Daily Sketch Clautijeras

Daily sketch.

Daily sketch Dump

For the past 2 weeks I've set myself a daily goal, that is to produce a daily sketch with a semi Convention look as warmup for the day, using Copics™ and inks, and to do it under an hour time. I think it is a fair goal and sometimes is hard to keep up, but at least during the week I've been able to do it. And I aim to keep doing it, because I slowly see improvement.

Right now I'm using my friends as subject matter, its easier for me and I give it as a present for them. I feel that having the capacity for art is a responsibility, and I want to give back something to all the people that have been good and kind to me. In this way I practice and they get something that hopefully will last for a long time, so everybody wins.

If you like my work and you are interested in a commission, please send me an e mail so we can work something out.

Here is what I've got so far, from now on I will try to post one daily.

Darth Elle

Sister

Seederal

Dropper

Chango Chango

Tatiana

Jennie Pi

Vicky Quiro

Carlo Barberi's Workshop

So this weekend I was invited by my good friend elmudo to a comic book workshop. This was specially cool because the artist that was giving the workshop was Carlo Barberi which in case you didn't know is a killer artist, who has worked on many titles for both marvel and DC. And he is also from my hometown of Monterrey, Mexico which makes him even more badass.

Joking aside, it was very insightful to speak and receive advice from another professional, because as you should know, every artist experience is different, regardless on how many years they have been working in the industry, everybody has a different story on how they broke into comics and how to say relevant, produce excellent work and still have a life outside the drawing board (or at least trying to ).

It is my personal opinion that every workshop, every little chat and every porfolio review, every chance you get to speak with a person that is clearly better than you is, is always enlightening because every time you learn something that you didn't know, or you didn't think you know. Is in this occasions that you actually get better because you are forced to act on the spot, trying to get the better part of your work and getting good advice at the same time.  In a way it is kind of what they are teaching us at the Kubert School, but as I mentioned before, every artist has a different story.

And one more very important thing is the people you know in these sort of gatherings. You never know who are you gonna end up chatting with, they might just end up being really good people and you never know, may be very good friends for life. And in this business connecting with other peers and colleagues is as important as the ability to draw.

So if you ever get the chance to attend to one of these workshops don't hesitate to do so. That might be your first step in the right direction.

Rock on my friends... y arriba Monterrey!

Death of a Superhero

 Death of a superhero assignment for Narrative art. This was actually my final assignment for Adam Kubert's class. In this assignment we had to show the death of a superhero without actually showing the super hero.

Thumb and roughs

Pencils

Inks

There is actually a couple of things that are not so hidden on the image, but I put them just to give hints of who was it that I killed before I placed the title.

Larger versions: Pencils [here] and inks [here] 

Closing the Gap

Ever since I decided to do everything in my power to become a better artist, I've tried to help anyone that wants to pursue the same career path. I think that you can always learn something from somebody, if it is someone that is just beginning or someone that has been in the game for a while. You simply cannot say that you are an accomplished artist that knows what the deal is.

And specially when I talk to people that are starting at this, they seem to share a little bit of sene of disappointment at the beginning, because you are dying to produce awesome-jaw-dropping-juicy-delicious art that can inspire other people, and the fact is that, at least for the first years you will try your best to do so, only to find out that, for the most part your are not completely satisfied with your work. This can be frustrating, believe me I know, we all have been there.

That is why when I found this video, somehow it just clicked with all the right words and in the right tone. From now on I will have a solid message to share with all of my friends and future artists, because this is what it is all about.    

This is an excerpt of a longer interview made to Ira Glass, an american public radio personality, and host and producer of the radio and television show This American Life.

So here it is: http://vimeo.com/24715531 

And here is part 3 of 4 parts of the whole interview.

Wolverine - Elektra

We don't ever see Wolvie smoking anymore.

Wolverine Pages

These are pages done for an assignment for school. It was based on a Wolverine / Elektra script.

Thumbs

Full size roughs

I'm still experimenting with several techniques to find out wich way is faster and better. This time I used Google Sketch up for some of the backgrounds and objects. I still have to lightbox them and put my spin to it. I found out that this Google sketch up is useful just for some things.

Pencils and Inks 11x17" bristol pages.

 

Hope you dig. Wolverine, Elektra and The Hand are trademarks of Marvel.

Back to Monterrey

Our boy Hulk saying hi to Monterrey

Well, my first year at the Kubert School is officially done, and I can honestly say that it has been quite a journey. From the moment I put a step on the the classroom to the moment I was trading sketches with my friends the last day of school. It was a mixture of emotions and feelings.

But, putting all the emotional stuff aside, now I'm on vacations. It has been a while since I had long summer vacations (heck, it has been a while since I was a student too), so I came back all the way to my hometown of sunny Monterrey, up north in Mexico. I was very glad to see my family and my friends again, one day at the time, since they all their regular 9 to 5 jobs. Now the question is, how am I gonna keep being busy producing art, without slacking or procrastinating too much?

By being awesome, that's how. That and coffee. Lots and lots of coffee.

My plan is to keep drawing as much as I can. So far I have only done a couple of sketches just to keep my fingers warm. On a more serious note, I already talked to a couple of friends and started rolling the dice with one project in particular. My friend Mudo Vazquez has a really cool story that we have been trying to put together for a while, and now it seems like the perfect time to do it. My goal is to finish one whole issue of the story from scratch, designing the characters and everything, kind of what I did with the only book I have worked on that was published here in Mexico  [link], the difference is that hopefully I have learned a thing or two since that time and it will keep me practicing until next semester starts.

Also, keep my internet presence more active, updating the blogs and the Facebook thing constantly. I know that its easier say it than do it, but it helps to put it down on paper as a reminder.

I'm planning to be open for commissions too in case some one is interested. Shoot me an e mail, we'll work something out.

Keep rocking that pencil my friends.