tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25156302764903376362024-02-21T02:19:10.206-08:00The Ink Puddle Art BlogAn ongoing discussion of Art, artists, techniques and tools. From comics to classical masterpieces and why they matter.PMcChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270937779050257090noreply@blogger.comBlogger121125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2515630276490337636.post-59918674889345655872012-10-15T11:50:00.003-07:002012-10-15T11:50:20.393-07:00We've Moved!<b>The Ink Puddle Art Blog</b> is now available at <a href="http://www.inkpuddle.com/">www.InkPuddle.com</a> - check us out and be sure to update your bookmarks!PMcChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270937779050257090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2515630276490337636.post-81513264826010958822012-10-04T19:19:00.001-07:002012-10-04T19:19:50.223-07:00Dracula (Blah!)If you happened to be reading <b>Ink Puddle</b> last year, you may have noticed my <a href="http://theinkpuddle.blogspot.com/2011/11/my-requisite-belated-halloween-post.html">homage to Frankenstein</a> imagery in book illustration. So, instead of posting my Halloween post <i>after</i> Halloween, which is just silly (kind of like a Simpsons Treehouse of Horror playing in November), I figured I would step up my game and post early this year. I even had the idea of running a contest for a <span style="color: red;"><u><b>FREE GIVEAWAY</b></u></span> in honor of the macabre month of October! Muah-ha-ha!<br />
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I think that like Frankenstein illustration, which owes much imagery to its 20th century film adaptation, the imagery of Dracula is inevitably influenced by the 1931 film starring Bela Lugosi. I have been told that Bela Lugosi really sent the women swooning with his European exoticism and "sexiness" when we appeared in Hamitlon Deane's Broadway adaptation of Stoker's novel. He was then tapped to star in the Universal film.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmwV-HQbgNQWhhdfqDRBlfIGW0qmoDRXwaZgm8-xp15PJ435Ako8HGpC5ExE43BZ7aTCQKcvCTlvV4Lhibd8u6BDtqd8thNlvjbd0Bqty3_8fgutP9li1lB7N0412LeR6GzJCyX3HvwpJe/s1600/dracula_1932.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmwV-HQbgNQWhhdfqDRBlfIGW0qmoDRXwaZgm8-xp15PJ435Ako8HGpC5ExE43BZ7aTCQKcvCTlvV4Lhibd8u6BDtqd8thNlvjbd0Bqty3_8fgutP9li1lB7N0412LeR6GzJCyX3HvwpJe/s1600/dracula_1932.jpg" /></a></div>
Lugosi's piercing stare and his histrionic movements were necessary to project on stage and they became indelible in the minds of people who watch the film. His tuxedo, his metal pendant, his widow's peak, everything about him became a part of what it meant to be Dracula. But what about the historical Dracula, Vlad the Impaler?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2InaZLA9BGnPl9BZHlxLBa3LkbDxyWs4DUbRAD7zVSn34UAbmJttgwScNdg9d6j85VYkwfVmwajrgqH71dICzDflFbBnPFDw_nHbYG0ppeH-axxQlhFv2wfCHBaXx2sT7BCcNE5sorY_7/s1600/my_two_draculas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2InaZLA9BGnPl9BZHlxLBa3LkbDxyWs4DUbRAD7zVSn34UAbmJttgwScNdg9d6j85VYkwfVmwajrgqH71dICzDflFbBnPFDw_nHbYG0ppeH-axxQlhFv2wfCHBaXx2sT7BCcNE5sorY_7/s1600/my_two_draculas.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My original Vlad drawing was stolen, I suspect by a US Postal employee</td></tr>
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It is generally thought that although Bram Stoker did not take the historical details of Vlad's life into account for his novel but that he did base his description of Count Dracula on the woodcut of Vlad in the pamphlet <i>Die geschicht dracole waide</i> (1488). If you look at comic books and dime novel adaptations of the adventures of Dracula, they tend to be modeled after Lugosi's Drac, but comics and the Francis Ford Coppola adaptation seem to favor the historical Vlad. I could have literally posted dozens of Dracula comic covers, but I did not feel that was necessary. For more <i>Tomb of Dracula</i> covers, check out <a href="http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/tomb-of-dracula">http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/tomb-of-dracula</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYVzuZSza0yZtAJ20HTColIIWx1p0NK6OoaTdsiNvjtT_zoM9VyX_4BO0N6iS0ptdkaHz4VWYA912F7kwIBNc5FO2bRRF1QsY8lWiF5lFC2Wamn8Gf5xq9T6BkK_GGg3d5mLwr9vMCRDpv/s1600/drac_3pack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYVzuZSza0yZtAJ20HTColIIWx1p0NK6OoaTdsiNvjtT_zoM9VyX_4BO0N6iS0ptdkaHz4VWYA912F7kwIBNc5FO2bRRF1QsY8lWiF5lFC2Wamn8Gf5xq9T6BkK_GGg3d5mLwr9vMCRDpv/s1600/drac_3pack.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drac looks good, even while battling Mr. T!</td></tr>
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Edward Gorey not only illustrated a book edition of Bram Stoker's <b>Dracula</b> but he also designed the sets for 1977 revival play adapted by Hamilton Deane. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVCq7a9W3G8PrgktNuwbDIO97CWg2YeYXtb1ddK_4CtPVLYNTuNRSI_haP2jIFlTivQXghrntS8gvp_DYWwq2zlFohoC2zNL696IjZO-9YroB3su5cdJQcImSdF2AvVc4si8BO_6rCbBmU/s1600/gorey_drac_cape.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVCq7a9W3G8PrgktNuwbDIO97CWg2YeYXtb1ddK_4CtPVLYNTuNRSI_haP2jIFlTivQXghrntS8gvp_DYWwq2zlFohoC2zNL696IjZO-9YroB3su5cdJQcImSdF2AvVc4si8BO_6rCbBmU/s1600/gorey_drac_cape.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loving the batwing cape.</td></tr>
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These photos are of the Edward Gorey Dracula toy set, bought for me by my pale-skinned, sun-averse girlfriend, Elizabeth. Come to think of it, she is of both Germanic and English descent, just like Dracula...Hmmm. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEist5pHi0kZgsG-ZF4mxdBFDRCMSqvv7FAUz2qXddHmlYGEQrd1WotuQg0e0VtG39idudxHnGNUP-ww6Ts2AVS3cWd6Ga-SZizk3ILyr26DUa5F869SNliwiSl9ubMBZ4LHmIj3k13zaQ1O/s1600/gorey_and_bat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEist5pHi0kZgsG-ZF4mxdBFDRCMSqvv7FAUz2qXddHmlYGEQrd1WotuQg0e0VtG39idudxHnGNUP-ww6Ts2AVS3cWd6Ga-SZizk3ILyr26DUa5F869SNliwiSl9ubMBZ4LHmIj3k13zaQ1O/s1600/gorey_and_bat.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I like Gorey's use of a swarthy mustache for Dracula</td></tr>
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Gorey's Dracula is wearing a tuxedo, he has the cape, and his hair seems to be combed with pomade, but keep in mind, his Dracula was meant for a play adaptation <i>based</i> on the novel. The 1931 film was based on <i>the play as well as the novel</i>. So, there is a level of adoption of previous texts as well as expectations from the audience. Again, I bring up the idea that the Universal monster movies are often more influential than the original textual sources when it comes to the popular imagination. I love all of Gorey's drawings, but I like his focus on the cape as batwings, which if you ever played Dracula as as kid, you know is exactly how it should be. Whether you have a $1.00 plastic cape or you are using a towel, you hide your face with your cape, <i>a la</i> Bela Lugosi, and then you transform into a bat with cape wings! Duh!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX2aZ8rwcEQqiCnvR-Mbp8X7Ptlk-WvrRNtK75Sxzim3J2p5Nr9UjdmHnQGgH4hYbODlv6vOWzEYKAi21cIGS41eRzUEgsdiwMc1K_6szb7iD6SbBy_WGsNxgBsMfuwnAl55Nqxr5cpROz/s1600/moser_drac.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX2aZ8rwcEQqiCnvR-Mbp8X7Ptlk-WvrRNtK75Sxzim3J2p5Nr9UjdmHnQGgH4hYbODlv6vOWzEYKAi21cIGS41eRzUEgsdiwMc1K_6szb7iD6SbBy_WGsNxgBsMfuwnAl55Nqxr5cpROz/s320/moser_drac.jpg" width="184" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Art by Barry Moser</td></tr>
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Just a couple of weeks ago, I happened to see Barry Moser's illustrations for stories by Edgar Allan Poe at "<a href="http://www.brandywinemuseum.org/calendar_events.html#picturingpoe">Picturing Poe</a>," a super cool book illustration exhibit at <a href="http://www.brandywinemuseum.org/index.html">The Brandywine River Museum</a>. I highly recommend it. Anyway, Moser is a woodcut artist, like Lynd Ward and Rockwell Kent. His high contrast, black and white artwork blend very stylized realism with old school art process and are reminiscent of black and white film if not the Universal movies themselves. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Xd_WJ_lRyqylcW_cOfD15JS14Gr5MkhWhN2n_7QqG1bPgiImlk02tA7oZkfCIEjOuAw5Rn6xzo4kWjAr5Pf1OgKhqAIudAbzFVc54LO4MO9UgbYVJFdUmu6NGF8X-FZSnqFoRh0dD98a/s1600/colan_dracula.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Xd_WJ_lRyqylcW_cOfD15JS14Gr5MkhWhN2n_7QqG1bPgiImlk02tA7oZkfCIEjOuAw5Rn6xzo4kWjAr5Pf1OgKhqAIudAbzFVc54LO4MO9UgbYVJFdUmu6NGF8X-FZSnqFoRh0dD98a/s320/colan_dracula.jpg" width="241" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can win this!</td></tr>
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Look at the image at the left. Pretty spooky, right? What is it about horror imagery and use of black and white? Was it the limitations of the printing press and black and white film? Or is it perhaps something super primal, like maybe humans used to see in black and white, like dogs, hundreds of thousands of years ago, and we subconsciously think of fight-or-flight fear imagery in terms of black and white? Is it some kind of shared collective memory of "fear"? Am I just pulling this out of my ass? Maybe.<br />
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The black and white imagery of Dracula found in book editions, the Universal films of 1931, comic book interiors, and the illustrations of Barry Moser really just provide me an excuse for writing up a post on one of literature's most enduring and imagination-exciting characters. Whether you think he is scary or cheezy, Dracula is here to stay, and you are bound to see a lot of him every October.<br />
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By now you may be asking <b><span style="color: #990000;">"So, what are you giving away, Pat?"</span></b> Well, I am glad you have read this far down on the page to find out! I picked up <b><i>The Curse of Dracula</i></b> for 50% off at my local comic shop (aptly named The Comic Crypt), and I am passing the savings on to my readers (and then some)! Just leave a comment for this post by clicking "Comments" and tell me what you see when you close your eyes and think of Dracula. Bela Lugosi? Gary Oldman? A cape and teeth? Be as specific or abstract as you like. One comment will be picked at random to receive this graphic novel written by Marv Wolfman (oh yeah!) and drawn by Gene Colan. Retail value equals $9.95 + whatever it costs for me to ship it.<br />
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<i style="background-color: #ffe599;"><b><u>RULES</u></b>: Only one comment per user will be considered. Readers trying to scam me by using multiple identities will be scorned and poked with a sharp stick. No staff members or family members of staff members of <b><span style="color: blue;">The Ink Puddle Art Blog</span></b> can qualify. You must leave contact info, DM me your contact info on <a href="https://twitter.com/inkpuddle">Twitter</a> email me at <a href="mailto:inkpuddle@hotmail.com">inkpuddle@hotmail.com</a> so I can notify the winner. Winner will be chosen and notified on October 12th, so I can mail it and it will get to you before Halloween. Good luck!</i>PMcChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270937779050257090noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2515630276490337636.post-85164103642609740552012-10-01T20:35:00.001-07:002012-10-01T20:35:56.139-07:00Baby Steps (Let's Get this Mini-Comic Started)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTlbIl2LVBoGI_okWFaANXsKLj9Owk74EnBkyJvH8r4pldabdh8m-GV1u1GfZKCC5b-nY-_qSYsSMAwn6iUgcsvA24klDYbUbj0rHQk3KkmGSUgevVrC7spj-ft3uH-S-gAUt5ZgVUgQ9O/s1600/los_bros.jpg-large" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTlbIl2LVBoGI_okWFaANXsKLj9Owk74EnBkyJvH8r4pldabdh8m-GV1u1GfZKCC5b-nY-_qSYsSMAwn6iUgcsvA24klDYbUbj0rHQk3KkmGSUgevVrC7spj-ft3uH-S-gAUt5ZgVUgQ9O/s320/los_bros.jpg-large" width="240" /></a></div>
A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of seeing Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez at The Free Library of Philadelphia. It was a great event. Los Bros Hernandez hadn't been to the Free Library since the early 90's and I had never seen or heard them speak before. They are legends in the comic world, and I wanted to hear what they had to say.<br />
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What I loved most was that they didn't actually say all too much, and they explained why. As they clicked through a power point presentation up on the projector screen, they talked about where they were in their careers, what had happened to them in real life, what was happening to the characters in <b><i>Love and Rockets</i></b>. They explained their journey, but they pretty much reject the idea of any in-depth critique or examination of their work. They are the first to admit that a lot of their work came from an idea of "I want to see these two characters together. I want to see what happens" (I am paraphrasing despite my use of quotation marks).
The trained literary critic inside me wanted to yell, "Bullshit! You must have had some message, some argument, some meaning in mind!" But to be honest, I myself often write and draw not knowing what will happen in the end. It is sometimes better to trust the dark side of the moon of your brain. Let your subconscious do some work instead.
Anyway, it was a pretty awesome presentation if only because the messages I took from it were "MAKE COMICS!" and "TELL STORIES!" and "FOCUS ON CHARACTERS!"<br />
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Afterwards, when Gilbert and Jaime were signing books, I specifically asked what kind of pencils, brushes, and inks they used. Jaime does not use a non-photo pencil or a brush, which surprised me. He is a nib man. And graphite --> ink. And both Hernandez Hermanos use Speedball brand Super Black ink.
So, I wanted to make a 2-3 page comics about what happened that night, what I remember, and what I walked away with. My comic art process in this post is the first step to making that mini-comic. It is kind of a dry run, kind of a preview, kind of practice just to keep sketching, keep inking, keep scanning as much as I can.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWBxYnYgIweY9HV7gAzVCx7KYhZtGJwyXis4SiNaTeGAwhtZJRFts3osRFc4ckX08JDI550uii-k-z2eTQ138O0GbHog3tvypscFiv7t_d6yaNqv2whB4HXEdv0EuF4QPBnCzlNuohqCqK/s1600/bros_event_pencils.jpg-large" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWBxYnYgIweY9HV7gAzVCx7KYhZtGJwyXis4SiNaTeGAwhtZJRFts3osRFc4ckX08JDI550uii-k-z2eTQ138O0GbHog3tvypscFiv7t_d6yaNqv2whB4HXEdv0EuF4QPBnCzlNuohqCqK/s400/bros_event_pencils.jpg-large" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">simple pencil sketch.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtIo828uJ6sXsp9pLM13MnRtoo6RuIwEdKgRW5v5AQeGFi3jpkEmstaGORbCBPfiaRYR11yjf79DuYukjLKbvrKF5Bt-DotWHcmgmLwCT77B7d6_nnZsXSnd8qrwcwF4ByVwzhJWQ9mGmh/s1600/bros_event_ink.jpg-large" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtIo828uJ6sXsp9pLM13MnRtoo6RuIwEdKgRW5v5AQeGFi3jpkEmstaGORbCBPfiaRYR11yjf79DuYukjLKbvrKF5Bt-DotWHcmgmLwCT77B7d6_nnZsXSnd8qrwcwF4ByVwzhJWQ9mGmh/s400/bros_event_ink.jpg-large" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Used a G nib and Speedball super black ink.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqoZgCU9UQZ1hONHMXYDCF9q7FQTNWJNYlzP5Nov7mLjH1t4LIrj6-Fxv4wvmA9FJn_ml42j8OTvrp3DXXUm3ZN2pWI8xXo-SbhO8d_P3wKz7dDEA1p9F6eI7xGJil7Mdu0lP4sXQPxIpq/s1600/bros_event_marker.jpg-large" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqoZgCU9UQZ1hONHMXYDCF9q7FQTNWJNYlzP5Nov7mLjH1t4LIrj6-Fxv4wvmA9FJn_ml42j8OTvrp3DXXUm3ZN2pWI8xXo-SbhO8d_P3wKz7dDEA1p9F6eI7xGJil7Mdu0lP4sXQPxIpq/s400/bros_event_marker.jpg-large" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Added some shading using cool grey Prismacolor markers.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic0GHqy86Vo3wfDFo-QCe_kSLloXtrO_OzG_6JZc-Empy4dNWjeRXar1YO35m2PxY6I_F-Mhby1e_VtYOKXEHV1sMPc_6UY9d_-VgtmlE8meQ-Hv6spbaqwWtVP7K2NRoxQ4OHODF3tFqx/s1600/baby_steps_color.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic0GHqy86Vo3wfDFo-QCe_kSLloXtrO_OzG_6JZc-Empy4dNWjeRXar1YO35m2PxY6I_F-Mhby1e_VtYOKXEHV1sMPc_6UY9d_-VgtmlE8meQ-Hv6spbaqwWtVP7K2NRoxQ4OHODF3tFqx/s1600/baby_steps_color.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colorized the grayscale image and added some halftone shading using Paint Shop Pro.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Vk5PtyyiC4NmZgTV4qwahSDPCC9NuB3wW0jrgn67C5zSTqZC5-9_KsKZCZaoXHvl3sIVHgMXa9gnorryD7YadIjchSC8zmXxjxSrtOtn162u-iFupmQJnXMm2XtzqkbvW9XebGYKdDhv/s1600/baby_steps_color_text.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Vk5PtyyiC4NmZgTV4qwahSDPCC9NuB3wW0jrgn67C5zSTqZC5-9_KsKZCZaoXHvl3sIVHgMXa9gnorryD7YadIjchSC8zmXxjxSrtOtn162u-iFupmQJnXMm2XtzqkbvW9XebGYKdDhv/s1600/baby_steps_color_text.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finally added some narrative text using a box as well as text directly into the image.</td></tr>
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So, I do plan on expanding this out to a 2-3 page comic, so stay tuned to watch my progress. Or don't.</div>
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<br />PMcChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270937779050257090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2515630276490337636.post-73363493424012092402012-10-01T12:34:00.001-07:002012-10-01T13:53:06.505-07:00Asbury Park Comic Convention 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://asburyparkcomicon.com/"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2t6UMnPFWYHGwZI7RPuzlcen1UFfubOGx2O13dZc7wYf3B1beOZtf2jRxh3mYY_zbsFeXieNyAHd9G6aYoHX1EqpJrY5LatvLtkakiz9FgU3XHEygAjLBogdU8jOvt58fTVbtEMF4DRiO/s1600/apcc2.jpg" /></a></div>
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<script src="http://storify.com/inkpuddle/asbury-park-comic-con.js"></script><noscript>[<a href="http://storify.com/inkpuddle/asbury-park-comic-con" target="_blank">View the story "Asbury Park Comic Con 2012" on Storify</a>]</noscript>
Can't wait for the next Asbury Park Comic Convention!PMcChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270937779050257090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2515630276490337636.post-34307075905276125222012-09-24T09:50:00.002-07:002012-09-24T15:47:54.992-07:00Picturing Poe: A Recommended ExhibitHello Ink Puddlers! I have not been as diligent in my postings of late, but I hope to change that very soon. My latest post is an outright recommendation for anyone in the Mid-Atlantic area to visit the <a href="http://www.brandywinemuseum.org/index.html">Brandywine River Museum</a>, especially before November 15 in order to see <i><b>"Picturing Poe: Illustrations for Edgar Allan Poe's Stories and Poems."</b></i> I thoroughly enjoyed this exhibition, brought to my attention by my awesome girlfriend. If you like Edgar Allan Poe, the macabre, or book illustration, you need to check this out. And while you are at the Brandywine, you can also see their wonderful collection of three generations of the Wyeth family of artists.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.brandywinemuseum.org/calendar_events.html#picturingpoe" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzZXjgcHsFgiD5aTBUjffHBb2VCayx79CQo-GdXyCXh13kP5DF6HdCUiEUfuR3RJjSMLup9PNBXkG6mM6JLljXmy8wC9sQO5iF5Cux6UGkgOPpPqyfmV9shVOuuTfwoczO-jiGy0GSPA6I/s1600/poe4.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on the image above to visit the Brandywine River Museum website</td></tr>
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What I loved about this exhibit is that it combines original works of well known artists who have contributed to book illustration history, such as Arthur Rackham, Aubrey Beardsley, and Edmund Dulac, with some surprising contributions by even more well-known fine artists such as Édouard Manet and Paul Gauguin. Throw in some abstract, comic book, and digital art into the mix, and you've got yourself an awesome little exhibit just in time for Halloween.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKG76GUz-obl3i4p9GRl7wkA8kmjaEBvMEv6Pd38XpDEivEbB1CbKUVL64GzigtBvX_SkVPhmVYYuF5f6wOrprX1Brpukr6NWNIgVkwaiiuECT8JueibT6AGNqQViTW-aUPWC8eXiiDsqd/s1600/raven1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKG76GUz-obl3i4p9GRl7wkA8kmjaEBvMEv6Pd38XpDEivEbB1CbKUVL64GzigtBvX_SkVPhmVYYuF5f6wOrprX1Brpukr6NWNIgVkwaiiuECT8JueibT6AGNqQViTW-aUPWC8eXiiDsqd/s400/raven1.jpg" width="272" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An engraving for "The Raven" based on a work by Gustave Doré</td></tr>
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One of my favorite works to view were the original ink wash compositions by famed book illustrator Gustave Doré. You can see his layers of pencil and ink, and even some corrections and missteps in his wonderful gray tone ink works. If you get a chance to look at his illustrations as printed, you can see how engravers would copy near perfectly the image and yet add fascinating detail and clarity to the work for it to be printed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS71DJWk7hJ-kMpHHSCjywBLRw0nBgMjLLVWVmirkUhUdUCFbSWoAb0CFxcKge5psl3rBnHI64nM3qAC08QiXqN4lapbWvDflwSmVCaFsTb7ZMDQmeQCaK3vZpzOG2-vsMqOTEFbjpiBlb/s1600/raven3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS71DJWk7hJ-kMpHHSCjywBLRw0nBgMjLLVWVmirkUhUdUCFbSWoAb0CFxcKge5psl3rBnHI64nM3qAC08QiXqN4lapbWvDflwSmVCaFsTb7ZMDQmeQCaK3vZpzOG2-vsMqOTEFbjpiBlb/s400/raven3.jpg" width="258" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An Édouard Manet lithograph for <i>Le Corbeau</i></td></tr>
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You can also view Manet's contribution to modern book illustration with his lithographs for <b><i>Le Corbeau, The Raven (1875)</i></b>. In fact, you can view many works by prominent European artists and illustrators who were entranced by Poe's works.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw8IFXnVNtFAy4dVmo9WoyMTthYg0JtvwIsE04a_854LP2z0Htkjo7mGGGG3xxak7xdx-fdu6zfDzro3_Nkeu_lod2GYKYwGMOQ23EUIQ6hbujgZ4dJRXvRfAIQoDLN62jw0X4HH6gHa5W/s1600/rackham.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw8IFXnVNtFAy4dVmo9WoyMTthYg0JtvwIsE04a_854LP2z0Htkjo7mGGGG3xxak7xdx-fdu6zfDzro3_Nkeu_lod2GYKYwGMOQ23EUIQ6hbujgZ4dJRXvRfAIQoDLN62jw0X4HH6gHa5W/s400/rackham.png" width="280" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An Arthur Rackham illustration for Poe's <i>Tales of Mystery and Imagination</i> </td></tr>
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And I know my girlfriend would agree that you can view multiple illustrations for the same work, sometimes even the same exact scene in one of Poe's stories, and you are not bored. I think it is fascinating to see several artists' take on the narrative, mood, and visual imagery of a particular scene. This exhibit gets high marks from me, and I encourage anyone interested in book illustration or Edgar Allan Poe to see it.<br />
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<a href="http://www.brandywinemuseum.org/index.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYAWnhxTzgfqs6BgDNOZhX6AiDwVZZK26dAuZhKheom0pWseUajnBACi_wnmUWbxYV8qKVpBx7gO-0gzId_35Hvn9iBqAd1EhXlEHITE3FVcTqBiexJhdFNw40S2m42NJqUO9feKuqWWPU/s1600/brandywine.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />PMcChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270937779050257090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2515630276490337636.post-11399132445668926312012-09-04T20:53:00.000-07:002012-09-04T20:53:59.337-07:00Continuing a ProjectSo, I couldn't shake my "Monster Farm" idea, which I have since re-named, but I will save that for another post. It also struck me, after visiting the Delaware Art Museum, that studies made for larger more detailed projects (sometimes in a different medium) can be important as stand-alone sketches as well as preliminary steps to a larger project.<br />
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So, I started off with my monster sketch. I liked how this came out. I made this sketch from a broader more abstract idea, but I thought about adapting a pre-existing photo as a second sketch.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYBynASn8ocWYeO6xEt8YRGUxtQgxOSPwTKd8faMmAZ69aHfwBz2vMfMK6BSqB7L1CEOjfUL6450fFQUHw2tp7jpZR8yLqkuA2jVu3y79d4VAPgRqu4OT7pLdbAdKXt3O3flX5o0_3OI0x/s1600/monster_photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYBynASn8ocWYeO6xEt8YRGUxtQgxOSPwTKd8faMmAZ69aHfwBz2vMfMK6BSqB7L1CEOjfUL6450fFQUHw2tp7jpZR8yLqkuA2jVu3y79d4VAPgRqu4OT7pLdbAdKXt3O3flX5o0_3OI0x/s400/monster_photo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Then I moved on to this. I am a sucker for going to a bookstore and getting a book that costs too much money on the whim I could use it for an art project. So, I picked up a book on the photography of Dorothea Lange, who I also mentioned in a previous post. I knew I wanted to adapt this photo in some way.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2HUd-Z9ZzbC0kAE3BQfVw3qLl0SVHTPgeEoJMR4wWjH0qd6kZ0QrN0ldJJxLZ9oaYbGB-owwhg3tkPm6v0deql4ENq3d-ZOJX5-0YBqwaglTBPEd3L11mTVBso2-8AjwpQdz7ziKVJiK8/s1600/migrant_mother.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2HUd-Z9ZzbC0kAE3BQfVw3qLl0SVHTPgeEoJMR4wWjH0qd6kZ0QrN0ldJJxLZ9oaYbGB-owwhg3tkPm6v0deql4ENq3d-ZOJX5-0YBqwaglTBPEd3L11mTVBso2-8AjwpQdz7ziKVJiK8/s320/migrant_mother.jpg" width="246" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Migrant Mother</td></tr>
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Here is what I took from it. I did a quick reference sketch of it to get some of the proportions and make a list of things that I wanted to bring over into my version of the image, namely a look of desperation, averted eyes, the act of a worried almost pulling of the face. I wanted to make it "monstrous" in some way, so I started making the woman into a spider-like creature.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioPV7Zj_aTTrxixotX7ptzQh7Dnc44VZlnZpvZfmsjKvIB7SzEqR8Hu_qOw6beZ3F3UWU3MBKsNaUawig3x5tZRPaNr8AsBk4zIV75kC2Si49_85K8V2oexXp4MSnKMXb6_zwiYShWrrB8/s1600/monster_part2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioPV7Zj_aTTrxixotX7ptzQh7Dnc44VZlnZpvZfmsjKvIB7SzEqR8Hu_qOw6beZ3F3UWU3MBKsNaUawig3x5tZRPaNr8AsBk4zIV75kC2Si49_85K8V2oexXp4MSnKMXb6_zwiYShWrrB8/s400/monster_part2.jpg" width="357" /></a></div>
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I even started drawing the actual drawing on watercolor paper.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_OCP2YaJeR1w3J_CzL36m7ldqxkwOgJq4lYkO9skGO55hvMZFgrbYio8y2pn9HDN0X2nEHnWfxlXlbnWbktH682l99X_g98tpslBBLYGUXvMGxDb5-Xw85YJbp469nO7ecxsr75Tv7qH8/s1600/spider_part2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_OCP2YaJeR1w3J_CzL36m7ldqxkwOgJq4lYkO9skGO55hvMZFgrbYio8y2pn9HDN0X2nEHnWfxlXlbnWbktH682l99X_g98tpslBBLYGUXvMGxDb5-Xw85YJbp469nO7ecxsr75Tv7qH8/s400/spider_part2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The problem was, I did not like where this was going. I wasn't feeling the spider-woman skin texture, and I was unclear as to what I was going for with the hair. So, I figured, let me do another sketch, this time even quicker, but with black brush pen. There is something about the finality and permanence of black ink that changed the dynamic of doing a sketch. Oddly, it does not make me hesitant because it is permanent, in fact, it almost makes me more bold to get things down in black and white. Here is what I came up with.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq3xmTAtphEG49Uo7fwliuZ3gt7pCc-ndlNwBecsVUvpGwPGqp4aDe7UwbzAMT6bynrcw1S3CYNofJKd1Bx5tE2o_4oO_rVITfplXAlxPa9fZiOrqljRt1yH19BvJwxLok99sx3sLAXlTj/s1600/furry_monster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq3xmTAtphEG49Uo7fwliuZ3gt7pCc-ndlNwBecsVUvpGwPGqp4aDe7UwbzAMT6bynrcw1S3CYNofJKd1Bx5tE2o_4oO_rVITfplXAlxPa9fZiOrqljRt1yH19BvJwxLok99sx3sLAXlTj/s320/furry_monster.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Went for similar proportions and composition, but I went furry instead of arachnid, which I think matched up with my first Monster Farm sketch also. So, then I basically started over, this time with pencils on watercolor paper.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTlCFAkJ4J0Gi42RXQ5Fo7NTpwU0KaMTbGElNcwOZRdGRAf27grEr_shnAPtqbp0IaSHR5Osxr7rvwi5u3isMW-0Uf9o-36OyxzwhymIzIRTjNQ5FN9w-g3vViYUXmegM7RHujSkYhyPG/s1600/monster_pencils.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTlCFAkJ4J0Gi42RXQ5Fo7NTpwU0KaMTbGElNcwOZRdGRAf27grEr_shnAPtqbp0IaSHR5Osxr7rvwi5u3isMW-0Uf9o-36OyxzwhymIzIRTjNQ5FN9w-g3vViYUXmegM7RHujSkYhyPG/s400/monster_pencils.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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And here a B&W and Sepia tone dual shot like my first monster sketch.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgra6Cl5w6_9R8zP-9LG-tSB1A_ZfcqDkJDBHDYvt8Q-QVY27BCYWfs0zYQN20KH0HhVNjjzAOKSGZAlS-ao2MM2UFdVamo9vRaZysK6fTOPKXqmtbNIR7MtsYe3vUrdluyspu1aoZZ4HCf/s1600/monster_sepia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgra6Cl5w6_9R8zP-9LG-tSB1A_ZfcqDkJDBHDYvt8Q-QVY27BCYWfs0zYQN20KH0HhVNjjzAOKSGZAlS-ao2MM2UFdVamo9vRaZysK6fTOPKXqmtbNIR7MtsYe3vUrdluyspu1aoZZ4HCf/s1600/monster_sepia.jpg" /></a></div>
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Not exactly sure where this project is going, but I could expanding it, redoing the sketches I have already done and working on bigger paper.PMcChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270937779050257090noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2515630276490337636.post-14444440119986969262012-08-27T19:58:00.002-07:002012-08-27T20:12:53.067-07:00Megan Piontkowski: Illustrator and Artist (An Interview)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWLc_XeqI6mA6UEih_28rrvGpPfzio3KWDqO_Se9nQJKGWAilwOPv4R1H8XGlIUmOA8BUyiDpAphiLbteuKaF7g_Q2L0ZqZ2u9bgSBM4qKa2ql63Rg4r24T515jqNvwoS4JY-LwV311Z7i/s1600/interview_feature.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWLc_XeqI6mA6UEih_28rrvGpPfzio3KWDqO_Se9nQJKGWAilwOPv4R1H8XGlIUmOA8BUyiDpAphiLbteuKaF7g_Q2L0ZqZ2u9bgSBM4qKa2ql63Rg4r24T515jqNvwoS4JY-LwV311Z7i/s1600/interview_feature.jpg" /></a></div>
<i><span style="color: blue;">Wow, the publishing of this interview is waaaaay overdue. Megan Piontkowski is a very talented artist and illustrator from Brooklyn whom I first discovered on Twitter (<a href="https://twitter.com/UntamedEyebrows">@UntamedEyebrows</a>) and actually met in person in Philly at her Liberal Tea Party. </span></i><br />
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<b>Ink Puddle</b>: Megan, before I even ask you to introduce yourself, I want to thank you for the package of goodies you sent me. I thought I was buying just a copy of your latest book, but instead I got an awesome combo-pack of illustrated items. And you recently tweeted that the book would be carried by <a href="http://www.desertislandbrooklyn.com/">Desert Island</a> book shop in Brooklyn. Tell me all about <i>Tiny Underdog City: An Uncomprehensive Guide</i>.<br />
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<a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/100115818/tiny-underdog-city-an-uncomprehensive"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIbpE_WZEZO_KpLBAAU2O8LnRpkNlz-2aJsJI7SOqgzfhGFNAXMDtuaXJspmZmVJz1DK4d0uDh3rdSrLfeoXiRc_6CtML5s_-0HQNGGshk6CTWBI8wqXrp7EJ-NXzBDzRhah08AAPRhxpZ/s1600/tiny_underdog_city.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>Megan Piontkowski</b>: The idea for <i>Tiny Underdog City</i> came to me in graduate school. I had, and continue to have, ambivalent feelings about being on the outside of the art world looking in. The project was an exploration using humor and satire of my feelings about marginalization and outsiderness. The Museum of Undiscovered Artists with its permanent collection "Art You Can't See By Artists You Don't Know" is a good example of this. <br />
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This project was a series of watercolors of places in Tiny Underdog City and two large scale maps (Of the City and of Tiny Underdog Land). A few years later when thinking of a project to work on at an artist's residency I conceived of the guide book to Tiny Underdog City. The Guide is a mixture of references to earlier art work (like my installation entitled Plants) and allusions to my personal life (ie. Rex Bed and Breakfast, Hannah Miller Library, and "India, An Earthwork"), and just some things I like (bagpipes, Edward Gorey). I recently heard the author Haruki Murakami paraphrased as saying "You know how you can make your novel better? Put everything you like in it." I will take "novel" to mean any kind of artwork and blissfully agree.<br />
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<b>Ink</b>: I like that idea. If I did not buy <i>Black Sheep Storm </i>(your previous book), I might not have noticed the ongoing homage to Edward Gorey in your work. I am a fan myself, and enjoy your references. How does Gorey influence your work, and maybe what are some other artists you admire?<br />
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<a href="http://www.lulu.com/shop/megan-piontkowski/black-sheep-storm/paperback/product-3997709.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEbY9dJK7YnjyIAwBF0Sob-xlqlog22pvbM9Z08dDKGM9r1GfG7eDeFWkBP6POzSpvlKrkK7zEEgVj6OkmVlYIQ2kmGhyphenhyphenuuil67WYzl-QM2Uo-WhUxe_9tJtKaY4Gw6E5PIZmSou0zFyyl/s1600/black_sheep.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>Megan</b>: I have loved Edward Gorey's work for some time. It's his dry humor and absurdness that I am drawn to. Other illustrators and artists I admire are (in no particular order): Louise Bourgeios, Lee Bontique, Shaun Tan, Maira Kalman, Christoph Niemann, Josheph Cornell and the power couple Matthew Barney and Bjork.<br />
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<a href="http://meganpiontkowski.com/?p=322"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq0SpDjrE7l99Hnjrmli413UdE-h-6cntLTdIdelrqE3QaGy4hn8nRM8zC9fAP089sdepH35BKCdLAEIDrsbPiDolGyFPkAhYjUEibWIioeWvP5Gw32jKVEebuAB-kRJZEknI0WerjN85t/s1600/underdog.jpg" /></a></div>
<b>Ink</b>: Awesome. I just picked up Shaun Tan's <i>Tales from Outer Suburbia</i> myself. Getting back to your "outsider" motif, it definitely comes through, and I think it really works, sometimes in hilarious ways. I am thinking of the fact that Tiny Underdog City is made up entirely of "outer reaches" as well as the Museum you mention. It would be easy for an outsider, who works hard and yet seemingly remains on the outside to come across as being bitter or cynical, but I laughed out loud reading your book. It has its irony, but it is fun, and whimsical you might say.<br />
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<b>Megan</b>: I am glad you enjoy the humor of <i>Tiny Underdog City</i>, that is the tone I am going for with that project.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://meganpiontkowski-illustration.com/vegetarianism/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxUrG5A4Fpb3l6ldzGHd61laU_FGMejIHtcC6xZXJ-qnRRUbyWEE2iH7wpjksfuMZRHSyP_wKjXkyo5P5AUYU6yIxkn9AipnSEExVVVPPYNBBVW9keFZ_GHXTe-MxvUdE5n_suMbWVu3t8/s1600/vegetarian.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More multi-media humor from Megan's <a href="http://meganpiontkowski-illustration.com/vegetarianism/">"Under the Radar Weekly"</a></td></tr>
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<b>Ink</b>: Another thing I noticed in your work was a connection to fabric. I really loved your use of the book cloth image for the cover of Underdog City, but then I looked at your embroideries and your plants (which are awesome!), and your tent installation. Tell me about your connection to cloth and fabric and its relationship to "texts."<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://meganpiontkowski.com/?p=43" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4YUUcRX9l9pWxQ0CqHuguppK46GYkgMaAuN40NKzWoTbicEmdDKTQOFYunE2aAMTUXCPXBCKTVJMj_kXkI1RsIr6tuVXLuBUqY_jBR9c2BvwIKUuuaxyC9S7lTRL-sX9N-i2qXDxz0XbB/s1600/large_jade.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See more of Megan's <a href="http://meganpiontkowski.com/?p=43">plants</a></td></tr>
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<b>Megan</b>: I don't feel that there is necessarily any connection in my work between text and fabric. I thought of the piece Embroidered Outliers after making an embroidered pillow with a bit of funny text from an email a friend sent me. I then wanted to make more embroidered pieces of text on fabric. Having lots of pillows seemed too gimmicky to me, so I decided to embroider the text on pieces of raw cut fabric.<br />
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<a href="http://meganpiontkowski.com/?p=154"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8rsaC7ZLSSGTwLCNAZ_54iFqiomW8IywC7JriQ-CZEjNEs5C2tbQJOjEQ2gLNpHGFuC5fnPv_ffrJIF1LiI26ShG8IeHuHr5cAtaXvFFDaKy6sO6ZZg7K6ulb12cjMjNKeVpLCbbKjJ31/s1600/cloth.jpg" /></a></div>
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My illustration, my sculptural work and my books bring together everything I always liked making, even things that I didn't always think of as art or as stemming from an art practice. I made my first book (of drawings on note paper) when I was three, and as a kid I always liked to draw and paint as well as make crafty things. And I have liked making one person sized tent-like structures for years. I kept sketchbooks since I was in grammar school through college, and then stopped during graduate school. I realize that I was separating "art" from "craft" and "illustration". I now believe that this separation is arbitrary and unhelpful - it makes one a better artist when one is more open to different ways of creating and combining art, illustration, craft and design.<br />
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<a href="http://meganpiontkowski.com/?p=322" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDybjk_f3cydXA1webu49e4YjN9n81dLDCTR6mOpB6o4EtIEAjiehZQUIoHGf_7z6mM84aMUOblyf_EfdVJjtMf2N7WTNS1RnY5nlpR_qS0EBQxYA2CsaIkSWwHmZcQmHUznOSwNp-Ykve/s1600/library.jpg" /></a></div>
<b>Ink</b>: I agree. I think artists' having Twitter accounts side by side with Etsy accounts as well as more traditional portfolio websites shows that you are not alone. But getting back to this idea about "being an outsider," you and I met via Twitter, and I can't tell you how many very talented people on Twitter just keep plodding away trying to break in to the art world.<br />
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For me, there are conflicting feelings, like "wow, this person's art is way better than mine and they are not famous yet?!" but then also there is definitely inspiration like "I am going to step-up my game." You have taken the steps of graduate school, artist residency, making art on a consistent basis and posting it online, making at least two books. So, what do you consider an intermediate and ultimate goal for youself as an artist? And do you think there is a risk you would lose something by leaving the margin you inhabit now for the center stage?<br />
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<b>Megan: </b>As for the possibility of losing my edge after breaking into the art or illustration worlds, there is no immediate prospect of me becoming an "insider" in the near future, so it's not something I am going to worry about. And as for what being an insider would mean, I suppose gallery representation could make an artist an insider, and having work regularly published in certain publications could make one an illustration insider. But the further an artist moves along in their career, there are always more and places to be an insider and to be outside of. <br />
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As for intermediate goals, I would like to have my sculpture and installation work shown more widely. I would like to have more illustrations published. (Wouldn't we all?) So in both cases, the intermediate goal is to expand my audience. <br />
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<a href="http://meganpiontkowski.com/?p=274"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaRAMRVMpxzkvNZTKTxPOS0B7SllhgM7gHZxXZIRm7yvqP6FobWgx-lPcNTzOrD3lIp9DY68eCTbBWDK9rGLsxuTOcxbn2l-GyAANP1P7AzbRam3J78HXdIb6dJnJjb82oLyVQwFa_Qks5/s1600/tent.jpg" /></a></div>
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Long term, I would like to teach on the college level and illustrate. I would like gallery representation only if I have enough clout and autonomy to pretty much do what I want artistically. And I would want to have an artist's book published by an actual publishing house.<br />
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<b>Ink</b>: Well, I will look forward to buying that future book as well. And thank you again for the interview. We might just have to do this again, because I have plenty more questions and things to discuss!<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Want to learn more about Megan Piontkowski and her art? Be sure to follow all the links below.</span><br />
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Her Website: <a href="http://meganpiontkowski.com/">http://meganpiontkowski.com</a><br />
More Website: <a href="http://meganpiontkowski-illustration.com/">http://meganpiontkowski-illustration.com/</a><br />
On Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/UntamedEyebrows">https://twitter.com/UntamedEyebrows</a><br />
On Etsy: <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/Piontkowski">http://www.etsy.com/shop/Piontkowski</a><br />
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<br />PMcChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270937779050257090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2515630276490337636.post-23856778351396598772012-08-23T18:54:00.000-07:002012-08-23T18:54:31.127-07:00Sketches vs. Book Ideas vs. The Web and Intellectual PropertyI can't help but think of artistic projects in terms of larger, sweeping projects that encompass books or multimedia elements, and thus requiring a web presence. All I need is a crazy idea in my head and a couple thumbnail sketches, and I am racing to a domain name register website to see if there is an address available for that project (also a Twitter handle). Electronic distribution is kind of inevitable at this point and electronic and social media advertisement and promotion have already become necessities, but I admit that I am too quick to see a project as a large enterprise instead of diligently focusing on a sketch as simply that, a sketch.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYihjJQvNhN9DPduxkzCV5MSWxucQW1vfobF_2_fBUQbs_qBJOGUNVFba88cdKNcrfzeIIjfDIoUXK9phowZcWTgTA12dYR6I1_lwyaJ-uFHe3U0ALJga1VLzUi1RKxXSaoGbrKkbgVnxE/s1600/monster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYihjJQvNhN9DPduxkzCV5MSWxucQW1vfobF_2_fBUQbs_qBJOGUNVFba88cdKNcrfzeIIjfDIoUXK9phowZcWTgTA12dYR6I1_lwyaJ-uFHe3U0ALJga1VLzUi1RKxXSaoGbrKkbgVnxE/s1600/monster.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First draft, pencil on watercolor paper.</td></tr>
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Take my sketch example. I tweeted a draft last night (above). The idea in my head was a monster of sorts wearing overalls, kind of like a farmer. Thus, I thought <b><span style="color: #274e13;">MONSTER FARM</span></b>. What is it? Maybe a farm, tucked away in big state like Kansas (hmmm, think also of Wizard of Oz) where monsters get relocated so they can be safe from humans and live out a tranquil existence? I don't know, but I liked the idea, so I sketched it. To bad the domain monsterfarm.com is already taken.<br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><b>Where did this idea come from? And where is it going?</b></i></span></div>
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The idea for this sketch, the pose of the subject and the use of pencils is definitely influenced by works like Grant Wood's <b style="font-style: italic;">American Gothic </b>(1930). I like the kind of blank stare straight ahead, which makes me think of the subject not understanding or appreciating the artistic endeavor or perhaps thinking of much more important things (like bringing in the crops and surviving).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/6565" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0MH3Ea2_PvGQSNiKSYdsBU1T5Vt64FHwodQ4qG0XysBdcEN_GKMmb4n_bDFJFsKL_0gfW5IuJQYgofu_XBwlnFZ3M5w6g9x59aveT48bvn1craAl54a44VqltMLRXbekgOU7w_NIgiica/s1600/gothic.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the <a href="http://www.artic.edu/">Art Institute of Chicago</a></td></tr>
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But also the black and white photography of Dorothea Lange. Again, in the Dust Bowl, there is photography that shows people surviving.<br />
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<a href="http://amzn.to/OXU7L8"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwAX2BCxzxn-kWJqYJDO2u-8r00-UpyQFyIBkY6OfPL534zhyWXSFATs_l7G6R_5KdOxRfhx7lvcLOUOMDI0TeQ0E06wYxgD6VRFH83-uAjWLHK0yf7MvBx8rIjOf3WgcwnluN6Be29PcA/s1600/lange.jpg" /></a></div>
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As well as the interesting Victorian Era photograph monster art of <a href="http://www.travislouie.com/">Travis Louie</a>, which is pretty brilliant stuff. So, again, it's like black and white or sepia toned photography, a period piece, and the integration of monsters.<br />
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<a href="http://www.travislouie.com/"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxPx2uUpULQVH_WSphEebBPnEsWAzB_xUDjhAHaQ3lylU4Q9B7nPPMHJyVExBKWTpZyAzo4_PDFoYcTGgLv1K-3QSQFSE3XtJEFZkoIS1h5x08exUqviBOoo8rP6XuwkhtUmCjdSKU25cm/s1600/louie.jpg" /></a></div>
So, although I would love to buckle down and do a series of "Monster Farm" images, at the same time I have a harder time getting behind such a focus if I do not have a larger project in mind or at my disposal. Is it too derivative of others' work? Should I care? Do I want to do a series of sketches to do as prints or just for my own amusement?<br />
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So, I am looking for some input. Am I too caught up in making even just a minor sketch into a marketable product for the web? Is this idea worth following up with? Or should I not care about web presence and marketing and focus on making good, finished sketches?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYBynASn8ocWYeO6xEt8YRGUxtQgxOSPwTKd8faMmAZ69aHfwBz2vMfMK6BSqB7L1CEOjfUL6450fFQUHw2tp7jpZR8yLqkuA2jVu3y79d4VAPgRqu4OT7pLdbAdKXt3O3flX5o0_3OI0x/s1600/monster_photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYBynASn8ocWYeO6xEt8YRGUxtQgxOSPwTKd8faMmAZ69aHfwBz2vMfMK6BSqB7L1CEOjfUL6450fFQUHw2tp7jpZR8yLqkuA2jVu3y79d4VAPgRqu4OT7pLdbAdKXt3O3flX5o0_3OI0x/s1600/monster_photo.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Most recent scanned version in grayscale and sepia.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7iMYZK5v6jpe9p6IuWM0FXImP1ynMH9MSfs-q6xLDYdpUQu5R9RRrFojAmmRqTPwsIPQN-mbv90JFTMJ4cQdGVWeMN9Na-ipqD2ESNUJBqDvqDUpCO7BLP0Mcrr4sAHC7GgLkA29ZnRWS/s1600/monster_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7iMYZK5v6jpe9p6IuWM0FXImP1ynMH9MSfs-q6xLDYdpUQu5R9RRrFojAmmRqTPwsIPQN-mbv90JFTMJ4cQdGVWeMN9Na-ipqD2ESNUJBqDvqDUpCO7BLP0Mcrr4sAHC7GgLkA29ZnRWS/s640/monster_large.jpg" width="419" /></a></div>
<br />PMcChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270937779050257090noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2515630276490337636.post-41871781131789799442012-08-22T17:35:00.000-07:002012-08-22T17:35:04.246-07:00Re-Posted: An Interview with Yao Xiao<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPK9EIsipVLfsqFqO7LrSON3GyLA5Vimn40r0-Zhdn2U4QhYQffE5lX_NT74xQ8rxfnsDPx18Q9LAC2yhbPblmUJFmewOFzPZ7NtOwS_oWgAxTiiBfgGN4eYHFHR3gfa1wTipvkSsIKIvj/s1600/interview_feature.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPK9EIsipVLfsqFqO7LrSON3GyLA5Vimn40r0-Zhdn2U4QhYQffE5lX_NT74xQ8rxfnsDPx18Q9LAC2yhbPblmUJFmewOFzPZ7NtOwS_oWgAxTiiBfgGN4eYHFHR3gfa1wTipvkSsIKIvj/s1600/interview_feature.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;"><i>Does this post look familiar to you? It should. It has been posted here before. I want to get back on track with posting to Ink Puddle, and I have a second interview with another illustrator residing in the Empire State, so I figured I would run this interview again. Enjoy, and stay tuned for more, and more frequently published posts.</i></span><br />
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<b>Ink Puddle</b>: Yao, thanks for being on <i>Ink Puddle</i>. I have read some of your bio from an interview online, but could you introduce yourself and maybe say a few things about who you are, what you are doing now, and where you are going.<br />
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<b>Yao Xiao</b>: Hi! I am Yao. I'm an artist in New York who draws pictures and comics, and sketches live. Right now my art centers around capturing city nightlife, performances and scatters of erotic fantasy. I am an illustrator for a few fiction journals in China, and I am a caricature/sketch artist for underground parties in Brooklyn and other private parties. I am originally from China-this is my fifth year in the States. Currently I am going onto my third year at the School of Visual Arts as an illustration major. I'd like to keep experimenting with what I'm doing right now and see where my art wants to take me.<br />
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<b>Ink</b>: Well, it looks like your art currently takes you to a lot of events. You have a number of wedding sketches posted on your <a href="http://yaoxiaoart.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a> site, and they are great. With people dancing around, having a good time, you seem to capture a moment like a snapshot. They seem like spontaneous sketches, and yet, they have great composition to them. Great use of black and white space. When I am drawing anything, I tend to do small thumbnail sketches first, and then re-do them larger and change them a bit. Do you do any kind of pre-sketching? Or do you just start drawing? What is your process like when doing these sketches? Do you wait around for the "right moment" to present itself or do you keep sketching all the time and pick out the best ones? And about how many sketches would you say you do at an event like a wedding?<br />
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<a href="http://www.inkpuddle.com/pics/yao1.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="lightbox[Sketches]" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="yaoxiaoart.com"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTKzuftGJPA_b5YwX796AQ81enHm5kbH941gBFdfvch5rirYASzkGWnKQQrM87h_tD_3xH6tcd9fiz9MxCzaL-YE7HqJRzpGRMXWmDm867Mn1iHBZmcUSvAhlhIQOnAGLGu4Y8_mZ9UJ0P/s1600/yao_sketches1.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.inkpuddle.com/pics/yao2.jpg" rel="lightbox[Sketches]" title="yaoxiaoart.com"></a><a href="http://www.inkpuddle.com/pics/yao3.jpg" rel="lightbox[Sketches]" title="yaoxiaoart.com"></a></div>
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<b>Yao</b>: I just start drawing. It happens very quickly when I sketch these, so a lot of the times it is an intuitive process. To describe it, I guess I usually start with the most interesting curve, or the key of a movement, and start from there. For landscapes and buildings I like to start from the farthest shapes in the background. I start with a single curve/person/shape and then add things around it. As for the "right moment," I do tend to watch and wait around for an interesting "shot," then I start from that moment and add other things/people as I sketch. At an event like a wedding which lasts for 6-8 hours, I can make about 36-40 drawings. Sketching at events is my favorite, especially when there's good drinks and music.<br />
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<b>Ink</b>: That sounds like a very busy yet very fun day. And speaking of fun, a lot of your "from life" gesture sketches come from <a href="http://www.drsketchy.com/">Dr. Sketchy</a> sessions. We have Dr. Sketchy here in Philadelphia as well, but for people who don't know what it is, describe a Dr. Sketchy session for me. How helpful are these sessions for developing your art and for meeting other artists?<br />
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<a href="http://www.inkpuddle.com/pics/yao4.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="lightbox[Sketchy]" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="yaoxiaoart.com"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAp3_gWWN8I_NQb9Tlcds93YUOLAdPmOLqJ7L67xQsybV62JSUmzTBWo0Wq6ToAMcnVZT8eXIUKQUo0wFMQgXF1Cg_jc56qrWVH5ALEM8xNf8QXqw81D0k65lnqaNuHHZ9AeHl0JRAlzD7/s1600/yao_sketches2.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.inkpuddle.com/pics/yao5.jpg" rel="lightbox[Sketchy]" title="yaoxiaoart.com"></a></div>
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<b>Yao</b>: I found Dr. Sketchy's when I first arrive in New York City. I think coming to Sketchy's was the best decision I've made. Dr. Sketchy's is a life drawing session mixed with cabaret and drinking, founded by New York artist <a href="http://mollycrabapple.tumblr.com/">Molly Crabapple</a> (<a href="http://twitter.com/#!/mollycrabapple">@mollycrabapple</a>) A typical Dr.Sketchy's session include one or more models posing in costumes which fit the theme of the day. The session starts with short one-minute poses and moves onto 5 minutes, 10 minutes and eventually 20 minutes poses. The fun part is the drinking and the contests...there is always a left-handed drawing contest, and the other two are related to the theme. I like Dr. Sketchy's as a place to practice drawing because it is a good mix of art and comedy, drinking and burlesque performance, and the audience is often a fun crowd to meet. I always get good drawings out of it. The atmosphere is way more energetic than a generic life drawing session and something unusual might spark in one's creative mind.<br />
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<b>Ink</b>: It certainly looks like a good time to me. Since I am fan of comics and comic books, I can't resist asking you about them. First, I love the fact that you do short comics, sometimes just 4 panels, to illustrate a single thought or a dream or just one experience. Do you read comics now or in the past? Any favorites? Do you feel that drawing comic style art as a balance to the "from life" sketching you do? On a daily basis what art form do you do the most: from life sketching, illustration, cartooning? And which do you enjoy the most? Also, some of your life sketches have a storyboard/comic/graphic novel feel to them with your use of panels. That is not a question, just an observation. And as far as <i><b>Dingleberries!</b></i> goes, is Coco-Tatas your superhero alter-ego? Do you truly have magical cleavage?<br />
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<b>Yao</b>: I'm glad you asked me about the comics! I've always been in love with comics since I was young--I read a lot of Japanese manga, and wanted to be a manga-ka (comic artist) when I was 12. I didn't grow up with American comics, so I still have a lot to catch up to. My most recent favorites--I just finished reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Parasyte-1-Hitoshi-Iwaaki/dp/0345496248?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Parasyte</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0345496248" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> by Hitoshi Iwaaki, and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Transmetropolitan-Vol-01-Back-Street/dp/1401220843?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Transmetropolitan</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1401220843" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> by Warren Ellis (<a href="http://twitter.com/#!/WARRENELLIS">@warrenellis</a>) & Derrick Robertson. I think they will be my favorites of all times from now on.<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Parasyte-1-Hitoshi-Iwaaki/dp/0345496248?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Parasyte 1" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0345496248&tag=widgetsamazon-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0345496248" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
Art has always been a big mix for me. Ever since I was young, I was in love with fine arts, I adored the Renaissance just as much as I adored Yoko Ono, I read a lot of manga, played video games and read alternative graphic novels when I came to the States. I believe that it is natural for an artist to be attracted to everything--not even just art forms, but everything in life that excites and provokes people. I can't decide what I want to do the most--I like drawing comics just as much as I like making paintings. I learned ceramics and I've made fine art sculptures and installations. I like to try everything.<br />
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Right now, perhaps on a daily basis I draw from life on the subway, doodle some comics at work then make illustration at home? It is not a routine but I always end up doodling something. My goal is to be drawing all the time-so I'm glad that I have multiple categories I can switch in and out of. I keep an open mind for changes: in style, in content and in disciplines. Sometimes it frustrates me, when my style changes or when I find myself liking my old work better--but I believe it is a process to go through in order to be a good artist. My style has changed so many times, on average it happens every couple months. But i can't hold the urge to change, because I believe every artist is an adventurer, and staying in the same place seem to be counter-intuitive. It's a good sign that I'm still going further, I believe.<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Transmetropolitan-Vol-01-Back-Street/dp/1401220843?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Transmetropolitan Vol. 01: Back on the Street" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=1401220843&tag=widgetsamazon-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1401220843" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
On the subject of <b><i>Dingleberries!</i></b>...I believe the answer is yes to both. Coco-tatas is what I turn into at times of danger, and my cleavage can stop bullets/breed bunny bombs. Coco-Tatas was created by Foley, the writer of <b><i>Dingleberries!</i></b> when we were first doodling jam comics for character ideas. I refused to draw her for the longest time because I believed that showing up in comical undergarments on the Internet is outrageously inappropriate...I have no idea how that belief was undone. :P<br />
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<b>Ink</b>: Well, I think the world is safer with Coco-Tatas. Your <i>Monday's Child</i> book project is really wonderful looking, very bizarre, but not scary. There is something sweet and funny about the characters. (By the way, this one [<i>below, left</i>] reminded me of Dr. Seuss' <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hats-Bartholomew-Cubbins-Classic-Seuss/dp/039484484X?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=039484484X" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />) How many did you print for MoCCA and are you going to print up more of them? Or sell them on Etsy? Also, I have seen that you have done posters for plays like West Side Story and books like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. And your recent portrait of Allen Ginsberg. Were these commissioned pieces, or do you make the decision to use stories and literature in your art on your own?<br />
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<b>Yao</b>: For <i>Monday's Child</i>, I made about 24 copies for MoCCA. After MoCCA and FreshMeat (comic fest at the School of Visual Arts) I have just a couple of them left. I'll certainly need to print more for future con's and Etsy. I haven't set up my Etsy shop entirely yet, it will be finalized soon. I've also been handing them out like a business card. The little booklets are very handy for that. As for the <i>West Side Story</i> and <i>Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde</i>-those pieces (Click <a href="http://www.artifolio.com/xiaoyao/16042/Artwork-Update---Poster-for-West-Side-Story.html">HERE</a> to see Yao's West Side Story poster) were mostly practice pieces for possible future commissions. I have to do the pieces that I want to do just in case no one asks me for them. And now I have done them, it sets a good example for people who are looking for works with a similar feel.<br />
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<b>Ink</b>: That is great, and great advice for other artists, too. Thanks again, and I look forward to seeing where your art takes you next!<br />
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<b><u>Here is where you can see Yao's art:</u></b><br />
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Follow her of Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/yaoxiaoart">@yaoxiaoart</a><br />
Illustrated Life Through Sketching <a href="http://yaoxiaoart.tumblr.com/">http://yaoxiaoart.tumblr.com</a><br />
Facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/yaoxiaoart">http://www.facebook.com/yaoxiaoart</a><br />
Talking Muffin! <a href="http://www.artifolio.com/xiaoyao">http://www.artifolio.com/xiaoyao</a><br />
Dingleberries! <a href="http://www.dinglecomic.com/">http://www.dinglecomic.com</a>PMcChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270937779050257090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2515630276490337636.post-57121793598751601942012-08-06T17:30:00.001-07:002012-08-06T17:30:42.947-07:00Number #1's (Review of the New)I can't help myself sometimes when I am in the comic shop and I see a big, bold <b><span style="font-size: large;">#1</span></b> on a comic book. So many possibilities, so many directions. Is it ongoing? A mini-series? What genre? So as you can imagine, if the story seems remotely interesting, or the art is particularly good, or its from a creator I am a fan of, I figure, it is most likely a good bet for $3.99 or so. Such was the case when I picked up these #1 issues (I was hoping to comment on all 3 books, but I will limit myself to just one in this post).<br />
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<b><u>Revival #1</u></b>: Hmmm, a Tim Seeley book, with a gorgeous art cover of a woman with a scythe in some kind of cold weather climate? You might know Seeley from <b><i>Hack/Slash</i></b>, and when you read the first couple of pages, you might be thinking strong woman character slashing ass and taking names in northern climes: <b><i>Hack/Slash</i></b> meets <b><i>Fargo</i></b>? We can only hope. A family of cops in Minnesota with people coming back to life on "Revival Day," which has obvious religious connotations, but also hints at zombie-ism. Revivals are usually associated with charismatic preachers reaching out to downtrodden communities in a tented event. Think miracle healers like in the Steve Martin movie <b><i>Leap of Faith</i></b>. This is starting off well. <br />
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The layout of the panels are very reminiscent of a movie or TV show, which is not easily done. There is a cinematic feel in these pages. The art by Mike Norton is really quite nice, and this first issue hits all the right notes. We start off in media res, Revival Day has already happened, the revivialists are already becoming a problem, because no one knows why it happened and the cause, and the people, to say the least, are acting strange. By the end of the issue we find out that the "revival" of one person will cause even more family strife than is already going on. And when that family is depended upon to keep the peace, this could get interesting. What I love about the art: Mike Norton has a great style, his architecture and his drawing of other inanimate objects gives his art a strong sense of realism, and he has the great gift of being stylized just enough that you see family resemblances. He uses the freckled cheeks of the Cypress family (from the mother's side we can presume) as a cue to recognize the family, but you can see the resemblance anyway, with or without the freckles, which is great. It is not always easy to establish solid, consistent family resemblances in drawn characters within the confines of the dimensions of comic book panels. I liken his skill to Gabriel Rodriguez' masterful drawing the of Locke family in <b><i>Locke & Key</i></b>. Always consistent, always recognizable. Rodriguez is more stylized, though, whereas Norton has a more classic only moderately stylized realism.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLHjB0OSZdd0xzbSmoh86Sjxu4XnRGkaTeqitCdxafiucuIaHPhXD9YYnp0MCuNupKSBTkBFtu5CbzUHnsz3GI0SIRvWLwTFBywEFzDAuzdUHyjjd4lwZVWnjfQqGDayKuQB1eoVO8D9it/s1600/preview_comic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLHjB0OSZdd0xzbSmoh86Sjxu4XnRGkaTeqitCdxafiucuIaHPhXD9YYnp0MCuNupKSBTkBFtu5CbzUHnsz3GI0SIRvWLwTFBywEFzDAuzdUHyjjd4lwZVWnjfQqGDayKuQB1eoVO8D9it/s1600/preview_comic.jpg" /></a><br />
My one criticism of this first issue is that we see some kind of alien or mutant or something in the woods. We see it in its entirety, Cooper Cypress sees it. We all see it. My thought is, there is enough action and potential future action just from the events that climax on the final pages, that I would much rather have seen the above mentioned figure in issue #2 or later. We could have been shown the boy's reaction and fear and we could have seen a shadow. I don't think seeing the figure helped anything. I was a bit put off to be honest. This first issue makes me think of the opening scene of an X-Files episode, and then after the opening theme song we would see Fox and Mulder arrive on the scene. What will make this an interesting book is that it will clearly be a Cypress family affair. Family turmoil, a bizarre (extraterrestrial?) series of events unfolding, and some bloody good fun. I truly cannot wait for the second issue of this hopefully ongoing title.<br />
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<b><u>Funny thing</u></b>: Looking through some stacks of my comics, I come to find I saw and totally ignored a preview of this book in a Free Comic Book Day promo issue from Image. I wish I had paid more attention then, because it would have been more of an anticipated premiere rather than a happy accident of finding this book the day it came out.PMcChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270937779050257090noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2515630276490337636.post-6983358883251764832012-07-13T09:20:00.004-07:002012-07-13T09:43:48.897-07:00Icecubes - A Kickstarter Success Story<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hey, Y'All! I have been derelict in my duties to blog about comics and the art process, so I figured I would kick off my return with some well-deserved kudos to a cartoonist and Tweep of mine, Leroy Brown, the creative mind behind<b> <span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ICECUBES</span></b>. If you follow me on Twitter, you have probably seen me tweet new posts by <a href="https://twitter.com/@peckinpaw">@Peckinpaw</a>. When he decided to go to Kickstarter to fund his turning his online strip into a real book, I couldn't resist. I couldn't much afford the best of rewards, but I contributed enough to have my copy of ICECUBES arrive the other day!<br />
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Check out Leroy's Kickstarter video, where you can see him talk about and then create his ICECUBES strip. This was pretty great, to see a Twitter friend in print and get a copy! Here are some pics of my copy, and a link to buy your own! Great job, Leroy. Keep up the good work.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Got my copy yesterday.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love the illustrated endpapers.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Internal shot.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sketchbook Extras!!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Art Process! More! More!</td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.icecubescomic.com/today/store/" style="background-color: white;"><b>I WANT A COPY! TAKE ME TO THE STORE.</b></a></div>PMcChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270937779050257090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2515630276490337636.post-53144975508100228672012-05-29T11:14:00.003-07:002012-05-29T11:14:46.556-07:00Beauty and the Beast 2: The Beast Gets LiterateOr "Even Monsters Need Books" or "My Sendak Tribute"<br />
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Any of these titles work. I had purchased a stack (and I mean stack) of kraft paper note and greeting cards from Michael's crafts. I am definitely still in my "brown" period. So, I have been using earth tone markers and pens to make little drawings on these thick brown paper cards, and this was no exception. I decided the "front flap" of the card would not be enough of a canvas so I used the open space. I used sparing pencils to layout the drawing and instead plotted much of it using yellow marker and orange pen, then used brown brush point marker, then back to yellows and oranges.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOM2v8Al3fJE99O9Mw1mNvqyNnEIihD-wJs8-MVWhBkyevaZ-xH0asa_Jiecr1D7Csx0osLwyInWoulgBv5TeyBBBMRqZRvAI1FrfAKEE0bebZ9DIWZa1wNNQnuQzaW9bdt6fvp6w7tN_I/s1600/monster_needs_book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="345" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOM2v8Al3fJE99O9Mw1mNvqyNnEIihD-wJs8-MVWhBkyevaZ-xH0asa_Jiecr1D7Csx0osLwyInWoulgBv5TeyBBBMRqZRvAI1FrfAKEE0bebZ9DIWZa1wNNQnuQzaW9bdt6fvp6w7tN_I/s400/monster_needs_book.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I wasn't altogether thinking of doing a tribute to Maurice Sendak, but clearly it turned out that way. It started out more as an idea of depicting my girlfriend (who is a librarian) helping a monstrous being check-out a book. She was also generous enough to take a hi-res image of the card since I failed to scan it before licking the envelope and entrusting it to the USPS.PMcChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270937779050257090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2515630276490337636.post-49505181497326452762012-05-15T21:04:00.000-07:002012-05-15T21:04:47.838-07:00"Bear Under a Tree" (Process)Here is another Storify story using tweets to show a process of doing an illustration.<br />
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<script src="http://storify.com/inkpuddle/a-bear-under-a-tree.js">
</script><noscript>[&amp;amp;lt;a href="http://storify.com/inkpuddle/a-bear-under-a-tree" target="_blank"&amp;amp;gt;View the story "A Bear Under a Tree" on Storify&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;]</noscript>PMcChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270937779050257090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2515630276490337636.post-63401986524973253252012-05-06T19:07:00.002-07:002012-05-06T19:07:54.030-07:00Free Comic Book Day 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It was that day, it comes round every year in May, when you can honestly say, It's <span style="color: blue;"><b>Free Comic Book Day</b></span>! In case you've been living under a rock (or I suppose if you do not or have never collected comic books), <b>Free Comic Book Day</b> has been around for 10 years. It's a day when comic book stores all over the country give away free comic books. It's a chance for big and small publishers alike to give out free samples in the hopes of attracting new readers and collectors. I have to say that if better prepared and motivated, I would have liked to have given away comics of my own producing, but alas it did not occur. Perhaps I will try for next year.<br />
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Over the years there have been interesting give-aways, some cooler than others, and this year was no different. The one book that caught my attention was Archaia's giveaway of a small hardback comic (yes I said hardback!). Of course, if the hardback was filled with crap, that would be one thing, but this little hardback had one of Archaia's biggest hits in the form of <b><i>Mouse Guard</i></b>, and a cool new teaser of the latest in the line of Archaia's treatment of Jim Henson properties, this time it's a prequel to the movie <b><i>Labyrinth</i></b>.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGxHBLCeXi-aDlmapUrwalZOYkWg5f_Yz1NBkIRRKiV5Mkt7AhnCtdwU13fASCQFTGL2-DN8YVklxlV8waapn421XCuLRlRbSpYzBQYt4N75ljWyYl_VEXTsjoz3G4IeCMKhEkoZ0R-ump/s1600/comic_books.jpg" /></div>
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I wound up going to three comic book stores on Saturday in search of finding two copies of the <b><i>Mouse Guard</i></b> hardback, one for me and one for the girlfriend. I was a bit disappointed (and suspicious) when one of my usual haunts had no copies (or at least that I saw). I feel like this special edition hardback has been in the news and on the blogs for months. I am not sure why any comic shop wouldn't want to order at least a couple copies. But my persistence paid off when I hit comic shop number 2 (<a href="http://thecomicstation.com/mag/">The Comic Station</a> in Haddon Heights, NJ), and even more so when I visited <a href="http://www.frankensteincomics.com/">Frankenstein Comics</a> in Woodbury. <br />
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If you are in the South Jersey area and you want a nice, shiny, clean comic experience, with friendly staff and cool new comics, check out <b><i>The Comic Station</i></b>. If you like a more old-school, slightly grungy comic experience, go to <b><i>Frankenstein Comics</i></b>. Bill, who runs <b>Frankenstein Comics</b> is clearly in love with comics. He is very knowledgeable about the industry and the history of comic shops in the region, and he is a nice guy, willing to share is time and stories. I was persistent enough to look through all his $1 books and come up with a stack of Garth Ennis and Warren Ellis written <b>Hellblazer</b> books. Did I mention Bill has a slightly unorthodox way of pricing his comics? Yup, he's got cool, more expensive books for $25, hardback and softback collected trade papers for $10 and $5 and lots of $1 individual issues. He even puts together set of 5 and sometimes 10 books that ran together as a story-line as a collected super pack. These are very tempting, because you don't have to run around looking for fill-in-the-blank copies. An entire contained storyline, bagged, boarded, and taped together for your convenience. Very cool. If you don't mind rooting through boxes and avoiding precariously perched stacks of comics, make the trip to Frankenstein Comics. A special shout-out also goes to <b><a href="http://www.captainbluehen.com/">Captain Blue Hen Comics</a></b> (whose logo and link you can follow on the right sidebar of this blog). They always have cool sales, superheroes and special guest characters in costume, sketch artists and more for their events. Worth a drive to Newark, DE.<br />
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<a href="http://www.frankensteincomics.com/"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaXFHo_ZTR3fjBmurXjMvbD1RmSGEC4t37qkDaT9uTL7Z15Oo5agUhVKMUYJN5-X6VqXdcqqyd9-MBz1ebqHtmdM4FmwJFUyb_5fPp4AY5z_diAP5_bBCUi7o_EoXzt5EXdrSir2Dg9qPL/s1600/frankenstein_comics.jpg" /></a></div>
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Thank to all the shops that participated for this year's Free Comic Book Day. See you next year!<br />
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<br />PMcChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270937779050257090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2515630276490337636.post-73623558836768002572012-05-01T19:21:00.002-07:002012-05-01T19:21:28.507-07:00The Madd Potters' Studio in Cape May, NJOn a recent trip to Cape May, NJ, the girlfriend and I wound up visiting a newly installed potters' studio in the shops at The Merry Widow. This was quite a treat. You walk in and you are surrounded by hand-made treasures, from elegant yet functional dishes and mugs, to more specialized pieces like salt pigs and yarn bowls. Throw in some Christmas ornaments and jewelry, and you should be able to find something for everyone in your family.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiEBgIzEWz_Mp18xSTkhSeWeCdfaGiIXWwdFo7VTAMHEdfwg8Ykf8StQ9TUPTS3i3WZAM7PozmN8thd_6Deh9eA7RNjQGeuL5QwND5PG97LXBKEPTbBwgmhkU3Hm35X-eU0QDQTUZTyKvf/s1600/madd_potter_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiEBgIzEWz_Mp18xSTkhSeWeCdfaGiIXWwdFo7VTAMHEdfwg8Ykf8StQ9TUPTS3i3WZAM7PozmN8thd_6Deh9eA7RNjQGeuL5QwND5PG97LXBKEPTbBwgmhkU3Hm35X-eU0QDQTUZTyKvf/s400/madd_potter_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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We met with Amanda Leipert, one of the primary potters of the store that day, and she was not only extremely nice, but she was also willing to answer any and all questions we had about the pottery and other pieces in the shop. Mine were largely questions like "What the hell is a <i>salt pig</i>?" but my girlfriend, an experienced ceramist herself, had more intelligent discussions about glazes and the temperature of the kiln. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxv7_f8CfTKJe66DK9t3Nkbra4ASMZGx_Ml8blVq9pEBmXEZbJ99zSpi67A9MGl1jebnB6iZ_WTs-ZS1EqKWCytywH_fsuUSdknfZsLEzCBeAYAybBRj-NtDQ5fAfn9uG_mt0qNU1vhSeo/s1600/madd_potter_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxv7_f8CfTKJe66DK9t3Nkbra4ASMZGx_Ml8blVq9pEBmXEZbJ99zSpi67A9MGl1jebnB6iZ_WTs-ZS1EqKWCytywH_fsuUSdknfZsLEzCBeAYAybBRj-NtDQ5fAfn9uG_mt0qNU1vhSeo/s400/madd_potter_3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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You could literally spend hours looking at, admiring, and wondering at the works in this shop. It was a bit overwhelming, but that didn't stop us from finding pieces to buy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ5JBuIzO8teLGHfezul3M21-pelCAUtMunPmLDsItGJimVBVNb69jrXap9ErlirHkLIhbLnjKedOAZN01BNXbufvVnwJ1ffKXlIyi3GxA2-QvFSNdtIoKDzVdJH_VK-9dSW5xJLt9Uiyz/s1600/madd_potter_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ5JBuIzO8teLGHfezul3M21-pelCAUtMunPmLDsItGJimVBVNb69jrXap9ErlirHkLIhbLnjKedOAZN01BNXbufvVnwJ1ffKXlIyi3GxA2-QvFSNdtIoKDzVdJH_VK-9dSW5xJLt9Uiyz/s400/madd_potter_2.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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In the end, I bought a hand-crafted "Cape May" magnet, another magnet, and a beautiful tripod mug. I am not sure if my mug will be used as a mug, a pen/brush holder, or remain simply an <i>objet d'art</i>. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNCUCYMjEqpGeWBlnAHf68v031-vBEhchfN6tzyrxsE6EgDONoggphNfYr6AXvb3u_K-DPeHg8zUeEeeuwqBOMrPh-zgMBfKqVbR0NGWpgIB4fcy8pxs9-NYuwlxPGD27YRogiCeYj_eFU/s1600/madd_potter_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNCUCYMjEqpGeWBlnAHf68v031-vBEhchfN6tzyrxsE6EgDONoggphNfYr6AXvb3u_K-DPeHg8zUeEeeuwqBOMrPh-zgMBfKqVbR0NGWpgIB4fcy8pxs9-NYuwlxPGD27YRogiCeYj_eFU/s400/madd_potter_4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg-SB9sO82iOih1ZwuWbWuf6tQerGzSOeCb7ve39tdZWlsJ8kcSQXM5gE5dXC22AdXOOiExSMMz5Gp0aVhe2ThaMDXH-Rvfa71vYciRwAQEqzI4WIwjwr1lWSRXe8Ogz4n-t-veMj-5j_r/s1600/madd_potter_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg-SB9sO82iOih1ZwuWbWuf6tQerGzSOeCb7ve39tdZWlsJ8kcSQXM5gE5dXC22AdXOOiExSMMz5Gp0aVhe2ThaMDXH-Rvfa71vYciRwAQEqzI4WIwjwr1lWSRXe8Ogz4n-t-veMj-5j_r/s400/madd_potter_5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpnwnGfwgyFDqmTvOaSR3vmpFC1SQoeLajZnoQuAWrO0_hsys3r93GZxVoEShMmsojsl10rVhMbXuFO76zfohxbLtCKHGVKqHFOsh-NZl9iXPNBIKipkeNq2mTlWoahtJaEpxJ1nag6D6J/s1600/madd_potter_6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpnwnGfwgyFDqmTvOaSR3vmpFC1SQoeLajZnoQuAWrO0_hsys3r93GZxVoEShMmsojsl10rVhMbXuFO76zfohxbLtCKHGVKqHFOsh-NZl9iXPNBIKipkeNq2mTlWoahtJaEpxJ1nag6D6J/s400/madd_potter_6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Yok67AVdctrpP52JE1mgz_R7J9-Ez-2yYzfweKcMDtCVN5zTaPFKAOGhfmezH6TnuimsQGFUyRptUO5dQKzAAD5fwCR1sCgnuKnw7-8BDdMZMWSZyjGTc7tcbtqg27qbLKkfxSr62RfW/s1600/madd_potter_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Yok67AVdctrpP52JE1mgz_R7J9-Ez-2yYzfweKcMDtCVN5zTaPFKAOGhfmezH6TnuimsQGFUyRptUO5dQKzAAD5fwCR1sCgnuKnw7-8BDdMZMWSZyjGTc7tcbtqg27qbLKkfxSr62RfW/s400/madd_potter_7.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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It is always awesome to look at and purchase beautiful hand-crafted pottery, but it also pretty great getting to meet and talk with the artists responsible for making them. I don't have too much more to say. I figure the photographs will speak for themselves. Needless to say, if you visit Cape May, NJ, be sure to stop by the <b>Madd Potters' Studio</b>. If you are impressed already (as you should be), they do commissioned works like entire place settings for wedding presents. You can contact them at <a href="mailto:themaddpottersstudio@gmail.com">themaddpottersstudio@gmail.com</a>.</div>
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<br />PMcChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270937779050257090noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2515630276490337636.post-21220628791954884452012-04-04T21:02:00.001-07:002012-04-04T21:02:32.963-07:00Duke and O'Roark and The Sea Monster<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTqm-_7oiFipHp5EijK5ky3XUU40hUoizHC69c4NVdObbk3FZD8iM0iB7ezuugpWOBWLQJ1T5WAiuAmwMs28c_s-wyF2EWI7e2EnMOwGdYT7sGMNu8f00HAlaFX9g6YJjTxkJC5KWwWsDC/s1600/duke_underwater.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTqm-_7oiFipHp5EijK5ky3XUU40hUoizHC69c4NVdObbk3FZD8iM0iB7ezuugpWOBWLQJ1T5WAiuAmwMs28c_s-wyF2EWI7e2EnMOwGdYT7sGMNu8f00HAlaFX9g6YJjTxkJC5KWwWsDC/s320/duke_underwater.jpg" width="278" /></a></div>
More Duke McMahon and more sea monsters? I first showed a pencil sketch of Duke and O'Roark and a giant octopus/squid months ago on my Tumblr site <a href="http://sketches.inkpuddle.com/">http://sketches.inkpuddle.com</a>. And apparently, my mind still wanders to sea monsters, as I revealed in my recent <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/96440549/sea-creature-monster-illustration-signed">sea monster color print</a> (you can see an additional sea monster at my Tumblr site [see link above] ). Well, I dug up the drawing and got to work inking it. I added some digital colors, but this leads me to believe that I am bad at coloring and probably need to buy a digital table like an Intuos for me to do it well. The funny thing is, I forget what I had the characters (and the walkie-talkie) saying in this 1-panel comic. I tried looking for the scrap of paper I wrote the dialog on, but to no avail.<br />
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Here are the progressive images.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Half inked</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlXjp-BPfv9sRtaIZlBA_HjqTU-Jvc73EF7o-LWrJ4-AlP8NM3rAIRtuTMLsLrek6LGXaKhTT-Q_e-KqTurKqRupg1bJ6Xy63dh8_nGfSfI4xiCiCciTwE_sFio3Mdac8TwZsXabf0tYe8/s1600/duke_and_sea_monster_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlXjp-BPfv9sRtaIZlBA_HjqTU-Jvc73EF7o-LWrJ4-AlP8NM3rAIRtuTMLsLrek6LGXaKhTT-Q_e-KqTurKqRupg1bJ6Xy63dh8_nGfSfI4xiCiCciTwE_sFio3Mdac8TwZsXabf0tYe8/s640/duke_and_sea_monster_2.jpg" width="520" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fully inked</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqzQG49nAjare7OnLyWKFkAFUbQeSaLtYBf4C0vYZTTFHYDZxXrOGxMeJ5jEElxIXm3Vaynpg4mKzE5afvluPMMK8v4fVWF6lSzsK_bMU2FDdGNgqJ1CjvVfhPEuLMr-nOox42lvz3ObGF/s1600/duke_and_sea_monster_color.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqzQG49nAjare7OnLyWKFkAFUbQeSaLtYBf4C0vYZTTFHYDZxXrOGxMeJ5jEElxIXm3Vaynpg4mKzE5afvluPMMK8v4fVWF6lSzsK_bMU2FDdGNgqJ1CjvVfhPEuLMr-nOox42lvz3ObGF/s400/duke_and_sea_monster_color.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colored in Paint Shop Pro (quickly)</td></tr>
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<br />PMcChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270937779050257090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2515630276490337636.post-43984301658488882772012-04-04T07:56:00.000-07:002012-04-04T07:56:13.159-07:00Illustrating Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea (Video)Another lazy post? I don't think so. I enjoy posting cool videos on this blog, and I hope you enjoy watching them, too. This one I found through my Google Alerts, which sent me a <b><i>Washington Post</i></b> blog (here is their link <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Hemingway’s novel gets stop-motion treatment <a href="http://wapo.st/HQyRDM">http://wapo.st/HQyRDM</a></span></b>), but I don't see why you wouldn't want to watch it here. <br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="431" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/39473645?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=da6aa2" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="575"></iframe>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Drawing by Hagen Reiling / Camera/Animation by Marcel Schindler / Music by Awolnation, "Sail"</span></div>PMcChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270937779050257090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2515630276490337636.post-47520585350675125682012-04-02T17:11:00.001-07:002012-04-02T17:11:29.491-07:00"Duke Is Deck" (Guest Artist: Jim Webner)You have heard me talk about Duke McMahon before on this blog, and you've recently seen one of my own <a href="http://theinkpuddle.blogspot.com/2012/02/month-of-letters-letter-from-midwest.html">interpretations</a> of the Duke McMahon character. Well, here is an original Duke McMahon strip from the creator himself, Jim Webner.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP80O9tiInOxj79yT60J9yhEqSHUrrYNTf8XMsS_opmL2vJxPUNuyuE01IMzHoqZ-Tr3agtkN8oU0vffb0wdtgI_4-PtZJ9VsB9c-Nw5Fpo4b86NY03Wfn5R6F4w2pisidEBXor3RUm88m/s1600/duke_is_deck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP80O9tiInOxj79yT60J9yhEqSHUrrYNTf8XMsS_opmL2vJxPUNuyuE01IMzHoqZ-Tr3agtkN8oU0vffb0wdtgI_4-PtZJ9VsB9c-Nw5Fpo4b86NY03Wfn5R6F4w2pisidEBXor3RUm88m/s400/duke_is_deck.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click the pic to see the slick (version)</td></tr>
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Want to see more of Duke? Leave a comment demanding more!PMcChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270937779050257090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2515630276490337636.post-531271935066391082012-04-01T20:30:00.001-07:002012-04-01T20:30:27.426-07:00New Evidence in Da Vinci's Last Supper<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoqUxmDGdigUOKVGRv3Vu9LIn3hQQcwpEfSkKlRLRJuBFYF3SXGZqGPwpXfCqhgdjT9MUE2_51D_gH2JzKGZR8EYNB2X9_DStf9kALJGOkfeSBaVtAGKy4aFTnrSz6DzatNJBWUd18ifk2/s1600/supper1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoqUxmDGdigUOKVGRv3Vu9LIn3hQQcwpEfSkKlRLRJuBFYF3SXGZqGPwpXfCqhgdjT9MUE2_51D_gH2JzKGZR8EYNB2X9_DStf9kALJGOkfeSBaVtAGKy4aFTnrSz6DzatNJBWUd18ifk2/s1600/supper1.jpg" /></a></div>
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One of the most famous works of art in the history of the world, Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper has been the focus of much debate. Whether it is about da Vinci's technique, the need to for extensive restoration, or its evidence of the existence of a secret church sect intent on keeping Christianity a misogynistic patriarchy, scholars and artists thought they had figured out at least one thing: the identity of Judas, but now that is in question.<br />
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Art historians for years believed that Judas Iscariot was pictured on the left hand side of the table, to Jesus' right side, depicted as the man who is sharing the same food bowl with Jesus. For Jesus did say, "<span style="background-color: white; color: #000020;">And he answered and said, He that dippeth </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #000020;">his</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #000020;"> hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me.</span>"<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX-sjgEzBW5KGldV7ZP6QIkUZF4JcQvoKm_yPggQ-6GesvIkdtuwBTsk09FAipUermLwvMvQQTC7rtDj2jXuHMh2eX5zSUAsOPfqn9hD8bHzRz7_mOGbnhhdxzdhFH7LMT-5OqQVYxJ2ky/s1600/supper2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX-sjgEzBW5KGldV7ZP6QIkUZF4JcQvoKm_yPggQ-6GesvIkdtuwBTsk09FAipUermLwvMvQQTC7rtDj2jXuHMh2eX5zSUAsOPfqn9hD8bHzRz7_mOGbnhhdxzdhFH7LMT-5OqQVYxJ2ky/s1600/supper2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Betrayal of Jesus highlighted in yellow</td></tr>
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So, identity solved, right? Not so fast. Recent advances in chromospectronomy, Q-tips, and Formula 409 (recognized by the Louvre as the only way to gets stains off of paintings) have led to more conservation and restoration of the da Vinci's famous fresco. Below you see the unrestored image of a man to Jesus' left.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkCWrAkjtx3jWzz9vBCaJljasvflxMBa1gKML7LnP8D2y4rW_vjqkqtM9fzWu_Zfk2WsGBfpt6sxYOnhrWuoeJT34iT9PyecOsp2zhN48cZEPCzBHzjZHi49OwI7jxFu9BLeUfgSS3R9Ss/s1600/supper3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkCWrAkjtx3jWzz9vBCaJljasvflxMBa1gKML7LnP8D2y4rW_vjqkqtM9fzWu_Zfk2WsGBfpt6sxYOnhrWuoeJT34iT9PyecOsp2zhN48cZEPCzBHzjZHi49OwI7jxFu9BLeUfgSS3R9Ss/s1600/supper3.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before restoration</td></tr>
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For years, this figure, pointing upwards or perhaps signalling the number one for "one more bottle of wine for the table", has been known as "Mr. Pointy" or "Bob Ross." But after extensive cleaning and restoration, we are finally revealed the true image made by the Renaissance master.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmehX7e-4QLmUwI9DFubWU3P5t5fHEDoTyAriXdwYpARN858zQdJqMdtfVRSmkcGv7FgsbNSVfblrbZmz0yBrr94t2ddMwGC64mve1PC4PipFn_MGRGL2z0fXvSGuoBnvJ1t4IwcH7YKRz/s1600/supper4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmehX7e-4QLmUwI9DFubWU3P5t5fHEDoTyAriXdwYpARN858zQdJqMdtfVRSmkcGv7FgsbNSVfblrbZmz0yBrr94t2ddMwGC64mve1PC4PipFn_MGRGL2z0fXvSGuoBnvJ1t4IwcH7YKRz/s1600/supper4.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After restoration (the bird-flipping highlighted in yellow)</td></tr>
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And you can now clearly see, that this figure is neither pointing to the ceiling or signalling for one more bottle of wine. Clearly, he is flipping Jesus the bird, his middle finger extended in derision, presaging his betrayal of Jesus. It is still unclear as to whether Judas insulted Jesus, feigned that he was not heard and then offered to "turn the volume up," or if he fished around his robes pockets, telling Jesus he had something for him, only to take his hand out of his robe pocket with his middle finger extended, or if just flipped off Jesus, shouting, "Screw, you, J, I'm outta here. I needs to get me some silver up in this joint." Obviously, historians, art specialists, and Bible scholars will have to get back to us on the details of potentially lost or hidden Bible verses that would explain the insult. Ink Puddle Art Blog will keep you informed and up to date on further developments.<br />
<br />PMcChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270937779050257090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2515630276490337636.post-82837382348199476932012-03-30T07:34:00.002-07:002012-03-30T07:34:42.467-07:00Happy Birthday, Vincent van Gogh!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwTfHrkpJ1DD0pnel8dRwzQH2Jwpcn7XfDT5jwKn6A8KBqGP1HkvrImTyEZQ6ARXFFiG_Mrk_nEe8xSt1zKHME-NEfDYHwj2BVbl6iuP9mqNjDUEIblXNipgsUm75Ru8fZTq8VL_vlTHbN/s1600/van_gogh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwTfHrkpJ1DD0pnel8dRwzQH2Jwpcn7XfDT5jwKn6A8KBqGP1HkvrImTyEZQ6ARXFFiG_Mrk_nEe8xSt1zKHME-NEfDYHwj2BVbl6iuP9mqNjDUEIblXNipgsUm75Ru8fZTq8VL_vlTHbN/s1600/van_gogh.jpg" /></a></div>
Today is the birthday of Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh. This is pretty exciting, because although I have been reading the latest biography on van Gogh, his birthday, like many people's birthdays, slip my mind. And, I am going to the van Gogh exhibit at the <a href="http://www.philamuseum.org/">Philadelphia Museum of Art</a> tomorrow. Very exciting. So, here is some biographical information on the man himself, as well as a link to "My Gallery" of van Gogh works through the <a href="http://www.philamuseum.org/">Philadelphia Museum of Art</a>.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><b>van Gogh</b></span> was a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_people" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-decoration: none;" title="Dutch people">Dutch</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-Impressionism" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-decoration: none;" title="Post-Impressionism">post-Impressionist</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> painter whose work, notable for its rough beauty, emotional honesty, and bold color, had a far-reaching influence on 20th-century art. After years of painful </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anxiety" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-decoration: none;" title="Anxiety">anxiety</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> and frequent bouts of mental illness, </span><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-1" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_van_Gogh#cite_note-1" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[1]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-2" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_van_Gogh#cite_note-2" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[2]</a></sup><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> he died at the age of 37 from a gunshot wound, generally accepted to be self-inflicted (although no gun was ever found).</span><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-3" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_van_Gogh#cite_note-3" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[3]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-4" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_van_Gogh#cite_note-4" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[note 2]</a></sup><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> His work was then known to only a handful of people and appreciated by fewer still (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_van_Gogh">from Wikipedia</a>).</span></i></blockquote>
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<a href="http://goo.gl/cMvSJ"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2AP6HrOpiOGmFr7UTYyAymfxn5MQZ3Sc2E0q7oVsPgVlvplVf0S9uOiRFB5VwGUBFdhc6Ml5W6hjX6Ot6CeKHL8pD_aAuYVWg6DPy_PNf8J2tHqRmFUHCOPi8DOEKERt3y8zQIsTxZ11l/s1600/my_van_gogh.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />PMcChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270937779050257090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2515630276490337636.post-55506864410292418342012-03-30T06:59:00.001-07:002012-03-30T06:59:52.468-07:00Dan Clowes VideoCompliments of <a href="http://video.nytimes.com/">The NY Times</a>. <br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="447" id="nyt_video_player" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/bcvideo/1.0/iframe/embed.html?videoId=100000001461574&playerType=embed" title="New York Times Video - Embed Player" width="575"></iframe>PMcChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270937779050257090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2515630276490337636.post-36051814784768204182012-03-29T18:51:00.002-07:002012-03-29T18:51:27.496-07:00Sea Monster Print Now AvailableIn my continuing effort to produce finished products of art and illustration, I decided to take my "C" shaped Sea Monster and turn it into a print. Signed and matted for your convenience. Check it out. Click on the pic to see it at the Etsy shop.<br />
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<a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/96440549/sea-creature-monster-illustration-signed"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk5-g_dqlRGpHZA9xoRCDkLD2-bqzcB3HKEK88GszqJq5lEvkgKk8SlJB7352QREAFooaKh8eQWxsdq3y4gDz6Ll9KOoC5SkZaVwGjl8YqEt0bXpnGGrchn0nkhILfeNg2_Mm105XTpLO4/s1600/etsy_sea_monster.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br />PMcChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270937779050257090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2515630276490337636.post-49680211329303875152012-03-29T10:15:00.000-07:002012-03-29T10:16:09.094-07:00The Red Monastery (Video from The Met)Thanks again to <a href="http://www.metmuseum.org/">The Met</a> for having great art videos you can embed.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><u>From The Met Website</u>:"In conjunction with the exhibition Byzantium and Islam: Age of Transition (on view March 14 through July 8, 2012), art historian Elizabeth Bolman introduces the Red Monastery project."</span></div>PMcChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270937779050257090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2515630276490337636.post-32064457485018677022012-03-27T20:30:00.000-07:002012-03-28T06:09:24.230-07:00My Sea ("C") Monster, Because Monsters are Cool!If you haven't heard, monsters are all the rage. If you are like me and grew up watching Jim Henson shows, you've always known that monsters are pretty awesome. In recent times, I am not sure what has sparked the regained interest. Is it Guillermo del Toro's monstrous creations in his movies?<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1YZj-xv53bc8WNMN6I_835vROaJz8iI3xuvlSTVcXcx1OGDSH2au87n_n7uYXxIlmHhDl9ePUTrpdnsM_zJc1PxHUZ3F23cxXRarsIde9-_NCU0dtOZfEpIaz_cRgGa46RYRMD8ys1Sna/s1600/monsters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1YZj-xv53bc8WNMN6I_835vROaJz8iI3xuvlSTVcXcx1OGDSH2au87n_n7uYXxIlmHhDl9ePUTrpdnsM_zJc1PxHUZ3F23cxXRarsIde9-_NCU0dtOZfEpIaz_cRgGa46RYRMD8ys1Sna/s400/monsters.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Great Monsters in History</td></tr>
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Is the the leaps and bounds that CGI has made with regards to bringing monsters to life? Regardless, I have jumped on the monster train. Holy shit! Movie idea: "Monster Train." That will have to be another post. Anyway, my girlfriend has also knitted monsters to give as gifts. They have monster hats, monster stuffed animals, monster shirts, monsters everywhere.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLpdO9jVLKAVdcHWgET6Bw62C4KI9vWQXeNVcE4ElzxtDFej-eITEEyBaLz6ooTkuw1toaPSEpBMwvVy3WVhaDxGdlONYN-Cvr_zis6ghENI2xmwAjjJbiKXJdJPnXQewCau693Lbt4RWP/s1600/knitted_monster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLpdO9jVLKAVdcHWgET6Bw62C4KI9vWQXeNVcE4ElzxtDFej-eITEEyBaLz6ooTkuw1toaPSEpBMwvVy3WVhaDxGdlONYN-Cvr_zis6ghENI2xmwAjjJbiKXJdJPnXQewCau693Lbt4RWP/s320/knitted_monster.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My girlfriend's knitted monster</td></tr>
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As for me, I decided to go back to my pen and ink roots with my monster. Below is my sketchbook sketch. Clearly inspired by the hammerhead shark, but different. I put a huge mouth on this guy, gave him glow head antennae thingys like those deap sea crazy monster fish, and a ray-like barbed tail. I also wanted to stick to my artistic basics, namely establishing some perspective. When you draw someone or something in three-quarter view, whatever is in the background, even slightly in the background, will be slightly smaller than what is in the foreground, so the eye, the socket, that side of the fish body all have to be slightly smaller. I also wanted one of the eye-lamp stalks to pass in front of the dorsal fin to further establish some depth to this deep-sea dweller. Here is my original thumbnail drawing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9MojSYOsQo2Syn43qoGv_M84WdfLAV3OWghGVT1pq5JKlGjsctpwihSQ8srPIfFdE2OrZTNZC0q1ywNCoJrJ3KzWvOqPz5mZz9mvOHUibOLCyikB0HDqG__QRu2PvpP8ctuxekoGVHCj4/s1600/seamonsterpartthumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9MojSYOsQo2Syn43qoGv_M84WdfLAV3OWghGVT1pq5JKlGjsctpwihSQ8srPIfFdE2OrZTNZC0q1ywNCoJrJ3KzWvOqPz5mZz9mvOHUibOLCyikB0HDqG__QRu2PvpP8ctuxekoGVHCj4/s400/seamonsterpartthumb.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Now here is the pencils and light ink wash to simulate the ocean.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM9j_KpLwNphsNghEEp6RkyAzIhyphenhyphenGqGgx2DsWAJavgktQbW5AsEE5UuivxzfUpmKD1Pt4BK1J3VGYC5Ad0xN2Ngg4X2EjMvF9-sZ_kPmtT8lEKZ_XOAlhlSZbrj9u71j7C8qHPZOwG5cuJ/s1600/seamonsterpart1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM9j_KpLwNphsNghEEp6RkyAzIhyphenhyphenGqGgx2DsWAJavgktQbW5AsEE5UuivxzfUpmKD1Pt4BK1J3VGYC5Ad0xN2Ngg4X2EjMvF9-sZ_kPmtT8lEKZ_XOAlhlSZbrj9u71j7C8qHPZOwG5cuJ/s400/seamonsterpart1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Here is the same piece with some black inks.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfl1AFZvkoJBAvkLhHyJUd8Pu5CxmTNci-QAl7je40UgwjZpbTF7yOJ7KyiHyCDNFcgxuJhH_5fjbgbMOYqMt9eglWUbKQxSbeLUQPcgWodwviPLIbFNCMR2zpsqUCDqOjok-y6rttujjr/s1600/seamonsterpart2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfl1AFZvkoJBAvkLhHyJUd8Pu5CxmTNci-QAl7je40UgwjZpbTF7yOJ7KyiHyCDNFcgxuJhH_5fjbgbMOYqMt9eglWUbKQxSbeLUQPcgWodwviPLIbFNCMR2zpsqUCDqOjok-y6rttujjr/s400/seamonsterpart2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Here is draft 3.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm7beQdGUx58SOgJGrUblF2eccR-t8yMKz6EuTrQFEZ0PmPAXBzyyA52IzIovVBOGeK8m9nm_ZqSVZ24GP5GT6XKtEABvlR6q7K84lCAUpsUL50N88dAZdGVa7ZgbIGmBYcoJh7upHJH9x/s1600/seamonsterpart3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm7beQdGUx58SOgJGrUblF2eccR-t8yMKz6EuTrQFEZ0PmPAXBzyyA52IzIovVBOGeK8m9nm_ZqSVZ24GP5GT6XKtEABvlR6q7K84lCAUpsUL50N88dAZdGVa7ZgbIGmBYcoJh7upHJH9x/s320/seamonsterpart3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here is the piece completely done.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJCAMBjGH6eOVZNAABc8bp3Vli4bQc0exUuhrcZDKsePvKImNMrFEU5praq2ByEqFJeg_nUSVi7lmUQKDsG3VwPvv3hRMmjRvWCT70rzbzkP3PjxLigaYPA02fsMKPK29aSy9O8Oboy1z9/s1600/seamonsterpart4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJCAMBjGH6eOVZNAABc8bp3Vli4bQc0exUuhrcZDKsePvKImNMrFEU5praq2ByEqFJeg_nUSVi7lmUQKDsG3VwPvv3hRMmjRvWCT70rzbzkP3PjxLigaYPA02fsMKPK29aSy9O8Oboy1z9/s400/seamonsterpart4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click the pic to larger / better version</td></tr>
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I have to say that finishing a piece like this is a shot to the ego. Not really "tooting my own horn," rather its more like knowing that if I set my mind to something, I can have it come out just like I want it. I have never really used multiple colors or ink wash plush marker and pen to make a finished piece. The water looks like I wanted it look, the sea monster looks like I wanted it to look. In my mind it is a finished piece and came out looking exactly as I pictured it. And I finished it in one night, which is important, too. It this piece languished over days, it would end up taking me weeks to really finish it. Be on the look-out for this piece to be a print available online, and I would like to sell the original art if anyone wants it. And below are the tools I used. And "mad props" go to Justin Stewart <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/Justin3000">@Justin3000</a> who recommended the Uni-Ball double sided pocket brush pen, made Mitsubishi, available through <a href="http://www.jetpens.com/">JetPens</a>. I test any brush pen I can get my hands on, and this one has great resistance and push to it. I like it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo-B-eoyLScF9Sx6QSA5RV9lzNHaI4tJglguTTauBzaytuUvB_LIVHBuguN_NvPNX-14DizrwRWS7z6YAAKzH0N_HXdjBaL73Cz4jsxYbxULf2jiQ42CJ_SpzScO92m8FE5wFMEvklmSMi/s1600/seamonsterparttools.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo-B-eoyLScF9Sx6QSA5RV9lzNHaI4tJglguTTauBzaytuUvB_LIVHBuguN_NvPNX-14DizrwRWS7z6YAAKzH0N_HXdjBaL73Cz4jsxYbxULf2jiQ42CJ_SpzScO92m8FE5wFMEvklmSMi/s400/seamonsterparttools.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />PMcChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270937779050257090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2515630276490337636.post-31363140593384756352012-03-23T06:57:00.001-07:002012-03-23T06:57:25.901-07:00Happy Birthday Juan Gris!Opening up my web browser to Google I find that today is the birthday of Juan Gris. Don't know who he is? Well, he was one of the prominent artists of the Cubism movement (who was <i>not</i> Pablo Picasso). Yes! Picasso was not the only Cubist artist! Surprised? You should get to more art museums.<br />
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<a href="http://www.google.com/"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzildN-8QYpZFrERGZ70oTVZy-KT_-Owg9NWlKOnyFOQ3d2QwiqopIOnEmS6flwE2bhbyPEhFbqXTL0fiHLHhfRIYefW_0XY6BbEngb12sMxsP4kQIwubl83NmyDXA9JV0Es9rduo5O1WZ/s1600/google_gris.jpg" /></a></div>
Here is a little bit about Juan Gris from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/">Wikipedia</a>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">José Victoriano (Carmelo Carlos) González-Pérez</b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> (March 23, 1887 – May 11, 1927), better known as </span><b style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Juan Gris</b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">, was a Spanish </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Painting" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-decoration: none;" title="Painting">painter</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> and </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sculptor" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-decoration: none;" title="Sculptor">sculptor</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> who lived and worked in France most of his life. His works, which are closely connected to the emergence of an innovative artistic genre—</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cubism" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-decoration: none;" title="Cubism">Cubism</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">—are among the movement's most distinctive.</span> <span style="font-size: x-small;">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Gris">READ THE WHOLE ARTICLE</a>]</span></blockquote>
I have put together the works of Juan Gris from the <a href="http://www.philamuseum.org/">Philadelphia Museum of Art</a> and their "My Gallery" feature. Only a handful of these works are on display at the museum, but you can also see some awesome examples of the Cubist movement and maybe stick around or the van Gogh exhibit. Click on the image below to visit "My Gallery" of Juan Gris works.<br />
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<a href="http://goo.gl/WpeIn"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8DrQWy7xz8nGTlgQfE8kf7-49EyfLsGd-xAVXqHZbI_NS7hPCpxhbmmQ5H2PfNlSaYgFgUImf650HCKd-U4ofo6pIUnQXqohPlKvtjde5y44rGNp5oF-HdXd6Kp4tlcNxM-XIVBaKCIQ0/s1600/phila_mus_my_gall.jpg" /></a></div>
Happy Birthday, Juan!PMcChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270937779050257090noreply@blogger.com0