Don't Drink and Draw!

Warning to all aspiring artists, Don't Drink and Draw.... don't let cocktail hour get out of of hand because this is the results. Loose drawings! Tonight the arthritis in my hand and arm was acting up. The pain was throbbing, but I felt like I needed to work on something. A flight suit for 'Jack' - Jacqueline O'brian from the stand alone comic. I have never felt that I anchored her in the real world of the strip. I want her to be a strong female lead in the strip she appears in. So I patterned her after the strong female leads of the 30's films, like Ann Sheridan. But again this is a lesson in letting the Caniff cocktail hour getting out of hand. From what I read Milton Caniff had a passion for cocktail hour, but it seems I don't know when to stop when the pain in my hand and arm increase. Oh getting old sucks is all I can say. So the result is a very loose inked drawing of a flight suit of 'Jack's'. So I guess this sketch blog is about the good and the bad....so consider this the bottom of the barrel, or bottom of the bottle if you will.

Please excuse me .... the pain is so bad sometimes I just can't stand it, but I still have work to do to make headway. So just a warning to young artists. Control is a good thing, Lack of control is a bad thing.

Kong!!!

Ok I realize this was a suggestion by Martin Powell for me to try for the auction at the coming Fallcon show. But since he suggested it I couldn't get it out of my mind. Of course between Martin and I, I would hate to think of the number of viewings of Kong that we have. I probably put it in about once a week or two as I work. I watch alot of serials, horror, adventure, and of course Kong as I work. It helps with the snappy patter (the language), the background images, the sounds and all.

I rarely ever do full size roughs, and I should do them all the time....another suggestion make by a super artist that I met. I know there are some problems with placement on this one, but I do think the dinos tail, spine and all lead up to the action and Kong. The Fay Wray gal is just eye candy and fun, as she hides behind the rock ducking the dinos' tail. Although not an actual exact scene from the film, I was more after the spirit of the fight and I didn't want to draw the tree that traps Fay.

So anyway thanks to my good friend Martin....here is the first ever drawing of Kong I ever did. Hopefully I will have time to flesh it out and lightbox it for a finished drawing in time for Fallcon.

So many irons in the fire....

Believe me Loyal Legionnaires, I am not falling down on production of the Captain Spectre strip. But, I do have many, many irons in the fire - sort of speak. Fallcon, the great Minnesota comic convention, is rushing toward me. I always contribute to the three charity auctions that they have there. Just feel like I should pay back something for such a great con and a great time. I also always try to come up with something that Nick, the organizer of the con, wants to bid on. Sometimes I hit one, and sometimes I don't. Last year I pencilled a Doc Savage piece and Joe Rubenstein inked it. So this morning I had this idea of a golden age Superman borrowing bombs from an airfield to do a little foreign policy mission. So I just had to rough it out before I lost the idea. As I scanned it I noticed his forward leg is a bit too short, but I will fix that later. Just wanted to show it off a bit, mainly for the idea, and to make sure I got it down. I will need to do two more pieces at least in the next few weeks for the auctions. So I will be showing those here too.

As I said sometimes too many irons in the fire....game animation, a commission piece I owe a Loyal Legionnaire for doing me a great favor, the virus project, and of course continuing the Captain Spectre strip.

Omaha Osfest Sci Fi con sketches

Here is four quick sketches I finished off at the Omaha Sci fi con on sunday. Had a good time sketching and talking with a couple of people. Of course I always have fun sketching. And of course didn't sell a thing, as I hardly ever do. Must be my introverted body language. Hell, I just want to draw most of the time and seem to ignore alot around me sometimes. Oh well I had fun and that is what counts in my life. I really enjoyed trying to do more of a cross of reality and my vision of Flash Gordon and Dale. I think it turned out ok.