Wandering Koala kicking

This was another sketch to test out possible styles for the upcoming Wandering Koala Graphic Novel. This was inked with a Sumi Brush Pen and then colored in Adobe Photoshop with the limited cmyk palette of classic newspaper comics.

Wandering Koala Crane Stand

Another sketch in preparation for the upcoming Wandering Koala Tale. Again drawn with a Prismacolor Brush Pen and colored in Adobe Photoshop CC.

Wandering Koala praying

I think he might be praying I put him in another adventure. Well, that prayer is about to be answered, because the script for the next Wandering Koala Graphic Tale is finished! I'm beginning the thumbnails and drawings this week. The image above is a sample for me to work out the style. The line work was created with a Prismacolor Brush Pen, then colored in Adobe Photoshop.

Character Design: Sergio

Here is a sketch I did with a Japanese Brush Pen and colored in Corel Painter. I just love the painterly quality and hand painted feel you can only achieve in Painter -- or by painting the thing traditionally.

Character Design: An Odd Couple

 

For my ongoing eSerial I needed a rich couple that stood out intentionally. So I drew from my love of things Roaring 20s and came up with these two characters. The woman has a Jay Leno chin, but it adds character. They were inked with a Japanese brush pen and Sharpies.

Let me know what you think in the comments!

Character Sketch: Martial Arts Student with a Bow

I'm currently working on the third volume of Wandering Koala Digest, and I'm playing around with different techniques and approaches. I really want to try another all-digital story. I haven't done one since Wandering Koala meets the Beast who came for Christmas, and I wasn't all that thrilled with how it turned out. The Phantom Coach looked cool all digital, but the Beast just didn't. That's one reason I went back to such traditional media as dipping a brush in ink.

So while I finish up the story, I've been doing a lot of sketching in various programs including Corel Painter, Adobe Photoshop, and Manga Studio 5 trying out all the different ways one can make a digital line. Some have turned out well, and some will never be seen in public.

The figure above was created in Corel Painter. The background was rendered in Adobe Photoshop. I really like the look, style, line quality, and colors. I may just have found my next story's style.

What do you think?

Character Sketch: Jungle Boy

This drawing is unusual. Usually when I create an image in this style, it's 100% digital. But for some reason I pulled out my brush and Sumi ink and drew it by hand before scanning it in and adding the colors and textures in Adobe Photoshop. I wasn't sure how it would turn out, but I thought it turned out really well. I got a lot of great comments from it (and one really pointless one, but that's all part of the game).

What do you think?

The Joy of Sketching

When I started this blog, I meant it to be a place where I posted sketches, rough drafts, and work that wasn't included in my portfolio but was still worth looking at.

As time passed, I started posting more and more finished work, work that was also included on my website, and updating my website less and less. So I decided to take a break from that and post a quick digital sketch.

I love sketching. It's a way to explore ideas without getting bogged down by things like good composition, design, anatomy, and all the rest. It's a time when mistakes are ok and even encouraged, because they may lead to something wonderful, or at least interesting. I have tablet after tablet filled with sketches. The good ones usually make their way into a finished work, but they tend to lose something in the translation--a freshness and spontaneity. I always wonder if there is a way to preserve it while still looking polished, but then I realize the very act of polishing is to rub away the interesting character bits.

This sketch was created in Corel Painter using a 2B pencil to layout a basic composition and then inked with a custom brush I created based on the Crowquil Pen. I really love the action, the flow, and the pose. I may actually redo this in a more finished work. And I may not.

As always, let me know what you think!

Character Sketch: Jungle Dance

I'm really enjoying this current style. It's unique. It looks cool. It's minimalist. And it's so expressive. All things I love about art. I can't wait to create a published work using it.

As always, this was created in Corel Painter.

Let me know what you think!

Just because you can doesn't mean you should

If you haven't guessed by now,  I'm a big fan of using Technology in Art. I wouldn't have a career if the two didn't go together so well. One of the great things about digital are all the possibilities. But that's also one of the worst parts of digital--too many options.

Many people have the idea that just because you can do something, you should. That's not just a bad idea in art (look at the numerous illustrations where every effect in Photoshop was used or current comics that look more like a kaleidoscope--yeah Savage Dragon, I'm pointing a finger at you), but in life. Too many people have the wrong idea that self-control and restraint is bad and somehow limits freedom. It's not and it doesn't. It actually gives you more freedom. Self-censorship is good.

In the illustration above, you'll notice I only used two colors (three if you count the paper), orange and Vandyke Brown. I also only used three brushes. That is a very limited palette, and yet look at the results! Good design is making a clear statement that's attractive. Great design is saying the most with the least. I'm a minimalist and heart and that's what I try to do, although sometimes I get scared and add more than I need to.

I love the style of this illustration and want to explore more with it. I hope you like it to. Leave a comment and let me know.

Character Sketch: Jungle Warrior

I'm a huge fan of Pulp Art and Jonny Quest cartoons. They have a very similar feel and color scheme. I'm also a big fan of jungle art, art with Indians, and Tarzan. This illustration combines a little from all of those.

This is also my latest attempt at digital painting. The figure was drawn with a Zebra disposable brush pen and colored in Adobe Photoshop. The background was painted in Corel Painter with a variety of tools.

I really liked how it turned out, especially the colors.

What do you think?

Character Sketch: Diva

This is the third digital illustration in the series. The style concept came from a comic book I published a few years ago, Wandering Koala rides The Phantom Coach, one that receives the most praise for the artwork. I really liked it but thought it too harsh for long term use.

Now I'm rethinking that.

I really like the black & white drawings with one color to enhance it. It's powerful, it's eye catching, and it forces me to focus on the design.

I drew this in Corel Painter with the background pattern created in Adobe Photoshop.

Let me know what you think!

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

Character Sketch: Monkey Elder

It's been awhile since I've drawn just to draw. Work has been crazy busy. So today I sat down and sketched this guy in about ten minutes and colored him in about another ten. I used a Papermate Sharpwriter pencil, inked it with a Zebra disposable brush pen, and colored it in Corel Painter 12.

Character Sketch: Navajo Warrior

I drew this as a birthday present for a friend of mine a few years ago. It's a portrait of him (with heroic proportions). I drew it with a Staedlter pencil and inked it with a crow quill pen and ink.

Happy New Year all!

Character Sketch: Princess Ballroom

You've probably noticed I've been pretty quiet on this blog. Why, you ask? I've been working on an animation project. It should be finished soon. until then, enjoy my latest character sketch:

This was inspired by Princess Knight by the great Osamu Tezuka, a graphic novel that was recently released in English and I just finished reading. The story itself was kind of a mess, but the drawings were really nice. The style was more early-Tezuka then late-Tezuka. There was a strong influence from Disney cartoons.

This was drawn in Corel Painter X with the background rendered in Adobe Photoshop with Painter texture drawn on top. Overall it turned out well, but I don't think it's a style I will keep exploring.

Stay tuned for the upcoming animation. Here is a sneak peek:

Character Sketch: A Real Cowboy

So I'm back to character sketches and character designs. This time I turn to the West for a cowboy.

I drew this in Corel Painter X. I'm really starting to enjoy the look of digital inks. As I mentioned in a previous post, digital art should look like digital art and not traditional, and this is another step towards creating a unique look for my work.

I created two versions to test coloring styles. For the first I used my typical painting style in Painter from the half page comic days. For the second I used a new style with Photoshop shadows. I thought the second version would looks better, but I think I like the first.

I think the background turned out exceptionally well. The figure I'm not as happy with. It's good, but not great. He feels a little stiff.

But let me hear what you think.

Character Design: Vintage Cops

When I was younger, I used to love Legos and had quite a few. One of the sets was a Police Station, part of the Town system. I also got the boat and a couple other police items. I really liked them for some reason. I've never really wanted to become a cop myself, but it was fun to pretend with my Legos.

The drawing at the left is from my upcoming comic book, Wandering Koala uncovers the Sixth Figure. I've always loved the early 20th century look of policemen and wanted to use it for my fictional work.

I drew the image with a Papermate Sharpwriter Pencil, inked it with a Zebra Disposible Brush Pen and Pigma Brush felt-tipped pen, scanned it in with a CanoScan LIDE, and colored it in Adobe Photoshop CS. I was really pleased with how it turned out.

Let me know what you think.

Character Sketch: Wiseguy

It's kind of strange how people embrace the bad guy and his bad ways. You hear about girls going for the "bad boy" and many people cheering for the "villain" of a movie or book--although I have to admit Darth Vader was pretty cool.

Even today you see a lot of people calling socially destructive behavior like homosexuality good, and branding those that try and defend society, freedom, and the necessary principles for their survival as "bad" "closed-minded" "ignorant" "bigot" and other labels that couldn't be further from the truth.

What is it about evil that is so seductive? What is it about good that is so repelling? And why are people so easily confused about which is which?

Here is a digital illustration of a wiseguy displayed as a card. A wiseguy is part of organized crime and should be considered a bad guy, yet there are many out there who would look up to him and even want to be him.

I created the illustration in Corel Painter X and Adobe Photoshop CS. I really like the design, although a different style might have worked better. The colors are nice.