Comicbook Cover Finished, Finally

So its 6:45 on the dot as I type this. A new day that I have greeted, and prepped for all through the night. This all nighter stuff. Is getting old. Just got back for goodness sakes. 

If you've seen the previous posts, you are probably going "Michael, wasn't this red before?" and I would have to say yes. "Yes, it was". But I sat down yesterday and after almost 2 fruitless weeks of staring at it. I was sick of that stinking red. And I was more sick of the oils. So we have here a painting that is half oils, half digital. Started digitally painting at 10 o'clock. This one took awhile to finish up. I'm a bit loopy right now. So glad though, that this is out of the way. Especially since I've been running around singing about the end of the world and the AOI show.

The same AOI show that now has a blog! GO. Visit it. Be free. 

aoishow.blogspot.com

I am really sleepy. I had to edit this three times. Sorry to those that follow. 

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Another "Sketch to death" challenge answered. The two words were "Burly" and "Optometrist". 

Drew this one on the way back to Columbus. This week is going to be insane. Hopefully I'll be able to update. 

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Went to the flea market today.

He exists.

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Got to go back and finish it up. Just wanted to do something speedpainty. Just threw some plain old glazes over it. All PS, reference for the horse. 2 and a half hours. 

Currently still excited about Where the Wild Things Are trailer. Also currently wanting to play some Crimson Skies. Also also, currently behind on everything homework. 

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Bit of woman practice from reference. Think I've finally settled on some Photoshop brushes. Maybe 2 hours of painting. I don't tend to do this photo stuff all that much, so I may be a bit slow, but I'm pretty happy with this one.

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Bringing back the red skull for a second round (maybe I should actually draw red skull...). Penciled this one out about 3 in the morning. Get bored pretty fast that late. Good news is... there was a marathon of Bonanza and Andy Griffith Show on yesterday. After a quick chaser of bonanza early in the day, where I learned how Candy ended up with the gang, watched 5 hours straight of Andy Griffith that night till midnight. I was doing other things while watching, but still counts. See you next year Andy. 

Forgot to mention that yesterday's sketch was a "Sketch-to-death" challenge. The words were Jack-o-Lantern and Jazz. I also have two other sketches on there, for the words #2 and Umbrella. Which I just didn't copy the post over due to general business at the time.

Now. Just need to never have allergies again. I want to frolic and seize the day. Instead I sneeze and get headaches and look cracked out with bloodshot eyes. Fun. 

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After hearing so much about Robert Johnson, the man who sold his soul to the Devil, Charlie Conklin called upon the Devil himself. Struggling for years, playing the afternoons at jazz clubs to empty rooms, Charlie had come to know the silence of the applause all too well. If Robert Johnson could become the greatest guitar player to ever play the blues, he could become the greatest jazz player to ever lay his lips to a trumpet. He asked the Devil, "I'll sell my soul to you, if only I can become a musical legend". So, the Devil made it so, and when Charlie brought the trumpet to his lips, he tried to cry, he tried to yell, he tried to banish the devil back to hell.

But he couldn't say anything. He couldn't play anything.

For he had the head of a pumpkin and was just as orange. He will never be forgotten for just how terribly he worded his wish. If only had he known that the devil imbued in him that miserable day, the ability to play the very best bass.

_______________

I am going way too slow lately. Way too slow. In other news, Resident Evil 5 is amazing, and now I can't finish it. It's driving me mad. Hopefully gonna catch up a bit over break.

Finally getting to post. My monkey.

I have more work to do, more papers to write, but heck with it. I've been doing the blog thing just regularly enough to seriously feel weird when I can't throw something up. This week has been hectic to say the least. Been working on Art of Illustration stuff almost exclusively. So close to being able to put it up on here. So close. Unfortunately last time I screwed thigns up when I put the unproofed poster up, and with other problems, submission chaos ensued. It's amazing that we have still held our heads above water, and have almost pulled this thing off.

For now though I'll post my 12 Monkeys DVD cover final for black and white (Two color print on distressed/stained paper). This one got seriously  put off until the last minute as I hadn't gotten to even start the final until after comicbook class tuesday, at 9:30. I'm so very, very ready for spring break. Sadly enough teachers have buckled me down enough that I don't think any personal projects will be coming. All papers and such.

Anyway, click to view the comps from the previous post.

It feels so good to submit something on here again. I feel relief or something. Weird kind of drug, this blogger.

Comic Cover Still Continuing Part Duex.

Edit:

Got a better picture in this light, especially since the liquin has settled down a bit. The monster doesn't have teeth yet. Which are the main selling concept of him. Think snake teeth, and shark teeth combined. Nothing has changed since the previous picture. Gonna start popping out the figures tonight.

Just plugging away at it, pushing, pulling, ruining... adding red like a crazy man. NOt really sure where I'm going with it yet. Which is probably bad.

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Was still in the mood to paint a bit after washing comicbook cover with red, so I can paint tomorrow morning. These scenery things... they are tough. About an hours worth of speedpaint.

I'll get more adventurous with my perspective one of these days.

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Blegh. 

You know the guy with the golden touch? Well this weekend my touch wasn't golden. It was poop. Whatever I touched turned to poop. Also, my oils are shot. Namely my white which was pretty crappy to begin with. 

How long do oils last? These are going on 3 years old, and I really want to paint with oils, but I can't afford to go put down the change for a new set. A new tube of white... yes... but these things are being fussy. Need some crappy new brushes as well. 

Again. Blegh. Did a sketch page too. It's one of many. But I won't show the others. Kind of embarrassing haha.

On the upside: The new episode of dollhouse was awesome and my faith in Joss Whedon has been restored. Shame the poor fella is battling Firefly fans on this one. It's an impossible fight.  

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Manley Parkins was never so happy to see another face. It had been a grueling two weeks on that little keg, in the middle of the ocean. Everyday he liked to count the splinters he had received from his little barrel friend. Until one day he saw not one face, but two. Two beautiful mermaids offered him salvation. They offered him help. They offered him gratuitous sexual relations. And although he had no idea how that worked with mermaids he gladly accepted. It had been two months since his plane went down, a week after he took the pilots job, to fly beer oversees. Two months since he had seen another soul.

It's a real shame as Manley Parkins was a good pilot. It was really a shame that he tasted as good as he did, and in the end, it was a really real shame he never did get... to touch those breasts. Cause that is what he wanted most of all.

-

Alittle thing for another blog some friends just started. They put a bunch of words in a hat and this weeks words were "Keg" and "S.O.S" I've never sketched so much in my life. 

Check out their blog to see what the others came up with: http://sketchdeath.blogspot.com

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In Dashwater some say there is a cabin. A cabin without windows or a real entrance. Just a dock with a door. Some would say this is where Tabitha Olsena lives, deep in the woods miles and miles from civilization. Some would say she has been there for over 200 years in darkness with herself only to entertain. Some say it's abandoned. But no one has ever found this small place where the firs part and the shine shines in the early mornings, and the small cabin with the dock.

I can't sleep. So I did a speedie. It's late, woohoo poor writing. 

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Another cheat post for sketch-a-day. They are what I did for a full day, and while I did a little prelim doodle, I'd rather show these. The two spots are both based on two articles, out of a possible six that were given to us for a Styles and Concepts. Cranked em out in a day because I thought we had a whole nother week to finish, but was unfortunately mistaken. I couldn't help but lean towards the people based ones. In the end they are meant to be viewed at a meager 5x5 inches.

Numero uno is Jesse James. The article this one was based on only his life and when he was born. Did a fair bit of research and came up mostly empty handed as far as actual fact. So I took queues from "The assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford", which I have never seen but googled. Made sure to get the pistols correct, as I knew the teacher, Benton Mahan, would keep a sharp eye out. I really need to stop sticking multiple arms on people, but I couldn't pass up a six armed man shooting six shooters.

The second one here was based on Aaron Burr. I only drew off of one portrait for clothing, and just let this one go. The split thing was a really sudden change to my original, straight forward two-face idea. He was a supposed traitor to the U.S. and will always be looked at as one. So I focused on that "back-stabbing" mentality, and the false face of politician. If I could change one thing... that crown would have lined up with where the two portraiture ovals meet.  

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In lieu of doing something valid for black and white, I did studies for my 12 monkeys dvd cover. Why is it that I work best at 3-4 in the morning? These were referenced for once, but the final won't be, because sadly... I do not have a monkey to photograph screaming angrily at me. I just couldn't bring myself to start on the final. It's been too long since I feel like I actually worked with ink still, and I want this sucker to turn out decent. Not to say I hate these. I am immensely happy with how these went. 

Oh and the red, on the what I like to call "monkey made of nightmares and sadness", is acrylic ink. Bought my first bottle after a small adventure out to dick blick. I see a beautiful relationship forming between me and acrylic ink. Ink that can build up into brighter colors? Yes. Please. And boy, is it ever vibrant when put on straight.

Comic Cover Still Continuing.

Still chugging along.

Everytime I get sick of painting I'm gonna take a picture. Wish it was early though, so I could get some good light. Still don't know what or if what colors are gonna happen. They'll be de-saturated... but I have no idea. I like the idea of this kind of golden monster... dunno. 

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Little Update: Did another hours worth of painting this morning after I woke up. Hopefully once I kind of start to render out some things, the strong ashley wood appearance will fade. I love the dude, but I don't want to be him.  Still having alot of fun doing this one though.

The beginnings of my comic book cover, for comic book class. It features hex and the monster from my previous comic book page, just duking it out. Hoping in the end to leave this one really really loose, but really going in and tightning up the important stuff. To give almost a false focus. I won't be doing it in the stye of the comicbook pages. Tommorrow, gonna wake up and paint some more on it and continue "drawing". This is the first time I've done a technique like this. 

First I gestured it all out, no pre sketch on the board. Then just took paint rags and started to take away, rub out, and add turp. Then said "o.k." and wiped it all down again and glazed the entire thing with a almost black brown and started over again, repositioning things where I wanted them. Then started to take away again. Don't love it yet, but I think it's a good start, and I'm really excited to detail out and fade, and really push and pull things. Taking awhile, getting used to oils again, but what more fun way to start? Technically a finger painting.  

So I guess I lied about the stories, as I will most likely be posting progresses of this. We will see.

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A leftover from Thursday Sketch night that I just got around to throwing colors on last night. Went to bed and finished it this morning. The next sketch will actually be a story sketch that I've been promising.  Little more dynamic a drawing than I'm used to doing out of my head, so it's a bit wonky, but I kind of like it.