The Illuminate Darkness Experiment

The (Art) Drop

2011-11-13T17:20:00.000-05:00

Every once in a while, there just needs to be an art drop with very little words to accompany said pictures. And thats what kind of post this is going to turn out to be.

But before we even begin the art drop, let me mention that Redux Deluxe is back!!

And will be back for good this time. After nearly a year-long hiatus, my graphic novel in progress is currently being updated. So please do me a solid and check it out! Its not everyday that you see comics and graphic novels about minority kids depicting them in a positive light without there being ignorance, profanity, or other stereotypes involved. And there's also anime/videogames/pop culture influences too...so hopefully there's something there for everyone!

Enough with the self plugs though...now on to the pics:

Since I've been working so hard on Redux Deluxe, I haven't had much time to draw anything really other than Redux Deluxe related stuff. I'm trying to work in some break time to draw other stuff...but commissions will always take a front seat to whatever else I'm working on (for the time being anyway). So if you would like to commission me for any artwork...whether its for logos, illustrations, pinups, posters, or whatever else...check out my Commissions page, or hit me up at Illumistrations(at)gmail.com.

Until next time!

Without Wax,

Wind Wakin', Prince Saiyan, and Authority Hatin'

2011-10-02T11:29:00.006-04:00

I can't believe that I haven't posted anything in here since July. I know its been a recurring theme of me saying that I need to update this space more, but I really, REALLY do. This needs to become my main spot on the internet, and have other things funnel away from here...until I transition to an actual hub page.

But since I've been gone...that doesn't mean that I haven't been drawing...

This first image is of Link from the Nintendo videogame, A Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, that was on the Nintendo Gamecube. That was by far my favorite game on the Gamecube...and I think that they should make a spiritual sequel to that game...and I'm not referring to Spirit Tracks or whatever else.

Link, along with Na'vi, using his trusty hookshot to get away from Phantom Ganon.

Next is Vegeta, of the popular anime, DragonBall Z. I sort of made a tutorial on how I did this image on my Tumblr page (I never really got around to finishing it). I need to do a complete tutorial on how I create, and subsequently, color my images...perhaps in a later post.

Prince Vegeta with the One-Star dragonball in front of Kame House.

And last but definitely not least, is Starscream from Transformers (the Generation 1 cartoon, not the movies). Besides Soundwave, and Devastator, Starscream was my favorite of the Transformers. His backstabbing attitude is hilarious to me. Something that came to my mind the other day though, was how in the cartoons, the Transformers were the main characters, and everyone knew ALL of their names...and no one really knew the names of the humans. But in the movies, the Transformers play a supporting role to Shai Lebeouf and whoever else they decide to cast along with him. Funny how a movie named Transformers has the actual Transformers playing a side role.

Starscream either plotting the overturn of the Autobots...or Megatron. Or Both.

Until next time...where I might actually post a process of how these get created! Maybe...

Without Wax,

Watch Out!! Here Comes the Spiderman!

2011-07-27T13:51:00.004-04:00

click picture for higher-res

I'm going to try and make posts for each individual drawing instead of lumping them all together in large posts of craziness...which means...I'll just have to post more. And honestly, thats what I should be (and will be doing) anyway.
Like I said before, most of the time I draw pictures not only because I think that something would look cool or I have an idea in my head, its more of a problem solving type thing like "how would I go about making that look right on paper (or screen)" or "I have no idea how to color that and make it look okay...", or sometimes its just that I learn something new in Photoshop and I need something to test it out on.
So basically, thats where this pic came from. I STILL need to work on backgrounds...that has to be my weakest point, but other than that, I'm kind of happy how this turned out. I got to practice drawing and coloring explosions, some color holds with the spider web (that was beyond tedious though, and some lighting and reflection which I always love to do. The picture is basically Spiderman going up against his usual selection of foes.
Top-right clockwise: Venom, Mysterio, Electro, Vulture, Green Goblin, Sandman and Doctor Octopus.

Thanks for looking!

Without Wax,

The 2011 Weblog Awards Have Come And Gone...

2011-07-14T18:25:00.005-04:00

...and I didn't win.

But please believe that I'm not sad or salty about it at all...actually far from it. I wasn't even aware that people actually checked out my blog, let alone felt that it was Black Weblog Award worthy. So that's a huge point of excitement for me! And to be named in the same category as O Hell Nawl, man, its just been an honor. I've been loving every second of it. I'm not seeing this as a major accomplishment...but more as motivation...to be even better...and hopefully take that crown next year. In the coming year though, I have so much stuff planned, and I'm just trying to take myself, my brand (no matter how small it is) and my original ideas to new levels. Hopefully, I'll have my book published by the end of the year...and other things too.

But, I'm getting ahead of myself.

Lets get to this art though!!

First up, is Fall Into The Gap. This one probably should have made my last post, but eh, it is what it is. Another summery type pic, of someone shopping at their favorite store on a sunny summer day.

The next, is Ebony Black, an ethnicity flip of the Disney character Snow White.

And by far my favorite, Ares, Female Goddess of War. This one definitely took me out of my comfort zone, and I learned a lot from doing this picture. I normally don't draw blood and gore...but I'm glad that it all came out well. I definitely plan on doing more Greek mythology drawings...as soon as I clear my plate of some stuff first.

So, this year...was only a stepping stone.

Always gotta keep that pencil busy. Always.

Without Wax,

Summer Madness

2011-07-08T10:00:00.000-04:00

I can't believe that I haven't updated this blog in a little over a month. I really need to get back into this and update this blog on a regular basis. My tumblr is for the quick updates where there's little to no thought behind it...but this is my real main illustration/art blog...and I probably should treat it that way. But since I've been 'gone', the pencil and optical mouse has definitely been busy.

These next few drawings are mainly summer themed, and done on my larger 11"x17" pad. It definitely gives me much more room to work with and more opportunities to flesh out backgrounds and draw full figures as compared to my 8"x11" pad. And the first one is:

In The Park. The background is loosely based off of Central Park in New York. I guess this drawing is more 'spring' than 'summer', especially considering the blooming blossoms that are in the picture.

Sitting Up In My Room. This picture is mainly about those lazy summer nights, where its in between dusk and night, and the light just peeks through the blinds. And all you're really doing is just lounging on the bed, probably updating playlists or adding music to your favorite mp3 player, and zoning out.

The next few are actually the same picture, just at different times of the day. This is the Beach Bar. I guess its just a woman enjoying her tropical vacation, ordering drinks at the bar at the beach. The Night version is the one that I did first, and then I did the Sunset one afterwards. I changed some stuff slightly in the Sunset version, like shading, some of the base colors, and added other things like the wave splash in the background.

The main motivation for all of these pictures though was to practice some techniques and do some things that I'm not really comfortable doing. In the first picture, it was definitely backgrounds and having them separate from the main part of the picture, but still have it 'part of the picture', if that makes sense. I struggle with backgrounds in every single picture that I do, and I really need to get better with them. The second picture, it was all about light sources. I usually have the light source coming in either from the top left or right, but this time, I had it coming up from the bottom, and that definitely changes the way that things are illuminated. And I wanted to try and see if I could have light glowing behind the blinds and how it would look peeking through...I need to revisit that in another picture later on. And the last two, it was definitely about scenery, lighting, fire, and water...oh, and color holds. I wanted to have the foreground figure separated from the midground woman, and all of that separated from the background beach. And I have problems coloring glass as well as liquid, so all of that was a challenge.

Thats basically the motivation for a lot of my drawings recently; just trying to incorporate things that I'm not comfortable with or struggle with into drawings that I do...and hopefully to become better at them.

And as always...gotta keep that pencil/mouse busy.

Without Wax,

Rock The Vote With 80s Nostalgia

2011-06-02T20:00:00.002-04:00

Lets get the important stuff out of the way first: PLEASE VOTE FOR ME!!

I've been nominated for the 2011 Black Weblog Award for Best Comic/Gaming blog! So please please PLEASE cast that vote for The Illuminate Darkness Experiment as the best Comic/Gaming Blog! It would definitely mean a lot to me!!

Now with that out of the way...

I'm still doing my ethnicity flips of established cartoon characters. The first one in this post is Baroness from G.I. Joe. I used to love this show...especially the little segment after the cartoon where they tried to teach you some life lesson and ended it with "...and knowing is half the battle". Cobra!

This next one is an African-American flip of Inspector Gadget. This is one of those rare occasions where the image looks completely different in your head before you put it down on paper, but you still like it anyway. I think my favorite part of the image is definitely Penny and Brain. I love how they came out, and I just may do another drawing with only those two in it.

Don't forget to cast your vote for The Illuminate Darkness Experiment as the Best Comic/Gaming Blog of 2011!!

Without Wax,

Ballpoint Sketches and Weblog Awards

2011-05-19T22:53:00.005-04:00

First and foremost...this blog has been nominated for 2011's Black Weblog Awards! Whoever nominated me, thank you sooooo much and please leave a comment so I can know who nominated me. I'm nominated for Best Gaming and/or Comic Blog of 2011. Please, take like 2 minutes out of your day to vote for the Illuminate Darkness Experiment (its like on the 2nd page) right here. This is my first nomination, and I want to make sure that I do it right and hopefully come out on top!!

I haven't really been doing a lot of 'sketching' really as of late. I used to do it all the time back in school during lectures...or group meetings....or whenever I was just stumped taking tests. Bad student...bad, bad student. I still got my A's and B's though. Anyways, here's the first sketch that I did, with a standard Bic ballpoint pen. I call this one "Music to My Melody":

This next one is of an Egyptian Goddess chilling in the Nile....or somewhere around there. And yes I know that her tattoo isn't Egyptian inspired (more like aztec inspired), but I liked it and decided to roll with it:

I swear, someone at Bic should really give me a lifetime supply of ballpoint pens considering how often I run through those.
Always gotta keep that pencil moving....or pen in this case.

Without Wax,

Fairytales & Nostalgia

2011-05-08T19:32:00.007-04:00

I probably should be posting here more often, but I don't really want to make a whole bunch of blog posts in here containing only one drawing. Anyways, the pencil has been staying pretty busy, this time drawing stuff from my childhood and when I was younger...and fairytale (sorta) inspired stuff.

Fairytales:
This one is of Baby Bonnie Hood, of the videogame Darkstalkers, made by Capcom. Its not really a fairytale, but seeing as how the character is based off of Little Red Riding Hood, I thought that it would fit. Basically, she's just Little Red Riding Hood with copious amounts of weapons and explosives. How cool is that? And just like the rest of the drawings that I've been doing lately, she's African American.

Nostalgia:
And here are some things from my childhood. I used to LOVE Voltron...so much so, that I couldn't even watch the Power Rangers because I felt like they were basically the store brand version of one of my fondest memories. So, here's an African American version of Princess Allura, who piloted the blue lion of the Voltron Force.

Speaking of 80s cartoons, I had to do one of Cheetara of the Thundercats as well. I'm sure she's running off to Lion-O's aid from the Cat's Lair or something.

And lastly, an African American version of Sailor Moon and her cat Luna.

Uncategorized:
And this is a drawing that I posted on my blog quite a while ago, but never got around to finishing it. And by 'finishing' it, I mean, just throwing a background on it. I need to do another one of Supergirl though...maybe sometime soon.

I'm still open and accepting commissions as well. Always feel free to email me at Illumistrations(at)gmail.com. Or you can send me a message via Twitter as well.

Without Wax,

Bats, Octopi and Spirals

2011-04-20T19:19:00.005-04:00

Maybe I should be making individual posts for each drawing that I do....

...nah....that ain't happening.

A little while ago, I started all of this ethnicity and gender flip characters with my African American Batgirl. I wasn't too much of a fan of that picture, so I redid it....and there's still some parts of this I don't like. I think I may have to revisit it one more time to get things right.

The next drawing is of Ursula from Disney's The Little Mermaid. I wanted to draw her as younger and sexier....but umm...apparently some people have issues with Ursula being sexy. I say, get over it and live with it. You know she was stuntin' on them young mermaids under the sea.

And last but not least, is an African American ethnicity flip of Spiral from the X-Men universe. I used to love this character on the cartoon (even though she was only in like 3 episodes). I knew that many people weren't really familiar with her...but basically, if you weren't in any of the X-Men movies, the general public pretty much weren't familiar with you. So, she needs some shine. And this one is by far my favorite, even though there's really no background at all to speak of.

I think that I even outdid my personal best by including 4 different light sources. Yeah...almost became too much to handle.

Until next time!

Without Wax,

Scribbles

2011-04-17T09:54:00.014-04:00

I need to make more of a concerted effort to keep this blog updated. Whats crazy is, its not like I'm NOT drawing, its just that I'm not posting it here. From this point forward, I'm telling myself that I have to post back here at least once a week...especially since I've been drawing a lot more than normal recently.

But when I hoard art...that just means that there will be one huge post with art...which I guess is a positive. So, lets get to that:

African American She-Ra: Princess of Power:

African American Scooby Doo Detective Agency:

Mickey & Minnie Mouse:

African American Toni Starks (aka IronWoman):

African American female Naked Snake from Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater:

Nu'Bia, African American twin sister of Wonder Woman:

Darkwing Duck & QuiverWing Quack:

African American Samus, from Nintendo's Metroid:

African American Chun-Li from Street Fighter:

Captain Marvel:

Whew! That was a lot! But if you want to really keep up with me, I tend to update my Tumblr page more often and frequently. Follow me on there, and I'll do the same!!

Without Wax,

Tumbl With Me

2011-03-27T10:24:00.011-04:00

Lately I've been slacking on this blog...I guess that's really not a secret. I need to get back into updating this one more frequently, especially considering that this is pretty much the only blog that I try to maintain on a pretty decent schedule. But...I do have another blog...on Tumblr. You can check that one out, because I update that one rather frequently....and artwork generally gets posted on there like within an hour after I'm finished. And I post sketches on there some times...which I never do pretty much elsewhere.

Okay, now that the wall of text is over...on to the pictures! First, I finished that Cleopatra sketch that I posted in my previous entry...now with colors!

And my favorite Transformer, Soundwave. I never really noticed this until I was drawing it, but Soundwave's head is pretty much the Decepticon logo...

I guess I'm getting better at these Transformer pictures...which is making me to seriously reconsider redrawing all of the older ones I've done.

And my favorite meteorologist...Ororo Munroe aka Storm of the X-Men.

So, then I was thinking, that there is a serious lack of good African American super heroes/heroines in comics in general. I mean, aside from a select few, the rest are pretty crap...and have ridiculous stereotypes. So, to fix that, I decided to re-imagine some super heroes as being African American. And the first was Batgirl:

And then I thought...why just stop at super heroes...why not just do other pop culture things like cartoons as well...and then this Scooby Doo picture came out. Its still unfinished, but I thought that I'd post it regardless:

And the others; Rogue, Wonder Woman, and Black Canary:

And I still have stuff thats sitting on my hard drive and sketch pad. I'm loving this sudden rush of creativity. And follow me on Tumblr and leave messages...and I'll be sure to return the favor!!

*EDIT* I can't believe that I forgot to post my African American Power Puff Girls piece!!!

Without Wax,

M.I.A. Art Dump 2

2011-03-09T15:28:00.006-05:00

I think getting a new sketch book has really helped me to be more creative and just sketch out stuff...which eventually will be colored. So, I'm getting in sketching and coloring practice all in one!

I wanted to do something that was more illustrative than normal and makes use of negative space, so I drew Jean Gray as the Dark Phoenix. I made the background red so that it would double as the red in her suit.

I think that I'm going to do more similar to this one.

This next one was a sketch that I posted last time but decided to finish it with colors.

This next one was taken from a lyric in Fabolous's song "You Be Killin' Em". Its Harley Quinn giving the Joker that iPhone 4...FaceTime! Videochattin' it up with Mr. J:

And this last one is some fanart of DragonBall Z. I'm not going to lie, I used to be such a stan for this show...that is until I realized that most of the episodes are just long drawn out soliloquies. But anyways, here's Buu of DBZ.

And I still have more sketches to ink and several ideas to get down. Just trying to keep that pencil busy and riding that creativity wave.

Without Wax,

M.I.A. Art Dump

2011-03-01T17:50:00.011-05:00

I haven't been updating my art blog as much as I should...which is bad on my part. But just because I haven't been updating here doesn't mean that my pencil has been stationary....actually its just the opposite. So, I decided to gather all of what I've been sketching lately, and dump it all here! Image overload:

Here is Sakura from Street Fighter. I originally colored her in her original color scheme, but I prefer her alternate more:

Here is a sketch of Cleopatra of Egypt. I need to take time out to ink and color this one...but it might take a while.

Here is another sketch that I inked and colored. Whenever I'm at a loss and need something to sketch, women always seem to come out...not that I'm complaining.

Like I said...whenever I'm at a loss...

And I NEVER thought in a million years that I would draw Nicki Minaj...but here you go. This was based off of her "Do The Creep" sketch on Saturday Night Live.

Another random sketch...an octopus in a cup. Yeah, like I said...random.

And last, but definitely not least...a guest strip that I did for Jeff Scheutze of the webcomic JefBot. If you don't understand it, its based off of Super Mario Bros. 2 and the movie Inception. Super Mario 2 was all a dream...and he's dreaming of Mario having a dream...hence...well...nevermind.

Hopefully next time, I won't stay away for so long from my blog.

Without Wax,

Self Interpretation

2011-02-15T12:40:00.003-05:00

I drew this 'self portrait' of myself because I was going to use it for something, and now, I just completely lost interest in what I was planning on using it for. Its a shame really. Well, I liked how it came out anyways, and I thought that I might as well post it here so that i can be seen hopefully. Its just me, surrounded by things that I use often or mean a lot to me...like my calculator, music, my mp3 player, my laptop...and of course video game related paraphernalia. Also there's some art related things thrown in there for good measure, just in case people can't make the correlation that I like to draw often in my spare time....OFTEN. Oh, and I have no idea where the Infinity Gems or the Ironman hand really relates...but I thought it would be cool. And as always, clicking on the image will show it in its full higher resolution glory.

Without Wax,

The Commission Continues...

2011-02-01T11:57:00.006-05:00

Commissions!! (feel free to click the image to see it in higher resolution)

This particular one was done for a fellow blogger Coogie Cruz. I liked the way it turned out, but I also liked the original version before I added anything to it. The original version probably would've never have seen the light of day, so I thought that I'd post it here. I'm just glad that the great idea I had in my head translated pretty well...and in some aspects, better than I had originally thought.

I have a few other commissions left to do...but once those are completed, I'll hopefully have more! I just need to fit in other sketches and things to keep everything fresh. And if you want your very own commission drawn by me, please feel free to hit up the 'Commissions' page at the top of this blog!!

Without Wax,

I'm The Best There Is At What I Do...

2011-01-26T11:22:00.003-05:00

"...but what I do isn't very nice." - Wolverine

Let the record reflect that I LOVE Wolverine. I think my liking of him started during that great 90s cartoon known as the Xmen. I love Wolverine so much, that even despite that fecal matter of a movie that was called Wolverine: Origins, I still love the character. So when someone asked me to draw something for them for their son, I literally jumped at the chance. And here are the fruits of that 'labor' (honestly, it was more fun than work)

Oh, and please click the picture to enable it in all of its higher res glory.

This is also an example of one of my commissions. This was a digital 11"x17" image, which is going for $35. If you would like your very own commission, please click the commission tab at the top of the page, and then email me!!

Without Wax,

2011 and Beyond.

2011-01-18T14:43:00.003-05:00

When I first started this blog back in what...August of 2008 (wow, its been that long already) I just mainly wanted to do it as a real place to post artwork other than my other blog, which wasn't about artwork at all. And then I thought that maybe I could meet and collaborate with other artists and stuff on here. And while at first everything was very frustrating, I think that posting my work here on blogger has made me a better artist, and also forced me to do things that I normally wouldn't do while I was just drawing for myself.

I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do with art when I first started to take it seriously. I just knew that I wanted to meet other artists to learn from them and possibly work with them. And while I'm still far off from being where I want to be, I know (and can visibly tell) that I've grown alot artistically in that short amount of time. I didn't even know where to begin as far as digital coloring in 2008...and I was coming off a huuuge absence from picking up a pencil and drawing anything seriously. So, I've decided to set some goals for myself this year and from here on out, to maintain and stick to, as well as just using it as a road guide so I don't ever get lost again.

1.) I definitely want to get published this calendar year...whether its being picked up by an actual publisher, or being self published...or both. I want my graphic novel to be published (hopefully by a publisher *fingers crossed*) and I'll be self publishing a sketch book later on in the year. And I really hope that both of them turn out to be successes.

2.) I plan on drawing more...and more seriously. I still sketch, but not as often as I should. And I don't really push myself as much as I know I should.

3.) Get these commissions off the ground!! Lets face it, art supplies don't pay for themselves. I need to find a dedicated source of income art wise...that doesn't interfere with other things.

4.) Have a 'real' studio...or work place. If you see the way that I do things now, you would be amazed that I can do some of the things that I do. Its really sad. I need a dedicated workstation to do things at and get things organized.

5.) Fill up at least 3 sketchbooks. I have a mini sketchbook that I used for pen sketches...but I got away from it. I need to go back to it, and just sketch away in my art downtime.

6.) Go to a convention. I can't market myself magically and through the ether. I need to put myself out there and see if some editors are willing to see my stuff...and there's no better way to do that than at a convention. Who knows, maybe other people will love Redux Deluxe too!!

There are definitely others, but those are the main things that I need to get handled and tackle relatively soon.

And I don't want to make an art blog post without any art...that would be just silly :-).

So, below is something that I drew not too long ago, my rendition of Alice in Wonderland. And also a work in progress commission for a friend of mine for his hip hop site. Gotta stay busy!!

Without Wax,

Beauty and the Beast

2011-01-04T15:58:00.001-05:00

Sometimes I have a lot to say...sometimes I don't. This case right here is for the latter. I think the title and artwork does pretty much most of the speaking. Saw the movie recently and decided to make some fan art based on it.

Without Wax,

Heaven Only Knows...

2010-12-30T15:43:00.002-05:00

2010 has definitely been a trying year.

But on the bright side, the art keeps on coming, and it only gets better. This was picture was initially done as a gift, but I got sidetracked...and it never surfaced. I did this somewhere around early May, and its just been sitting on my hard drive not seeing the light of day. And now that I'm leaving all of the negativity (hopefully) in the past, I can post this too and get this out there.

Anyways, I think artistically, I've grown since the end of 2009. My webcomic was struggling (still is, but its not a 'webcomic' anymore) and the art was kinda blah on it. Plus, I was down alot about my art, and how it wasn't where I wanted it to be. Well, it still isn't, but its been growing by leaps and bounds. I think this past year has been the biggest growth for me, artistic wise, even with that extended break in the middle of the year. And I really can't wait to see what happens in 2011...and I'll be forcing myself to make big things happen in this new upcoming year.

So long 2010...can't say that I'm sad to see you go.

Without Wax,

Amazing Spiderman v. Incredible Hulk

2010-12-26T17:32:00.010-05:00

I love how Marvel throws in those adjectives for all of their top tier characters...Spiderman can be amazing, spectacular...even ultimate. Incredible Hulk, Mighty Thor, Invincible Ironman...the list goes on and on.

But I digress...

Here is an 8 page (well 9 pages if you count the last page as a double spread...which you should...) This was more work than I thought it would be...but I do like the end result. Every page really is better than the last...and it makes me see that those first couple of pages really do suck. Meh, it is what it is. Oh, and clicking the pics enables you to see them in higher resolution.

Without Wax,

You're As Cold As Ice...

2010-12-20T14:04:00.003-05:00

One of my favorite villains from Batman the Animated Series will forever be Victor Fries. He's sort of a tragic character. All he wanted to do was cryogenically freeze his wife so that a cure for her disease could be found in the future. But nooooo, his employer pulled the plug on his project in the midst of his freezing of his wife, some chemicals blew up, hijinks ensued, and now we have a bitter cold person who is unable to have feelings in his cold cold heart. Sad really. And then he goes on an arctic rampage. Thats how these things go. But what really made me feel for the guy though, was in the cartoon Batman Beyond, he was given a 'second chance', but they screwed him over again. Just let this sad man live. Dang. So in the cold spirit of Christmas, here's a quick sketch that I colored of Victor Fries, aka, Mr. Freeze.

Stay frosty.

Incon-Sequential

2010-12-14T13:29:00.004-05:00

I never set out to be a 'comic book artist'...thats never what I really wanted to be. I never wanted to be known as that guy who draws comics...but I love a good illustrated story...especially a graphic novel that can keep my attention and wows me with every passing page. I just want to be a well rounded 'graphic artist', I guess...who likes comics.

I had an idea for a story that turned into Redux Deluxe. I want to get that published, and for that to be taken seriously as a graphic novel. And about 4 months ago, I had a great idea for a more mature themed graphic novel, but I knew to make that happen, I would have to get serious about drawing comics for that to come together. And other than Redux Deluxe, I don't really have any experience doing sequential pages. So I thought, what better time to practice than now? So, here are 3 pages from a 6 to 7 page story featuring the Hulk and Spiderman. I may have to go back and redo that first page because I totally hate it...and may even add a page that precedes that one...who knows. Its all about time constraints at this point. I hope you enjoy! Oh, and click the images for larger hi res versions.

Without Wax,

Cannon Drill

2010-12-08T14:12:00.002-05:00

Something I whipped up really quick but didn't post here. Meh, I would write more, but I'm not really in the composing mood right now.

Super Girl Process (Continued)

2010-11-27T15:20:00.005-05:00

Here's more coloring process on the previous Supergirl picture...and it also marks my first time creating an animated gif image, so yay me!

The first step is the flatted picture (with a corrected Super 'S' logo). The second step is the shadow stage. I do this before doing highlights because it adds volume to the picture and gives me a better idea of how things are going to flow and lets me see problem areas ahead of time.

Step 3 is the basic highlights, where I set the light source. I also add depth to her skin like blush to her face, and tan everywhere else. The final step is where I add the rest of the details, like doing secondary light sources (which unfortunately at this resolution you can't really see except under her breasts and arms), color holds on lines...and warming the drawing with an overlay layer.

That's pretty much my process for coloring most of my stuff. This picture is in no way shape or form completed though, because I have to go back and add in a background and make sure that it looks okay and works and all that jazz. Fun stuff. I'll be sure to post that as well.

Without Wax,

Super Work In Progress

2010-11-24T18:02:00.002-05:00

Just some drawing because I was bored. All I've done so far is ink and flat...pretty boring so far. Still, thought I'd post since I'm kinda bored on this Thanksgiving Eve. Happy Turkey Day everyone, I hope that you all are spending it with the ones you love.

*edit* And yes I am aware that the Super logo colors are reversed...hey, I was tired when flatting this!!

Without Wax,

Super Luigi's World

2010-11-22T09:34:00.004-05:00

Little known fact: I like Luigi a million times better than I like Mario. There, I said it. Luigi should get the same amount of shine as Mario does, if not more. Mario always gets his name out there, and he always saves and gets the girl. So I thought, what better way to help give Luigi his comeuppance than to dedicate some fanart solely to him! And here we go (no pun intended)! Super Luigi saving his princess, Princess Daisy, from the terrors of the Mushroom Kingdom.

Of course, I had to remix Luigi a lil' bit, you know, just to show everyone that he is in fact better than Mario.

Without Wax,

Part of Your World

2010-11-18T10:30:00.002-05:00

Let this be known...I'm a Stan of all Disney movies...ALL DISNEY MOVIES. I love hand drawn animation, their art direction...I love it all. With that being said, I love The Little Mermaid. Don't judge me!! Anyways, I decided to do a lil bit of fan art of the movie, and also use it as a chance to practice more coloring.

...cause you know, practice makes perfect...and all that jazz. Click on the image to see it in all of its high resolution glory.

Without Wax,

Coin Heaven

2010-11-16T12:06:00.002-05:00

I think the videogame that will forever have the most lasting impression on me is Super Mario Bros. 3. Yeah yeah, my first game was Super Mario 1/Duck Hunt/World Class Track Meet, but none of those could ever top the euphoria that was Super Mario 3. Even that music is so iconic and instantly recognizable to me. Recently, I heard the song for 'coin heaven' on tv somewhere, and that just brought back so many memories...so I thought, why not do a drawing of Mario and Princess Peach in Coin Heaven.

And for those not familiar as to what the song is for 'coin heaven' (shame on you!):

Without Wax,

Beyond

2010-11-13T10:04:00.002-05:00

I loved the DC animated cartoons such as Superman, Batman: The Animated Series, Justice League (Unlimited), and my all-time favorite, Batman Beyond. I don't know what it is about the Beyond cartoon, but it definitely ranks above them all to me (okay, maybe a tie with BTAS). And when they had the crossovers with Justice League Unlimited, I thought I was in heaven. Basically, Batman Beyond was Batman of the future, with Bruce Wayne acting as a mentor to the new Batman, Terry.

Anyways, enough of me nerding out about the show, here's a piece of fanart that I did for it. Hope ya digs!!

Without Wax,

Just Art...

2010-11-11T08:38:00.004-05:00

I don't really have much to say for this post....just art to show. Hopefully the more and more I draw, the better I get. Looking back at the first couple of posts in this blog, I definitely see a vast improvement. But anyways, here we go:

Without Wax,

Keepin' That Pencil Busy

2010-10-29T14:02:00.008-04:00

I don't post here as often as I should...I know, its a shame. But just because I don't post here doesn't mean that I'm not keepin' that pencil busy...far from it!! I guess I just save up stuff to have an art dump whenever I do actually get around to posting. Maybe...

With that said...ART DUMP!!

A quick pic of Batgirl overlooking Gotham:

Catwoman in her apt admiring her new toy, a cat's eye emerald.

And the rest of these are from Redux Deluxe. This was part of a 4 page Halloween ministory. I don't think many people saw it (many people don't see Redux Deluxe anyways...)

I wish I could get more people to read and actually see Redux Deluxe...but I think that will always be an ongoing struggle. I wish I could say its been easy to keep the pencil busy, but it hasn't been. Me trying to be creative is a constant battle unfortunately.

Without Wax,

Striving to be Better

2010-10-10T20:12:00.007-04:00

The life of an artist is hard. Its not like you can just sit down some days and force something out...well, at least, thats not how I work. It's a constant struggle...trying to stay motivated, especially when the odds are always stacked against you to sort of 'break into' the world that you keep looking at from the outside in. I would love to call myself a professional illustrator/graphic designer or whatever else mantle, but that's far from where I am right now. So for now, I've chosen to forget labels and just practice, practice and practice some more.

Me taking a 6 year hiatus from art really put me back a whole lot, but sometimes the break is needed. When I came back, I was rusty, and not where I was when I was doing it more often. And earlier when I lost my drive to do anything art related, I really didn't know when I was going to pick a pencil up to draw again, if ever. But that last break is what I needed, and it really pushed me to be better...and you can definitely see that in my artwork. But I should let it speak for itself...

What a difference some time off and practice makes, huh?

Without Wax,

8-Bit Player

2010-09-24T09:36:00.003-04:00

I love videogames...thats like deeply encoded in my DNA. I love the newer games on Xbox 360 and PS3...and I love sports games, first person shooters (especially!!), adventure games, racing games (just a smidge below FPS's) and just about everything in between (ooh and fighting games! I'm looking at you Tekken and Street Fighter). But what I REALLY love, are the classics. I love Super Mario, Metroid, Zelda (but to be honest, I've only played Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, and Wind Waker...but all of those are ridiculous!) So I just had to do a Super Mario pic...and when I was done with that...I just had to do a Metroid pic. And when I was done with that...a lil' bit of Street Fighter came out. And probably when I'm done with that...I'll tackle Zelda. But in the meantime in between time, I just thought I'd post up what I've done so far. Hope you enjoy!

And a lil work in progress of my Street Fighter pic...

Without Wax,

Sketchy Situations

2010-09-18T10:39:00.009-04:00

So, even though I don't post much no here as I probably should, that doesn't mean that I still don't keep that pencil moving, and that mouse...coloring...or something like that. Anyways, while most of my art focus is on getting this graphic novel together, I still make time for other art related outlets (and sketches that I'm doing for others, right KayC?). And to prove it, I'm just gonna drop some stuff that I've been working on. Huzzah!

This one is from the graphic novel. I've been writing scripts for the upcoming chapters, and the end of the second chapter leading into the third chapter will introduce this story arc:

This is fanart for another webcomic that I'm a huge fan of, JefBot. His webcomic is a 'semi-autobiography' thats about gaming, tech culture, acting, and a whole bunch of other stuff that happens in Jeff's day to day life. Its a great read, and the art is done well too. You should check it out at Jefbot.com.

On twitter, there's something called #TuesdaySketch, where every Tuesday, there's a sketch topic, and you're supposed to do your interpretation of the topic. This past Tuesday's topic was "Super Villains". And while the person that I chose to sketch is in no ways 'super', he's still one of my favorite villains. This is the Ventriloquist with Mr. Scarface of Batman. Let Mr. Scarface tell it, the Ventriloquist is the dummy.

Here's a crappy sketch of Leonardo fighting some mousers. I'll have to come back to this and do a proper drawing.

Here's a sketch of Atom Eve from the comic book Invincible.

And last but certainly not least is Leela of Futurama:

And just as I'm posting all of this, a great idea for another sketch just jumped into my head. Gotta keep that pencil busy!

Without Wax,

Redux Deluxe REVIVE

2010-08-31T17:02:00.003-04:00

The first thing you learn with dealing with computers is to back up everything and save often. And me supposedly being an IT professional, I should know this. And what did I neglect to do with my webcomic? That's right, back up and save. So when my host went under without alerting anyone, guess what happened?

Yep.

Everything was gone. My posts, my comments, my style sheets...everything. All was lost...except for the comic pages themselves. Of course they wouldn't be gone, because I made MULTIPLE backups of those...I mean, I am supposed to be making a graphic novel in the end, right? Well...hopefully more than one...but I'll cross that bridge when I get there.

So, I sat there just befuddled and angry...not knowing where to begin rebuilding or even if I should. I always said that I put way more effort into everything else but actually creating pages, and this was just taking time away from creating pages. And adding to that further was me trying to distance myself from the moniker of a webcomic and trying to be more of a graphic novel. So, creating a site just seemed like it would be a moot point.

But I did it anyway. And I re-uploaded all of my content (minus the blog posts and the individual page posts, those are forever lost). And my focus is to still publish stuff online just to get feedback and build a base, while staying true to my intentions of creating a graphic novel.

And Redux Deluxe is alive again!

I can't make promises like I used to on an update schedule, but at least this time, pages will be posted when they're completed. And the schedule will hopefully be pretty consistent. I'm shooting for being published by early next year...and I'm shooting for at least a 180 page book. Yeah...I have work to do. But I'll get there.

And you can help, by dropping by my brand new site, looking around, and leaving comments every so often! And supporting Redux Deluxe!!

Without Wax,

Blog REVIVE: M.I.A.

2010-08-13T14:36:00.007-04:00

For a while, I lost my motivation to draw and what seemed like all of my creativity, so I had to take a break...not just a break from this blog but a break from art altogether. That meant no more sketching...my webcomic took a hit...everything.

But recently I've been trying to shake the cobwebs off and get back into the groove of getting better with my artwork...and slowly trying to get back into creating my webcomic..er...graphic novel. It might be a while for me to continue my ~~webcomic~~ graphic novel because of other circumstances (which will be saved for another post). I've recently just been struck with a number of ideas, so I need to get the juices flowing again.

So what have I been doing since I've been M.I.A. from this blog and everything? Well...here you go...IMAGE DUMP:

Thats pretty much what I've been up to. I have an idea for a huge picture that I need to complete for someone special...maybe I'll post progress pics of that...but probably not though, because I want it to be a surprise.

Like they say...back to the drawing board...

Without Wax,

Stressed Out...

2010-05-28T16:03:00.001-04:00

My heart just isn't in to art any more right about now. I have one more drawing that I need to get done, and I'm going to labor through that...but everything else has to take a backseat until I get my life, mind and heart in order...who knows how long that will be. I hate to do this because I love drawing so much...but I guess...

It doesn't matter right about now anyways.

Without Wax,

Bathing in the Sun

2010-05-16T17:27:00.005-04:00

I love warm weather. It seems as if people are happier, more people are out and about...and women are wearing less. I'm a guy...sue me. So with the summer approaching, here comes the obligatory 'woman at the beach' drawing. Nothing much to say really...the BG was drawn independently of the woman...which can become a hassle sometimes, but you gotta do what you gotta do. I got a tad lazy with the background, but hopefully it still looks okay. I should be doing pages for Redux Deluxe, but I just did like 4 pages for 1 week, so I'm taking a little break. As always, clicking the picture will allow you to view it in a higher resolution.

*sigh* Back to the drawing board...

Without Wax,

In Anticipation of the New Movie

2010-05-06T16:48:00.003-04:00

Thats right...Tony Stark, aka Ironman!

Not much really to say here...but ummm...here's what I'm currently working on/drawing/coloring as we speak...

I mean...this is an art blog...so the focus should be on the pictures. And there you go.

Without Wax,

Jubilation

2010-05-04T11:01:00.002-04:00

You know who kinda fell off the face of the planet recently? Jubilee of the X-Men. There was ample opportunities to involve her in any of the 3 recent X-Men movies, especially since they were focusing on the students of the school for the majority of the time...but she was excluded (or x-cluded...don't pardon the pun). And where is she? I haven't seen her or heard anything about her. Lets forget for a moment that her powers are almost exactly the same as another Xmen mutant (Dazzler...)...where is the justice?

So with that thought, I went on ahead and made a quick sketch of Jubilee just to show that I appreciate and miss her. I say bring on more minorities with mutant powers Marvel!!

Without Wax,

Supergirl

2010-04-28T17:43:00.003-04:00

I know this was supposed to be a step by step process, but I got the bulk of it done in one sitting, so I thought that I may as well post the 'final' version here. There's still some tweaks that I plan on doing to it, but for all intents and purposes, I'm considering it done. I went with a sunset Metropolis background that was drawn and inked on a separate page. Then I scanned it and colored it with photoshop, adding in some depth of field blur with layer masks. Then I added my original Supergirl drawing over top of that, added some color overlay layers to get a continuous look, and finito!

I still plan on doing an alternate version of this (maybe even a nightime version with the same background). And as always, make sure to click the picture for a higher resolution version.

Without Wax,

Supergirl WIP: Stage 2

2010-04-27T19:09:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, I posted the flat colors of my work in progress picture of Supergirl. Nothing too fancy really, just started with the basic figure, inked it, and applied some flat colors in Photoshop. Fun, fun stuff (*sarcasm*).

Anyways, here's stage 2 of that drawing. I altered her left hand, because it bothered me to no end, and it just didn't look right. This way, it flows better, and fits with the rules of foreshortening. And I added depth to the colors by adding both shadows and highlights based upon where I want the light source to be. Lately, all I've been doing is cell shading, so its great to get some practice in the style that I started with.

Also, to add just a little bit more of dimension to her, I added a purple-ish reflected light source from underneath her to make her pop against the background that I'm going for. Speaking of backgrounds, I have 2 in mind...both of which I may do. The first, and obvious one, is have her flying through the Metropolis cityscape. I may play with angles and such, or I just may keep it simple with 2 vanishing points. The next I wanted to do is have her flying low against a calm river with a full moon in the background and have the water produce an illuminating effect. This may be more difficult than it sounds, so it all depends. If it turns out to be nothing how I have visioned in my head, I'm just gonna scrap that idea altogether.

Stage 3: Backgrounds.

*Make sure you click on the pic to see it in greater detail.

Without Wax,

Supergirl WIP

2010-04-26T20:43:00.003-04:00

Its hard trying to find time to do drawings that aren't directly related to my webcomic because whenever I find time to actually draw, I'm trying to devote most of my time to making Redux Deluxe the best that it can be. So, I finished 3 pages ahead of schedule just so that I can draw something entirely different. So, here it is...my version of Supergirl. Its not done right now (very far from it), but I thought that I would chronicle my progress and let you see how a simple line drawing turns into a full illustration.

Basically, right now, its just the underdrawing. Its done on basic computer paper (because I'm cheap) and inked with a Uniball pen and a Sharpie marker for added line weight (again, because I'm cheap). Then I lay down flat colors just to get things right. These hues may not be the final hues at all, because I may adjust them in photoshop to get the continuity and mood that I'm looking for. Right now, I want her to be flying, maybe through the clouds at sunset or something...or that may change too. Who knows...lets just see how I feel and go with the flow.

Make sure to check back periodically throughout the week to see the progress!!

Without Wax,

The Fastest Man Alive

2010-04-13T15:16:00.002-04:00

I haven't really had much time to draw anything recently unless it was directly related to my webcomic, so I thought I'd slow down and take a breather and draw something totally different. Never drawn the Flash before, so I thought that I'd give it a shot. I tried to draw him relatively close to the Justice League cartoon, which was inspired by the artwork of Bruce Timm. Nothing really fancy here, quick sketch with even quicker colors thrown down in photoshop. Hope ya digs!!

Without Wax,

Lookout!! Here Comes the Spiderman

2010-03-31T15:34:00.003-04:00

Spiderman! Spiderman!
Does whatever a spider can.
Spins a web, any size
Catches thieves just like flies
Look Out!!
Here comes the Spiderman!!

Ahh...I love that song. Anyways, this was supposed to be a sketch of Spiderman, but I got so involved with it that it almost turned out to be a full illustration...almost. Some quick colors thrown down in Photoshop.

Without Wax,

Webcomics 'n Thangs

2010-03-26T18:08:00.006-04:00

For those that don't know, I'm the artist and writer for a webcomic titled Redux Deluxe (yeah, thats right, I'm plugging it again, and will continue to do so...). Its about this young boy named CJ who has to cope with a new neighborhood and making friends in a strange new place after his parents are forced to relocate due to job opportunities. The main reason why I decided to go forward with my comic was that there were so few comic strips out there that had minority characters as the main roles without making us look ignorant or conforming to stereotypes (I'm not just talking about african americans, but all races). So, one of the main things that I wanted to do with my comic is have ALOT of main characters that are of a different race interacting with one another without the ignorance, stereotypes or underlying tones at all. Thats my goal, and one of the main things that I sought out to accomplish. Unfortunately, not everyone has shared such a goal with me, for whatever reasons. I've been denied to join countless comic groups and collectives because "Redux Deluxe" isn't what they're focused on right now. My comic was also denied entry into my university's school paper, even though there are several other comics full of potty humor and art direction that isn't as concise as mine. I don't know why that is, but what I do know is that I'm striving for success...because success is the best revenge. I don't want to say 'revenge' per se, but more like this was/is a great idea that no one should pass up.

So, if you're reading, please, please PLEASE head over to my page here and cast your vote to show everyone that this is a great idea and comic.

But on to better news...

My webcomic HAS been accepted at this up and coming collective called Samsara Comics. Its headed by another artist from a forum that I frequent and he also publishes his webcomic there. Thats great stuff, because it gives me the opportunity to network with other up and coming artists, and share knowledge with them! I'm beyond excited to join Samsara Comics, and I'll keep people posted here as things transition there.

I tried making a new header for my comic recently, but the cropping is all sorts of wrong, so I just decided to make it into a full illustration. I'm definitely going to go back and change this one though and put the focus more on his face than his hand in the foreground. I might make this into a downloadable wallpaper or something...I don't know just as of yet. But it will definitely find its way into the book.

Redux Deluxe updates EVERY Thursday and sometimes on Tuesday. And if you haven't been following, here's a page that you've missed:

Don't forget, check out Redux Deluxe every Thursday!!

Without Wax,

A Lil Somethin' Different Than the Norm

2010-03-24T15:26:00.005-04:00

I normally don't do drawings like these, but maybe I should. It feels good and refreshing to draw something out of my element that I don't normally do. This was done entirely with a sharpie marker, and I damn near got high off of the fumes the marker was making. I drew this to use as my background for my Tumblr page, but it looked too busy, so unfortunately, I had to downsize it and make it the header instead. Its way too small on there to see the detail, so I thought that I would post it here, as well as another version that I just threw together really quickly. I should go back to the other version and change the black outlines to a brownish tint...I think that would make it more visually appealing. So, here's the version that went on the tumblr page:

Here's the reworked version:

And this is another one of my pen sketches that I've done recently. Its of Wonder Woman of DC comics fame. I can honestly say that I've never drawn her before, and I should do it more often.

Also, don't forget!! Redux Deluxe updates every Thursday!! Check it out!

Ballpoint Madness!!

2010-03-19T11:55:00.004-04:00

With me doing my webcomic more often than doing anything else, I kinda hoped that my other art wouldn't suffer since I wouldn't be concentrating on it as much. But that doesn't mean that I still can't sketch and keep that ~~pencil~~ pen busy. So with that said, here are a couple of sketches that I've recently done in the past couple of days. And as always, clicking on the pictures will allow you to see them in higher resolution.

Dr. Doom:

Boba Fett:

Venom:

Green Lantern:

In other 'webcomic' news, I was informed earlier this week that my comic Redux Deluxe has yet again been rejected to join another webcomic community/collection/network/whatever else. The reason I got this time was that "Redux Deluxe is not currently what we are looking for in a webcomic". I'm not going to be judgmental about other comics that apparently they are interested in, so I'll leave it at that. All I can say is that this is only making me strive to make Redux Deluxe even better than what I originally conceived. But it means absolutely NOTHING if no one reads it. So please, take a second to drop by my little webcomic, add it to your RSS feeds or subscribe to it, and vote for it so that others can see what everyone else has been passing up on. Thanks for the support!!

Without Wax,

Page Preview

2010-03-07T13:55:00.003-05:00

Man...it feels good not having to worry about monthly drawoffs anymore. I mostly used it as inspiration to stay on top of my art and not be so lazy and see things through. Now, with all of that behind me, I don't need that anymore. And recently, its been getting in the way of the development of my webcomic, Redux Deluxe. And since I've let the drawoffs go, I'm able to devote my time more to it and getting the art for my comic to the point where I feel like it needs to be.

So for the umpteenth time, the premise of my comic is this young boy named CJ who has to move to a new neighborhood because his parents both got new jobs. And he's just coping with the changes and trying to make new friends and fit in and such. This is an early preview of the page thats going up this Thursday. The comic updates every Thursday (hopefully) and I hope everyone takes the time out to check it out, add it to their RSS readers and continue to follow it!

Thanks for the support!!

Without Wax,

Completed In Ultra Wide Screen For Your Enjoyment

2010-02-25T09:45:00.004-05:00

A little while ago, I was posting preview pics for an X-Men piece that I was planning to do. I posted one of Psylocke and of Spiral, but I really didn't post anymore. Well, I was drawing on it the whole time, but I just wanted everything to be cohesive. This was done for a draw-off competition, in which the person I was drawing against was a no-show...and the topic was his idea. I haven't even heard anything from him since the deadline. I wish I could say this was the only time thats happened, but, its not. Anyways, I'm not going to take this in negativity, but use it as a learning experience, because everytime you put pencil to paper, you're getting better.

Alot of what I originally planned for this didn't make it into the final picture. I still have thumbnails and other scraps that were supposed to be in there but didn't fit or made everything jumbled. The picture was supposed to be much bigger too, but my computer just couldn't handle all the layers and everything that was going on, so I had to cut things out. Well...enough talking about it...its posted below. Make sure you click on it to get the full sized view, because saying that you're missing alot if you don't is a severe understatement.

Also, in Redux Deluxe news: New page up today!! So far, I'm liking this Thursday update thing, so I think its pretty much gonna stick. So from now on (until further notice) my webcomic, Redux Deluxe will be updated on Thursdays!! So, make sure you go check it out...leave comments, subscribe to it, and check back often!!

Spreading the Love

2010-02-21T19:19:00.004-05:00

For those who have been keeping up with the Illuminate Darkness Experiment, you would know that I am a webcomic artist (struggling...but still, I qualify). And when I was first thinking about seriously doing a webcomic sometime last year, I went around and looked at several just to get a feel of what other artists were doing, how their comics/sites looked, and everything like that. I ran across some that were really weird, some that were very adult in nature, and some that were just all over the place. There were a handful though that looked awesome in terms of website layout and content....many of them I still follow today.

I found this webcommunity called WebcomicsInc, and through there I've found some really great comics. Some of the artists were even nice enough to offer input as to what not to do and what their methods were. I really appreciate that, and a handful come to mind. But there was one in particular that I liked...from artistic style, design and content, and it was called Imy. I like how bright and colorful that it looked, I loved the characters and everything else about it. Luckily Irma, the creator of Imy, saved me as a friend on WebcomicsInc and follows me on Twitter. And I've been following it eversince.

I'm guessing (since I really don't know yet) that one of the greatest feelings of being a webcomic artist (other than having a ton of readers/followers) is someone who would make fan art of their characters and let the original artist see your spin on their creations. So, I did just that with Imy. That webcomic offered alot of inspiration, so I decided to take time out of my artistic schedule to create something for the comic. And here it is:

*click for larger pic*

And I guess that Irma loved it, because its posted on her site! Maybe one day, I'll reach the point in where other artists will send in fan art to my site as well.

Well, with that said, check out Irma's comic, Imy and let her know that Charles of Redux Deluxe sent you over there. And make sure to comment!!

And speaking of webcomics, check out mine, Redux Deluxe. So far, I'm tentatively scheduling that all updates will take place on Thursdays as of right now, and hopefully twice a week.

Hopefully both webcomics will be more than enough to warrant you to become a repeat reader!

Soundwave

2010-02-18T15:56:00.003-05:00

Not much to really elaborate on. When I'm bored, I like to sketch. And my preferred sketching choice is ball point pen. So, here's a sketch in ball point pen. Soundwave...Laserbeak...of Transformers fame. See...that was relatively easy, wasn't it?

Bic should give me a lifetime supply of pens...just sayin'...

Spiral

2010-02-13T17:37:00.002-05:00

In continuing with what I 'promised' in one of my previous posts, here is another piece from my X-Men picture. In all honesty, I never seen Spiral (thats her name) in the comics at all...but then again, I never really was a serious comic book reader. I have however, seen her in the various X-Men cartoons and the videogames...so I know that she plays a somewhat important part. She's not one of the good guys though...but it is what it is. Plus, I needed some more villains in my pic to even everything out...because right now I have way too many heroes...but it might stay that way.

What I've Been Up To

2010-02-10T10:36:00.005-05:00

Its kinda hard to keep up with my promise to myself to draw more often...but I have...I really have, promise. Its just that what I've been drawing recently doesn't look like much of anything. I think for a while, I'm going to take a long break from doing huge drawings and illustrations and concentrate on much smaller ones. That way I can do more, practice more, and just get more done. And now that my excuse is out of the way...

I don't have much of anything new to show. But since I knew that was going to happen, I started to color one of my older drawings using some new techniques and stuff that I've picked up from here and there. And right now, I just started, so it probably doesn't look like much, but hopefully this practice will pay off once I start using what I know and applying it to newer stuff.

You may remember this picture from a couple of months ago...its the Captain America that I did using a ball point pen. I want this to look kinda old and weathered, so we'll see if that works out when its done...if not, oh well, no harm in trying I guess.

Psylocke

2010-02-04T13:43:00.003-05:00

I don't have much really to update...so I decided to throw this together really quick. Its part of a much bigger...BIGGER piece that I'm still putting together and ironing everything out on. The whole picture is supposed to be of the X-Men, and I plan to have several different characters in it (but I might shorten my goals depending on how tedious everything gets). This is Psylocke of the X-Men. Unfortunately, she wasn't in the cartoon rendition too often (I remember like 1 episode with her in it) but she's in all of the videogames and in the comics. I'll try and post everyone as I get them done, but I can't make any guarantees. I will guarantee however, that I will post the full version of the picture...so you won't be missing out on anything. Still trying new things in photoshop and coloring in general, so I hope this experiment turns out positive. And as always, clicking on the pic will make it much higher in resolution.

Jinkies!!

2010-01-28T11:14:00.003-05:00

Okay, lets go ahead and put it out there...I LOVE nerds. Kinda helps that I am one too. One of my favorite characters from my childhood who always gets overlooked is Velma from Scooby Doo. Ranking cartoons from my childhood from most favorite to least, Scooby Doo (the originial) ranks very high up there...behing Transformers, Voltron, Thundercats and He-Man though...but besting G.I. Joe. Velma was that one you can always count on. Sure Daphne was supposed to be the eye candy, but she was all beauty, barely any substance. She was smart, witty, and always figured out the case. And out of the whole bunch, she was the least likely to be scared, because she knew that there was a scientific reason behind everything. And you know, underneath those seemingly big glasses and that oversized turtleneck sweater, there was a vixen somewhere. That's right, Velma is my cartoon crush. Scooby snacks?? Please...Velma's the real treat of the show.

Making Strides

2010-01-25T14:53:00.005-05:00

Lately, I've been making illustrations for art competitions over on a drawing message board. While it was cool at first, it doesn't seem like something that I want to continue with or appears to be productive to me. Actually, its counterproductive. So I think this may be my last entry for those.

While its unfortunate, the basic premise allowed me to keep drawing and pushing further. And even without that, I'm going to continue to do so without the restrictions and boundaries of a set drawing competition. This will let me be able to draw whatever it is that I want, and plus I'll be able to draw more in the long run. And without the scheduling problems the drawoff makes as a side effect, I'm able to devote more time to my webcomic, which surely needs all the time it can get. With that said, I'm posting here the last two entries that I've done for the drawing competition.

First, is the Transformers piece that I posted not too long ago with some changes. Its not perfect, and while I do wish I could add more to it, I'm just going to let it fly just the way it is.

Secondly, is my favorite one of the last few that I've done. The topic was 'under the sea', and this is what I came up with:

As always, clicking on the pictures will enable you to see them bigger with more clarity.

On the drawing boards, both of these were losing efforts, for whatever reason. I've received comments that my pictures are 'too dark', my shadows are too dark (I thought thats what shadows meant...who knew?), my colors are 'muddy', my pictures are 'gimmicky', and that it doesn't represent 'comic art' (whatever that means). Well, whatever. I draw for me, and only me. None of them pay me to draw, so I really don't need to cater to them and draw what they like. Its my art...and if they don't like it then fine.

You can't please everyone all the time, so when it comes to art, I'm only pleasing two people from now on, myself, and the person that the artwork is for.

A Storm is Coming

2010-01-15T16:19:00.002-05:00

I had this face in my sketchbook for like months, but never did anything with it...so I decided to draw in a body and turn her into Storm of the X-Men. Nothing really too exciting here, just practicing coloring in Photoshop. I'm trying to draw more often, and hopefully I'll get better and better...well, thats the plan anyway. Hope you enjoy.

Redux Deluxe Pages Preview

2010-01-12T19:28:00.002-05:00

So, keeping up with my webcomic (I have to...can't give it up now), I decided to redraw all of the pages that I previously had but never uploaded them. And just for your viewing pleasure, here are the preview of them...sans text however. Hopefully its easy to understand without the text, but with it, it will make it that much better. And, if you would love to see more of my webcomic Redux Deluxe, check out my site at ReduxDeluxe.co.cc. This year its gonna be mandatory to get a more legitimate domain, but doing a comic pro-bono means that I gotta use pro-bono servers...at least for now. Enjoy the preview pages!!

Back With the Pencil and Pad...

2010-01-10T17:02:00.007-05:00

Seems like I've been gone forever. Well, technically, I kinda have. I guess in the grand scheme of things, thats both good and bad. The bad part is that I haven't been able to update my blog as much as I would want and need to. But the good is that the time I spent away from it wasn't all for naught. I was actually drawing while I was away from my blog (I was!!! I promise) and trying to get better and get my inspiration back. Some art projects that I've started on my own haven't seen any fruition, mostly because of me putting them aside, but that's going to all change.

I'm not big on resolutions, mainly because I never stick to them. But I'm making this a focus to get much better at what I do artistically, and that means drawing on a more consistent basis...whatever it is that may be. First thing is to get rid of that horrendous blog banner at the top. I put all of my energy in creating banners for others, that mine just looks like garbage. Real thought and time will have to be put into mine, because its a damn shame that the ones I create for others make mine look like trash.

Secondly, Redux Deluxe. I was all hype about creating it, and I did, got off to a bumpy start, and never really went back to it. I have been drawing pages for it, but I wasn't too fond of where it was going both art wise and story, so I scrapped it. But the webcomic is still on, and this week will see me starting new pages for it. I even created a new image for a visual redesign of one of the main characters:

With the new pages, art is going to be a major focus as well as telling a good and entertaining story. When thats up and running, I'll be sure to spread the word.

And here is some other random stuff that I've been working on lately...

This next one is a Work In Progress for a drawoff on an art board. The topic is Transformers, and instead of doing the typical Optimus Prime v. Megatron pic, I decided to use my favorite Transformer, Soundwave and Starscream. I never understood how Soundwave, who was a boombox, was the same size as all the other Transformers that were jets, cars, tanks, trucks and all of that. But he was definitely the best cause he had cassettes who were also Transformers. You can't beat that. Alot of this is subject to change, and I'll post the final one shortly.

Red Sonja

2009-11-02T16:46:00.003-05:00

Still drawing, but probably as not as much as I should be. I really need to start a regular daily sketching regimen. But to show that I have at least been doing something artistic recently, here's that Red Sonja pic from the previous post, all spruced up with a real background and scenery.

As usual, clicking on it will show it in all of its full resolution glory.

Still Alive...Still Drawing

2009-10-11T20:55:00.007-04:00

About a month ago, I got sick and I just really haven't picked up a pencil since then. I guess being sick, couple that with being slightly depressed...you just don't feel all that creative. No updating my webcomic...no sketching...nothing. I've been trying to scrape something together, and nothing has been working. So I looked at my old sketchbooks just to get some inspiration.

And the funny thing was, out of all of those sketches and finished drawings, there were only like 5 that I was proud of. Five. That's it. I don't know what it was, but I was just looking at them all like 'you know, I can do a million times better than that...I played all of my artwork so safe'. So, that just got me interested again, to better myself, push my limits, and make sure that every drawing that I consider 'complete' be portfolio worthy. So, that's the goal. To produce high quality stuff...starting now.

With that said...

This is a piece that I did for a drawing competition on an art board called Pencil Jack. I wanted to do so much more with it, but the deadline was approaching, and I was so sick at the time, so alot of it got scrapped. I might revisit this later and see if I can put some if not all of my original ideas into this one.
And this one is the current picture that I'm working on. Its of a character called Red Sonja (I didn't even know who this was...I had to google it...). Basically, she's like a female Conan the Barbarian...or He-Man. Right now, I just have her drawn, and threw in that quick background. But for the actual picture, I'm going to use that drawing of her, give it a different foreground as well as different background elements.
And these are some pages from my webcomic Redux Deluxe. Right now, I haven't updated it in like almost a month, but I'm still producing pages for it that I will be uploading soon, so be sure to check that out as well.

And as always, clicking on the images will show them much larger. Hopefully my next update won't take so long in coming. Actually, it shouldn't...because I'm sketching again.

Ballpoints and WebComics

2009-08-26T17:59:00.004-04:00

First off, let me apologize for that piss poor previous blog post. I've been extremely lazy lately when it comes to blogging. The whole point of this blog was to meet other artists and chronicle my progression, but if I don't blog about it...then what's the point? With that said...onto some new drawings!!

This first one was done for a drawoff. The topic was Captain America and the medium was ballpoint pens only. I love drawing with ballpoint pens cause it gives a texture that pencils just don't. The BAD thing about it though, is that pens (Bic pens anyway) tend to blot when you use it for extensive amounts of time...and it gets very messy and can mess up your drawing if you aren't too careful. It happened twice on this picture, and I left it alone before it happened again. The shading technique I used is crosshatching...which basically is the only shading technique I use with ballpoints.

**********

This next topic is important to me though. I've decided I'm going to restart my webcomic, Redux Deluxe. I know like only 3 people read the few strips I had before, but hopefully now I can get alot more people to actually take like 3 minutes out of their day to check it out. Its about this kid named CJ who has to move because his parents got new jobs in another state. And its about him meeting new friends, transitioning and learning life lessons...yada yada yada. I decided to make this for two reasons...one, because I love the idea of webcomics. Its great, and some people (very few) actually make their living off of successful webcomics.

And secondly, there is a distinct LACK of webcomics geared toward minorities. And when I say LACK...I can count on one hand how many I know of, with two fingers held down. Yeah, its that serious. I mean, if there can be all these webcomics about videogames, drinking, college humor and all of that, we can at least have a few more good ones that represent minorities. And it was for that reason alone that mine isn't going to have vulgarities and profanities in it. And if it does have profane language, it will definitely be masked so its still appropriate. So please, if you have the time, click on my link on the right for Redux Deluxe, or click this link provided: Click Me!!

I really hope to have this updated regularly with once a week at first then up to twice a week. Please read, support, leave comments, tell your friends, and all that jazz!!! Much appreciated!

Image Dump

2009-08-22T21:19:00.004-04:00

Even though my posting schedule clearly says otherwise, I am alive. I've just been busy...and really, blogger isn't to me what it used to be. This is going to be a short descriptive blog, and hopefully I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves.

**As always, clicking on the pictures will show them larger**

This is the picture that I was drawing almost a month ago. Unfortunately the person who came up with the subject was a no-show. Sorry about the image quality on these too...they're from my photobucket account.

Random sketch:

Sketch of the Phoenix:

Picture of Ironman that I'm scrapping and starting all over on:

A picture of Nightwing from my larger Nightwing picture:

A picture of Robin versus Clayface from my larger Nightwing picture:

...and the larger Nightwing picture using the image from the previous post:

Nightwing: WIP

2009-07-30T15:30:00.000-04:00

So, still sketchin'...still drawin'...and still entering art competitions.

This one is of Nightwing, aka Dick Grayson...aka Robin. This is a work in progress and a small part of a much larger intended picture. I would go into specifics, but I don't want to say anything just yet until I put it all on paper. Basically, I just wanted to show the work in progress from the initial 'ink' stage to the colors.

I'm the cheapest artist I know. And it also doesn't help that I don't get paid for commissions (see previous post), so I gotta keep stuff cheap. But that's going to change soon when I make that serious jump. Anyways, my pen is dying on me and I'm trying to get the most out of it, but its becoming an exercise in futility. I tried to do the best that I could with what I had. I definitely need to get some new pens if I plan on finishing this drawing.

So, these are the coloring stages I take. I first lay down the flat colors just to make sure that things will flow well together. Then I decided on how I wanted the lighting to go...which in this case I wanted the light to come in from the viewer's left. I shaded the face first to make sure it looked okay, then proceeded to the rest of the picture. Then I put in darker shadows and then the highlights. Here's that progress:

And the background is babyfood pea green because it helps me to see the whites easier.

Usually, I would leave things that way, but this time, I decided to add a secondary light source, which I think helps out greatly, even though it isn't immediately obvious. I thought that the image looked cool, so I decided to make it a picture on its own. I added the comic screen tone to the back and did a radial motion blur and added an overall texture, and this is how it came out in the end:

Meh...it looks okay...not fantastic. There's some things that I still have to change here and there on it. I just really hope that the larger picture comes together and is coherent.

The Commission

2009-07-22T13:50:00.001-04:00

I was never fond of doing commissions...mainly because I didn't like the fact that I was 'selling' art...things that I grew used to and attached to over the course of me making it. And also, I feel that some people just don't have the same appreciation for certain things like I do. I perceive my own artwork as thoughts and feelings drawn out on paper...and it means alot to me. And truthfully, its kind of heartbreaking and discouraging when someone begs and pleads for my art and I give it to them, only later to see that its balled up in a wad somewhere or folded in half on the floor collecting dust...but thats just me.

Also, I don't really like drawing things for people because I never really know what they want. It helps if they sketch out a thumbnail for me so I can see their idea, but most of the time they leave it up to me. And I don't like it when I give something my all, and they don't even like it or its not what they want.

Then I thought to myself that artists have to live and survive too, and eventually I would have to get over that commission thing...so thats what I did...sorta. I'm like one of the only artists that I know who does commissions and doesn't get paid for them. Right now, I view art as something that I love doing, and love getting better at. And as long as things are simple and reasonable, I don't mind doing freebies. But I'm gonna start doing more detailed and intricate ones that go beyond the definition of sketches, and those I will def. charge for.

So with that said, on to the commissions that I've recently done (for free!! yay!!). They've all been watermarked because I feel that I drew the picture for that person and that person only, so they're the ones that get the pristine versions.

1. This is a drawing that I did for someone who's writing a book. From what I've read so far its a very interesting read. The picture of the main character's other entity that she communicates with. She's made up of fire, and it was hard trying to find a mix of the different colors that she described her character was made out of, but I tried my best.

2. This one was done for a fellow blogger. I'm not going to put his name here right now because I know he probably wants to keep this under wraps until he's ready to post it on his blog. I'm not going to post the total image, just a brief snippet of it. This is part of a larger image.
3. This next picture was also done for a fellow blogger. She showed me some images of what she liked and asked for something similar. I wasn't familiar at all with that art style, but I gave it a shot and infused some of my own in there as well. I hope she liked it alot and its what she wanted.4. This is one that I drew for a special friend of mine and is loosely based on her. This was supposed to be a beach scene and very simple. Still don't know if she liked it or not...but I guess she got her money's worth (especially since it was free)
So as of right now, I'm willing to still do 'free' sketches, as long as they're for the most part simple...all I'm willing to ask for in return is that you are able to post them online to your respective blog and link back to this site, Illuminate Darkness. If you are looking for something a little more involved, email me at IlluminateDarknessComics@gmail.com, or twitter me at IllumDarkness and we can definitely work something out from there.

Work in Progress: Wolverine

2009-07-14T21:46:00.003-04:00

So, I'm not completely finished with this yet...there's still alot I have to do to it before the due date. At first, I didn't have faith that the drawing that I did before would turn out to be fruitful, and the other character I drew I had to scrap completely and redraw it from scratch...and it was getting frustrating. So, with some trickery, so redone coloring and hue changes...a background drawn in (finally!!!) things are coming along pretty well. You know, when I was going through my Gimp to Photoshop transition, I was thinking to myself that Gimp was fine and I actually preferred it...but now I've delved deeper into it, and I love Photoshop. I love Photoshop....anyways...here's what I have so far:

Zelda on the Open Seas

2009-07-13T14:35:00.000-04:00

When I tell people that I have "artist's ADD", I don't think people really get me. Well...I have two pictures that I need to be working on for a competition that are due sometime this month. One, I'm like 45% done, and the other roughly like 15% done. But with deadlines looming like that, I still get easily distracted and start drawing other things. Take for instance this Zelda picture. Its based upon the game Wind Waker for GameCube (the MOST slept on Zelda game ever...if it weren't so short, this would be my favorite Zelda game). The whole point of the game is that you use this magical orchestrator's wand to change the winds for you to sail on. In this picture, someone obviously from the wrong game showed up...Blooper from Super Mario Bros. I just thought it would be funny...cause...I'm weird like that. This was drawn in my 5x8 sketchpad.

Also, if not many people know, I'm open for commissions. I've done a couple so far already, and as of right now, depending on the intricacy of the drawing or sketch, I'm willing to do it for cheap, and in some instances free...as long as you are able to post my work on your blog or website and have it linked to Illuminate Darkness. For other, bigger, more complex works, feel free to email me (email address located under the 'Contact Me' link above) or DM me on Twitta' and we can definitely work some things out from there. In some upcoming posts, I will post some recent commissions that I've done.

And like my main man always says: "Stay thirsty my friends"

Logan WIP (Work In Progress)

2009-07-08T15:23:00.003-04:00

I'm not sure who really reads this anyways, so I guess I'm posting this here to chronicle my own progress. This is another work in progress of a bigger picture that I'm working on. I would say in the grand scheme of things, this picture here (which this part itself isn't even complete) represents like 15% of the total drawing. I just like doing them piece by piece so I can devote time to the little details of the character...and it makes the whole picture easier for me to take on when I break it up this way. The picture really looks tame as of right now, but in my thumbnail version, this will get really dirty and messy. *sigh*, now its time to devote some effort to that He-Man picture that I started not too long ago...

Prince Adam WIP (Work In Progress)

2009-07-05T19:57:00.004-04:00

I haven't posted a real work in progress in some time...well, there was the Punisher picture and the Gambit one...but still. This is when you know you're a child of the 80s. I'm definitely gonna flesh this one out as much as I can before the 21st...because...yeah, I'm entering another drawing competition. But I'm also working on another 'real' picture at the same time, plus sketching random stuff all the time. Crazy. Maybe I'll be able to publish a sketchbook by the end of the calendar year that won't completely suck.

Maybe.

Grecco-Roman Goddess

2009-07-03T12:16:00.003-04:00

I'm not fully versed in the mythologies of the grecco-roman era. Actually, I suck at history. I'm more of a math and science person...who likes art and draws in their spare time. My main goal was to use math and science to get to a point where I could do art whenever I wanted...but, its not playing out that way. Some days I wish I went to school to get a BFA instead of an engineering degree...and if I would be happier with that. But I guess you shouldn't live in regret...and that post is for another day...on another blog.

Anyways...

I had this idea to draw this a little while ago. I initially wanted it to be a drawing of Nefertiti in ancient Egypt, but I really hate that hat/crown she wears, and if I drew her without it, she wouldn't be easily recognizable. I might do a redux of this with her instead somewhere down the line, but I'm pretty happy how this turned out. The only thing thats not readily apparent which I wanted to convey, was that her dress was supposed to be sheer, but for some reason, it didn't come out that way...maybe I need to lower to opacity some more. Oh well. And I guess she's supposed to be the goddess of the sun, hence the faint sun rays.

Now I just have to learn how to and practice color holds in photoshop...

King of Music

2009-07-01T15:47:00.004-04:00

Let me preface this by saying that I've been holding off on doing a Michael Jackson tribute post because I knew that the blogs would've been saturated with them, and I felt as if I needed to do something different. But then I thought, this is the passing of an icon...and if I can't do a tribute for him, then I shouldn't be doing tributes at all, let alone calling myself a lover a music. Without a doubt, the passing of Michael Jackson is definitely a serious loss to the music industry. He set the bar remarkably high...which seems untouchable by anyone else today. He broke boundaries, created classics, redefined what a music video is and should be, defined pop as a genre...the list goes on and on. His songs are so classic and timeless, to a point where I can find myself putting them on repeat and listening to them for hours...and thats definitely saying something in the era of ring tone music that we are in right now.

I'm sad that we lost MJ. I grew up to his music. I remember trying to emulate that lean from the Smooth Criminal video. I remember his Remember the Time with all of those stars in it...and thinking that his music has to be something special to bring all of those people together. I laughed at his Jam video with Michael Jordan. I knew just about all the steps to Thriller. His videos are so classic...words can't express how deeply they've effected all of the music we love and listen to today. Without MJ breaking boundaries with his music and redefining what genres are and how you can transcend them, there probably wouldn't be as great of a mix of music that we have today. There would be no great r&b...the Jackson 5 was the original boy band. No *N-sync, no 98 degrees, no Justin Timberlake, no Ne-Yo, no Usher, no Chris Brown...so much he has effected, and continues to effect by his music even today.

Most people choose to dwell on his personal life...but dammit, he's been scrutinized since he was 9 years old. His life has become a laughing stock almost, and its a damn shame that we're only now in his passing realizing how great he was and the legacy he left. MJ will definitely be missed by me...and there never will be another King of Pop...scratch that...King of Music.

The sketch above is only fitting.

SunKist

2009-06-23T19:10:00.001-04:00

Ah...gotta love summer, even though spring is my favorite season. But summer just reminds me of beaches, the smell of suntan lotion, half nekkid wimin, hot days, warm nights, half nekkid wimin...nah, I'm just joking. But I really do love summer. I wish I could go somewhere like the beach or something with my sketchpad and sketch out a scene without looking like some creepo stalker, but those are the breaks of the society we live in today. Anyways...I drew this picture which is loosely based upon someone close to me...and I thought you know, it might be a good time as any to post the steps that I take in doing these now, since I've changed my process when I officially moved from GIMP to Photoshop. So here we go...

Stage 1:
Obviously I started out with a sketch first in pencil, and then inked it. I'm still practicing with different line weights to give cleaner lines and such. But basically, the outline of every major shape gets the thick lines, and the smaller, intricate more delicate lines are the small ones. Sometimes it gets kind of cloudy as to which lines are the larger ones, but hopefully its gonna get better with practice. I did however erase the lines in her neck, nose and the highlites of her hair with an 80% opacity so I don't have to do that color holds technique...but I do need to learn that regardless.

Stage 2:
This is the blah part...laying down the flats. Basically, this is the step where I experiment with the base colors and determine whether everything will flow together well or not when things are completed. It helps to use complimentary colors too so things will 'mesh' better.

Stage 3:
This is where I start to flesh out the picture. I added the shadows here. Its best to set upon a definite light source so things will look right when its finished. I already decided that I want the light source to be in the upper left right behind her wind swept hair, so I placed the shadows accordingly. What I do for the shadows is use a soft brush and color them in with black, and then change the opacity, as well as the layer type, usually either overlay or soft light, depending on which one looks better. A note to the wise though, this works for most colors, EXCEPT yellow and some yellowy oranges. When you use it for those, the colors start to look more dirty than shadows, so for yellows, I suggest using oranges for the shadows. Also, for skin tones, its not enough just using darker colors for shadows, some skin shadows require shades of blue or purples for shadows. I leave those layers as normal, just changing the opacity to what looks right.

Stage 4:
This step is where I apply the highlites. And yes I know thats not how you properly spell it, but that's how I spell it. I use a soft brush with a low opacity just to give me an idea of how light would hit different contours. Usually you can leave this layer as normal, but sometimes its best to check either the overlay or soft light options because those can produce good results as well. These are just the base highlites...

Stage 5:
Most people start their backgrounds first...but it makes it look weird to me and I can't concentrate on the colors that I really want to use. Here I knew that I wanted my background framed within a marquee, so I drew that in there with the marquee tool and the stroke option. Here, I added more defined highlites with a slightly higher opacity. The glasses lenses are drawn over the lineart and then set to a low opacity to give that glass look.

Final:
And here's the final. I basically did the background with some marker brushes on a 35% opacity from yellow to dark red, which honestly, could have been done much quicker with a gradient...but whatever. I added the 'sun' in the background with the ellipse marquee tool and filled it with a bright yellow then blurred it. The circles you see are from a screen tone set to multiply, then I added the text. Then I added some horizontal lines with a low opacity and set to color dodge to give that lens flare look. And that's pretty much it. See...anyone can color/draw/create like I can, its pretty easy....

...well, not really, but you get the idea.

The Product of Failure: Redeaux

2009-06-19T12:15:00.005-04:00

Redeaux is my faux french...pronounced redo. Ha...yeah, I know I'm corny.

You know, I'm beginning to learn that the saying is true, you do learn more out of failure and defeat than you do in victory. That loss that I had in the drawing competition kinda hurt my ego...and truthfully, the old me probably would've taken it hard and just given up and not done the competition thing anymore. If I would have won, I probably wouldn't have pushed so hard, and tried something out of my norm, and probably would've been stuck doing the same old same old. The fact of the matter is, I entered the competition to get better, to stop being so lazy with artwork and compositions, and really, just to showcase myself to others as well as myself...finally proving that I can do this if I wanted...which I do. Hopefully, I made that point clear, and if I changed at least one person's opinion about my artwork, then that's a victory for me.

Anyways, I entered that Green Lantern picture in the contest that was posted a couple of posts back. I thought it was a good picture, considering how much time I put into it...but meh, its whatever. It lost unfortunately, and I was sort of bummed. So, I decided to enter the next competition, which has a similar theme, but not so narrow, and decided to try something new and different. And the pic below is what I came up with:
(make sure you click on it to get a bigger view)

So now, I'm gonna take this approach with all of my new artwork...just pushing the limit til I get something that I'm proud to look at and say that I drew. And I finally made the 100% jump to Photoshop. Well...this wasn't the first picture, but I'm just saying. I think I'm coming along well with both artwork and coloring...especially based on my first digital color 'attempt' that wasn't too long ago (**shudders**).

Up, Up & Away!

2009-06-16T18:51:00.002-04:00

Art-wise, I've been pretty busy as of late. I've been doing alot of little sketches and scribbles, some of which have made their way to this blog...some I still haven't even posted. Unfortunately, I lost in the art competition on an art board, so I won't be doing that anymore...which kinda sucks and was an ego blow. But truth be told, I did throw up a half assed piece that I clearly wasn't happy with and had to resort to photoshop trickery to save it, instead of help it. That being said, since I'm not in the competition anymore, I don't have to draw anymore pieces on subject matter that I'm unclear about in a short time span, so that means I can devote more time to stuff I want to do and get accomplished. There's still alot of drawings that I want to get colored but have been sitting as scans on the hard drive for almost months now.

...and I'm rambling...

Well, I drew up this anime inspired Super Girl...which definitely will get a reworking in my normal style very soon because I'm not too happy how this turned out. Or maybe I'll just skip that and come back to it later and do Wonder Woman...hmmm...

Your Powers Are Weak

2009-06-12T19:42:00.002-04:00

Okay, I'm gonna be honest for a minute...I didn't actually sit down to watch any of the Star Wars movies until like 2 years ago. Sue me. At the time, I didn't get the point. But I have to say, that they're not as bad as I made them out to be. I actually like Episodes 2 and 3 the most...and its kinda hard to go back and watch the older Star Wars movies and know that they're supposed to be 'newer'. Maybe thats just me.

Anyways, here's a quick sketch that I did a quick color job on of Darth Vader. Gotta love the James Earl Jones voice too. This is pretty much how I picture Vader whenever someone gets in his way...the force choke. You would think he would have other force moves too though...

Summer-Time!!

2009-06-10T16:25:00.002-04:00

Not exactly what you were probably expecting from the title, but hey...his name IS Scott Summers though. This is my first ever drawing of Cyclops from X-Men, and hopefully it turned out decent. I drew this in my smaller sketchbook, which I'll probably unofficially designate to drawings of this kind. I have so many ideas for different character sketches of characters I've never drawn before. Hopefully this will force me to get better...and while I color them, there's nothing but experimentation going on with Photoshop. So basically, its like a win-win. And you can best believe that the best of these will definitely find their way into my sketchbook.

In Brightest Day

2009-06-06T15:51:00.003-04:00

So...I finally finished that Green Lantern picture. I definitely will revisit the Green Lantern and draw a much better pic, but given how I started (that rather fecal drawing from the last post...) and the fact that I didn't have enough time to do what I really wanted to do, this is okay...I guess. And I can definitely say that seeing Star Trek this past weekend definitely influenced alot of the excessive lens flares that you see going on there...but really...I don't care. I wish I knew more about the Green Lantern though...I guess thats what happens when you're a self proclaimed 'graphic novel artist' and you know absolutely nothing about comic characters. Shame.

I Love Deadlines...

2009-06-04T12:10:00.001-04:00

...I especially love the whooshing sound that they make when they whiz by. Yep. I'm in another art drawoff...this time the topic is Green Lantern and the something else...I forget. I basically started last night...and I have no time to rough anything out or anything...I just threw some sh## together and with some wizardry and magic, I hope to pull something out that doesn't resemble a pile of steaming feces. I have never drawn the Green Lantern before...in fact, I know very little about the Green Lantern and everything except what the Justice League cartoon shows me. Fact of the matter is...I kinda want to be a graphic novel artist (well, for my own anyway), and I don't read comic books. Ain't that some ish? I think the last comic book I read wasn't even my own, and it was like in the early to mid 90s. I know I know...I suck. Whats e even worse is this crap of a drawing I have that's supposed to be Green Lantern. If time permits, I have to flesh this thing out ALOT...and see if I can draw another head and superimpose it to this one, cause its really not working. Its really crossing my mind to scrap this whole thing altogether and start anew...or even forfeiting the thing outright...especially given the time constraints...

Brought To You By The Letter Q

2009-05-27T14:01:00.003-04:00

Yeah...umm...I'm not gonna even try to justify this or why I even made it. I imagine this is what the Count would say if he looked through the archives of this art blog or picked up any of my sketch books. Mean bastard.

Today Was a Good Day

2009-05-25T14:20:00.001-04:00

This came out of left field...I was humming the song not too long ago, and this came out. And for those who can't tell...its supposed to be Ice Cube...you know, the 'gangster rapper' who does children's movies now. Crazy huh? This was fun to do, and while doing it...I think I finally found a style to run with when/if I ever get Redux Deluxe back running. I didn't even have to use my AK...I can't believe today was a good day.

The Punisher: Finished!!!

2009-05-22T17:25:00.002-04:00

So, here's the final(?) version of my Punisher picture. I'll probably go back and change some of the colors and shadows and such here and there...but this is pretty much the final version. And to think, all I started out with was a crappy sketch. Wish me luck for the draw-off!!

**edit**: So I went back and revised most of the shadows (mainly in the background) because they absolutely made no sense whatsoever...and adjusted some hues and stuff here and there...and came up with this version. Yeah...I'm not touching it anymore.

WIP: Punisher Continued

2009-05-20T15:19:00.001-04:00

Slowly making progress from my last post.

WIP: Frank Castle, A.K.A....

2009-05-19T17:00:00.001-04:00

Just a little sumthin' sumthin' I've been doodling. Not even remotely close to finish, even though the colors imply otherwise. This will be done before May 25 at midnight (thats when its due for a drawing competition at the Pencil Jack forum), so expect to see the full finished version then.

Heaven Leigh

2009-05-13T18:30:00.003-04:00

Funny what you come up with when you're just sketching some randomness. I have a couple of 'super heroes' that I've created, and I'll post those here too sometime...but here's one that I just made up real randomly while just sketching. I could definitely see myself fleshing this one out a little more and even making short stories with her. Her name is Heaven Leigh, and she's a human angel...a guardian angel in fact. But when she was sent here to Earth, she had to shed her wings to make her mortal. Anyways, as far as special abilities and such goes...she has super strength, and can fly...and really...you don't need much more than that. Oh, and she has a direct line to the Big Guy upstairs, so that dwarfs any heat vision and all of that other stuff.

And this was my first attempt at doing stuff in Photoshop, and while its very different than GIMP, a lot of the things are very familiar. Its a must that I continue practicing with Photoshop, because I feel there are alot of things that I could get accomplished easier in PS than I can do in GIMP. So with that said...introducing Heaven Leigh:

From Start to Finish: Gambit

2009-05-05T13:25:00.000-04:00

Me completing a picture from start to finish is definitely a rare occasion. And to mark this once in a blue moon, only once in a lifetime thing, I've decided to post my process in how I came about to the final product. Keep in mind that I've learned all of this stuff on my own, so I know that I probably do everything posted here the absolute wrong way, or that there are better more efficient ways of going about how I came to the final...but you live and you learn. And if some people who are reading could give me some pointers and useful steps...please believe that it would be greatly appreciated.

So I started out with a rough sketch:
No fancy art pencils here...I've always used regular #2 pencils. This was done with a #2 bic pencil on 8.5"x11" paper. I have a terrible habit of drawing things too big for the paper, and I know I can fix this by using actual comic board or A3/A4 sized paper...but unfortunately, I don't have any. And I don't have a scanner that can accommodate paper of that size. So, the foot and the card at the bottom are too close to the end of the paper...which usually means problems.

The last post I posted a WIP (work in progress) inking of this pic. No special pens used here either. I normall have art Staedtler pens, but this time, microball pens. They vary in size, so I used a heavy thick one for the outline of Gambit, the medium sized one for the outlines of major shapes and parts, and the fine tipped one for details. And here's how that turned out:
Unfortunately due to the scan, part of his fingers got cut off...so I rescanned it and tried to get as much of the pic scanned as possible. This was to be my first beginning to end coloring job in Photoshop, but I decided to stick to what I know and used GIMP. My next one will definitely be Photoshop though. I did a new process that I've seen alot of people do, which is lay down the flat colors first without any shading. This made things go by much easier and much quicker, even though that part is sooooo boring. I love shading, and this felt like a chore...but it had to get done:
Then when the flats were done...now it was time for me to have a ball and get to shading and adding highlights and effects and stuff. Also, I had to flesh out the energy effect for the lower card and add some to his foot which I couldn't do on traditional paper. I also added a motion blur effect to the cards here as well by using the magic lasso tool in GIMP. I didn't like the weird ghosting looking outline it left around that, so I blurred it later on with the blur/sharpen tool to fix it:Oh snap!! We're rolling now. But this would look a million times better with a background. And since I'm really not a fan of drawing backgrounds directly onto the picture, I drew it on another page. I already had a basic idea of what I wanted to do, so it let me take some liberties with the background and not make it as detailed as this part. So we wound up with this, a Sentinel from the X-Men comics:Yep...pretty plain and basic huh. Actually, I'm not happy with this part at all...but it doesn't really matter because I knew that you wouldn't be able to see most of it anyways. So here we go again, with the boring flat colors...yay...(end sarcasm):Okay, I knew that this was going to be the background, so I had to flesh this out a little. I shaded it, and added textures to it because I wanted him to look metallic...because...well, he is. Then I added some particle effects to his hand, some glow reflection stuff, some sky, clouds, stars and a moon and came up with this:Its not all that detailed, and there's ALOT that I hate about this, but its cool, cause you won't see much of it anyways. So, I flattened this out to .png file as well as the other Gambit part, and then made the Sentinel the background, and posted Gambit on top. I desaturated the hell out of the colors for both pieces, blurred the background, added some minor details here and there...and came up with the final product:Cool stuff huh? Yeah...its okay...and doing this was definitely a learning experience. Now I just have to get to inking all of these 'in progress' sketches...and maybe get to that Gladiator one...

So much to do...so little time.

A Work In Progress

2009-05-01T20:40:00.001-04:00

Seems like if I open up all of my old sketch books, I'll see one or two completed pictures, but hundreds of 'work in progress' pics. I don't know whats up with that, or why I can't seem to focus on getting any sketches done. I guess its like my art attention span is so short, and I start to see so many problems that I can't fix, so I give up and go on to the next one. Or, I have drawing ADD. Both sound like disorders that I need to work through.

Anyways...

I think I finally found my niche and doing things that I want to do. I know for sure that I'm tired of doing half pictures, and I want to do full ones that feel complete...mainly so I don't feel like I don't have anything to show when that question comes up...'Oh, so you like to draw? Can I see??' And I would feel more like a real artist handing over a portfolio than a pretender handing over half done stick figures colored in crayon...exaggeration, I know.

But this is what I've been up to recently. Yeah...still drawing multiple pictures at once, with several more stuck in my head...but they'll all get out eventually. The first one is a Roman-Greco time period gladiator games one. I have to do some research for some roman architecture from that time period, cause I don't want to blatantly rip off the Colosseum...but if it comes to that, then thats what I'll do. The second one is for a draw off competition. The subject was Gambit of the X-Men...and I feel like I've been seriously underestimated at what it is that I do, so I have to come out the blocks swinging taking no prisoners, just so I can get some damn respect over there. Feel free to let me know what you guys think. Much Appreciated!!

Dripping With Soul

2009-04-22T15:25:00.000-04:00

I initially wanted to entitle this Dripping With Da Funk...but its not really 'funky'. I like how this came out...even though I wasn't all that fond of it while I was sketching it. Lately I've been having alot of creative ideas just flowing...and I'm just running with it all. Its going to be hard to try and finish all of these, while working on my sketchbook...and on top of all that, entering competitions and things like that. I like how this is like full time work with part time (actually no...) pay. But you gotta do what you gotta do to live your D.R.E.A.M.. Who knows, I may one day get that break that will let me do what I love full time. I can only hope, right??

What's This? What's This??

2009-04-20T15:40:00.001-04:00

Nightmare Before Christmas is one of my favorite movies. And I love Jack Skellington...he's definitely the man. Anyways, I have so many fond memories of that movie that I decided to devote a whole afternoon to putting a ridiculous amount of dots on some paper so hopefully it will come out looking like something. Well, its more involved than that...but whatever you get the picture.

Oh Jack this isn't fair...People are throwing snowballs instead of throwing heads.

Uniball micropen on 5 1/2" x 8" paper

Just a Break From the Norm...

2009-04-18T17:55:00.000-04:00

And for my next trick...

This is something that I just drew up real RANDOMLY. I tried to draw an abstract drawing...you know the kind that have one image transforming into multiple ones...but that didn't work out exactly how I envisioned it. Anyways, it came out looking like some cotton candy brightness...just what I imagine everything would look if you overdosed on sugar.

Girls I Do Adore...

2009-04-13T14:35:00.001-04:00

I've noticed that alot of artists that I like and follow, they draw females alot. Some of them even only draw nude females (pervs!!). I told myself that when I do start to take art and illustration seriously (which was about...last year) that I would devote my pen and pencil time equally between drawing guys and girls. But fact of the matter is...I love drawing girls.

I love drawing their curves...their physique...so much about them makes it great to draw. Not only that, you can do so much with a female's outfit that you can't do with a male's clothes without him coming out looking...iunno. Drawing women's clothes is more open to interpretation and you can do so much more with them. I think that I'm just gonna take some time one day and just draw up a whole bunch of fashion layouts of women with different outfits...wow, did I just have a fashion designer moment?? I guess its all related...

But in the meantime, here's a brief snippet of one of the things I've been working on lately. This is just a small piece of the much larger pic. Maybe you'll see the whole thing one day...maybe not. But one thing I can tell you is that I drew it specifically for my partner in crime, my rock, my best friend and all around most favoritest person ever. Mushy, right?

What can I say? It is what it is.

"Does It Look Like I Care?" Bear

2009-04-10T14:15:00.001-04:00

The stuff you come up with when you're bored. I thought it was kinda weird that the Care Bears were always happy and always caring all the time...with their care bear stares and what not. Sometimes I wonder if Dr. ColdHeart was just a normal person who just had bad luck, and decided to be grumpy for a change, and he couldn't even do that in peace without those damn bears messing that up. Maybe they're the villians after all....forcing their beliefs on others. The injustice!!

So, this is, Does It Look Like I Care Bear...who obviously doesn't care. And he doesn't have a Care Bear Stare...he has a Not Caring Scowl. I'm scared of you!!!

Done with a Bic pen, and a crappy color job in GIMP.

Spidey Circa '98

2009-04-06T15:40:00.001-04:00

If you are a new reader to my blog, I should let you know that I've always loved drawing. I've been drawing since like 1st grade, probably even before that, but thats when I remember actually picking up a pencil and deciding on drawing certain things. Around middle school is when I really got into it, and around the end of middle school to the beginning of high school, I thought to myself that this is what I want to do for a living. Well, when you're that age, everyone's telling you that you should be a doctor or a lawyer...and for me I was great at 3 things: art, science and math. And people keep telling me that art isn't profitable, and that if I wanted to do both math and science, I should become an engineer...and thats what I went to school for and got my degree in.

So I put art away...I put it away for almost 5 years...and then I picked it up again around 2005. Parts of me wish I had went to art school, cause I really don't know any other artists, and I would love to be in an art community where other people are pushing each other to be better. And I wish I was more serious about art then as I am now, because there's no telling where it could've taken me if I stuck with it. Anyways...

I was cleaning up today and ran across an old 11x17 sketchbook. I thought I lost it when I left for college and I'm glad I didn't. It is however all battered up and wrinkled and stuff. Back then, it was all about adding ridiculous amount of detail, even when I should've been working on anatomy and dynamic poses and stuff. Ah well, its fun to reminisce. Here's a picture of Spiderman and Carnage of Marvel fame...from when I was around 14 years old. Looking at this makes me so mad at myself that I didn't pursue art like I did. Always go after your passions, and never settle for anything less.

The pic is broken up into two pieces because my scanner can't scan pics that large. And to see the detail that I wanted to depict, I had to scan them at 300 dpi, so the file sizes for each eclipse a meg. You should've seen the sizes before I compressed them. Inked with a .35 mm pen, and colored with my personal fave...Crayola color pencils.

Marvel Ultra War Series: Iron Man

2009-03-24T13:10:00.001-04:00

"Tony Stark, makes you feel...he's the cool exec with the heart of steel.
As Iron Man all jets a blaze...he's fighting and smiting with repulsor rays.
Amazing armor...its Iron Man...a blaze of power...Its IRON MAN!!"

Sorry had to do it.

I was sketching Iron Man one day last week...and it came out pretty decent, so I was like, "you know what would be cool...if I inked this and colored it..." So I did that, and I really liked how it came out...but I couldn't think of a background to use. And I sat on it, and thought about it...and then a great idea jumped into my head. What if I draw all of these Marvel heroes singularly, then add them all together to this big mural type picture at the end? That sounded great, but I don't think I was thinking big enough. What if I drew not only heroes, but drew villains as well on the other side...like they were about to throw down for the biggest Marvel mashup ever?? That sounded too great to pass up. So thats the plan...and if this turns out decent like I'm crossing my fingers that it will, I'll do one for the DC characters too.

So with that said...here's my first hero...my favorite hero (move aside Spiderman, Spiderman 3 tarnished you beyond repair...) Iron Man, aka Tony Starks.

When The Smoke Clears

2009-03-19T18:50:00.003-04:00

I don't know what it is about drawing apocalyptic pictures...but I just like doing it. I guess this is sort of a redo of the previous pic in the previous post...I started this like almost right after I finished coloring that drawing. I like this one better...even though something about the guy just doesn't look quite right to me. Maybe its the fact that I can't draw perfect circles? I dunno...live and learn I guess.

Feel free to click the image to see a bigger version, but be warned...the file size eclipses 1.9 megs. What is it with file sizes and .png files?

What's Old Is Now New Again

2009-03-16T14:55:00.001-04:00

I was in a little of an art funk and I needed a little bit of inspiration. So I was browsing through my old sketch books and came across a drawing that I did at the beginning of 2006. My artwork has changed since then, but I found a great picture to color and try new things with. I posted this a while ago, and I also posted it a while ago when I was an 'active' member of a comic sketch forum called Pencil Jack. There, it was critiqued that the way that I rendered it, it made him look 'bulbous', but that was the graphic style I liked and was going for (even though in retrospect, I kinda agree)...not being bulbous though. I thought it would look different colored...so I went for it.

In retrospect, my inking then definitely wasn't the greatest...my lines were all wobbly and all over the place...but I tried my best to clean it up a little. It was fun doing this, and while I was doing it...I found out some cool and interesting things...which I'm currently working on...which will be posted soon.

And Now For Something Completely Different...

2009-03-12T20:28:00.004-04:00

Trying to learn different things in different programs...and came up with this really quick. Adobe Illustrator isn't all that bad. I'm not really happy with it...there's alot that I still want to change about it...I might post the edits later on.

Snuggle Bear

2009-03-06T21:35:00.001-05:00

I had to tweak my blogger template a little (read:I made a completely new template that resembles my old one very closely) because I kept getting BX errors everytime I tried to move and adjust something on my blog. So, hopefully, this one will be much cleaner and easier to work with, but there's still alot of kinks that I'm working out.

You all know the Snuggle Bear right? You don't? Well, this should help...

Well, I just made a random sketch a while ago of this skeleton in a cloak hoodie thing, and I wanted something to spice the picture up with because it was looking rather boring, and out came this. Disturbing and crude I know. The sketch was done with a Bic ball point pen using crosshatching, and then I just did some things to it digitally just to add to it.

Here's the original sketch:
And here it is again with some digital tweaking:

I'm not happy at how the bear came out, I might go back over it with stippling, but hey...it is a sketch, and its not supposed to be perfect.

This is what happens when I'm bored and there's a pen and paper lying around...

Deluxe My Redux Please!!

2009-02-26T19:00:00.007-05:00

Some of you know that I had a short stint as a webcomic artist for my own comic, Redux Deluxe!. Well, unfortunately, it ran into a little road block and had to be put on a hiatus, but I will return to it and make it better than what I had previously intended. If you're not familiar with the story (which frankly, no one is really) its about this 10 year old named CJ who has to up and move from his neighborhood and school to a new neighborhood because his dad got a new job. And basically it just chronicles his adjustment, the relationship he has with his parents, his crazy ass neighbors and people he goes to school with, and much much more (that end part sounded cheesy as hell...). This is a sketch I did for a rough of the cast that I wanted to create, and many of the characters are bound to change. This otherwise probably wouldn't have seen the light of day, so I decided to post it here.

Oh, and if you want to check out the comic site, please do so. Its located here:

Sho' Nuff: The Blaxploitation Homage

2009-02-24T16:53:00.008-05:00

So, I've been on a sketching spree lately (finally!!) and these are some random things that jumped into my head that I had to actually see all the way through. I guess they're supposed to be like a super hero team...man, I dunno, I just draw 'em.

Got a lil' Foxy Brown/Dolemite theme goin on...