Photoshop Character Study: Professor

Decided to go in a bit of a different direction with this one.

Photoshop allows me to really play around with shapes - I can endlessly create shapes on separate layers, then pose and adjust them until I get a finished product I'm pleased with. 

I'm always really nervous when the topic of "style" comes up, but I really have a huge interest in doing kid's books, so this particular "style" is something I'm toying around with. I'll do a super fast sketch in my sketchbook to get the basic feel of the character, then start immediately composing on the computer. It's a fast and fun process...

Also, I'm interested in playing with color more lately, and Photoshop offers great tools for that. You may be seeing a lot more of this type of work in the future. Stay tuned!

___________________________

P. S. : ALSO! Sketchbooks have been ordered! Watch this space for more information on getting yours in the next week or so!

#101 INKtober Day 9: Plant Food

Plant Food.

Tomorrow I'll announce a winner for the 100th post giveaway!

#061 Performance

Here's a great little short film by Graham Annable to get you in a spooky mood!
I love this little duo, and I think they should get a manager and start touring together.

#059 Vampire

I guess I had to jump on the Vampire Madness bandwagon eventually.

#055 Headless

Here's a quick sketch I did today in response to this challenge.
The colors are so muddy and dark. I hate it! But that's trial and error in Photoshop for you. The point is I had fun. This is also a kind of preview of something I've got in the works which I'll be telling you about soon. I'm pretty stoked about it.

This drawing doesn't creep me out though. I wish it did. Maybe I can think up something creepier. I'll let you know what happens...

#052 Three Webcomics That Your Eyeballs Will Love

Today I thought I would highlight three webcomics that I have been enjoying the last few months that are definitely worth your eyeballs' undivided attention. So without further ado, here they are:

1. BIT AND RUN by Cory Godbey.
If you're a Mario, Zelda or Pokémon fan, you will definitely be in love with Bit and Run. A tribute to all things Nintendo, Bit and Run is now in its second "season", being written and published by Greenville, SC illustrator Cory Godbey on his blog, light night rains. While I'm not generally known as an avid gamer, I have been known to play my share of Kong on an old GameBoy Color, and the comic really captures the feeling of 8-bit color, characters, and environments of Nintendo. Cory has also stepped up the scope, color and humor of the series, which makes it all the more fun!

2. OH, BROTHER! by Bob Weber, Jr and Jay Stephens.

Bob Weber Jr. has been one of my favorite cartoonists since I was a kid, and now he has created a new strip called Oh, Brother! While this strip is being published in the papers, it does have its own website where you can subscribe to the strip, so technically it's a webcomic. The strip focuses on Bud and Lily, a brother and sister who just do kid stuff. Usually Bud gets on Lily's nerves, but they still love each other when it's all said and done. What I love about Weber's style is his simple line work, humor, and layouts. This strip feels like a classic, and I hope it becomes one.

3. COPPER by Kazu Kibuishi
I honestly can't tell you what the setting of Kazu Kibuishi's Copper is, but I do know that one look at these trippy, colorful animated pages, and you will be hooked. Each Copper installment is a whole page devoted to the adventures of Copper and his dog Fred. It seems as though the duo is nomadic; they are never in the same place twice. They explore forests, waterfalls, cities, flying machines, and all kinds of fantastic things. The best part is just getting to pore over page after page of Kibuishi's artwork. It is wonderful, and if you're interested, his site also includes a step-by-step explanation of how he creates his Copper pages. It's a gold mine!

So: go out and read some comics!!

#031 A Winner Every Time!

I just checked my email and was pleasantly surprised by a message from Jake Parker of Agent44.com... I won the Missile Mouse 2009 Giveaway!

Here's what I've won:

1) A signed hardcover copy of Missile Mouse: the Star Crusher.

2) A signed copy of Flight Explorer.

3) A signed print of the cover art for Flight Explorer (13 x 19 in).

4) The original inked art for the back cover to the Star Crusher (11 x 14 in).

Thanks again so much Jake, and I will definitely be loitering around the mailbox for the next few days!

___________________________________

In other news I've just started a new job, which will probably be consuming most of my time before school starts (especially since I'm working 2nd shift - yawn -), so there may not be too many posts for a while, but I'll keep you informed.

Coming Soon (or maybe Later): What I Got for Christmas and What's on My iPod 2010.

#027 Indie Rocker

Farris Filbert just made his debut on Capntrade Records. He is climbing the charts at an alarming rate. As Rolling Stone puts it:

"Farris Filbert sings with verve and emotion... his new record will drive you nuts."

And that's just what it does.
But his mustache makes the chicks swoon.
So: Just in time for Christmas, a great folk-rock record, Nuts to You from brand-new artist Farris Filbert. Grab your copy today!
___________________________
A few random sketches on the back of an envelope.