Devil or Angel?

Just a quick post before I head out to MegaCon for the day. This is another rough from my sketchbook while enjoying my morning pot of coffee. Still playing with the look of the girls, but I think I am close. This is color pencil, hi-lighter marker, and ink in my sketchbook.

I hope everyone is enjoying the weekend! I'll be back tomorrow.

Just a little rough around the edges

Sketch, sketch, sketch. Here are some various roughs from my sketchbook that I have digitally put on one page. I am working on a specific idea here and trying to nail down the style and body type for the character(s). So doodling over and over is the best way to find what I am looking for.

One of the battles I have with myself about my artwork is about style. I personally don't see a specific style even though others have said they can pick my artwork out easily. I also bounce around between the idea of doing simple or complex. Realistic or cartoony. I think it's because I have such a wide interest in other styles I get caught up in it. I also attribute this issue to my work in the higher education textbook field.

When I first started doing that work, back in 1992, so much of the old art was being redone as digital files for newer editions. If only the printed art was available, not the original, I would have to recreate the previous artists style. That continued as editors liked a specific style and would send samples of what they wanted. I would then mimic the art for an entire book. Doing that for a dozen plus years has pulled me in a lot of directions.

Over all I think it is a positive. My tastes in art run pretty wide, and even when I don't particularly like an artist or their style, I can appreciate the effort and vision. I don't think I have ever thought someone's work just sucked, for lack of a better term. Well, maybe that one artist. You know the one. ;)

If anyone is going to be at MegaCon tomorrow, I will wondering around too. See if you can spot me. It will be a "Where's Gene" kind of thing. :) Have a good weekend everyone!

So you wanna get rough, eh?

I've put together some of the roughs I did for the latest rounds of sketches. Not all are represented though. I tend to put down ideas at any given time in my sketchbook and that's what these are. Other sketches were done right on the final board or as roughs on 11" x 17" copy paper. The sketchbook ideas had to be scanned, enlarged and printed out at final size to light table them. This is why I have them all ready to go here. Hope you all enjoy!

BaliHa'i Girl T-Shirts

This is a bit of early news. As some of you may remember I did the above art in black and white to be used on a diving watch (BaliHa'i) produced by the Tiki Trading Company LLC. Since the artwork was revealed, the nice folks at TTC have been getting requests for the art on other items. And here it is. I'm not sure about the time table for the shirts and other items but I will announce it here when they are available. You can also check their website from time to time. The link is in my Recommended Sites on the right.

The color art was created in Adobe Illustrator and then exported to Photoshop to present it here.

Dream Girl & Wonder Girl

Today is a double shot of Conventionless Convention Sketches. And this wraps it up as well. First up is Dream Girl, member of the Legion of Super-Heroes. As always, I really enjoy drawing the Legionnaires. And unfulfilled dream of mine is a chance to draw the Legion of the 1960s or the 1970s. Ah well.

Next up, another favorite of mine, Wonder Girl. I really don't know the Donna Troy of today's comics, but I loved the Wonder Girl of the original run of the Teen Titans. Artist Nick Cardy could do no wrong as far as I am concerned, especially when he drew Wonder Girl. Thanks to Tim for both of these commissions. Both are ink on 11" x 17" Canson bristol board.
That wraps up the Conventionless Convention Sketches for now. Thanks again to everyone who commissioned art and to those that stop by with the kind words. The next round of sketches will probably be at HeroesCon in June!

Since I have been posting so many finished pieces, I'm going to start sharing some rough sketches and ideas over the next few days and sometime next week I will be starting a commissioned painting of the HERCULOIDS!

The Legion of Super-Villains

Saturn Queen, Lightning Lord and Cosmic King are the founding members of the Legion of Super-Villains. Maybe. It depends on how old you are or how far back you have read comics. This rendition is a mix of different costumes and looks from different time periods. A very fun piece to do since I am such a Legion fan. Thanks to Tyler for this commission! This is ink on 11" x 17" Canson bristol board.

Tangled tartan!

Today's offering was requested by Royce. He asked for a red haired Scottish lass and mentioned he owned Scottish terriers. Instead of a bar maid or renaissance dressed lass, I went with a young lass walking her dogs. Which meant I needed to figure out quickly how to draw the terriers. But I think it worked out nicely. I believe this one will make a nice print sometime soon. Then we can actually make the poor girl a red-head. Thanks Royce for this commission and the Lady Blackhawk too. This is ink on 11" x 17" Canson Bristol Board.

We are starting to wind down on the list. Tomorrow I will post a Legion of Super-Villains piece, featuring the three founding villains, and then there will be two more after that I will finish and post. In addition to those pieces, three more pieces will be done this week but I'm afraid those won't be posted here. I had planned on 20 sketches by the 26th, but it ended up 28. Still should hit the mark though.

And a reminder I will be wandering the aisles of MegaCon on Saturday. I have already been contacted about meeting up with people who want to see the original art that I am bringing. And a couple that are picking up their requests at the show instead of me shipping them. So anyone interested, just send me an email and let me know.

Red Sonja!

Today's post is Red Sonja. I have drawn and painted this character several times and I do not get tired of it.  This Conventionless Convention Sketch is for Eric. Thanks Eric for this and yesterday's Cavewoman! This piece is ink on 11" x 17" Canson bristol board.

MegaCon is next weekend. And while I am not going to be a guest and set up, I will be wandering the convention on Saturday. I will be bringing a portfolio of  original artwork, mostly pin-up. I hadn't thought about doing that until someone asked. So, if you will be at MegaCon on Saturday Feb 28th, and you might be interested in purchasing something, send me an email and we can make plans. Or just look for me at the convention.

Cavewoman!

Just the sketch to start off the weekend: Cavewoman doing a little spear fishing. Thanks to Eric for this commission! And as always, this is ink on 11" x 17" Canson bristol board.

Have a good weekend everyone!

Tomorrow: Red Sonja!

Lady Blackhawk!

I believe this my first attempt at Lady Blackhawk. I can't recall being asked to draw her before. Don't know why, this is a fun character to draw. Thanks to Royce for this request. This is ink on 11" x 17" Canson bristol board. Keep 'em flying, boys!

Tomorrow: Cave Woman!

Abby - NCIS

I don't watch NCIS but when Terry suggested one of the characters from the show, I did a quick Google search. Let's see, cute, brainy, forensic science-goth girl in short skirt and low cut top...Okay, I'm in! While not even attempting to do an exact likeness, I think I managed to get her look down. Thanks to Terry for the commission and for this cool trip into a character look I haven't done since working on the BeGoth comics a couple of years ago. This is ink on 11" x 17" Canson bristol board.

The Snow Queen

Today's offering is The Snow Queen from DC Comics title Fables. I have been wanting to read Fables for quite some time but just haven't gotten to it. I hear a lot of good things about it. The James Jean covers alone are worth the price of admission. Thanks to Ben for the commission! This is ink (and brush) on 11" x 17" Canson Bristol Board.

There are no bras in space!

In the title of the post today, I'm paraphrasing something that Carrie Fisher has said she was told by Lucas. But for our purposes here at the blog, there is a space bra. Yes, digitally added. Thanks to Jon for today's Conventionless Convention Sketch. As I told him, if I get asked to draw Leia, it's always the metal bikini, so this was a change that I really enjoyed. Thanks again Jon!

The slave Leia obsession is something I find interesting. Seems you had to be a certain age when you saw her for it to have the impact. When Return of the Jedi came out, I think I was just past that age. While I remember her in the outfit, that's really it. I have friends a few years younger than me that remember that part of the movie very fondly. ;) I also find it interesting that Leia seems to have become the "real" person. I have never heard anyone say "Remember when Carrie Fisher wore that metal bikini?" or "Carrie Fisher looked hot in the slave outfit". It's always about "Leia". I wonder how many other characters have made that leap in pop culture?

A couple of other tidbits this piece made me think about: I remember seeing the original title "Revenge of the Jedi" on posters around the San Fernando Valley. They were teasers and this was before the title was changed for a more positive tone. Also, it was around 1983 that I worked for a liquor store that was part of a chain of 43 stores in the L.A. area. My store was in Toluca Lake and our house accounts included Universal Studios, The Burbank Studios (as Warner was known back then) NBC, CBS, Bob Hope, and a wide variety of stars, both young and old. I met a lot of stars while I worked there. It was at the store that I met Debbie Reynolds (Leia's mom, er, Carrie's mom). I helped her plan a party and delivered everything to her house. I went back to her house a few more times while I worked for the store. She was a very nice woman. In her stage shows, she would introduce herself as Princess's Leia's mom. I find that very funny. :)

Redline - The Sequel!

Thanks to Jonathan for a chance to visit again with his creation, Redline! The workout out bag gag was conceived by him as well. I don't think I want to hold the bag for her when she is working out, that's for sure. Thanks again to Jonathan for the fun commissions and the chance to do my take on his character. Good luck with the web comic too. Let us know when it is up! This is ink on 11" x 17" Canson Bristol Board.

Tomorrow: Princess "I'd rather kiss a Wookie!" Leia.

Tigra!

I don't think I have actually read a comic that Tigra was in, but I really do enjoy drawing her. This is the last of the commissions for José. Hopefully this is a big finish. And as before, this one has digital clothing added. Thanks again to José for the fun commissions. This is ink on 11" x 17" Canson Paper.

It's Valentines Day, and while it's not a true holiday, it should remind us all that we don't need to have one day in February to remember to treat our loved ones special. It's something we should do everyday. Enjoy!

Vampirella

I think this is the first Vampirella I have posted here. That's kind of interesting. Well, leave it to José to fix that oversight. He commissioned this piece with one exception. She only has her boots on in his version. For the blog I have digitally drawn in her costume. I'm a stinker. :) Thanks José for another fun piece to do! This is ink on 11" x 17" Canson Bristol Board.

The last few days have been busy beyond belief. I think the crazy pace is over for a while, so I will be working on more than one sketch a day next week. Doesn't mean I will post two a day. Gotta have some in reserve. :) Have a good weekend everyone!

Valkyrie!

Posting late today. Had a full day of work and not one thing I could show. But thanks to José, we do have something to show. Valkyrie in an outfit she wore for a while in the 1970s. Thank goodness, because I am never happy with the metal cones outfit when I draw it. :)

This is ink on 11" x 17" Canson Bristol Board. Thanks again José!

The Amazon Princess

Today we have Wonder Woman. José asked for a regal version of the Amazon Princess and I was happy to comply. Thanks to José for this, the first of four commissions. :)

This is ink on 11" x 17" Canson Bristol Board.

Redline

Conventionless, Convention Sketches almost always have a least one creator owned character in the batch. And Redline is it in this one. Jonathan commissioned me to do my take on his character. I don't know a lot about her, other than a style sheet he sent, but she seems to be a member of the Chicago Special Police. And she appears to have some super speed powers. Hence the name. She is more action woman than vixen, so I thought her pointing the business end of her sidearm at some perp was appropriate. This is ink on 11" x 17" Canson Bristol Board. Thanks again Jonathan!

Gotham Double Header!

Brian's sketch requests took us back to Gotham City. Both the comic book version and the 1960s BATMAN series version. 

First up is my shot at Julie Newmar as Catwoman. Normally I stay away from likenesses in sketches because they are more difficult. To do a likeness, I normally do several drawings of the person, getting an understanding of the features and what to accentuate. Brian gave me the option of doing this or the 1970s comic version of the character. I went with the tougher one because that is the way I roll. :) Overall I think I got her look down enough to make her recognizable. The costume helps a lot too. She is a stunning woman, even to this day.

Second up is Harley Quinn. Every so often I get a request for her and I always find myself drawing her doing something comical. It's a knee-jerk reaction. Only if someone says they want a sexy Harley does my brain click on for that image. Or if Poison Ivy in in the shot with her, then my brain goes into overdrive. ;) So once again, Harley in a silly situation.
Both pieces are ink on 11" x 17" Canson Bristol Board. Thanks again to Brian for the commissions. It's always fun to visit Gotham. 

Space Girl

For his second commission, Jeff asked for a retro space girl. If I get to draw a cute girl with a rocket pack, a bubble helmet, and a ray gun, I am so there! Thanks again Jeff for a pair of fun commissions.

Next: Catwoman! Same Bat-Time, Same Bat-Channel!

The Dragon Lady

I have to admit I have not read any of Milton Caniff's work in it's entirety. Just bits and pieces that show up in various magazines. But that doesn't mean I'm not familiar with the some of the characters. Today's post is The Dragon Lady from Terry and the Pirates. Now I am no Caniff and I won't even try to imitate his wonderful line work, so this is my take on the character. I tried for seductive, aloof, graceful and powerful. Hopefully this comes through. Thanks to Jeff for this commission. Jeff commissioned two pieces so I will have another to share.

The Enchantress

I'm not that familiar with Marvel Comics' Enchantress, but I have drawn her a few times. I like her design. Something I didn't really notice before but there are quite a few Marvel characters that wear this type of head/hair gear. Polaris, Scarlet Witch, Storm (though smaller), etc. Kinda like all the headband wearing characters over at DC in the 60s. :)

This is ink on 11" x 17" Canson Bristol Board. Also, this is the second and last sketch for Tim. Thanks again Tim!

Today is the last day to get in on the sketches. You can either contact me directly or drop by my eBay listing here.

Have a good weekend everyone!

Wonder Woman

Good morning! I was up late (or early, I guess) so I can post early. Today's sketch is Princess Diana of Paradise Island, aka, Wonder Woman. I know, it's not called Paradise Island anymore, but if you ask the guy or gal on the street where Wonder Woman is from, you will either get a response of " I don't know" or "Paradise Island". So I am sticking with that. :) Thanks to Tim for the commission. This is ink on 11" x 17" Canson Bristol Board.

Quick item: I will be posting to Twitter some iPhone pictures of the art as I create it. They won't be high res scans but you will get a peek at what I am working on at that time. The link for my Tweets is on the right side of the blog.

Another item: Feel free to click on the Google Ads that appear at the top of the blog. You don't have to buy anything and it is not some kind of scam. It's just ads that are supposed to add some revenue to the blog. So far in the last year I have earned $5.00. :)

Tomorrow: Marvel Comics' Enchantress! (Also, thanks to Tim!)

Johnny Storm, The Human Torch!

This is the first of the Conventionless Convention Sketches. Today is the Human Torch. Thanks to Thomas for the commission! Ink on 11" x 17" Canson Bristol Board.

For anyone interested, I still have some spots on the sketch list. Here is the eBay link. Or contact me directly.

Tomorrow: Wonder Woman!

Kitty and Lockheed

This is just a little rough I played with today. I used a marker to make it a bit darker for the digital camera. I may take this to a finished piece sometime.

But in the meantime, I have a stack of Conventionless, Convention Sketches to dig into. Starting tomorrow I will begin sharing.

Supergirl & the Super Pets - Finished

Here she is finished, Supergirl and the Super Pets riding a comet. This was done with ink and brush (a touch of Microns) on 11" x 17" Strathmore Bristol Board.

Regarding the Conventionless Convention Sketches, I have had more than a few people ask about this so: Anyone who wants to deal directly with me, bypassing eBay completely, is more than welcome to. Some people prefer to use eBay and that is fine with me as well. Thanks!

Conventionless, Convention Sketches! - The Return

Once again I am opening up the sketch list. I will not be attending MegaCon in Orlando as a guest this year, and HeroesCon is still months away, so it is sketch time. There will be a total of 20 offered again. The past sketches were a lot of fun and I'm sure there is fun to be had again. Thank you all for your support!

Here is the link: Conventionless Convention Sketches

Congrats to the Pittsburgh Steelers!

Just a quick post to say "Yay Steelers!" What a game. Both teams were giving it their all. At the end of the first half I though the Steelers were just gonna roll right over the Cardinals. Then it looked like the Cards were gonna roll over the Steelers. Nail bitting close and exciting game.

I will be back this afternoon with another post.

Super Bowl Cutie

Just a little Super Bowl cutie from the sketchbook today. The Super Bowl is right across the bay from us and we have been experiencing some of the crowds and excitement. It's kinda funny to see local places hosting national TV shows.

On Wednesday, my wife let me know that someone at her office had a pair of tickets to the game. They cost $5700 for the pair. She was letting me know in case I knew anyone who wanted to buy a couple of tickets. It was in section 143, row M 13 & 14. If you click on this link for Raymond James Stadium and click on section 143, you can see a photo of the view. Sorry for not mentioning it sooner for those here that might have been interested. ;)

Today the paper stated that private jet reservations are down. Over at Tampa International they have closed a secondary runway to use as a parking lot for the 300+ private jets there. That number is down from the 430 here for the 2001 Super Bowl. St. Pete/Clearwater has over 200. Down by 50. Tampa Executive has 40-50 parked there. So including the other surrounding airports, there are about 750 private jets here. Down more than 1,250 from 2001. I guess the economic woes are hitting the jet setters too.

Go Steelers!