Wash dump

Been doing some washes lately, working with water colors, and using up all of my old watercolor paper. I like the process, and love the results, but I have so much experimentation to do, what inks with what papers.

I'm also a savage paper scavenger, and like 60% of my art has drawings, ink splotches, or color tests on the back. I even came across some washes from like two years ago.

More wash to come,

-Jams

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....

Small Wonders

Wow, it's been a month already since I last posted. Work, friends' wedding, tomodachi's were met, new friends were made, countless late nights. Got some prints in process, and enjoying the focus on just illustration and design recently. I find just putting my head down and drawing helps clear up blocks and refocus on storytelling.

 

Had another fun artwalk at Gab last night. Switched out some pieces, and even sold a couple. 

 

Also, I got another bundle of comics, and I must say, vol.2(mark V?) is looking pretty sharp. Will be available here soon. 

 

Came across this in my search for print sleeves today. I have been trying to spend less money on comics in the last few year, but there's something about a good find that just feels right. I can't wait to devour it. 

 

 And, finally, after holding off all week, I let myself read the issue of Copra I had been sitting on. The first arc is dynamic and unique. In the 6 months since I first picked it up at Locust Moon, I have truly looked forward to it every month. I have been moving around alot, so it's the only series I am buying right now, and it really satisfies.

Small wonders in a big, frantic world. Best to all my loved ones and theirs,

Kaiju

Artwalking on the wild side

 Some people perusing my work at Gab Studio during last night's art walk in the Wynnwood district of Miami. It was a ton of fun, some great live music, lots of cool work on display, and tons of neat people flowing in to gape at the art.

  

Both photos are by Michelle Kanaar, who also made amazing chocolate chip and walnut cookies for the event. Thanks tons to her, and to family and friends who came out to check out the art and support the artists. 

-Jams

Star Seed Update

While I'm happy to report another page of Star Seed got inked yesterday, I really need to crank the speed past glacial. It does feel good to see it coming along, and that just makes me want to work on it non-stop, instead of being intimidated by how much I have left to do.

And, I'm not going to say how much that is.

One page a week just isn't going to cut it. But, I got a new job last week, one that will leave me with a little more time, I hope.

Also, if you haven't heard the Beat Bee Sessions podcast, fucking download it right now. Great art music, releasing the inner funky tiger of ink. I have to draw that tiger at some point...

Seriously, go the beginning and listen to every one. Soooo much good jams.

And, that's what I'm all about.

-Kaiju

Sktch Dump, Easter Sunday: These gals be jacked

My warmups recently have mostly consisted of bodybuilders, and primarily female body builders. I think this started with Rin Nakai and Gina Carano. Someday down the line, I have ideas for a love story about a female fighter and a monkey-god-fella, but that is going to have to be after I finish the story I'm working on now, or somehow find a bag of time that fell off a truck and decide not to turn it in for the reward.

 

Or, someone gets the brilliant idea to pay me for drawing. Granted, I don't expect anyone to see doodles of female body builders and decide to throw cash at me, but a boy can dream. 

 

 

Also, all shapes and sizes are great anatomy practice, but slightly more curvy builders, like Kortney Olson and Jenn Rish are perfect models for Estre, the bunny-babe from outta space.

Speaking of that, the work is coming along at a somewhat more solid pace, so hopefully have more to show in a few weeks. Without a proper scanner, it's a pain to transmit stuff I've been working on, but at least I have a camera phone now.

In honor of the holiday, I leave you with a more recent sketch of the bunny lady in question. Just don't be asking her for any eggs.

Now, to scour universities in Miami for a large format scanner  I can use for relatively free.

-Jams

A story of March in March

So, Neil Gaiman gave me every chance to wow him, and I failed ever so characteristically.

In case there are some of you who are unawares, he did this whole project with(?) blackberry inviting his legions of followers to submit art inspired by his stories, which were originally inspired by prompts from his followers. You can read about it here.

I started reading, and by March, I was captivated. Then, in classic form, I struggled with the composition for way too long, and finished the image hours after the deadline.

Oh well, got my ass in gear (mostly), and in some strange sense, got to work with one of the minds that has been inspiring me for years.

All in all, I pushed myself, and am fairly happy with the end results.

Until next time, Mr. Gaiman.

-Jams

Pope Study

Sorry blog world, my tumblr seems to get all the love these days...

So, it's no secret that I dig P.Pope's comics, and here's an image from a panel study thing I took part in for Destroy Comics, who is posting the entries daily. Some really inspired work, too.

You can read my post and see the original here.

-Jams

Daily lady

Lady fighters are pretty rad, cause they are ladies and they are tough. If there's two things I respect, it's ladies and toughness. and, apparently not grammar...

Anyway, Rin Nakai has a unique body and like to pose, so there are numerous shots of her from various angles, which is a great way to study. and, there's lots of fight footage, so I can see her in action. and I would definitely base a character on Rin, if for no other reason, she's really fun to draw.

Also, so are towers and yojimbo's.

In other news, shipped out my first copy of LFCv2, and boy did I doodle all over the package.

-Jams

Lingua Franca Comics, vol. 2

Lingua Franca Comics, vol. 2 is available here!

The first round is out and ready to be disseminated across the globe. Get them while I still feel like assembling!

-Jams

monkey king

At one of my employments, the management has taken to calling me 'monkey king,' so there be many monkey king sketches floating around.

This one is based on an image by Xiaojun Li. Please find the original, you'll see how much this pales in comparison.

Been reading so much Dragonball recently, and it makes me want read/watch "Journey to the West"...and read more Dragonball.

Now I want to draw Dragonball characters...

So many pictures to copy, so little time,

-Jams

daily

Nothing to say in particular, I've been scanning and editing all day, with more editing and maybe some printing and assembling to do later. Have a bunch of sketchies, doodulls, and rump-up and downers to post, but I'm going to space them out a little bit, in an attempt to avoid HUGE gaps of postlessness.

We'll get to the porn when I am feeling a bit classier.

So there,

-Jams

daily waste

Some ramp-up and down sketches. I have pretty erratic work habits, which are compounded by working part time and having moved several times in the last few months, but if there is one thing I cannot stand, it is letting my ink dry out. After having gone through a stint of pouring ink, and then finishing a page(or too often, not), taking a break which ends up with a dishful of dried ink, I vowed to commit myself: once the ink is poured, I gotta use it.

So, I've developed a habit of warming up with ink sketches, and if I finish a page or image, and have some left over, then try to make a few more doodles with whatever's left over. Often, I sketch without an underlying drawing.

Waste-not, want-not, yeah?

-Jams

Terry Paneled

Moving is not for the meek. But, before I went on the road, I did up a little Caniff tribute. Mr. Vukojevich was nice enough to display it here. It's strange to try and find a rhythm in a new place, but I've become initiated to juggling a work flow in transit. Even finding a few seconds to draw here and there is like a little triumph. But, I get good vibes from Durham, so we'll see what I can come up with.

More to come,

-Jams

daily supes

I have had a hankering to see Donner's re-cut Superman II, especially after re-watching S:TM with mi querida. The colors in that movie still pop and crackle, and I feel like Donner was specifically mindful of the cape, because it is doubly the most outlandish component of his costume, and the most compelling. Without the cape, it can't work.

This actually mirrors the climax of the movie for me, in that I love the scene of Clark re-building the decimated fault-line(again, the color in that sequence is wonderful), but it is immediately followed by his jumping the shark around the world so fast is spins backwards through time. Everything had been so grounded (and, goofy) up to that point.

However, despite that Supes has never tried this before, and even if he thought he could pull it off, the attempt could have devastating results, (and if successful, give him the ability to alter the course of human history, something he has sworn to never do), he still makes the decision with barely a moment of hesitation, and a look of "so fucking be it, destiny."

And of course, the cape always looked good. and, maybe, I have a thing for capes.

 -Jams

Mad Dash!

Warm-up of Frank Einstein doing his hero thing.

-Jams

Game of Thorn

Thorn Harvestar.

Estre sketch

A sketch of Estre in her space get-up. For the uninitiated, this is probably bordering on very abstract, but most of my art is like that.

Worry not. Soon, everyone will be initiated.

Cue the ominous chuckling to self...

-Jams