sketchbook App  to create these pieces.

Rendering via iPad Pro- Sketchbook- app

I wanted to update my drawing skills for accuracy, I failed miserably but learned how to use my eye and to improvise trying to ink over some pencil work of comic artist that I still marvel at (no pun intended) so I decided to do some ink overs of Jim Lee and John Buscema. I like the energy of both, I will be working to translate this energy to my own art in the near term- stay toned

Back to square 1- post or not to post

Sorry, I have not been posting regularly, like I should.  Due to some family issues that have recently found a conclusion; I was out of it for a while.  I am still in a funk and know that friends and family are key to my getting back to the business of becoming a better artist and a better person.  I recently entered into a art image contest where the winner will have their images displayed in a local comic store during a promotional event for the store.  I had just purchased a new iPad Pro with iPencil and though I would break it in.. The Event  Hail to the King is a promotional event put on at Green Brain Comics  to  celebrate the life of Jack Kirby- one of the key idols for comic community to this day.  I decided to do two things- portray Jack Kirby's heavy inked style and keep it sketchy with pattern brushes that are available in SkethchBook Pro for iPad.... It is my first finished work (from a quick sketch) with this medium, but, as luck would have it, I was one of those chosen to display in the event.  The Hail to the King event will be held at Green Brain Comics on  Friday, August 25 from 7-9pm.  Below is a sample of the  image- hopefully someone will purchase a print ( hint).

So come to Green Brain Comics  to the event "Hail to the King" @  13936 Michigan AvenueDearborn, MI, 48126  this Friday from 7-9 pm

fan based art coming

I am looking to rebuild my portfolio for 2017 and was looking at re-imagining existing comic characters. I have this old 3-5 page story of Milestone comics characters, Static Shock, and ICON sidekick Rocket  that I will work to complete panel work this year-- The story is called "Rocket Love" and it was written by G Walker Teon of Generate comix... here are some sketches I worked on today while watching a Netflix Series called Abstract: the art of design

gotta get my ink game in check or find an inker

Okay, I created this cool piece while watching Hulk VS cartoon on @Netflix.  The image was flowing from the pen/tablet  using my now go to sketch program- Sketchbook Pro.  I was getting pretty proud of myself and decided to try to finish the piece... note I have been sketching up a storm offline but felt no pressure to ink over anything- so it looks like cool sketch book stuff.  I felt confident in my skills.  So I figured, if I sketch digitally; I can complete a finished piece that looks as cool as my sketch- WRONG!!!   I found out that when I try to finish over a sketch digitally , I get really, really, really lazy and sloppy on following the line-work that made the sketch look so cool. I end up muddying the work and figure I can add cell shading on a different layer to fill out  what I flattened during the finished line-work....  The lesson is to truly identify what you see before inking or digitally finishing a piece. Overworking is not working smart and may damage all the coolness you put into  your original work... The real art is the ability to see your work- not just create or finish it---

Ciao- PS see case in point