Hallow's Eve

Beautiful day

Neo Noir

Hellboy in Winter

90's X-Men

John Locke

Hellboy sketches

ink & watercolor

Caricatures

Garibaldi

Teacher

Portrait

Ojai Valley Inn Proposed Entry

Abstract

Lighthouse

The Bungalows

Fathom again

Sketches

Elephant sketches

Underwater

Minimalism

Sad sad man

Thacher School Rendering

Spring

Cartoon style

Go Green Ojai Exhibition poster

Melancholy

California Noir

Faces

California Barn Style

Eclectic Small House Design

Fathom

This is a revised version of the Fathom drawing I did a while back. The nice thing about photoshop is that I can tweak colors easily.

Hawk

I haven't posted for a while. I did this the other day with the Wacom tablet. It's all digital. I usually draw in pen or pencil, scan it, then color in photoshop. This was an attempt to do it all in photoshop. I actually got some pretty good control over the tablet.

Cove Life

I just finished this drawing. I've been meaning to do an underwater drawing or painting of La Jolla for a long time but wasn't sure how to compose it. A lot of people do underwater paintings but they feel cluttered. I tried to simplify. This is generally what La Jolla feels like underwater. I put a leopard shark in but it didn't work for the composition. The harbor seal is inspired by an actual harbor seal that visited us during our swim in January around the kelp bed. It was a perfect day, Santa Ana and thirty foot visibility. The water was only 59, great for January.

Quick Color

Here's a quick digital I did for color theory testing. I forgot my Wacom pen so I used a mouse instead. I can't believe I used a mouse all these years. I'm learning that when you use the appropriate tool for the job usually the job is easier. This picture was a quickie to help me understand warm to cool and desaturation.

Cliff and Tree

Here's another one I did digitally. As usual very few people check this blog and the few people who do probably have stopped because I stopped posting for so long. It also doesn't help that I have many interests. Comics have a more urban rebellious screw you attitude while the landscape stuff is designed to be more calming and pretty. Looking at the fractured nature of this blog it becomes apparent that the two philosophies don't mesh well together compositionally. I'm thinking about doing two blogs one for each philosophy. Obviously as you can tell by this blog I tend to side with the landscape stuff, but it doesn't mean I don't believe in the comic philosophy.

Been Awhile

Hi again. The long winter is over and I'm starting up drawing again for the spring and summer. During the winter months I'm just trying to survive the short days and feelings of apathy. Attempting to draw and failing can make the winter even worse so I decided to go into a dormancy for three months until the time change. I really get motivated this time of year because of the blooming gardens, travel and Comic Con in July. I'm starting to get the hang of the Wacom tablet. This is an attempt at a very colorful, printlike style that I have tried in Acrylic but decidedt to try it digitally instead. I kinda like the look.

Slowin' Down

Sorry about not posting for a while. I haven't forgotten. There are a lot of blogs and sites on the net that people have just abandoned. I don't want this one to be one of those. I'll try to keep posting. This is an old drawing I did over a year ago. It was an attempt to play with ink and watercolor. It's not my favorite but there are a few neat things about it. As I said in the last post, usually I slow down this time of year. I'm currently working on some architecture and philosophy work. I'm also working on understanding 3D programs, which is really complex. I'll try to draw some more. I don't really want to post photos, that feels a little lazy to me. See ya next time.

Red Tailed Hawk

Here's a drawing I did of a Red Tailed Hawk. I grew up with these guys flying around the San Diego back country. They are beautiful birds. I usually slow down this time of year with my drawing and start up again in December or January . I'm going to try to keep drawing during the Fall.

What the Hell?

Pretty self explanatory.

Santa Barbara Again

Here's a quickie drawing. I did the ink in my sketchbook on site, took a picture, and then colored it at home. I cheated a little, but I kinda like the look. Obviously you can tell I like Santa Barbara a lot. So many cities in Southern California lack a clear identity, filled with a hodge podge of houses built during the booms of the 50's through 80's, cheap construction and worse design. The Santa Barbara city government makes sure that people can't get lazy and build unsightly apartments or track homes to make a quick buck. This results in one of the most picturesque cities on the west coast. Of course the city has it's share of problems. The majority of residents are renters, the cost of a home averages over a million dollars, and creative freedom is limited, but, hey, it sure is pretty.

Rain and Neon

Here's a drawing I've worked off and on for the last few days. I always wanted to do a Ridley Scott 'Blade Runner', 'Black Rain' scene. I read in an interview with him where he said that 'Blade Runner" was essentially a cinematography exercise in rain, steam, and light. All the story stuff was secondary. Doing a drawing like this is like rudimentary CGI. In the big blockbuster movies the CG we see that looks so photoreal is comprised of hundreds to thousands of layers, three dimensional models, hair, lighting, texture, rain, smoke, etc. Each layer takes hours and hours of manpower. I don't think the average moviegoer knows how complex it all is, there's no magic button that creates those images. I'm not a big expert on the stuff and it freaks me out how long it takes and all the mathematics and programs but I don't think anyone can argue that the images in those films are beautiful. Of course most would also argue that story is sacrificed for image, but for every 'Phantom Menace' and 'Day After Tomorrow' is an 'Iron Man' or 'Lord of the Rings'.

Hellboy

Here's a drawing I did over the last few days. I haven't drawn for a while. I was focusing on other things and hit a lull. This was my attempt to break out of it. This is obviously a picture of Hellboy. Most people didn't know who he was before the movies came out. I haven't seen the second one yet, probably should. I liked the first film but it was mostly based on the first few storylines of the series, mostly "Seed of Destruction" and "Conqueror Worm". Nowadays Mike Mignola is basing most of his stories on old folklore. It is supernatural with an emphasis on natural. This is what makes Hellboy such a unique character. I thought that Guillermo Del Toro emphasized the more superhero elements and less of the old style horror and folklore that makes the comics so unique. I drew the drawing in a more traditional comic style, pencil and ink with no layering on photoshop.