daily special

I'm reading Chapterhouse Dune right now, the last of the series written by Frank Herbert. I won't go into a Dune diatribe here, but it took me a long time to come around and read the whole series. I recommend it to anyone who likes science fiction. This was a ramp-down from an inking session, and I used up the last of my ink to do a little Reverend Mother sketch. At some point, when I have digested the series and characters more, there will likely be more Dune sketches. Also, I want to distance myself from Jean Giraud's designs for the never-to-be-seen Dune movie, awesome as they are.

Fear is the mind killer.

-Jams

Mononoke sktch

I completed this piecemeal over the span of 10 months, just having finished it a few weeks ago. This is not my usual process, even working on comics, I tend to do the bulk of the work in one sitting. Of course, there is something to be gained from taking the time to step back and get perspective on your work, but I find that happens intuitively as breaks in the rhythm and flow develop naturally, so I don't typically force it.

I might still tinker with this one, despite that fact that I already signed it. Normally, those are the final strokes, working to seal the energy to the piece, but there are some exceptions.

Sometimes.

-Jams

doodles for none

The last of my convention doodles for nobody, a sort of befuddled Capt. WEIRD. Which, is my favorite Capt. WEIRD. I was so happy to be at APE, but at the same time, I really just wanted to get back to work on WEIRD, so he was all over my sktchbk that weekend. Then, I came home and immediately lost a week due to sickness. Ah, well, wahtchagawndoo?

Ingest as much vitamin C, raw garlic, and jasmine tea as my mucous-y body would contain, that's what.

-Red

con doodles for the peanut gallery

More sketches for no one!

I'm not sure where this one came from, but I had a hankering to doodle some Gojira at APE. Blame it on my kaiju nature, I guess. Part of being out of it meant I couldn't focus on the pencils, so I just outlined a rough image, and let the ink take over. In fact, everything I managed to draw at APE was like this, barely getting a pencil rough on the page, then just zoning in on the inks. Often, I'd be really into the brushwork, to look up and notice someone looking at my table, or just watching me.

Fun times,

-Hibdon Kaiju

con sketches for nobody, cont.

Since APE is two days long, and a much bigger venue, I had lots more time to sketch. Even though my neighbors were also awesome, I was pretty out of it from all the traveling, drinking(Guitar Wolf!), lack of sleep, and now I suspect, ensuing sickness, so I ended up drawing cause it's all I felt like doing. I barely saw the rest of the show, but there was so much awesome work.

Anyway, in honor of the show, I did an ape sketch, and was going to add a label and date, but forgot. Still, it seemed appropriate. Those who are gifted, or in the know, will recognize some easter egg-y type stuff.

Tiger City!

-Jams

Convention sketches...for no one in particular

In the beginning of October, I went to both Locust Moon Fest and APE in the span of roughly a week. Then, I came home and got sick. Now that I'm not as sick, I'll to upload some of the sketches I did at those conventions. Don't get me wrong, these aren't for anyone, I just don't like staring at people who may or may not look at my comics, so I sketch to keep amuse myself.

Also, even though I immensely enjoy the conventions, talking to people who like comics and art, and other artists and cartoonists is absolutely my idea of fun, I feel a little anxious about losing productivity while I'm traveling and peddling my wares, so sketching alleviates some of that anxiety.

Here's an Estre doodle I pencilled at Locust, but that show was really busy, between talking to attendees, my table neighbors(who were all awesome), and seeing good friends in Philly, I actually didn't have that much time to draw, so I ended up inking her as a warm-up after returning to Chicago.

More to come,

-the Red

daily ink

quick bat-doodle, using up the last of my ink from a previous session. Batman is a character I've been pretty ambivalent about for some time. I'm sort of burnt-out by him, and I realized some time ago that my favorite incarnation is the animated version, in particular, because he's so striking visually, the interplay with shadows and how the cape is a part of him. Plus, he was a ninja before ANYONE cared about ninja.

That being said, he's still fun to draw, if for nothing else, it's an excuse to just blast ink all over the place. Also, I like giving him the Zorro-style mask, with pupils and all.

-the Red

daily ink

Frontiersman warm-up from the other day. Another character I'm looking forward to exploring...

-Jams

Daily ink

Was studying Sam Kieth's Lobo alot when I did this, just trying to keep the inks loose and dirty, and I got to thinking about how much I've been wanting to do a Lobo-esque character, something that really lends itself to abstractions in the art and storytelling, and it occurred to me...I've got Capt. Weird, who is every bit the anti-hero, without being quite as grotesque. I cannot wait to get working on Cap again....