Genericon XX

RPI, in Troy, NY, has a convention known as Genericon, and this was my winning cover for their twentieth annual con. It was my first publication after college.

Art and Prose

I have been writing a book, and no, not a comic book (although I'm doing that too). A novel. And while I've been wrapped up in it for the past few weeks, I missed drawing. So I drew a portrait of one of the characters. And here he is.

Pen Drawing Colored

I took the pen drawing and applied the color mostly by brush in photoshop. In the spirit of keeping things "loose" I avoided using the gradient tool that I had become so reliant on. It still looks very...careful? Purposeful? I don't know really what to call my style. Smooth? But it is leaning ever so slightly toward "loose."

Pen Drawing

This is a sketch for winter, done entirely in pen. Drawing in pen can be frustrating, but when you can't find your pencil...
The great thing about pen drawing is how you can see each step in the drawing, because there's no erasing. In the past, I saw this as a bad thing, making a drawing look unfinished, unpolished, but now I love it. Often I think my finished drawings and paintings are too polished and I've been working on letting go a bit, and allowing the construction to shine through.

Alumni Show

So the show went well. Apparently I didn't have anything to worry about. My painting was among the more skillful. There were some very beautiful and imaginative pieces and there were some that were not. I did notice, however that my painting was the only still life and had the second brightest in color palette. Alas, my painting was not purchased by anyone, and wasn't stolen either (it was insured, so I would have gotten paid) but it seemed as though none were sold. The school did not list the prices, so that probably had something to do with it.

Halloween Pencil

Seeing as most of the comic work I've been doing has copyright and confidentiality agreements, I can't show it off until it gets published. This drawing, however, was for fun; using a clothing catalogue for the pose reference, and my love of halloween for the rest. It is pencil on paper. In the coming weeks I will be inking it, and possibly coloring it as well.

Love the Jury

When I was in high school, and put my art in for a juried show, I was annoyed, because I was grrreeaaat! That's right. I beemed like the sun with confidence. And if there is anything school taught me is that I can always to better, and of course, someone else already is.
Now I have no confidence in my work, and I long for a juried show to give me that little pat on the back that says, someone thought you were as good as these guys, so don't worry about looking like a fool in comparison.
Unfortunately, my 'masterpiece,' aka the Neverending Still-life, is going to be in a non-juried show. Suddenly I have no confidence in the painting I loved only a few months ago. Quuestions fill my head, such as: Will people like it? Will they understand the broken glasses? Will they call me academic as an insult? Will they think the glasses hold an inner meaning? Will they think I'm trying to make it seem like there is an inner meaning to the glasses? Will they laugh at me?
Will I price it too high?
Will I sell it too low?
Too many questions. I miss the good old days.