This Week In Drawing... 009

These Weeks In Drawing... Parts 3-8 Respectively

Back in October I dared having some consistency on my blog by starting a then weekly segment called This Week In Drawing... which I quickly failed at doing after just two posts.

I've already lamented about not following through, which is a lame thing to do. Why not spend that precious blogging time updating with something new rather than complain I can't find the time to update with something new? It's an apathetic paradox, yo!

So here's making up for seven weeks of drawing. To be fair, this isn't the entirely of everything I've scratched on paper these past seven weeks. It's more a combination of the best there was and what I felt like scanning...

 

 

TEUTON & UNDERTOW

 

A big part of why I'm so busy is that I'm pulling double duty with art chores on two different comics. While that's not unprecedented, it's certainly more I believed I was capable of. It's crazy, but I'm enjoying it.

Teuton is really heating up and going to some very exciting places. Volume Three will quickly turn into balls out fantasy, just like Fred and I always planned. Our intention was always to start in a realistic setting grounded in history before over-arching into something uncanny. I'm really happy to finally be racing towards the endgame.

The first eleven pages of Teuton: Volume Three can be viewed here and here.

Undertow is altogether different. The story I'm working on, The Forgetting, is like Marvel's The Eternals but stranger and with gore. It's a trip. Although I'm just getting started, I'm eager to take this story into the psychedelic as far as my art choices go. In fact, I look at Chris Burnham's work on Batman Incorporated for inspiration.

The first three pages of The Forgetting can be seen here.

 

BASE CAMP X

First off, I fucking love Base Camp X. I love their products; axes, knives, and hammers that feel luxurious and essential at the same time. And I've got nothing but love for Graeme Cameron, the total badass in charge of BCX.

Since meeting Graeme, he's been nothing but positive and supportive of my artwork, and constantly generates ideas of how our respective trades can overlap. His ideas have resulted in some of my most favourite projects to date. It also doesn't hurt that he rewards me with killer cool edge weapons made custom just for me.

My work with Graeme sometimes involves assisting him with the detailing on a custom axe, like on The Poineer. Mainly, however, I've done companion art pieces for some of his more sensational axes, like my painted Woodsman piece and a BCX version of Evil Eddie for Iron Maiden.

Most recently Graeme was commissioned by Warner Bros. for a Man Of Steel themed axe that will go to director Zack Snyder. I was given the opportunity to illustrate Kal-El in a way that reflected the BCX brand and the more everyman qualities glimpsed in the Man Of Steel's trailers:

Undertow: The Forgetting Pt. 2

Here are three pages from The Forgetting. Written by Luke Donkersloot for The 7th Wave, the story is featured in the pages of Undertow. My contribution will be found in issue three, which is due out early next year. Incidentally, the first issue of Undertow is being reprinted, and you can read all about it here.

It's been a couple of very busy months for me, what with juggling art duties on both Undertow and Teuton, as well as numerous commissions that come my way. What's more, I've been renting space at the RAID studio (the gang was kind enough to include me in one of their group Christmas photos.) Working there has so far been a very enriching experience, although it keeps me somewhat isolated from the internet.

All in all I'm having a lot of fun, but between my paid work and commuting, finding time for extra curricular drawing has been tough. My contributions to Spitballin' Comics have lapsed and I'm feeling mighty sorry for it. My blog has also been neglected. For shame!

After Christmas things should loosen up. I'm hoping so anyway.

Until then, enjoy these three pages. I promise there's more Teuton and other fun drawings on their way!

TEUTON: Volume 3 (7-11)

TEUTON: Volume Three

Happenings!

A couple months ago I attended a sketch event for the release of Batman #0 at Stadium Comics. You can read all about that here.

One of the sketch covers I did was for the store itself to raffle away on their web series, Unboxing Wednesdays. I never learned what happened to that book--until now...



I was in fucking tears watching this.

I love everything about it: the parading of the comic, the concealed identity, the epic music in the background.

Thank you, Mystery Prize-Winner, for making me feel like a somebody!

Speaking of Unboxing Wednesdays, do you watch it? You totally should! Here's their latest episode, where things get super classy in anticipation of their first ever Art Exhibition and Sale event. I fucking love Ricky and Kevin as a duo. I want to see them solve mysteries...

New Prints

A change in my daily routine prevented me from posting a This Week In Drawing... (only 2 installments in!), but this week I'll be posting two weeks worth of art and it promises to be a whopper.

Anyhow, prints of my Joker and Punisher illustrations are now available!

I'll be selling them tomorrow at Stadium Comics' All-New X-Men Event where a $1 from every sale of All-New X-Men will go towards the Movember cause.

So come see me tomorrow at Stadium Comics from 11-4 for a sketch and a print!

This Week In Drawing... 002

It's Friday, which means it's time for my second installment of This Week In Drawing...

DEEP SEA

Last Saturday Stadium Comics hosted the first ever Halloween Comic Fest at Shopper's World, Brampton, which I attended along with many of my comic pals. It was a hoot. As always, I had an excellent time and was sorry I couldn't enjoy the company of pals like Ty Templeton, Shane Heron, Brian Evinou, Phil McClorey, Agnes Garbowska and Vince Sunico for a longer stretch of time. You can check out all the photos here at Stadium's Facebook page.

The very seriously cool thing about Halloween Comic Fest was the debut of Deep Sea, a self-published indie book by two very rad dudes, Ricky Lima (writer) and David Bishop (artist). I've known Ricky a while as a super funny chum but had never read anything he wrote. For shame! What Dave and Ricky serve up in their 8-page tale is seriously eerie and cool. David Bishop's been on my radar for a little while now as a self-made storyteller who is truly practicing the medium for the love of it. From his first issue of Stranger--his own twisted take on a zombie uprising--to the stylistic pages of Deep Sea, he's a promising artist who shows every sign of growth in the craft. The book is not without it's flaws--little things that hamper almost any indie book--but the strong, simple plot and clear storytelling show that both writer and artist have a firm grasp on spinning a yarn. For me, it's exciting to see two cool people make good music together. I'm super happy Rick and Dave's first effort came out so well, and I'm excited for what both these two creators will do in the future.

Be sure to hit up either Ricky or Dave to see how you can get your mitts on a copy!

THE JOKER

While at the event I sketched several things for nice folks, but my goal for the afternoon was to ink my portrait of the Joker in his New 52 incarnation. I boasted earlier on here that it was to be my Halloween card. Boy was it. Have a look at the process...

THE SHINING

This week at Spitballin' Comics we celebrated some of our favourite horror movie icons from the 1980's. I chose The Shining because it still gives me the creeps and I, like many other creators working from home I'm sure, can relate to the state of cabin fever Jack Torrance is eventually driven mad by. Well, the ghosts played a part too, but I as of yet have no experience with the super natural. Anyway, I had two different finals for my Spitballin' piece, but I chose one over the other because I felt the character needed to show strongly. Although I've come to like the second version better...

HALLOWEEN

I didn't dress up this year, but fellow illustrator Becka Kinzie paid me the great compliment of dressing as my pin-up character from Horror In The West. What's more, her make-up job is pretty fucking good...

TEUTON Vol.3

I've been working on the next long chapter of Teuton, starting with page layouts and thumbnails. Here's a smattering of what this week yielded...

DRAWINGS & UPCOMING

Here's a quick look at things to come from me in the coming weeks, including a peek at next week's entry to Spitballin' Comics...

Happy Halloween!

Halloween Card 2012

TOMORROW I'll be attending the Halloween Comic Fest at Stadium Comics in Shopper's World, Brampton! I'll be joined by many wonderful talents, including my #1 collaborator, Fred Kennedy!

Come see me draw my very special halloween card, as seen above, tomorrow morning and afternoon and join in the festivities.