The (Art) Drop

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,

Keepin' That Pencil Busy

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,

Sketchy Situations

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

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,

Webcomics 'n Thangs

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,

Ballpoint Madness!!

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

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

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

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!

Redux Deluxe Pages Preview

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!!

Still Alive...Still Drawing

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

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!