Just InCase you missed me...

Characters with Heart pt. 1

2012-01-24T12:13:00.000-08:00

Last week I talked about the origins and themes surrounding my new book, Heart. This week I will properly introduce one of the main characters and show the evolution of the character design.

Here is the first sketch I ever drew: As you can see, her name is L.B. When I first drew the character I really liked the idea of seeing the construction lines. I was on the right track but I figured it was too perfect. If that makes any sense to you. So I decided I wanted to stray away a bit farther than what I was used to doing as this felt too comfortable to me. It was definitely a good starting point though.

I liked the pen sketch so much that I thought about doing the entire book in Paper Mate pens. I had a fear that it might be too hard to see in the final scan even though I could tweak it in Photoshop. As I stated earlier I didn't want to rely to heavily on Photoshop work so I thought felt tip markers would be good. I ended up with something like this:

I really like this look because it kept the idea of seeing construction lines and keeping it loose. It made the drawing more simple which is what I wanted initially. I felt that if I was going to do a book like this I would need something more surrounding the drawings. I thought maybe if I did the entire book on a pink construction backdrop it would fill in the gaps of white within the character and it would give the pages some texture. I got some construction paper and gave it a try:

When I got to this point I felt like I lost track and the pink back drop was a little hard on the eyes. Plus the texture of the paper really didn't come through as well. This process narrowed down what I wanted for the look of the book. I wanted to be able to see some of the line drawing, I wanted it simple but not perfect looking, and I wanted it to have some texture. That's when I thought this book would be a perfect opportunity to try water color. I've always been fond of the look of water color, but I wasn't into paints. I am not very good with paint and I have no patience when it comes to waiting for it to dry. I painted Batman in my nephew's room once and I found it a rather long process and difficult to master. I figured water colors would be easier and not as messy. I was wrong.

I bought a bunch of watercolor materials and tried my hand at it. This was the first water color test of L.B. that I did:

I did not like it. I was pretty frustrated right off the bat. First off, I thought I would be a cool guy and use white out and all these other tools/pens but they seemed to be troublesome and added too much to a character I wanted to look simple. I also didn't like the color of blue as it was too dark and didn't match the complexion of L.B. that I had in my head.

I decided to use water color pencils to sketch out the characters first and mostly stick with the light blue pencil for L.B.'s color tone. I also decided to nix the white out for the eyes and just leave it as the color of the paper. I kept the ink brush for the eye lash and mouth. I just had to train myself to ink those in last after the paint has dried. I obviously wanted to try and achieve a less is more. I sometimes get obsessed with filling in the gaps rather than letting them breathe and be a part of the drawing. My second attempt looked like this:

I was a lot happier with this and I felt that I was back on track for the character. I realized in doing this, her body got lost in the paint and she didn't really have a form anymore. I made a mental note to stretch out the length of her body and to really exaggerate it for certain poses and positions. This character is suppose to look quite different from everyone else (in the book) so I thought her being a bit taller would help with this. I tried some more attempts before I arrived at this:

This image was the one. It set the look for L.B. and my process for how to arrive at this with the paints. I realized it was important to get much of the tone with one whole stroke before going over it again. I would later learn how to blend better and get to what I wanted quicker.

The challenge from this point on was to replicate this look for the remainder of the story and not completely get away from this first image. It's been quite the learning experience but you can definitely see my progress with the water colors in the pages of the book. I kind of like that as it reflects certain aspects of the story and of the character of L.B.

Well that's all for now. I hope you liked learning about my process a bit. I have one more character to introduce as I go into the final stages of wrapping up so don't expect any more sweet images of Heart until it's released!

Hearty Inspiration

2012-01-20T14:41:00.000-08:00

Since the debut of the first teaser page for Heart. I've been asked if the story is about Nicole and I. The answer to that question is no. Ok I'll admit that there is some inspiration / influence from her especially through it's last variations on the story but I've had this idea way before Nicole and I got together. The earliest version of the story dates back to 2007 where it was barely a written story and just an idea about love and acceptance. These ideas even date back further to when I was in high school. Themes surrounding the book came from the feelings I felt of being separated from everyone and a bit lost with who I was as a young teenager. I was just looking for the right outlet and right way to tell the story and it wasn't until later when I decided to write children's books that this simple idea started to become something. So no the book is not about Nicole but its driven with a creativity that she can only spark.

I like to draw / doodle in the cards I give Nicole for anniversaries, holidays, Tuesdays, or what have you. Here is a doodle I did for her just after we started dating. It sort of was the genesis for the character(s) and the look of the book. It would take me some more stabs at nailing down the design before deciding to go with water colors. Cool, right?

Processes of the Heart

2012-01-16T23:15:00.000-08:00

Last time I posted a page and revealed the title of my new book, Heart. Today I will share some information on my style and process. Since I am more of an illustrator than a writer, I tend to work backwards and thumb the pictures before I write the story. I had a general idea of what I wanted the book to be about. I had specific scenes in my head and drew those out first. When I have enough key scenes in my head, I begin telling the story in between. I work with pictures a lot and having a visual start than a literary one only helps when it comes to the writing process.

I start off with really rough sketches and then work out a rough draft from those. I then thumb out the scenes on this storyboard concept paper I use. It's a 8.5x11 paper with 16 squares per sheet. As I work on the thumbnails, whether it's adding or deleting squares, I am simultaneously editing the text.

When I feel that the beginning is solid enough or I have a good chunk to work from, I start making pages. I got to a certain point and ended up putting the book on the back end. Now that I am back to working on it, I did one more final draft and eliminated or added thumbnails to make the story flow better.

At this point, I had two and a half sheets of thumbs to do. When I finished my final draft I was more than halfway done making pages.

As for the look of the book, I decided to work with water colors. I've never worked with water colors before and this was a style I felt fit the overall look of the book I had in my head. It was a simple story that did not need complex Photoshop work. It took me awhile to adjust to using watercolors as I am impatient with anything that deals with paints. To help me ease into it better, I would rough out my page with some watercolor pencils before going into it with the actual paints. When I run a brush over the pencils, they blend in with the paint and it becomes part of the final end result. The more I get the hang of it, the faster I've been knocking out these pages.

And for your viewing pleasure, here is another look at Heart:

A look into the new!

2012-01-09T18:08:00.000-08:00

It's a new year and I plan to make it a great one! A while back I had this idea for a cute story. A love story. I got into the development process early. I think I even mentioned it a few times on this very blog without really revealing a single thing. I would talk about how it was not a WIWL story and I was trying new things with this book to help me develop as an artist.

I ran into problems where I was getting ahead of myself. I was already thinking about how it was going to get printed when I didn't have anything to print. I worried a lot about the end result, how well it would be received and if it would take me an arm and leg to produce. I was thinking of who I could pitch it to, what publishers should I submit it to and if it's good enough to get accepted. I got so caught up on the business end of making a book that the creative process never really got to shine. So I refocused and just started making pages. I really dug what I was doing and I was nervous about it but in that excited way. It was a different kind of story using different tools to tell it. Then something truly amazing happened.

WIWL started to really find it's legs and I had such strong ideas for the series that I didn't want to slow down it's momentum. I created When You Were Little and Coloring When I Was Little. My convention appearances doubled and I got to meet with so many great comic and book creators. I sat amongst some truly amazing artists. Artists that I admire. I chatted with kids who have read the books and really liked them. I got a chance to develop a kid's drawing program based on the series.

All the while I had this little book in the back of my mind. I never lost interest in it and I was a bit sad that I put it on the back burner for so long. I decided as this year was coming to an end that I would finish this book. I will worry about how I can get it out to the world, to you, when that time comes. For now, I want to pick up where I left off and just finish making the pages.

So here is a look at my new book. It's called Heart.

Attack The Block

2012-01-04T19:30:00.000-08:00

I have hear another #cardBOREDsketch of the film Attack The Block. I used to compile lists of my favorite movies of the year but I've gotten real lazy over the last couple of years. If I were to make a list, I would definitely put this movie on it. It's these kind of films that really spark my creativity as an artist. It makes you want to be better at your craft whether it's art, film, music, jazz dance...anything. As long as you feel inspired by something. Put that inspiration in your own art. You should definitely check it out.

Attack The Block by ~happyfestivus on deviantART

Holiday sketch dump 1.3.12

2012-01-03T21:10:00.000-08:00

Hello,

I hope the holidays have been good to you all. I always say with the coming of a New Year that I will try and post more often on here. As the year progresses I basically post about the same amount every year. Ah, well. I do post on two other blogs, mind you so it's hard to keep up. I've been quite busy since my last post which was after Mid Ohio Con. I've been busy with my books and this past November held my first When I Was Little kid's event. You can check that out here: Drawing When I Was Little.

I also penciled and colored an 8 page story for comics writer, Russell Lissau. Russell has done work for Ape Entertainment and Reading With Pictures. He presented a real fun story about a super villian for an indie anthology called Omega Comics Presents. This holiday season I was busy doing Signature Prints that people were giving out as gifts. That made me feel awesome! I also did another guest strip for Joe Loves Crappy Movies where I poke fun at The Dark Knight Rises Prologue. Check it out here!

I created Nicole and I's first holiday card this year. I took a lot of pictures with my phone while I was working on all these projects so I thought I'd share with you what I've been up to for the last two months. Enjoy!

Also, for Christmas I got BONE: The Complete Epic so here's a cardBORED sketch I did recently. I'm loving the series so far. It is truly a work of art.

Mid Ohio Con: sketches

2011-10-25T07:16:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the sketches I did this weekend at MOC.

Mid Ohio Con 2011: The Swag

2011-10-25T06:41:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the items Nic and I picked up at Mid Ohio Con this year.

In post con wrap up, I had mentioned meeting Steve Harpster and Barry Deutsch.

Steve Harpster is the creator of Drawing Animals with Numbers books as well as several others over here at his Studio Harpster.

These books are phenomenal and I got to chance to talk to Steve about his projects as well as the many school visits he does and children's workshops. Amazing stuff here, I picked up a set of books for myself and for my niece (but really for me buahaha). I suggest you check them out and if you work for a school or library maybe you can drop him a line and set up a visit for your kids!

I was heading down the aisles packed with people when Barry Deutsch's book caught my eye. I made a mental note to grab Nicole and stop by his table. His book, Hereville sold us on his pitch alone: Hereville is a comic book about an 11-year-old troll-fighting Orthodox Jewish girl. How could you not want to pick up this book? We got to chat with Barry on evolutions of the book and about wanting to write about his culture. Click to check out more about Barry and his multi-award nominated graphic novel, Hereville.

I am a big fan of the Kirkman's super hero series Invincible. Over the course of reading all 6 Ultimate Editions this past summer, I fell in love with Ryan Ottley's amazing artwork. The man can draw violence…with ease. Every thrown punch, bashed face, ripped limb, hits a nerve in your body when you see it. It's exhilarating. His cityscapes and out of this world environments are breathtaking. If I had enough room in my bag I would've brought all the Ultimate Editions with me to get signed. Instead I picked up his insane art book, Violence and Pinwheels. I didn't bother him for a sketch cause I knew he was pretty backed up but I do hope to get a sketch by him for my TMNT art book.

Speaking of my TMNT art book. I added some new additions at this con. First up, I had Lora Innes of The Dreamer fame and the great PaperWings Podcast do my very first April O'Neal. It seriously floored me and I was happy to know she was honored that I asked her to draw April as she was a huge fan of her growing up.

I also got my first Splinter in the book done by the hilarious John Schweiker. I could not stop laughing when he showed me what he did with the old sensei. It's too funny. Check out more of John's amazing work on his deviant art page.

I also picked up this 8-bit print of our heroes in the half shell by Victor Dandridge. I cannot wait to get this sucker in a frame. It's awesome and I'm glad I got one before they sold out…again. It's seriously frickin' awesome. You have to check out more of his 8-bit creations. They are incredible!

Well that's it for this con's swag! Until next time folks!

Joe Loves Crappy Movies

2011-10-17T21:31:00.000-07:00

So over the past couple years I've grown very fond of web comics. So much so that I've begun production on an absurd idea for a web comic of my own. (more on that later...much, much later.)

Among the bunch I follow, Joe Loves Crappy Movies was one of the first strips I absolutely fell in love with. For starters it was hilarious and secondly it was about movies and the movie-goers experience. It's really a fantastic way to read movie reviews with a slice of funny drawn in. I got a chance to meet Joe at a convention a couple of years ago and he sold me on the title alone. You should pick up his first volume which is out right now:

I wondered if he ever had people to do guest strips for his site so I checked back in the archives and did notice a few. I kindly tweeted:

Woo! Nic and I received some advance screen passes for 50/50. I really enjoyed the film and thought this would be a perfect movie to do a guest strip to. It wasn't crappy as you will read in my review but there was something in the blending of a drama AND comedy about cancer that I found so appealing. Well earlier in the evening Joe sent out this tweet:

Sooo what are you waiting for? click the tweet!

Big thanks to Joe for letting me add to his massive collection of amazing movie reviews!

The Li'l Depressed Boy Issue 6

2011-10-05T18:50:00.000-07:00

So, this is kind of cool. I've boasted many times about how great S. Steven Struble and Sina Grace's Li'l Depressed Boy which is put out by Image Comics.

I liked it so much I had to send out an email and a bit of fan art:

Hi!

I recently bought the trade paperback and loved all the sketch work and behind the scenes on how Li'l Depressed Boy has come to be. I am a writer/illustrator of my own children's books entitled When I Was Little and am currently finishing up the fourth volume. I hope you guys can take the time to check it out. Anyhoo, I am a big fan of Li'l Depressed Boy and loved seeing all the homage movie covers for the individual issues. In honor of that, I have done an LDB cover inspired by one of my favorite films...which I believe LDB would love watching too. I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for bringing LDB to us. It's a great book and a great read!

I've never really sent out a fan email before but I appreciated the work so much I just had to let the creators know. So not long after I got a response from S. Steven Struble, the writer of LDB and it blew my mind!

JUSTIN!

Great job, man. It's now my iPhone lock-screen, and it's going in the letters section of issue #5. I am completely in love with this, and hate myself for not coming up with it myself. This would have a good variant cover if we were to get another printing on an issue! Haha.

Love it. Seriously.

Will check out your site in more depth after I've completed issue 5.

Thank you so much!

S. Steven Struble

Holy crap right? Well it got better as a few days later I received another email from Steven and in the tail end of he asked me this:

We would like to invite you to draw an official full-page pin-up for a future issue. Are you interested?

Say whaaaaa? Seriously, how cool is that? So I jumped at the chance and came up with this:

It was hard to nab a copy of the issue when it came out cause it sold out quick! But my local comic shop had one issue left and was so excited to nab it!

And what did Struble thing of the piece?

So I say again....this is kind of cool....right?

Detroit Fanfare: The Swag

2011-10-02T20:19:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the great things I picked up from Detroit Fanfare!

Our table location for the Fanfare was great. We were slightly to the right of the entrance up near the front. The great thing about the layout was that they put the Artist Alley right up the front. Another amazing thing was that crew and I were seated right next to the great Ethan Nicolle of Axe Cop and the now unleashed Bearmageddon web comic.

He was a great table neighbor and was nice enough to talk to me about working with his little brother on Axe Cop as well as the genesis of Bearmageddon. I picked up a Axe Cop TPB for my cousin as well as Ethan's sketchbooks. They are incredible so I suggest you get your hands on them.

Nicole has been a fan of Eric Adams' Lackluster World and has been anxiously awaiting the conclusion of the series. She picked up a copy of issue 7, the last in the series as well as his signature on the issue. It's so good we couldn't wait for the trade...but who knows if Adams throws in enough behind the scenes content I'm sure we'll pick the trade.

Another big thing for us was that Nicole started her Mulan sketch book with her first drawing done by the always amazing Art Baltazar. He has been so nice to us the past few cons and I even did a Free Comic Book Days signing at Dreamland Comics earlier this year. We also picked up one of his DC Super Pets children's books, the Midway Monkey Madness featuring Beppo.

The highlight for me was meeting Kevin Eastman. I waited in line for about 2 and a half hours. Missing most of Saturday at my table (which was ok as I made up for sales all day Sunday). I was able to get issues of the new TMNT series signed as well getting some sketch cards done of two of my favorite characters: Casey Jones and Krang.

I didn't spend that much this year seeing as the sales were a little slow. But it was made up for by artist and fan interaction. It was a really great time and I look forward to getting more swag on the next show!

Lastly, the amazing Mike Roll put out another Apooka book that we just had to have! This time, Apooka is at the Zombie Slumber Party! Pick this one up kids, it's super awesome!

Detroit Fanfare: sketches

2011-09-27T07:52:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the sketches from this past weekend's Fanfare! Such a great time, enjoy!

Story City: sketches

2011-09-27T07:32:00.000-07:00

In my post Story City wrap up, I talked a little about sketchin' people's stories. Basically what would happen is people would get a chance to tell me a story either of someone they know or of when they were little. After that, I would sit and take a few minutes to sketch out an image for them. I felt it was a way for them to feel like they were part of the festival. It was like my custom Signature Prints I do but more on the spot. So here's some of what I did that day:

SPX: The Swag

2011-09-13T20:10:00.000-07:00

So this morning, I talked about the greatness that was SPX on the book's blog. I also showed you some sketches I did on here. Right now, I want to show you the sweet swag I bought at the show. I usually try to do this with all the conventions I attend just to share my taste and really showcase the books and items that stood out to me. I love pimping other peoples' stuff and I will be providing links to art websites and the books I've picked up. You know, share the awesome-ness and what not. I want to try and do this more with other things like web-comics I read and artists I follow. That way you can read up on all the things I love and are currently shaping me as an artist. So, on with the swag:

One of the first things that caught my eye was the Top Shelf booth. I love the books they put out and hope to one day (fingers crossed) have one of my ideas brought to you by them. I am a big fan of Jeffrey Brown's autobiographical comics. They are drawn with honesty and are so heartfelt. Whenever I read them, I think about my life, what I've done, and where I want to go, and what I to do with my life's stories. I added to my collection:

Any Easy Intimacy: AEIOU and Un-deleted Scenes.

Any Empire.

Two years ago at S.P.A.C.E. Con I picked Nate Powell's Swallow Me Whole and it blew me away in terms of storytelling and his line work. I got a chance this weekend to look at some of his original art and it's so...perfect. Beautifully constructed. I picked up his follow up, Any Empire, and grabbed a signature and a TMNT sketch for my book. He's really great to talk to at a convention and really makes you feel comfortable when you ask him a question about his art and his books. I can't wait to start reading this book. It looks and sounds incredible.

Lastly from Top Shelf, Craig Thompson was doing a signing and panel about his work and his upcoming project, Habibi, which he had exclusive advanced copies for at $100 bucks a pop! (Dammmmmn) Nicole and I love Blankets and how intimate it was and how fantastic his ink work is on those pages. It was such a personal story and he put it out there. My awesome and wonderful girlfriend waited in line for me (I was hacking away at my sketch-list) and got our copy of Blankets signed and stamped.

Sketched Comedy, Luke Holds Off: a love & sex story, and Bands.

One thing that stood out and caught my eye was the three books of Jeremy Nguyen. Mostly the book, Luke Holds Off because of the sweet wrap around cover. I really dig stuff like that. So I asked him to tell me a little about his books and they sounded great. I also dig the fact that he's a stand-up comedian and works his art into his gigs (Sketched Comedy). He was nice enough to do a TMNT sketch for me as we talked about our respective art projects. If you get a chance visit his website: http://www.jeremywinslife.com/

Zombie In Love

Nicole's pick of the show is a children's book written by Kelly DiPucchio and drawn by the amazing Scott Campbell. We got to meet Scott and he was nice enough to talk about his art and his venture into children's illustrations. Later on I wo!ld find out he worked on the incredible video games Psychonauts and Brutal Legend! Jack Black wrote the forward for his upcoming art book, Amazing Everything.

And lastly, pick up a copy of Draw Sucka Draw's Messed Up Fairy Tales 3! Cause it's got great people in it: Joe Foo, Kelly Tierney, Mike Roll...and ME!

Well that is for now. It's a lot to take in...but take the time to go through the links I put up and if you're interested, pick these books up. They are all great!

Till next time!

SPX: sketches

2011-09-13T07:37:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the sketches I did from the SPX show this past weekend:

To hear all about the show, go to the book's blog: here!

SPX a go!

2011-09-03T09:58:00.000-07:00

Hello! I took a break from conventions this month to pick up some side work and catch up on my commission list. I decided not to attend some August shows as I have booked some pretty big ones in September and October. Working most of the summer getting Coloring finished and the big shows in Louisville and Fort Wayne, I needed the break.

With that being said, break's over! We are gearing up in September with my first big show of the fall, SPX! Which will mark the first time I'm flying to attend a con. Nic and I are super excited.

I will be joining Joe Foo, Mike Roll, Kelly Tierney and the Draw Sucka Draw crew! My cousin also lives out there so we turned it into mini "workcation" where we can spend some time with him before and after the show.

Here's the show info:

The Sketchbook Project 2011

2011-07-26T17:07:00.000-07:00

Before the girlfriend and I headed out to Louisville for the Derby City Comic Con, we went to the Hyde Park Art Center for the Sketchbook Project 2011.

Basically the whole set up is like a library where you can check out two books from a category at any time.

It was so cool to see all the books lined up. Nic and I took some time to browse thru some of the random categories of books.

It was really amazing and I am so glad I was such a part of it. I plan on doing next year's tour as they are going international! How cool is that!

'Til next time kids.

Comic Book Mania!: sketches

2011-07-10T22:13:00.000-07:00

Comic Book Mania!

2011-07-07T18:23:00.001-07:00

Hi kids,

Hope you had a great Fourth of July holiday. After some much needed relaxation my convention season picks up again with Comic Book Mania! I'll have my three books on hand, my 8x10 prints, buttons, and I'll be doing bag n' board sketches all day. Since it's at a library, I'll be giving away my When I Was Little bookmarks so stop by my table and pick one (a few) up. You can even get a sketch done on the back! Thank's to Bob Cassinelli for letting me be part of the amazing show and to Keith's Komix for the invite.

Here's all the info:

Comic Book Mania! Convention 2011

Saturday, July 9

Gail Borden Public Library, 270 N. Grove Avenue, Elgin, Il 60120

10:00 am - 4:00 pm

Admission: FREE (AWESOME)

Summit City Comic Con June 18th!

2011-06-16T14:59:00.001-07:00

Hello,

Just a quick reminder of where I'll be this weekend:

I'll be at table G15!

sk: et: ch: digitized!

2011-06-06T22:59:00.000-07:00

The Sketchbook Project brought to you by ArtHouse CoOp will be making its way thru Chicago July 14-17 at the Hyde Park Art Center. If you can make it out there please do. I will be heading out there Friday morning because from there I will be heading out to Louisville, KY for Derby City Comic Con.

If you can't make it out in July, the good folks over at ArtHouse CoOp just sent me the digitized version of my book which you can view here: http://www.arthousecoop.com/library/1293

Check it out and support art!

Shopping When I Was Little ...

2011-06-01T23:35:00.001-07:00

Hi all!

If you follow me at conventions, this past March I was saying I was going to open an online store where I would sell my art, prints, books, and anything else that would fit in the world of When I Was Little. After months and months I signed on with Big Cartel and have begun creating my store. There isn't much there yet but I will be sure to add some of the 8x10 prints you see at the conventions as well as some other items yet to be named. SO check back often and enjoy Shopping When I Was Little...

- Justin

FCBD 2011!

2011-04-28T06:48:00.001-07:00

Free Comic Book day is coming and I will be at:

Dreamland Comics
Schaumburg Plaza
1415 W. Schaumburg Rd.
Schaumburg, Illinois 60194

The good folks at Dreamland were nice enough to have me back. Art Baltazar and Jeff Balke will be there. I'll be doing free sketches and they will have free face painting, balloons, and of course COMICS!

Check it out!

persevere

2011-03-30T22:58:00.001-07:00

per·se·vere: to persist in anything undertaken; maintain a purpose in spite of difficulty, obstacles, or discouragement; continue steadfastly.

I was inspired by the SkottieScott art blog to do my own piece to help in the aid of the Japanese tsunami/earthquake. So I am offering up this 5x17 Bristol piece of one of my favorite cartoons, Samurai Jack. Here's a character/show that exemplifies qualities to continue on, have faith, and believe in one's own inner strength.

I'm selling this one at $65 +$10 for shipping. All proceeds will go to Red Cross to help Japan and not only that but I will match the money so Red Cross will be getting a cool $150 and you get a great piece of art!

So for a chance to get your hands on this, E-mail Me! Put in the subject: persevere

c2e2: sketches

2011-03-26T10:45:00.001-07:00

For a more about the show like the people and places, click here. In the meantime, check out some sketches I did from the show. I think I did around 60+ over the three day weekend as well as some preorder commission pieces and taking order for Signature Prints. Quite a busy and successful show for me.

Commissions:

#cardBOREDsketches

2011-02-14T21:51:00.001-08:00

I've been so occupied with commissions, books, and projects, that I didn't even realize I hadn't pick up a new sketchbook. (shame on you artist!) But I found these groovy cardboard index cards at work and have been drawing on them lately. I've posted some of them on twitter with the hashtag #cardboardsketch. Here are some of the ones I did recently...

set 1:

set 2:

I have at least 6 or so of these cards left and I do sketch front and back on them. After that, it's back to the ole' sketchbooks. To prevent this from happening I bought 3 brand new 6x6 sketchbooks today from Hob Lob. (That's Nicole speak for Hobby Lobby)

It's been quite a busy month with the upcoming c2e2 convention in March. But I got a good head start on that by finishing all the new prints I'll be bringing with me at the show. Hopefully admist all the crazy I can find some time to post a sketch or two on here.

Later!

sk:et:ch in 00:05:00

2011-01-19T18:51:00.000-08:00

A while back I had mentioned that I was participating in The Sketchbook Project for Art House Co-op. I'm pleased to announce that I finished my book and sent it off to The Brooklyn Art Library where it will be in their collection starting Feb. 19th! From there it will be going on tour and making it's way to Chicago July 14-17th. I included the link to tour dates and locations here:

I thought it'd be cool to give you some glimpses of what I did for the theme of my sketchbook which was: ...in 5 minutes.

I went back in forth on deciding a way to approach my theme and it took me quite a while to settle on something I felt comfortable doing and ultimately had fun with. What I ended up doing was really timing myself on trying to capture a word in one image. So for example, I thought of the word, ears, and then sketched this:

Noticed how I logged my time down at the right hand corner of the page. I did this for every page and used the stopwatch app on my ipod. Some times I would go over and other days I would be under but I logged the time no matter what it said. I liked the time display idea so much that I adopted that to my theme and ultimately used the simple design as my cover:

I really took to the process and thought about the words I wanted to use which in turn would get me to visualize and loosely gesture in my head of what I wanted to do. Then when it came time to put pen to page I would go through my list of words and quickly remind myself what I wanted to do prior. It was a fun and fast paced process but one that took me awhile to get a handle on.

I'm really proud of what I did in this book and I hope you guys check it out when The Sketchbook Tour comes to Chicago in July!

Here are some more examples of what to expect in my book:

Holiday Card 2010

2010-12-20T16:48:00.000-08:00

Ever since 2006 I've been designing my own cards. What I usually do is draw a Christmas image and find a quote that best represented the image I had in my head. Last year, I designed a card based on my books. As it turned out great and quite humorous, I felt it didn't quite have a Christmas spirit about it as the cards done previously. So I wanted to get back to what I originally did. I had two ideas in mind but at first only thought to do one depending on which quote was the strongest. Luckily I had my wonderful girlfriend find me two great quotes that I was inspired to get both ideas done this year.

So some of you will get this:

And the others will get this: http://wheniwaslittlebook.blogspot.com/2010/12/holiday-card-2010.html

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! We'll see you in 2011!

Human Centipede Print ONLY @ Atlanta Comic Con

2010-12-03T17:01:00.001-08:00

If you're heading down to Atlanta Comic Con this weekend stop by and visit table 1105. Drew Blank, writer of Memoirs of an Anti-Hero hit me up with a print based off the disturbingly bizarre horror film, The Human Centipede in honor of the film's stars attending the weekend's convention.

This was such fun to work on! Click for more info on this limited print exclusive to Atlanta Comic-Con:

Human Centipede Print by ~happyfestivus on deviant ART

Happy Sketchin' 11 27 10

2010-11-24T21:23:00.001-08:00

Hi all,

I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday weekend. Did ya stuff yourselves with yummy food? Did ya do some sweet [*cue sarcasm] Black Friday shopping? I did not. God bless Amazon. Anyways here's some recent sketches I did just before Thanksgiving Holiday. Enjoy!!

Feelin' a bit under the weather bug...

2010-11-22T20:26:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to get back my mojo creatively while the the holidays creep up on me. I'm not very productive during the holidays and I feel like that is when I should be the most. Every time a new year starts, I make a list of creative goals and goals as an artist to accomplish before Dec. 31st. Thanksgiving and Christmas are coming up and that means crunch time for me, on top of the stress of the holidays. So the next couple of weeks have got to be more productive than I'm used to so I can at least feel like I've accomplished enough of my goals before 2011.

Zombie Sausage

2010-11-17T07:42:00.000-08:00

Hi!! I know it's been a while but I've been quite busy since the convention season wrapped up for me. A lot of great work came out of it and I met some new artists. When I have the time I'll get around to posting a more detailed account of the swag and new people I met over the last two cons. But for now, enjoy some Zombie Sausage.

Mid Ohio Con 2010

2010-11-09T07:25:00.000-08:00

Mid Ohio Con marks the end of my convention run for the year. Wow, I thought I had a good show last weekend, MOC was just great fun all around and a terrific way to wrap up the year.

This year's show marked the 30th Anniversary of Mid Ohio Con and they really made it worthwhile for the artists. There weren't a lot of Media Guests and dealer shops but a big focus on artists, writers, independents, and comic superstars.

Saturday was a huge success. I probably ended up leaving my table once or twice to go to the bathroom and the rest of the time I was glued to my seat responding to sketch requests.

I think by the end of the day I did about 25+ sketches with another 10 carrying over into Sunday. It flew by so fast! I think posting some of the unique character sketches (at least to me) on the blog, I gotten a lot more of those requests from people at the shows.

I've also noticed that whoever I make my sketch sign of for the weekend, that is usually the most requested character. Hence the army of Iron Men:

Big win for the Pixar prints I framed as within the first two hours, [I think, I have no concept of time, the day was a huge blur of amazing-tude] I was able to sell it.

I seriously thought I'd be taking it home after Sunday.

The only thing that stunk about the show which isn't a real huge complaint, was that I missed 75 percent of the artists/creators who were there. Nic was a real trooper scouting the tables for me and keeping me in the know with what was going on with the show. I was way too focused into drawing to even pick my head up. I tried my very best to meet and greet with all the folks who stopped by the table.

Sunday was nice and light but I was consistently busy. I was able to take some time to meet with some new creators but not really a chance to talk shop. I did get some things signed and met with friends I've made at the show last year.

With the spending spree Nic and I went on last weekend, we decided to put a limit on purchases and instead we focused on getting stuff for other people.

Sunday worked out perfect for me, heck the WHOLE SHOW worked out for me. I am always surprised by the amount of people who dig my work and have a really affection towards the book series. So to all those who got a sketch, prints, or books from me, a big thank you goes out to all.

It was a great time and I hope to do it again, I'll see ya next year. ;-)

The Sketchbook Project!

2010-11-01T21:06:00.000-07:00

So I mentioned another big announcement a couple weeks a back and now that I got all the materials in, I can actually tell you what it's all about!

Welcome to the Sketchbook Project!

Here's the general idea: Thousands of sketchbooks will be taken on tour and exhibited around the country at various galleries and museums. After traveling, they will be cataloged into The Brooklyn Art Library's permanent collection.

For more information like tour dates and other projects, please visit: www.thesketchbookproject.com

Detroit Fanfare 2010

2010-11-01T21:05:00.001-07:00

This past weekend I attended the Detroit Fanfare at the Hyatt Regency in Dearborn, Michigan.

The Fanfare was a great con for me and quite a fun one. I think having it take place on Halloween weekend opened up the flood gates for creativity on Detroit Fanfare's part. They had a Zombie Walk, a kid's costume contest, charity events, and a well rounded group of artist and creators.

It was nice to walk around and see an enormous amount of talent everywhere you turned. There weren't any ex-wrestlers, porn stars, or tv stars in attendance at all.

This year I shared a table with the very talented Mike Roll whom I met at SPACE back in July. There I picked up Apooka, his Adorable Zombie book. Check out that and some more great artwork here:

Having Stan Lee as your guest of honor really drew in the crowd and the flow of people was consistent. I did tons of sketches for people and met some great new creators and book dealers who were looking to purchase books for the comic shops.

The movie geek in me couldn't pass up the chance to meet Brian O'Halloran, better known as Dante from Clerks and Clerks II. The guy is real nice and very welcoming of the fan appreciation for the work he's done.

On Halloween there were a lot more people dressed up and even some artists passing out candy for the kids. It was a bit slower that day but I did manage to sell quite a few books and sketch some more unique requests like an Iron Fist and a Thanos. The guy who wanted Thanos actually went and bought a comic for reference. I thought that was real nice of him considering he told me he just dropped 2 and a half Gs on an X-Men #1 for Stan Lee to sign.

And the award for most requested character sketch goes to:

The volunteers at the Fanfare were really accommodating, always coming by with snacks and water for the artist. One of the coolest things was that they gave out one of the Fanfare exclusive comic books that they were selling at the welcoming tables.

Overall it was a nice weekend getaway and even nicer introducing my art and the When I Was Little series to a new audience.

Black Sheep

2010-10-23T23:35:00.000-07:00

My friends and I watched this really awesomely bad movie the other night called Black Sheep. No not the Chris Farley film...that's just awesomely AWESOME. This movie is about killer sheep in New Zealand. It's actually quite brilliant in terms of make up and special effects which were done by Weta Workshop.

If you have a chance I recommend watching this with a bunch of friends for the laughs.

Updates and The Detroit Fanfare!

2010-10-23T19:53:00.001-07:00

Hi all,

Sorry for the lack of updates but I've had some busy weeks with welcoming two new additions to the family. My brother just had his second child, a beautiful girl they named Jenevieve Pearl or "Vie, Vie" for short. My cousin also had his first child, a healthy baby boy named Nicholas Apostole. They've taken to calling him "Stole.

With all the hoopla and baby excitement it's been hard to manage the blogs and keep you posted on my where-abouts. So let's get right to it!

A while ago I had mentioned on twitter that I had a few things to share, I was just waiting for information to come my way so I can give you all the proper details.

On Halloween Weekend I am invited to be a part of the inaugural Detroit Fanfare Convention down in Michigan at the Dearborn Hyatt Regency. That is October 30 from 10am-6pm and October 31 from noon-5pm!

I will be at table 85 with the very talented Mike Roll. It should be an exciting time and please click on the link to see more details and buy your tickets.

If you're in the area, come on by and say hi! And for more news....

Mid Ohio Con 2010

2010-10-23T19:44:00.001-07:00

This has got to be one of my favorite cons and I will be attending again this year. The Mid Ohio Con goes from Nov.6-7 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus,OH. I will be at table CC22! I'll be selling my books, a variety of prints, and doing sketches for the weekend. I hope to see you there!!

Click on the banner to find out more!

El Fuego!

2010-10-10T12:23:00.000-07:00

El Fuego Luchador by ~happyfestivus on deviant ART

This character has been frequently popping up in my sketchbook that I decided to put some pieces together and slap some colors on it. He is El Fuego, the luchador! His finishing move is the Flaming Elbow, which he slam right into your corazaon! If I come up with some other characters for him to throw down or tag team with I think I can come up with a sweet luchador property, but for now he's going solo.

A new threadless design for the Movember Challenge!

2010-10-05T17:30:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

It's been years since I did a threadless submission but a friend of mine hit me up to the idea. He did the colors and textures and I did the lines. Enjoy the 'stache....ladddiieees.

Art Jam Session 2: Western

2010-09-27T19:11:00.000-07:00

I had another art jam with some of my buddies and this session's focus was western. I started out drawing some regular cowboy heads but wasn't really feeling it creatively. It wasn't until I did this doodle of a cactus playin' cowboy that I really started to have fun with it. I ended up with a lizard and a vulture all donning some cowboy attire. I think I'll play around with these character designs more and really nail a design I like with them. I can see them all playing a part of a larger world...hey maybe I got a wild west kind of book in me. There's a story here...I feel it.

Some really great ideas came from this past Sunday's meet. We discussed about what to do with these doodles and really set some goals for what we want to achieve and evolve as artists and storytellers. So let's hope we can build up some momentum out of these beta sessions and really produce something unique.

Happy Sketching!

Sketches 9 27 10

2010-09-27T18:42:00.000-07:00

Here's some new sketches I did over the course of last week. These were fun to do although I feel my Thor is a lil' for some reason. It bugs me a little...but ah well they all can't be awesome.

Sketchs 9 20 10

2010-09-20T18:38:00.001-07:00

I bought a new sketchbook and have been using Uni-Ball pens to doodle recently. I'm digging how the ink flows with this pen and will probably be sketching more with these. I also plan on carrying this book with me most places just to keep myself constantly sketching.

I'm thinking of doing some con sketches this way. I can whip these up pretty quick and maybe tackle more requests. Let me know what you think!

Playing with water...

2010-09-04T20:14:00.000-07:00

Here's some 5x17s I did not to long ago in water color and ink brush. They were a lot of fun to do and I feel like I'm getting better at adapting my style to this new medium. It makes for some really playful results. These two characters were commissions for someone's nephew. I really like how they turned out and hopefully the kid will dig'em.

Haunt

2010-09-04T07:20:00.001-07:00

A quick Haunt sketch before I start today's work load. Read this comic. It's pretty awesome and have become a big fan of Greg Capullo's art style.

A boy and his panda...

2010-09-02T18:31:00.001-07:00

I drew this sketch a couple of days ago. Good times. I should do a colored version sometime. It would be also the "good times".

Fun with brush: Machete

2010-08-30T21:21:00.001-07:00

I was testing some paper thickness today with my brush pen and did this image of Machete's Danny Trejo. The result is that the paper I bought can withstand my brush pen as long as I don't soak the paper with ink. However if I lay some prisma markers or sharpie ink on it, it'll bleed right through.

On a site note: I'm super excited to see this movie and am hoping to catch a sneak on Wednesday. I've been sending my girlfriend trailers and clips to prepare herself for the cinematic experience that is Danny Trejo! LOL

Also after inking this, I threw it into photoshop and did a quick color job on it, I think the shade makes it look more like Trejo:

Off to bed!

Art Jam Session 1: Supers

2010-08-29T12:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my friends and I got together for an art jam. We organized this little event to catch up and to keep us crazy kids drawing. The idea is to work on more original concepts and have some real sit down time to chill and draw.

Personally as I got older, I had less time to just draw for fun. I got so busy with day to day life things I lost that quality time with good friends, a pad of paper, and a pencil.

We set out a theme for each session just to give a direction of where to go and what to draw to help us improve our skills as concept artists.

This character I whipped up was the primary focus of my sketch session yesterday. I would call him The Porker and he has an oven mitt type glove that deals out his pig punchin' power. I also thought it'd be funny if every time he punched some one it said "Oink!" instead of "Bam!" or "Pow!"

Although I ended up focusing on a single character this time around, I am happy with the result. I look forward to the next session to really just let loose and let the pencil do the thinking.

Game Week

2010-08-27T07:28:00.000-07:00

I drew some game characters this week on legal pad with sharpies, pens, and hi-lighters...you know to pass the time. Enjoy Earthworm Jim, Mega Man, Mario, and Sonic!

TMNT: the sketchbook

2010-08-23T17:57:00.000-07:00

So with the decision to not attend Wizard World as an artist, I really got a chance to get my art geek on. I've posted pictures in the past of people who have asked me to do a sketch in their very own artist sketchbook. It's really a genius idea and makes for a great souvenir and or present.

Basically the idea (for anyone who hasn't a clue what the F I'm talking aboot) is that you buy a blank sketchbook and bring it with you to the cons and have various artist do sketches in it. It can be a completely random sketchbook or you can have one dedicated to your favorite comic character. Then as you fill it up you get all these wonderful renditions of one character in a nice completed art book and its great to flip through and look at all the interesting interpretations and styles. I think I did an Aqua-Man book and a Yoda book for some people last year.

So now that that's out of the way, I decided that I would start one but I didn't want to do something completely "generic" like a Superman (even though I'm going to get one of those started too) or a Batman...so I decided to go with a property that I loved since childhood, The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Oh yeah...that's right.

So here are the first few sketches in my TMNT book that I will probably be carrying with me to every convention from now on until it's filled up with amazing artwork.

1. Art Baltazar

2. Mike Roll

3. Wil Brendel

4. Mike Boldt

I was so shellshocked by this TMNT art explosion I did some quick sharpie and pen warm-ups. Enjoy!!!

Wizard World 2010 swag

2010-08-23T17:30:00.000-07:00

Nic and I hit up Wizard World 2010 on Sunday. We didn't attend this year because I had some other Cons I wanted to do instead. It was cool to walk around and check out all the sweet deals. Nic and I definitely got our money's worth...and they got ours. We walked away with some sweet stuff and at half the price too! Check it out:

After years and years, I finally own a copy of Craig Thompson's Blankets!

Nic and I pretty much raided the Top Shelf table and we each picked up two books. I picked up Clumsy by Jeffrey Brown and BB Wolf and the Tree LPs written by JD Arnold, who was nice enough to sign my copy.

Nic picked Too Cool to be Forgotten by Alex Robinson and Jeffrey Brown's Funny Misshapen Body. (Their last copy!)

We also picked up buttons from Jake Rueth and I got my TMNT cards and new Joker button from the always awesome J Brant!

After unloading our purchases I was able to transfer my buttons on to my new messenger bag that I bought a couple weeks ago at Target. Looking good...(and nerdy *sigh).

I'm so over Vampires....

2010-08-23T17:17:00.000-07:00

This was a sketch I did on Friday....I GUESS its based on True Blood. But I gave that show two seasons I did not like it. Also I hate the Twilight series...well the movies I've never read the books but ANYWAYS...vampires are whatever.

a quick play with my brush pen

2010-08-19T23:16:00.001-07:00

I haven't used my brush pen in awhile. I plan on using it more for sketching and inking just to get used to it and find a method to apply it to my lines. I did this really quick tonight and ultimately I like the effect, I just need to find control. A lot of the lines I lay down are a bit shaky and really don't show confidence behind them. I think if I practice with it more those lines will feel more intended and confident. When that happens, I'll have found a comfort using it and hopefully that method and style will come through.

Kali Ma Shakti de

2010-08-19T18:09:00.000-07:00

I've been watching the Indiana Jones trilogy all this week. (yeah I said trilogy...none of this alien skull, shia labouf swining on trees crap) I must say that Temple of Doom is my favorite and I know majority of people I discuss these films with absolutely hate this movie. But much like Kevin Smith's Mallrats, this was my lead in film to the rest of the trilogy. Also it has Short Round (every asian kid growing up looked like him...including me) and this dude:

Oh and the chilled monkey brains scene! Come on, what's not to love. Anyways this one's my favorite. Which one is yours?

Red pen fun!

2010-08-19T17:26:00.000-07:00

Here we have I Kill Giants' Barbara Thorson, a wizard who's "all beard", and me. Red pen IS fun!

big alien, tiny ship, tiny alien, big ship.

2010-08-18T18:47:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to get back to posting regularly to keep me drawing and to keep this updated. I drew this at work today. It was fun. I'm trying to find a project/idea that would be good to do in all ball point pen. Majority of the time I like what I draw in ball point and thought it'd be fun to tackle an entire project in that medium. Who knows what'll come from it but I got ideas out the pooper right now. One thing at a time, yes, I know.

Saving Face(s)...

2010-08-16T19:10:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

I feel terrible that I haven't posted anything new in a while but I have been so busy with side work I haven't gotten time to really doodle. It's not that I've been slacking, its been quite the opposite.

Anyways I have some commissions lined up and I hope to show those to you as I finish them. I am also getting ready for the 57th Street Book Fair this coming September and I'll be debuting some new items as well as a special limited print just for the Fair so stay tuned for that.

I was able to draw up some faces earlier in the day and I hope to get back to doodling more frequently. See you back here real soon.

Some epic, epic, Ramona Flowers fan art.

2010-07-19T17:43:00.001-07:00

Hello here's a quick update:

I'm busy.
All the art (that I can't post) I've done recently have been for freelance gigs and my new book.
Yes, I have a new book.
Said book goes into production this August.I can't tell you what it's about.
I'm still taking commissions.
I'm very tired.

And now....

I am excited for the release of Scott Pilgrim's Finest Hour tomorrow. I've been a big fan of the series and on a side note, it's the first comic series my girlfriend's been in to. So it's kind of a big deal. We're both excited for the movie in August and I can't wait to get the video game by Ubisoft .

Here's a Ramona Flowers piece I did over the weekend. Enjoy!!!

Some epic, epic Ramona Flowers by ~happyfestivus on deviant ART

Warm Ups: Wise Guys

2010-07-13T18:47:00.000-07:00

Hey all,

Before I get into some work I thought I'd share some warm-ups I did today. The first set is just a practice in shape and really trying to find some character in them. I really wanted to stretch and squish some faces with these and I like the end results.

The other sketch I did was just playing with my brush pen. I replaced the cartridge today and filled this pen sketch to get the ink flowing. I really like this image and might do a tee shirt version of it some time. Look how excited the popsicle is!

Some time away: DC in D.C.

2010-07-10T21:38:00.000-07:00

So I took a vacation to visit my cousin out in Maryland for the fourth and we spent a little time in D.C., I wasn't totally away from pad and paper . I figured we were in D.C., I thought I'd sketch up some DC characters. Sadly I was only able to do two as we were super busy the whole trip site seeing and stuff. Anyways, I'm back and ready to hit the sketchbook...with a vengeance Die Hard 3 style. I'm also wrapping up some freelance projects and prepping the new book. See ya soon!

BAT...DAANNNNNCCCEE

2010-06-26T12:38:00.000-07:00

Check out this Adam West sketch I did the other day. I think it's hilarious! I used to watch this show actually when I was younger and it was full of camp, I loved it!

Shouldn't you be....

2010-06-24T20:29:00.000-07:00

...working?

Some quick sketches and doodles I whipped up at work. I really like the tree-demon thing I did. A coworker of mine said it reminded her of Master Shake from A.T.H.F. But I don't see the resemblance between trees and milkshakes.

Angry Little Girls!

2010-06-24T20:26:00.001-07:00

Angry Little Girls. by ~happyfestivus on deviant ART

I'm sure I'm all late in discovering the brilliance of this collection but I fell in love with Lela Lee's Angry Little Girls. I picked this up in a used book store's graphic novel section last week . It is quite hilarious and it helped me out of my creative slump I was having too. Featured in this piece are my two favorites, Kim and Xyla. Click to go big!

Fun with Brush!

2010-06-08T17:32:00.001-07:00

I was messing around with my brush pen today. I'm still getting used to it but I like the results I've been producing so far. I hope to some day find a project that suits this kind of ink style, but for now it's fun to play around.

Mid Ohio Con Nov.6-7 2010

2010-06-08T11:15:00.001-07:00

Hello,

Sorry for the lack of updates but my freelance and commission work has kept me occupado, as well as principal concepts and character designs for my new book. (what?! new book!)

And on to even more awesome news, I'll be attending the Mid Ohio Con's Creator's Common again this year. Click on the icon for more info:

Commission List open for June

2010-05-26T21:39:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

I'm going to be taking a road trip fourth of July weekend to visit some family and I need some extra cash. I'll be opening up my commission starting in the month of June.

Here's what I'll be offering:

5 Sketch Cards done with Prisma Markers - $5
5x17 Black & White or Water Color Drawing (one character) - $20
12x12 Water Color Character Bust - $25 (one character)
14X17 Black & White Drawing - $30-35
11x17 - Hi-Res Colored Digital Print sent to your email - $40-50 (price varies on complexity of piece)

Shipping is not included in these prices. I will be accepting payment only thru PayPal. I'll have 15 slots to fill so if you are interested, email me at wheniwaslittle@gmail.com with what you want from the list above and your address you'd like it mailed too (digital prints will be emailed). The sooner I receive payment the sooner I can get it to you.

If you have a special piece in mind that is not listed from the above, email me and we can talk about what you'd like to get done.

I'll keep you posted as to when the list fills up.

Sketchin' on the road

2010-05-24T08:01:00.001-07:00

This past Saturday I went to Great America to celebrate my girlfriend's sister, Andrea's 23rd birthday. I brought my sketchbook to pass the time on the trip there. Here's what came out of it.

I wonder if putting in some select inks and some light color on these would pass for "finished" pieces. I mean I was always a fan of construction lines and the rough look...just never really thought to showcase it more with the way I color my inks, like real deep sketch lines combined with the color treatment I would normally give my clean inks.

Hmmmm It could lead to a new way of doing things...not for time's sake or anything like that but just to reinvent myself.

As Tobias Funke would say..."Let the great experiment begin!"

The Redeemers

2010-05-17T20:24:00.000-07:00

Have you read Eric Rampson's The Redeemers Issue 1? Well you should because it's awesome! They are trying to get issue 2 out into the world over at Kickstarter, so show your support and donate a buck or two.

The Redeemers is about a demon-killing rock band trying to make it big and save the world.

I posted this Pin-Up piece I on my deviantart. Click to view larger.

The Redeemers Pin-Up by ~happyfestivus on deviant ART

More Steampunk Aliens!!

2010-05-17T17:56:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend I was able to play around with more steampunk alien design. The last one I drew felt like what I was trying to go for when I was toying with the idea.

I hope you dig'em.

What I'm Reading: Jeff Lemire's Sweet Tooth

2010-05-13T21:33:00.000-07:00

Jeff Lemire's post-apocalyptic vision of humankind and unlikely friendships is hauntingly beautiful.

After the Affliction killed billions of the population a new breed of human/animal hybrids became the children of this world. They've become a unique commodity and hunters will stop at nothing to obtain one. Gus is one of these hybrids and after his forest is breached by hunters, he is rescued by a violent man named, Jepperd. He promises Gus that he would take him to a place called "The Preserve" where it's been said it is a safe haven for special children like Gus.

I really don't want to give away the rest because well I'm still reading it (haha) but that's the jist of it so far. The reason the book is called Sweet Tooth is because Gus like most kids, loves chocolate. If you're curious... http://jefflemire.blogspot.com/

I might have to pick up his Essex County as I've heard great things about that too.

Steam punk Aliens

2010-05-13T21:20:00.000-07:00

Here's an idea I was toying with at work today, inspired by Skottie Young's Bernard The World Destroyer. It came from the simple description of an alien controlling a robot mecha suit. The idea of giving it a steampunk look came into the process as I was sketching around with it. It's not a solid design yet but I thought it'd be interesting if an alien harnessed the steampunk technology and fused it with his other world tech. Could be a cool concept. Well here's the rough stuff:

I really like the design of number 2 but kind of F'd up the feet. Just means more concepts which is always fun.

Warm ups 5.11.2010

2010-05-11T07:19:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

After three busy weekends of comic book related events, it's nice to take a little breather, not working up a new print or drawing a new book page, but just sketchin' for fun. So here are some warm ups I've done before starting a new print or project.

FCBD 2010: recap

2010-05-04T19:09:00.001-07:00

I wish I had more to post about FCBD but my partner in crime had to work so I wasn't really able to capture any pictures. The main reason was because when I got settled in at Dreamland Comics, I threw this sign up:

The sign really worked and the store got really busy in the afternoon. I was amazed at the number of parents coming in with their kids getting them interested in comics. I met some nice people who really took a liking to my art style and said it was perfect for their kids. All in all it was a fun event. I drew a lot of Supergirls and Wonder Women for the kiddies. I want to send a big thank you out to Laurie and the staff of Dreamland Comics, they were all great! Next year, I'll remember to bust out the camera and snap some photos.

Of course I didn't walk away empty handed:

Funny I picked up mostly the kid comics...go figure. My coworker was kind enough to give me War of The Supermen #0. I spent the other day reading up on the back story and must now collect the entire 2 years worth in hardcovers and trades to catch up. I can't wait! Buuuut I gotta read all these comics first.

If you live in the Schaumburg area, please check out Dreamland Comics.

www.dreamlandcomics.com

1415 West Schaumburg Road
Schaumburg, IL 60194-4051
(847) 524-6060

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY Saturday May 1st!

2010-04-29T12:14:00.000-07:00

Hi all! I'll be at Dreamland Comics in Schaumburg doing a signing and free sketches from 12pm-3pm on Saturday May 1st, for Free Comic Book Day! Come on in get your free comics, get a sketch, and peep out the awesome store that is Dreamland Comics. See you there!

www.dreamlandcomics.com

1415 West Schaumburg Road
Schaumburg, IL 60194-4051
(847) 524-6060

SPACE 2010: Recap

2010-04-26T21:26:00.000-07:00

After the success of c2e2, I was really excited for S.P.A.C.E. in terms of climbing that positive hill and really getting my project and art out there.

The drive was very exhausting for Nicole and I especially when we were coming to the tail end of it and got lost. The hotel's weird room reservation policy just added to the frustration of the night's drive. By the time we were checked in we were just so agitated we went to bed.
Hoping for a better day and trying to hype myself up, I was preparing myself for a great first day. What I got was just a good first day. It was quite slow from the beginning and steadily picked up pace just as the it was coming to a close. My table location made it rather difficult to draw a crowd towards my way which I realized I had to engage the onlookers as they met eyes with my art and books, rather then sit there and sketch. It's something I learned rather late in the day as I got a lot of pass-thrus and not enough stops.

The evening, however, was really fun as I had dinner with Dustin Carson, writer of No-Gods, and we were joined by Eric Adams of Lackluster World fame. We ate at the restaurant in the hotel named....Justin's Place. Yeah that's right. The buffet was extremely good. We went back to our hotel rooms where Nic took a nap and I updated the facebook with some videos and surfed the internets trying to forget about the days personal let-downs.

We went down to the bar for some drinks and a bit of dancing...CUPID SHUFFLE WHaaaaaaa. We capped the end of the night by attending an Art Jam with the fellows from Quarantine Comics and Jay Jacot of Comics Obscura.

Day 2 was going to be different I said and it was much better as I was able to move some books and network...I also spent some time away from my table as well as meeting new people like Nate Powell, the writer/illustrator of Swallow Me Whole. I had the pleasure of meeting Jason Burke, the author of Recycled Again. His wife was very interested in my books and he stopped by to tell me about his Lesson Learned series and it's just fantastic. They are great books for kids to grow up on. Nicole did a little browsing herself and stumbled upon the cutest zombie girl ever: Apooka illustrated by the amazing talents of Mike Roll.

I also stop by the Mutant Cactus table and picked up a new set of buttons for my messenger bag. The team of Derek Watson, Robert Gant, and Danny Cooper equals artistic heaven. Check out their Tales of Awesome! #1, it's....AWESOME.

All in all Day 2 we exceptional and the Convention as a whole was an amazing experience. One that taught me not every con is the same and that you got to really network and meet people...and most of all...HAVE FUN WHILST (you like that) DOING IT.

See ya later Ohio, we'll see you in November!

Off to SPACE!

2010-04-23T08:10:00.000-07:00

Just a quick reminder of where I'll be this weekend:

If you're in the area stop by table 145.

I plan to do a recap of c2e2 and SPACE some time in the later weeks. It's been quite hectic for me in planning and preparing for all these events I haven't had time to update really. But it's been that GOOD kind of hectic and I've been drawing a lot too so I can't complain...maybe you can cause it's like I don't update this flippin' thing enough.

When You Were Little...NOW AVAILABLE!

2010-04-08T15:23:00.000-07:00

UPDATE 4.12.2010: Now available on Amazon.com! Click here now!

About a year ago, I announced plans for the third installment of my picture book series. After all the conventions, submissions, emails, tweets, and facebook posts I can now say that When You Were Little is available to own! The book goes live on Amazon in two weeks but if you can't wait, go here and pick yourself up a copy!

I will also be bringing all three books of the series to the comic book conventions I will be attending this year starting with c2e2 at McCormick Place in Chicago, April 16-18.

SPACE Table Number and Floor Plan

2010-04-05T16:25:00.001-07:00

After posting my table number for c2e2, I just got informed of my table number as well as the floor plan for the 11th Annual SPACE Convention on the 24th and 25th of April.

I will be sitting at table number 145. They provided a link to the floor plan that you can check out here: http://www.backporchcomics.com/hotels.htm

c2e2 Table Number and Bio Update

2010-04-05T14:36:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

C2E2 is just another 2 weeks away and I'm getting excited (nervous) to be a part of it. Just to let you know, they put up my creator bio in the Artist Alley section of the convention's website, so give that a glance when you get a chance. They also emailed me my table number which is O2...so if you plan on going, swing on by and get a sketch done or pick up a book and print. We'll see you there!

Rufio, Rufio, RU, FI, Ohhhhhhhhhh!!!!

2010-04-02T19:04:00.000-07:00

I actually finished the pencils and inks on this one last year, but I started production on When You Were Little so a lot of art I did had to take a back seat. Now that I'm a little free up on time, I was able to color a bunch of art and this was definitely at the top of my lists. I'm hoping to do up some other pieces I completed inks on last year but for now there's this.

I love this movie.

Rufio and the Lost Boys by ~happyfestivus on deviant ART

The tale behind the Crisper.

2010-04-02T18:33:00.000-07:00

Last year I met the great Eric Rampson at the Mid-Ohio-Con where he does his famous "stories for a buck". You pay him a dollar and he writes up a story about whatever you want and reads it in a dramatic fashion for you. It's really quite impressive.

He did a story about my girlfriend's younger sister and we ended up turning it into her Christmas present. I designed a comic cover based on the story he wrote up and we framed them back to back. We then attached a recorder to the story side so she can read along and recorded the audio from the youtube video. When she opened it on Christmas day, she loved it! We then showed her the youtube video of Eric reading her story:

Also check him out here! He also writes the comics The Silver Bullet and The Redeemers!

The Crisper by ~happyfestivus on deviant ART

Comics for Cures Sketch Cards

2010-03-03T10:51:00.000-08:00

I'm back from sick leave. I got hit with some nasty fever, sore throat, chills, about a week ago and haven't had the time to work on my book OR do any type of drawing whatsoever. Fresh from my Lazarus Pit resurrection, I'm getting back into the art swing of things. I finished a new page in my book (coming up on a 3 days past the personal deadline I set [so annoyed by that but I was sick, what was I going to do, turn in a completed book with the last few pages drenched in vomit and sweat? I don't think so, Tim.]) and I mailed off my Sketch Cards for the 3rd Annual Comics for Cures Sketch Card Benefit Auction. These will be auctioned off on Ebay on April the 3rd. Please visit http://www.comicsforcures.com/ for more info.

Coraline'd

2010-02-22T22:17:00.000-08:00

Nicole and I took in a viewing of Coraline over the weekend. I've been wanting to see this movie for ever and my brother was nice enough to let me borrow his copy.

The movie is amazing. The character design is fantastic and the scene in the garden was freakin 'incredible. I think it'd look even more amazing on Blu-Ray.

Anyways here's "other me", button eyes and all. I want to start reading more Gaiman material. We also watched Stardust that night...I love that movie too.

I'm going to C2E2!

2010-02-22T17:40:00.000-08:00

Hi!!!

So the big news that I was talking about on twitter is that I was asked to be a part of the Inaugural Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo, better known as c2e2.

It's a great honor to be a part of what should be an amazing convention!! I'll post more updates as I get them.

Here is the main info:

C2E2 - April 16-18, 2010 - McCormick Place

Click here for the FAQ.

headcases...

2010-02-19T22:11:00.000-08:00

I really wanted to focus on features, expressions, shape for these sets of faces. Practice in any of these areas gives the drawing a sense of character. If you want your sketch to have some personality really push shape in certain areas like the chin, nose, or forehead. Sometimes it's good to draw a variety of heads and also incorporate those same practices into body types.

Analyzing the rough stuff

2010-02-13T10:03:00.000-08:00

I admit I feel bad when I don't update on a consistent basis or I don't post more finished art pieces but I keep forgetting this is a "sketch"blog and its okay to post the rough stuff...no matter how much I dislike or like it. So with that in mind I thought I'd break down the process of creating a character and sketching out the design as I go.

So here's the setup: I thought it was a funny idea to have this sheep that was some sort of assassin or soldier and had an unlimited amount of guns in ammo hidden under his wool. So whenever he was in a jam, he could pull out an arsenal of weaponry like a treasure chest. One Sheep Army if you will. So I worked an initial sketch which is what you see on the top left of the page.

As you can see, the first attempt ended up with more of dog face character. I also drew the mop on his head to resemble that of a helmet with the straps undone. I knew the one thing I wanted to change was the face so after several attempts I found a simple watermelon shape for the head that resembled more sheep than dog especially with the nose and helmet head.

I also with this characters body to have a very definitive square shape. With the wool being completely square I thought it'd be difficult to show the character in any type of movement. So after playing around with poses, I found the best to show action poses with such a square shape was to outline the body first and draw the square shape to contour to it. So it shows how the square would bend and contort to the limbs and spine of the character. I tried that with some poses that you see here.. One in particular, the sort of belly flop dive, was approached in this way. I drew the the pose I wanted, and as you can see how the spine kind of arches as he's falling, I then drew the wool where it would bend accordingly. So you still get that square shape and you still have that sense of movement from the character. It will be fun to see how far I take this guy in terms of design and maybe even a story. But for right now I thought I'd share my sketch process with you. The design thats showed on the bottom right isn't final but its an improvement over the first sketch did at the top left.

Comics For Cures!

2010-02-09T22:15:00.001-08:00

Hello, Just wanted to get the word out that I'll be participating in the SKETCH CARD BENEFIT AUCTION AND GALLERY SHOW FOR AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY. It's sponsored by

BLUELINEPRO.COM - COMICSXP.COM - SKETCHMAGAZINE.NET

Click learn all about it!

Pages to share.

2010-02-06T23:13:00.000-08:00

I was working on a lot of new pages today for my book, mostly roughs and final pencils. However these aren't the pages that I'm sharing. Since I've started on my new book I haven't really tackled into my sketchbook which I've noticed is mostly used when I travel. I take it to conventions with me, camping trips, or if I'm riding shotgun I'll take it on the road. So I was surprised at the last two pages I did because it's been so long since I've doodled anything in there that it must've been sometime back in December. They are mostly head studies, but some cool ones at that. I need to start carrying this around more. Anyways here ya go:

Fun With Sharpies: World's Finest

2010-02-04T16:35:00.000-08:00

I found another piece of cardboard today. I grabbed some pen and black sharpie and drew Superman on one side. I flipped it over and drew good old Bats on the other. This was really fun to do. It makes me want to get some other rendering tools like white ink and prisma markers. I kind of like drawing on this thicker board. I should look into different card stocks to draw on as well.

I always get nervous drawing Superman cause of the fact that so many other talented artists put their own unique spin on it. But I've noticed that everytime I draw Supes, he is different from the last time I drew him. Which means I haven't really found a way of drawing him that I like and thats not biting off other people's versions of him. Well I like this last one I did and maybe I can take it from there.

Well, I've been working on getting my third book accomplished and it hasn't left me any time to draw other stuff. So this was kind of nice and most of all fun. Not that drawing my book isn't fun but I treat it as a job/work and I do have fun with it. But sometimes I need to draw just to draw. No books, no commissions, or freelance stuff. Just drawing.

Even kings cry...

2010-01-30T08:14:00.000-08:00

My girlfriend bought me Dave Eggers' Wild Things for Christmas and I just started reading it. Man, Eggers really captures the spirit of this kid, Max. It's been a great read so far. I drew this image based on how I feel about Max. In his own mind, he's this mighty king but in the world that he lives in, he's just lost. Questions conflict him. He is wanting the attention he never gets, feeling misunderstood, wondering why people leave, and why some won't go away. In his world, he's a king but even kings cry.

Caught in a Webb

2010-01-21T20:20:00.001-08:00

A lot of big entertainment happenings going on in the news. Like the whole Conan, Leno, NBC thing and this other thing, the Spiderman Re-boot.

They just announced that the new director of the franchise is going to be (500) Days of Summer helmer, Marc Webb. I'm not all for the reboot but I like (500) Days of Summer, haha. I did this drawing with some pen and sharpies. Well whatever they do with those movies...will they ever be as good as Spiderman 1, 2, and 3?........(oh wait.)

Tank Girl!

2010-01-14T21:51:00.001-08:00

I like this Tank Girl sketch so much I decided to lay some quick colors on it. I think the "rough look"gives it a lot of personality which if you've read the comics, Tank Girl's got plenty haha. I kept the colors loose and the lines even looser. I think if I cleaned it up and did a more finished properly inked piece, it wouldn't pop out as much. Less is more with this one and I think it pays off.

Ladies in red...

2010-01-14T19:47:00.000-08:00

I had a bit of fun with some ballpoint pen today. I had girls on the mind today...not any in particular, I just felt like drawing a bunch of chicks and because I stumbled upon Cameron Stewart's art blog today . And maaaaaaan I drool over his talent. He has a blog segment called Girl Friday and some of the pin-ups he does are fantastic! Check him out! So he was my source of inspiration for these sketches today:

plotting...

2010-01-13T19:40:00.001-08:00

like an evil genius! MUAHAHAHAHA ahhh ahh ah. *ahem. So I''ve been cooking up some ideas for a new book project and a new art blog that would tie into my children's book....a spin-off project I guess you could say. But I can't really start anything new if I haven't finished what I started. So let's get crackin'!

Ratbirds!

2010-01-13T07:55:00.001-08:00

I watched Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs yesterday with commentary. Man that movie rocks socks!!

SQUIRREL!!

2010-01-12T07:23:00.002-08:00

I love animals with really big teeth!

runaway

2010-01-12T07:23:00.001-08:00

The last image in my Adventures in Babysitting set. I love this movie!

runaway by ~happyfestivus on deviant ART

Heading off to SPACE

2010-01-08T18:35:00.000-08:00

Hi all!

I'll be attending the 11th Annual Small Press & Alternative Comics Expo in Columbus, Ohio the 24th and 25th of April this year. I will be selling my books, some prints, and doing sketches. Stop on in and say hello.

Click for more info: SPACE 2010

The Shredder

2010-01-08T18:22:00.000-08:00

Leonardo: Can anyone tell me who or what *this* is?
Michaelangelo: Don't know, but I bet it never has to look for a can-opener.

I felt like drawing The Shredder today, man I love me some TMNT.

And my favorite Shredder line: Ah! The rat! So it has a name... It had a name.

District 9

2010-01-07T18:29:00.000-08:00

Tonight's movie. I find it funny that both times I've watched this movie I've been eating. If you've seen it, clearly you know its not a movie to watch while you're shoving food in your mouth.

Another warm up I did today. Drawn with black pen and then added some texture and shade with a 2H pencil.