John Carter of Mars. Part Six

I am really on my way to getting this done now!! Serious this time. I finally feel that I am in the home stretch and even started to think about what is next. I also took some time out to work on something for personal use. Like anything I do here is not for personal use. Really! Who am I kidding?? I was having a personal debate with myself over my "artistic pursuits" and for some time, been really wrestling with the thought of my work being very "low brow" or trivial. It may be. But I like it. You can make an argument that while I may make pictures, I am not making "art" even if I may refer to it as that from time to time. I am totally fine with that. Things have a way of presenting themselves and maybe there may come a time when I am able to "make art" but I am happy that my pictures make at least me happy. That is what is really important. I am not blessed with being able to make a living off of what I do for fun and must work a "9-5" job. Granted I work in an "art department", but trust me, nobody is making art there either! Nothing but pictures for profit and it is a real grind sometimes. They don't warn you or teach you about what I do for a living back in art school. I wonder how many students would have a change of heart, or major, if they knew that their career path would be like mine?? Hmmmmmm. Wow! I am really just rambling on at this point. I have had too much sun and wore myself out at Star Wars Weekends today. So anyway, here is some progress on what I started out writing about. Got two figures inked and ready for paint with the third not far behind. Like I said, almost done now.

John Carter of Mars. Part Five

This is getting ridiculous now. Granted, I have been known to make some changes along the way when I make a picture, but what is going on with this one is off the charts for me. Maybe it's a good thing. Maybe I needed to be pushed and forced to re-examine things. A teacher in college always professed that you should always draw things at least three times. Or maybe the subject matter is cursed and that is why the movie that took one hundred years to be made after the book was published, failed. Maybe.

Anyway, I have another artist on this post who has been following the progress as it has continued on and Bret has been kind enough to bounce ideas off of and to contribute his own thoughts as well. Here are some quick roughs he did as we further explored the gestures of the characters.

And here is yet another composite of the revisions.

John Carter of Mars. Part Four

Am I dragging this one out?? Does it at least seem that way?? I admit to feeling a bit guilty of feeling that I am but in all honesty I just have not had as much time as I thought I would have had to get this done although I am looking forward to finishing it. I am making some headway tho.

Here are some more doodles as I continue to explore the gestures of the figures.

Here is a quick sketch of Deja that was done off to the side of a different drawing that is not really worth showing.

Did manage to finish my background tho!! I am really jazzed about how this came out.

Here are the figures quickly thrown into the background.

John Carter of Mars. Part Three

So I thought I was almost done and then I was hit with the lightning bolt that I needed to change the poses. Yeah. I do that a lot. Here go the revisions. I LOVE being my own art director!!

Where it was before re-thinking it.

Quick pen sketch in my book. Big hand for a big gun!

Digital doodle

Think I am going with this one.