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!