Working with proper designers is key!

When I worked with Capstone I worked with some fantastic designers who would give me all the proper information to do great work. I would always ask for a cover template so that I would know exactly how much space I had to work within. This is important for both covers and interior art!

Although cover elements would be tweaked, everything artistically dropped exactly where I wanted it. I always ask for these templates as you never know how much information they may want to place on a cover, and the main rule for adding any logos or other design elements is that they should look like they were meant to be there as part of the artwork. 

The cover is the most important selling point of the final product.

Also, when I did my rough cover art I added more art to the sides just in case I needed to move, enlarge, reduce the image a smidge in the layout file.

When I worked on some comic covers for DC, I made my own templates so that things would land where I wanted them too. Here's one I did for Cartoon Cartoons #27. I placed a tracing of the series logo and the banner outline that ran across the top into my template. I also added in the UPC box and where the dead areas of the covers could have some blurbs to them. The UPC box could run on either side of the cover, but you have to plan to leave the areas open. You don't want any important information being covered up accidentally.

 

Happy Batman Day!

I recreated the Batman TV show "end credits" art with the Adobe Illustrator pen tool waaaaaay back on August 3, 2011. 

I thought it would be an awesome wallpaper for the computer, and I was right and it's still in my rotation! I framed it in black so all my desktop icons go around it without covering it up. I cropped it for this blog post.

I had to work off a screengrab I made from a pirated DVD (that was sold at all the conventions as an official release of the classic Batman TV series would still be years away) and the pic reference I used was only 315 x 234!!! Holy bad pixels, Batman! Unbelievable. I still have the reference guide pic and checked it to be sure I was reading it right. Talk about the dark ages of low res...

I love this classic artwork. It makes me smile. 

 

Agent P sketch in Sketchbook Pro

I did a sketch for fun of Agent P (aka Perry the Platypus) in Sketchbook Pro. 

I was just playing around with the program, but it turned out looking cool so I added the color to finish it and make it pop! Then made a GIF file of the layers to show the basic process that you've seen a million times on my blog. 

 

Ferb sketch in ArtRage

Had a Ferb-tastic quiet lunch today with Ferb! He's a man of few words. 

Drawn in ArtRage and all freehand. Would have been a hell of a lot easier if I could remember how to use the program's rulers or stencils though to save some time in spots, but you can't have everything. Still came out looking fine though.

 

Courage The Cowardly Dog in Sketchbook Pro

 

I did another new sketch this evening and decided to use Sketchbook Pro this time.

Courage the Cowardly Dog was excited (as usual) as I used the pencil tool to sketch it and then decided to do a quick coloring job on it to make it pop more.

 

 

Doof Sketch in ArtRage

 Sometimes my drawings like to talk to me and share their opinions... 

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SCOOBY-DOO!

On September 13, 1969, which was 57 years ago today, Scooby-Doo Where Are You? premiered on Saturday morning with the first episode titled "What a Night for a Knight"... and a legend was born! ZOINKS!

 

ED, EDD N EDDY Sketches!

Here's some old scans of sketches I had done of Ed, Edd n Eddy for fun. I would do a couple sketches each morning when working on the Eds stuff to get into the rhythm of it. 

Eventually, that small pile of sketches became a big pile (from all the licenses I worked on) and I got the idea to place them into small flip-through portfolios and take them to conventions with me to sell to fans. Some would also be given away for charity events, giveaways, or I would throw in one or two if you bought original comic page art from me as a "Thank You."

All drawn on cheap letterhead paper and inked with a Pitt Brush Marker and a couple Micron Pens. 

 

Most Page Views EVER for a Single Month!

It was crazy how many impressions I made for the month of August for my posts both here and on LinkedIn! The month of August was key in pushing my blog over the 1 Million mark a lot sooner than I thought it would happen. I originally thought it would happen before the end of this year.

For the month of July, my blog had 30,645 page views, which are excellent numbers for me... but things really exploded when I went leaned hard into posting quality stuff all during the month of August on LinkedIn with links to my blog for the more descriptive longer posts. 

My "Powerpuff Girls: Adobe vs. Clip Studio" was my most popular post ever on LinkedIn, and that excitement carried over to here. I usually make a LinkedIn post for my main profile page, but then copy/paste the same post to five or six different art groups on LinkedIn to get maximum visibility. You never know who or when they will see or even like it. 

All this is amazing as the months of Summer are usually pretty slow with the "Summer Slide" as most people are away for vacations, conventions, etc.

I'm excited by it all, but I really don't know how "influencers" keep it up feeding the content monster. It is a lot of work!

 

We Hit 1,000,000 Page Views!

 

Who says blogs are dead!? 

Last night, a little after midnight, my blog had finally hit and crossed over the 1,000,000 page view mark! 

It took a long time, but it's really exciting!

Greetings From Jellystone Park!

 Please do not feed the bears! Keep an eye on your picnic basket!

 Yogi Bear Pencil sketch with an HB lead on cheap copy paper!

Don't be afraid! Have some Courage!

 

Courage the Cowardly Dog sketch drawn with pencil on cheap copy paper and then inked with a Pitt Brush Marker, scanned and then colored quick in Photoshop! 

 

REPOST: Drawing ED From ED, EDD N EDDY!

Here's a drawing video I did of my favorite Ed from Ed, Edd n Eddy! 

Ed's a bit confused in this drawing since he can't find his jawbreakers that he hid in his room. 

Penciled with a 5H, then tightened up with an H lead, and then inked with the Pitt Brush Marker on cheap letterhead copy paper. 

In real time, about 9 minutes long. I was moving! 

Vimeo link: https://vimeo.com/11248298 

Here's a scan of the original artwork!

 

SCOOBY-DOO: Going for big money on eBay!

I did a Scooby comic cover a long time ago with Daphne as a "Elvira, Mistress of the Dark" homage and it's going for big money on eBay! These are "raw" copies going for that price! Not even slabbed by CGC.

I sold the original artwork a long time ago to a Scooby collector. I got my normal asking price but wonder what that artwork would go for now? Hindsight sucks sometimes. Who knew?!

I have three mint copies of the comic bagged and boarded in my work archives. I wonder if I should make up a package deal where you get a signed copy, C.O.A., and a free sketch to sweeten the deal?