=SHANE WHITE=

Breaking New Ground

2012-01-23T19:49:00.000-08:00

Trying some new brushes. This is another elaborate sketch.

=s=

Final Rough To Infinity

2012-01-22T07:48:00.000-08:00

Pretty much there as far as a final rough goes. Sadly I can see the life being squeezed out of it so transferring is going to be a crucial thing. I'll probably redraw this completely from the ground up to keep it fresh. The one drawback is falling in love with a gesture or detail that almost seems impossible to reproduce.

Guess we'll have to see about that.

While this may be the final rough I think it'll be crucial to still make choices in the final drawing to keep it fresh for me. Sometimes though going off the map puts me in places I don't want to go.

=s=

Collaboration Station

2012-01-10T22:34:00.000-08:00

Working on thumbnails for a collaboration I'm hoping to do soon with one of my favorite inkers. Can you guess who? This one is gonna be at least 22" x 30". We'll see...it might just scare him off. :)

=s=

Outlaw Josey Wales

2011-12-27T06:58:00.000-08:00

A commission that I just finished. May do more like this which is a first for me.

=s=

COMIC ARTIST: Corey Walker

2011-12-21T21:34:00.000-08:00

I wrote a little something about him here.

=s=

RELAUNCH in 3...2...1

2011-12-05T07:56:00.001-08:00

Check out the major relaunch of my new site! It's a complete redesign with many new features.

One of the major perks is I now have a STORE! I'll be selling various sundries and dry goods like books, posters, iron-ons, commissions and even some original art. I also have a new MEDIA section that will hopefully grow with some upcoming projects I have in the works. My love for film will now be exercised to the fullest from short films, to ARTIST'S PROFILES and documentaries. I even have a section for TUTORIALS! Look around lots to explore with new expanded areas. There's even an RSS feed to keep up-to-date as I continue to roll out new work, announcements and projects.

Next year I'll be launching my new project starting off as a webcomic and beyond!

As for this blog...things will change here as I'll be posting to my main site primarily. I'll still use it but it'll be for vastly different things...like sketches only...and more broad artistic goals.

Stay tuned...and thanks for watching!

=s=

Breaking Away

2011-12-01T16:40:00.000-08:00

Trying some different approaches to inking.

=s=

Dead Horse: Beaten

2011-11-29T08:44:00.001-08:00

I think I've posted this a few times. Somehow I wasn't able to find it on here. So for archiving sake here it is again...for the first time.

Notice the fine craftsmanship...the exquisite detail...we're offering this priceless jewel at a price you can afford!

=s=

Making A Sketchbook Outta Sketchbooks

2011-11-28T08:36:00.001-08:00

Like a lot of "comic people" it's probably about time I put together a sketchbook to sell at shows.
I've been reticent of this idea because I remember a long while ago when sketchbooks or "Art of books..." were for those who earned it, whose life was worth documenting.

Then there's the sheer logistics of going through all these books. I need to catalog them anyway so they make sense to somebody (wife) if I keel over and die. Artists, I suspect, don't think about how their loved ones deal with the volume of a life's work. It's a difficult burden to pass on. It behooves us to offer some guidance in this matter.

Anyway...as I was saying.

The thing about sketchbooks is they are just that- a document of an artist's life. Their visual diary. I guess that's why I shouldn't be surprised when I see sketchbooks from artists and they really don't look like sketchbooks. They're usually filled with half-finished drawings. One per page. Many are filled with finished drawings and renderings OR "convention sketches" of equal levels of finish. They're certainly nice enough but still isn't the same thing as a real sketchbook. It's like they don't want to be seen or they're determined to save face and put out only "sale-able" work. In all honesty though...most people prefer sketches. It's the closest connection to an artist's conscience, their child-self when there were no boundaries.

I don't understand the law around printing and selling a book of one's "sketches" when in fact they're actually filled with other people's characters. Most, obviously put the owner's copyright in there but I would imagine if someone wanted to crack down they could go to all these shows with a cease and desist order. I'm hoping to avoid using other people's characters. We'll see.

That still doesn't solve my problem. I have to find a sketchbook in there somewhere that is honest, ugly and hopefully pleasing at the same time. Not sure if I should go about it thematically like: Monsters, Sci-fi, or From Life. Or just throw a mish-mash of themes together.

Then there's the concern about printing...yeesh.

I feel a time-suck coming on.

=s=

Molly & Her Hatchet

2011-11-27T11:08:00.001-08:00

Here's a quick ink sketch to try some stuff and to use up some scrap paper.

=s=

Shhh...sneak peek!

2011-11-22T06:00:00.000-08:00

Currently in production.

=s=

Hack/Slash Painted Cover

2011-11-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

While you're sitting there thinking about carving turkey you might be thinking of leg meat. Here's some leg meat I painted for an upcoming issue of Hack/Slash with a 50s Movie Monster Poster theme.

No idea when it'll be out.

=s=

The Weirdness

2011-11-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

This was easily the weirdest job I've worked on. I had to rethink my approach to sequential art. As a storyteller transitions are important to me. They help the audience along as a story unfolds. This had a very different approach. At least I learned something new! :)

=s=

90s Comics Showdown

2011-11-11T06:00:00.000-08:00

Here again is my entry into the 90s Comics throwback. Oddly enough as much as I wanted it to reflect the 90s there are many problems with this piece. First I inked it with a brush. Second, there's probably not enough lines, pouches, glows, and colors going on. The proportions may even be too accurate. Believe me if I was going for accuracy I probably should have bought a back issue or something.

This at best is what I saw and how I interpreted it.

=s=

Transluscent Media V

2011-11-10T06:00:00.000-08:00

In the 90s comics took a weird turn. They had a certain look and appeal. I think I'd just about given up on reading them because it just wasn't what I was into. BUT...if I was to embrace it and cross it with something else like ink and watercolor, this is what it might have looked like.

I have another piece to share soon in this "90s Comics" category.

=s=

Transluscent Media IV

2011-11-08T06:00:00.000-08:00

This was one of the earlier Scalped pieces I sketched out. Again, not quite what I'm looking for in how the character is portrayed. Fun to do though, especially when one is really familiar with the territory.

=s=

Transluscent Media III

2011-11-06T06:00:00.000-08:00

When I first got hip to markers in art school I really had no idea what I could do with them other than "go for realism". It's what we were taught. Accurate marker renderings of products and comps on marker paper. It wasn't until many years later after working in screenprinting and graphic design agencies that I realized markers were a lot like watercolor. Except they left you a lot more light-headed.
This was just some derivative character I came up with at a local Drink 'n' Draw I go to.

=s=

Transluscent Media II

2011-11-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

The Punisher is a pretty easy character for me to get into. Still I never quite like the way I portray him. Goran Parlov in the last five years did something with the character that I really liked. It was a mix of realism and good acting. I hadn't enjoyed The Punisher since when he was featured by Frank Miller and Klaus Janson in the pages of Daredevil...and that was fairly unbeatable.

=s=

Transluscent Media I

2011-11-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

I grew up using watercolors and india ink and when I started drawing comics I stopped using watercolors because that's not what you did. Though if I'd been hip to European artists I'd probably actually be doing nothing but comic work in that style. This is a first attempt at Dashiel Badhorse from the excellent comic book SCALPED. Unfortunately nobody can touch R.M.Guera's art.

So this will have to suffice for now.

=s=

Deepwater Lungfish

2011-10-31T08:07:00.000-07:00

Not what you thought it would be, huh? Same for me. I wasn't sure where this was going but I had fun diving into the deep-end of experimentation. Still a long way to go before I get a better sense of what I'm after.

=s=

RE:Visitation

2011-10-19T11:10:00.000-07:00

As I've been putting together the new site I realized there were a lot of pages from THE OVERMAN that were kind of cool as stand-alone illustrations. These are a few of my favorite ones.

=s=

Monsters & Dames 2011

2011-10-16T20:22:00.000-07:00

Fire in the hole! FFFFFFFSssszzzzle. That's inspiration and expectation meeting reality. The desire to execute on your vision is paramount until you realize that you may be in over your head, or obstacles lie in waiting to pounce. Such was the case with this pinup I needed to do for Emerald City Comicon's MONSTERS & DAMES benefit book.

I started thumbnailing easily a 50-100 of these covers starting way back in June. Still everything just seemed "fine". Nothing really called to me. With the deadline looming I had to pull the trigger on something. While this may work for some people in does not necessarily work for me.

So these weren't even thumbnails, I actually roughed them out larger than everything else and just decided to move forward on them. The gouache piece I started tanked pretty quickly after I applied the second level of detail. The underpainting seemed fine but then it took a drastic turn. So I tried these, each itching a scratch to do something different.

In the end I submitted the middle one. Hopefully they dig it.

=s=

Galactass: Reveals the Origin of Dark Matter

2011-10-13T08:01:00.000-07:00

I used one of my favorite comic shops for this cosmic discovery.
I guess I should mention this is 17" x 28". Easily one of the larger comic pieces I've done. I kind of like working big. Doesn't hurt my hand as much.

=s=

100 Times Better

2011-10-12T15:52:00.000-07:00

Getting closer to finishing this thing. Man, I think I've done easily a 100 thumbnails for this project. I have such a tough time settling on one image.

I hope in some small way that's a good thing.

Then again...I'm reminded of a similar pose I did years ago. ARRRRGH!

=s=

Stretching My Limbs

2011-10-03T17:43:00.000-07:00

For the past month I've been painting everyday on a gig that's pretty cool. Unfortunately I can't show anything for quite some time. So here's a few more pieces I knocked out in the interim.

=s=

Value-Mapping: My Palette

2011-09-28T10:25:00.000-07:00

So I'm on this kick to value-map things and I thought it'd be a good idea to value-map my palette that I tend to use. What did I learn in all this? Colors have their own values and some are surprisingly lighter or darker than you'd at first expect. I just didn't realize how much!

It really was made clear to me recently when I did a gouache painting on Vashon Island. I kept putting down colors that I swore were lighter than what I had on the paper but alas it wasn't. So I started painting daubs of all the raw hues on the opposing page to see how they compared to what was mixed down on the paper. Suffice it to say everything I was throwing down needed a lot more white. Maybe this is a property of gouache but as soon as I started adding more white values started locking into place and colors started mixing cohesively.

Adding white is not always the answer. I think I've been so cautious of my white bleaching out colors that I've geared perhaps more of my paintings to hang around the natural values of my raw colors; midtone to dark.

As you can see by the example above 90% of the colors are darker than 50%. I think this is telling and a helpful observation in perhaps planning out higher key pieces. Now that I'm comfortable with raw color I need to go back and understand tints and tones to a larger degree.

I need to recalibrate my own perceive value map.

=s=

Value-Mapping: Dean Cornwell

2011-09-27T16:55:00.000-07:00

I had this idea about breaking down an artist's work by value to get a better understanding about the range of values they used in a given image. One of the true masters of value in illustration is Dean Cornwell. Much of his early work, while mostly only reproduced in grayscale, was so good he could accurately paint it in color and it would still read incredibly well. Hence he was my in-road for this lesson.

By blurring the image I'm imitating squinting which helps determine value when looking at a scene, object or illustration. You can find the lightest lights and darkest darks and calibrate your choices accordingly. When you work up your thumbnail and value study you're more likely to see the groupings of values in the form of large masses. If you don't you might want to try and group them more to help maintain the focus of your piece.

Having read Paul Felix's notes on values he suggests that one limits the range to about five values for that's the easiest read for most audiences. There's some truth to that for sure but as one gets further along into a painting some middle values appear and the fidelity becomes more accurate as the big shapes are refined into smaller shapes. One thing I noticed is the areas where there was more detail and greater degrees of contrast had more value steps in the mapping.

By posterizing this image into 11 steps I was able to mimic 11 shades of gray in the value chart that I used to map the image. Surprisingly all the information is really there in the above pic and really doesn't need much more. Even in the thumbnail size there isn't really a big difference between this and the full grayscale below. Except it is a tad bit darker and sharper.

Here I parsed out what I could. Notice the Coke bottles have a high degree of contrast in the area against the men standing there, essentially making up a large pool of midtone-gray that wasn't as easy to see in the first blurry image. Your eye goes directly to it as well. Ideal for advertising and expertly executed.

My color palette usually tends to be as bold as Cornwell's here, which makes the image jump out at you. What I want is more control of the breadth and depth of value in my work. I notice that I tend to paint toward the darker end of the value scale carving light out of the shadow. Let's face it the real world is not bathed in angelic light and we're constantly battling to see clearer when we're in enclosed spaces. So it makes sense that most our work tends toward lower key art.

I think a good take-away for me is to spend more time doing grayscale and higher key work from life and out of my head. Really find the range that I want to work in that's outside of my comfort zone. That way when I take on a scene I'm not always hitting the same value range and I can manage my color better as well by putting the bold hues where they're best served.

=s=

Digital Throwdown

2011-09-26T10:07:00.000-07:00

I've been sketching in-between assignments using Photoshop, Sketchbook Pro and ArtRage. The latter two I'm trying out at the recommendation of friends. Some nice things in each and so far I like them all better than Painter.

=s=

Big In New Zealand (Sorta)

2011-09-25T19:57:00.000-07:00

Someone contacted me to let me know they saw an ad I worked on in an old magazine. What's cool about it is it actually has the original game cover I designed before SONY marketing slapped me down.

=s=

Jet City Sketches

2011-09-25T11:17:00.000-07:00

I was doing sketches for $20 at the Jet City Comic Show and in-between I worked on these for myself for the better part of the day. Good times, good show. Enjoyed talking to and catching up with Nick Dragotta, Matt Southworth and Justin Norman.

Thanks to all those who came out.

=s=

Somewhere Between Here and There

2011-09-17T11:05:00.000-07:00

I've been painting concept art everyday onsite so I haven't had a lot of time for my own work. Found this little start in the files that I thought was fun. Reminds of what I'd like to get back to and explore.

It's been a bit of a bootcamp so I'm expecting good things to come of it once the gig ends in a couple weeks.

=s=

Isle of View

2011-09-04T09:13:00.000-07:00

We did a weekend getaway and I managed to knock out a gouache piece from the deck of the farmhouse we stayed at.

=s=

Airship Daedalus Cover Finish

2011-08-31T07:53:00.000-07:00

Just handed this off to the client and they seemed to like it.
Onto the next one...

=s=

Airship Daedalus Cover

2011-08-25T21:14:00.000-07:00

I recently finished a cover for a webcomic series that may be going to print soon. It was an interesting gig and was right up my alley in terms of good pulpy fun. After the initial thumbnails I locked down a sketch.

A few days later I delivered a color rough and proceeded toward the finish line. Of course a lot changes between the rough and the finish, including the drawing.

=s=

Film Through the Backdoor: Screenwriting & Comics Pt. 2

2011-08-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

Looking back to move forward.
While reading through the last installment there were some things I thought would be valuable to expand upon. So bear with me if this seems like I'm jumping around a little. You may even thank me later.

Doing your homework...trust me it's fun! You can shell out a ton of money at your local comic shop (LCS) to see the latest and greatest offerings. This will get you up to speed on trending styles in writing and art. Be experimental look at the plethora of books outside of the superhero genre, there really is something for everyone. If you don't know what you're looking for a good LCS clerk will point you in the right direction. Describe what kind of movies and television you like, which would include your own screenplay and they'll be more than happy to help.
*Don't be surprised though if they're not all sunshine and rainbows toward you. Their first love is comics not customer service. So it might even be a good start to look online or interact in various forums. Google "comic forums" and you'll be up to your neck in filling out profiles.

But if you don't have the money to spend on back issues, trade paperbacks (collections of several issues of a book that constitute a story arc) and graphic novels (self-contained longer works) then your local library might be hip to the jive of comics as literature--as they should be. Online research will also help you find the top comics and books that have won Harvey, Eisner, Shuster, Inkpot and various other awards over the years. Then see if your library carries them. Most of the better ones do. If not, there are several online stores that specialize in these volumes that you can get for discount.

The way a lot of books are written today they 4 and 5 issue story arcs sometimes within a larger over-arching them. Something worth keeping in mind.

So once you've done your homework, you did it right? Hey, I told you this wouldn't be easy, but I hope you find it fun. If not...you may have to ask yourself, "WHAT AM I DOING HERE?"

What do you want your project to look like? Hopefully while doing your homework you wrote down names of publishers whose books you liked. Keep in mind the printing quality and the design of the books. You really want your book to look the best it can and be in good hands in terms of marketing and getting the word out.

Check online to see what kind of presence the publisher has and what other people say about them. See how many of their books have won awards.

Write down names of artists you like too and ask yourself: What is it about their art I like? It might be the ease in which they tell a story or how much photo reference they use.

You should be able to READ a comic by the pictures alone since this is primarily a VISUAL MEDIUM. This constitutes good storytelling. If you can't the artist might not be right for you no matter how cool their style is. Remember it's a collaboration.

Be aware of how they may tell your story by the types of books they illustrate. Just because they illustrate superhero stuff doesn't mean they won't want to try something different. Even if you don't approach them...knowing their names will be useful later.

THE PITCH.

This is similar to film in that it's gotta grab the person drawing it, publishing it and buying it. Because in the end you'll be the person presenting it to all three of these types of people, perhaps more. The pitch may change depending on who you pitch to first. Your initial pitch of your translated screenplay will probably be a few pages long. I know it sounds ambiguous but I've written 2-4 pages for a graphic novel pitch that ended up being anywhere from 90-163 pages of comics. I've only written screenplays I've never translated one to comics...that's just not my bag.

Obviously, a logline would start things off right. Then it's up to you to summarize your story from there as concise as possible and as enticing as possibly. It's a mix of sales and succinctness.

Artists and editors have no time. Editors especially, work on several books from inception to print and they still have a ton of talent to cajole and coddle and new books to launch and ads to oversee. Make your summary so that you know the WHO, WHY, WHAT and so forth and it hits all the big moments. Give the person reading no excuse but to respond to you as quickly as possible. Because you can bet they're looking for an excuse to get back to work and for you to stop wasting their time.

But where do I find artists and publishers?

Say you have in mind what types of artists you think would be good for your book. Artists are usually easier to approach at comic cons than they are online. Look for the cons in your area and check out the guest list and artist alley listings. Familiarize yourself with their work, bring several copies of your pitch (not the whole screenplay or adaptation) if they want to see more have it ready to print but no sense in lugging around more than you need.

Chat them up, buy a sketch get to know them as a person and vice-versa. Remember too, there's a fine line where some comic people are mistrustful of film people who want to get in to comics. But secretly many comics people want to get into film, me included. Same with the comic and video game industries too. The dream to cross-over to greener pastures is ubiquitous.

WHY? Because the FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION in comics is UNPARALLELED ANYWHERE!

Here's how the conversation with a penciler could go: Ask them what their schedule is like, if they have a lot going on in the next few months. If not, then ask if they'd be interested in reading a pitch to get their feedback. This is key because it doesn't obligate them to an unseen project they don't want anything to do with. If it's only 2-4 pages then nobody has lost any sleep.

Even play a little hard to get too. Mention that you're really trying to refine this pitch and hope that it can entice an art team to come on board knowing full-well it's a long shot. And close with the idea that you RESPECT THIS PERSON'S OPINION, because if their art is as good as this, then they probably have exceptional taste. I know...sounds like a load, but really it should come from your truthful center.

Who knows, they may read it. Make sure it has your name and contact info on it too. And give them your business card. And thank them for their time.

Publishers are a tough nut to crack, especially for writers.

Publishers are represented at cons by their editors. Getting an editor to READ your work is virtually impossible. WHY? Because many publishers have a policy of not taking unsolicited samples from anyone. They say it's because of possible overlap in stuff they have in their production pipeline and they don't want to be sued. It's happened and everyone is skittish. That's why your best bet is to have an artist in place ahead of time and come to the table with a fully formed project.

If the art is enticing enough, the editor will more likely read it.

So what if an artist gets back to you? Now things start to get interesting.

I'll talk more about it in the next installment. Always remember, this industry is small while far-reaching, poor while having very few successes. So tread lightly and be honest with your provocations. Do your best to be authentic and who knows you may make a couple of friends along the way.

=s=

A Process: Part II

2011-08-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

After I had some time to think about this I realized I'd be doing myself a disservice by painting it in oils. A couple of things came to light. But most importantly getting it into my computer at a high enough resolution for print was the ultimate undoing. My camera does a great job but not 600 dpi of greatness. I could have taken 3 different shots of the piece so as to make the 240 dpi higher once I pieced it all together...but accuracy counts here folks.

On the other hand there were some problems people had with the color rough as well. Some design problems came to light which needed fixing in a big way. Something that would have been excruciating on canvas. Still it's good discipline and not to be ignored.

So, knowing what I know now and having finished this digital piece for the client, I still plan on painting this for myself because I like a lot of what was accomplished. Since the oil painting isn't going to be the cover I may make further adjustments to the overall design and simplify it. But now at least I'll feel a little more carefree in my approach. At least I hope I do.

I still have a couple more projects in the pipeline but soon, I'll be breaking out the oils again.
Watch out!!!

=s=

Film Through the Backdoor: Screenwriting & Comics Pt.1

2011-08-15T08:37:00.000-07:00

On occasion I've been contacted by several screenwriters in the past to "adapt" their screenplay for comics. I even got an email from a Hollywood stuntman!

Like the saying goes, "Everyone in L.A. has a screenplay." That just may be true.

There's something in the air I think. People see comic properties being turned into film and believe there's a backdoor into a movie career and while I think it creates a lot of disingenuous comics it also will keep happening until that window of opportunity is shattered by a string of bad films or new trends.

An acquaintance of mine is writing a column that goes more in-depth about this but I offered my own thoughts on the subject that I think might be worth a share.

Comics are and always have been a visual medium. Much like film.

BUT... Comics are not film.

Comics are not storyboards either, though they can be storyboards and ultimately abuse the precious mechanics of comics.

Learning about the gears and inner workings of comics and good (an even bad) comic stories first and foremost before sitting down to write a script I think is most important. Learning about all the different types of comics out there can more inform the story and style of script you want to write. Not all comic stories are meant to be movies and no screenplay is meant to be a comic.

Firstly and lastly read a lot of comic scripts!
Befriend writers see if they'll send you some old scripts. That will get you on board with structures, formatting, and style choices.
Investigate to find out if the scripts are an artist/writer collaboration or a writer who doesn't know who is drawing his story. Then buy the comic whose script you just read to see how it was translated. You'll see the short and long of it right quickly.

Find out what it is about the comics medium that will make your converted screenplay special.

Otherwise, the sharp snappy dialogue, the concise descriptions of people, places and things is great. Stick to that. Don't become the "director" suddenly. The best comics are when each collaborator does their job and allows the mind-meld to do its magic and coerce the next person down the line to do one better. We're all trying to tell the greatest story possible. Good artists are going to bolster any element, motivation, action they can with visual symbology, metaphor, composition and design.

Think of artists as a living film crew all-in-one. From Director to set-decorator...that's half our job. The other half is story-teller.

Nothing turns off an artist, like myself, than somebody who doesn't know how a system works. Comics are made up of a lot of people who couldn't fit in anywhere else. We know an outsider when we see one. So don't be surprised if you're not received with open arms.

It's just like film in that regard.
Rarely will anyone in film receive anyone with open arms unless their resume is on their sleeve and worthy of note. And that's just to even have someone smile in your direction. Filmmaking is nothing short of producing a miracle with huge budgets...comics is clearly not that. But they can still be expensive in their own right, barely making enough to pay for the printing bill let alone the creators.

So why are we equally dubious of outsiders?
Because we can make comics our own. No money, no extra help, nobody else. We all have comic ideas and with the inception of the internet and digital media we now more than ever don't NEED ANYONE else.

However, comics is a very isolating creative experience and collaboration can be very rewarding. Great comics CAN be made with a lot of money, a lot of help and ideas. And usually are. But the best ones are usually made with the right balance of passion, creativity and skill.

Personally, I like scripts that start off with a bang, keep you turning the page and end with either a satisfying conclusion or a heavy cliff-hanger. Whatever happens in between better make sense. I want clean scripts with the dialogue finished so I can design my panels to fit the correct amount of words. Screenplay writers may or may not know that they can add extra panels where a character takes a moment for themselves...to react...to think...to do the internal stuff that screenplays all say, "No...no that's for the Actor to discover...or the Director to direct."

Action sequences should have little to no dialogue to keep good pacing because the reader ultimately controls the pace by how fast they read. Keep that in mind: more panels more dialogue more information to digest.

Count words! Pick up a comic or 12 and count how many words fit in many of the word balloons in different panels, scenes and pages. It's almost a haiku of sorts. Writer's should feel equal to the task of directing the actor as does the artist. As for camera direction unless you need to "angle on broken watch" or be more specific leave that for the artist. You may suggest at times an XLS (extreme long shot) to really play out a scene a certain way but know that the artist is holding the camera.

Writers do not have final approval on the art. This is just a wake-up call not a hard-and-fast rule. It's to say be aware this is still a collaboration, but at the end of the day an editor will have the final say, if there is an editor. The artist has to feel good about what they've done and the writer has to be sure that their ideas are clearly illustrated.

Realize too that the workload is unevenly distributed 20-80 or there-abouts depending on how deep your collaboration goes. Some artists help with plot points and may suggest dialogue or acting. So tread lightly and really ask yourself, "Is the change I want in the art going to make the overall product 10% better?" If it is, ask the artist what he thinks of changing something. Hash it out. But be sure to explain yourself in terms of how it serves the story. Because that's why we're all in this together.

Comics are generally 20-22 page monthly books. A screenplay is probably more translatable into a graphic novel 64-200+ pages of comics. That all depends on how committed you are to the comics medium or your screenplay.

Artist have to eat, pay bills and sometimes support a family and pay a mortgage. Health insurance is many times a luxury. Since comics is a visual medium and artist do much of the heavy lifting, MONEY is a great way to lubricate the creative process. Artists tend to make anywhere from $4000-6000 for pencils and inks at the larger publishing houses. That is close to a living wage for a 22 page monthly book that they should be able to deliver in 4-5 weeks. Just keep that in mind.

The property split is usually 50/50. It's probably a good idea to make it contingent on the artist to complete his end of the bargain. Contracts are helpful in this matter and should be honored to the letter and clearly understood by all parties.

Just like film, doing the research in the medium is important. Artist love working with great collaborators and smart people who are in the know. Like most art forms that may look deceptively simple to do really well, I assure you it is not.

To bastardize a saying I hate but is seemingly applicable:
Comic creation isn't just for children anymore! :)

=s=

"What I really want to do is direct...that's why I got into comics."

A Process: Part I

2011-08-08T12:50:00.000-07:00

I took on another cover project for the second issue of my friend's magazine. The first, if you'll recall, was a giant watercolor piece that was a scanning nightmare. This may be a nightmare of a different color.

I'm actually going to try and finish it in oils and then shoot it with my new Canon 7D. I prefer to send all color images print-ready at 600 dpi, especially if there is any blackline work in it. However for full-color and no blackline with this method I may not have that option without having to stretch the final image to spec. Stretching images is bad as Photoshop has to interpolate pixels causing them to double-up while at the same time losing clarity.

Regardless, my approach to project is the same.
I started with a plethora thumbnails after some direction was given to me. Then I moved onto character sketches and designs to support the theme and mood that I was hoping to achieve.

Doing my best to keep things loose I roughed out the layout with more detail and some initial shading to see where I might take it.

Using a grid overlay on tracing paper over the rough, I redrew that onto canvas using black prismacolor pencil and then finalized it in ink. Since it's a wrap-around cover I thought it best to have elements of interest large enough on both the front and the back. Seems to be okay so far.

Usually I run into trouble once I start in with the color. Something will bug me and will throw me into a tailspin. Or I'll lose my way and all confidence as to where to take it. Thankfully this first part seems to be fairly straight forward. Now onto the next phase of value study and color options which for these purposes I'll do digitally and quick at that.

More soon...

=s=

Energy!

2011-08-05T18:52:00.000-07:00

So here's the close to final painting for a book called Officer Downe. I've been sitting on it for a couple of weeks now trying to decide if it's really worth going into again.
As you can see from the below sketch the energy level has not been maintained. Why is that?
Over-rendering caused by zooming in too close? Not sure exactly but it doesn't quite endear itself to me.

But at the end of the day it is what it is and I need to move onto the next one.
Here's the next one:

=s=

Some That Got Away

2011-07-28T10:44:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the biggest problem I have is getting excited about my own art. Especially when it comes to roughing out ideas for an illustration. I just have so many ways at my fingertips to approach a piece that I get overwhelmed.

And sometimes when I think I have it I move forward on the piece. But more often than not I find flaws and issues in my thinking. The design might be off, or the it starts losing the spark of interest or I go about it the wrong way. So more often than not I'll truncate the work and start over at the thumbnail stage again. I guess that's a good thing.

Sometimes it's not. Of course I learn something with each outing but a project that should have taken a day or two ends up taking a week and in the end I'm doing it as a favor. Wild, huh? Truth be told it's good for me though. If I can get my ideas down and execute them squarely then I'll feel more comfortable offering that look or service to a client. Right now, I'm probably still too green.

I'll post the one I finished later. It's not to say I'm happy with it, but it offers something the others do not and at the end of the day you have to pull the trigger on something. Who knows...there's still a month before the deadline and I might do another one from the ground up. :|

=s=

While Talking To Joe

2011-07-26T18:59:00.000-07:00

Pulp It!

2011-07-23T13:51:00.000-07:00

I was just testing out this new brush I made in Photoshop. It's a simple brush really, but it works with my sensibilities for painting. Unlike the previous example, which is a scattershot approach to texture-bashing and carving out images with light, this asserts the ability to paint within given parameters. It mimics glazing which helps blend colors over time as opposed to direct-painting of solid over solid. I think it probably saves time too.

I least I believe it does. More experiments are needed.

=s=

Brushfest II

2011-07-21T15:38:00.000-07:00

After a few weeks out of the studio I came back rustier than an iron shiv in a sewer pipe.
Yeah, I don't know what I'm talking about either, but the last few days of digital painting have been a complete downer. So I put the work aside and started experimenting making custom Photoshop brushes. Much more fun. Now all I have to do is jump-start the imagination as well as get back to some life drawing/painting.

=s=

Brushfest

2011-07-01T16:42:00.000-07:00

Trying out some new custom brushes in Photoshop. Wished I could spend more time on this...but gotta go.

=s=

Randemic

2011-06-29T10:30:00.000-07:00

A few random images I knocked out. Guess which ones took less than five minutes?

=s=

Snaps: 6.4.2011

2011-06-05T10:01:00.000-07:00

Location shooting.

I’m making a serious effort at expanding my image-making capabilities. What I’m finding is after a day of shooting 3-4 hours my eye became increasingly sensitive to strong compositions, shapes and texture. Whereas when I’m painting from life my eyes tend to become really sensitive to color, light, shadow and shapes.

If it feeds the fundamentals of art then it has to be good. :)

Canon 7D w/ 24-70mm f2.8L & 50mm f1.2.

=s=

Studies and Studying

2011-05-27T13:55:00.001-07:00

One of the greatest things about being an artist is that your education is ongoing. If you want to be better then it's really all in your hands at your disposal. You just have to apply yourself.

When many young artists start out they usually start out by copying other artists to figure out how they do what they did. Soon they'll go on to develop their own style constantly feeding and adapting everything they see and live through. I really didn't do any copying. I felt like it was cheating, but then I didn't realize I would never get a chance to study and learn with my heroes.

So one day I decided to give it a shot and see what happens. I grabbed the new J.C. Leyendecker book, wrapped it cellophane (to keep it clean) and started my own version of the cover. I wasn't looking to match the color, only the brushstrokes and problem-solving.

What I realized pretty quick is how fast you get the drawing down. It feels great as the progress just comes along speedily. All you have to worry about is making it look like what you see. Not easy but easier than coming up with it. NO WONDER so many young artists continue down this path only to come out in the end a bad imitation of the masters!

Next up was Gil Elvgren. Now in this case I wanted to understand how he acheived that luscious skin tone and figured out how to group his shadows and light in such sexy forms. I had to switch over from hogbristle brushes to softer brushes...another new territory for me. Talk about lush strokes, it was easily addictive. But to really look at the color and see what I wanted to see I painted the picture upside-down. Meaning while I was looking at the reference the right-side up...I was translating in my brain just as you see below.

I don't know if that kind of trapeze act really helped or not but I like to think I got closer to my goal in understanding Elvgren's color theory. Besides it's fun to shake stuff up once in awhile.

=s=

Pwease Wuf Me!

2011-05-17T14:14:00.000-07:00

New Video

2011-04-21T21:03:00.001-07:00

Sundayzed from Shane White on Vimeo.

Septagon

2011-03-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

Always experimenting, always exploring. Tooth brush, crappy paper, and Photoshop.

=s=

Sprecken: That's A Wrap...-Around Cover

2011-03-26T22:27:00.000-07:00

I really should do better at logging how much time I put into these things. Sometimes they go pretty quick six hours or so from beginning to end. Though I could maybe see more like 10-12. When you're enjoying the work time flies.
When you're making creative decisions like "what to leave out" or "how can I say more with less" you end up in a zone and time passes.
Oddly enough the story is about time travel so how apt, huh?
The book should be out by the time STUMPTOWN COMICFEST in Portland is rocking. Maybe I should go again...the parking if I remember is pretty sucky.

=s=

Sprecken Noir

2011-03-25T16:21:00.000-07:00

So this is what was picked. I took to the rough stage and then printed it out and went for quill and brush on paper.

=s=

Do You Sprecken?

2011-03-23T08:39:00.001-07:00

Sad to think that the only comic art I get to do these days from beginning to end is usually when a friend asks for it. Otherwise, I'm 22 pages away from finishing pencils on a 160 page epic before I can start the inking and coloring phase.

At least it's something.

=s=

Wonder Woman ReDeux

2011-03-18T18:16:00.000-07:00

It's not like I have a horse in the race when it comes to the film version of Wonder Woman's costume but like anyone in the comic industry we all want what's best for the character to succeed outside their medium. That's why I took a crack at reworking this overly bright costume and perhaps dipped into it's history a little bit to see if there's a simple fix to "make it better".
Oddly enough I had a similar engagement with a larger version of the goddess that I felt strongly about...for different reasons of course.

=s=

Creature Feature

2011-03-05T23:21:00.000-08:00

Seattle Times', Genevieve Alvarez sat down with me for a couple hours to talk shop and shoot me in the face. CLICK HERE to see the video as it should be. Easily the most fun I've had at the show this year...that and watching my buddy Jeremy Haun swindle money from people.

=s=

=Emerald City Comicon 2011=

2011-03-03T15:31:00.000-08:00

I'll be at table D-20 where you can see a penciled preview of my robot book called, BRAUN. I'll have copies of THINGS UNDONE and THE OVERMAN as well. And I'll be doing sketches, as usual. Check out: ECCC for more information.

=s=

How I Spent My Weekend

2011-02-28T09:55:00.000-08:00

So I rented some cameras this weekend; a Canon 5DmkII and a Canon 7D along with several lenses: 50mm, 16-35mm, 70-200mm, and 24-70mm all L glass. The idea was to familiarize myself with the photo and video portions of the DSLR to inform what camera I might end up purchasing at some point.

Both cameras were a lot of fun and really quite excellent...though different in their own ways. Most of these shots are RAW format with some tweaking. I haven't gone in and "fixed" any of it like the mud on the tire or airbrushing on skin.
I should have some video stuff edited at some point. Busy week of freelance and comicons coming up so it might be a few weeks yet. Can't wait.
For not having a sunny weekend at all I managed to get out a little, but unfortunately froze. Of course today it's partly cloudy with blue skies. Unlike painting where the setup and process takes much longer, photography keeps you moving and still keeps your eye in the game. That's not to say I'm giving up on painting though. :)

=s=

Unfamous Firsts

2011-02-21T13:32:00.000-08:00

There's a reason why people don't like to show their early work. If their lucky they've grown from that moment to become something resembling what one might call a professional. Even though the jobs you were on were "professional" there's no doubting that your first break was anything more than amateur.

The Tom Petty video above was one of those lucky break/resume-building opportunities that came along at the right time. I was still in school and used to stay after class grilling the teachers for more information. One of the teachers (who I'm sad to say I don't recall his name) asked me if I'd help him out with a freelance job at Anivision Studios up in Castle Shannon, PA. They needed someone to help them finish inking and painting this video that had to get out the door. Having some background in cartooning I suppose helped but I was definitely learning on the job.

The coolest thing about the studio other than being a full on animation studio was that they had done the opening credits to CREEPSHOW. AND the scene where the undead grandmother is trapped in a door in the floor from EVIL DEAD 2...the door was still there on the soundstage. Pretty cool lineage if you ask me.

I think I worked there for a week or so. My last day was the worse day. I had inked about 100 cels before I realized I'd used the wrong sized rapidograph. The Lead Animator was visibly pissed, made me re-ink them and told me to go home. I was never called back until a year or so later for a AT&T commercial, but then it was around Christmas and I was heading home.

This second piece was my first digitally painted comic piece for a book called SUPERPATRIOT. I had no idea what I was doing. I thought if it looked good on screen then it should be fine in print. I made the mistake thinking it looked good in the first place and when it did finally print it was soooo dark...hopefully it was missed entirely...that is until now.

Why does this feel like confession?

Anyway, big or small every gig is a building block to what you will eventually become. It shapes your outlook and your attitude and in the end you make adjustments along the way to keep doing happy nourishing work. That's more than I can say for most people. For that I count myself very lucky.

=s=

=s=

Sweet Gigs from 1959

2011-02-19T15:07:00.000-08:00

So I'm backing up my FREELANCE folders today and burning some stuff to disk. I did this cool job for a friend of mine for his site BATABAM which is a pretty badass guitar site. Anyway, check out their video here.

Some Time II

2011-02-18T12:28:00.000-08:00

I just finished reading THE INCAL deluxe edition by Jodorworsky and Moebius. I don't usually draw fan pics of the characters but I really enjoyed the work so I thought it might be fun to sketch the main characters just before I grab some lunch.

=s=

Some Time

2011-02-17T11:57:00.000-08:00

Had some time between approvals to throw something down...man do I miss drawing other stuff. But money is good. Fire bad.

=s=

Boxing Nazi Gorillas

2011-01-31T11:17:00.000-08:00

Here's the finish...a mix bag of everything and hopefully the best things.

=s=

What's Cooking?

2011-01-30T11:12:00.001-08:00

On the board now is some marketing collateral for the Jet City Comic Show 2011. Going through an iterative process helps me hit all the angles that bring about the best picture. Yet it does overwhelm the senses after I have to narrow down the choices. At some point all the psychological symbolism that I've put in place now hangs on a narrow thread of aesthetic choice where it seems no one direction is right or wrong.

Luckily I have friends who are willing to share their opinions and also point out things structurally that might be missed moving toward the final pass.

=s=

Character Work

2011-01-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

I was waiting on feedback yesterday and started to do an all digital character design for a project that is on the very backest of burners. Below is a traditional version. Not sure I've settled on the costume yet but I like the results of possibly doing an all-digital comic. The speed alone is quite tempting.

=s=

There are those moments...

2011-01-14T15:46:00.000-08:00

...when science freaks you out. And that's pretty cool!

=s=

Over-Under

2011-01-11T10:00:00.000-08:00

More overworked sketches and under-developed ideas from awhile back. Again, fun stuff to do but not sure where they were going or why I started down these random paths.

Though the above watercolor piece was just a sketch for a comic book character design. Not sure where that project is headed as I'm not the writer.

=s=

Breaking Good

2011-01-09T23:20:00.000-08:00

I took a few sketches that I did in Portland for a comic store signing and decided to "play" a little bit. I had fun. That's really what's missing in my day-to-day mission of work. HAVE MORE FUN WITH ART...will hopefully be my focus this year. I've read that creative playing has been known to facilitate much more interesting ideas than anything else. Some companies set aside time on Fridays for their employees to do just that. If a company can afford to do it, then why not an individual?

Time to start breaking stuff! :)
Here's a link to an article about the event.

=s=

Launching This Year

2011-01-03T10:00:00.000-08:00

I've been in the trenches with this one for some time. But I think I'm closer to launching this now more than I ever was. Stay tuned...

=s=

Re: Invention

2011-01-01T22:00:00.000-08:00

In the last few years facial hair has become a trend that I could only stand for a period of 3 months. I grew it specifically for the 2009 ALTERNATIVE PRESS EXPO thinking that I needed more "Indy" street cred. I even wore knitted fashions for most of it too. Even though the Northwest ladies seemed to pay more attention to me it was quite painful to bear. My acute timing worked two-fold for my Halloween/reference files. Unfortunately I was pressed for time and didn't get enough photos of it. I was soooo sick and tired of wearing the weasel that I shaved immediately after I returned home that night.

Like many people I enjoy the art of reinvention and play, even if it's for a little while. I think it works well with my brand of art and my love of entertaining. I'm not always successful or convincing but it's heck of a lot of fun. In there somewhere beneath the beard and costume, behind the technique and style there is some semblance of who I am. Maybe you'll see patterns, maybe you'll see consistency; some weak while others are strong.

Hopefully it resembles integrity and truth, something that can never be reinvented but always improved upon. Here's to keeping things interesting in the coming year...but not too interesting.

I hope 2011 brings everyone what they've worked for most.
Happy New Year.

=s=

Hot Pixel Mess

2010-12-30T06:00:00.000-08:00

I've been exploring with my small set of digital brushes with techniques and such. I'm thinking of starting a new blog...thinking of course. It'll be more geared toward my STUDIOWHITE site, or more toward my SHANEWHITE site...perhaps both. I don't know...still thinking about the common thread between both sites and possibly writing a book. Still taking notes at the moment but we'll see.

Like last year I think I made internet promises that some things were going to change. They are but it may be slow and I don't know what they'll be. I believe if you think it, your subconscious has a way of aligning one's ambitions.

=s=

My Dark Materials

2010-12-27T06:00:00.000-08:00

I've kept a pad of Canson vellum surface 2-ply bristol in my desk for quite some time for some ungodly reason. Why is it ungodly?

Because it is utter and complete garbage. It's like a defective pad of paper, there's absolutely no sizing. What is sizing? It's the protective filler or glazing that papermakers put in paper so that ink, paint or whatever liquid since no the surface and doesn't penetrate through to the other side.

Ever try writing a poem on toilet paper...not that I have but you won't get too far with it because it'll be too frustrating. Think of this as expensive toilet paper.

Soooo...I also have a bottle of putrid black ink. This stuff is both watery and globular in the same container. Don't even think of shaking it. Like happy-fun-ball it'll get angry. So I did my best to disperse the crap ink onto the crap paper to see if I could make some decent art. I mean why not...if there's even a small amount of conflict to be had, then surely something good should come out of it, right?

However, I did find that colored pencils work pretty well on this paper even though so much more should.

=s=

The Motelier

2010-12-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

This was watercolor test for the previous watercolor project. Maybe subconsciously this speaks to the risk of public "nakedness" I feel when approaching a new technique. Or perhaps I just want to paint a blue demon. :|

=s=

Wrap-Around Cover III

2010-12-20T17:13:00.000-08:00

Ouch I think I broke something.
I didn't realize so many things going into this. First...the 4ply bristol Strathmore 400 series has a toothy finish that is very thirsty for ink but not as much for watercolor. Second even though I taped the edges and staple-gunned everything to gatorboard it still warped and writhed like a half-drunk Yeti.

Frankly I think I was in over my head.

Oddly enough though as soon as was done and I mean "spent" and "tired" I wanted to sit down and redo it. Weird, huh? It's a lot easier to see the problems you want to fix after the fact.

But as it stands I've already spent 5 plus days on it and need to move on. You can spend a bunch of time massaging the mistakes out of one piece or you can spend more time making more mistakes on other pieces until eventually you learn from them and are making less mistakes.

So on to the next one.

=s=

Wrap-Around Cover II

2010-12-19T15:43:00.000-08:00

From the outset of the pencils I think I went about this the wrong way.

Having talked to a friend about the process of getting that "Jack Davis" look I would have had to pull back on the pencils and thus my inks would have been more open. In the colors I would have built all the shading necessary to make it more of a painting. Instead I over-penciled with all the shading but did what I could to open some areas up. Hopefully I'll still be able to make the color work. Jack has several approaches to his work. Some has more ink than color, while others has more color than ink. And there's a lot of stuff that ranges in-between. At the end of the day though, this will be a mere interpretive pastiche of his work.

I did a test which I'll probably post at a later date based on the suggestions that I received. This gave me a chance to understand how the paper and paint work together and how much of a struggle it ended up being. Essentially this piece is so unwieldy I have a feeling I'm going to have a fight on my hands.

Is it worth it? Man, you don't know how many times I ask myself this question. In the end I suppose it is. Gotta grow somehow, by force or by nature.

=s=

Wrap-Around Cover I

2010-12-16T11:33:00.000-08:00

It's not too often I get to do a wrap-around cover. They were big in the 90s if memory serves me right. I forgot how much fun drawing a nutty crowd scene could be. Hopefully the client likes it.

And yes, I'm trying Jack Davis (of Mad Magazine) on for size.

=s=

Equal and Opposite Force

2010-12-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

Here's an interview I did at the JET CITY COMIC SHOW.
I'd pass out pillows and blankets if I could but all I can do is apologize for not being more interesting or energetic. DOUBLE-CLICK BELOW TO WATCH IT FOR REALZ.

=s=

ART JAM 5ver

2010-12-12T12:27:00.000-08:00

Man, what an excellent time last night! ART JAM 5 was kicking it into high gear with more artists than ever before. Thanks go out to Augie Pagan and Corrie Greening for organizing, yet, another great time.

My first piece was the first one to be sold. I guess Skull & Crossbones with a Fez motif is in this holiday season. I'm glad, because the first one is always the scariest to get out of the system.

While waiting forever, it seemed, for the 'Maestro' to put the finishing touches on a playing card I got up again for another one off. Again, 20 minutes or so and I was feeling the stride of panic and creativity grooving with much better beats. Though my dance partner to the left was making me a little nervous.

All and all I think the first two turned out better than usual...go figure. I did a jam with Augie and our other friend Dev who got past his "stagefright" and knocked out some groovy ghoulies. Though I don't have a good pic of the finished piece since I cut out early.

Thanks to my wife for snapping the photos and to Matt and Jennifer for being such upstanding audience members.

It's a long time for anyone to stand and watch paint dry. :\

=s=

Professional Hobo

2010-12-10T10:14:00.001-08:00

I'm not really sure what it is about me but some of my best stuff, and some of the best feeling comes when I create on scrap 'anything'. For whatever reason drawing on things I should not or are not considered "proper" substrates ends up feeling more like myself than the schooled approach to creating art. I don't have any hang-ups on succeeding or any expectations of the outcome.

Maybe it's because I grew up in a poor-to-working middle class environment. The economics of art can have an adverse effect especially in ones developmental years. Granted, like many cash-strapped filmmakers, inventiveness reigns high as they are forced to be more creative with less. But when given multi-million dollar budgets I can see where that might be overwhelming.

Then again, it doesn't mean you have to abandon the spit and tape. Maybe that's why I like Terry Gilliam's work so much.

To see more unrestrained art I'll be attending ART JAM 5 tomorrow. Come down and have a crazy hobo time of it.

=s=

My Favorite Collaborator

2010-12-09T08:54:00.001-08:00

I think we decided over a slice of very plain coconut cream pie at a nearby Denny's that "we should probably talk about getting married." Buried in practicality and logic I suppose that was the apex of our romanticism. Or maybe we'd already used our best moves early on while counting satellites on our backs on a trampoline until the early hours of the morning. Because we knew it was right and good we cut to the heart of the matter and proceeded to put together a wedding in three months.

In the midst of all the planning and panic that comes with the territory I thought of the ingenious idea of adapting one of her plays...in secret. This proved to be rather difficult on sooo many levels. First, I was drawing the pages and then lightboxing them so I could ink them on watercolor paper. For those who are unfamiliar with my studio, she had upholstered an abandoned chair and set it up in the corner of my room. At the time she was a rather avid reader and would pop in without notice. Luckily she earned the title of "Spotter Watson" (a derivative use of Sherlock Holme's Watson...and of course her keen observation or lack thereof in "spotting" at times very obvious things) as she paid very little heed to what I was working on. So by the time I was close to finishing the twelve page story I was less manic about shoving all the pages back into a drawer and pulling something else out to work on. Which, believe me is harder than you think when the page is wet with ink.

Closer to the wedding another idea struck. Not only would I give this to her as a gift but it could actually be given to our guests in the form of a small chap book. Thinking back on this now...I wished I would have worked under better circumstances as some of this is a bit painful to look at. But the story...I really love the story so I figure nothing else the words would bolster what I lacked in skill and circumstance (thankfully we were able to work again under better circumstances to produce a short piece called Devils and Gods for Comic Book Tattoo which is my new favorite piece).In the end everything worked out fine and the wedding went off without a hitch...er...well with a hitch...well we got hitched...you know what I mean! :|

Can't wait...my Jessie comes home today!

=s=

Last Minute Digital Addition

2010-12-06T10:08:00.000-08:00

My friends at the Emerald City Comicon extended their invitation to be a part of the MONSTERS & DAMES 2011 hardcover charity book for Children's Hospital. So what does sex and violence have to do with charity? I have no idea.
But it was a chance to work completely digital with the new brushes that I had built recently. Hopefully it prints well, never can tell what paper will be used.

=s=

P.S. I'd show the rough, but upon looking at it this morning, sadly I missed the mark on the finish...oh alright...I'll stop being a wuss. As you can see her face has a stronger choice of confidence. Her message, "Things are going to change." At least I fixed the arm for the final.

Going Dark

2010-12-02T23:42:00.000-08:00

As of today I'm officially 'going dark' on a freelance gig that I had started right after the New York Comicon back in October. Apparently I'll be asked back later once a few items get ironed out. What's been great about the work is that I forced myself to work digitally and have grown more comfortable with it. Still a long ways off from what I'd like it to look like but it's getting there.

This is a piece I did for myself using some new brushes I made.

The reality of not working is obviously apparent when the money once again is not coming in. However I've also got a bit more time to focus on my comic work, which I will begin in earnest tomorrow. Wish me luck. :\

=s=

Putting the Mission in Commission

2010-11-30T21:24:00.000-08:00

I was commissioned to recreate characters from someone's childhood, reinterpret them if you will, and try to make them look professionally rendered. It was fun and made me want to rework my own youthful power trips.

=s=

D & D is Not Just Fantasy

2010-11-18T12:55:00.000-08:00

The COMIC STOP up in Lynnwood...or somewhere North put together a Drink & Draw session the other night. It was a good time and got to hang out and draw with some people I knew and some I didn't know. It's a real boon for me to get out of the studio once and awhile and take my social skills for a spin.

=s=

Italian Movies

2010-11-16T10:10:00.000-08:00

I've been listening to a lot of Italian film scores and they're some of the best scores from the 60s and 70s that I've heard. I was, like many a fan of the Spaghetti Western (which I can't help but think is a terribly derogatory name) as well as the horror films which I discovered a little later. What I never was exposed to was the sexy/slasher/thriller which I've been viewing intermittent clips of on Youtube.

I especially like the movie posters and art from Italy. They use crazy garish colors and really bizarre compositions. Sex and violence always seem to drive the design. Given what I know about their culture I guess it makes sense...but that just might be short-sighted and really speaks to the male population as a whole.

=s=

Betteo Made Me Do It

2010-11-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

A friend picked up a book for me a while ago by Patricio Betteo. A killer artist and a real innovator. Very inspiring work...something I definitely needed to see, eat, and breath. It just showed me that I could trust my roots a little more and explore fundamentally what makes me tick.
=s=

Moving Forward

2010-11-11T06:00:00.000-08:00

There's been a shift in my life and it's nothing like it used to be. I don't know exactly what it is or what caused it but over the last few months things have again changed in a very pronounced way and now I'm starting to realize what I've lost. I'm still not sure what I've gained if anything. But the change is inevitably happening.

That great unknown into what could be is always what kept me moving forward. However when things start becoming inexplicable there's a certain amount of fear wrapped up in ones next step.

The other night I had a dream about having to start over.
I moved back in with my parents and in the move I lost a lot of my belongings...my art supplies, my books, etc. But it was clear I'd have my old bedroom back and not much of my identity in tact. I basically had no usable skills and thought that maybe I'd have to work in the restaurant business in Northern New York. Which seemed to not sit well with me, but it was better than working in a warehouse. There was definitely a lot of fear around that predicament and some freedom as living at home does provide a level of familiarity...until things turn sour.

In talking with Jess we came to the conclusion if you want to change...or cause change to happen you have to risk a lot more. If you set yourself up to risk more you will know for sure whether you've succeeded or failed. Without the risk, what have you really done?

So taking that next step sometimes may seem like walking backwards but there's always something to learn along the way. But if you don't move at all, your muscles will atrophy and you'll become immobile.

Even if you don't know where you're going, keep putting one foot in front of the other. At least that's what I'm doing until I figure out what's going on.

=s=

Some People Like It Rough

2010-11-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

Publish Post

My friend Brian wanted to know if I'd be interested in illustrating something for the Jet City Show that he had this past September. I was all for it and then i realized how indecisive I was about the "open-endedness" of the job. Man, I went through a lot of thumbnails for this one.

I eventually had to give up and just pick one...and I still don't think it was the best choice. I always pick some kind of story with bombastic action. A bit classic, but it'd be nice to do some minimalistic stuff with good design every once in awhile. :|

=s=

BirdTales

2010-11-06T09:27:00.000-07:00

I worked on this project some time ago for an overseas company. The pitch went well and then it didn't and vaporized into the aether. Who knows what happened with it all?
Not bad for a days work of sketching I suppose.

=s=

Studio Hijinx

2010-10-31T20:16:00.000-07:00

Trying out some new brushes. Haven't gotten stupid in awhile.

=s=

Digital Daze

2010-10-30T09:15:00.000-07:00

I've been wrestling with getting the right look for some storyboards that I have in the works. It's a fine balance between too much effort and too little that I'm trying to achieve in my execution.

What I've found is that I'm the kind of artist who responds to the materials in hand. If I have a ballpoint pen I'll gravitate towards a certain quality of that pen and draw a bit differently. Same with a pencil or brush. But when you have the Cintiq stylus in hand and the millions of variables of Photoshop brushes an entropy occurs beyond my set of motor skills. Getting a handle on the digital medium is as much about finding what works for me as much as embracing it's limitations. Not any one tool will work for one's needs but Photoshop is pretty damn close.

Still that crayola-sized stylus takes some getting used to. I'm convinced that I'm not nearly as fast with the tool as I am with traditional means. Regardless I'm finally putting in the time to get as comfortable as I can with it.

The other difficult thing is that you can get much closer to your work. The zoom-in is only limited by the resolution that you're working at. This makes it difficult to judge how things are working and if you are "over-working" the piece. I constantly check my PRINT SIZE to see how this reads. To speed things up I've been thinking about opening up the NAVIGATOR window on my other monitor to make sure things are in check.

Hopefully this will help things look effortless. Which is always a good thing.
Nothing like keeping people guessing and making them think you're a genius...when we all really know the truth. :|

=s=

Dawn of the Dread

2010-10-24T11:51:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I've posted anything. Heck it even seems like a while since I've actually created anything to post. Time has been dissipating before my eyes since I've come back from my New York Comicon trip. To say that it was a difficult journey is an understatement. Coming back wasn't any easier. It took two weeks to fight off allergies, fatigue and general malaise.

Out of the past two shows I've done I was reminded of two of my favorite commissions I've done. I've also been reminded by people that I charge too little for my sketches. At $20 each the two above pieces made some people happy. Others actually threw more money at me insisting that I was worth it.

Who am I to argue with them? However, I graciously and humbly accepted it...as well as I could.

Truth be told though, I do not like my comic convention sketches. A) Because they don't look like the sketches in my sketchbook B) Compared to other artists who charge $40-150 even my best sketch has to look like a finished piece C) I can never get the quality of my finished pieces in a convention setting. It is a quandary.

Recently I started a storyboard gig for Airtight Games in Redmond so that has me busy. In the interim as my energy comes back to me I'm again working on my robot books. Started lettering book #3 yesterday and it's feeling good. Considering some family matters that have come to light it's nice to have something to look forward to.

It doesn't hurt that today is our 5th wedding anniversary as well. Hopefully things keep looking up.

=s=

28 Years Later

2010-09-15T06:42:00.000-07:00

I don't think I have to pretend too much, that I'm excited to see the finished results of 4 weeks worth of work on the shelves today. Or maybe I should say a 28 year odyssey of comics and maturation.

The crazy thing about this journey is the adolescent passion that was the driving force of my artistic career. I say "was" because at some point the "comic book collector/artist-wannabe" gave way to a serious study of the mechanics of storytelling and sequential arts. Luckily that happened pretty early on. But what is most curious is how the industry changed for the future while I kept diving back into the past. It's befitting, I suppose, that my first paying gig is a retro-style take on the Fantastic Four ala EC Comics 1950-ish. Finally our paths converge and perhaps I'll actually be able to stick around longer...but who knows?

Making creator-owned comics is still something I very much like and it's grotesque that one cannot make a living doing them. There are a few rare exceptions but as a whole after the last 5 years of creating 3 graphic volumes totaling to about 350 pages and a fistful of anthology pieces I've perhaps made a total of $3000...perhaps, maybe. It's so insignificant it barely registers, especially when one months worth of work (and I mean really hard-knox stuff) can wipe that figure off the books.

Sad, really, how much work goes into a book, knowing full well that the people crafting it really do care on doing great work, only to have people flip through it and declare, "MEH." I'm as guilty as anyone for doing so, but I also believe that the very best should be retained to do the work...and not because you know someone. Still...I got this gig because I knew someone. Or they knew me and recommended me. Otherwise getting on an editor's radar can seem quite impenetrable.

Anyways, I penciled and inked this third installment of a weekly comic series called ONE MONTH TO LIVE (retitled 1 MONTH 2 LIVE) from Marvel Comics. Stuart Moore wrote the script and my friend John Rauch colored it in line with the retro vibe they were looking for.

Hopefully you dig it.

=s=

My Carbon Black Footprint

2010-09-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

And we're back with another install of some funky stuff.

=s=

Publish Post

3000 Lines Per Minute

2010-09-01T08:18:00.000-07:00

Well if you made it this far I appreciate you checking out what I've been up to. It's a ragtag mix of stuff that hopefully will keep on flowing.

=s=

Illustration Studies

2010-08-11T18:00:00.000-07:00

Once the project on my drafting table is done I'm looking forward to throwing down some paint on larger versions of these studies. Though I have to admit I did do a larger version of the third piece, but I'm going to redo it as I still think the study has something the finished one did not.

=s=

M A Z A M A

2010-08-07T20:13:00.000-07:00

We canceled our trip to Glacier National Park since Jess had been traveling so much. Instead we drove only 5 hours away to stay in the Northern Cascade Mountains. Armed with powerful bug juice and sunblock I did the best I could with my gouache kit in the failing light.

A long spring meant the mosquitoes finally got themselves a foothold this year making any hike or camping trip a little more challenging.

=s=

In the Valley of Oil Studies

2010-07-28T09:26:00.000-07:00

Waking up before dawn has its benefits...

=s=

Vodka Lemon

2010-07-15T22:45:00.000-07:00

Tossing out the paintings like there's no tomorrow. Here's another from a while ago.

=s=

Tangerines

2010-07-02T10:39:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd throw up...a painting I did a while ago.
Looking at it again I think I could stand to loosen up.

=s=

Underbrush

2010-06-30T13:14:00.000-07:00

I haven't inked and colored like this in a quite some time. It's for the Jet City Comic Show in September.

=s=