RANDOM ANOMALIES

100 Impressions 71-73

2011-08-23T11:33:00.000-07:00

Couple of 3 hombres... The last one is the same dude from my recent sketch video.

Cintiq Sketch Video

2011-08-10T12:08:00.000-07:00

Sketched using a custom texture brush at 100 dpi, 9x7 inch canvas...

Greetings from the Wasteland 3

2011-08-07T23:06:00.000-07:00

...a finished page from STEEL NOODLES Number 2

100 Impressions 67-70: More Los Angeles

2011-07-29T11:19:00.000-07:00

100 Impressions 66: Los Angeles

2011-07-27T16:40:00.000-07:00

Comic-Con 2011: Thank you

2011-07-26T11:00:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that in the last five or so years, people have been complaining how Comic-Con has seemed to have lost it's essence. (Yours truly included) But folks, we live in a time where proliferated media is dominating society and marketing via the internet has become the mainstream.

So as much as Comic-Con has become a media circus, all this I feel is cyclical. One day the media marketers will find another flavor of the month while the superhero genre gives way to another at the box office. And surely, Comic-Con will do it's own self-adjustment just like any entity in society.

But for now, Comic-Con is what you make of it. There is an experience to be had for anyone willing to make it so. For us independents, there is still those corners and spots on the convention floor where the simple and unspoiled have their venue. We exist for the people that get us and despite the hordes of consuming public that dominate the con, our audience knows we are there and are loyal enough to go against the grain.

For those who do so, we thank you. I thank you.

See you in San Diego!

2011-07-19T15:06:00.000-07:00

The perfect storm? The zombie apocalypse happens during Comic-Con. The nerds inherit the earth.

Comic-Con 2011: The big show

2011-07-17T19:45:00.000-07:00

I'll only be there Saturday and Sunday 7/23-7/24 but it's going to be lots of fun! (There's a small chance I'll be set up by Friday) For the Sixth year in a row, Octavio Rodriguez and I will be exhibiting at the world's largest event for comics, media and entertainment.

And for the third year in a row we will be in the same spot at the Exhibitor Tables area at table G4. I'll have copies of STEEL NOODLES Number 1 which made a spectacular debut last year so for all of you who missed me last year, here's your chance to grab a copy.

And as announced, I'll have a bunch of sketch cards, Girl n' Robot buttons and original art for sale! See you all in San Diego!!

SDCC: Sketchcards & Buttons

2011-07-15T10:40:00.000-07:00

Sampling of the 2 inch by 3 inch sketch cards I'll be selling next week in San Diego as well as two new GIRL n' ROBOT 1.5 inch buttons...

Glacial Lark

2011-07-13T01:04:00.000-07:00

Ready to face the elements... and helmet hair. Somewhere in the Arctic, Antarctic.. or Hoth?

San Diego Comic-Con 2011

2011-07-06T23:11:00.000-07:00

Work continues on STEEL NOODLES Number 2 but I'll be exhibiting at this year's SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON on Saturday, July 23 and Sunday July 24 only.

If you missed grabbing a copy of Steel Noodles Number 1 last year, I'll have fresh copies for sale as well as hand drawn sketch cards and original art. Octavio Rodriguez and I are located again at Exhibitor Table G4 in Hall C of the San Diego Convention Center. So come by and say hello!

100 Impressions: 51-65

2011-06-20T20:19:00.000-07:00

For this next set, I started incorporating background washes using a water brush and smearing ink around to change things around a little. There's a local coffee shop frequented by seniors who make for some of the best subjects for sketching. Mixed in are random people from car washes, malls, etc. Used the Papermate Flair fine point and Pentel Color Brush black on all of these, plus some Photoshop tones for legibility.

60-61

iPad 2 Stylus Round Up

2011-06-05T21:01:00.000-07:00

As I've been promising on Twitter, here's a series of three videos with an overview of the iPad stylus products I've been testing lately. It's shot with my iPhone 4 so if it's shaky and ill-framed, that's why. (I was going for the docu feel on this one) Also if I sound clunky it's because all of this was done extemporaneously plus, I'm getting over a head cold. Bottom line with any tool is you'll never know until you try it yourself so in as much as I try to be descriptive here, it's not definitive. (Video available in HD)

PART ONE

PART TWO

PART THREE

100 Impressions: 41 to 50

2011-05-25T23:10:00.000-07:00

Halfway there... This set is called "Theme park people". I spent last Sunday at Six Flags Magic Mountain for my son's birthday. What else does a wimpy guy who doesn't ride rollercoasters do in a theme park? (except consume massive quantities of artery friendly amusement park food)

Also, if you haven't known already, I'm a bit of a tool hog. Over the years I've tried just about every pen, brush, etc. that's commercially available looking for the most versatile, most reliable product that would win the "One pen I would bring if I could only bring one" award. So after trying out a wide gamut of pens of all price ranges the winner is: Papermate's inexpensive FLAIR pen.

The Flair beat out the likes of Pentel, Faber Castell, Pilot and Zebra. (plus countless others). The lion's share of the line work done with this exercise was done with a Flair. The great thing about this pen aside from the fact that you can buy a truck load of them for next to nothing is it's fabulous line quality. It breaks up with a quick stroke yet if you need a nice unbroken line, you can get it by applying just a bit more pressure. It's great for general sketching which means all you need is ONE pen your pocket. For someone like me who tends to bring upwards of five or six pens at a time, it's a god-send.

100 Impressions: 31 to 40

2011-05-17T00:09:00.000-07:00

If you've been following me on Twitter, you might have read about my purchase of Apple Computer's premier device, the iPad 2. My intention of course is to see how well I can adapt it as a drawing platform despite knowing the drawbacks of capacitive screen input versus pressure sensing digitizers. I'll save more in-depth reviews about apps and tools on another post. As I continue with this exercise of posting 100 sketches I've included 4 drawings done on the iPad using PROCREATE which is by far of all the drawing apps I've tried, has been the most fun and straightforward to use. (see the first 4 images) The textured brush simulation is pretty nice. As for input tools, I'll also do a tool roundup at some point after I've given sufficient time to test them out.

The rest of the sketches are traditionalyl done with the same pens and brushes as the previous posts.... The Teppan cooks are from tonight done while we dined to celebrate my son's birthday... As for the vehicles? Did I mention I LOVE drawings cars, bikes and other modes of transport?

STEEL NOODLES Number 2 Delayed

2011-05-11T12:02:00.000-07:00

Due to time constraints, I am pushing the release of STEEL NOODLES Number 2 which will now debut at this year's ALTERNATIVE PRESS EXPO, October 1st and 2nd at the Concourse Exhibition Center in San Francisco.

The book is really coming together well but the demanding schedules at work have really cut into production time. Debuting at Comic-Con is always my goal but sometimes the timing just doesn't work out.

I thank all of you amazing fans of the book for your continued support and words of encouragement and hope you stick around as the Advent story concludes in book 2.

100 Impressions: 21 to 30

2011-05-08T14:29:00.000-07:00

Over the years I've develop the knack for drawing specific subjects and committing them to memory. It's like scanning information to your brain. Once I draw things a few times it's filed away back there somewhere for easy retrieval at some point. It's basically muscle memory while breaking down the subject matter to it's basic form. Not to say I would still require reference material to get fine details down, but it's nice to be in a zone where you can at least get by with some reasonable facsimile of...

Which is why there are horse sketches in this group of posts. I just don't draw them very well but if I could at least do the minimum, it gets the job done. (Current project i'm in calls for it) I also like drawing scenery and there are couple here too. (added some Photoshop tones for legibility, otherwise all were done in pen and ink)

100 Impressions: 14 to 20

2011-05-04T21:56:00.000-07:00

Back to traditional pen and ink... A lady and a buncha kids!

100 Impressions: 11 to 13

2011-05-03T21:47:00.000-07:00

Small digital doodles using Photoshop CS3 and texture pen...

100 Impressions

2011-05-01T20:28:00.000-07:00

Nothing fancy. Just want to come up with a nice, round number to help generate more drawing momentum. The challenge is to try and post one hundred drawings / sketches as fast as I can. Here's the first ten from a pick of some recent sketchbook doodles. I posted a couple of these online via Twitter and Facebook today. With the exception of the image above (pencil and watercolor), most of these were done with pen and ink using a variety of implements. Staedtler Lumocolor, Pentel Color Brush, Papermate Flair, Pilot Pocket Brush, Kuretake fine brush... Let's see what comes up.

Textural

2011-04-27T21:29:00.000-07:00

Playing around with texture brushes in Adobe Photoshop hence, she's pretty textur-y.....

Noodles 2 mock up

2011-04-23T12:26:00.000-07:00

One of the great things about making books is how much you learn in the process. Naturally all that knowledge is put to good use helping make each successive project just a bit easier than the last. In this case, making book two of STEEL NOODLES has fewer surprises and pit-falls as compared to the first.

In book one, I was tweaking my process constantly which is half the fun in my opinion but, efficiency is also key. So this time around I feel like I am in such familiar territory that the art side of things is getting real focus and attention.

I've made some subtle adjustments to the line work that keeps the original look but enhances the graphic feel a bit more. Vision wise, if book one was about 80 percent of what I imagined, book two is about 90. Another thing I neglected to do early in the process in book one is to create a mock up and organizationally I suffered a bit.

So this time out, with the help of a few simple materials and a clunky HP printer, I am seeing the book come to life right as I make it. Instant gratification at it's finest. (Click images for larger view)

Drawn for Them Japan

2011-04-09T14:54:00.000-07:00

I was recently invited by the new website DRAWN FOR THEM JAPAN, which was created as a venue for the art community to contribute and provide inspirational support to the people of Japan following the devastating calamities that have ravaged that country.

As they continue to collect the fine art that is being submitted by artists around the world, they are planning to best way to monetize and channel this into a meaningful contribution to all our brothers and sisters in Japan.

Above is a little snippet of the digital illustration I did called "SPRING". Click HERE to see the whole thing. If you have a TUMBLR account, please click FOLLOW to keep tabs on the amazing art that is being assembled there. You can also follow them on Twitter HERE.

Greetings from the Wasteland 2

2011-04-07T20:46:00.000-07:00

... things are getting a bit rocky. Hang on girl.

Hex

2011-04-06T12:05:00.000-07:00

....Jonah that is.

Mighty B! Storyboards Part 3

2011-03-30T22:20:00.000-07:00

Glad you enjoyed the layouts and the beat board set ups... now for another installment of storyboards. This is from the opening of the hour special "Dragonflies" which was a take off on the Walter Hill cult classic "The Warriors". Bessie Higgenbottom and the Honeybees of troop 828 go up against tough rival girlscouts called The Dragonflies. Keep in mind that this is the original storyboard as first submitted to production in which case, it will differ from the actual episode.

I flipped the first few pages on it's side to show you how I set up the opening shot which is a multi-plane camera pan down from the sky, through the San Francisco skyline past some neighborhoods and wiping with a foreground tree line. The shot slowly cross dissolves into a matching pan to screen left in scene 2. (the establishing shot of the Recreation Center)

Why do all that extra work? It's about going the extra mile to make sure that the camera work and animation is executed properly to the best that it can. Calling for these kinds of layouts on your board ensure that your director of animation and/or sheet timer can call for these elements to be included in the exposure sheets.

So what about the Post-Its? Well, this was done just before digital boards became the norm. So everything was hand drawn. (although towards the end of my tenure, I did manage to board some digitally) In my case, I used the Post-Its to go over a rough drawing with a tighter one or, it was a trace back from xerox and I simply changed the element that moved.

Scanning these felt like they were definitely archaic. But there will always be something cool about flipping through a thick wad of hand drawn storyboards that will never get old.

(The Mighty B! property of Viacom/MTV Networks - For demo purposes only)

Mighty B Layouts

2011-03-27T20:40:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to share some of the dormant artwork that's been sitting in the garage for sometime and my chance came this weekend when I had to re-organize some stuff.

Television boards (whether one likes it or not) require every minute detail that pertains to animation be spelled out on the pre-production storyboards. Layout is a key aspect of that. Luckily for me I discovered early on that I really dug drawing layout so I incorporated that into my storyboarding process. (And believe you me, including good layout on your boards pays off in the final animation and your producers/directors will love you for it)

As part of my job as storyboard supervisor on the tragically short-lived Nickelodeon series THE MIGHTY B! I prepared a detailed breakdown of the script plus set ups and layouts for the storyboarding crew. The aim was to give the boarders a boost by taking some of the exhaustive scene planning off their shoulders so they can concentrate on acting out the characters. On such a design intensive show like The Mighty B, this also meant that every last detail can't be designed ahead of time. So I chipped in and at the very least, gave the boarders something to plug into the boards which could be later designed by our amazing art department.

So here's a random sampling of some of the crazy fun I had. This is just the proverbial tip of the ice of the iceberg. Perhaps I'll post some more in the future. (Property of Viacom / MTV Networks)

.... next up i'll post some more storyboards from the show.

Happy birthday blog and book

2011-03-24T23:11:00.000-07:00

In all that excitement, I completely forgot that this here blog celebrated it's 6th year of existence this past February.

Along with this very significant milestone (at least for me) is also the 5th anniversary of my first book and namesake of this blog RANDOM ANOMALIES. I actually took a minute and grabbed a copy off my library and looked at it.

Despite it's overall crudeness (as I see it) it will always be the 'first one'. Whatever success I've garnered and progress I've made is only possible because that first step was taken. For all of those things, I am still quite proud of it. In 2006, Random Anomalies debuted at Wondercon and started the publishing momentum that is still going strong today.

So happy birthday Random Anomalies, the book and the blog. I might look older but both of you will always be eternally young! (Image excerpted from the book)

Greetings from the Wasteland

2011-03-23T00:16:00.000-07:00

... I see you.

Another iPhone doodle....

2011-03-16T14:46:00.000-07:00

Sketched with a Pentel Brush Pen using black ink. There's a little Rooster Cogburn in this here fella....

Winter Surprise

2011-03-09T14:48:00.000-08:00

You just never know what's around the corner......

Slug vs. Swamp Dude

2011-02-25T18:12:00.000-08:00

Samurai Slug seems to always tangle with these misunderstood freaks of nature... Just ask the Mothman...

Evolution

2011-02-15T23:30:00.000-08:00

..apparently the bandwidth is pretty good in the Visaian wasteland. An early test panel from January for STEEL NOODLES Number 2. Moeh is a hip dude who rocks the social networking scene... New tools means a bolder, better line quality for the book two.

Signals

2011-02-04T18:07:00.000-08:00

A little taste of noodles.....

Simulated Cowpokes

2011-02-01T12:10:00.000-08:00

A quick sketch in simulated paper using simulated ink and simulated blue pencil. Topped off by posting on a simulated journal!

Warrior

2011-01-27T11:16:00.000-08:00

Another baddie for STEEL NOODLES Number Two...

Story Workshop with CGMWonline

2011-01-23T14:42:00.000-08:00

I am very pleased to announce that starting Tuesday, February 15th you can view my first ever story workshop with CGMWOnline. A 72 hour site access to watch the workshop is only $25.

I'll be covering a lot story related material as well as demonstrate my own feature storyboarding process. CGMW is one of the premiere places online for instruction on a variety of subjects and has become a valuable animation resource. I am really excited to be affiliated with them and to be able to share my knowledge to aspiring professionals. Many thanks to everyone at CG Master Workshops for providing a fabulous venue.

Details of my workshop and others are HERE via the CGMW site.

Brown

2011-01-21T17:56:00.000-08:00

Red

2011-01-14T00:59:00.000-08:00

Illustration.org Interview

2011-01-05T11:37:00.000-08:00

Here's a short interview I did with ILLUSTRATION.ORG during last November's CTN Expo. It reaffirmed two things for me: 1.) My fat bulbous head needs it's own zip code and, 2) I really mimic a Wibble Wobble really well. (watch that head shake!)

Listen to me talk about magic potions and advising everyone to act like kids. (I mean it figuratively of course but I you want to scream for mommy, go right ahead)

Many thanks to Santosh Oommen and the gang at illustration (dot) org for the opportunity.

The Factor of Two

2011-01-02T00:10:00.000-08:00

Life is seldom simple. That is why the common tendency in telling stories is to make sure they are plenty complicated, multi faceted and from varying points of view. After all, who wants to see a movie with a plot so basic, it would come across as plain and unrealistic? Nothing is further from the truth.

Most every life experience can be broken down to its basic elements and in the middle is usually the simple relationship between two diametrically opposing entities. Things evolve and become complex but at the heart of it all is the intangible and primal attraction that brings living things together.

I've said before how I tend not to like biopics because they are someone else's take on historical fact. And indeed THE KING'S SPEECH does that very thing however, it lacks that usual comic caricaturing that reduces characters into costumed actors. What this film succeeds in achieving is making you forget about monarchial trivia and focuses you on how the relationship of two people can be affecting and downright inspiring.

If you really thought about it, what attracts us to other people is inevitably not the things we have in common with them, but their inherent fundamental contradiction to ourselves. We are not like them so we like them. Opposites attract. It's over used but yes it's relevant and especially in designing characters.

This film is superbly shot, directed and written. The dialogue is of the period but there isn't the usual over indulgence of english royal pomp. What I really liked is the fact that I could have kept watching Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush talk to each other. There's more than enough there for another film. But isn't that what good films do? Keep their characters in your head long after you'd driven off the theater parking lot?

The Experience

2011-01-01T14:43:00.000-08:00

The dawn of a new year always brings hope and vitality to everyone's spirits. You can forget about what didn't happen the previous year and literally start fresh. But with this comes even more anxiety, more pressure and the feeling that life just got even faster and therefore, more energy is needed to keep pace.

Proliferation of digital media and the omnipresent nature of communications these days has made it possible for us to connect with each other at a level never before seen in human history. Yet the interesting irony in this is that the events that we encounter have become increasingly recycled, diluted and propagated. Living vicariously has gone from novelty to mainstream. We keep up with the world around us through social media and regurgitated information to help us bridge the time we lose running the race.

I'm not indicting this at all. I am both a major user and purveyor of digital stuff. But as a story teller, there is a danger that the well from which you draw your most raw and sincere material from gets convoluted, stale and banal. The truths from great stories comes from not only a shared experience, but from personal interaction and from being right in the middle of it all. You can't do that watching web clips and video chats. This means going out of your way and taking a bit of a gamble. It's listening to a country record when you don't like country music. It's talking to someone in line at the grocery store. It's typing a story on a typewriter. It's taking a drive somewhere you've never been. These are the worlds that exist in our computers that we can experience for ourselves and don't require an abundance of time or money. Your eyes are the best cameras in the world so go and take lots of video.

So as I add one more bit of digital minutiae to the vast digital universe, I am ever reminded of the balance that needs to be struck living in the mainstream and the need to feed the soul of the very staple it requires: Life.

Happy Holidays 2010

2010-12-23T20:25:00.000-08:00

What a whale of a year. STEEL NOODLES Number 1 debuted to great reviews especially from the very people that matter...YOU. To all who have joined me on that journey, I thank you deeply and hope you will be there for the second and final book of the Advent story.

Then there are the countless many of you I have met during the many things we did on the road and at places like Comic-Con. To you I say that the pleasure has all been mine. To my colleagues especially the ones whom I had the chance to collaborate very closely with, my admiration is boundless and your friendship is priceless.

I am looking forward to 2011 with a lot of vigor and energy. Lots of things are in the works and the only limit is the time from which to create from. Have a fantastic holiday season and hope that everyone takes the time to count their blessings around close friends and family.

The sketch is from our trip to Grand Cayman and is part of some of the research I did for a future book project.

See you all in 2011!

Girl & Robot Gallery Pieces

2010-12-12T07:50:00.000-08:00

"Outer Space"

6 x 5 inches

Pencil, Watercolor and Gouache

$140 (Framed)

SOLD

"Cotton Candy World"

6 x 5 inches

Pencil, Watercolor and Gouache

$140 (Framed)

"Nap"

6 x 5 inches

Pencil, Watercolor and Gouache

$140 (Framed)
SOLD

"Malfunction"

3.5 x 4.5 inches

Ink

$90 (Framed)

"Birthday"

3.5 x 4.5 inches

Ink

$90 (Framed)
SOLD

The pieces are on display and for sale on site or online until the gallery run ends on January 4, 2011. Click HERE for the Gallery Nucleus site for order details.

Another Girl n' Robot piece

2010-12-07T12:10:00.000-08:00

Here's another piece for this Saturday's MICRO GALLERY SHOW. It's one of the two black and white pieces I did. (See previous post for details) Robot is not feeling so good here.. A good knock on the head should do the trick! (Done with black Pentel Colorbrush)

Big things come in...

2010-12-01T00:31:00.000-08:00

I am pleased to announce my participation in the upcoming gallery event called THE SUPER BIG MICRO SHOW at GALLERY NUCLEUS in Alhambra, California. The show runs from December 11, 2010 to January 4, 2011.

The gallery is the brainchild of my story colleagues from Disney Feature Animation who decided to one day showcase all their side doodles and sketches from work into a gallery show.

For my contribution, I decided to stay in the comic/cartoon realm and paint five pieces based on a new concept I recently came up with called GIRL and ROBOT. I designed the pieces so they can be purchased individually or if someone chooses to, buy the whole kit and kaboodle.

Here is the list of tremendous talent that will be exhibiting (and yes, selling) their micro masterpieces:

Andy Schuhler Story Artist
Aurian Redson, Story Artist
Austin Madison, Animator
Barbra Pushies
Ben Balistreri, Story Artist
Bill Perkins, VisDev Artist
Bill Schwab, VisDev Artist
Brian Kesinger, Story and Layout Artist
Brittany Lee, VisDev Artist
Cassia Harries: Sculptor
Chen-yi Chang, Story Artist
Chris Mitchell
Clio Chiang, Story Artist
Daniel Arriaga, VisDev Artist
Darren Webb, Story Artist
Dave Derrick, Story
Dave Pimentel, Head of Story
Don Hall, Director
Ed Gombert, Head of Story Jeff Snow, Head of Story
Jeff Turley, VisDev Artist
Jenny Lerew, Story Artist
Jeremy Costello, Production Manager
Jeremy Spears, Story Artist
Jin Kim, VisDev Artist
Joe Moshier, Visual Development Artist
John Musker, Director
John Puglisi, Director
Josie Trinidad, Story Artist
Justin Cram, VisDev Artist
Kendelle Hoyer, Story Artist
Lauren MacMullen, Story Artist
Leo Matsuda, Story Artist
Lissa Treiman, Story Artist
Lorelay Bove, VisDev Artist
Louie Del Carmen, Story
Mark Kennedy, Head of Story
Mark Walton, Story
Michael Labash
Mike Gabriel, Art Director
Mike Giaimo, Art Director
Mike Lester, Story Artist
Mike Yamada
Minkyu Lee, Animator
Nagisa Koyama
Nancy Kruse, Story Artist
Nate Wragg, VisDev Artist
Nicole Mitchell, Story Artist
Normand Lemay, Story Artist
Paul Briggs, Head of Story
Pete Sohn
Raymond Persi
Ryan O’Loughlin, Story
Ryan Savas, Story Artist
Shane Prigmore, Head of Story
Shiyoon Kim, VisDev Artist
Steve Anderson, Director
Steve Macleod, Story Artist
Ted Mathot, Head of Story
Toby Shelton, Head of Story
Trevor Jimenez
Vi-Dieu Nguyen, Story Artist
Victoria Ying, VisDev Artist Will Mata, Story Artist

Join us on Saturday, December 11, 2010 at 7pm for the opening reception. It's going to be the biggest little show of the year!

Further info via the following links:

The MICRO page at the NUCLEUS GALLERY Site
The MICRO GALLERY BLOG
NUCLEUS BLOG
The Micro Gallery FACEBOOK event page

.. Here's a sample of one of my G and R pieces. This one's called "OUTER SPACE" done in pencil and painted in gouache and watercolor:

Meeting the Master

2010-11-24T08:12:00.000-08:00

If you follow me on either Facebook or Twitter, I posted about meeting one of my heroes in Jean "MOEBIUS" Giraud at CTN Expo last weekend. I also had the pleasure of attending the 2 hour retrospective called An Evening with Moebius which was hosted by acclaimed disney director Jon Musker.

At the end of the evening, Moebius graced everyone with a couple of drawing demos which I filmed with my iPhone 4 and now have the pleasure of sharing it with you.

Behind his rather soft spoken demeanor is a man with a tremendous sense of humor. On Saturday he was walking the exhibit floor and stopped by my table. (I introduced myself briefly the night before but I'm not sure if he remembered me) As he perused my sketchbook ALTERNATING CURRENTS he laughed out loud at one of my sketches. (of an Astronaut with a tube connected to a floating toilet) That same liberal use of absurdity is prevalent in his work and most probably what was the impetus for the sketch in the first place. I said to him "see what you started?".

Seeing him flip the pages of STEEL NOODLES Number 1 and hearing him say in a low tone "beautiful" was as close to perfection as I can describe. He loves to tell cinematic stories in the form of comics. "it's my way of making my own movies" he says during the talk. Yet another validation to me for my story telling choices. In a substantial way, Steel Noodles isn't possible without Moebius. So handing him a copy was a way of completing the circle. Now I feel re-energized and reminded why I love to draw. And it is all due to the man who got my mind going in the first place.

Three Scoundrels and a Damsel..

2010-11-17T01:34:00.000-08:00

CTN Expo 2010 this week

2010-11-16T10:42:00.000-08:00

I'll be at table T-52 at the Creative Talent Network's 2010 Expo at the Marriott Burbank Airport, Friday November 19th to Sunday November 21. Click on the map for the location. I'll have copies of STEEL NOODLES Number 1 as well as original art and sketch cards!

Don't forget about the Story panel and discussion ACT I: The Story Begins at 1:00pm on Sunday the 21st at the Academy 2 room. See my previous post for details.

Hope to see you there!

CTN 2010: Story Panel

2010-11-08T17:44:00.000-08:00

This should be an informative round table discussion so make plans to be there. More details HERE via the CTN Expo site.

Fun with Cowboys

2010-10-28T15:05:00.000-07:00

Sketch Video Clip

2010-10-22T13:02:00.000-07:00

I generally feel weird about being video taped but here's a recent clip of me doing a quick sketch using a Pentel Color Brush. My hand is at least somewhat photogenic as compared to my big fat, bowling ball of a head.

Baddy Auditions

2010-10-22T00:00:00.000-07:00

One thing I love to do during flights is draw. On our flight back from San Francisco to Los Angeles on Monday, I decided to sketch some more potential villain types for STEEL NOODLES Number 2. I have a whole slew of them but a few more won't hurt. I sketch a bunch of them and pick from the ones that feel like they fit the personality and the world.

My goal is to make them look convincing and not thrown together. Nothing's worse than seeing characters that look like they have no chemistry. My benchmark question is always: "would these guys really hang out together in real life? "

I've really re-discovered drawing with brush pens again. These were done with a Japanese pen, the Pilot Pocket Brush soft tip with permanent ink on a mini 3.5 x 5.5 inch sketch book made by Hand Book. (at around thirty-thousand feet) Added background tone for legibility via Photoshop CS3.

Snooze

2010-10-21T11:24:00.000-07:00

Zombie 1

2010-10-19T16:28:00.000-07:00

Melville used to be a doctor. He could use one right about now...

APE 2010: Thank You San Francisco!

2010-10-18T19:19:00.000-07:00

The ALTERNATIVE PRESS EXPO rocked!! Proving to me once again why it's the premier venue for art and comics. Extreme gratitude to all who came by and bought STEEL NOODLES Number 2. To my fellow artists, you continue to inspire me and your friendship is pure gold.

We will do it all again next year.

APE this weekend!

2010-10-12T14:24:00.000-07:00

Really excited to be back at my fave convention of all, The ALTERNATIVE PRESS EXPO! It's going to be a great time so come by and say hello! I've got hand drawn goodness in the form of Sketch cards and of course, that little something called STEEL NOODLES Number 1. I'm joined once again by my pal Octavio Rodriguez and this year we're at table 203. (Click on the floor plan for location info)

Concourse Exhibition Center
635 8th Street (Between Brannan & Townshend)
San Francisco, CA 94103

Zombies, Scoundrels and Shrunken Heads

2010-10-05T14:32:00.000-07:00

As the title implies, I've been sketching some amusingly odd head shots of people (and ex-people) who may be quite at home at some traveling freak show (if those still exist) or perhaps, they're the ones that kind of pop out from seemingly nowhere and give you something to think about.

Debuting at the ALTERNATIVE PRESS EXPO are the first series of hand drawn 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 sketch cards I'm calling Zombies, Scoundrels and Shrunken Heads. These are mixed media sketches which include ink, marker, watercolor and pretty much whatever I can't get my hands on.

No two are alike and if you're into collecting odd stuff, this has got your name on it. Swing by and take a gander at table 203. I'll also have them with me for next month's CTN Animation Expo for all of you in Southern California.

Road Trippin'

2010-09-28T22:32:00.000-07:00

To close out 2010, I'll be exhibiting at two amazing venues at both northern and southern California starting with the ALTERNATIVE PRESS EXPO, Saturday and Sunday, October 16th and 17th at the Concourse Exhibition Center in downtown San Francisco. There i'll be joined by good friend and colleague Octavio Rodriguez as we once again help celebrate the best in independent art and comics.

Then, from November 18th to the 21st, i'll be exhibiting at the 2nd annual CTN ANIMATION EXPO which will be held at the Marriott Hotel and Convention Center in Burbank. (Right across from the Burbank Bob Hope Airport) The expo is a great place to network with animation professionals, students and artists as well as avail of the many workshops and lectures organized by the Creative Talent Network. The inaugural expo last year was a huge, runaway success so this year is gearing up to be bigger and better than ever. Featuring a tremendous array of artist exhibitors and guest speakers headlined by a rare appearance by the legendary french illustrator Jean "MOEBIUS" Giraud (The Adventures of Blueberry, The Airtight Garage, The Fifth Element) and the acclaimed Japanese designer Tadahiro Uesugi, (Coraline) CTN Expo is positioned to be the premiere animation centric event in the industry.

Of course, I'll have copies of STEEL NOODLES Number 1 as well as some new convention exclusives. So make plans to come and see us in the fall!

Folds and Creases

2010-09-26T10:41:00.000-07:00

Just posted about how to draw Clothing Folds and Creases on the ART CENTER BLOG. Deceivingly simple but challenging stuff which requires some real world observing and pencil mileage. The post is HERE

STOCKED: Gallery Nucleus

2010-09-21T23:03:00.000-07:00

Nucleus is at 210 East Main Street, Alhambra, California 91801 (626)458-7482

I am happy to announce that STEEL NOODLES Number 1 is now available at NUCLEUS GALLERY and STORE in Alhambra, California.

Also re-stocked at the store are copies of ALTERNATING CURRENTS, RANDOM ANOMALIES and last few copies of The WAYWARD TRAVELLER.

What's cool about Nucleus? They sell great merch. They have an awesome gallery which at any given time showcases really awesome art. Alhambra is home to some of the finest asian cuisine around and most of all: They ship. So check them out!

Thanks to Nucleus general manager Ben Zhu for his continued support!

Kim Possible Storyboards Part 2

2010-09-12T12:54:00.000-07:00

Here's the second and final installment of storyboards for the Kim Possible episode "Gorilla Fist" which originally aired in 2004. The action continues as Yori goes to save Ron from the grasp of an agitated Gargoyle. Kim in the latter part of the sequence battles the headless variety of the aforementioned goyles and thanks to her advanced cheerleading skills, she manages to be victorious.

Again, I added some post-scan Photoshop tones for clarity and legibility. One important tidbit is the fact that I rarely did underdrawings to help battle pencil mileage, . I would visualize key images and a rough choreography in my head and board directly. In television, time is a premium so any chance you get to reduce the amount of drawing is an advantage. By this time after boarding on this show for several seasons, I was in a bit of a zone where I didn't need to look at models or layouts so that was a plus.

Kim Possible Storyboards Part 1

2010-09-09T23:52:00.000-07:00

From the archives I bring you another sampling of television storyboards, this time from Disney's KIM POSSIBLE. These following sets of boards are from an episode called "Gorilla Fist" which was part of Season 3. (Around 2004)

We pick up the story in the middle of an action sequence where Kim Possible, Rufus, (The naked mole rat) Ron Stoppable and his Japanese gal-pal Yori are battling gargantuan Gargoyles who have just come to life, and are intent on kicking their butts into next week. During this juncture in the series, Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley, the show creators had started to introduce the notion of a Kim Possible/Ron Stoppable love affair. Something that fully develops in Season 4. The production boards where done in pencil. I boarded on small panels 2/3 the size of the original to reduce pencil mileage. (at 2 panels per page, the boards for half a show can balloon to about 500 to sometimes 700 plus pages) Doing it smaller also provided for a better line quality. Then by copier, the pages are blown back up to 100 percent. Of course, this was pre-digital so it's old school compared to today's standards... For legibility's sake I added some tone and shading to certain panels via Photoshop CS3 after I scanned these in.

At the end of these pages, Kim discovers that the dismembered Gargoyles are even trickier to defeat... I'll present the latter parts of this sequence plus the conclusion in subsequent posts.

Filling in the blanks

2010-09-05T12:10:00.000-07:00

What's good storytelling to me? Simple: It unfolds in front of you and told in one character's point of view. No tricks. No gimmicks. And if you've read previous posts of mine you already know my gravitation towards minimalism.

THE AMERICAN is a fine example of what a satisfying story can be. It is interactive and engaging cinema. It succeeds because of what it doesn't show you rather than the opposite. George Clooney has become the go-to leading man when it comes to playing the quiet, subdued protagonist with seething inner turmoil. His character (who goes by many a name in this one) is in the people disposal business and he is very good at his craft. But unlike a character like Anton Chigurh (No Country for Old Men) Clooney's character is weighed down by the collective baggage of his job. An acceptable job hazard for someone in that line of work.

Like a classic Sergio Leone film, the dialogue is sparse for almost three quarters of this movie as the camera focuses on Clooney and the small Italian village is is holed up in. He does a lot of things we see. It is clear in intent. His interactions with the townsfolk are all we need to get to know this man. He is there to do one job. One that is fairly simple in nature. But he is a man at a crossroads. Someone who might be ready to make a course correction. He wants the nightmares to go away. He wants to fully connect with real people. The tension band is slowly stretched in such a brilliant way that when it snaps you feel a collective sigh.

I won't spoil the rest of this for you because films like this are rare in the era of loud, obnoxious cinema. The American is a fine example that action is not only louder than words, it is more profound and affecting. Maybe it's because we as human beings spend most of our time thinking what we are going to do instead of actually doing.

103 Minutes

Directed by Anton Corbijn

Written by Rowan Joffe from a novel by Martin Booth

Marooned

2010-08-27T11:53:00.000-07:00

Sketched this take on Robinson Crusoe for the HEYOSCARWILDE literary art site using a Zebra medium tip brush pen. Seems rather appropriate to post it on "Friday" although I didn't get to sketch his beloved companion....

STOCKED: Strange Adventures Comics

2010-08-27T10:29:00.000-07:00

I'm very pleased to announce that STEEL NOODLES No. 1 is now available in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, Canada through STRANGE ADVENTURES COMICS. Thanks to Calum Johnston for the set up and for stocking all four of their stores in the Fredericton and Halifax areas. Maybe one of these days I can pay a visit, meet the comic loving folk and see that lovely part of the world....

First date

2010-08-20T16:43:00.000-07:00

Been a while since I partook of the drawing club Daily Sketch and today was a good day to sneak one of these in. The subject today is "first date" courtesy of Dave Pimentel via David Derrick.

Think they'll have a second date?

Check out: Jeff Snow
Josh Lieberman

Lines, Composition and Layout

2010-08-08T12:43:00.000-07:00

Car Graphic Expression is a new Manga from Japanese artists Dave Shigahara, Takumi Yoshida and animation veteran Katsuya Terada.

I don't speak or read Japanese but the sheer offbeat and funny attitude of this comic is pretty clear. Two automobile obsessed guys on a quest to drive cool cars. I love how they geek out on technical details and get in all sorts of hi jinx.

What's really impressive is the nice line work and inking as well as the really thoughtful way the comic is layed out. Notice how nice their panels flow and how blacks (the dark values) are evenly distributed around the pages. Balance equals readability when it comes to comics and these guys know it.

And if you're a sucker for cool, highly stylized car drawings, this Manga is for you. It's one of the more cooler things I picked up at Comic-Con this year.

State of Independence

2010-08-05T23:00:00.000-07:00

So what does it mean to be an artist? What is it's true essence?

Art can inspire so an artist should be inspiring. An artist should be a perpetual student. An artist should nurture and cultivate creativity whenever and wherever possible. An artist can practice professionally for the commercial arts for his/her livelihood. An artist is on a constant path of growth. An artist creates from what is intrinsic within them.

All these things are true and valid, and can be summed up in one word: Independence.

I've said in interviews that an artist never stops being one at 5pm. It is an endeavor that is all encompassing and constant. Some of us will work for studios, companies and the like and provide them with our expertise and experience. This fulfills the need to collaborate and perform as part of a collective. In that process we give our best effort and willingly contribute our ideas and skill. But the other half of us needs to remain true to our own set of artistic principles. That half will travel uncharted water and experiment and learn. More importantly, our inherent need to find uniqueness is what will drive us forward.

We are are the summation of all our experiences, our beliefs, our upbringing. This makes us unique as humans. Consequently, as artists it is up to us to use these factors to create our own voice. Our brand. Our identity. Being independent means we subscribe to our own principles. We march to our own cadence. We make our own decisions. It's only then that we can get a sense of what kind of artists we are, how much of our own artistic future we will control and most of all, how we value ourselves as artists.

The Girl

2010-08-04T12:01:00.001-07:00

STOCKED: Steel Noodles 1 for Sale

2010-07-31T22:15:00.000-07:00

(The Showroom - Stuart Ng Books)

Just came back from a nice jaunt to Torrance in the South bay area of Los Angeles to deliver copies of STEEL NOODLES Number 1 to premier book seller STUART NG BOOKS.

So if you're looking to get a copy via online and have it directly shipped to you, then Stuart is your man. Also here is a recap of all the outlets selling Noodles number 1 so far:

STUART NG BOOKS (Online Orders via Web and Phone)

20655 South Western Avenue, Suite 104

Torrance, California 90501

(310)909-1929

HOUSE OF SECRETS

1930 West Olive Avenue

Burbank, California 91506

(818)568-1900

MELTDOWN COMICS

7522 Sunset Boulevard (at Gardner)

Hollywood, California 90046

(323)851-7223

LABYRINTH BOOKS (Toronto, Ontario Canada)

386 Bloor Street West

Toronto, Ontario

M5S 1X4 Canada

(416)840-4506

More stores and outlets to be announced very soon. If you want your local shop to carry Steel Noodles Number 1 then tell them to send me mail!

AXIOTRON Lounge Feature

2010-07-27T23:00:00.000-07:00

This got a little lost in the shuffle of the book release and Comic-Con but the good folks at AXIOTRON, makers of the original (and only) tablet solution for the Apple Macintosh have deemed me worthy of a feature in their Artist Lounge.

There is a short but informative interview where I talk about my digital workflow both at home and at work, as well as some my overall insights on digital art. The Axiotron Lounge feature is HERE.

Major thanks to Axiotron marketing head honcho Sigthor Markusson for the opportunity.

Comic Con 2010: Thank You

2010-07-26T23:45:00.000-07:00

"... I seem to have mis-placed my bat phone. I need to tweet about itchy costumes.."

STEEL NOODLES Number 1 made a strong showing at Comic-Con and I couldn't be happier. The result was that all 200 copies we brought were sold.

A big hearty thank you to all of you who came by and spent time with us. To all of you who have chosen to spend their hard earned money on my creation I am eternally grateful. The book is dedicated to you and especially to those who have been so supportive from the beginning.

Exhibiting at Comic-Con is an arduous task for anyone and I certainly couldn't have done it without the help of my wife Julie along with my kids who helped with the logistics and booth setup. Major thanks also goes to Carlos Saer of ARTE PRENSA who did a spectacular job printing the book and to LC Printsmith for the sharp looking convention postcards and wall poster.

Now here's a photo dump of Comic-Con 2010!

David Colman

Ed Acosta

Big bro Ronnie del Carmen

Storyboard artist Adam Van Wyk and his lovely family

Octavio Rodriguez yucks it up with Rad Sechrist

Dreamworks and Flight Comics' Phil Craven signing his sketchbook

Patrick Morgan

The amazing Michel Gagne

The always legendary Steve Leialoha

Invader Zim's Rikki Simmons and his wife Tavisha

Fincher does Alien

....there's always next year..

Steel Noodles 1: The wait is over

2010-07-16T17:18:00.000-07:00

The books arrived today. Well at least a nominal batch of them. The main bulk of the shipment is still on it's way but this gets me to Comic-Con next week.

The development started back in 2007. All the numerous drafts of story and the endless drawings and sketches was like a rubber band being stretched further and further. I rode all that momentum starting in February when I began drawing book number 1 and what a fantastical ride it was.

It feels great to hold this in my hands. Something that was thoroughly generated in my mind now exists on paper. That gratifying feeling never gets old.

Now it's on to San Diego to finally share it with all of you.

(A huge thank you to Carlos Saer of Arte Prensa for the fantastic job printing the books! Online outlets will be announced soon after Comic-Con)

Steel Noodles 1: Picture from Mars!

2010-07-14T16:33:00.001-07:00

... well sort of. While the books are on a slow train to Los Angeles, my printer sent me a snaphot of the now finished STEEL NOODLES Number 1. This one is all clad in plastic, ready to be ripped open and enjoyed. I will be gnashing my teeth and gripping as I slowly track the boxes west but I will have copies in hand for Comic-Con. So near and yet, so far.....

Comic Con 2010: See you there!

2010-07-13T10:51:00.000-07:00

Just a week away from COMIC-CON 2010 in San Diego, California so it's time for me to mention logistics and to invite people to stop by and hang out with us. Of course my venerable booth partner in Octavio Rodriguez will be there with me to share in all the fun. He is debuting issue number 2 of his Adventures of Plat & Dave comic.

Here is where you'll find us:

And while your at it, please stop by and check out all these other fine, super talented folk as well as other really fine establishments:

EXHIBITOR TABLES

Kei Acedera G7

Bobby Chiu G6

Alberto Ruiz (Brandstudio Press) I3

E-Ville Press /Rose & Isabel 1215

David Colman H5

Cartoon Art Museum San Francisco 1930

Kevin Dart/Fleet Street Scandal 5007

Jose Lopez H9

Ghostbot Studios 4203

Lava Punch C6

Steve Leialoha I6

Loter Inc. 4012

Sergio Aragones I7

Bob Risetto F5

John Nevarez/ Patrick Morgan /Tae Soo Kim / Ed Acosta H10

Chris Sanders 4921

Bill Sienkiewicz 2449

Stephen Silver H6

Bill Plympton 5552

Stuart Ng Books 5012

Deb Aoki/ Martin Hsu G2

Donnachada Daly/Scott Wright E4

Doug TenNapel 1714

Flight Comics 2235

Nucleus 2235

Sean “Cheeks” Galloway 2544

Jeremy Bernstein/ JJ Villard E3

Kody Chamberlain (Image Comics Booth) 2729

SMALL PRESS

Hot Mexican Love Comics O14

ARTISTS ALLEY

Benton Jew DD23

Anson Jew DD24

Sho Murase GG24

Jim Mahfood AA14

Francis Manapul EE17

Ruben Martinez GG11

Tony DeZuniga II02

Vaughn Ross GG23

Whilce Portacio EE18

COOL MERCH/ORIGINAL ART / ANIME, ETC

Dan Bois Graphics G5

Giant Robot 1729

Kinokuniya Books 5549

Scott Eder Gallery 4515

Super 7 San Francisco 4729

The fun starts on Preview night, Wednesday July 21 at 6PM. Hope to see you there!

It takes two

2010-07-06T12:26:00.000-07:00

During the writing and development stage for STEEL NOODLES I went back and forth as far as deciding how many books it would take to tell this story. When it was too large for it's own good I thought it would be five books. Then I thought, "that's a little ambitious" and cut it down to four. (like that was better)

Then like Doctor Emmet Brown in Back to the Future, I hit my head on the bathroom sink and had an epiphany: It should be told in two. (Actually I didn't hit my head on the bathroom sink, it was more the a kick in the proverbial arse from the more logical part of my senses)

So I whittled the story down to it's simplest form and that is what will be told in two acts. So in a few weeks you will see part one. As I type this post, I am literally reconfiguring my digital workflow and will begin book number two which I hope to release either late this year or early 2011. The intent of course is to not deprive my readers and deliver the conclusion in a timely manner.

And as far as workflow is concerned, the school of hard knocks came knocking really hard making book number 1. But as I have stated before, this is what I live for. The fun is in the tinkering and the discoveries that come out of it. Stuff that was dynamite on paper didn't work out and the happy accidents ended up taking over. I predict a shift in the next book. As it always happens with artists, you learn your lessons, tweak your process and you make that next attempt just a little better than the previous.

The printer has informed me that things are on schedule but it will be a tight delivery. Nevertheless, the books will be ready come preview night at San Diego Comic-Con on July 21st.

I hope to see you all there.

Steel Noodles: A Slice of Heaven

2010-06-30T14:04:00.001-07:00

Less than 21 days to go before Comic-Con in San Diego and STEEL NOODLES Number 1 is being printed as I type this blog entry. What better way of getting you set up than to post the short comic that started it all.

This waify, oranged haired girl came to me as a simple sketch back in 2006. Soon after I thought of many story concepts and in 2007, I finally settled on an idea. An ambitious one in top of that. Knowing I was biting off more than I could chew I decided to do a little test comic to see, at least artistically what this thing could look like. So while I whittled the story down, I started drawing a little side comic called A SLICE OF HEAVEN. It's a day in the life of a character I have come to call as VAL, for her sword-wielding, Valkyrie-like look. The result was a limited run, 12 page comic which I sold at Comic-Con in 2007.

The book is long since sold out but here it is in all it's digital glory. So while ink and paper marry at the presses, get yourself caught up in the world of STEEL NOODLES.

..but what does it all mean?

2010-06-28T11:39:00.000-07:00

The book is finished (for now) so I finally have a chance to catch up on some films I missed, starting with A Serious Man written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. I often rave about their work here on this blog because whether you agree with their point of view or not, their films are studies in character, setting and story telling.

As I've said before, their films are pseudo-cartoons inhabited by people that are not only real but hyper real, all seamlessly blended in a melting pot of genres.

On the surface, A Serious Man is about a slice of American Judiaca. Set in 1967, it's about a series of life altering events that befall an urbane college professor which all culminate around his son's Bar-Mitzvah. But save all the jewish tradition and culture and one still gets to the big question of the film: What is life really about? It's as philosophical and basic as you can get.

As with any Coen Brothers film, the characters a superbly constructed and developed. Their characterizations are entertaining and amusing and most of all, the storytelling is unbridled and profound. Visually, Roger Deakins shows us once again why he is one of the modern masters of composition and lighting.

The meaning of life is what we individually derive from it. We either answer our own questions or we dont. We make choices based on the limits of our conscience and from what we know is true. The rest is pretty much out of our control.

Steel Noodles 1: The Cover

2010-06-25T11:04:00.000-07:00

Got my proofs today. Overall it is looking fantastic. Just have some simple tweaks and the print run can start. Comic-Con 2010 premiere is looking great. Now prepping for San Diego plus rolling right into book number two.

Who's the girl with the green eyes? She looks kind of familiar....

(For a camera snapshot of the full cover spread, click HERE)

Steel Noodles 1: Teaser Panel

2010-06-09T12:48:00.000-07:00

Okay i'll throw you guys a little bone... one tiny panel from the now 80 page STEEL NOODLES Number 1.

Steel Noodles No.1 finished

2010-06-04T02:10:00.001-07:00

Finally finished STEEL NOODLES Number 1 early this morning. 76 pages of delight. Now it goes through spotting color, assembly and all the fun pre-press stuff. Not to mention the frantic "fix it now or never" phase. Then it's off to the printer. So now I can start teasing you a bit more... This isn't the final cover. That you'll have to wait a little longer for......

Mighty B Storyboards Part 2

2010-05-29T22:31:00.000-07:00

Okay, here is part two of the MIGHTY B! episode "Ben Appetit". In these boards Ben tries to get Bessie to sample the disgusting soup du jour he just created. Of course, now that Ben has overcome his food phobia, it's only fitting he gets a little payback for all the tormenting Bessie has dished out on him. And what is a good story without a bit of irony?

Mighty B Storyboards Part 1

2010-05-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

The now (frustratingly) defunct Nickelodeon show THE MIGHTY B! is one of the best shows I've ever worked on. As the storyboard supervisor, show co-creator Erik Wiese gave me so much room to be creative with lots of latitude from which to set up the individual episodes based on the scripts. That made all the difference in the fun department and more importantly, took some scene planning burden off of our amazing crew of board artists.

I am now pleased to share some of my own board work on that show. This one in particular is a raw section of an episode titled "Ben Appetit". The quick synopsis is that Bessie Higgenbottom (voiced brilliantly by Amy Poehler) discovers that her little brother Ben (voiced by Andy Richter) has some deep psychological food issues pertaining to his food items touching each other. What's worse is that after some comical terrorizing of Ben by Bessie, she discovers that it was actually her fault that he's a little OCD. (well, a lot actually) As only Bessie could do, she tries to make things right by hypnotizing Ben and entering into his subconscious. That and some more hilarious de-programming by Bessie and her dog Happy, Ben snaps out his funk and finally embraces 'combining food items'. In this series of boards, Ben is cooking up a gut-twisting concoction of odds and ends...

This was boarded digitally using my Wacom Cintiq 21UX connected to a 12 inch Mac Powerbook G4 running Alias Sketchbook Pro circa 2007. Notice that I spent some time articulating and animating pose to pose. This is tedious but a necessary evil when it comes to generating clear animatics for pre-production. What this does is essentially control the quality from the top. Clear posing means that these drawings can be indicated and specified on the exposure sheets, thus making the animation process overseas a bit more controlled. Without these extra inbetweens, a lot is left to chance. A drawing that is clearly on a storyboard can be called out in re-takes and the accountability lies with the overseas studio. As for the drawings themselves, these were a joy to do mainly due to the fun aspect of these characters and the great voice acting performances that are generated. Credit for that on this show goes to co-creator Cynthia True.

Of course, even with all this inbetweening, things still manage to come back looking bizarre. Next time i'll post the second part of this end sequence.

Ruling the roost

2010-05-26T12:11:00.000-07:00

This one's from Dave Derrick: Buffalo-Chicken. Okay so that's a really BIG chicken compared to the buffalo but it's a cartoon right?

Samplings from the other guys:

Jeff Snow
Dave Pimentel
Josh Leiberman

Save the Whales

2010-05-24T16:02:00.000-07:00

The theme today per Jeff Snow is "Outraged Fish". I know a Killer Whale is obviously not a fish so sue me. If you object I'll send this guy out to have a little chat with you.....

Other Fishies:

Dave P
Dave Derrick

Baboons on Holiday

2010-05-21T12:15:00.000-07:00

Here we go again.. themed sketch group drawing for the day: Baboons need some time off too. At least Dave Derrick thinks so.... as well as Rad Sechrist & Jeff Snow...and Dave Pimentel.

Birds of Prey

2010-05-19T16:16:00.000-07:00

Today's theme suggested by Jenny Lerew: Evil freakin' birds. Here are masterful interpretations by Dave P and Jeff Snow.

Check out these other guys too: Josh Lieberman and Dave Derrick

The Skipper

2010-05-17T14:11:00.000-07:00

...Baseball Manager that is. Animation artist and Dreamworks colleague Jeff Snow invited me to join a group of artists and their daily posts of randomly themed sketches. Today it's baseball. In on this fun are Dreamworks artists Dave Pimentel and Jenny Lerew and a bunch of other talented folk.

Steel Noodles update

2010-05-14T12:56:00.000-07:00

Here's a page from the new STEEL NOODLES comic which is still in production. I am always reluctant to show "work in progress" but there's the other part of me that wants to share the excitement.

I still have lots to do before I go to print but if the scheduling holds up, this book will be ready for this year's Comic-Con. Got my all my fingers crossed.

Cashing in

2010-04-27T23:24:00.000-07:00

Better late than never as they say. Now that their 15 minutes have elapsed, I can finally draw classic pirates without feeling a little exploitive...

Holiday in Cordoba

2010-04-12T18:00:00.000-07:00

... just in time for spring.

Walking the Tightrope

2010-04-04T10:42:00.000-07:00

(Swedish actress Noomi Rapace gives a stunning and courageous performance as the enigmatic Lisbeth)

What you put in is as important as what you leave out. This is a common notion that is at the heart of every creative endeavor and in how we communicate as humans.

The overall effect of how information is perceived is dependent on the messenger and how they manage the dissemination. At some point the messenger has to make the conscious decision to edit or add details to increase the impact of their message. Good messengers have good instincts. And in film, this is sometimes the difference between the good, the bad and the profound.

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO is good movie which I enjoyed watching. It had the elements of a classic thriller and the rather unconventional alliance it's protagonists forge between them was intelligently developed. The film makers did their homework. The plotting was carefully planned. But after 152 minutes, what keeps this movie from being profound?

In this case the film makers spent a great deal of time making you anticipate and create empathical bonds with it's main characters while concurrently integrating the dark unfolding mystery of it's main plot. (as they should) Unfortunately after all this, the movie loses some focus. Rather than be subtle in execution and editing, the movie clumsily degenerates into a chase, and ends with the film makers' odd sense to tie every last detail down. Details that had they been left to the imagination would have given the audience some room to ponder and generate their own conclusions.

In storytelling, the process of elimination is as important as the addition. It is a fine balance. A series of crucial choices. And most of the time those choices are the difference between acceptance or oblivion.

Fusion

2010-03-31T11:27:00.000-07:00

One of the many comic studies from the past month....

One

2010-03-16T23:17:00.000-07:00

A short strip based on the Three Dog Night song ONE. Being a Sasquatch ain't easy.... (click on images for larger view)

Go West

2010-03-10T08:42:00.000-08:00

Some recent sketches of the old American west. Always a favorite subject of mine.

ART CENTER BLOG

2010-03-04T01:20:00.000-08:00

I am pleased to announce that I have been invited to contribute art instruction tips at the new ART CENTER BLOG, created and organized by Randall Sly who also created the CHARACTER DESIGN BLOG.

For my initial post I discuss RHYTHM and SPACING as part of a thoughtful design philosophy. You can read it HERE. I've also added a link on the side bar so you can check out the other fine artists featured there and their respective insights. It's a going to be a great place for young artists, students and pros alike to exchange ideas and gain knowledge.

My thanks to Randall for his gracious invitation.

Gesture Class 13

2010-02-23T00:07:00.000-08:00

A momentary break from drawing for reels means a little time for gesture drawings. Behold the norse-goddess of Glendale, California....

Artifacts

2010-02-17T22:31:00.000-08:00

Doing some hard drive cleaning and organizing tonight and unearthed some drawings that time forgot. The thing with digital is it's so easy to stash something somewhere (intentionally and inadvertently) and never find it again.

Among them is a rough sketch from a couple of years ago when I was making ALTERNATING CURRENTS. This didn't make the book but I did manage to sell the original at APE in 2008. Intending for it to be part of the book, I had boosted the sketch with some Photoshop on my Axiotron Modbook.

Below are some character designs and concepts for a book project I hatched up last year. One of several I have lined up and ready to start as soon as I find Patrick McNulty's time stretching stop watch from the Twilight Zone. And yes, I have no plans in dropping it once I have it....

RA + 5

2010-02-15T12:15:00.001-08:00

Five years went by just like that... Thanks to all of you for your continued support. And to the ones who have been coming around since day one, you only have twenty-five more years before I hand out those Rolex watches....