Pentel Brush Pen

So, I just got this new tool. I've seen many like it, but never tried one.

I think I really like Pentel's Brush Pen because it's refillable. Gets pretty sharp and...

I don't feel like writing.

Image 01. Pentel Brush Pen. Should've unmasked it.

Image 02. Kick-Ass and Caustic.

Image 03. Caustic sneaking around.

Image 04. Bright. First or second try with the new pen.

Image 05. Spideys. No brush pen here.

Image 06. Caustic spread.

Brian the Fro in Once Upon a Time in Chinatown: A Mace Richardson Story

Preliminary scenes from ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINATOWN: A Mace Richardson Story.

Elias and I are very likely not to produce enough pages to get to his appearance, but here are some sketches for Brian the Fro, a character for our contest submission @ ENJAYKWADA. There's also a sketch of Mace's Boss, whom we haven't named yet.

(Did I use "whom" right?)

I apologize in advance for my non-scannerness.

1. Brian the Fro - basic facial sketches.

2. Brian the Fro - expanding the concept.

3. Brian the Fro - more expansion, plus: half-body, mask he wears to hide his insecure gargoyle-ness, and how he gets when he's stressed out.

4. Brian the Fro - detail of frustrated Brian.

5. Mace's Boss - sketch with custom brush; while she doesn't get in on the action in this story, she will sometime.

You know. I'm pretty sure if I wasn't working so much, I would be able to bang out five pages in seven days. 

Damn you, occupational oppression.

The End of the 1UP Show.

The End of the 1UP Show.

To be honest, I have never seen a show about video games that featured people who are just as enthusiastic and critical on video games as I am. The 1UP show was really the only place I could find valid and relatable feelings about video games in all aspects: visuals, audio, story, presentation, innovation, etc. 

I'm really thrown off by Ziff Davis' sale of the 1UP Network to UGO. All UGO has done so far is terminate the jobs of people and personalities that I looked forward to seeing every week. If maybe you don't see the damage I see, then maybe I should list all the people who were laid off in wake of the 1UP sale:

Adrian Frieg
Amy Mishra
Amy Moran
Andrea Garcia
Andrew Fitch
Andrew "Skip" Pfister
Anthony Gallegos
Cesar Quintero
Christina Rosa 
CoyLou Steel
Derek Chinn
Doug Parsons
Eric Ellis
Giancarlo Varanini
Greg Ford
James "Milkman" Mielke
Jason Bertrand
Jason Wilson
Jervilyn Jaramillo
Justin Frechette
Leslie Gelfand
Marci Yamaguchi
Matt Chandronait
May Tong
Meredith Stowe
Michael Donahoe
Monique Convertito
Ndubuisi Madu
Nick Suttner
Norris Boothe
Philip Kollar
Rey Serrano
Robert Bowen
Rosemary Pinkham
Ryan O'Donnell
Ryan Scott 
Shane Bettenhausen 
Simon Cox
Tammy Ross
Tipler Ubbelohde

The names in bold are just names that I remember from watching the show every time it came out.

I wish the best of luck to these people in their ventures. Hopefully, they will still work together and produce something even greater.

So, I will miss the 1UP show in its core form. Will you?

Happy Tomorrow!

So. I was thinking about this as I was trying to sleep the night before. Which, I couldn't.

Everyone celebrates the new year.

I think, all over the world the new year is a time for reminiscing, preparing, and celebrating. 

The Chinese have their own. Why does America celebrate? How do they celebrate?

We huddle together in crowds or groups counting down to the next year. 

Why are we counting down?

We're counting down to the next time I blog.

Some helpful advice from a deviant

By deviant, I mean DeviantArt friend.

He goes by the name E-9 (e-9.deviantart.com) and the main reason I followed him was because of his treatment of ink. Or maybe the way he uses his brush with ink. 

I never really thought to ask about his technique until recently, whjen I saw this image created by him:

http://e-9.deviantart.com/art/FF3-pg-3-102955191

The various nuances and variations in the linework throughout the page really motivated me to ask him about how he works with ink and the whole process of "inking".

bandit-revolver: I'm really admiring the quality of your inking.

When you approach it, what's in your mind? I guess in terms of the process, because when I see my work sometimes, it's kind of like tracing. 

But what's the real goal? Intensifying the work? And if you're inking someone else's work, is there the risk of covering it up with your own style?

This is a long comment.

E-9: I dig long comments that actually require me to analyze myself and my work. So no worries there  

Uhm... well initially when I ink my own stuff I normally don't even finish the linework first because I know what Im going to do with it and I know what HAS to be there before I grab the brush. I try to think about depth of field and shadows as far as where the lines fall on the paper that way if Im given something to ink it doesnt come off too flat. 

Now, when Im given the "go ahead" to just have fun with little no zero guidelines or anything I grab 3 or 4 "custom" brushes so that I don't have 100% control as to what the line will look like when I drag it across the paper. It makes the whole "experience" more therapeutic than a chore or a job to finish. Custom meaning a 01 or 02 "liner" that ill cut up with scissors, yank bristles out of and more than likely NEVER clean. With sumi ink, the dried ink kind of dissolves a little anyway so it doesnt get TOO disgusting.

This particular "style" or "technique"(or lack thereof) works best with organic shapes and forms. Such as folds, people's skin, hair or elements like water or fire. You'll see me not taking half as many liberties or risks when it comes to doing buildings or cars or mechs and junk.

Inking as if you're making a whole new piece of art versus just darkening in whats there DEF makes the outcome for of a visceral experience/ eye work out type of thingthing. Straight up tracing is a skill within its own, but its not HALF as fun/rewarding 

But at the same time, im over-looked/passed up on a lot of projects/make art directors VERY nervous this way. I probably COULD "trace"... but it'd drive me insane doing a whole book like that.

So, I drew a lot of inspiration from what E-9 had to say. Mostly from the parts when he described working with ink as if "making a whole new piece of art versus just darkening in" and "visceral experience". I'm trying to implement those factors into my work, because, I guess it's how I want it to be.

G'nna be a long way there, though. 

Not the dig.

Not digging all this other stuff I have to do.

Not digging all this money I require to live.

I would like to just draw all day. Or a week. Everyday. I'd like to have time to create.

You know, get better and faster at getting the idea down.

Not inspired by the oppression of work and school.

Not at all.

We comes backs.

Decided that I miss blogging.

So! I'm going to start blogging again! This is perfect timing, considering that I just recently got internet in my place again. So yay.

While I will start blogging again, there will be a considerable difference in the way I blog.

Plainly said, there will be more of my artwork, among the rants and such.

So here we go.

I've abandoned my blogs.

I have very good reasons for it (I was lazy). Many an event have passed through the times you (my very invisible viewers) have shared together. It's hard to find a point to start discussing the myriad of happenings from blockbuster-comic-book-adaptations-that-may-or-may-not-satisfy to some of the lackluster (I'm talking to you E3) and spectacular (Thank you, SDCC) conventions of the summer. I suppose it's better to take these one at a time, and make sure you poke and prod every little fault until it cries in it's sleep.

Let's take a wild pick.

Video game special edition t-shirts!

Really. Take a look (if evil-mega-corp GameStop hasn't removed the posters already) at Soul Calibur IV. Namco offered special items only if one reserved the software. There was the regular edition, which was the game and a neat little keychain (if you can squeeze it between the seven Batman keyrings you dangle everywhere); then there was the Limited Edition which included several items including a metal case, art book, a tournament card, and a XL T-shirt.

Most of these extra items are fine (if you like unnecessary junk) except for the T-shirt.

There are some logical reasons to supplying ALL reservations with an XL T-shirt, but, come on, Namco, you're not helping us destroy the stereotype of the gamer. Or nerd. Geek. You know.

There's also the thing about all this fluff in the Limited Edition of Soul Calibur IV. I have bought special/limited editions of games in the past, don't get me wrong. I just don't agree with the practice of packaging a video game with objects that are non-essential or don't enrich the video game's experience. What I believe to be a "healthy" limited edition was Mass Effect's release. It came in the standard metal case, behind-the-scenes DVD, artbook, and a booklet containing histories of certain alien races in the game. It had something for everyone.

I have an idea to improve this whole special edition mess. Include downloadable content cards that can be used to redeem a purchase of one DLC.

That's all I've got.




...What?


If you must know which was the most useless special edition I bought, it was none other than Soul Calibur II on Nintendo GameCube. Limited Edition (printed) painting of Link and an XL T-shirt.

I have not seen those items since the game was released.

Hey! It was an Ivy shirt.

She's got breasts.

I want to join a fight club for my birthday.

So...that Orphan Works Bill.

This concerns artists dealing with visual imagery in communications. Like film, animation, illustrators, graphic artists, etc. It might have to do with you, too, if you enjoy film, animation, illustrations, graphic art, and such.

I wonder if everyone here knows about that Orphan Works Legislation that died around two years ago? I didn't know about it then, but I recently read that the Orphan Works Legislation is up and running again. An orphan work is a copyrighted work where it is difficult or impossible to contact the copyright holder. The bill essentially takes orphaned works and puts them into the public domain, leaving it prey to theft, misused, and such.

There's no art associated with this post, but I just thought it was important for everyone to know.
If you do know about it, then you should probably try to do something about it because it threatens everyone in the illustration, animation, photography---pretty much most artists.

There's a couple of links and stuff if you're interested.

Animation World Magazine.
orphanworks.blogspot.com
Orphan Works|Public Knowledge

You could always just google it yourself, too.

One way you could prevent this from happening is by contacting your senator or something.











GET TO IT!

seacrest out.