CLEOPATRA_update

[11 x 14" - blue pencil, brush & technical pen, COPIC marker on 100lb/300series bristol board]

I had promised this image to MS. LIANA HEE a couple of years ago. I attempted to finish it at this year's CTN ANIMATION EXPO, but unfortunate my efforts were foiled by the wrong sort of bristol paper - which made it VERY difficult (if not completely impossible) to blend the gray tones together in a decent manner.

I was frustrated all day and was almost inconsolable despite CASSANDRA POULSON'S efforts in trying to cheer me up and keep me focused on the show.

I guess I get really put off when I've made up my mind to start drawing something - with the objective of finishing by a certain amount of time - only to be put in a situation where I can't do just that because... well... for whatever reason. And this was one of those times.

Anyway, I stepped away from it for a while. I was actually compelled to do so because of other assignments that were looming. But in doing that, it forced me to get some much-needed perspective. It's like this: Just as much as I wanted to have the image done so that I could give it to Liana before the show ended and she had to travel back home, I realized that I'd rather give her something that I can really say I took my time with, an image that I put as much polish as I could, and that I didn't rush it for the sake of finishing.

So there it is.

I'd like to thank Liana for her patience in waiting for this thing for as long as she has. It was a lot of fun to do and I did so much learning in the process of doing it. It has SO man little areas that required me to make decisions regarding how and when to render and when to just leave it alone. I'm not sure I hit everything I wanted to do with 100% efficiency, but I think the exercise was a fantastic way to challenge myself - to wrap my mind around all the little puzzles that required problem solving.

I hope everyone has a fine Thanksgiving celebration and that you're all spending your time with the people you care about.

ECCC SOUVENIR BOOK_update

[11 x 14" - blue pencil, brush & technical pen, COPIC marker on 100lb/300series bristol board]

It's been a tough week with deadlines and more deadlines. Yeesh.

My weekend zipped by and I couldn't tell you where all my time went in those two days. I mean, seriously - 48 hours just came and went and it felt like it was 15 minutes. All I know is that when I woke up this morning, it was already Monday. The last time I took note of what day it was, it was Thursday of last week. So... there you go.

The saving grace was that great friends who make for even better company were hanging out with me the entire time. We watched movies, played the new and amazing ASSASSIN'S CREED 3 video game, and ate out at food places that are meant for much younger metabolisms.

So to them, I give my thanks. SAM LIU, JON TSUEI, and the 'Great Kappakappa' herself, NATALIE HALL - thank you all for swinging down and making the workload that much more tolerable.


The image above was drawn for the EMERALD CITY COMIC CON souvenir book titled 'Monsters and Dames'. ECCC is one of my favorite shows in the country and it serves as sort of a 'starting gun' for when convention season opens because it is one of the shows that happens earlier in the year. I always have a ton of fun (well.. there was that one time I was sick as a dog, running a ridiculously high fever, and I was screaming, "I'm gonna die! I'm gonna die!" while writhing around my hotel room bed. Ask MATTEO SCALERA about it. He bore witness to my death roll) I love the way the show is organized, and most important - the fans from the state of Washington are some of the best around, and are tremendous supporters of my work. I don't know if it can get any better than that.


Okay. Back to work.



Eric.

AURA_commission

[9 x 12" - blue pencil, brush & technical pen, COPIC marker on 100lb/300series bristol board]

"I was thinking Ming's daughter from Flash Gordon."

After explaining my "In The Spirit Of.." policy, the patron thought  about it a moment and that was what they had said to me.

Which was great because I had an affinity for  actress ORNELLA MUTI'S rendition of PRINCESS AURA from the FLASH GORDON movie (c'mon - MAX VON SYDOW is abad ass Emperor Ming the Merciless), and to say that I has a massive crush on her would be understating things a bit. Yikes!

I was excited to take on the commission and I was pretty satisfied with the results. More importantly, I believe that the person who asked for the image was also very pleased.

Win/win all around.

THE HUMMINGBIRD_commission

[9 x 12" - blue pencil, brush & technical pen, COPIC marker on 100lb/300series bristol board]

A commission done as gift from a son to his mom. The mandate was, "Please draw a girl with long hair riding a hummingbird - like you did with that girl riding that dragonfly."

I believed that was a worthwhile challenge.

The bird was the most challenging aspect to draw. I was trying to negotiate a technique in order to communicate that trademark way that hummingbirds' wings move. But I came to the conclusion that any sort of over-the-top rendering  in order to achieve that effect would probably overshadow the primary read when looking at the image - which is the bird and the girl. Besides, it was a gift and I didn't want to do too much experimentation and discovery for fear of getting lost in the exercise, as opposed to drawing something decent that the guy's mom would appreciate hanging on the wall.

Feathers are wonderfully painful to draw.

THE ROCKETEERS_update

[6 x 9" - blue pencil, brush & technical pen, COPIC marker on 100lb/300series bristol board]

[6 x 9" - blue pencil, brush & technical pen, COPIC marker on 100lb/300series bristol board]

[6 x 9" - blue pencil, brush & technical pen, COPIC marker on 100lb/300series bristol board]

[6 x 9" - blue pencil, brush & technical pen, COPIC marker on 100lb/300series bristol board]

[6 x 9" - blue pencil, brush & technical pen, COPIC marker on 100lb/300series bristol board]

Here are the Rocketeer images I managed to draw for this past weekend's LONG BEACH COMIC CON. I did six in total including the one from the previous blog entry.

The lady dressed in the Rocketeer uniform was requested by a buyer at the lat second - I'd seen variations on that theme in previous cons and thought they were quite clever and fetching. And considering I'd never drawn that version before, I thought it'd be a decent challenge. But you know what? Just after I put down the last line in blue pencil before I went to COPICS then inks, I realized how terribly bored I was of the idea already. The saving grace of the exercise was to try and draw a different face shape than I had drawn in the past. On that front, I found it very engaging and exhilarating. I'd never actively drawn rounder, heart-shaped faces before - that was a nice change of pace.

Dammit all to hell if I didn't remember to put the intake vents on the sides of the helmet. I fail at design recollection and as a rocket backpack fan all together, I guess.

Thanks to all those how dropped by, bought the images and comics, and who showed their support for my work. I had a good time at the con. Now for some sleep.

LONG BEACH COMIC CON_update

[6 x 9" - blue pencil, brush & technical pen, COPIC marker on 100lb/300series bristol board]

LONG BEACH COMIC CON is coming this weekend (Nov. 03 & 04, 2012). Please come and find me along with the rest of the ESSENTIAL SEQUENTIAL crew starting at BOOTH #1101.

As a nice bit of luck and coincidence, IDW PUBLISHING sent me my comp copies of the issue I did of ROCKETEER ADVENTURES Vol.2, Issue #3. Did you you know there's a 'SKETCH VARIANT' (1:10) cover by DARWYN COOKE?

It looks pretty damned sweet, if you ask me.

Anyway, I'm going to sell quick drawings like the ones above for $20USD, which will be accompanied by a copy of the issues from the set sent to me by the publisher. There's about 10 copies in total, so the this premium is very limited.

I hope to see many of you at the show. I'm sure this will send my art dealer JASON SCHACHTER into a small panic attack. But I'd rather give you a copy of the issue so that you can enjoy the awesomeness that is The Rocketeer like I do, rather than storing them in my garage someplace.

So there you go. I hope to see you guys are the show.