"Fate" A Parker+Brand Micro-Sketch (or "Maybe 'Smallville' Is Finally Getting It Right")
I used to be a really big fan of the show Smallville, and for the first five years it was on I thought it was the best show on TV. Then, something happened to it. It lost the magic that made it work for me (it turned into a typical teenage romance show...blech!). Anyway, after turning my attention elsewhere for a few years (namely, Supernatural) it seems that Smallville might finally be getting a few things right. In January, the Justice Society of America are going to be introduced into the "Smallville" universe. My Twitter pal Eric Stettmeier posted a few screen grabs of this upcoming episode, and if you know who these characters are then you'll probably be just as excited as I am to see these classic DC characters brought to life. After I saw the preview I couldn't get that image of Dr. Fate out of my head (WOW!), so I decided to do a drawing of him. I'd never drawn the good doctor before and it was a lot of fun. I hope you folks enjoy the drawing, and heck...if you're remotely interested in Dr. Fate, Superman or comic books in general you should tune-in to this episode of Smallville and check out how they bring the JSA to life.
Working With The End In Mind: A T-Shirt Design Project
My limited ability to draw doesn't come into play in my line of work very often. But, when it does I try to make the most of the opportunity. I was recently approached by a client to create a 3 color design for their "Washington Mardi Gras" t-shirts. I'd worked on the design 2 years ago and they seemed pleased with it, so I imagine that is why they contacted me to create this one.
I drew each of the objects in non-photo blue, inked them, scanned them, then brought each one into Photoshop where I created the type of image that the client requested, making sure to go no larger than 12" x 12" (that's the shirt's imprint area), leaving room at the top and bottom for the typographical elements that would come later.
The instructions for this new design included using Southwest Louisiana's official mascot, "Gumbo Gator."
Here's the instructions I received from my client.
Now, Gumbo Gator has been around for over 20 years, originally created by a local cartoonist. Gumbo has always had a specific look (when he's not drawn correctly, it's pretty noticeable). My particular style of drawing doesn't match the original cartoonist's, but I knew I'd need to represent Gumbo as close as I possibly could.
The client wanted to see Gumbo standing in a pile of Mardi Gras beads with icons from Washington D.C. in the background covered in more beads. Rather than draw one scene, I felt it would be better to create modular images. Tackling the project this way would allow me to edit the images, moving them and resizing them, just in case the client had edits of their own, plus there's the added bonus of having individual elements to use on other projects, should the need ever arise.
I drew each of the objects in non-photo blue, inked them, scanned them, then brought each one into Photoshop where I created the type of image that the client requested, making sure to go no larger than 12" x 12" (that's the shirt's imprint area), leaving room at the top and bottom for the typographical elements that would come later.
Once I was happy with the new image, I brought it into Adobe Illustrator and did a live-trace of it. I chose 3 specific Pantone colors to work with (purple, yellow & green...for Mardi Gras), since the print needed end up as a 3 color imprint. This would allow the printer separate the colors easily.
I added the typographic elements, then colored the portions of the image that needed it. I made sure that I used purple as my primary color. I applied it to the line work since it was the darkest color. I wanted to add some shading so I used 20% of the purple and yellow. It added depth to the piece, and helped Gumbo to stand out from the details in the background. The shading will appear as halftones on the final printed shirts.
I am very happy with the way this piece turned out. As with most of the projects I work on, I had to squeeze time in between cracks to get it done. Working in a hurry is never a good thing, but you always learn tricks that help you save time in the process. My project timer on this one says that it took about 6 hours (that's drawing & computer time combined). Considering the end result, I'd say that's an acceptable time frame.
As always, thanks for stopping by. Your comments are appreciated.
"Thanks, Tax Max!" A 30 Second Slice Of Comic Book Cheese! (or "How A Simple Character Drawing Ended Up In A Television Commercial")
via youtube.com
If you've been following my posts the past few days, then you've seen the development of my drawing titled "Tax Max." We always new our take on Tax Max would end up being used in this simple little spot...and my buddy added just the right amount of comic book cheese to make it work. I hope you folks like the way it all turned out. It's kinda cheeky, but it's pretty cool to see your toons used in this way. If you're interested in seeing the stages the toons went through, then I'd encourage you to dig around my blog a bit. Thanks for stopping by!
"Say It" A Parker+Brand Micro-Sketch
A while back I bought a nice little Handbook brand artists journal with the intention of doing a 5 to 15 minute super-hero sketch everyday (I call 'em micro-sketches). I don't get to do those as often as I'd like, but today I needed a mental break from the world of advertising, so I gave myself 10 minutes to crank out a micro-sketch of the "big red cheese." My buddy Eric had just sent me some digital colors he'd done to a drawing I did of a Captain Marvel/Thor amalgam. I'm thinking that's why I drew our buddy Billy Batson...and I only used 8 of my 10 minutes (I used the other two to write this paragraph). This sketch was done using the Sign Pen & Stylo by Pentel of America, and the grey was done with a busted up Faber Castelle Pitt art marker. Enjoy, my friends!
"Operator, Please" A Parker+Brand Micro-Sketch
Earlier today I finished up my "Tax Max" project and sent it on to video, but I found out that I also need to have a shot of a phone operator with a headset. Can anybody say "Sham WOW!" I didn't have much time to crank this out and get it colored; video was waiting for it. I finished it and figured you folks might like to see what I burned out. In retrospect, I think I'd have skipped the lead. I could have just done it with the blue lines. I guess moving on to lead is a habit. Not the greatest thing I've ever done, but it's nice to be drawing at work for a change. Peace.
From Pencils, Inks & Digital in a Pinch! (or "Meet Tax Max")
If you've been following along for the past few days then you've seen my pencils & my inks on the "Tax Max" character.
From what I understand, Tax Max will be appearing in an auto dealership commercial. He was described to me as your typical, larger-than-life super-hero type with a big 'ol, proud, cheesy grin. I didn't get instructions on the Tax Max uniform except to make it red, yellow & blue (hmmm...I wonder why?). I recommended that we simply use a dollar sign for his emblem since it resembles an "S" because the whole point is that Tax Max will "saaaaave yooooou money!"
Drawing this one wasn't going to be enough, though. I needed to add digital color and set the character as a nice movable element in Photoshop that could be used in After Effects. I had to color the piece with a mouse (we don't have a pen tablet at our office and this is on a real tight deadline). I also had to add more cheese to it with a real simple, comic-book style "Tax Max" title.
I'm not sure how the finished spot will look (I'll post it once it's all put together so you can see what this will be used for), but either way...here's where Tax Max stands as he goes to video. Thanks for coming along for the ride.
Inking up "Tax Max": A Parker+Brand Micro-Sketch
Had an opportunity to ink up the "Tax Max" pencils I posted on Friday. I think the inks turned out pretty good. I'm doing my best to not stray from the Sable brush. I figure the more I use it, the more control I'll have. I did notice something last night that's been causing a problem; my paper choice. I didn't realize it but the paper I'm using is really toothy and it's causing some drag on the brush. No big deal; I bought it. I did a test on some super smooth paper and there's a huge difference. Ah well...I'm still gonna use it. No need to waste the paper. I'll be adding digital color to this piece pretty early today. It's for a deadlined television project so I'll have to finish adding the color and the title effects before lunch (we'll see). I don't have a pen tablet, so I'll be doing the color with the 'ol mouse (yuck). I'll just have to do the best job I can with the tools that I have. I'll post when it's done.
"All Father" A Parker+Brand Micro-Sketch
It felt like a good night to draw (and ink) and I've been itchin' to add Asgardian All Father "Odin" to my line-up of Thor Universe sketches. I don't know when I'll get it out of my system, but adding Odin into the mix is a good start. I had fun with this one tonight. Since I've got my Sable brush I've only had the one opportunity to use it the other night when I got it in the mail, and that was just a quick sketch. Tonight I had time to work up some relatively tight pencils to ink. That Sable brush is great. The pencils took about 30 minutes and the inks took an hour. I went back with a dip pen and added some finer hatching and then added some grey tones with a couple of Copic Art Markers. I inked the energy effects with a cheap stippling brush and the rough hatching was added with a cheap rake brush. I kind of like the way that stuff turns out, plus it's fast and easy to do. Oh yeah, I also switched ink. I used Sumi ink tonight and I really liked the way it laid down. I hope you guys like the piece. As always, thanks for stopping by.
"Tax Max" An Opportunity to Draw at Work
It's not often that I get called on to actually draw things in my profession. Sure, I get to sketch out logo thumbnails & rough storyboards from time-to-time, but there is rarely a need for a finished drawing. Well, the company I work for, Sweet Spot Telemedia, just took a new project which requires an archetypal super-hero character called "Tax Max" (he'll saaaaaave yoooooou MONEY!!). It's got a small budget, and needs to be turned around pretty quickly so I tackled setting up the character this morning. I plan to ink him up over the weekend (with my new Sable brush) and then add digital color on Monday. I'll make sure to post the finished commercial once it's all in the can. For now, I hope you enjoy seeing the progress I've made so far. Happy Friday, folks!
Superman vs. Doomsday: Condensed by my little sis!
Wow! Has it really been 17 years since Superman was "killed" by Doomsday? Pretty crazy to think about, considering that it's still being used to feed current comic book storylines (reading Blackest Night, anyone?). Well, I was digging through some old college sketchbooks last night and I found this little mini-comic that my sister made for me back in 1992.
See, I was a huge Superman fan and she knew it. She was just learning to write pretty decent and she made me a "Superman vs. Doomsday" comic (she was only 6 years old at the time). I laughed as I read it.
You know, when Supes died, it was a pretty big deal, but like all "dead" comic book characters, he was resurrected. Now, it's like it didn't really amount to much...and her little comic pretty much sums up the whole storyline.
Doomsday arrives.
A bunch of things get said.
There's some fighting.
The end.
My sis wrote her own dialog.
I've typed the words out so you can read them better.
I hope you enjoy this little blast from the past (and have a chuckle)!
Thanks, little sis!
See, I was a huge Superman fan and she knew it. She was just learning to write pretty decent and she made me a "Superman vs. Doomsday" comic (she was only 6 years old at the time). I laughed as I read it.
You know, when Supes died, it was a pretty big deal, but like all "dead" comic book characters, he was resurrected. Now, it's like it didn't really amount to much...and her little comic pretty much sums up the whole storyline.
Doomsday arrives.
A bunch of things get said.
There's some fighting.
The end.
My sis wrote her own dialog.
I've typed the words out so you can read them better.
I hope you enjoy this little blast from the past (and have a chuckle)!
Thanks, little sis!
"Trickster" A Parker+Brand Micro-Sketch
Boy, I was really tired last night and Michelle & I had a ton to do before the wedding this Saturday, all of which required an internet connection. Well, we got home and guess what; no internet. Well, at my house, no internet means no cable so the house was pretty quiet. My son said "let's draw." I knew I was gonna be out cold pretty soon (I could feel the eye-burn setting in), but I figured I had about 15 minutes to work on a sketch with him. I'm on a "Thor" universe kick right now, so I whipped up a quick "Loki" (hence the title, "Trickster") with my Pentel Pocket Brush. I'd say this was a true Micro-Sketch, in the sense that I did a very quick breakdown with hard lead and knocked out the inks in 12 minutes. I love doing these types of things; very quick, with no real intentions on the outcome. It's just something fun to do with your family,...and it beats vegging in front of the TV or melting your brain on the internet all night.
Sable Sharp (or "OMG! This Brush Freakin' ROCKS!)
When I got off work today I walked out of my windowless office only to be greeted by a dreary, rainy, messy Southwest Louisiana sky. Not the best way to end the day, but I knew I had something special waiting for me at home. When I got to the driveway I told the kids to sit in the truck...I had to check the mail! I opened the lid and there it was...my brand new Windsor & Newton Series 7 Sable Size 3. After dinner I asked the kids if they'd like to sit on the floor and draw with me (they always get excited about that). I had to test out the new Sable and I wanted it to be an experience to remember. I'd like to share that experience with you.
First thing I noticed when I opened the USPS box was that the Sable came in a nice, plastic tube. It stood out to because the cheaper brushes I'm used to buying at the hobby stores come "open air" off the rack, and the tips usually blow out after a few pieces of heavy inking.
Besides the nice packaging, the tip on this brush was the sharpest I'd ever seen. It was a bit intimidating to look at. Often I complain about poor inking tools and blame them for some of my inking failures (I'm sure some of it is just skill, but good tools do help); looking at this brush, I knew it was going to be a good experience. I decided that to put it to the test I'd need to lay down some relatively tight pencils to ink on top of. I can knock out a human face pretty quick so that's what I decided to do.
So, after I finished the pencils I dipped the brush in the ink and went to work. I can't be any clearer than this; the Windsor Sable 7 #3 is the best tool that I've ever inked with. I was able to hit all of my pencil marks with ease, even the smaller tic marks (I even added a few extra ones that I couldn't get with the pencil). And the larger strokes went the same way; no problem.
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I cleaned up the brush (with the proper cleaner) and formed the tip into a point. I couldn't be more satisfied with the purchase of this brush. The results, for my skill level, are superior to any I've ever had. If you're a professional illustrator, inker or just a hobbyist like me, it is definitely worth purchasing and adding to your arsenal of inking and sketching tools. Having the control that this brush provides really does a lot to boost my confidence in inking my pencils. I'm really looking forward to putting this brush to work on my upcoming commissions.
The Risk of Ink (or "How I Screwed Up Some Decent Pencils by Being Impatient")
I'm typically a patient guy. Patient with clients, patient with friends, patient with family (heck, I'm even patient with d-bags & assholes,...sometimes). Well, last night I decided to toss patience aside and jump into a project, knowing that the typical recipe for project disaster was looking me right in the face. Ingredient #1: The wrong tools. Ingredient #2: Not enough time. I could have waited patiently for my new Sable brush to come in, but nooooo...I went ahead and jumped into my pencils with some junk brush and really killed the clean lines that I worked hard to produce...but that's the risk of inking; once you lay it down, it's freakin' down. By the time I realized it wasn't going to well it was to far gone and I'd passed my "point-of-no-return" on time frame. This piece was going to have to do. So, today at lunch I tried to do a fix with a different brush & some grey Prisma art markers. It's pretty sloppy and I'm down about getting in a rush. I wouldn't even post it except for the fact that laying it out for the world (or at least you guys) to see makes me want to try harder. I got word that my new Sable 7 #3 is waiting on me at home. I can't wait to lay some ink down with it tonight. As always, thanks for your time (your comments are appreciated).
"Just 4 Guys" A Parker+Brand Micro-Sketch
I decided to start this piece tonight; just a basic shot of some of my favorite characters (Green Lantern, Superman, Captain America "Bucky" and Daredevil). I've been pretty happy with the progress so far, but I started inking it with a blown-out brush...and man am I disappointed with that decision. I didn't post the inking progress because I've got some major repair work to do (I really can't wait to get my Sable 7 #3 brush in this week). I'll end up using dip pens to hide some of my mistakes made with the cheapo brush by adding a lot of extra fine rendering. I hate when that happens, but that's what I get for going against my gut. I'll post the inks once they're good and done, but for now I hope you enjoy the stages of development.
Finished Inking "Pick Up The Hammer"
I finished inking the Captain Marvel/Thor amalgam I've been working on. I wasn't sure if I wanted to ink the lightning with the same brush I'd used on the character (I wasn't sure if I wanted to ink it with a brush at all). After thinking about it for a minute or two I decided to go ahead and see what it would look like. Once I got started I liked what I was seeing. The brush actually added a pretty cool, bold element to the electricity. After I got some ink on the page I got into it and found a decent rhythm. I'm pretty pleased with it, for the most part. I added some minor shading with a 30% Cool Grey Prisma art marker...then I was done. I still think I'll add some digital color at some point, but for now I'm putting this piece to bed. I've been testing out new brushes, inking tools & techniques on the recent pieces because I'm about to start a commission piece that will launch my Art Camp auction. I was contacted by a generous individual who wanted to purchase the piece and donate 100% of the money to send one kid to Art Camp (more on that here). I want to do a really good job on his commission because he's being very, very generous, so I'm trying to amp up my drawing & inking skills. As always, thanks for following along on this project. I appreciate all those who stop by to look, or leave comments.
Adjust your pencils, Son! (or "Picking up the Hammer...Again!)
I posted a pencil drawing of a Captain Marvel/Thor amalgam late last night. When I originally did the piece I was unhappy with the way the perspective looked on his left leg (the one closest to you). I was pretty much okay with the rest of the piece. It was still bugging me this morning after I got ready for work, so I decided to try and do a fix. I realized that the reason I screwed it up the first time was because I was trying to cram the whole thing onto the page and avoid cutting off the character's foot (amateur). I really didn't want to see this thing go to waste so I broke out the kneaded eraser and did the fix. It's not the best perspective (and the foot still gets cut off), but I was satisfied enough to go ahead and take a shot at inking it. I'm using a new brush that I purchased a couple of days ago. It's a Windsor & Newton #3 Round with synthetic bristles. It's not the perfect brush, but it's much better than the junk I used to ink Nightwing the other day. I have more control over the line width with this one. I'm still no master inker (or penciller, for that matter) but I think this brush will work until I can order the proper tool. I'm going to try and ink this entire piece with the same brush, except maybe the lightning...I'm not sure how I want to handle that yet. I think my ink work is a bit "thick" but it's been years since I did it every day. I'm hoping that with more pieces under my belt I'll enhance my control over the tool and get a much cleaner, thinner line that still has weight. I think I may end up doing digital color on this piece when it's all said and done. I kind of dig the idea behind this guy.
"Pick Up The Hammer" A Parker+Brand Micro-Sketch
The end of daylight savings time has me all messed up. My internal clock just doesn't seem to be lining up with the change. Since I couldn't sleep I figured I'd try to be somewhat productive with my time...so I pulled out the sketchbook & kit. My buddy Thom Trahan (@Hey_Thom on Twitter) had mentioned that he'd like to see me do a sketch of Captain Marvel (you know, the dude that yells "SHAZAM!"). I thought I might like to tackle that since I'd never drawn him before. Then I got to thinkin' about how Thom was a Thor fan, and both characters have a relationship with enchanted lightning. What would happen if Billy Batson were to pick up Thor's hammer Mjolnir and say the magic word? Well, this sketch is perhaps one take on that idea. It's not perfect. In fact, I really messed up some of the perspective on the lower half (so much so that I cropped it off...the shame!). The rest of it turned out decent enough. As always, your comments and time are appreciated. But really, this one's for you, Thom.
Best $1.75 I've spent all year! (or "Gettin' Freaky With It!")
When I go to Walmart (shiver) by myself to shop for anything, I always make a point to stop by the toy isle. Walmart doesn't have the best selection of cool toys (it's not like I could afford the toys I want anyway), but sometimes I'll see something neat. But, for me, it's not the main toy isles that are cool; it's the discount toy isle (this is "junk" that didn't move, and now they reduced, and reduced again, to get it out the store). Every once in a while I'll find something there that I definitely wouldn't pay full price for, but I'd consider it for $1.75. Well, last night was one of those times when I get to browse the isles without my son wanting every single item on the shelf. I detoured to the discount isle and I saw something that I had to have...a "MADBALL" named "Freaky Fullback." Now, the MADBALLS were really popular (at least to me) when I was in the 6th grade, spawning a cartoon and a kinda of freaky animated special. I was always excited when my Dad would bring home one these freaky little guys. They had these super cool, gross out designs, made of a soft "nerf" like foam rubber. Seeing Freaky Fullback on the shelf brought back a lot of memories; I had to have him. The packaging had been opened (pretty much destroyed), but I taped it all back together to snap some picks (I left the price tag on, just so I could bask in the glow of my super-cheap find a little longer). I dug around to see if there were any others, but from the condition of the packaging I'd say that this thing had been shoved in a box in the warehouse for a while...the last Madball to stick it out. Apparently, Freaky Fullback is a survivor; my kind of fella! Either way, Freaky Fullback is now a member of the elite squad of toys that watch over me as I create wonderful advertising goodies for my clients (but dang it, why couldn't he have been Slobulous). Wanna know more about the Madballs? Check out this post by my Twitter pal @WeirdoToys!
"Wing" A Parker+Brand Micro-Sketch
My son and I had most of the afternoon to ourselves, and the weather in Southwest Louisiana is great (for a change), so we decided to throw a blanket on the ground and sit outside and draw together. I had picked up some new brushes and wanted to take them for a test drive. Don't know why, but I've been on this Batman family kick for the past few days and I figured I'd take a stab at doing a Nightwing (the original Robin) sketch. I was happy with the pencil work, but I really do not like the new brushes I purchased. There really is no sub for a good Windsor & Newton, Series 7 Sable #3 brush. Since I'm not a professional it's not so bad to use sub-par tools, but if I had to do an illustration for pay then I would definitely re-invest in the Sable #3. The inking tools I'm using now are great for fun & hobby, but every time I dip one of these cheaper brushes in the ink I know I run the risk of destroying my pencils. Anyway, my son & I got to spend some quality creative time together and we had a good time. That's what counts. This time I've posted the pencils, inks and my grey ink additions. Thanks for taking the time to look at my work.
