...and here's the actual cover.

There it is, all glued-up & finished.  Overall I'm pretty pleased...definitely hit a few snags.  But I know how to make a better cover next time.

all paper edges were coated in multiple layers of white glue, both interior and exterior.  Makes for a surprisingly solid structure, which was great considering how much material I was removing from the text block.  I used the original foam insert from the packaging to lock the tablet in place, but that meant the remaining page borders were between 3/8ths and 1/4 of an inch.  So it certainly needed a lot of strengthening.
All that remains is to air it out to remove the smell of E-6000 (really good industrial glue)...

oof.

FINALLY got frustrated enough with this to just print it.  Fake pulp-cover from Miskatonic Press, to be applied to the hollowed-out book that will soon house my new (non-stylus-enabled) tablet.  Yes, another tablet.  But this one is much more useful for regular day-to-day things, as opposed to Ye Art.

Will post pics if/when I actually get the transfer applied to the book.

work sketch

Sometimes in the throes of fighting to improve, I forget that drawing is supposed to be FUN.  Silly me.

practice

 

In Artrage, just a bit over an hour on the tablet.  From ref, as always.  Trying to decipher color continues.

Sketchdump

Randomness from ye sketchbook.

Donny Vomit...finished.

...and I'm done.  Feels weird to say this, but I really like this one.  This may actually be my favorite thing i've ever done.  (that could just be the flush-with-victory-endorphin-rush, though)

Donny Vomit

Pretty pleased with this one, thus far at least.  2 & 1/2 hours or so.  Working from a spectacular photo, as always. 
For anyone who hasn't heard me raving 'bout 'em, Donny Vomit is the emcee for the Pretty Things Peepshow.  Burlesque and sideshow, absurdly entertaining.

spent a little more time on it.  But just a little.  Did switch to the tablet & ArtRage, though.

practice.

Go-go-gadget practice.  about an hour in, trying to remind myself (yet again) that I can actually make art.  Eyes are horribly wonky, but I feel better about where the skin tones are headed.  Hopefully will have an update soon-ish.

what i did on vacation...

All on the tablet using ArtRage Pro.  Finally feels like I'm getting somewhere with the software.

unfinished...stuff.

In light of some GREAT FUCKING NEWS, may I present some unfinished artworks:

1st of a series of half-assed stuff, trying to get a better feel for Sketchbook - some custom brushes, etc.

..and more of a similar nature.  Although this is pretty much a straightahead rip from the press photo.  'Cuz the Red Skull is awesome.

2nd and 3rd pass...

NERD ALERT:  The following is supremely nerdy.  If you have no time or patience for general nerdery, please ignore.

So for this SR game, I'm playing an Adept, someone who channels his magic through his own body to boost his abilities.  To make things more interesting, I'm stealing an idea from the awesome Unknown Armies, that of Irascimancy.  Instead of relying on spirits or formula or shamanic assistance, this guy runs on rage.  All of his special abilities are fueled by his anger, nothing from any outside source.  The catch is he can't actually display anger, unless he's using it to power up.  Rage is far too precious a resource for him to waste.

So most of the time, he's got a fake smile and comes across like a burned-out hippie.  Until he powers up.  Hence the "normal" and "attack" versions.

1st pass

First pass at another Shadowrun character.  Looks way too lopsided & vampire-like.  But hey, that's what the first pass is for, right?  Also trying to keep things rougher, looser.  I'm hoping I can end up with a bona fide action shot, something that has some energy.

The Tease, part 1:

I've been so excited about this new, incredibly nerdy project that I completely spaced working on the script the last several days.  Haven't even thought about it.  Damn you, bright-and-shiny new thing!
On the bright side, feel like I've already learned a bit, and this stuff is really just getting started.  This will be a big investment of time.  The plan (before failing at ScriptFrenzy) was to keep on writing after April, until I finished all five separate stories, no matter how many pages that turned out to be.  So that part won't change. 

Must remind myself that I DID write 83 pages more than I had a month ago.  I think that counts for something.

Bride of Frankenstein

Can't believe I kept forgetting to post this.  Commissioned piece.  Had a single print made & sent to client.

Shuna Sassi - study

So I find myself in a weird place with the script.  I'm 74 pages in, well ahead of my 30-day timeline so no worries there.  However, I've only just started on issue #3, of 5.  So the odds of finishing all 5 issues are dwindling, but i'll beat the pagecount.  I find that odd.

So in honor of being ahead AND behind the game, thought I'd spend the evening drawing.  This is a study for a larger, hopefully more polished piece.  I do love me some monster women.

sketch

Seeing as how I'm a day ahead on scriptfrenzy, that makes tonight a drawing night.  Fairly quick sketch on the tablet.

ScriptFrenzy 2011

Oy. Late start this year, but we'll see how it goes.

more practice

Yes, more practice.  This piece is woefully unfinished.  But I think I learned what I wanted to.

  And it wasn't that I can paint awkward, unflattering portraits of ANY beautiful woman.  (In this case, Sharon Tate) 'Cuz I already knew that.

shmeh

So this was drawn & roughed in Sketchbook Pro on the tablet, then transferred to Photoshop on the PC & reworked.  As always, from reference.  My inability to comprehend color continues, unabated.  But at least I'm figuring out some kind of workflow between devices.

Artrage Pro is...interesting.

So i got some new software, & I'm trying to come to grips with it.  I still don't grasp color use, but at least i have some new toys to use as i fumble along.   1-2 hours spent on each one, from reference.

1-21-11

1-20-11

Another one from reference.  Go-go-digital!

sketchy...

I *heart* the tablet.