Wandering Koala at the mercy of Grunt

Another sketch with my Copic brush pen colored in Adobe Photoshop. Enjoy!

Ancient Egyptian Prince

I've been trying out different tools and techniques to create art. Right now I'm playing around with a Sumi Brush Pen. There are a lot of things I like about the line it creates. I'm still experimenting with color and background techniques.

Above is a picture of an ancient Egyptian prince in a lush plot of land in front of statues, pyramids, and other carvings.

Wandering Koala in a Tight Spot

Our favorite Silent Wanderer^TM has gotten himself into quite a pickle. But we all know he’ll find a way out of it.

Wandering Koala resists the Daylight Saver

Growing up I always hated Daylight Savings Time. Then I moved to Arizona, where they don't observe it, and realized that during the summer it was a nice thing. I just don't like how early it begins and how late it ends. Moving the dates was a huge mistake.

This illustration was inked with a Prismacolor Brush Pen and colored in Adobe Photoshop.

B&W Illustration - In the Clutches of Witch Hazel

It probably feels like I've disappeared forever, but I haven't. I've just been very busy with design work and haven't had much chance to do much drawing aside from a few sketches.

But it's Halloween, and that means a new series of Wandering Koala illustrations! I love Halloween, and can't let this great holiday pass me by without celebrating it, at least a little.

Here is the first one in a Black & White style I really like. Check back in a couple of days for a colored version.

Jungle Cafe

"I love Jungle Cafes. They're part jungle and part cafe!"

Where is that quote from?

Art Philosophy - The Power of Black and White Shapes

Shape is one of the basic Elements of Art. Line is little more than an elongated shape. It's amazing how one can place a few shapes together and create a powerful and emotionally stirring image, especially when one is limited to only two colors -- black and white.

The illustration above is from an upcoming page in the ongoing Wandering Koala eSerial. When I finished drawing this with a Japanese brush pen and a Sharpie marker, I was amazed at how well the emotion was conveyed without color. Color is a very powerful element and by far the most effective to convey emotion. I wasn't sure the black & white shapes would be sufficient, but they were. The zoomed in composition helped to turn the hair and facial features into shapes so the design dominated which also helped greatly.

What do you think?

It's coming!

The next chapter in the Wandering Koala saga is coming soon, and it won't just be a chapter. I'll have more details soon as I'm planning to launch it next week, but until then, enjoy this teaser image from the beginning of the story.

I drew this with a Staedlter pencil in a Strathmore sketchpad and then inked it with a Japanese brush pen and a Zig Writer felt-tipped pen. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out and that I didn't need more than a single line of whiteout. Right now I'm planning for the illustrations in the story to be black and white, so I'm really focused on design and light and dark patterns.

Let me know what you think! And stay tuned for the launch of the most ambitious project I've attempted in the Wandering Koala world.

Stuffing a Square Peg into a Round Hole

 

If you've been in a bookstore lately (and if you're like most people you haven't), you would see the titles organized by genre. The purpose of this is to help a potential customer find something to buy. The idea behind it is good, but the execution doesn't always follow.

Some books could easily fit in more than one genre. I've always found the literature section an odd one, because all good books are literature. And a lot of horror books are also science fiction or fantasy. And fantasy just means something fantastic or imagined, but it's turned into castles, magic, and dragons. Which means other fantasy books that don't include magic, dragons, and castles have to go elsewhere. And what about supernatural books? Yes, they could be horror, but they could also be fantasy or suspense.

I get annoyed for two reasons. First as a consumer I've had trouble finding a specific book I went into the store to buy, because I wasn't sure of the genre. Second, as an author I'm not always sure how to classify my books. My most recent title, Wandering Koala Digest 1, contains a supernatural thriller, but also a science fiction novella. So do I put it in horror, because it's not really horror, but there is no supernatural category? To me that's like putting a square peg in a round hole--it just doesn't fit so well.

That's one of the joys and wonders of the digital bookshelf--a title can be listed in multiple places without having to place a physical copy in each one. You can also search for a specific title and get right to it. It's no wonder I've gravitated more and more to buying books online and as digital editions even though I love the feel and smell of a physical book, and I love browsing bookstores.

So what does any of this have to do with the above illustration? It could easily fit in several categories: science fiction for the weird monster, pulp fiction for the protagonist, horror or supernatural for the weird monster, graphic novels for the visual nature, young adult because that's usually the reading level I write, or even holiday/special occasion for Halloween because of the weird monster. Maybe we just need a Weird Monster genre?

Feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you think.

To Color, or Not to Color -- THAT is the Real Question

In the late 19th Century thru the early 20th Century, printing technology was developing rapidly. In England, printing advanced more quickly than in the US which led to the rise of the Illustrated Children's Book with charming stories and magnificent illustrations. Color soon followed making the children's books even more wondrous. Maybe you've heard of Alice in Wonderland, Winnie the Pooh, Peter Rabbit, the Wind in the Willows, or the Wizard of Oz? All of these "classics" were made possible by printing technology and brilliant craftsman on the illustrator's part of make the most of the day's technology. The usual method was to draw the illustration with a black line, then carve that into a plate and add color shapes on a separate pass. Eventually the technology reached the point where the illustrator could create the entire image in color and then reproduce it.

Of course, this wasn't the beginning of creating an image with a black line and then coloring it in. Early Christian and Muslim illuminated texts from the first few centuries AD used this method. And before that, artists used this method to record their hunts on cave walls. Today the method is popular with cartoons, comics, graphic novels, and digital illustration. The term 'cartoon' actually referred to the outline created by Renaissance artists creating frescos who first sketched the image with a pencil before applying watercolors over it covering up the sketch. But they didn't invent the method, just coined a cool word from it.

I've always enjoyed black line work colored in. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because that's what I've grown up with. Maybe it's because a black line clearly defines an object. Maybe I just like abstraction. Who knows? But it's something I've never been able to get away from, even during my watering color days when I tried for a more photorealistic approach. There were times I'd take a 'finished' watercolor (as if any work of art is ever finished), and add black lines around the figures with a paintbrush.

The above illustration is a black and white line drawing that I've colored in Corel Painter. The line work is below. I really like the black & white version, but I'm also digging the colored version. You'll notice I added a lot more texture and lighting effects than usual to give it a more painterly feel and modern finish.

Which do you like better? Leave a comment and let me know.

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Third times the charm

Covers are a tricky thing for me. I know what I love in a cover, but when it comes to create one, I struggle. This is my third attempt at a cover to The Green Bull. I liked the first one I did, but it was radically different from other covers I'd done, and it didn't seem to get a much reaction. So I tried something else, but I wasn't very satisfied with it. So I tried one more time.

This time I finally got the kind of image I want for a Wandering Koala story. It's moody, it's pulpy, and it is a scene from the story that whets one's appetite for the rest.

The story is now available for all eReaders at Smashwords, and is available at most individual stores and will soon be available at all fine retailers.

Telling a story with black & white illustrations

A single illustration has the ability to tell an entire tale and has been used since the dawn or history to do so. Whether drawn for children or adults, images speak a universal language that all can understand. The right drawing will jump out and grab you by the throat—but in a good way.

Black & white illustrations are the clearest and most direct intimately drawing the viewer in in a way color can’t. Some artists have compared it to type—black letters on white paper—claiming it has the same clarity as words. I certainly find myself getting draw into (pun intended) a story more white black and white images that were meant to stand alone without color. I do plan to do a color version of the above image. I'll post it when I do and you can compare.

The drawing above was sketched with a Staedtler Mars Lumograph 2B pencil and inked with a #8 brush dipped in Sumi ink.

Digital Illustrations: Lovely Ladies

I've been working towards a style that is a mix of modern comics with early-20th century illustration. I wanted something with the incredible craftsmanship of those early illustrators but a modern, not-dated look. I've been approaching it from different angles, trying different medium, abstracting to differing amounts.

With these two drawings. I've combined several of these aspects and techniques that I liked, and I think I've found the style for my future publishing projects. It's cartoony, but well crafted. It's abstract with strong colors and shapes, but the harshness has been toned down.

These were drawn in Corel Painter with a little help from Google Sketchup and Adobe Photoshop. I like the fact that they are all digital but look like I used a crow quill pen and a brush. So far I've received a very positive response on DeviantArt.

Let me know what you think.

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Character Sketch: The Prince of Egypt

So I've gone back to traditional illustration techniques for this character sketch. I really like the brushwork and how the black & white version turned out. The color version seemed to lose some of the magic. I really like how the background was created with two colors and the base of the lion/sphinx is shapes and gradients. I like the pose and the colors, but there is still something missing.

As for the subject matter, I've always loved all things ancient Egypt. I'm not sure why. It just has a mystery that draws me to it. It's been a decade since I've done anything with it, so I thought it was about time. Let me know what you think.

Character Sketch - Swimmer

I've been meaning to do more Character Sketches, but work keeps getting in the way. Today I was able to finally just sit down and draw.

Originally I was only going to do a quick study, but it kind of turned into a full blown illustration. And it's digital. So much for my going back to traditional tools. The funny thing is I was ready to pull out my stick and ink--I even looked over past stick sketches to review the technique. But I sat down at the computer to do a few things, and I said to myself, "Self, why not do a quick digital sketch." Three hours later I had this. And I love it!

Digital is kind of interesting/weird for me. I like the look of traditional media, but it does look a little old. That's not a bad thing, but I do love new and exciting, and digital is the current new and exciting. I also like how the lines don't have to be black. I know, I know, you can color black lines to make them look other colors, but they look like black lines that have been recolored. It always looks a little odd to me. There's definitely some roughness that wouldn't exist in traditional media, but there's also a certain something--call it an X-factor--that I only get when I go digital.

So what's next on my plate? I actually have an animation storyboarded that I'm working on using vector animation but making it look hand drawn and I have another Wandering Koala Tale to write and illustrate. I'm pretty excited about both.

Be sure to comment and let me know what you think. And go to my official Facebook page and like me--you can see a lot more artwork organized by purpose.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jeff-Thomason/185915104772529

Halloween and the Return to Traditional

Fall is one of my favorite times of year. In this part of the world, the air is chilling, the leaves are falling after putting on a new shade, and the new TV shows are starting. And Halloween is right around the corner.

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, and I'm not sure why. Is it the costumes? The candy? The Jell-O popcorn balls? The whole jack o'lantern, witches, skeletons, bats, cats, etc. that goes along with it? Probably a combination of all the above.

One of the things I love to do at Halloween is create Halloween-themed illustrations. Usually I get so busy that I don't start until the day before. Needless to say, I've created very few in the past.

But this year was different. This year I'm working on a new story that I've hinted about in other blog posts. But for it I wanted a more refined and higher quality illustration than I've used in the past. That meant I needed to draw more, but not just fun little sketches. I needed to draw great illustrations.

Recently I've been trying to move to a 100% digital workflow. There have been a lot of nice things about it, but the drawing itself just never seemed to be exactly what I wanted it to be. There is too much temptation to be sloppy, to just lay down lines and shapes without thinking them thru because they're so easy to change, and an overall lack of real texture. So I decided to try moving back to traditional media. And the results have been good. Really good.

I've been using a calligraphy pen, something I stumbled onto back in college when I was buying all sorts of art supplies to experiment with. On of the supplies was a calligraphy dip pen for lettering. For some reason I decided to try inking a drawing with it. And I loved the result. But I hated the mess. So I got a calligraphy pen with its own ink supply. I really liked how it crated shapes and how quickly I could ink with it. What I didn't like was the line quality. It seemed so lifeless. Over the years I experimented with other tools and other line qualities, but I never found exactly what I was looking for, not even in digital.

Recently I pulled out a calligraphy pen (not my original one, because that one had been stolen along with a lot of other things when the house I was living in was burglarized, but that's a story for another day...) and started to sketch. I really liked the shapes it made. This particular pen made a thin enough line that I had to go over it a few times to build up the thickness I needed. And in doing that, the line became more naturalistic and had some life. Was it the perfect line? No. Was it a great line that led to great illustrations? Yes!

Above and below you can see some of the recent illustrations I've been working on. None of them are mere sketches. Each has a mood, a background, and each tells a story. I even went back to my old black & white ways, something I haven't done recently but keep meaning to. The color is still laid in digitally, mostly because physical media doesn't scan as well as I'd like it to, although I think the oil pastels might...

Anyway, enjoy my latest work and return to physical media. And these are only the beginning.

Style

Style is an interesting thing. It's something unique to each person. Some style has style while others don't. It's something that is developed, yet it almost happens subconsciously--someone can't sit down and say, "I'm going to create a style and it'll be like this."

So how does one go about developing a style? It's a time consuming process, and some would argue one that never has an ending. But there are a couple of things one can do to speed up the process. And they all involve a sketchbook.

First, every time you see something that inspires you or catches your eye, emulate it in your sketchbook. Emulate--don't slavishly copy. Create something original using the aspects that caught your eye.

Second, go thru your previous sketches and artwork. Look for things you tend to do well, things you do poorly, things you like, and things you don't like. Make a conscious decision on what you will continue to do, what you will stop doing, and what you need to improve. Then do it. In your sketchbook.

You'll still spend a great deal of time developing your style, but these exercises will focus your effort and speed up the process.

So what does this have to do with the above image? I've been working towards a certain type of style, and with this illustration, I think I've reached it.

What do you think?

Should Digital Art Look Digital?

I've always thought that art materials should be true to themselves. What I mean is a watercolor should look like a watercolor, and an oil painting should look like an oil painting. Just because you can make watercolors look like oils doesn't mean you should. Each material has unique properties that allow you to do things you can't in other mediums as well as certain restrictions you have to work around. It's part of what gives artwork its charm.

But that brings up a bit of a problem when it comes to digital art. The computer has a unique look to its graphics, but it can also do an amazing job of emulating traditional art (thanks to Corel Painter!). So should the same rules apply to digital art as traditional art?

On the one side I'm inclined to say yes. The computer has introduced a whole set of new "looks" that hadn't been done before. But then I look at these (like vector illustrations and flash animation) and I'm taken back aghast at how ugly they can be. Too sterile, too mechanical, too generic.

So that flips me to the other side where I see the computer can emulate the natural media without the messy cleanup or the expensive art supply bill (of course, it's not like computers and graphic software are cheap, so that's probably a wash).

This has led me to experiment a lot with style. I tend to not like my work that is too "computery" so I've been trying to get a look that is closer and closer to natural media. But there's no reason I can't throw in a few digital flairs here and there. And maybe that is the answer. Maybe a mostly traditional route with digital flourishes is the unique look.

Take a look at my latest sketch and let me know.

The shape of the canvas matters

I've been experimenting with a new style created from an amalgamation of things I've learned from past styles. (One of these days I'll settle on one--no, really, I will!) The style was meant for an illustrated novella, so naturally I created it vertically.

But I wasn't very happy with the results. I had moved on to another illustration, but something in the back of my mind said it had a lot of potential and only needed a little tweaking to realize it.

So I tweaked. I changed the format from vertical to horizontal, and wallah! Success. I'm much, MUCH happier with the result. But don't take my word for it.

Batter Up! (Wandering Koala plays ball.)

I don't like baseball--playing it or watching it--but I do think it's visually interesting and makes great art. So I decided to make art with it!

This was inspired by a collection of old comics I recently purchased. Back in the early days of the golden age of comics, superheroes (or costumed characters as they were called back then) would appear in anthologies, World's Finest and Comic Cavalcade, and share the cover doing some mundane task like playing baseball, waterskiing, or walking a tightrope in the circus. Until World War II, and then they punched out the Axis. I always liked those covers (the everyday and the propaganda ones). I thought Wandering Koala would work well in a similar situation, so I drew it.

As usual, I drew this with a Staedtler 2B, inked it with a paint brush and sumi ink, and then colored it in Adobe Photoshop. It turned out well. I just with I could bring myself to use hard lines instead of the more painterly look. One of these days. I just found a whole bunch of great old Steve Canyon covers...

As always, let me know what you think!