Jon Pinto

Drawing Tintin. Part Five.

2012-01-24T08:51:00.000-05:00

Done! I experimented with adding different textures and modified some of my painting method but nothing in the way that would be overtly obvious. Mostly for speeding up my process more than anything. I am happy with the way this turned out and I like the "European poster" feel the the graphics. I know my style is totally the opposite end of the spectrum from Herge's, but I hope Tintin fans would like in anyway.

Drawing Tintin. Part Four

2012-01-23T08:52:00.000-05:00

So after looking at the colored sketch a bit more, I decided that I should try something else. The yellow oval in the background just looked too much like the iconic Tintin running with Snowy image that everyone has seen and if I wanted to do that, I should go ahead and just do Tintin and Snowy running. But I didn't, so I figured why not bring in another character as a design element. Almost immediately thought of using the Thompson twins! Perfect!

I hope.

The digital drawing.

Digitally inked version.

Duplicated and merged.

I thought that worked out well so I just had to place it into the composition.


Final inked and flat color version.

Drawing Tintin. Part Three

2012-01-21T21:02:00.000-05:00

So the inked version is finished as well as dropping in the local color. I like the clean look here and this is where I can really tell if I like my own drawing. Seeing the clean, crisp lines with the thick and thin qualities really appeals to me. Have a I mentioned that part before in a previous posting?? I hope I am not getting repetitive. I hope I am not getting repetitive.

Drawing Tintin. Part Two

2012-01-20T08:56:00.000-05:00

So the progression of the Tintin picture is moving right along. You might be able to see that all three characters were drawn differently. They were also drawn in various places. Tintin himself was sketched out with a red pencil in my large sketchbook (which I rarely use as I prefer my smaller, travel sized book), Haddock was sketched right on the computer and Snowy was done with a ballpoint pen in my already mentioned smaller book. Once I assembled the pieces, I moved them into relative position and then worked up a value study and then colorized it.

Drawing Tintin. Part One

2012-01-19T09:50:00.000-05:00

I took my family to see The Adventures of Tintin over the Christmas holiday. My wife and son didn't know the character at all and I only remembered him from watching the animated version on HBO many years ago. I feel guilty in saying I knew very little about Herge nor had I read any of the actual Tintin books that date back about 80 years. I regret not picking up a book when I saw it at a shop last year on a trip out west to Seattle too. I think it may have been a bit pricey for me at the time. We all loved the film!! It was fun and we walked out really amazed on how much we enjoyed it. I was leary of the motion capture animation as I am not too fond of the Polar Express and such, but I figured that this one was done by the same people who made The Lord of the Rings, King Kong and Rise of the Planet of the Apes. They must know what they are doing. I was right. They do!! I totally forgot about it being animated and just really enjoyed the film like you are supposed to do! It didn't hurt (in my estimation at least) that the movie was also written by Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat!!

So since seeing the film, I have been reading up on Herge and his hero. I watched a documentary and seen bits of earlier screen versions. I have even gotten to read copies of the books and I am very impressed. I saw in the documentary how Herge had an eye for detail and how he really wanted to get things to look right and the way he blended his purely cartoon figures with his spot on drawings of cars and viking ships is really inspiring.

I didn't really set out to do a Tintin drawing. I didn't leave the movies proclaiming that "I have to draw that!" In fact, I don't think I EVER do that about anything. Anyway, I initially doodled a little something on a yellow post-it note and that was quickly followed by another. Then, of course, one thing led to another.

The Happiness Patrol (redux)

2012-01-16T06:07:00.000-05:00

I love podcasts. As I get older I find that there is so much less to listen to on the radio and what was once my haven during long commutes, has now pretty much turned to a wasteland. I don't have satelite radio, so I am not including that in my statement. I got turned on to podcasts a few years back when I needed something new to listen to on my headphones while I was slaving away in the office. I was bored with my playlists in iTunes and looked for alternatives. I found podcasts. I downloaded a few and I was hooked. So much to choose from and you can listen when you want. What's not to love? Things looked even brighter when I got my iPhone and I was able to listen to even more podcasts while I got up early to walk several miles each day AND then listen to and from work. I needed more podcasts!! I found them. I try new ones every so often and give them a chance to stick. Oddly, most podcasts I currently listen to I found because they found me first. I found Nerdist after they posted my Weeping Angel art and then found Earth Station One when they used my Eleven Doctors art to advertise an episode. Even the Dirty WHOers gave me a mention on their show a few years back! Fun!

One show I really started to enjoy was The Happiness Patrol. It's a Doctor Who themed show and the cast is made up of strong personalities which makes for good listening in my opinion. During one show, the host mentioned that he lived in Orlando. I think I sent him an email, a phone call followed and then we met for lunch one day. We have shared several lunches now and I get a kick out of talking to Lewis on my bluetooth connected phone when I am driving. It's seems like the podcast can hear me!! Well, one thing led to another and Lew asked if I would freshen up the look of their blog and such. I thought it would be fun too so I agreed.

I don't have the time lapse video for this one but I do have a slew of pics of the stages involved to get to the final. Enjoy!

Random Photoshop paint exercise

2012-01-13T18:56:00.000-05:00

I have no idea what started me doodling this pic. I was probably really bored at whatever I was supposed to be doing and went off on a "creative" tangent. It's been such a long time since I attempted to digitally paint on a single layer and treat it like a traditional painting and work from dark to light. I probably failed in that, and other, departments!!

On the left is what I came up with. What a turd! I guess there are certain aspects I can take away as a positive and know that it was just an exercise but WOW what a boring picture! The one on the right is only slightly better as I re-sized and pushed the values a lot more but still boring. I will mention that up to this point I spent about fifteen minutes.

While I was riding the wave of experimentation, I thought I would bust out the liquify tool and have a go. I admit to not being very well versed with that exact tool so I threw caution to the wind. What a risk taker eh!

I kinda like where this wound up. Maybe it's because it really came from nothing. Maybe you CAN polish a turd!! Hmmmmmm...............

New Year Doodles

2012-01-12T18:41:00.000-05:00

Wow! Is it the new year already?? What the heck happened to 2011?? So life has been a bit hectic during and since the holidays and I didn't mean to go so long without a post but hey, life happens. So I only have some scratchings for you today and I hope that it's enough to keep you checking for further updates. I do have a few cool pics planned out and I just finished a cool project that I will be posting about soon.

I think I may have led off last year with a post with Pinto MacBean. I will have to go and check that out. I was hoping to do a few other Pinto pics but it just didn't happen. Maybe in 2012.

Here is another iPhone painting done at Epcot while my son and I were waiting on line to see the wonderful Candlelight Processional. And I am not just saying that because my wife sings in the chorus. Sharp eyed viewers may be able to make out the Christmas tree at the far left of the painting.

Merry Christmas 2011!!

2011-12-21T14:57:00.000-05:00

That wonderful time of year is once again upon us and even tho the year is usually filled with both good and bad things, I hope that during this season we can all come together and pray for a better tomorrow.

This years cards were done on time and the order even arrived to my house this year. So no drama in that department. I hope you like it.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

My Christmas present this year was meeting George Perez!

2011-12-18T11:53:00.000-05:00

...again!

George was once again in my town to help raise money for the local theatre group and was doing quick sketches to do so. This time Mindy came with me for moral support and to either laugh at me stumbling over my words or to prevent it from happening. I am not really sure which. George does not remember meeting me priviously but why should he?? I never held any illusion that I would walk in and he would proclaim, "Jon! Great to see you again!". And that is probably a good thing for my health as if that had indeed happened, my head would have exploded. I don't think I really need to keep elaborating how much George Perez has meant to me, but if you want you can go back and read all that here.

So without further ado, here is another pic of my and my idol and inspiration, Mr. George Perez and the head shot of Ant-Man too!! Awesome!!

Ghost Hunters International!!

2011-12-14T19:28:00.000-05:00

Avid readers will know that two members of SyFy's Ghost Hunters International were also present at the recent Hurricane Who show along with yours truly. You can read all about that here. So, long story short, Paul Bradford of said Ghost Hunters contacts me and asks if I would be interested in doing a picture for him and Scott Tepperman to use as they hit other shows and conventions! Nice! I acted all humble and low key while accepting the offer and then ran to tell my wife and proceeded to jump up and down with glee. I am so professional!!

This was actually a really fun pic to do even with the ASAP deadline and I think it turned out pretty good. Paul was really easy going and open to letting me just be me and had some fun with the picture. They even picked the thumbnail I liked better and you know how often that happens!! So here are some goodies to look over. I am posting both rough sketches they got to choose from and the final ink line before painting as well as the final. No video this time. Sorry, just didn't have the time to do one. I might be able to cobble one together in the future but I got another rush job cooking right now so I am back to the drawing board. Enjoy!!

You can, of course, follow Ghost Hunters International here on their SyFy page.

Logan's Run (Again!)

2011-12-03T22:56:00.000-05:00

A few blog postings ago I mentioned, and even previewed, a re-worked version of the Logan's Run art I originally did back in 2008. What a difference a few years makes! Now to be fair, the original one was done when I was just first started to think about what my work should look like. And I am not convinced that you actually get to make that a concrete decision. It seems to have a life of its own and it behaves and grows on it's own and you can really only influence it and nuture it. A lot like being a parent actually.

I really didn't expect to finish this picture so soon either as I have so many other projects keeping me busy right now but it moved along faster than anticipated and a lot of the thinking about it had been worked out back in 2008. As was much of the leg work such as looking for reference. So here is my re-worked version of Logan's Run plus the time lapse video and even more sketches of the development including THE original one done those many years ago.

Enjoy!

Lunchtime Painting 3

2011-12-02T09:43:00.000-05:00

...and 4 actually. I got two done and figured I would post them both this time as I barrel away on some other projects. Got some cool stuff coming as well as this year's Christmas card! That didn't sound right. The Christmas card is cool too.

An Accidental Bond

2011-11-28T15:00:00.001-05:00

I was doodling the other night right in Photoshop and drew a dapper looking fellow seen here.

I really liked the looseness and such but I was also taken with how "Bond" he looked. To me anyway. I remember seeing a sketch that Ian Fleming had done when he first created the character and this is what it reminded me of. Upon further investigation I saw how my memory played a few tricks with me but the impression was made. With some tweaking and painting in a short amount of time I was left with a more Daniel Craig version of Bond. At least I thought so.

Lunchtime Painting 2

2011-11-23T13:54:00.000-05:00

Here is another iPhone painting from a few lunch breaks taken in the park here in Central Florida.

The Master! Part Five

2011-11-21T10:32:00.000-05:00

"You. Are. Not. ALONE!" To me, one of the best moments of the new series of Doctor Who. It still gives me chills to watch that scene. Derek Jacobi gives a chilling performance and I honestly felt sad that "Professor Yana" was only a disguise and he was going away. Plus I really loved how so many seeds for this story were planted so far in advance. I think I want to go watch it again now.

And as usual, the time lapse video.

Lunchtime Painting

2011-11-20T18:26:00.000-05:00

With the weather so glorious here in Central Florida lately, I have taken to having my lunch at a nearby park. It's quiet, peaceful and best of all, not in the office! I spent about two days with my leftover time working on my iPhone on a landscape painting. I got more in the hopper too.

"My Friend Pinto" ?????

2011-11-19T15:57:00.003-05:00

Um. Ok. I really don't know what to say about this. I will tell you that I actually found the trailer on-line and watched it. I have no desire to watch the movie.

Bret did it again.

2011-11-17T19:48:00.001-05:00

Bret Melvin struck again. You may remember a blog posting not to long ago that featured many of the iterations of my peerless mug! Well, the one by my co-worker Bret, has been taken to another level. He decided to not only draw yet another version of me, but to also take the drawing already done and take it to another level. I like this one so much it has replaced the older portrait that graced this blog in the "about me" section.

Here is the "quickie".

"He's a hunk-o, hunk-o burnin' love!"

iPhone 4 & 4S cases!

2011-11-14T09:22:00.001-05:00

I finally got my new iPhone 4S and a terrific case for it as well!! Yeah, it's my Eleven Doctors picture! I had the weeping angel on my old iPhone so I thought I would mix it up a bit. You can get one too at my Red Bubble store and you can use that handy link or the one that is always down to the right of the screen.

What's in the pipeline.

2011-11-11T09:14:00.000-05:00

As we begin to run into the holiday season, I know that I have to really start making strides on this years Christmas card for the Pinto family! That is priority one as my demanding art director knows where I sleep! I'm also plodding away at the next Master installment as you have already seen the small sketch done at the Hurricane Who show. Here is a value study of that same sketch.

Also, while at the show, a nice fella named Chris was working the booth right in front of us. Cool guy and we got to chat some as well. He's a big Logan's Run fan and really liked my pic that was in my book ( you can see it here ). He was kind enough to bring in a working prop replica from the film to show my one day too!! Was really neat! So I got to thinking that I wonder what my Logan's Run pic would look like if I painted it now as it was done just prior to the current look of my work. I know this really goes against the changing of my work rule once my name is on it, but if Lucas can do it..........

hmmmmm....

Two Quickies from the Show.

2011-11-08T14:41:00.001-05:00

I was a bit miffed at myself for not having any art ready to be signed from the other guests at the show. I was so wrapped up about getting everything together that it never even crossed my mind. Plus the fact that I never anticipated Mr. Malloy or Mr. Bulloch being so generous with signing stuff for me and my son. Luckily I had a Boba Fett painting done some time ago that I could print out and bring in (you saw it here ). What I did not have (yet) is a picture I had done of Davros!! So, being worried and nervous about how the second day would go, I got little sleep so I found myself with some time to do a quick digital painting of the creator of the Daleks. Printed it out and viola!! Simple as that right!!?? I hope to do a "Pinto" version of the character in the near future. Maybe a whole scene with the 5th Doctor, Tegan, etc.! Fun!

Terry Malloy signed it to my son and even added "Exterminate" to it!!

I also had some free time during the show to work on the next installment of The Master! I'll finish this one day too. Holidays are coming ya know!

I Survived Hurricane Who 2!!

2011-11-07T10:17:00.000-05:00

So my first convention appearance is now in my rear view mirror. Wow!! Overall I have to say that I had a GREAT time! The first time you do just about anything is met with some trepidation and this was no exception. I didn't know anything about "loading in" and the behind the scenes stuff at shows like this and really proceeded with caution. So glad Mindy was there with me to keep me from getting over run with nerves. I knew starting off with a small show such as this was the way to go tho, and I was correct with that at least. We didn't exactly sell out or turn profits, but we did better than expected and had some other perks that you can't put money on. I got to meet some really awesome people!!! I don't think I was set up for more than 10 minutes when a kindly, soft-spoken gentleman came over and introduced himself with a "good morning" salutation to boot! My jaw hit the floor and I admit that I had to take a fleeting glimpse of his name badge to confirm what I already knew and that I was shaking hands and conversing with Mr. Jeremy Bulloch. Boba Fett himself!!! He was as nice as can be and not only in complementing my work but then sharing stories of working on Doctor Who and Star Wars with no prodding. Check out the picture!!

It sure didn't stop there. Some of you may know that I began my Doctor Who fixation back during the mid-80's with the Fifth Doctor and one of the biggest villians he faced was not just the Daleks, but the creator of the Daleks! Davros!! Played then by Mr. Terry Molloy. Again, he could not have been nicer. He even got one of my t-shirts! DAVROS GOT ONE OF MY DOCTOR WHO T-SHIRTS!!!!!! Both gentlemen were kind enough to sign prints of their characters that I had painted for me as well.

Here are two guys Mindy and I have seen on tv as well. Ghost Hunters International. Again, both super nice but Scott (on the right of the photo) was not feeling well. I kept telling him to not touch me because who the heck knows what kind of germ a Ghost Hunter will be carrying. Unfortunatly he is reaching behind Paul in this picture to rub his hand on me!! I got a big kick out of Paul being a HUGE Doctor Who fan and when Naoko Mori from Torchwood was signing right next to him, Mindy and I got a big kick watching him turn red! I thought his head was going to explode!

There were some other great moments too. All the other dealers were fun and gracious with advice for future shows and I had fun talking and hanging with them. I hope to see them at other shows. Jimmy, if you see this, I am really sorry for not saying good bye!! I had some cool moments with several kids that are going to my alma mater, The Ringling College of Art and Design. Kinda neat that I was signing stuff for them. I also had a blast talking to all the fans who just turned out with and without costumes. I hope you all had fun! Here are some pics I took.

Obviously The Doctor. Look at the name tag.

Me and K-9!!!

Another happy fan walks away. I hope.

Sadly, not the line to see me but for Arthur Darvill.

A roman, a weeping angel and a River Song.

The Ninth Doctor. Cool!

Two Days to Hurricane Who!

2011-11-02T12:58:00.002-04:00

Getting really nervous now. I've never had a table at a show before so if you read this and are going to be there, stop by and let me know that I should relax!! First person who mentions my blog gets two free cards. Hope to see you there!!

Look! Even HE wants one!

Working on The Night Shift: Final!

2011-10-27T11:59:00.002-04:00

It's done. It's FINALLY done!! Not that I was laboring over this one or anything like that, I actually really had fun working on this pic and I am super happy with the final result too! I hope the homage to the Shaun of the Dead poster is appreciated too. My one regret now that it's all over is that I didn't plan the headstones well enough. I should have had the people who worked on the movie's names on them. Or even mine! Oh well. Next time.

Happy Halloween everyone!!

And as usual, here is the time lapse movie too. Enjoy!

Update 10/28/11: Thanks to an insightful critic (that's you Cory!), here it is again but with a black border.

Working on The Night Shift: Part Three

2011-10-26T09:31:00.000-04:00

So sorry. If you were hoping to see the final yesterday (like me!), you were obviously disappointed. I know I was. Turns out the community yard sale last weekend and the play at my son's school took more time than I expected. Plus, and I am not just saying this to buy more time, I don't want to rush this. Honestly. I want this to be right and it's not like I had to have it at the printers or anything of that nature. It is almost done so I just need to stay the course. It'll be worth the wait or lunch is on me! Not really.

Here is a sneak peek tho. Enjoy it!

Road to Hurricane Who: Part Four

2011-10-24T17:28:00.000-04:00

Banner arrived several days ago. Well, the second version at least. The first one that arrived did not print very well but the good people at Vista Print were kind enough to re-print it for me with a new file that compensated for the bad printing. The second one was great!! Yesterday, Mindy and I went to the hardware store and bought PVC piping and fittings to create a frame/stand for it. Ok, Mindy really built it and I helped but hey, I'm not too proud. Here are more crappy pics from my iPhone.

Working on The Night Shift: Part Two

2011-10-22T14:49:00.002-04:00

Just thought I would post the final drawing, inked and inked with flat color. I have to say that the inking stage is the most fun for me. With all the thick and thin lines and the clean edges in Illustrator, I know I am on the right path when it looks good like this. Plus, using the latest version of Illustrator has made this stage SO much faster than it used to take me. The width control and live editing of the line are the most useful things ever added to Illustrator for my money.

More to come soon!!

Working on The Night Shift

2011-10-20T21:15:00.001-04:00

Way back in Feburary, I ran across a blog that spoke about my work being stolen and sold without my consent. It wasn't my blog, if that is what you are thinking. I mean that someone else had taken notice and was kind enough to write about it and help spread the word. I was touched that someone thought enough to do that and I contacted her to show my appreciation. What I didn't know at the time is that Erin is also quite a talent and makes really cool films with her husband. I followed a few links and watched the trailers and the original short of a film called The Night Shift. It's REALLY cool! I thought it had a teriffic and original premise and the characters were awesome! I started some doodles but didn't initially proceed because another artist, Kyle Henry, had already done an awesome painting (and with real paint!!). I didn't want to try and follow that! Over time tho and after doing my Mercury Men picture, I decided to actually give it a go and just take it my own way. As I write this, I am not done with the final but I am getting close enough to start posting doodles and such. My plan at the moment (besides getting ready for the Hurricane Who show) is to have this done by the time the DVD of the movie length version is out. I have not seen it, but I am waiting to pick up my copy at my local Wal-Mart! It can also be purchased at Amazon.

Some of the initial thumbnails were photographed with my iPhone and unfortunatley they are all that remains of those initial sketches. Glad I at least had these poor photos. The ones with the yellow paper on done on post-it's!!

Once I got my basic idea, I roughed out a bigger composition right on the computer and then quickly did a value study.

That's it for now. Stay tuned for further updates! Enjoy!!

Road to Hurricane Who: Part Three

2011-10-19T11:19:00.000-04:00

Books arrived!!! So excited to get home tonight and find a box knowing it contained my printed books! I was super careful as I cut thru the cardboard and wrapping making sure to not damage anything. They came out great!! I know my lousy iPhone pics (3GS by the way so I have no exterior illumination on my camera.) do NO justice to the book, you have to see them in person. And I hope you do!! I am getting really nervous now.

Road to Hurricane Who: Part Two

2011-10-15T11:30:00.001-04:00

Posters? Check! Oversized cards? Check! Sharpies? Check! So far so good. Book is printed and I am just waiting on delivery. Also ordered plastic sleeves (still need cardboard backing) for original art! Yup! Gonna be unloadind just about all of the drawings used to create most of the work in the book and seen here on my blog.

Also, and I really was not planning on this, t-shirts!! Yup, t-shirts!! This is a design that you cannot find on my Red Bubble site either, you can only get it from me. The bad thing, ...I only have about 5 at the moment. The machine at the printer for these broke and I am waiting to see if it gets up and running again in time to get more for the show. Talk about your limited quantities!!

Farewell Mr. Jobs

2011-10-09T11:28:00.000-04:00

I don't own a Macintosh computer. Most people find that odd as I am a working digital artist. Truth be told, I didn't even really use a computer until my senior year of college but upon graduating, I could no way offord a Mac. The first edition iMac had just come out and an Apple rep told me flat out that it would not do what I needed it to do. Times have changed. Now, as you may know, I do have an iPhone and my wife has an iPad and an iPod. I also use a Mac at my day job so it's not like I am against Apple products or have any aversion to them. Oddly enough, I had met my wife at our local AT&T store after work to pre-order the new incarnation of the iPhone to upgrade my ancient one and use the buy back money to get Mindy an iPhone as well. How ironic that minutes later when we got home that I had learned that Steve Jobs had passed away. There is nothing I can say about a man I never met or saw in person that has not already been said. I thought it be fitting that I painted him on my phone tho. Rest in peace Mr. Jobs.

The Master! Part Four

2011-10-08T13:41:00.000-04:00

If you have been reading this blog for any amount of time you will know of my odd fondness for the 1996 Doctor Who movie. Now, most of that is, of course, because of the performance of Paul McGann as the Doctor and the high production values. On the other hand, the casting of The Master was.............weird. People either like or hate Eric Roberts and his casting was strange, I think, because of him being an American. He also chews so much scenery that I have cavities!! But he is considered proper cannon so here he is. I did skip over Gordon Tipple in his unspoken cameo in the opening credits. Sorry Gordo.

As usual, here is a time lapse video:

Tattoo Who is Finished!!

2011-10-05T20:18:00.001-04:00

Hey! I just had to share with you that after long last, the tattoo of my artwork is finally complete! Not on me, but a fine individual named Lee. Lee was kind enough to shoot me an email after just completing it today, so it's not even healed yet! What a trooper! Looks great and I am honored.

You can see the initial outline on Lee's arm here.

Ranger Riding Again??

2011-10-03T09:21:00.001-04:00

I admit that I am fan of old time heroes. Nothing new to learn with that, but I also admit that I have been waiting for the Disney re-boot of the Lone Ranger. Now say what you will about Johnny Depp as Tonto, it doesn't bother me. And after that terrible WB movie about a decade ago, I don't think it can get much worse than that. Now many "purists" or people who form opinions without really being fans of the material, may squawk at the idea of the Lone Ranger fighting werewolves in the old west as it is rumored to happening in the new movie. I think that's brilliant! I may not know much Indian legends and folklore, but I think that makes sense. Plus the fact that the Lone Ranger always shot silver bullets anyway!! So I read that the Disney movie was cancelled and then just recently said that it was back on the table made me happy. I hope it works and hope it is a good movie!!

Here is an iPhone doodle of the Ranger to pass the time as I labor on with other pics.

Vacation iPhone Painting

2011-09-24T21:19:00.003-04:00

The family and I went to the beach for a weekend so I took some of the free time to do a few phone paintings. I figured I have not done one of these in a while so what the heck. By the way, I really sucked at plein air painting back in college. Why couldn't I digitally phone paint photos back then!? Oh right. It didn't exist yet. Damn!

Turning back the clock

2011-09-21T20:43:00.000-04:00

So the time has come once again to dig deep into the vaults of the Pinto archieve to show you how the fledging young artist began to cut his teeth. I don't really know when these were done but the best I can guess is around 1977-78.

I always thought of myself as an undiscovered talent in the comic book market and was just waiting for Stan Lee to notice and put me to work doing whatever the heck I wanted and giving me a check for it. Sweet dreams of youth! I remember drawing this pic and worked pretty hard with a pencil and crayons to do my own inking and coloring and to pull off the cover of my comic. Notice, it's a first issue! Too bad there was never a second! I made this character up and I actually drew him for years after this initial foray. I changed the costume not long after and I even had an entire binder filled with drawing and tracings of the guy. I am pretty sure all those are long gone but at least I still have this, the original pic and that is thanks to my Mom.

This one, I think was done maybe up to a year later and I think that because of the way the muscles are drawn. That would not sound so weird if this was another drawing of a super-hero, but oddly, ...it's of Pinocchio. I have absolutley no memory of drawing this or why. I apparently gave it to a classmate of mine who was kind enough to scan it in and email it to me. Thanks Karen. I also have no idea why she kept a picture of a muscular Pinocchio.

Also please note the lack of watermarks on these two pieces of "art". Feel free to print these out and sell them. Good luck.

The Mercury Men! ...In Color!!

2011-09-16T06:34:00.002-04:00

I never actually intended this piece to be in color at all. In fact, most elements were done strictly in black and white as I thought it would be not only faster but more faithful to the fact that the series is in black and white. While painting the main characters (in color), I came to really start to sway, and when they were pasted into the final file, I knew that I had to make two seperate pictures. Turns out that since I had such editable layers, it was quite easy to do and lo and behold, color! I kept the distressing and such off of this one to make the two more distinct. As if one being full color would not be distinct enough! Anyway, enjoy this one as well as the black and white version and enjoy the time lapse video as well.