Batman Sample Pages

I don't know why it's taken me this long to show these sample pages that I did for FanExpo this past August; actually, that's a lie, I do know: general laziness. I wish my reasons were more romantic or noble but that's just not the case.

I was lucky enough to get reviews from both DC and Marvel editors and I hope to use their constructive critiques to full advantage. Here they are, warts and all.

Art Dump

I've always known that my strengths lie in my line art but that hasn't stopped me from wanting my inking and colouring skills to be just as strong. And I know that the only way I'll get better is with more practice - no easy outs with magic potions, genies with three wishes, or flying robot unicorns (this one would be hella cool if they really existed!). Just practice.

So this art dump is just that: more practice.

Finally broke out the Prismacolor cool grey markers - yay for me!

Aquaman

Nightcrawler

Deadpool

Grifter

Something to Worry About

The latest issue of REAL (Read Everything And Learn): The Canadian Kids' Magazine, Elementary Edition was just released and yours truly has more artwork in it. The story is entitled "Something to Worry About" and it features Willie the Pig who is a constant worry wart and can't understand why all his animal friends are so laissez-faire. They try to tell him to enjoy life and not be so serious until a hurricane shows up at their door and who do you think is the only one prepared? Spoiler alert: it's the pig!

David Cutler also has some kick-ass illustrations in the issue as well as kneeing everyone's eyeballs in the nards with his cover art!

I'd like to tell everybody to go pick up an issue but, sadly, it's only available through subscriptions. Erica, the editor, informs me that she's hoping to get the magazine in bookstores within six months so fingers crossed.

Alice and her Chains - Check for Brains

I had to come up with a print for the Hallowe'en events I'll be attending with Spent Pencils Studios tomorrow (Oct.29) and Saturday (Oct.30).

Of course, the usual ideas of superheroes battling zombies or your favourite hero turning into one of the undead came to mind, but I felt they'd all been done before (and by far more talented artists than me). Since I like drawing pretty ladies there was no question that one would be present and I didn't want her to be afraid but in control of the situation - it didn't hurt that this song came up while I was sketching this out

(please forgive me, Alice in Chains, for the liberties I took with your band name and song title).

And what would Hallowe'en be without a witch?

Scarlet Witch of The Avengers.

ColErase Blue: an affair to remember

Just some random sketchiness to pass the time. The nice thing about drawing Invisible Woman is you don't have to finish if you don't want to -

her powers give you an easy out! :P

Iron Fist was done in the first few hours of FanExpo before I started to get really busy with commissions. He's always fun to draw, especially full-on high collared, ballet slipper-wearing Iron Fist!

Are you going to tell the invincible champion of K'un-Lun that he looks like a sissy?

Yeah, didn't think so.

Zombie studies because I've never drawn them before and I'll be at two Hallowe'en events at the end of the month: Stadium Comics in Brampton on Oct. 29 and Silver Snail in Toronto on Oct. 30 (Click here for details).

Come visit me so I can show off my mad zombie-drawing skillz!

Invisible Woman

Iron Fist

Zombie Studies

ColErase Blue: you complete me

Trying to stay true to my word and updating at least once a week. Just a couple of drawings from my sketchbook continuing my love affair with the blue ColErase pencil.

Hawkman

The Herculoids

The Empty Pot

I did a couple of illustrations for a children's story titled "The Empty Pot".

The Reader's Digest version: the Emperor needs an heir to the throne and decides to hold a contest to see, out of all the boys, who has the greenest thumb; that boy will be his successor. One boy, known by all as the Gardener for his skill with plants, is very excited by this prospect. Seeds are handed out to all the boys, plants are growing steadily except inside the Gardener's pot. Dismayed, he repots the seed, tends to it diligently but to no avail. Judgement day arrives and as the Emperor looks out at all the plants he is not pleased. He spots the sad Gardener with his empty pot, puts his arm around him and declares him to be the new ruler. The Emperor states he is not sure what everyone has grown in their pots for he handed out boiled beans!

It was recently published in REAL: The Canadian Kids' Magazine so now I can say that I'm officially a published artist (I kinda like that... it has a nice ring to it). Now that the issue is out I can show the fruits of my labour. Erica, the magazine editor, has kindly thrown more work my way which I will showcase here once the issue comes out.

This was done in pencil and watercolours.

BLACKSAD

I wanted to do some quick study sketches of Blacksad ( Guarnido's art just makes my eyes rain! ) in my sketchbook and, y'know how sometimes you stumble onto a really fun drawing session and it goes much further and gets more involved than you'd originally intended?

Yeah, this was one of those times!

I very rarely ink my pencils ( translation: NEVER! ) but I thought I'd give this a go. Threw in some ColErase red pencil for good measure.

MEA CULPA & A NEW PROMISE

No, contrary to popular belief, I am still alive and kicking which is more than I can say for this sketchblog! Mea maxima culpa! I wish I could say that my hectic lifestyle just doesn't afford me the time it takes to make the art, scan the art, tweak the art, re-scan the art, and finally post the art. The truth of the matter is that I had grown lazy in updating -- 3 months between entries is inexcusable (That's what she said! ... sorry, I couldn't help myself)!

Well that stops NOW!

Here is my new promise (I figure if it's written down it'll be harder for me to renege on it and anyone from the interweb foolish enough to be visiting this blog can call me on it!):

I promise to update this blog at least once a week with my sketches, scrawlings and sordid samples of silly scribbles

(that last little bit of alliteration was my tip of the hat to Mr. Stan Lee). And if I falter then any of you can call "Shenanigans" on me and hold me accountable. Deal?

The following are the prints I did for FanExpo 2010; it's the annual comic book convention that happens here in Toronto the last weekend of August.

Pencils by yours truly. Inks and colours by Adam Metcalfe.

Rogue

Black Widow and Lady Deadpool

TWO FROGS

Here are some sample pages from a children's book illustration class. The assignment was to take any story ( existing or one we can make up ) and create a children's book; we could choose any medium we liked ( I used watercolours and pencil ) but it had to be a minimum of 24 pages.

You can see from my previous posts that I can draw superheroes easily enough but to draw something cute for little kiddies was more of a challenge; I think I did all right.

I found an old Japanese story about two frogs who live in different towns but want to see more of the world so, at the same time and unbeknownst to each other, leave to visit the other frog's town. There's a moral in there somewhere ... but I'll leave that to you to figure out.

The taller frog on page 13 is looking less frog-like and more Jar Jar Binks-like ( yeah, it kinda got away from me ).

Filipino Heroes

This past Sunday I was invited by Spent Pencils Studios to attend Filipino Fiesta Day in Brampton. The theme for prints was Filipino heroes, past and present.

Here's my version of superhero Darna: she's a warrior from outer space manifesting herself through a girl from Earth. Darna's powers include flight, super strength, super speed and near-invulnerability.

The awesome inks and colours are by Adam Metcalfe. In typical procrastinating artist fashion, I got the pencils to him way late and he still worked his robot unicorn magic!

My pencils of Manny Pacquiao, a Filipino professional boxer, currently the WBO World Welterweight Champion.

Again, inks and colours by Adam Metcalfe. Here he weaves the colours of the Philippines flag into the design... clever boy!

BACK FROM NYC

Ok, I have ignored this space for way too long and that is just unforgivable... and it looks like I'm going to add one more night to that negligence; procrastination is a cruel and wicked mistress!

To ease my mind and create some sense of accomplishment in the update department, here are some scribbles in my sketchbook from a recent trip to New York...

*everybody sing*: concrete jungle where dreams are made, there's nothing you can't do, these streets will make you feel brand new, big lights will inspire you...

THE WRAITH

Our graduating class was given the opportunity by our school to showcase our talents in an anthology. Basically the deal was they would foot the bill for printing as long as we came up with the content. I know what my strengths are and it's definitely not on the writing side of comics ( sitting in my Cinematic Storytelling class trying to come up with the million dollar pitch in 10 minutes was akin to me trying to give spontaneous birth to kittens. Four words: Im. Pos. Si. Ble. ). Thankfully, my classmate Anthony has tons of tantalizing tales swimming in his noggin for me to put my graphite spin on. A simple premise: villianous No-Face is thwarted in his plans to steal the staff of Anubis and rule the world by our hero The Wraith.

JEDI TO-DO LIST: KICK SOME ROBOT @$$

A two page assignment for my Advanced Pencilling class. The scenario: a Jedi finds him/herself up against two robots. The parameters: the Jedi's hair is tied up but during the battle comes loose, at one point the action must take place ascending or descending a set of stairs. Man, those stairs I drew are just pitiful!

Please, just look away!

COLOUR MY WORLD

Just to add some colour to this goulash that is my blog here are some paintings that I don't grimace or cringe at when I look at them. I want to be a better painter

( yes, I know, it's all about practice! practice! practice! but in this world of instant gratification I want to be great NOW! ) ... someday.

LIFE DRAWING

Assorted work from life drawing classes throughout our last year of school -- that's right; it's official! I am now a professional starving artist!

SILVIA SUICIDE

A little taste of colour to cleanse the palate.

I'm still very apprehensive of my colour skills; I know it's all about practice but just bringing myself to do it is the real chore.

Here's my entry into a contest on another site. No one won because it was all a fake!

As Stephanie Tanner (from ABC's FULL HOUSE) would say: "How rude!"