Inspiration 101: Scott McDaniel

When you finally find that thing that you really like, it's natural that you search for better ways to do it so you can improve. In my case, while I was doing Sevenfold, at first it was exciting to get back on the drawing train, but soon I realized that it was taking me too much time to finish a single page, send it to the editor and continue with the next one. I was sleeping just few hours a day and I was having trouble meeting the deadlines. Illustration is always a race against the clock. You have to produce the best art you can within the time frame that you have, and that just means one thing: you need to be organized.

So I started to do some research on the interwebs, trying to find out how other people do it. I know that this is in a great part a labor of passion and love, which believe me I can honestly say that I have, but there had to be better ways to accomplish the task. That is when I stumbled uppon the web site of Scott McDaniel.

Boy did I hit the jackpot.

Scott is a comic book artist that works for DC comics as penciler for Batman, Detective Comics, Nightwing and The Great Ten. Needless to say he is uber talented.

And besides the fact that Scott is an awesome artist, he is a really really great guy. I haven't had the pleasure to meet him in person, but I've talked a couple of times with him through Facebook chat, and he is one of the nicest guys I've ever met. He believes in giving back to the art community, so he has a special area on his website dedicated to help aspiring artists to break into the comic book world where he describes the do's and dont's as well as what does one need to start in this business. It goes from the gear you need, tips for the artist, drawing exercises, the process of making a comic book page, cover and how to meet your deadlines keeping your schedule within reasonable times. In other words, it was exactly what i needed.

I cannot express how helpful Scott's website was to me at that time (it still is!). I learned a bunch of tricks that helped me speed up my drawing process, not sacrifying art quality or even time! One of the coolest things I learned was the use of the Light box (which I will explain how I built mine later). If you would be kind enough to pay him a visit and give him some love. I'm sure you will not regret it. Because probably, just as he says, you are here because you love comics and you love to draw.

You can find him on Facebook and on his website, scottmcdaniel.net

Once armed with better organizing techniques, I continue my journey to polish my process and search for more inspiring ways to produce better art.

Art Jam Numero dos: Ryu

First Ryu ever. Honest.

I went to my favorite Starbucks with my buddy EdsFox for an Art Jam. In my book this means Laptops + Tablets + coffee + good looking women = fun. This is the second time we get together to jam, and the idea is to keep doing it and inspire more people to join us.

While the first time we talked and discussed several subjects related to illustration, we pretty much did our own thing. This time we came up with a set of  rules to make it more interesting:

1. We had only 30 min. to draw
2. We would have to draw the same character. (in this case Ryu)
3. We would have to use the same software (in this case Photoshop CS5)
4. Once finished the sketch, each one had to color each other's drawing.

I tried to draw as fast as I could keeping the lines loose keeping that sketchy look, even though it was being done in Photoshop.

It was fun! Of course we extended the time up to 50 min (just cuz we wanted a little bit more detail, and we didn't finish the color part, but we will continue next week.

Digital Art Process : Nadia

A couple of weeks ago a friend of mine asked me for a commission for her boyfriend. She wanted a comic style portrait of the both of them, and she wanted it as soon as possible, since the dude was returning from a trip in just a week. Normally that would have been plenty of time for a job like this, but I had another project due to that very same date. Time, my old arch enemy was at it again.

Since I had to do it in just a few couple of hours I opted to do the whole thing digitally. I could have done it traditionally with the old pencil and bond paper, I could even have used my newly constructed Light box (which I will tell you all about it later) but, due to the circumstances this was a perfect opportunity to test my recent learned skills in Manga Studio Ex 4 (which you can see in this). So here is the process that I usually follow:

1. Sketch

After the description of the client, the first thing I do is a quick sketch establishing the general position of the characters, in this case my friend asked me for them both to hold cooking instruments in one hand (supposedly this dude cooks like iron chef) and hugging with the other one. This was already the second sketch for the piece since the first one was rejected. Normally I use a blue and red pencil for the initial lines. In Manga Studio I used the Pencil tool in a blue color.

2. Refined Sketch

With the overall sketch authorized I go further with the details (face, clothes, hair, props, etc). I draw on top of the blue lines (as a guide) making finer lines using the Pencil Tool with a black color. Once I have them ready I send them again for authorization.

3. Art line

Usually I try to be objective with my clients and draw them as similar as I can with the comic book style. This is where I have fun, because I tend to draw them super hero or super heroine like. After a couple of little changes here and there I finally have the artline ready for the inking stage.

4. Inks

This was the part where I enjoyed the most of the whole process, because the art becomes solid and very much stands out. I try to respect the thickness of the original lines and use as much as the original pencil art line as I can, redefining and being consistent with how I'm intending to do with the next stage, which is the coloring stage. I used the Pen Tool for most of the curved lines and the Magic Marker tool for the straight lines. Here is where Manga Studio Ex 4 really stood out from the other softwares I have used. It really emulates the traditional tools, with the digital advantages that comes with it (hello multiple Undos).

5. Color

The last stage it is also very fun and challenging at the same time, because you have to decide, which coloring style you are going to use, if you want to give it a comic book style of coloring or a more painting style, or a cartoony style, it all depends on what you have to offer and what the client wants. Here I opted for a Paint style because that is what I'm trying to get better at these days. Color was done in Photoshop CS5.

Everybody has differences on their methods, but basically this process is pretty much it. Of course the more you do it the better you get at it, and I must say that this would have never been possible If I didn't used Manga Studio Ex. This was the first commission (or for that matter the first piece ever) done by me 100% digital. It really saves you time and steps (in the traditional way I would have to make changes on the original artwork and scanned the drawing in order to color it). I recorded myself during the whole thing, so I will post the video later on together with a quick review of the software.

Art Jam Sketching

Just a quick sketch I did while at Starbucks in an Art Jam with a friend. I think her eyes are kind of big, but I don't really mind. Still trying to define a style experimenting.

Also I will try to make it a custom to organize this art jams. It was so edifying to talk with another artist and exchange so much stuff.  Besides it was just a ton of fun.

Digital Sketching on Manga Studio Ex.

Remember I told you about that sweet software Manga Studio Ex? Well i'm getting to know it better and loving it even more. I'm telling you, it is really uber awesome. I'm planning on doing some tutorials in the near future, with the little twitches and specs that I have had difficulty with when doing my artwork, hoping that they help you to solve any problems or doubts that you may encounter too.

In the mean time here it is a quick unfinished sketch using this wonderful software. I'm working on a tutorial, hope to have it soon. This was a the initial concept of a comission, but in the end it wasn't used.

Hands on: Digital Inking in Photoshop CS5

So the search continued.

After seeing the potential and how alive the artwork becomes, it became kind of an obsession to find more and more about this "digital inking" thing. it was imperative that I found out how to get better, and with that comes finding the best tool for the job.

After trying Sketchbook Pro for a while I became sort of comfortable using it. But one thing I haven't experimented on was the sizes of the art boards.  Sure it was fun to use a wide format for sketches but not for an american comic book page format. A comic book page is roughly 11 x 17 inches, although it may vary due to different processes depending on how you like to work (either digitally or traditional) this is the official size. And Sketchbook Pro just doesn't cut it.

Aside from that, I needed to learn, and fast because I was contacted by a client from Deviant Art (my first international commission by the way) to draw a 6 page horror story. I was very exited and had the pencils for the first two pages already finished, but I needed to ink them. I was planning on inking them traditionally, you know as a way of practicing for the real deal, but once again, time is the enemy.

I decided to just dive myself into doing it directly on Photoshop. Like everything else, you just have to go for it. After watching a couple of You Tube Tutorials and a few tricks of my own I managed to ink for the first time a comic book page that resembles the real thing. And to my surprise it wasn't so bad. Here a sample of the finished Page:

And as I said before, I'm very interested in doing video tutorials about all the things that I'm learning, so I can practice and pass on the knowledge to anyone that can benefit from it.

Therefore I give to you, my first digital Inking Video Tutorial :

I hope to get more kick ass as time passes, in the meantime we are just part of the process. 

Sevenfold: Rise and Fall.

Comic book convention came and went, and we had a blast. It was our first experience as creators and being sited on the artist side of the whole thing was simply awesome. Sevenfold is the name of our comic and it was only the beginning of the 2010. -"This is my year"- I thought. This is the year where I come back to life doing what I thought I have forgotten for many years, drawing for a living.

Guess again.

We have had a couple of good talks with some editorial houses and the book was supposed to be selling in major magazine stores and comic book posts here in Mexico, but not just in my city, but in other major cities as well. We had planned to release 6 issues the first year, and if the book was successful, it would came for a second season the following year. We just had to keep working hard to make sure the book got out on time.

But even though we did it every month, for the first 3 months at least, something wasn't working. I don't know what it was, but the book was't selling as we had hoped. Together with mismatched partnerships with the editorial houses (which I'm not gonna name) we hit a wall that we could not evade.

Long story short, on october of that year, we could no longer support making the comic. We released only 3 issues out of 6. I have finished issue no. 4 completely and began issue no. 5. At this point, Ed, the creator of the story and Editor of the whole thing decided it was better to postpone it (indefinitely) than to continue. After all, making comics is a business and Sevenfold wasn't behaving like one.

So much for my big break in comics.

But, same as in life, everything happens for a reason. Something inside me told me it wasn't over, not like that at least. This Sevenfold experience taught me many many things, and the most important one was that I re-discovered my true calling in life. You can disguise it by trying to be something similar, but deep down you know what you are. You just have to be bold and face it.

I decided that moment that I wanted to become an artist, a comic book artist, no matter what, and I set myself to design a plan in order to do so.

Deadlines

In illustration as well as in anything, time is on the essence. Never trust the deadline day because you will not make it. As a colleague recently pointed out, being too light handed on yourself and your time management will bite you in the arse if you are not careful.

Right now I have a deadline to meet, that is why I haven't posted anything in a couple of days. But I will get to it, trust me.

I leave you with a little image of one commission I have to deliver in two days. I'll tell you all about it later.

Hands on: Sketchbook Pro

A while ago, when I was looking for means to digitally improve my drawings. In this journey I came across some very interesting software mentions in a couple of different blogs and podcasts. Of course there was always Photoshop and Painter as top artists choices to acomplish any task. As my investigation continued, I began to hear (or read rather) some other alternatives to those programs that not many people know about.

I was watching a live stream of Scottie Young, amazing artist that you should already know, and someone asked him what software was he using.  -"I do most of my sketching in Sketchbook Pro "- he said. He can produce some serious art with that software, it most be worth the watch. So I got it as soon as I could and started to use it with my Wacom Tablet. These quick sketches were actually my first attempt to digitally ink anything at all.

They suck I know.

Needless to say it takes a while to get used to the program, but it can be of great assistance for several reasons. It feels very natural, very real like pencil brushes, as well as other tools like the marker or the pen brush. I have seen it been used on the creation of concept art for cars and other vehicles. I have used it in the creation of logos, and some cartoon characters. 

Here are some other examples of things done in Sketchbook Pro, after using it a few times, it gets easier.

 

And of course, the crown jewel is the Legend of Zelda Tribute, but I can't show you that one just jet. 

It is a good software overall, I haven't fully explore it yet but I recommend you to check it out if you can, you might find it useful for the daily sketching. It just occurred to me this moment to make some video tutorials trying out all the different programs that I use to sketch of to make final art. I think it could interesting.

The Comic Book Convention

Here in my hometown, ever since I was old enough to admire comics in more than a semi-serious kind of way, I remember that I always wanted to go to The Comic Book Convention. It takes place twice a year and it was a really exciting event to attend to. In the beginning it was very small and modest, but later on it got bigger and... not so much better. Anyway. The point is that I never really imagined that I would be on the other side of those booths, the artists side of the convention.

Fast forward to March 2010, the weekend of my birthday to be exact. That was the day all the work and effort that we had put in the project paid off. We had completed the 1st issue of Sevenfold: Legends in War. It had been a very short period of time to put together a comic but we did it. Sure it had many many things that could have been improved, but even then, the important thing was to start. Surely enough, as in many things in life, everything should get better as time pases.

One thing I should point out, was the fact that this comic was the first experience for every person in the team, so it was bound to have many flaws and room for improvement. With that being said, I was never happy with the way it was colored, I was only responsible for the pencils and the character design in the book, but in the overall development, I think it was a decent job under the circumstances.

I know this is a blog about the process of making art, so here are some pics of that day, which was kind of important to realize several thins about the business, its people and my future as an artist.

 

 

Also, I have never mention before this, but if you have any questions or comments about anything at all, please don't hesitate to do so. I would love to know what you think, even it if I have to wait for a while.

The Legend of Zelda 2nd Teaser

Where is Navi now?

It's not my intention to keep you guys on the edge waiting and waiting for the finished piece... (or is it?). I have already finished the inks on the whole piece, I just need to make myself enough time to put the colors into it. Again, in the mean time here is another teaser of the process, which I will make a complete post once is ready.

To be honest this is the first time I draw Link and I really liked the result. I'm hoping the colors will really make it come alive.

Everything you need to know about the Legend of Zelda here.

Issue No. 1.

The main characters for the first Issue of my first comic project were authorized. I was getting to like the story a lot, it involved mythical creatures, angels demons and some other cool stuff. It was time to really get back on the horse. The truth was, I haven't drawn anything before that point for the past 5 or 6 years (I got into being an art director for an Advertising Agency, [pretty good one too]) and I was pretty rusty. But I had the will and the desire to do this. I started right in penciling the pages based on story boards drawn by some one else, so it saved me some time. Time, it seemed, was a resource artists do not have the luxury of.
It was only one week after I had completed only 2 or 3 pages when Ed, the writer of the comic told me:
-Dude, I got us a spot on the Comic Book Convention!- Great! I thought. But that's in March, meaning 2 months from now. And we dont have a comic book yet...

The Horror.

So I got into hyper speed mode, sleeping just enough hours and drawing the rest of the time. It was here where I really grasped the mechanics of what I lacked or better yet what I needed to improve in order to be able to do this faster and more practical. But in the mean time, it was draw or die. And I'm still here.

These are some of the first pages of Issue 1. I can't believe it was a year ago, there are many many mistakes that I see now, but right then and there that was my 110% all the way. I'll tell you more about the process of drawing the comic pages and how that process has improved dramatically since then.