With you

This is to you my best friend Zach. I'm tired. I'm alone. But I can't give up. I can't stop. I want you to know that the past couple of years has meant the most to me, maybe more than any in my life. That's because I have you. You inspire so much hope and wonder in my life. I have new life because of you. I've never been one to give up or stop because it's not who I am. There's always good things in life and I'm willing to keep taking any punches from life to see them. You give me enjoyment in my life, with your passion, I've had no one to stand with me in seeking the most out of life and then you came along.

I wish I could express how much this has meant to me. It makes me cry at times how much you mean. I can see the stress in your eyes lately. There's so much coming at you now. I know it's tough, it's hard, it's painful, it hurts, it's confusing, it's stressful, you feel alone. I'm with you. I'm always here. It'll never stop, it'll never die, It'll never be less. It'll never stop, not in the end of time or in Heaven.

I'm writing to let you know that never doubt yourself, never let the tough things coming ahead in life ever stop you from being who you are. Trust yourself. There was a time when I didn't and you and me are alike. We strive for good, to not waste what we have, to not let others hurt on own account. I've been there and believe me, don't hold the burden to yourself. I know your trying to be strong, but not letting others help you much, only makes them feel like you don't care about them, you can't handle the burden all by yourself, it affects all of us, it only makes you weak. I had to learn it the hard way, it cost me a lot. And you don't deserve to go through that. To have to learn it the hard way.

Never doubt what you are doing, never doubt and/or think you are wrong in pursuing the dream of getting what want from comics, or from life period. I'm with you in this, I'll never stop. I'll never go anywhere, it's all I have and if you take it all on yourself to see it through, I'll have nothing and be alone again in reaching for it. Your the best friend I've ever had and that I'll ever have. I'll push myself to the ends to make what we want come through. And believe me it will, we can't stop or let the hits in life make us doubt. I'll never stop, I'll never lose interest, I'll never lose passion.

Never think you are alone. Never think that you should do it alone. You shouldn't do this all by yourself. I will take the responsibility with you. I will see it through with you. I will live it, and feel it with you. Let's move. Let's have our adventure. Let's to this together. I love you man, more than I could ever describe. And this dream we have together means just as much to me. Don't ever doubt that. We're in this together, and you will not do this all by yourself.

Funding the comics

Well a good boost has come me and taken a nice load off the shoulders. Recently found some work that actually pays a decent wage far above minimum wage. This has good consequences for the comic work.

Now instead of saving up 2 or 3 weeks for supplies I can go ahead and get them much sooner. Plus I grad a lot more supplies that were just too far out of the price range.

Been a bit of a pain since in light of doing all the work to get this I haven't gotten to work the comics like I've wanted too, but now I can get to it pretty good again. Funds are important people and don't forget that. Bout to start needing some new tech pens again and god these things can run out fast.

Other good news is we finally got a new photoshopper to work on Zach's next comic with us. Lets keep moving.

Things and New Work

Been a little down lately, Still gettin some cool work done on all the comics, but let me move a bit a differant subject for a sec.

Wondering if Im a bit of a bad friend. I don't know just I'm used to being in contact with lots of my friends but things are differant today and I just feel down about it. Its probably nothing like what runs throught my head sometimes and I try to remind myself not to thinnk that way or over think things, sometimes I just can't get it all to go away so easy.

Lately I've been having to resort to having some drinks at night just to stop them. I wonder about that and I don't want it turn inton anything bad. Just lately I've tried to help some people with things and either bad things happened to them because of a lot of it, or they seem to be more distant and I wonder if they trust me. Plus when I don't have my friends I get lonely. Thank god I have Zach, its just that I dont want to mess things up.

Well onto comics I guess, gotten some really cool work done on a short story deal of my own and the artwork is coming out beautifullly and Zach took a crack at photoshopping it and added a third layer of gray tone and screentone and I think it lloks great on a lot of parts and he was just playing with toning manga for the first time! (Click here to see them!) Considering developing a new character inspired by a friend of mine, but I'll have write on that later since I don't have a lot of ideas on it right now.

Also I'm gonna get back to working on some character designs for a comic that Zach and his good friend Collin came up with some time back, we've been so busy with Zach's comic and the manga that I've been sidetracked an dI should probably take it a little more seriously since Collin said that he knew some parties that would be interested in seeing some stuff. Gotta get started on it.

Response!!

Been gettin called out here to blog more so let's do this!

First of all: Don't worry my bro Zach, already got two other applications sent out and got others I'll be pickin up tomorrow just in case it's a little bit before the CNA work. I'll get with ya more on it tho, so chillax :)

Next is the update: Been plenty more work done on the manga comic. Working panel to panel is MUCH easier and I'm developing a good knack for this g-pen. Putting in a lot more viewpoints that seem to be bringing out the scenes a lot better.

Also, been workin on a little side project of a new character with a short intro story. This character is much darker character in a much darker world. My cousin Nick saw the art work and he was going out of his mind about it. He even threw out a very cool idea. Why not come up with a villain? I'd originally decided to make this character lose his mind in this short story, but if I could use this as an intro to his birth as a evil character that would be even better! I don't know why but this project has me really interested.

Well I'll try to keep posting a little better, till then later peeps

Comic Work

So its a been a little and I figured I'd update the folks on how it's all goin. The comics are comic along well.

Zach's page is finished and I'll be starting on the beginning pages of the second book soon I'm sure. We're just gonna have to figure out the kind of paper that we wanna make the copies on that I'll be inking. It's always a much better idea to not ink out the original since all it takes is one foul up and then its probably game over. Plus Zach would eat my soul.

The manga is coming on really good too. Lots of pages are getting done and soon I'll be getting some screentone to apply the the characters and background. For a while I some long action scenes and Zach and me both realied that we hadn't seen the enviornment for a while, so I've adding more of it in and it really helps the action on the pages. Well gotta get back to work now, but I'll try to be a little better about updates for ya'll. Peace.

Layouts are for losers

Me and my bro Zach took a chill night last night. We've been pushing the comic biz hard lately and I took a good lesson from the night myself.

Been making this new page for the manga...ALL night. Couldn't go to bed but I've been the most fun out of making this page from the top of my head as I go. The panels and story is getting laid out so much easier and I find myself having the most fun I've had at it in a while.

Gonna keep this up. The characters are coming out with more life and the action is looking great.

"Som bitch!" Being an Inker

Okay so I've been working on my partner Zach's 2nd page for his comic, and my job is to ink it out. Learned a few little lessons along the way. ( Zach's Blog Here )

Inking out someone else's artwork is different from your own. What I mean is that Zach has a MUCH different style than I normally work in. A few examples:

1) I'm used to working a much harder paper which calls for freedom of strong strokes to make effects, while Zach normally works on softer thinner paper which I have to be lighter with my strokes or I tear the sheet (which for this one time is an original) and Zach turns me into a zombie with his mastery of physics and is able to take his rage out on me like blowing my head off with a pistol, and then puts it back on and enslaves me to do his bidding for all eternity.

2) I'm used to working on bigger paper like 11 x 17 size here and Zach works on much smaller paper, which means I have to be even lighter with my strokes or I ink over spots I'm not supposed too and the previous mentioned punishment will ensue except this time he also cuts off my balls and keeps them in a jar to mock me with.

3) I'm used to drawing on a larger scale and Zach draws on a MICROSCOPIC SCALE!!! WE'RE TALKIN ABOUT 30 FULLY DETAILED PANELS ON AN 11 X 8 SHEET OF PAPER! PHYSICS DO NOT APPLY TO HIS ARTWORK! PHYSICS ABANDONED HIS ARTWORK, I MEAN LITERALLY THREW UP IT'S MIGHTY HANDS AND SAID "FUCK THIS DUDE!!"

So lessons have been learned, the inking is coming on good too, and I know that some people you ink for are mystical beings capable of breaking the physical realm's spirit and sending it crying home to momma.

Side work

As I've been at this action manga, I notice that after I keep at it from one page to the next and wracking my brain on the layout and stuff that I'm starting to stress it too much. So I've what I've started doing is having a few side projects lying around or quick little commissions from people that want a portrait or something and I can recharge my batteries by taking my mind off of the manga for a little while.

Of course, half the time when I'm about half or not even half way into the side work I ALL OF THE SUDDEN HAVE THIS BRILLIANT IDEA FOR THE MANGA!! AND THEN I HAVE TO DROP THIS CRAP AND GO TRY THIS OUT ON THE MANGA!!!!!!

Still, it served it's purpose.

Baby Steps Over Hurdles

I've understood more and more about the desire to move on your journey, and especially about distractions and other things to get past along the way. Me and my bro Zach ( Zach's blog here ) started our work with little knowledge about what to do to get where we want besides drawing our material. But the reason I think we were "drawn" to each other (great pun I know) was that we both were honest about that but didn't dwell on it. We decided to keep learning, getting better, and find the answers for the questions that came along the way.

Since then, we've changed alot. This includes the type of paper used, serious designing of page layouts and panels, angles in scenes, more advanced equipment, researching new methods to apply shading and understanding what publishers need. And all we did was just keep moving and not stressing over trying to learn the new things we'd need.

Distractions and hurdles have come in the form of work problems, relationship problems, personal problems, school problems, and many more but the whole way it's been the art and desire that made me feel better and I'm sure Zach too.

We couldn't always move at lightning speed so we took the time for baby steps toward what we needed and it's amazing how so many baby steps lead to great leaps and how we've done in only a short time. This just means that great things are ahead.

Not alot about art methods here in this blog, but it needs to be said. Later peeps.

G-pen and The Passion

Just got the G-pen in from Japan today. I've played around with crow quills and round quills but could never find a good use for them, since they were still pretty limited in line flexibility. For the longest time I've stuck to using technical pens and they've worked pretty well, but still you only get one line width with each pen. Though the tech pens come in a lot of different sizes you still can't make a single line change in width instantaneously.

Well this G-pen nib has been everything I hoped for. It's REALLY easy to use and the control allows me to get the real look I've been trying to achieve in my work. I kinda feel nerdy but at the same time this is a real jump forward for my artwork.

I don't know how the rest of you feel about your work, or a lot of things, but I just....have to get better. It's gonna happen and I can't stop, can't let go of it....i want to be better and better.

Sounds a bit cliche or cheesy maybe, but we can't give in to the worlds distractions and peoples words about abandoning the passion. That's what makes things great and meaningful is that they push past the rest of world that's too ignorant to understand, and too scared to dream and to give everything to make it happen. I'd rather die than let life stop me now.

Mind of an Artist

Ever notice sometimes you have that feeling urching you during the day "man I need to draw." So you get home and start in on your page with an optimistic attitude. SUDDENLY YOU FIND YOUR SELF STRESSING OVER EVER LITTLE DETAIL "WILL ANYONE UNDERSTAND THIS!?" "IS THIS GOOD ENOUGH TO CATCH SOMEBODY'S EYE!?" OH MY GOD I'M ONLY ON THE FIRST PANEL!!!!!"

This results in you slaving over a page for extended time and coming up with something that leaves you depressed. In other words, DONT DRAW LIKE THAT!!!

Have a damn beer, drink, cigarette, doobie or whatever and chillax and sit back draw exactly what you wanna draw and that is when the best material comes out. Your passion and frame of mind is what makes a page. People can see your mindset when making a page and it either excites them like it did you or it inspires the deepest kinds of rage and depression only found in the deep dark depths of Hell like it did to you.

Steps to completion

Workin hard on this new page. Looks like it needs the bazooka again, but havent got too far into it anyhow.

Desperately waiting on the new G-pen and comic white out ink I ordered tho. For those not on the down low the G-pen is possibly the most widely used pen nib in manga for it's ability to flexibly move from applying thin lines to thick lines. I've been making use of crow quills and round quills and settled on using technical pens mostly, but I think I've really been need somthing to allow that freedom of pen width that the G-pen promise and will give me the look that I'm looking for. Not to mention finally having white out ink allows for me to relax more on my work. In case you were thinking this is very geeky....your right.

I suggest never working at a grocery store too folks, since if like me you call in and didn't realize you have to talk to a manager to call in you could get wrote up. Still I could care less tho and I figure I'm gonna go ahead and grab a CNA degree whilst I work on my RN degree. This way I can make way better cash and ease the budget stress.

Yes me and Zach( http://dailey-images.blogspot.com/)are grabbing a place of our own to turn the tide of delays and lack of time. Figure it's gonna work well and I'm ready to start moving even faster on our work. Back to the grind folks and till next time!

Ever wanna blast your comic work with a bazooka?

Recently discovered an awesome new movie called Ninja Assassin. This movie is great and full awesome ninja action yet it imparts some grand wisdom...bazookas. They can kill any ninja I found out, and then I got to thinking...

Ever working on a layout for your comic page and then start inking and then realize...you really hate this page. Your half way through it but you can't stand the sight of it! You put an hour or two in this thing and it's boring, it's drek, its stupid, it lacks eye candy, its like.......a ninja.

Therefore I recently blew up my last comic page with a bazooka and started anew. This is a manga, which was the brainchild of my partner Zach Dailey whose blog spot can be found here:http://dailey-images.blogspot.com/

He's one of the most creative people I know and has talents and interests in as many areas as you have nose hairs. Our paths crossed in an epic humerous adventure that I will describe another time but I just wanted to give an intro to me and what I do. I don't think I did a great job, but I'll add some more soon.

Either way, always remember that bazookas are better than duck tape because they obliterate everything in your way and make you feel better.