My Pain

I was in quite a bit of pain the other day and I was a bit bored. I managed to make it to the computer and in between points of almost paralyzing pain I managed to sketch out how I was feeling. This really blows the idea of feeling "under the weather" out of the water. Yes I have a little evil faerie that administers my torture almost on a daily basis. She can actually be cute when she isn't being a pain. Anyway, enjoy the twisted humor I have decided to share.

FoN

I've been having a few random and very odd dreams lately, one of which spawned the short intro comic below. I don't know if I will be adding this character to my comic book line up or my random webcomics line up. There really isn't much to the intro which allows me some room to continue developing the character as I go.

Name: Force
Occupation: Enforcer
Employer: "Mother"
Race: Corporeal Ethereal, aka Tangible Spirit
Lifespan: Unknown
Form: any or none.

Six Shooter Samurai from Broken Icon Comics

Long time. no post. Anyway, today I have for you a commission I recently finished for Broken Icon Comics. The piece is a promo cover for a limited numbered print of Six Shooter Samurai, a title they will be releasing. I haven't got much on the details yet but, I'm guessing it will be hitting shelves in a couple months if not less. I have no idea how the title fits the scene but, that was all I was given when asked to do the commission, the line work and a title.

The art style is rough on purpose. Everyone goes for the finesse of the inked lines which these days feels mechanical. I like the step towards the "dirty" art style, it lets you know there is a real artist behind the lines.

Working with a pencil sketch also leaves room for colorists, like me, to work in more shading effects and move light sources around a little. Inked pieces are pretty strict about lighting and tweaking the shading means messing with someone else's work, which can sometimes lead to bad blood. Pencils are also easier to fade when necessary for adding depth or to give the illusion of being there but not being there. Making the lines darker is also an easy way to bring more prominence to the foreground or making certain details stand out over others.

I will admit that there are some drawbacks to pencil sketches, if you are coloring someone else's lines. Knowing where one object stops and another starts. Sometimes in a crowded piece it is difficult to tell which parts belong to which object or character.

Layout update

I decided to change the layout a little by making the actual posts part of the page wider. I didn't like how narrow the posting space was, it would actually start kicking my claustrophobia. I have my screen set at 1280x1024 and it looks good to me, I'm sorry for those of you who use a smaller resolution and may have to side scroll.

I also added a couple extra gadgets to the sidebar. You can now follow by email and there is a list of the top 5 posts of the month. I think I need to tweak the top 5 a little as it seems to take quite a bit of space, I might take out the post snippets and just leave it as image previews.

I removed the Commissions information that I had up on the "Contact and Commissions" page until I can actually nail down a fair pricing guide as well as commission types. You can still contact me by email about a commission and we can work out a price for your request.

I added a page for MY webcomics which I hope to be updating as soon as I figure out a script for the next strip.

I will also be doing some other modifications to my art uploads. I only have so much space to use and some of my files can be quite large so, I decided to replace some of my larger resolution images with smaller ones to bring down the storage usage and page load time. This won't require me to re-post anything since I only need to update the file server with the new files so, there won't be a flood of "new" posts with old works.

I am currently working on some more random sketches that have yet to be finished and some of the posted WIPs are still in the unfinished stage since I can't seem to decide which direction to go with them. I will be posting up some new WIPs soon, I think.

If you have read the webcomics I have posted here and enjoyed what few there were and would like to see more, please leave me a comment or even send me an email. My email address is on the contacts and commissions page. I have had a few ideas of what to do next in my strip but, never bothered to write them down or even try to sketch them out. If you would like to do a script for a strip or two, send me an email and we will discuss it, you will of course get the credit for the script and any character ideas that you come up with.
Please Note: I am talking about my web comics and not the Guest ones I did for Broken Icon, I took my time for mine, theirs was usually rushed since I only had 1 maybe 2 days to draw and color them.

I am thinking of creating a new blog just for the web comic if I can get enough of them put together to make it worth the space. I also need a good name for the series, I never bothered since they were mostly spontaneous and experimental. I did have a short story I had written several years ago that would make an awesome comic or webcomic but, I haven't been able to find it for years. I also thought about using my rpg sessions as scripts for strips but, remembering what happened is hard enough during the game much less afterward.

I think my new current project should be to script the next strip in my series so I can get back into the rhythm and style I was using and maybe make a better looking strip, eventually.

Thanks for listening to my rambling, this was originally only supposed to be an informational update about the layout changes.

Here is some more recent stuff

The first two are random poses

I was going for the look of a back flip or similar pose. Since the pose is pretty generic I can use it for pretty much any female character. could possibly use it for male characters but, that would require tweaking the base sketch so, I may as well make one just for them.

This was an attempt to draw a back flip style pose from a 3/4 angle and failed miserably but, it works for a ragdoll pose or carried unconscious/dead characters. This one would actually be easy to use as a unisex pose since the chest is the only area that needs any major tweaking.

This is just a quick random marker sketch in SAI, about 20 mins. I needed to clear my head and just do something without thinking about it too much. The only thought that went into this was "that line doesn't look good" *control-Z*. If I couldn't use undo to correct the look of the line then I left it and tried to fix it with "shading" which isn't in this piece on purpose. Anything that looks like shading is purely accidental or subconscious.

This is an Attempt at Ryvonne Draconis an OC that belongs to a friend of mine from Canada, she has played this character for as long as I've known her which is at least 10 years. I used the marker tool in SAI for this one too but, on a smaller setting. I plan to do a proper sketch of this character but first I have to get it to a repeatable state and then work on my wife's character so that they can actually have a "Family" pic, don't argue with a Malkavian.

Latest WIPs

I have been pretty bad about not updating here lately and I'm sorry for those of you who do actually check in once in a while. I have been building my gallery and sketchbooks over at Nabyn.com lately and I haven't even updated my Deviant Art gallery with any of my new stuff that's at Nabyn.

Hopefully to make up for my lack of updates here is a few WIPs that I have done in the last couple days, actually one of them(profile) I just started this morning. I have been trying to sketch out some Original characters based off my characters from different RPGs that I have played, like AD&D, Shadowrun, V:tM, Werewolf, etc. and so forth.

These are also turning out to be great help in my anatomy practice although sometimes I will use a style that anatomy isn't really a requirement other than making sure appendages are attached in the right place.

Enjoy these few sketches and if you have any comments or suggestions, Feel free to leave them.

I'm not putting descriptions in on these since most of the changes between versions are pretty obvious. If I get around to actually finishing these the finished versions will be posted on my original art page and of course I will have a post on the front page saying they are done.

Current project

I was asked to do a dark faerie for a friend in the style of Nightmare Before Christmas but, I had a hard time getting that particular style right unless I was drawing actual characters from the movie. That is my luck most usually. I decided to try revamping the faerie character a little and just using a random style.

These are comparisons of the different stages so far.

The background isn't exactly permanent as the perspective is a bit off and I'm not sure I like the snake anyway.

yadda yadda

This is just an "I'm still alive" post. I haven't fallen off the face of the planet even if some of you want me to. :-P

All fun aside.

I joined a new art site this week which is still in beta testing and things there are going really well. The other users are pretty nice. I don't get to talk to everyone but, the ones that do decide to chat with everyone else have been nice. Most of my recent artwork has been uploaded to the new site and some of it will most likely find its way here. Like below.


This started as some random lines using the Marker tool in Sai.

Finished Commission

I finished this commission the other day and just now got around to getting it uploaded here. I asked if any of my friends on Facebook had any requests and of all my friends only one had a request. She had a sketch that either her brother had done for her or it was a friend that made it but, either way somewhere over the years she managed to lose it. So, I decided that this would be the first of her two requests that I get done.

Unfortunately with all the art thieving that has been going on lately I decided to make a watermark for my stuff and decided to use smaller resolutions to make them a little harder to trace and what not. Not having lines in a colored piece helps deter tracing too since there aren't any real hard edges to follow, tracing a photo would be easier especially on a dark piece like this one and NO that ISN'T an invite to try. I'm not so full of myself that I think anyone would want to steal my stuff but, now days you never know.

Freddy and Nightmare on Elm Street are the property of Wes Craven and Some studio I can't remember which one. I prefer to credit the original creator of the character as to the studio anyway. I only take credit for the work done on this piece.

Commissions and requests

I set up a new page with my contact information and some basic commission types that I feel comfortable with at the moment. I will admit, I do still have some limitations, like drawing hands and feet still give me a hard time. As I get better and start getting more commissions I will set a base average price to make things go smoother, for now I am willing to negotiate something that is fair and affordable for everyone which will eventually help me set my base prices. I am out to make money but, I'm not out to break anyone's bank to do it.

Steam Punk Rogue: Colored

Here are the colors to the new lineart piece I posted.

Off to find more adventures. I might actually end up doing physical labor this weekend so, possibly no new artwork until Monday or Tuesday.

New Line art

I woke up with a plan today, I wanted to draw and I had an idea what I wanted to draw. Normally before you jump into doing a complex piece, you would do a few practice pieces for warm-up. The thought of doing warm-ups never even crossed my mind until after I was done with the pencil sketch. I got my inspiration for this piece from a pic of a cosplayer over at marvel.com, I will link to the pic.

The inspirational reference pic is here

Too tired for a title

I actually had the urge to do some drawing/sketching today but, wasn't sure what to draw. I tried a few timed pieces to see what I could do in 5 minutes or less. I managed to get a few sketches done that way but, none of them are worth scanning or even using my phone's camera on. I realized I needed some kind of referenceto get me going in the right direction but, what would I use? Then it hit me, I had a small stack of old comic books that I haven't read for some time. I separated them out according to publisher and the Marvel stack was a bit higher than the DC. Anyway, during the sorting 2 caught my eye and I decided to read them while I scanned the artwork for anything to reference for basic facial or body structure to get me started.

I only ended up with a small sketch referencing the cover of Excalibur #43

This one is X-Man from The Age of Apocalypse: The Chosen pg.4

These will eventually end up on the original art page, if I keep this up I will have to make a separate page just for fanart.

Very sleepy for some reason so, I think I will leave you good people with the above and go get me some sleep.

Not exactly lazy

I haven't posted anything in a while which is pretty sad, I was doing pretty good there for a bit. I don't really have anything new to post about lately other than I actually have a computer of my own now, it isn't the best but, when your broke you take what you can get.

I went back to the good old days of bargain hunting for computers or components.

1. Check with banks and businesses that are getting new computers or upgrades. Many times you can get a pretty decent running machine for nothing, most times they "dumpster" the old ones anyway.

2. When getting a computer from a business or bank, don't expect to get a hard drive with it, unless their IT department sucks at their job. Buy a new HDD or use an old one.

3. Before plugging the tower up to anything, give it a thorough once over, make sure the inside of the case is clean and dust free and none of the wires are comprimised. Also check for RAM and audio/video components, most times these systems have onboard audio and video but, sometimes the tower is a custom job and the a/v is from addon cards and not on the motherboard. Be sure to take notes of the hardware, such as graphics chipset and audio chipset, if you know what you are looking at.

4. Add your hardrive and install an OS and drivers. Don't expect your OS to get the right drivers first time out, default drivers suck.

5. After everything is installed, use the system information utility that comes with whatever OS you installed and see if everything was identified correctly and to make sure the latest driver versions are installed. This is also a good time to make mental notes of the capabilities of the system such as, what software or games can it run.

NOTE: Even with namebrand systems like Dell, Acer, eMachines, etc. taking note of the audio and graphics chipsets or even the motherboard and processor is a good idea since many of them have different build options depending on the model. The notes will help when you go to the website to download drivers and support software.

I have aquired many systems in this manner and built quite a few getting components the same way.
Sometimes if you ask nicely the company IT guy might have some old spare parts laying aound the shop that haven't been tossed or repurposed yet, you might be able to get them for cheap or even free. This is a good way to get peripherals like keyboards, mice and even somtimes printers or scanners and even monitors.

If you go this route to get or build a computer, don't expect to be able to run the latest games or software without a little extra effort and most likely a little extra cash.

NOTE: Another good place to look for a decent system is at high schools and community colleges. Most times they have systems more capable of running the latest software and some games, and unless it is from the teachers lounge or admin office, you might get a hard drive with the tower. Again, when inquiring about old or unused computers or components, be nice.

If you don't find a system first time out don't be too discouraged, your timing may have been bad. Leave your name and a phone number and ask them to give you a call when they decide to get rid of their old systems.

Some places actually auction off their old or surplus computers which is also a good way to get a nice one if you have the cash for it, just remember not to bid more than you feel comfortable with.

Another important thing to remember is to not be too picky, I don't particularly care for Dell computers or Intel processors (which is what I am currently using) but, when it is free or really cheap I'm not going to complain. You might even end up with more than one computer if you're lucky and depending on component compatibility, you could frankenstein your own crazy creation(another something I have done many times).

Enough of the computer Mumbo Jumbo, I haven't done anything art related lately, as I haven't really had much morivation or inspiration to do so. I will eventually get aroud to getting something new drawn or colored and have it posted but, for now I will just be as random, off kilter, and unpredictable as usual.

... That is all for this special news bulletin...
We now return you to your regularly scheduled web surfing already in progress.

Futurama Fan Art: Leela

This is a spin-off from a sketch request. I was asked to draw Bender and figured that usually Fry and/or Leela are in the scene when watching the show. I did a quick rough of that sketch and it still needs a little work, which is where this came from. I am trying to get comfortable drawing the characters that will be in the scene so that I can make it look really good.

The request is from my wife again and the finished piece will be for my son who loves Futurama, we still aren't sure who his favorite character is just yet. I might end up drawing the entire cast just because I really like the show too.

Borderland Fan Art: Clap Trap

I was in the need for something to keep me in practice so I asked my wife what I could do for commissions or requests. She gave me two requests right off the bat with almost no hesitation. The first piece my wife requested is Clap Trap from Borderland, mostly because my nephew really likes the game. The second request was, well, you will have to wait until I actually get that one finished.

UPDATE: New Page

I decided to add a new page to the blog. I originally wanted to showcase my my skills and talents with this blog so, the new page will contain all things that are done completely by me. Some things might get posted more than once depending on the stages they are in(pencil,ink,color).

Harley Inked

I finally got around to inking my Harley sketch.

If you download, it is only to be used for coloring practice. The signature is not to be removed and all credits for the original line work must be given, a link back here to this post or my blog is also acceptable. If you upload your colored version back to the internet I would like to see it so leave me a link in a comment.

Disclaimer: Harley Quinn is the property of DC comics.

Back to priorities.

I think I have gotten all the little stuff out of my system. I have my Linux/Unix VM's basically how I want them and now I can get back to playing with art. I still don't have a way to get my traditional sketches into BSD through VMWare so I have to use Windows for posts that involve uploading art. I also found out the hard way that using GIMP in VMWare isn't a good idea either, at least not on this laptop I'm using, not enough RAM to go around.

I have done a couple traditional sketches in the last couple days, they will be posted below. I have also started a new color project with a piece from J0kersWILD, all the base colors are done and just need to have details and effects added, I will post that one too.

I still don't have a new strip to post as I haven't been able to get passed the block, basically nothing interesting enough to draw about. I am hoping to eventually get back to it and get the strip running a little more consistently. I have been thinking about having friends write scripts for me so all I have to do is figure out how to draw the scenes. I might even be tempted to use anyone's script actually just so I have something to post. If anyone has any ideas leave a comment, I'm not sure if I have added a mailto link to the page yet, I'll check on that.

Anyway, on to the art.


I found some color pencils and wanted to give them a try. The hard part was getting a fleshtone since there wasn't one, I had to use a light rose and brown, and then lightly erase until it looked right. I'm surprised it turned out as good as it did since I haven't colored anything like that since before High School(for a time reference, I graduated in 1992).

I had no idea I was going to be drawing Harley Quinn when I started this one. I just sat down and started putting lines to paper, after I got the face half done I knew who I was drawing. After I realized who was going to be the subject of the drawing the rest was on purpose.
I know the proportions and anatomy are off but, that doesn't really bother me. I know I still need work with anatomy and proportion/perspective so, I'm not going to beat myself up over it.

This is a piece by j0kersWILD from Deviant Art. She said it was inspired by the House of Mouse episode "A Match Not Made in Heaven". This piece doesn't have the artists signature in it yet so I disabled the linking to a larger version.

Getting back to MY Basics

I have been in kind of a slump lately. I haven't been able to come up with a new strip for two weeks and it is annoying. I decided to get back to my roots in the digital world and installed BSD and Slackware through VMWare. I know you might be wondering what this has to do with making comic strips. I realized that since my strips were based partially off of actual events involving me and then just adding other characters to tell the story or to make it longer, I needed more inspiration to work with.

I have become too complacent with Windows and everything being "easy". I started my days of computer tinkering when the Tandy 1000 and Apple IIc were new models. I remember having to work a little to make programs do what you wanted, sometimes you had to be creative. I noticed that since Windows doesn't require you to work for anything I lost some of the creative spark that made me me. Unfortunately I can't completely do away with Windows since I do like to play games and graphics programs are a little easier to find.

I am writing this entry on a default program that ships with KDE4 on FreeBSD called Blogilo, it works pretty good so far and I already know beforehand that it won't handle media uploads so, all my media posts will have to be handled a little differently than usual or through firefox. I am just happy that I have a Unix structure to play in again. Unix is one of those things that makes you feel smarter just by association, it's a good learning environment too.

I am in the process of finding a good Photoshop like program for Unix/Linux and I am open to any suggestions. I like to use GIMP for graphics editing but, it doesn't respond well to my digital pad, I have no pressure sensitivity.

That's all for this entry, maybe more later. I might update more often now that I have my preferred working environment.