Light at the end of...

So, I might get to do a monthly web comic. Not the one that I wrote and drew, though. Some novelist is looking to publish a short story before her novel comes out and we've been talking this week. I did a test drawing for her, but not of one of her characters, but of the style she wants to comic to be in.

If I get the job it doesn't pay extremely well, but it is consistent and she seems very legitimate, so I'm looking forward to getting the work. I actually haven't gotten any paid work, since I did this design for a new character. Plus, its going to be consistent sequential work, so I'm happy about that.

I'll post as soon as know if I get the job.

Super Hair Cover

I'm kind of in the middle of projects in a way. The Super Hair project is finished, as for as the art goes. I need to finish lettering the pages and then Mike is going to tweak the dialog to fit better on my art. I'm not so good and making the images work with the lettering, so Mikes going to help by working with my art to make the lettering fit. I think it takes real talent to be able to change dialog to work with art and still keep the story you want, rather than making the art work with the dialog. I should be able to do it, but there was so much going on in each panel that I couldn't fit it all in and still leave room for the entire dialog. Sorry Mike. I sent my web comic to Zuda and I'm hoping to hear from them in the next two months, as that is the amount of time they have to get back to me, per their agreement. If they don't like it I'm planning to submit it to a few websites that host web comics. I'd really like Zuda to except it, but I like the story and since I'm writing it and doing the art I can do it anyway I want. So far, from the what people I've shown it to are saying, it looks to be a good formula for a web comic and should keep people interested. The format is in an eight page sequence, so I really can't post a page every week. I have to post eight pages at a time for the formula to work correctly.

So, what do you all think of the cover. Leave a comment and give me your thoughts. The styles a little different from what I normally draw in and the five pages I've drawn are in the same style. I'll be sending it to Image Central for review.

New Mutants

This was for the Ten Ton Sketch challenge. I know you're thinking I said I'd be doing more sequential pages instead of sketch challenges, but that's still true. I'm about to do a cover for the new book that Mike and I are doing and I needed some practice with pinups. So, did this sketch as a worm up.

Selling my art

I just started selling my art on line. You can see the link to your right, Buy Original art. Here is one of the pieces from there. I don't think I've ever posted this up here before, so it's old, but new to you.

I've just finished my first web comic. I finished eight pages, fully colored and lettered by me. I have been working on it for so long, I can't even remember. I have some minor things to correct and I'll be shopping it around to Zuda, Shadowline, Image Central, etc.

I'm also working on the other comic with Mike called "Super Hair". It's about super-heroes and how ridicules it can be when you put the paparazzi in the mix. It's funny and my art hasn't looked better, not to be vain or something. I'm just saying the style is a little goofy, but seems to work better than some of the other stuff I've done.

Super Hair

Me and Mike are working on another project, which was for the Comic Challenge from Platinum, but we couldn't get a fully realized project finish in four days. So, we'll pitch to Image or some other studio when we finish it.

The sketch I've included is one of the characters called Insomniac.

Page 2

Here is the second page to the challenge I was doing. I'm working on something different for a few more days, so I'll get back to this challenge later. I found out that the Comic Book Challenge for Platinum studios doesn't require you to go to SDCC, but I only just started an idea for the challenge, so I might not be able to finish it in time. I've only just finished half a page and I have two others to do after, a synopsis and a video pitch.

I'll post what I get done, so you can see what I was able to accomplish is three days.

Sequential page

I did this for fun. I wanted to branch out from what I'm working on, because sometimes you need a break. This is a sequential challenge at ten ton and since I stopped doing sketch challenges I figure this would be a nice break.

Things to come

So the art classes have ended--for now. It was a pretty cool two weeks of classes and I had fun. I think I'll try to give people more notice before starting them, because the number of people in class was a bit inconsistent. If anyone is interested in classes in the future, just let me know and I can let you know when I'll be doing it again.

Here are some sneak previews of what I'm working on. Nothing I can really talk about right now.

Tue class

Class was a little smaller on Tuesday, but I figure since it was a holiday people are out of town or busy. We studied character concepts and design. I did take photos of the work again, but I'm posting them on a site give to the students that come that week.

Fri Class

Here are the images I drew during class today. This class again studied one character and how to draw him in a comic strip. Next week we'll work with another type of character and do something similar. I'll try to plan out the class so I can give hand outs so you can work at home too.

Josh

Starting to teach classes

I'll be teaching classes this summer for "Beginning Comic Book Illustration" and I'll be having classes two days a week. I will be creating a new blog to update every weeks class outline and updates for students to check. For now, I'll be just having everyone check this website for updates until I can get a new blog started.

I'm going to setup a paypal account so that students can pay for classes online and get registered for classes that way too.

The email I have listed on this blog is fine to email me about questions you may have.

Thanks,

Josh

Charlton Heston

I've been keeping myself busy with all kinds of cool projects. I wish I could post what I'm doing, but not able to yet. I did a character design for a company and they might have me do a small comic for the character and I'm working on a top secret project that might become a web comic.

I have also decided not to enter anymore sketch challenges, unless there's money involved, so I can work more on sequential art. I posted up my art on comic space and I noticed I have a whole lot of sketches, pinups, and covers, but very little work with sequential pages. So, you'll be seeing more sequential work from me hopefully shortly.

Card

I've been busy at work on different projects. One of which you see the image from below, but not able to talk about it as of yet. I'm doing doodles for an idea for a web comic and I got some good feedback from a screenwriter friend on the formula for the web comic, so I'm looking forward in completing it. I'm still working on a pitch with Mike for an idea he came up with. I've only finished two pages so far, because I'm kind of busy doing commissions on other small projects.

I hope to have something good to tell you once I can finish one of these projects, so stay tuned.

Tutorial

I thought I'd do tutorial on making a pinup this time.

So, I had in my head a loan girl and her pet Saber Tooth Tiger. Naturally I referenced the character and her landscape. So, I figured Africa would be a good reference to start. I referenced a normal tiger, but I made a lot of changes to make him look cooler. A normal tiger doesn't really look they way I drew it.

I found a really nice image of grass that I used as a reference as well.




When I started the pencils I was thinking only of design and the pose. No details. When I started inking I thought a little more pencil work was needed for the grass, but they were still pretty rough and from there I started inking. I added all the shapes and line work when I inked it, but only because I know what I wanted when I started. If I'm not sure, I'll tighten up my pencil work and then ink it.

I inked the boarder first, then started inking the grass, her boot and the tiger, etc. I moved my way up and then finished it off by doing the clouds and mountains.


I hope this was somewhat interesting to you.

Thanks for reading.

Tommy Girl

This was a commission requested a few days ago. It's supposed to be a t-shirt later. The guy just requested a school girl with a tommy gun, dead guys around her, and white roses. I thought it was a cool combinations and he likes it.

Willow page

"Sometimes I need a break from work I'm doing. Normally I can just sketch something, but I want to do more sequential pages, so when I found the art contest for a single page over at the Blueline Boards I couldn't resist."

I said the above over at another board and didn't want to retype it here. This week I'm going back to work on coloring and more page work on the new project I'm doing with Mike. This time he came up with the idea and it's pretty fun doing something without the story going on in my head while I'm drawing it. Normally I'd be think of other plots and whatnot while drawing, but Mike is taking care of all that, so all I have to do is the art.

Willow sketches

I found a challenge on the Blueline boards about a character designed on the boards by a guy named Clayboy. Really cool design and the contest is one page sequential, so I thought I could fit that it my schedule. I'll post when I'm done.

The pitch we sent to Image Shadowline was rejected, but there are still other prospects. I'm looking into getting a colorist to work on the rest of the pages while I work on yet another pitch that Mike and I want to do.

Wolverine

I inked and colored this piece for the no prize challenge at ten ton studios. The idea was to ink over someone else's pencils that we found on the forum somewhere. So, Joh James came along and I couldn't resist inking his amazing pencils. He's a rising star and I'm sure you'll be seeing his work all over the place soon.

Bloodrayne sketch

Just a quick sketch I did this morning. Updates to come!

Redesign of Havok and Polaris

I thought I'd take a break form the serious work for a little while and have some plain old fun. I won the last sketch challenge at Ten Ton Studios and I decided to have the next contest be about redesigning X-Men characters in normal clothing, or in this case not so normal clothing.

No word from Image yet, but by this time I'm hardly thinking about it. I think I'm getting numb to the waiting.

Mystic Lady and Fury

Some sketch challenge entries for the Ten Ton No Prize challenge and Sketch challenge. I'm back in a good rhythm for drawing again and I'm hoping to draw the first five pages of our new book today. Just the roughs for now and maybe I'll finish penciling them, but I don't want to complete them incase Image has some changes they want to make on our book...that is if they even want to publish it.

No word yet, but the waiting is getting easier now, because I'm planning on submitting to other publishers soon.

Kid Netptune

This is another piece I did for Hiro Unlimited. I've started coloring it already and should be finished in a day or so.

We sent our pitch over a week ago and no word yet. At this point I'm looking forward to hearing them say no, because this waiting is killing me. Last time I pitched to Image Erik got back to me in three days, so I don't know what this means. I guess this means maybe next time I should pitch to Erik (Image Central) rather than Image Shadowline.

If they do say no then we have at least three other prospects that I know on a personal level and even more that are friends of friends, so I'm pretty sure we can find a home for Space and Time.

Nightcrawler

We finished our pitch and we're now waiting on a yes or no. This won't be the end for this book if Image says no, so don't worry. I'm making a list of publishers that might be interested in publishing this book and we're working on the first five pages of the book. The pitch we sent was the last five pages of the first book.

On a side note, I’m working on another pinup/cover for Hiro Unlimited. I’ve gotten the rough approved so all I have to do now is get better (I’m sick) and start working on it.

Kraven

I took a break from coloring to do his little schetch, but now I have to get back to my next pinup for Hire Unlimited.

Deathlock

Hey all! I thought the Deathlock challenge was cool, but I hardly have time for much fun drawing these days. I've been doing logos, finishing up my pitch to Image, and commissions, which keeps me petty busy these days. Here is a quick sketches I did while at work.

I'm just about finished with the cover and I'll start coloring page 1 and the cover in a day or so. We should be done in the middle of next week and I'll check with Kris at Shadowline to see if it is okay to send her our pitch. She maybe busy, so I don't want to bombard her with our pitch if she doesn't have time to look at it.

I'll most likely send our pitch to Image only for now and if they don't like it I'll try other publishers, which there are quite a few and I'm sure we'll find a home somewhere.

Judge Dredd

Another sketch at a pretty small size. For one I'm busy, but also I like being able to put little details in a small area. I'm supposed to color this for a no price challenge, but I'm supposed to have time, so we'll see.

I'm finished with the pitch, but taking my time on the cover, since Shadowline is in the middle of doing their writer challenge and will be too busy to look at it this week. I have to do the lettering, but it takes a few hours at tops to do all five pages, so I'm not doing that until last.

I have to come up with a good logo, but I kind of do this for a living, so I should be able to come up with one that I like. I went with a pretty common type of cover look, but it is coming out very well, at least I think it is. The real test will be when I send it to Shadowline.

I’m actually getting a ton of work, for logos, comic art, and little paying jobs like commissions and stuff, so If I’m not posting here as often you know why.

One of the Thunderbolts

So what's up everyone? I've finished penciling the submission I'm doing for Image and now it's off to correct, ink and letter them. I'm only coloring two pages-the cover and one sequential page. The reason being is Chris from Shadowline Image has agreed to let me send my submission in with only those two pages colored. I thought that was very nice of her and I'm hoping she and Jim will like the idea.

Mike and I have been talking about some of the character development for the book, so we're getting geared up for this. One thing I've learned is not to give up, so if Image doesn't like it I know that there is a home for this story somewhere.

Sketch cards

These are for an auction for the American Cancer Society. You can learn more about it here: http://www.tentonstudios.com/forum/index.php?topic=4731.0

Deadpool

Still pretty busy right now. I haven't had time to even start the sixth page for the new project and I still got to finish the second pinup for Hiro Unlimited. I just have to finish up the coloring, which doesn't take that long.

This Deadpool I did for a sketch challegne, but didn't have time to finish it on time.

Okay, back to work I go.

Hulk vs. Wolverine

So another week starts and things are looking up. I have two brothers that live here in CO and as of Friday two more coming, so that makes five brothers living in CO. We'll be taking over CO in no time. Now I just have to get my two sisters and my parents to join us.

The game plan for this week is to finish page six, which will be page seven, and then if I have time to finish page four we will finally be finished penciling our pitch. Mike has done so much writing already that he's just waiting for me at this point.

Maybe I can get him to do the letting for the comic, which would keep him on the writing side of things still and he can learn a new trade...but really I'll just be getting him to do more work, so I have less to do. :)

So, after the pages are all finished Mike and I will look over everything again and try to fix stuff-make sure everything makes sense before I start inking the pages.