Holly

Why yes, I was in a rather Christmas-y mood when I was drawing this. What gave it away? ;-P

The Burlesque Critic: Oh dear...

Oh deary me, it looks like I got into that keg of rancid crack again.

If anything must be blamed for this fusion, it's that fan-freaking-tastic musical review of "Moulin Rouge" the Nostalgia Critic did last week. MaroBot's title card wasn't helping matters either.

There's a demented part of me that wants to make this costume a reality...but I'm not quite sure if I'm willing to go pantsless in public. I also have one more idea for a TGWTG-based burlesque costume that's been rough drafted in my sketch book. Here's hoping I'm...insane enough to go through with it.

PS: that garter belt also doubles as a gun holster.

SKETCHAVEMBER 2011 Day 25: Pizza Face

Heh. So it turns out I was able to upload this in time for Day 25 of Sketchavember.

I know it's super silly and super punny but hey, you gotta roll with whatever comes to you. X-D

The arms are very "Adventure Time"-esque, no?

SKETCHAVEMBER 2011 Day 24: I Totally Can't Remember...

Day 24 of Sketchavember had me turn to one of my tried-and-true methods for battling a mini-art block: when in doubt, draw something "Sailor Moon" related. (Or bunnies.)

Once again, I took inspiration from the always goofy and outrageous "Sailor Moon: The Abridged Series" (why haven't you checked it out yet?!). Hence why Mina here looks...skankier.

SKETCHAVEMBER 2011 Day 23: I Was Raised By Culture Snobs

Turns out Day 23 of Sketchavember was another day that was asking for a color explosion.

Well, more like an explosion of bold, flat primary colors (though those giant dots in the background came out more orange than the Honey marker I had originally used). I also felt like doing a more loose and elongated style much like the one I used in "Biba".

The jury is still out on whether that look translates into color or not.

Note to self: do NOT use Canson Universal sketch paper for markers again in the near future.

SKETCHAVEMBER 2011 Day 22: My Mouth Is So Metal

Weird. I'm not scrambling to finish, scan and upload a drawing before the clock strikes midnight. Here's hoping Day 22 of Sketchavember is the start of actually drawing and posting at some decent hour of the day. X-D

Heh, I think this may be my first crack at drawing braces. I wonder if the delay is because I've never had to wear braces at any point in my life.

Is that a flaming pitchfork flying towards me?

If there's one thing I really hope I was able to get across in this drawing, it's the blackheads and the little acne scars.

SKETCHAVEMBER 2011 Day 21: Red Blooded Kappa

Oh Day 21 (of Sketchavember), why so stormy tonight?

Heh, I guess you could say that's largely the reason why I took the minimalist approach to this drawing. The lights already flickered out once tonight and damned if it's gonna happen again!

Anyways, you have no idea how long I've been wanting to draw dear ol' Sha Gojyo here. I've always flipped flopped between Gojyo and Hakkai as my favorite one of the Sanzo ikkou but after rereading the first manga series and completing tonight's drawing, I think it's been determined which one is my favorite after all. ;-)

Still love Hakkai though.

SKETCHAVEMBER 2011 Day 20: Somebody Sure Digs Reptiles

Yee-HAW! With Day 20, I've reached the home stretch of Sketchavember!

This is another one of those times where everything just came together beautifully. The inspiration for this one comes from the deliciously 90's track (must be the repetitive use of the word "jump". XD ) "Reptile Theme" by Skrillex.

What can I say? I was a total "Mortal Kombat" kid back in the day (even against my mom's best intentions ;-P ).

SKETCHAVEMBER 2011 Day 19: Fun Wallets

Day 19 of Sketchavember was a weird one...but I won't bore you all with any details. :-P

Ladies, are you with me on this one? If you claim that you've never stored at least one small item in your bra at least once in your lifetime, then you're clearly lying. X-D

Yeah. I beat clocks on a frequent basis, don't you know? ;-)

SKETCHAVEMBER 2011 Day 18: Did You Know That Flamingos Are AWESOME?

See? Told you I'd post something tonight to make up for my Sketchavember boo-boo yesterday. ;-)

Once again, Day 18 proved to be one of those days where everything seems to just fall into one glorious place of "right". I guess you could say the direction I went for this sketch card was Lisa Frank with a Tumblr attitude.

Though if I really wanted to go full-out Lisa Frank, I would have added more rainbows, sparkles and animal prints.

Still, the colors look suitably like late 80's/early 90's vomit, don't you think?

SKETCHAVEMBER 2011 Day 17-ish: Another Batch of Toony Stew

Whoops.

Sorry for the Sketchavember schedule slip-up, guys. (To make a long story short; what was originally meant to be game night with friends turned into a night at the movie theatre watching the newest "Twilight" film. D-: Yeah. Alcohol did help, though.)

However, I did technically work on these sketches a good majority of the day yesterday.

To make up for my faux-pas, I'll do another drawing today and post it tonight as well.

Heh. I should do more of these toony people. ;-)

SKETCHAVEMBER 2011 Day 16: Violet Wrath

If this ain't a total contrast from yesterday, then I don't know what is. ;-)

If there's one thing I've learned on Day 16 of Sketchavember, it's that it's near impossible to listen to speedy punk music when you're in an antsy frame of mind. With a change of music (Sisters of Mercy to be exact), the tone and general look of this drawing began to change.

Ahh, I love her impractical but awesome hair. In fact, who doesn't love hair that's awesome but impractical? ;-)

SKETCHAVEMBER 2011 Day 15: There's a Pinkie in My Pie

WHEE! Day 15! I'm halfway through Sketchavember!

You guys have NO IDEA how long I've been suppressing the urge to draw this.

Well okay, it all happened when I was coloring that human!Rainbow Dash (#4567 on the Internet) and suddenly I was stricken with the intense urge to draw human!Pinkie Pie as an uber-accessorized, pastel and pastry print drenched, over-the-top Sweet Lolita.

"Noooo," I protested to myself. "The Internet's already clogged with fan art of humanized ponies." Well, sometimes you just gotta go with what's good ol' fashioned fun and get that goofy imagery out of your brain and onto paper.

I'll admit, this really was crazy fun to draw and color...even if one of my primary pink markers was about to dry up at any given moment.

From now on, I better not get any more urges to draw human!ponies!

SKETCHAVEMBER 2011 Day 14: Oh, Monty...

Mmmkay, so I've been working on a drawing that's gotten a little too detailed to be completed in one day...but I just couldn't walk away from Day 14 of Sketchavember empty (drawing) hand...ed.

So here's a goofy little cartoon of my hyperactive attention hound (technically a miniature schnauzer) Monty (full name Charles Montgomery Burns). Excellent.

SKETCHAVEMBER 2011 Day 13: Blotty Dotty

I may have spent most of the day out and about but I still managed to squeeze in another drawing for Day 13 of Sketchavember.

In case you were wondering about the title (because I totally know that you are ;-P), I was trying to go for leopard spots on her cardigan but they ended up looking more like blots you'd see on a Rorschach test. If there's one thing I've learned tonight, it's that leopard spots are trickier to pull off with inking pens as opposed to markers.

Have fun looking for my signature. ;-)

SKETCHAVEMBER 2011 Day 12: Biba

Day 12 of Sketchavember ended up becoming some sort of classic movie bender day. (Translation: Turner Classic Movies has quickly become one of my favorite TV channels. Throw in a PVR and I'm a happy camper.)

One of the movies I watched today was Charlie Chaplin's "Modern Times". I've always had a huge love and appreciation for silent films and today's drawing kind of reflects that. Also a strong influence for this drawing is one of the photographs in Kevyn Aucoin's book "Making Faces" in which he and Kate Moss recreate the look of "The Biba" (as in the 60's era London boutique). Here's the photograph in question.

Heh. So all in all, I drew some psuedo-fan art of Kate Moss (even if I don't have any particular feelings about her) today. That's Sketchavember for ya! ;-P

SKETCHAVEMBER 2011 Day 11: Poppy

This time last year, I did a more minimalistic drawing with a Remembrance Day theme in mind for Day 11 of Sketchavember.

Admittedly, while the significance of today still played the role of an influence (hence the poppy petals), I was also heavily inspired by the abundance of fall leaves swirling around in the wind. The wind also happened to be astonishingly strong at certain points; so much so that it blew my hat right off of my head and then I slipped and instantly fell right down on my butt.

True story, by the way. Really.

SKETCHAVEMBER 2011 Day 10: Just...FFFFFFFUUUUUU---

*sigh*

Ever have one of those days where it seems like everything you draw turns out completely wrong in your eyes? Day 10 of Sketchavember was one of those days.

They're frustrating as hell but as soon as I channeled all that irritation and annoyance into this ridiculous little doodle, whatever crappy mood I was dwelling in slowly melted away. I hate to dust out an old cliche but tomorrow's another day!

SKETCHAVEMBER 2011 Day 9: Loli Safari

Apparently, Day 9 of Sketchavember was driven by my unrealized desire to see more wild animal prints and safari themes in lolita fashion. Who knew? ;-P

Heh, the execution of her face and the coloring seems more blatantly anime than usual. Methinks it's the hair. FYI, the blouse is largely inspired by one I own in real life. It totally reminds me of piano keys.

SKETCHAVEMBER 2011 Day 8: ...By Night, He's Epic Beard Man!

It's Day 8 of Sketchavember and I come deliver exactly what I promised last night; the uber-hirsute, superpowered alter ego of Arthur Swanson: EPIC BEARD MAN!

Yup. Epic Beard Man. Totally sounds like one of the names they'd throw into a game of Superheroes on "Whose Line Is It Anyway?", isn't it? It's so gloriously silly...and I wouldn't have it any other way. ;-)

Somewhere Sam Beam and a majority of ZZ Top are crying steaming hot tears of envy.

SKETCHAVEMBER 2011 Day 7: By Day, He's Arthur Swanson

EDIT: The lack of shine in his spiffy glasses was bugging me too much.


Yeehaw! I survived the first week of Sketchavember!

For Day 7's drawing, I actually got the idea while I was in the midst of last night's sketch card. Well, okay, it's not really so much of an idea as it was an urge to draw a guy with a massive beard.

As the title suggests, his name is Arthur Swanson, your average twenty something guy based out of Portland. However, his beard isn't exactly average.

By night, he (and the beard) become...well, you'll just have to wait and find out. X-D

(Oooh, I'm such a bad, bad teaser.)

SKETCHAVEMBER 2011 Day 6: A Girl Like Me

Ever had a random piece of dialogue that you've been itching to work into a poem, story, song, comic or prose of some kind? Yeah, I just had to get it out of my head and onto paper for Day 6 of Sketchavember.

It's been a while since I last did one of these single panel, devoid-of-context "cryptic comics" but they're always so much fun to do. I love pieces that let you draw your own conclusions and let your imagination fill in the blanks.

What do you guys think?

I will give you one hint: I listened to a helluva lot of Depeche Mode. "Music for the Masses" era Depeche Mode to be exact. ;-)

SKETCHAVEMBER 2011 Day 5: I Wrote a Letter to Daddy

So yeah, I bet you can guess what movie I saw tonight. ;-)

In all seriousness, "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" an absolutely excellent, riveting movie. If you can find it, I highly strongly recommend it. I love it so much that Baby Jane Hudson herself had to become my subject for Day 5 of Sketchavember.

Hope I did Bette Davis justice here! Let's face it, she totally owns that movie.

SKETCHAVEMBER 2011 Day 4: Something Worth Losing

For Day 4 of Sketchavember, I returned to one of the sketch cards I was working on during one of the conventions I was at. In this case, it was Comix and Stories back in August.

At first, I was going to make this a black and white ink sketch card but a random challenge of sorts popped into my head as I was finishing the inks tonight: to see if I could create an unsettling mood without using dark colors or blood.

I successfully avoided both elements but I'm not a hundred percent sure if I captured an unsettling vibe. A sense of bittersweet nostalgia, maybe? (The mad color balance/saturation experiments in Photoshop certainly helped in that respect.)

Let me know what you guys think in the comments. :-)

SKETCHAVEMBER 2011 Day 3: Whatever...

Thrilling title, I know. :-P

Ever have one of those days where you're completely stumped as to what to draw? Yeah, Day 3 of Sketchavember ended up being one of those days. But I just gotta soldier on, y'know?

Whenever I'm at a loss of what I want to draw, I just let my hand and my pencil do their thing and sometimes it all falls into place. This expression and her messy hair came about and I just went with it.[/cool story, bro.]

Heh, now that I look at it, her coloring does look pretty similar to Zoisite in "Sailor Moon"...if he were a woman. ;-P

SKETCHAVEMBER 2011 Day 2: Dash, Rainbow Dash!

DISCLAIMER: "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic" and its characters belong to Hasbro and Lauren Faust.

Day 2 of Sketchavember rolls on with what the Internet is in dire need of: more "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic" fan art! Now, I'm fully aware that humanized!pony fan art has been done to death a bajillion times over...but consarnit, I just had to jump on board the fluffy, sparkly winged bandwagon.

The reason is largely because I felt my good friend Joe could use some cheering up after the crappy month he's had. And what better person-err, pony to draw than Rainbow Dash!

Hope this brings a smile to your face, Joe! :-)

SKETCHAVEMBER 2011 Day 1: Miss Polly Pegleg

It's baaaaack!

That's right folks, I'm joyfully subjecting myself to another round of Sketchavember! Don't know what it is? Morbidly curious? Learn more about it by clicking here. Take on the challenge...if you dare.

Anyways, this initially started out as a random character design. Of course, having the overactive imagination that I do, I ended up conjuring this whole story in my mind of how Polly Pegleg (that's her nickname) came to be and what hijinks she'd get herself into. I'm actually pretty tempted to turn it into some short comic story. We'll see. 8-)

Cecilia

Ahh, freshly posted artwork! Is there any better form of proof that you're still alive?

It's funny how a single image can go through so many different iterations in the creative process. I initially imagined her as sort of a "light" counterpart to my Cyber-Kei Cutie piece during the pencilling process, most of which I did during my Comic Critique stint at Word on the Street. (To make a long story short; let's just say it didn't quite go as planned but I still made the most of my time.)

As soon as I started coloring and fiddling around with the arms and the plushy (which went from a teddy bear to a cuddly little rat), the character went in another direction and she became Cecilia: friend and ally to all rats.

(Cue "Ben" here.)

You might just find out what's under her mask sooner than you think.

The Most Embarrassingly Belated Journal Entry EVER

Daaaaaaaaamn.

I knew I was getting bad with updating journals on here but I sure took it to a new extreme this time, didn't I?

I figured I'd post this entry just to let you know that no; I didn't die, get kidnapped, or join a travelling carnival on a completely spontaneous whim. I guess you could say that after doing three conventions all within virtually a month-long span wiped me out much more than I had anticipated. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVED doing them all but man it's exhausting. Usually after I've done a con, I keep a considerable distance from my drawing table for a few days.

Somehow those few days transformed into weeks and as a result, it ended up becoming something of an unintentional hiatus. Again.

I feel kinda bad for letting myself drift away for this long but on the other hand, I suppose I needed the vacation. (Even though it wasn't in Disneyland or somewhere else equally fantastic.)

I do have a drawing or two on the pipeline (including one I worked on during my stint on Word on the Street) and Sketchavember is creeping up ever so closely. That was such a blast to do last year and you can bet your sweet tush that I'm gonna do it again this year. ;)

Speaking of events that are creeping up ever so closely, anybody excited for Halloween?

The Word on the Street (and Under the Street)

So here it is; the last of the three shows I've been doing from late August until now!

The Word on the Street is a huge Canada-wide festival celebrating reading and all forms of the written word. It's only natural that Vancouver would be a part of that fun. ;-)

It usually happens on the last Sunday of September (which in this case is the 25th...and it's creeping up ever so closely) but this year it's been expanded to include some events on the Friday (September 23) and Saturday (September 24).

The main festival itself will still take place in and around Library Square and the CBC Plaza right downtown in Vancouver, British Columbia on Sunday, September 25. It runs from 11 AM until 5 PM and, perhaps one of the best parts of all, it's totally free!

I'll be there on Sunday as part of Word Under the Street, the marketplace and exhibitors devoted to independent and alternative comics and zines. This will be located inside the library, downstairs in the Alice MacKay room. Not only will I have all my goods in tow (portfolio, mini comics, greeting cards, original sketch cards, bookmarks, prints and some buttons! Everyone loves buttons! Hooray!), I'll also be taking part in the Comic Critique sessions. If you have any unpublished comics that you would like some feedback on, bring them over and you'll have an awesome oppurtunity to have professional creators and artists look at them and give you plenty of advice and input. For more information on the Comic Critiques along with all the other things going on Under the Street, look here.

Of course, there's plenty more things going on outside the library (and trust me, that's an understatement). There will be hundreds of vendors, exhibitors, readings (from authors, poets and storytellers), panel discussions of all topics under the literary sun, publishers, live performers...and that's just immediately off the top of my head!

For more information on Word on the Street and all the events and programs involved, check out the main festival site (specifically the Vancouver branch) here.

I checked this out last year as an atendee and there was so much to explore and take in. I absolutely enjoyed every moment of it and I can't wait to step over to the other side of the table. ;-)

See you guys there! :-)

An Embarrassingly Belated Follow-Up on Vancouver Comicon

Yeah. If there was a title that stated the obvious, it would definitely be this one. I would have posted this earlier but random colds are a total snot to deal with.

Now that I've gotten that out of the way, I just want to thank everyone who came down to the Vancouver Comicon last Sunday...even during the crazy hot weather that fell on that day! Though strangely enough, the Hertiage Hall didn't feel as balmy as it did during Comix and Stories. Maybe it's because the artist/creator tables were placed under the ceiling fans.

Anyways, I also wanna extend a huge thanks to everyone who stopped by my table that day. Whether you gave my work a glimpse, took a business card or flyer, chatted with me or bought something, every little bit is greatly appreciated and it makes my days at the cons all the more memorable. You people are awesome.

Speaking of awesome things; over the last few Vancouver Comicons I've been to, I've noticed a small rise in cosplayers. There was a movie-verse Wolverine, a girl in a Supergirl costume and a pair of steampunk girls (of all the days I choose to break out my badass goggles!). I totally approve of this trend. Keep 'em coming, Vancouver.

A shout out goes to Frank who asked me to draw a sketch in the vein of my "Do It Yourself, Dammit" piece. Luckily, I took a picture of it just before I gave it to him...but I still have to upload it onto my Photobucket.

Overall, another fun con experience. I still find it hard to believe I've done this many in such a relatively short frame of time (a year could be considered short, right?).

Two down, one more to go! And trust me, this one's gonna be a pretty freaking massive one...and different from anything I've done before!

You're intrigued, no? ;-)

Con #2: Vancouver Comicon, September Edition

Here's the second of three conventions I'm doing this late August/September.

Once again, I'll be doing another appearance at the September edition of the Vancouver Comicon this Sunday (September 11) at the Heritage Hall in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The show runs from 11 AM until 5 PM and admission is $4 person but you admission is free for kids under 14 or if you have a new or gently used grade school appropriate graphic novel to donate. Those books will go towards Vancouver public schools.

I'll have my usual goods in tow (prints, greeting cards, mini comics, original sketch cards etc.) as well as some brand spanking new material such as my cyber gothed out bookmarks and, if I'm lucky, some buttons! Yup. I'm the proud new owner of a DIY button making press. I can't wait to help further the button addiction epidemic (for which I pray there will never be a cure). Plus, I'll also have my portfolio filled with all my original art work, comic pages, concept art and character designs for you all to browse through. Perhaps even a sketch card or two will be drawn on site.

So come on down, check out the comic-y goodness (perhaps you may even win one of the hourly door prizes!) and don't hesitate to give me a shout. I'll be sure to remember my industrial sized water bottle this time! :-P

For more info on the convention itself and all the creators and guests involved, you can check out the main convention site or direct your gaze to the spiffy flyer just below all this text.

Hope to see you there! :-)

Attack of the Bookmarked Cyber Goths

WHOO! I'm on a roll tonight! :-P

Anyway, you ever have certain characters that you just love to revisit every couple years?

Yeah. Clearly this cartoony cyber goth gang fits that bill for me.

Here's their last iteration (in 2008!):



Blast from the past, yes?

I actually had a majority of the pencils completed last summer with the intention of making bookmarks. This year, I returned to them, did a few revisions and tweaks and colored them in.

I'm gonna be selling these bookmarks for $1 a piece at the Vancouver Comicon this Sunday (September 11) at the Heritage Hall in Vancouver, British Columbia. More info will come in the next post.

There may be a new addition or two this gang. Stay tuned. ;-)

Art Trade: The Nurse Will Take You...

Okay. I promise this will be the last thing bloody and nurse related I'll post for a good while. Really! :-P

Anyways, this is my embarrassingly late half of the art trade I have going on with CureMyBlackendHeart (on DeviantART) who wanted me to draw a nurse from the "Silent Hill" games.

I will admit, my only real knowledge of the "Silent Hill" games comes from watching my older brother play the first game when I was a young 'un and the copious amounts of fan art and cosplays of characters like Pyramid Head and, of course, these fabulously creepy nurses.

After completing this drawing, I'm really starting to wish I played the games before. ;-)

When looking for reference pictures, I didn't realize there was more than one character model/design for the nurses so I tried combining a bit of the Bobblehead Nurse with the classic designs. For any big "Silent Hill" fan (and CureMyBlackendHeart), I apologize for any inaccuracies in the detailing.

On a technical note, I'm so happy with the skin (especially the veins if you squint hard enough).

Hope she likes it!

Comix and Stories 2011: A Sorta Belated Follow-Up

Well, Comix and Stories has come and gone. I have been a little busy getting more stuff together for the next con but I thought I'd take some time to divulge a little on last Sunday's show.

Firstly, I wanna give a huge thank you to everyone who came down to the Heritage Hall on Sunday. While the attendance might have been a bit...sluggish (hey, it was a gorgeously hot summer day out after all), I still feel pretty fortunate enough to have had plenty of people buy my stuff, check out my portfolio and even just give my table a browse through. You folks are awesome.

It also always serves as a wonderful opportunity to meet new friends and get input from fellow comicking peers. A special thanks goes out to Albert Art for being an awesome table buddy and providing lots of Gummy Bears. Oh man, did those Gummy Bears get us through those droughts of hunger and the slight zombie-like delirium that comes with being at your table for a few hours inside a balmy building. And a shout out to Julie for being a sweetheart with mad business skills!

Note to self: next time bring a hand held fan and don't forget to bring your giant water bottle. Trust me, I was longing for it by the end of the day.

Overall, I'm still pretty happy with how Comix and Stories went this year. :-)

One con down, two more to go!

Comix and Stories 2011

Remember those not-so-oblique references to a cluster of conventions I made in my last journal (that was a month ago)?

Well, here's the first one out of three conventions I'll be hitting up this late August/September.

Once again, I'll be appearing at Comix and Stories; a day long celebration of all things indie and small press be it comics, cartoons, animation, zines, artwork and culture. It's going to be held at the Heritage Hall in Vancouver, British Columbia this Sunday (August 28). Admission is $4 per person and it goes from 11 AM until 5 PM.

Not only will I have all my prints (including my most recent "Oh, Usa"), original sketch cards, greeting cards and mini comics on my table for sale, I'll also be offering everyone a sneak peek of a few character designs I've whipped up for my upcoming book...character designs that haven't even been posted online! Not even on here! (Ooooh!) Of course, my portfolio will still be there for you all to browse through and I may just whip up a new sketch card or two on site. Perhaps I may even sketch out an oh-so-creepy "Silent Hill" nurse if I have the time.

As always, don't hesitate to drop by my table to give me a shout. ;-)

For more information on the show and all the especially awesome and talented creators involved, visit the main convention site here.

Then again, you could always scroll down a bit and take a look at the spiffy flyer just below all this info.

Seriously though, I loved doing Comix and Stories last year (hard to believe it was that long ago) and I can't wait to do it again this year! :-D

Hope to see you there.

Hallmark? More Like "Hellmark"

Guess what I'm planning to do with this image. ;-P

Anyways, my mixed medial kick marches on with this little experimental foray into semi-collage work. When you can't find gift wrap paper with the right patterns you want then cut/tear/rip apart gift bags that do.

Oh, Usa

DISCLAIMER: Usa belongs to me, baby.

Another addition to the list of "subject matter I'm not totally done with playing around with and drawing yet": bunnies.

Well, okay, I technically drew this piece about a month or two ago but I only recently decided to recolor the backdrop so the black looks more stark and solid.

For those of you who have been following me on DeviantART and/or Twitter, remember my little offhand mentions about an upcoming book? Yeah, you're looking at the drawing that kick-started this idea. It all stemmed from my attempt to draw something "bubble goth-esque" but it ended up turning into something a little more Harajuku raver than I had anticipated (must have been due to the music I was listening to at the time).

Before deciding on a color scheme, I wanted to draw a full-body sketch of her outfit. I was faced with the temptation to draw this character standing in front of a portal in the ground with a floating digital sign flashing the word "WONDERLAND".

And so an idea was born.

Surgeon Dress Design

Nope. I'm still not done with my morbidly cute surgeon kick. Nor my lolita fascination.

Old habits will die hard...WITH A VENGEANCE!

So yeah, one day I want to be able to have the mad sewing skills to create a dress like this for real...and then splatter some fake blood on it.

Print Design: Sweet Surgery Symphony

D'awww, look at the cute widdle bunny rabbits...wielding massive scalpels. If anyone must be blamed for planting this imagery in my head, it has to be Mr. Vorhias and his Dr. Squid audio logs. Seriously though, check 'em out.

Now the reason I call this a "print design" is that I drew this like you would a printed fabric design complete with the flat colors and wrap-around imagery...though I don't think I got that across well enough. Simplicity and unsettling sweetness was the key. Now that I think of it, I totally should have added a heart rate monitor somewhere.

I do plan on incorporating this design in a future image. Just you wait and see.

Pro-tip: blood stains do an excellent job covering up bleeding marker edges.

Piper Whacks...

New artwork?! From me?! What has this world come to?!

Okay, this is my first drawing since recovering from a post-wedding hangover. I figured I'd start off light with no real plan for a specific image in mind. I'd let my hand guide me and my imagination go where it wants to.

At first it was going to go in a Dieselpunk direction (though I suppose you can still see shades of it if you squint hard enough) and then it became some mechanic girl...but I wasn't satisfied with any typical mechanic girl. How about a mechanic with a murderous, vengeful streak?

A backstory of sorts came together as I was working on this: Piper (HA! Geddit?!) and her father (who raised Piper after Piper's mother died shortly after giving birth to her) ran an auto repair shop in a small town just outside of London until one tragic day when young Piper witnessed her father get beaten to death by a group of thugs. She continued to run the auto repair shop but took up another job on the side that required just as much precision and attention to detail as her day job: a hitman for hire. While she takes pride in being quick, efficient and clean in both of her occupations, Piper still longs to find the very thugs who beat her father to a bloody pulp and offer them the same service, only with a (bloodthirsty) smile.

On a technical note, I'm extremely happy with the coloring (though I may have done a little too much dodging on the blood splatters in Photoshop) and her muscular arm.

Whoops...

Um, sorry about that (very) unintentional hiatus, you guys.

It's funny how weddings can pretty much transport you to a whole other planet just by being involved with one. This is especially evident when you're a bridesmaid...and your sister is the bride. Everyone eats, sleeps, breathes and bleeds nuptials and eventually it catches up with you. By the time the big day finally rolls around, you just can't help but feel the excitement, joy, giddiness and happiness of such an event. All the stress and anxiety pays off in the best way possible culminating in one of the most fantastic and memorable experiences you'll ever be involved with.

But even with such a wonderful occasion, the inevitable post-wedding hangover occurs. (For the record; tequila in any form, even just a single shot; never, never, never, NEVER AGAIN!) Let's face it, weddings are exhausting and can wipe out even the most busy of bodies. Which is to say my drawing table and materials gathered a little bit of dust in that time.

However, I haven't been totally neglectful of my art. Up until the week of the wedding I had been working on a few character designs and concept sketches for an upcoming one-shot mini comic I hope to have completed by the end of September (or late fall at the, well, latest). I might share a few of them with you if you ask politely enough. ;-)

Now that I have emerged from my post-wedding hangover, I'm ready to hit the drawing table once again so prepare to see a lot of new stuff as well as some more convention news.

"Convention news?!" I hear you muttering (or not, I don't have ultra-doggy hearing senses). That will have to wait for another journal.

Ooh, I'm such a tease. ;-P

Wounded Though Winsome: Threadless Version

EDIT: Uploaded a much better scan.


What the hell?! A new image?!

I am planning on hand sewing a border but I thought I'd upload a threadless version before I tackle this drawing with a needle and thread. I guess you could say that this is technically a work in progress but the way I see it, this is an "alternate" version of the same piece.

As for the influences, well, all those hours playing "Bioshock" and reading countless lolita fashion blogs all had to culminate into something eventually.

She may look a lot like a Little Sister but trust me, she's not. She'd look much grungier if she were.

Out of all the substyles of lolita, guro (gory/grotesque) lolita is one of my absolute favorites. While I was highly tempted to put a tiny dab of blood somewhere, I decided to hold back on the gore and just focus on the fragile "broken dolly" aspect of guro lolita. Going soft but delicate was nice change of pace for me.

Be on the lookout for the "stitched up" version soon.

Too Trololololicious For You...

Nyan Cat, can you handle this?
Numa Numa Guy, can you handle this?
Drama Prairie Dog, can you handle this?
I DON'T THINK YOU CAN HANDLE THIS!

Don't act like you didn't see this one coming! I gave you people fair warning in one of my recent journals...well, if you could call it that.

This may be both my goofiest and most blatantly cheesecake drawings that I've done.

I promise my next upload will have much more substance to it. ;-)

Ecstasy and Entrails

OONTZ! OONTZ! OONTZ! UUUUUUGGGGGHHHNNNN....

Ahh, who doesn't love a technicolor zombie raver? ;-)

I spent a fair portion of the last Vancouver Comicon inking this sketch card but I wasn't totally sure if it should be an explosion of color or if it should stay inked. Clearly, I went with the former.

Fun(nish) Fact: I was intending to make the skin a lighter shade of green but I grabbed the wrong marker and by the time it hit the paper it was too late to go back. Still, I think I managed to work well enough with it.

Gazing

Ahh, living proof that I'm not dead or lazy! :-D

I'm still genuinely amazed that I was able to complete this comic all in one week. Well, technically, I wrote the script about two months earlier but a good, hard kick in the butt (in the form of an upcoming convention) was the motivation I needed to push myself and finish the comic.

I swear, this is my most detail oriented work to date. And no, I don't think I've gotten out of my grey tone phase just yet.

As for the scene itself...I'll leave it all up to you guys. Interpret what you want it to be.

Vancouver Comicon Aftermath Plus Other Goodies

Well, another convention has come and gone and I just want to take this time out to give a HUGE thank you everyone who came on down to the con this past Sunday. Whether you bought something, browsed through my portfolio or even just gave my table a glance I truly appreciate every bit of support I'm able to get. You guys are awesome.

If there's one thing I've learned from my most recent con ventures, it's that the Trolololo song is my lucky charm. No really, I started off my days listening to that song just as I was getting ready to head out in hopes of a little extra spring in my step. I got more than an extra spring. I ended up winning one of the raffle prizes and got the most devastatingly beautiful Trollface sketch from my tablemate Enerjak (I'm already concocting a follow-up. Oh, just you wait.).

Now, it's back to work on more art, comics and fuelling my "Bioshock" addiction.

Oh crap. You weren't supposed to know that.



Yes, I'm aware of how gratuitous this is...but I can't help it!

Vancouver Comicon: May Edition

Well, well, well; look who's doing another convention?

Yup, once again I shall be at the latest Vancouver Comicon this Sunday, May 15 at the Heritage Hall in Vancouver, British Columbia. The show runs from 11 AM until 5 PM and admission is $4 per person but you can get in for free if you are under 14 or have a new or gently used school appropriate graphic novel to donate. The books donated will go towards Vancouver public schools.

Not only will I be there with all my prints, sketch cards, mini comics and my portfolio to thumb through but I will also be unveiling some new stuff including a brand spanking new comic. I don't want to give away too much but I will say this: it may be short but it's easily one of my most detail oriented pieces to date. You're highly intrigued, no? As always, I'll also be creating some sketch cards on site (hey, you never know if I end up drawing another dead raccoon fetus in a jar. XD). If you drop by my table, don't be afraid give me a shout and say "hi".

For more info on the convention and all the creators and the special guests involved, go to the main convention website or take a look at that pretty little flyer just below all this text.

Hope to see you there!

Cyber-Kei Cutie: V. 2.0 (Plus WIP Pics)

By a show of hands, who here remembers my "Cyber-Kei Cutie" drawing? Well, in case you don't remember (it was four years ago) here it is.

As you can see, I felt like revamping one of my older drawings not only to fix some of my own errors (those damn fingers!!) but as a challenge of sorts to see what I can do to update it with my current drawing style and techniques. Once again, I felt like trying some more grey tone stuff.

Heh, four years from now I'll probably be revamping this again but for now, I'm still pretty satisfied with how this came out. At least I got the fingers on her left hand in their proper places.

Toony Stew

Here's a fun little drawing exercise I picked up from jeinu's excellent tutorials on DeviantART.

Draw a bunch of odd, random shapes and try to create a face out of them. They turned out much more cartoonier than what I usually do but y'know what? It's really fun to get super cartoony every once in a while. It also helps that I was watching a lot of episodes of "The Critic" ("Needs more love" is an understatement) so I had a lot of their looser, cartoony character designs in mind while working on these.

With all these bizarre shapes, I wanted to draw a range of different ages, genders, shapes and characterizations.

Top left corner is a mall loitering sceney-bopper (you know 'em when you see 'em), top right corner disapproves of your lower middle-class shenanigans and waistlines, middle right became some sort of willowy, pretty boy Michael Jackson goth type, bottom left corner is a mopey sadsack working a soulless 9 to 5 desk job and bottom right corner is such an adorable little Jabba (as in Jabba the Hut) girl.

Let me know what you think.

Rorschach's True Identity

Okay, you're all probably wondering HOW THE BLOODY HELL this idea came to me. A few days ago I came across an all-too funny image done by banshuwa of DeviantART which made me look at ol' Rorschach in a whole new horrifically hilarious light (see for yourself here).

There was no other choice than to render America's favorite teenager into America's favorite vigilante.

On a more technical note, I was trying to go for the flat colors you would see in an issue of "Archie" or "Watchmen". Hope I succeeded at this!

Good luck trying to unsee the resemblance. RRAAAAAARRLL!!

Look at These Hipster Disney Princesses

Well, here are Ariel, Belle and Auror--er, Briar Rose together in all their indie-than-thou glory. Why yes, I did draw all of them on the same sheet of paper.

I may or may not have a couple more ideas for hipsterfied Disney princesses. We'll just see how snarky I'm feeling.

Until then, if you want a closer look at them all, from left to right...

-Ariel (the one that started it all...and loathes everyone else for it)
-Belle (who soon followed, will likely collaborate with Ariel's crab BFF)
-Auro--BRIAR ROSE (still denying her lineage)