Okay here are some very rough sketches that I did a couple of years ago when I was trying to get the feel of my deer and boy character, along with his cat.  I was trying to capture movement and stances.  None of them ended up in the final product, but it did help me to get an idea of what didn't work.  :)

(Oh, and as I look back over the blog, I realize that I reposted some of my pictures; which was a total mistake.)

Learn, laugh, grow

_forge

Discarded Kitty

So, this is an earlier incarnation of my title character and the the previous post.  As you can see, this character is just as ugly, but not as cute as the current illustration.  I'm very happy that I revisited the character, because I think the new character is a little more approachable.  I also like the way I depicted the character and the way he holds his cat.  The cat in the previous post look like it is in more distress then the cat here.  

Learn, laugh, grow

-Forge

Here Kitty, Kitty

This is an original drawing of my character.  I drew it last year and I think it is a precious image of him with his cat.  The scan is in black and white, but only by accident.  The original scan was hand colored, using prismacolor.  Of course it is going to be revisited using Corel Painter.  Still, this black and white image is great.  

Learn, laugh, grow

-Forge

White Face?

This is one of my crappy first attempts at coloring one of my illustrations.  I posted one of the better versions on the first of February.  As you can see, I was totally sucking at blending.  I still sort of suck at it, but not as much now.  Now, I think that I am at least good enough to get by.  I'm no where near where I would like to be, but I enjoy the fact that I am not committed to a skin tone or clothing color.  ALthough, these are still pretty much the colors that envisioned for my character when I first thought of him.  

I think with this particular picture, I was still attempting to use the detail air brush.  As a matter of fact I'm pretty sure of it, because I was going by the step by step guide that I had found on line.  Of course then I decided to try out a charcoal and I was in love.  I am committed to finishing these illustrations before the end of the year.  I know I can do it, if I just stop all of the procrastination.  

Since my client has not bothered to call me back, I have put his cover on the back burning until he knows what he want.  Until then, I am all about getting my own work done.

Learn, laugh, grow

-Forge

Down the Wrong Track

So, I sent my supposed client the line drawing below and ask him to contact me by phone if he has any revisions.  Instead of calling me, he sends me an email saying that it is not what he envisioned.  Okay, that's cool.  He is the client.  He knows what he wants (I think).  However, the sketch is totally on par with what he and I talked about.  I refined it a little, because you don't want anything too flashy on a book that is suppose to be about enter prospective.  I think the darn thing is going to be a winner.  Maybe not as good as I would do by hand, but pretty darn close (I hope).  At the end of the day, I had to send him an email, with this amount of progress, asking him to let me know if he does not want me to continue in this direction.  Let's face it.  I am not now, nor have I ever been a quick artist.  I am going to be putting in a boat load of man hours to make this thing sing for him and that is with the learning curve, since I have never do this before (and the damn thing has crashed on me three times while I was working on it, causing me to lose all my work and have to start again).  Not to mention that I am putting the illustrations for my own book on the back burning to get this finished for him.  

At the end of the day, this is the ultimate 'long distance' relationship.  My client is in California and I am in Texas, so the only way I can show him my progress is by sending him emails of the work thus far.

I gotta say, I am a bit disappointed.  I thought the concept was on point.  Now, to be told that I'm on the wrong track.  WTH?  Whatever.  I think....scratch that, I know this is the reason why I don't normally take commissioned assignments.  First, you have to try to think like the client.  Second, you have to put you own artistic ego to the side.  Third, nobody ever really appreciated the time in effort you put into bring their dream to life.  I rather do work for myself, that way if you like it you like it and if you don't, you don't (I didn't do it for you in the first place).

I think Erykay Budu said it best. "I'm an art and I'm sensitive about my shit."

Damn, this journey is making it difficult to.....

Learn, laugh, grow

-Forge

Got Your Number

Okay, so I finally got the serial number I needed to down load my Corel Painter 12.  For the most part the people at Corel are really helpful (once you get through).  Anyway, I am not working on my Commissioned Cover Art.  This will be the first time I have attempted to draw a realistic character using this particular medium, but I think I am up for the challenge.  At least I hope so.  I guess we will see.

I initially was not going to post this picture until it was approved by the author of the book, but then I thought, "bump that".  If I get this to work out right I want to share the triumph and if I screw it up, I can share the pain as well.

For the record the Author told me the concept of his book and let me know what he was looking for and then I took his idea and turn it into something much better.  I emailed him this line drawing, which I completed today and am waiting for his input on it.

So, here is how I started off.  Just a simple line drawing, using the 2b pencil in Corel Draw.  The next step is to move to charcoal and see if I can make the image pop with realism.  I gotta tell you, it is hard to do, since I am use to being able to work with the whole image and not just pieces of it at at time.  I'm afraid that my demission might suffer, or maybe equal shading.  Only time will tell.

Learn, laugh, grow

-Forge

What A Dumb-Dumb Chicken Little

Soooo, Chicken Little would be me.  So, I January I checked out the free thirty day trial of Corel Painter.  Loved it.  Sunday night I purchased the software off of Amazon.com (couldn't wait for it to show up.)  Got it today and was so excited, UNTIL I realized that I had purchased the "UPGRADE" version, which requires the serial number from an older version in order for the damn thing to work.  SUCKS.  Contacted Corel to see if they can help.  First try was on line.  Quick response, had to scan proof of purchase and receipt and email it to the representative.  Did that immediately, never heard back. Tired to go back online for the online chat support.  It was down.  SUCKS.  Called the customer service line and got through.  Spoke to a very nice lady who I explained the situation to.  I forwarded her the email that I sent to the original lady online.  She made me up a serial number that I was suppose to be able to use to install the product.  WONDERFUL.  Tried to install and serial number is not valid.  SUCKS.  Called back and have been on hold for over an hour now.  SUCKS.  All they do, while you are on hold is play the same two classical piano tunes over and over again.  SUCKS.  I'm pretty sure I can't send the damn thing back to Amazon and expect to replace it, since my dumb @SS already opened the package.  SUCK!

I am not a very a happy camper, right now.  Was so excited to start working on the book cover for my client and get back to the illustrations for my own book.  I truly hope these people can help me out, if I ever get through.  Until then I guess I'll have to live by the motto that I end every post with;

Learn, laugh, grow

-Forge

Rejected?

This is illustration reject.  Sort of.  Now that I see it again and am posting about it, I kind of like him.  I he might just need a little tweaking.  What you might find out about me is that I am not good at rejecting or throwing stuff out.  I am the ultimate idea harder.  I keep everything I ever draw, write or conceive of.  The only way they get tossed out is if it is done by somebody else.

Yeah, the more I think about it the more I think this kid is worthy of a second shot.  

Learn, laugh, grow

-Forge

Carpe diem

This is one of the original incarnations of the protagonist of my children's book.  He was conceived, drawn and colored while I was on vacation back in August of 2009.  This particular drawing was hand drawn, on paper, and colored using prismacolors and then inked.  Here, my character is off to seise the day.  The body language is right on point, but I decided to up grade the art.  Over all, the concept is still the same.  Same buck teeth, same choice in clothing and tuff of hair on top, but the character is just a little better conceived.  He is just one of the few original works of art that I will be up for purchase from ForgedWorks Studio.  This particular was also removed from the book.  The line in the story remains the same, but the way I decided to depict it has totally changed.  

Learn, laugh, grow

-Forge

Bringing sketches "Back"

So, this is a very old and rough sketch of one of my character standing up.   I was trying to get an idea of what he would look like both standing up and from behind.  At the end of the day it doesn't look like I'm even going to have to use it, because I don't have any illustrations with the character from the rear.  Of course you never know when it might come in handy.   If I was really trying to get a fill of his legs and how they would bend and how his arms would look.  In the illustration I originally had in mind, he was going to be standing at an ice cream counter with his mom, but at the end of the day that idea didn't pan out and I scrapped it.  I'm okay with it.  Not every idea is a good idea, right?  

Learn, laugh, grow

-Forge

Fingers Crossed

(Sketch of the deer from my Children's Book. I was trying to capture an expression. If you look closely there are four sets of eyes. One set looking downward, the other looking up sheepishly. I like this sketch. I think it is very sweet and innocent.)

Anyway, yesterday I mailed off four different proposals for my book. I know it takes any where from four weeks to nine months to hear back from any of them; good or bad. I want this so bad. SO BAD.

E.W. Forge

This is a none picture post.  I'm using it to advise the world that I got my first official job for ForgedWorks Studio.  Someone I know would like for me to illustrate the art work for the cover of his second book.  We had a nice conversation and bounced ideas off of each other this pass Wednesday.  He liked my idea, because I'm wonderful, and we cut a deal.  I'm just patiently waiting for the initial fee of 50 dollars to come in the mail before I start work on the final product.  Well, that and for my Corel Painter I order to come in.

Anyway, I can't show the final product for a while because first it isn't done and second it would be unfair for me to post it before he gets the book out there.  Once the book is out I'll post the picture.  Hopefully, if I have any followers, they might try to buy his book.

Learn, laugh, grow

-Forge

Okay, so today I worked on the logo that I showed you good people yesterday.  (Yes, I know nobody is reading, but you never know who might drop in.)  It took me forever to add the lettering, using Adobe Illustrator.  Mainly because I couldn't get the darn thing to "type on a path".  Anyway, not being a quitter, I decided that I could type and place the letters around the circle.  I'm happy with them.  I think I am leaning more towards the bottom one.  I really hope that I follow through with all of the dreams in my head.  Hell, even if I follow through with half of the dreams in my head, I'll be happy.

Learn, Laugh, Grow

-Forge

A Logo, Anvil (lol)

This is it, people. This is the logo I came up with for my company, if I ever get it off the ground. It is still incomplete, but I am very happy with the was it came out. It's an anvil, of course, with the initial of both my name and the name of my company being the focal point of it's make up. There is more to it, but my trail version of photoshop expired, so I'm without the tools I need to finish the second part of it. Still, this is the primary logo image and like I said, "I am very happy with the way it came out."

One I have learnt how to register the name of my business, I will post it. That way it will belong to me and I don't have to worry about the name being stolen right from under me.

Learn, laugh, grow,

-Forge

-

When I Dream, I Dream in Color.

Okay, folks. This is the original test coloring. I don't believe i used the step by step process. I think I just colored the darn thing. I gotta say, I was happy with this too. There is just a freedom to drawing with the Wacom tablet. The colors are always there. They never run out. It is totally forgiving. Which means that, I test what shade of brown I want my characters to be. Do I want them dark skinned, light skinned, medium skin? I can test them all and not be locked down after the fact. I like that I can save the step by step process (when I remember). There is no step by step here because, like I said, I think I just colored this.

This character is from a whole other book idea. This idea for him actually started of as the idea for a panel strip. When I was in my twenties and working for the Dallas Public Library, I came up yet another inept super hero. He has gone through sooo many transitions. Hero was suppose to be really simple and easy to illustrate. However, I gave him all these ill- proportioned body parts that makes him sucky to draw. Still, the idea of him is wonderful (in my mind).

I called this post, When I Dream, I Dream in Color, because I have a dream and I want to make it come true. I'm sick of waiting for other people to feed into my dream. I'm ready to do it myself. My Dream is big and bright and scary, however I believe I can do it. I plan to bring all of my cartoon ideas and book ideas to life and publish and market them my damn self.

It's a leap of faith, but I believe I can fly.

Thanks

I DID IT! I DID IT! (and my name ain't even Dora)

So, for Christmas I got a very expensive gift. It was something that I had been wanting for years, but would never buy for myself because I didn't know how to use the the programs needed to implement what I need to do with the system (i.e. color the illustrations for my Children's book).

Well, as you can see, I think I finally got the hang of it. The above image was completed last week and, in all honesty, is not my best work. Still, it is an example of what i have been playing with in the new year (3012). i think it is pretty good, although not in the same league as some of the comic book artist that like.

Any, the image is the protagonist for the children's book a finally finished illustration a couple of years back (and has been seriously rejected). Anyway, I scanned in the image, opened it up in a trail version of Corel Painter. Used the "Detail Airbrush" and the coloring party was on. I think it is pretty good, but not exactly where i wanted to be. Still, good for a second attempt.

How wonderful is the internet? After wasting a butt load of money on incompetent instructors, who didn't teach me squat...I google "step by step ways to color using Corel Painter" and it was on like popcorn.

On this particular image, I lost the layers, so what you see is what you get, but that is okay since I don't plain on using this color image in my final product. I find that I was able to manipulate the charcoal tool better and I am liking what I am getting out of it.

I still have to practice and fine tune my skills, but I'm happy what I am producing. I thing both parents and kids will like the final product. At least I am hoping and praying that they do.

Peace until next time and remember.