Look she's all mad and flamey. Man, I'm tired. Trying to figure out how to paint fire realistically was a b***h.
So I need help deciding which is better. 'Motion Blur' or 'No Motion Blur' version?
Monday, December 15, 2008
Dark Phoenix Rising
Look she's all mad and flamey. Man, I'm tired. Trying to figure out how to paint fire realistically was a b***h.
So I need help deciding which is better. 'Motion Blur' or 'No Motion Blur' version?
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Interesting Pencil
Found through Lifehacker:
The Uni-ball Kuru Toga rotates the pencil lead as you draw, maintaining an even point.
The Uni-ball Kuru Toga rotates the pencil lead as you draw, maintaining an even point.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Win a James Jean Art Book from Juxtapoz
If you sign up for an email newsletter for Juxtapoz magazine you are eligible to win the new James Jean Fables art book!
Anyone who's a fan or just like to win free stuff should sign up!
He is also having a solo exhibition at the Jonathan Levine Gallery in New York opening on January 10th.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Salon Quickie Tip #2: Cleaning Up Line Work in Photoshop
I'm a little proud of this little technique as I came up with it myself.
When cleaning up scanned black and white line work in Photoshop sometimes you miss small spots and gradients that you wouldn't see on the screen but show up when printed. Here's what you can do so you don't miss any spots.
First, you need to separate the black lines from the white background. Do this by going into Channels. It doesn't matter if it's CMYK, RGB or Grayscale (I prefer Grayscale) Just hold Ctrl and click the very first channel. You have now selected everything that is white so the next step is Select-Inverse (Shift-Ctrl-I). Now you've selected everything that is black.
Now create a new layer and fill the selection with black. You now have a layer with only black lines. At this point if you were in Grayscale please convert to CMYK or RGB color.
This is where the neat trick comes in. Add Layer Properties-Stroke. (The little fx symbol on the Layers palette)
Any little flecks or scratches you missed now have a red blob around them which makes them much easier to spot. Just erase them and now you have much cleaner art.
When cleaning up scanned black and white line work in Photoshop sometimes you miss small spots and gradients that you wouldn't see on the screen but show up when printed. Here's what you can do so you don't miss any spots.
First, you need to separate the black lines from the white background. Do this by going into Channels. It doesn't matter if it's CMYK, RGB or Grayscale (I prefer Grayscale) Just hold Ctrl and click the very first channel. You have now selected everything that is white so the next step is Select-Inverse (Shift-Ctrl-I). Now you've selected everything that is black.
Now create a new layer and fill the selection with black. You now have a layer with only black lines. At this point if you were in Grayscale please convert to CMYK or RGB color.
This is where the neat trick comes in. Add Layer Properties-Stroke. (The little fx symbol on the Layers palette)
Any little flecks or scratches you missed now have a red blob around them which makes them much easier to spot. Just erase them and now you have much cleaner art.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Upcoming Sequential Salon Meeting: January 31st
The next Sequential Salon meeting will be held January 31st, Saturday at 12:00 noon. Same place as usual.
You know the drill, bring in any cool work n' stuff you want to share. I have been told that some of you were a little wary of uploading you're work to show others. If you'd rather email your scripts privately to one another that's fine. I still suggest you send each other your scripts as early as possible though. Personally, I like to read y'all's stuff in a quiet room with enough time to give a thorough critique.
I'm sure you all already know from my email but we may have a special guest from Indie Spinner Rack coming to interview us. Woo hoo recognition!
You know the drill, bring in any cool work n' stuff you want to share. I have been told that some of you were a little wary of uploading you're work to show others. If you'd rather email your scripts privately to one another that's fine. I still suggest you send each other your scripts as early as possible though. Personally, I like to read y'all's stuff in a quiet room with enough time to give a thorough critique.
I'm sure you all already know from my email but we may have a special guest from Indie Spinner Rack coming to interview us. Woo hoo recognition!
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
So, you wanna make comics, eh? Part 3: WHY
Note: Wow, it's been over a year since I started this batch of essays. Time flies when you're going insane.
Out of this three part series of essays, this one is probably the most important.
Q: Why?
Because it deals with your motivations as an artist, as a writer, cartoonist, storyteller. Make no mistake, that is the ultimate goal of what we do. We tell stories.
Q: Why?
Because telling stories is what bonds people together. Every family, tribe, community, nation and religion has its story, and often stories within them. We tell stories to entertain, to comfort, to inspire, to warn, to anger, to arouse, to teach. Comics, the roots of which stretch back millennia, is still relatively unexplored as a medium for storytelling.
Q: Why?
Because a lot of people in America still think of comics as campy Batman ZAP BANG POW, juvenile, violent, hyper-sexual, stupid, homosexuality-inducing garbage.
Q: Why?
Because stupid stereotypes that play on the fears of the ignorant take a very long time to dispel. It doesn't help when a particular program is re-run for thirty years.
Q: Why?
Because humanity seems to define their reality through misery; we tend to remember the bad times easier than the good times.
Q: Why?
I'm afraid I don't know.
Q: Why?
Because I'm not a neuroscientist.
Q: Why?
Because I was too busy daydreaming about being a cartoonist when I should have been paying attention in biology class.
Q: Why?
Because telling stories is way more interesting to me than being a scientist.
Q: Why?
Because with comics, you can find ways to communicate ideas and connect with your audience like no other media.
Q: Why?
Because it's like Show & Tell in one easily distributed package.
Q: Why?
You're kidding, right?
Q: Why?
This has got to be some kind of joke.
Q: Why?
All right, who let this doofus in here?
Q: Why?
You're beginning to piss me off.
Q: Why?
Because you won't stop asking that question!
Q: Why?
I don't know; why do you keep asking "why"?
Q: Why?
Because we're not having a real conversation!
Q: Why?
A conversation isn't just questions and answers! It's a discussion and relation of ideas and/or events.
Q: Why?
Because that's the way humans relate to each other and feel less lonely in the world.
Q: Why?
Because that's just how we are!
Q: Why?
We can't be something we're not.
Q: Why?
Because some things are and some things are not!
Q: Why?
Things that are not can't be.
Q: Why?
Because then nothing wouldn't be! You can't have fucking nothing isn't/everything is!
Q: Why?
Because if nothing wasn't, there'd be fucking all kinds of shit we don't like: giant ants with top hats dancing around! There's no room for all that shit!
Q: Why?
Oh fuck you, eat your french fries you little shit goddamn it!
Where was I?
Why do you want to tell the story?
Why use the medium of comics?
Why are you using that style?
Why are you using that media/tool?
Why are you using that line/sentence/panel (how does it serve the story)?
Why does that line/sentence/panel work/not work?
This is the most introspective aspect of creation. I'm sure you'll come up with a few questions on your own as you progress. You don't necessarily have to answer those questions, but it helps to think about them.
Out of this three part series of essays, this one is probably the most important.
Q: Why?
Because it deals with your motivations as an artist, as a writer, cartoonist, storyteller. Make no mistake, that is the ultimate goal of what we do. We tell stories.
Q: Why?
Because telling stories is what bonds people together. Every family, tribe, community, nation and religion has its story, and often stories within them. We tell stories to entertain, to comfort, to inspire, to warn, to anger, to arouse, to teach. Comics, the roots of which stretch back millennia, is still relatively unexplored as a medium for storytelling.
Q: Why?
Because a lot of people in America still think of comics as campy Batman ZAP BANG POW, juvenile, violent, hyper-sexual, stupid, homosexuality-inducing garbage.
Q: Why?
Because stupid stereotypes that play on the fears of the ignorant take a very long time to dispel. It doesn't help when a particular program is re-run for thirty years.
Q: Why?
Because humanity seems to define their reality through misery; we tend to remember the bad times easier than the good times.
Q: Why?
I'm afraid I don't know.
Q: Why?
Because I'm not a neuroscientist.
Q: Why?
Because I was too busy daydreaming about being a cartoonist when I should have been paying attention in biology class.
Q: Why?
Because telling stories is way more interesting to me than being a scientist.
Q: Why?
Because with comics, you can find ways to communicate ideas and connect with your audience like no other media.
Q: Why?
Because it's like Show & Tell in one easily distributed package.
Q: Why?
You're kidding, right?
Q: Why?
This has got to be some kind of joke.
Q: Why?
All right, who let this doofus in here?
Q: Why?
You're beginning to piss me off.
Q: Why?
Because you won't stop asking that question!
Q: Why?
I don't know; why do you keep asking "why"?
Q: Why?
Because we're not having a real conversation!
Q: Why?
A conversation isn't just questions and answers! It's a discussion and relation of ideas and/or events.
Q: Why?
Because that's the way humans relate to each other and feel less lonely in the world.
Q: Why?
Because that's just how we are!
Q: Why?
We can't be something we're not.
Q: Why?
Because some things are and some things are not!
Q: Why?
Things that are not can't be.
Q: Why?
Because then nothing wouldn't be! You can't have fucking nothing isn't/everything is!
Q: Why?
Because if nothing wasn't, there'd be fucking all kinds of shit we don't like: giant ants with top hats dancing around! There's no room for all that shit!
Q: Why?
Oh fuck you, eat your french fries you little shit goddamn it!
Where was I?
Why do you want to tell the story?
Why use the medium of comics?
Why are you using that style?
Why are you using that media/tool?
Why are you using that line/sentence/panel (how does it serve the story)?
Why does that line/sentence/panel work/not work?
This is the most introspective aspect of creation. I'm sure you'll come up with a few questions on your own as you progress. You don't necessarily have to answer those questions, but it helps to think about them.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Salon Quickie Tip #1: Photoshop New Window
I'm planning to make Quickie Tips a regular series. Whether it's Photoshop, Illustrator, or traditional art techniques feel free to contribute any neat or helpful tricks you've learned over the years.
Here's something I use frequently in Photoshop, New Window.
Tired of zooming in and out while you're painting in Photoshop? Just open another duplicate window resized to show the entire image.
Go to: Window-Arrange-New Window for yourfilename.psd
Tuck this new second window in the corner. You now have two simultaneous views of your work. While you paint in the main window the second window will show the changes too!
Here's something I use frequently in Photoshop, New Window.
Tired of zooming in and out while you're painting in Photoshop? Just open another duplicate window resized to show the entire image.
Go to: Window-Arrange-New Window for yourfilename.psd
Tuck this new second window in the corner. You now have two simultaneous views of your work. While you paint in the main window the second window will show the changes too!
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