I have not seen the original Woman in Black, but from the trailer below I am not only eager to see it, but the original as well. I love creepy toys.
Also pages 9 & 10 of Sanctus Sanatorium are online now the links are below.
Page 9
Page 10
Friday, August 19, 2011
Friday, July 15, 2011
Sanctus Sanatorium Page 8 is up
To view the story from the beginning, Sanctus Sanatorium
The whole process of laying out a graphic novel page has taken me back to school in so many ways. I would be the first to admit some of my attempts have been clumsy and awkward. Yet as Sanctus Sanatorium continues I am hoping that my story telling skills visually will evolve.
Right now the first 8 pages have been rather text heavy. This is not intended to be the case throughout the rest of the story. I needed to build a back story as well as develop some atmosphere. In fact Chapter 1 is in this way almost a prologue.
Sanctus Sanatorium is being done in a rather unconventional way. It is penciled out first then digitally colored in Photoshop. My Photoshop skills are mostly self taught through tutorials and such and just playing with the software. If I traditionally inked my work then I would never finish due to the fact I am a meticulous inker
. I find that pencil and digital colors go hand in hand and also help move the process somewhat efficiently for me. I also like the way the finished pages look. I recently joined the group Serious Comics, [link] and have been very impressed by the work going on there and also very humbled. There is a lot of great stuff there.
I know that many do not see comics as a serious art form, yet it is one of the oldest outlets for illustrators that remains alive today. I also learned and was inspired by comic book artists in my youth. Artists like Jim Steranko, Barry Windsor-Smith, Bernie Wrightson, M. Kaluta and others had me breaking out pencils and pens when I was a lad trying to emulate them.
In fact growing up, all I wanted to be in life was a comic book artist.
That never happened.
Yet the desire to tell a story in a visual medium such as comics never left me though often I would discard the idea due to the amount of commitment required. That is until now. So in my own amateurish way I have come full circle. Queue Harry Chapin's "All My Life's a Circle."
I am enjoying doing Sanctus Sanatorium and also I am learning again. Not just in the area of visual story telling, which I am a novice at, but also humility in realizing that what I am doing will not strike a chord with everyone but most likely a select few. Trust me, I am totally alright with that. I would rather have a good impact on a few then a minor one with the many. I also have an ace in the hole in respect to this. I am not being published so like a corporation that has to play to the share holders, I can be rather true to my own creative vision.
I never was good at marketing
So to those that are enjoying Sanctus Sanatorium, its for you.
Anon
Friday, July 1, 2011
Page 7 of Sanctus Sanatorium is now onliine
Friday, June 24, 2011
Page 6 of Sanctus Sanatorium is online
I am actually quite happy with the progress I have made so far. I have been able to update weekly on Sanctus Sanatorium despite having a job and other obligations. I cannot promise however, that this will be the norm. But I can promise that it will be updated at least twice a month.
Below is a panel from page 6
The site, Tales of Obscuro now has its own news section here.
If you have found Tales of Obscuro on the web then you have found somethings rather odd and obscure. I hope you enjoy it as much as I am doing it.
Below is a panel from page 6
The site, Tales of Obscuro now has its own news section here.
If you have found Tales of Obscuro on the web then you have found somethings rather odd and obscure. I hope you enjoy it as much as I am doing it.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Sanctus Sanatorium
I have just completed the first page of my online graphic novel and am currently penciling the second page. The banner below is the entrance to the site once it is fully functional. I don't intend to upload the first page there until the first chapter is completed. This is the link.
Here is a preview of the first page:
Below are some questions and answers:
How often will it be updated?
I work full time and am putting a lot of energy into this. I cannot make any promises on how often it will be updated but it will be a completed storyline.
How long will this story be?:
Pretty damn long. It does have a definite ending already worked out in my head. But I will say this, if this project goes well and I am happy with it then there will be other stories told about the town Obscuro.
Where is Obscuro?:
In my head.
What time period do things happen in Obscuro?:
Victorian/Edwardian times
Your tag line states that there are as many tales as there are cats in Obscuro, are there a lot of cats?:
Unfortunately many of the cats that dwell in Obscuro are not "fixed", so yes, there are many.
What is Sanctus Sanatorium?:
It is an asylum fashioned off the old Kirkbride Buildings that were built in the mid-1800's to house the homeless and insane. Sanctus is Latin for Holy but right now there isn't much that is Holy in the asylum right now.
Will children be able to read this?:
I would advise against it, there will be mature themes in the story line, as well as horrific entities.
Are you going to be doing other artwork while working on this?:
Unfortunately no. This is my only project right now. I pray I grow to love it.
Yes it is copyrighten.
ObscuroHere is a preview of the first page:
Below are some questions and answers:
How often will it be updated?
I work full time and am putting a lot of energy into this. I cannot make any promises on how often it will be updated but it will be a completed storyline.
How long will this story be?:
Pretty damn long. It does have a definite ending already worked out in my head. But I will say this, if this project goes well and I am happy with it then there will be other stories told about the town Obscuro.
Where is Obscuro?:
In my head.
What time period do things happen in Obscuro?:
Victorian/Edwardian times
Your tag line states that there are as many tales as there are cats in Obscuro, are there a lot of cats?:
Unfortunately many of the cats that dwell in Obscuro are not "fixed", so yes, there are many.
What is Sanctus Sanatorium?:
It is an asylum fashioned off the old Kirkbride Buildings that were built in the mid-1800's to house the homeless and insane. Sanctus is Latin for Holy but right now there isn't much that is Holy in the asylum right now.
Will children be able to read this?:
I would advise against it, there will be mature themes in the story line, as well as horrific entities.
Are you going to be doing other artwork while working on this?:
Unfortunately no. This is my only project right now. I pray I grow to love it.
Yes it is copyrighten.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Obscuro
Several years ago I toyed about with an idea for an online graphic novel that I was going to entitle "Asylum". Though I really liked the concept, the story never did evolve into anything that took hold on me creatively. It ended up in the unfinished project stack and became forgotten. Last year I started writing a book for young readers having to do with a library in an imaginary town called Obscuro. I had actually cranked out five rough chapters but once again I hit a space in the story where I couldn't make everything "gel". It also got placed in my unfinished stack.
Lately I have had some of what I would call ominous comments from folk who seem to think I should do something in a graphic or illustrated format. I resisted the idea heavily. I had attempted to do it once before and it just never seem to either gather the audience or attention I thought it should, so I let it go. That was some years ago and since then I have run from the idea as fast as I could. Then I saw something that a friend at work shared with me and it not only adjusted my attitude, it inspired me. I suggest you give it a view before you read this entry any further.
This teaser for MARWENCOL actually hit me on a deeper level than some I share this video with. In fact one person I showed it to said, "Ok, a movie about a man playing with dolls." Then I understood, not everyone is going to get it but I caught something humbling about my attitude towards doing an online graphic novel compared to an individual that suffered an horrendous injustice and turned to a creative outlet to cope with life. I could see no difference between this man and say Tolkien's elaborate Middle Earth or say Dr. Who's universe. It was simply all about the act of creation and its therapeutic value. Perhaps the need to create is validation enough.
Then ideas started to fall into place like tumblers on a lock being turned by a key and I felt an inky black, furry muse curl up into my lap like a wisp of ether and start telling me a story. Not really, but it sounded good. Actually I began to see that Obscuro was my MARWENCOL, and in this imaginary town that existed in some Victorian/Edwardian era had more than just a library but also an Asylum and funeral parlor and much more including supernatural infestations and mysterious esoteric avenues of self discovery.
The process of building Obscuro and inhabiting it will be a long and laborious one but hopefully a rewarding one as well. If it gathers no interests other than myself and if it does end up being a project that seems like creative masturbation, perhaps the therapy will be fruitful.
The first entry will be the story entitled Sanctus Sanatorium. It is an ambitious tale but also will introduce Obscuro and some of the players that hopefully will lead to another story about a fat, black cat that sleeps heavily in a Library in the center of town.
Anon
Lately I have had some of what I would call ominous comments from folk who seem to think I should do something in a graphic or illustrated format. I resisted the idea heavily. I had attempted to do it once before and it just never seem to either gather the audience or attention I thought it should, so I let it go. That was some years ago and since then I have run from the idea as fast as I could. Then I saw something that a friend at work shared with me and it not only adjusted my attitude, it inspired me. I suggest you give it a view before you read this entry any further.
This teaser for MARWENCOL actually hit me on a deeper level than some I share this video with. In fact one person I showed it to said, "Ok, a movie about a man playing with dolls." Then I understood, not everyone is going to get it but I caught something humbling about my attitude towards doing an online graphic novel compared to an individual that suffered an horrendous injustice and turned to a creative outlet to cope with life. I could see no difference between this man and say Tolkien's elaborate Middle Earth or say Dr. Who's universe. It was simply all about the act of creation and its therapeutic value. Perhaps the need to create is validation enough.
Then ideas started to fall into place like tumblers on a lock being turned by a key and I felt an inky black, furry muse curl up into my lap like a wisp of ether and start telling me a story. Not really, but it sounded good. Actually I began to see that Obscuro was my MARWENCOL, and in this imaginary town that existed in some Victorian/Edwardian era had more than just a library but also an Asylum and funeral parlor and much more including supernatural infestations and mysterious esoteric avenues of self discovery.
The process of building Obscuro and inhabiting it will be a long and laborious one but hopefully a rewarding one as well. If it gathers no interests other than myself and if it does end up being a project that seems like creative masturbation, perhaps the therapy will be fruitful.
The first entry will be the story entitled Sanctus Sanatorium. It is an ambitious tale but also will introduce Obscuro and some of the players that hopefully will lead to another story about a fat, black cat that sleeps heavily in a Library in the center of town.
Anon
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Shameless Self Promotion and such...
After ordering several postcards from zazzle.com and seeing that there quality is very nice I decided to offer mini-posters of some of my work.
Design personalized gifts at Zazzle.
The selection will continue to grow. Most of my work is done on 9 X 11 inch Bristol paper mainly due to my scanner size so doing huge reproductions of my work would lose in quality. But the 11 X 14 poster sizes offered at zazzle.com give me room to work in a border and still retain the size of the original.
As I mentioned before I will add more as time goes on, I intend to order these myself to inspect their quality.
Design personalized gifts at Zazzle.
The selection will continue to grow. Most of my work is done on 9 X 11 inch Bristol paper mainly due to my scanner size so doing huge reproductions of my work would lose in quality. But the 11 X 14 poster sizes offered at zazzle.com give me room to work in a border and still retain the size of the original.
As I mentioned before I will add more as time goes on, I intend to order these myself to inspect their quality.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Hopeless in Maine
As an artist I think it is also important to promote others' work. Since I started my account on Deviant Art I have been impressed by the community of very talented people that congregate there. Some of even inspired me such as CopperAge with his use of tonal work and pencils. The piece below is excellent combination of steampunk and Lovecraftian horror that he conjured for the Steampunk World Fair held in New Jersey. The Hand of Glory Contraption is deviously inventive and imaginative.
SPWF poster finish by ~CopperAge on deviantART
What is even more impressive is that CopperAge does an online comic entitled "It's a Circle-Hopeless in Main." Beautifully rendered and often with title pages that have borders that accentuate the page, this web comic is highly unique and very well crafted. Having attempted an online comic before I can tell you that it is a huge sacrifice to commit your time and talent to construct and sometimes the payoff is non existent. Fortunately CopperAge has the drive and imitative to commit to such a project, that alone is enough for recognition.
Heavy on Lovecraftian influences as well as beautiful art, I highly recommend it.
Hopeless, Maine repaint by ~CopperAge on deviantART
SPWF poster finish by ~CopperAge on deviantART
What is even more impressive is that CopperAge does an online comic entitled "It's a Circle-Hopeless in Main." Beautifully rendered and often with title pages that have borders that accentuate the page, this web comic is highly unique and very well crafted. Having attempted an online comic before I can tell you that it is a huge sacrifice to commit your time and talent to construct and sometimes the payoff is non existent. Fortunately CopperAge has the drive and imitative to commit to such a project, that alone is enough for recognition.
Heavy on Lovecraftian influences as well as beautiful art, I highly recommend it.
Hopeless, Maine repaint by ~CopperAge on deviantART
Saturday, April 23, 2011
For the Love of Lovecraft and More Poe News
I discovered H.P. Lovecraft in my early teens when Ballentine Books began publishing a fantasy line reintroducing to the public works from authors like George MacDonald, E.R. Eddison, Mervyn Peake, Lord Dunsany, Clark Ashton Smith and yes, even J.R.R. Tolkien among others. The Ballantine Adult Fantasy Series was the vision of Betty Ballantine and her husband Ian. Lin Carter took on the role of editor and was also later responsible for editing Robert E. Howard's Conan series for Lancer Books. If it weren't for Betty Ballentine and Lin Carter, many fine works of high fantasy would remain in obscurity.I remember seeing my first Lovecraft book in the local drug store in the paperback book rack. The cover was an eye catching oddity by surrealist Gervasio Gallardo and I was immediately intrigued and became a Lovecraft fan ever since. There was something about his world filled with unseen alien dread and elder gods that lay dreaming on the edge of reality that fired my imagination and kept me lying awake at night staring at the ceiling wondering what cosmic horrors lay behind the stars.
I was quick to recognize even then that Lovecraft channeled Poe in much of his prose and that made me admire him even more. Lovecraft went a step further and created a mythos that still inspires horror authors today like Clive Barker and even Stephen King admitted that Lovecraft was the greatest horror writer of the 20th Century. This inspiration was given recognition by several authors and film directors in a recent documentary called Lovecraft Fear of the Unknown. The documentary supports a full cast of heavyweights that include Neil Gaiman, Peter Straub, Ramsey Cambell and directors John Carpenter, Stuart Gordon and Guillermo Del Toro. Each discuss not only their inspirations from Lovecraft but also his neurotic sensibilities and the contridictions that made up his life. For instance it has become common knowledge that Lovecraft was xenophobic yet he married Sonia Greene, a woman with Jewish heritage who was very independent for a lady of that time period. Their nine year marriage ended in an amiable divorce that Lovecraft never finalized.
If you are a fan of Lovecraft and have an interested in his somewhat neurotic and complex life as well as his influence on modern horror, then is a must see.
For a bibliography of the Ballentine Adult Fantasy line as well a collection of photos of the covers check Phantasma.net
Seems that Poe continues to pop up in the news. Already there are two movies with Poe as a character in the works as well as a television series, Poe seems to be everywhere. All the more reason to support a petition that is being circulated on the net. It seems that the City of Baltimore will cease funding for Poe's house and museum and will close it in 2012. Here is the link to the petition
Recently finished this piece, Grim Machinations. Postcards and photo prints are available at deviant art and post cards as well as T-shirts at zazzle.
Grim Machinations Final by *PoeticCrow on deviantART
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Edgar Allan Poe Comes to the Big Screen Twice
Two new films featuring Poe are now in post production. One with John Cusack as Poe in a fictionalized version of Poe's last days as he is in pursuit of a serial killer that is murdering in a fashion that mirrors Poe's stories entitled The Raven.
The other is entitled Twixt Now and Sunrise and is directed by Francis Ford Coppola and stars Ben Chapman as Poe. Coppola stated that the genesis of the film began with a nightmare, "But as I was having it I realized perhaps it was a gift, as I could make it as a story, perhaps a scary film, I thought even as I was dreaming. But then some loud noise outside woke me up, and I wanted to go back to the dream and get an ending. But I couldn't fall back asleep so I recorded what I remembered right there and then on my phone. I realized that it was a gothic romance setting, so in fact I'd be able to do it all around my home base, rather than have to go to a distant country." No plot or summary has been released yet but the cast will also include Val Kilmer.
The Church of Bones
Below is an interactive 3D tour of the Sedlec Ossuary also known as the Church of Bones located in the Czech Republic. In 1870, František Rint, a woodcarver, was employed by the Schwarzenberg family to put the bone heaps of somewhere between 40,000 to 70,000 people into order. Below are examples of the results.
Sedlec Ossuary - Kutna Hora - The Bone Church in Czech Republic
Below is a video of the Chruch of Bones with haunting music
Magnus Somnus
I have recently finished this piece and then decided to add some gray scale tones via Photoshop. Ever since I read the first two books of Anne Rice's Vampire series (I stopped after Queen of the Damned) I was always intrigued by the fact that sometimes Vampires would bury themselves for long periods, even centuries. This was purely for fun and perhaps a bit of Gorey inspired vision of a vampire locking himself away in his coffin for "the big sleep".
Magnus Somnus Redux by *PoeticCrow on deviantART
Photo prints and post cards are available on Deviant and soon will be available on Zazzle and Cafepress.
The other is entitled Twixt Now and Sunrise and is directed by Francis Ford Coppola and stars Ben Chapman as Poe. Coppola stated that the genesis of the film began with a nightmare, "But as I was having it I realized perhaps it was a gift, as I could make it as a story, perhaps a scary film, I thought even as I was dreaming. But then some loud noise outside woke me up, and I wanted to go back to the dream and get an ending. But I couldn't fall back asleep so I recorded what I remembered right there and then on my phone. I realized that it was a gothic romance setting, so in fact I'd be able to do it all around my home base, rather than have to go to a distant country." No plot or summary has been released yet but the cast will also include Val Kilmer.
Below is an interactive 3D tour of the Sedlec Ossuary also known as the Church of Bones located in the Czech Republic. In 1870, František Rint, a woodcarver, was employed by the Schwarzenberg family to put the bone heaps of somewhere between 40,000 to 70,000 people into order. Below are examples of the results.
Sedlec Ossuary - Kutna Hora - The Bone Church in Czech Republic
I have recently finished this piece and then decided to add some gray scale tones via Photoshop. Ever since I read the first two books of Anne Rice's Vampire series (I stopped after Queen of the Damned) I was always intrigued by the fact that sometimes Vampires would bury themselves for long periods, even centuries. This was purely for fun and perhaps a bit of Gorey inspired vision of a vampire locking himself away in his coffin for "the big sleep".
Magnus Somnus Redux by *PoeticCrow on deviantART
Photo prints and post cards are available on Deviant and soon will be available on Zazzle and Cafepress.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Edgar Allan Poe the next new TV Detective?
ABC has picked up a pilot that has Edgar Allan Poe playing detective. Now before I go any further I have to say the concept is not as far fetched as it sounds. After all Poe is recognized not only as the father of the short story but also detective fiction. C. Auguste Dupin first appeared in Poe's Murders in the Rue Morgue and later appears in The Mystery of Marie Roget and the Purloined Letter. Dupin even predated Doyle's Sherlock Holmes and it has been speculated that he was inspiration for the Victorian Sleuth.
But even with that clout behind him, can television effectively depict Poe with his addiction to opium and alcohol? Will they even touch upon his marriage to his cousin Virginia Eliza Clemm? I am a huge fan of Poe's work but I will be the first to admit that Poe's life was complex and disturbed and is hardly prime time fare. Yet even with my doubts I will tune in. Perhaps I will be pleasantly surprised.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Witch Hunters, Robert E. Howard and a bit of self promotion
I have recently finished digitally coloring the piece below. It is another Warhammer inspired piece of the Witch Hunter. An interesting note is that the Witch Hunter was actually based on Robert E. Howard's character Solomon Kane, a Puritan demon slayer. Howard is also known for his more famous creation, Conan.
Howard lived a very robust but in the end tragic life than ceased with his suicide. Athletic and much like his characters, Howard was a self made man that made a meager living writing pulps in the '30's as did his close correspondent friend, H.P. Lovecraft. Both writers created a mythology all their own and Howard's world that Conan dwelt is almost as expansive as Tolkien's. Sadly though most of Howard's vision of Conan in the public eye is that of Arnold wielding a sword against a giant rubber snake. In truth, Howard's world was much more elaborate with wizards, mystics, dreaming gods and forgotten races.
The Conan legacy was rescued from obscurity by Lancer Books in the '60's with primal covers by Frank Frazetta, the master of fantasy. Soon after Marvel would bring Conan to more attention with stories by Roy Thomas and artwork by Barry Windsor-Smith who grew with each story changing mere comic layout to masterful graphic story telling. In fact it was Barry Windsor-Smith's art that inspired much of my style, he, like Frazetta, were my childhood idols.
Witch Hunter Portrait Color by *PoeticCrow on deviantART
I went for an old world theme inspired by one of my other idols, Durer. I hope you enjoy.
On another note and perhaps a tad self promotion...
I have opened a zazzle account to promote a line of greeting cards and postcards with my artwork. I will expand this line soon with more art, mostly black and white Gothic themed art.
make custom gifts at Zazzle
Howard lived a very robust but in the end tragic life than ceased with his suicide. Athletic and much like his characters, Howard was a self made man that made a meager living writing pulps in the '30's as did his close correspondent friend, H.P. Lovecraft. Both writers created a mythology all their own and Howard's world that Conan dwelt is almost as expansive as Tolkien's. Sadly though most of Howard's vision of Conan in the public eye is that of Arnold wielding a sword against a giant rubber snake. In truth, Howard's world was much more elaborate with wizards, mystics, dreaming gods and forgotten races.
The Conan legacy was rescued from obscurity by Lancer Books in the '60's with primal covers by Frank Frazetta, the master of fantasy. Soon after Marvel would bring Conan to more attention with stories by Roy Thomas and artwork by Barry Windsor-Smith who grew with each story changing mere comic layout to masterful graphic story telling. In fact it was Barry Windsor-Smith's art that inspired much of my style, he, like Frazetta, were my childhood idols.
Witch Hunter Portrait Color by *PoeticCrow on deviantART
I went for an old world theme inspired by one of my other idols, Durer. I hope you enjoy.
On another note and perhaps a tad self promotion...
I have opened a zazzle account to promote a line of greeting cards and postcards with my artwork. I will expand this line soon with more art, mostly black and white Gothic themed art.
make custom gifts at Zazzle
Saturday, January 29, 2011
I Have Been Absent of Late
I apologize for my absence of late. Due to holiday mayhem, numerous projects in the fire and also a bought of melancholy that led to some creative blockage I am now on the mend and am eager to get back to work creatively.
I do have some surprises that will appear in the next couple of weeks as well as more subjects to blog about.
Thanks for your patience. =)
I do have some surprises that will appear in the next couple of weeks as well as more subjects to blog about.
Thanks for your patience. =)
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Neil Gaiman's Price coming to film
The Price, by Neil Gaiman is one of my favorite short stories that the author has penned is actually being made into an independent film by Christopher Salmon. This apparently is a one man show, Salmon is doing all the production of this CGI short.
Mr. Salmon has the full support of Neil Gaiman on this project and is asking for fan support since this is a private project and does not have the backing of any studios. The material, the short story The Price (which I have mentioned in a blog before) is one of my favorite short stories and if you get the chance I recommend it as well as the graphic novel, Creatures of the Night, done by Gaiman and one of my personal favorite artists, Michael Zulli.
The Price is a story of the devotion of an animal, a black cat (which I have extreme fondness for the inky alien four legged slinky things)and how guardians can come in the most unexpected forms. I highly recommend it.
You can follow Mr. Salmon's progress here on his production blog.
Neil Gaiman has also given his blessing to this project and talks a little more in depth about it here on his blog.
Recommendations:
Creatures of the Night by Neil Gaiman and Michael Zulli
Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman
"The Price" Kickstarter project pitch from Christopher Salmon on Vimeo.
Mr. Salmon has the full support of Neil Gaiman on this project and is asking for fan support since this is a private project and does not have the backing of any studios. The material, the short story The Price (which I have mentioned in a blog before) is one of my favorite short stories and if you get the chance I recommend it as well as the graphic novel, Creatures of the Night, done by Gaiman and one of my personal favorite artists, Michael Zulli.
The Price is a story of the devotion of an animal, a black cat (which I have extreme fondness for the inky alien four legged slinky things)and how guardians can come in the most unexpected forms. I highly recommend it.
You can follow Mr. Salmon's progress here on his production blog.
Neil Gaiman has also given his blessing to this project and talks a little more in depth about it here on his blog.
Recommendations:
Creatures of the Night by Neil Gaiman and Michael Zulli
Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
The Mortician
I am still learning my way about digital painting and digital coloring. Digital coloring is when I take a pencil or pen drawing and color it in Adobe, digital painting is when I do a painting usually from scratch or a rough sketch as I did with The Mortician.
I decided to do this piece in black and white, working with only grays as I would a pencil drawing. I wanted to create a type of vignette almost like one of the old daguerreotype photographs. The border I created by combining symbols that come with Adobe and decided to go with the oval because it lent to that antique feel I was looking for.
I suppose there is a story in this picture, as soon as it tells it to me I am sure that I will include it and the picture in The October Book which has become my year long project.
Prints are of course for sale on Deviantart here.
I decided to do this piece in black and white, working with only grays as I would a pencil drawing. I wanted to create a type of vignette almost like one of the old daguerreotype photographs. The border I created by combining symbols that come with Adobe and decided to go with the oval because it lent to that antique feel I was looking for.
I suppose there is a story in this picture, as soon as it tells it to me I am sure that I will include it and the picture in The October Book which has become my year long project.
Prints are of course for sale on Deviantart here.
Monday, November 1, 2010
The Elegant Skull
La Calavera Catrina (the elegant skull) was popularized in 1913 with an etching done by artist José Guadalupe Posada. Since then, Catrina has been the rendition for the Mexican Day of the Dead, symbolizing the goddess Lady of the Dead, that dates back to the ancient Aztecs. Catrinas are very popular during the Mexican Day of the Dead which in fact is two days, not one. One day to honor and remember infants and the following to honor and remember adults. During these days the spirits of dead loved ones are lured by items such as flowers of the dead, usually marigolds, sugar skulls, tequila for adults, toys for children and religious icons such as crosses and Madonnas.
Much of the ceremonies include enticing the spirits of the departed back for a day so the souls can hear the prayers and stories their relatives offer them in remembrance and often these tales take a humorous tone as stories about the departed are shared. Often shrines are built in homes in memorandum with pictures of the deceased and these shrines often appear at local schools and government buildings. It is obvious that Mexican culture has a deep respect for mortality as mirrored in their parades on the Day of the Dead and their iconography.When one considers that Fall, which brings about the deep sleep and death of nature with the coming of winter as well as harvest that it would follow that it be linked to human mortality and the spirit realm as echoed in our own holiday Halloween and religious days such as All Saint's Day, All Soul's Day and the Day of the Dead.
I find much of the artwork and iconography of this heritage very fascinating and often mirrored in work by artists such as Daniel Martin Diaz and Madame Talbot. Diaz incorporates much of his Latin American heritage with Catholic imagery that forms a sort of esoteric vision while Madame Talbot's death dolls and her posters with the various renditions of death conjure an otherworldliness with a macabre sense of humor. Both are artists I respect, not only because they are traditionalists in their medium but also their creative imagination. Both artists seem to dance in between worlds and their works seem to bring about a sense of the surreal and that everyday occurrences maybe rooted in some deeper meaning or purpose whether it be with a morbid tongue in cheek or Jungarian images that drift below the subconscious. I would hesitate to lump these two artists together because their approaches are miles apart, one with almost prophetic vision and the other in a humorous danse macabre. But to be sure, both are inspiring and both deal with mortality.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Happy Halloween, Carmilla and Special Effects Before CGI and Poe's Birthday
Here's hoping that you are enjoying this most macabre holiday. I personally am glutting myself on junk food and cheesey B rate Horror Movies.
Ever wonder about special effects before CGI, Rick Baker or Stan Winston? Back in the silver era of silent film, Chaney of course reigned as the king of makeup but have you ever seen the artistry of John Barrymore in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? In one single take before the jump cut, Barrymore makes the transition from Jekyll to Hyde without the aid of any makeup simply but contorting his face. The result was rather eerie.
John Barrymore, the great grandfather of Drew Barrymore and brother to Lionel Barrymore was considered in his time to the king of actors yet his addiction to alcohol brought him to ruins and late in his career he was often given over to ridicule, yet his early legacy was only surpassed in later decades by actors like Laurence Oliver.
Carmilla
I have finally finished Carmilla. I learned many lessons from this piece, one being to detail out the sketch before digitally coloring it and another on how to create brushes for Adobe.
I really struggled with this piece, that doesn't mean it hasn't been fun, but at times I ran into so many corners that I had to work out of that I wasn't sure I would finish it at all. Now that it is completed I can move on to the next and I am happy with how it did come out. The words Micalla and Camilla are anagrams for her original name which was Countess Mircalla Karnstein.
Amazon has Carmilla if you are interested in reading the story here.
If you would like to purchase a print of Carmilla, you can do so here. I may offer it soon with a different border.
Happy Birthday Poe
Poe came to live with me in October seven years ago, since then every October I celebrate his birthday on Halloween. This ink pig, who in the beginning could fit in the palm of my hand, has grown huge and has been a constant source of comedy, irritation, manipulation and also affection. I have never owned a male cat before Poe, females are rather demure, well behaved and love attention, the male species however are dramatists, court jesters, highly inquisitive and manipulative.
Poe also has his own vocabulary, a chorus of mews, coos and many other verbs but he can't seem to master consonants but he has little issue getting his point across whether it be food, attention or something he wants. He has also learned how to open doors and many times I have come home to see cat food poured on the floor and Poe sitting in the cupboard with an innocent look. I have since switched to canned food not only because it is healthier for him but also because he hasn't learned to use a can opener yet.
Here is hoping he will be here to celebrate 7 or even more birthdays.
Ever wonder about special effects before CGI, Rick Baker or Stan Winston? Back in the silver era of silent film, Chaney of course reigned as the king of makeup but have you ever seen the artistry of John Barrymore in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? In one single take before the jump cut, Barrymore makes the transition from Jekyll to Hyde without the aid of any makeup simply but contorting his face. The result was rather eerie.
John Barrymore, the great grandfather of Drew Barrymore and brother to Lionel Barrymore was considered in his time to the king of actors yet his addiction to alcohol brought him to ruins and late in his career he was often given over to ridicule, yet his early legacy was only surpassed in later decades by actors like Laurence Oliver.
I have finally finished Carmilla. I learned many lessons from this piece, one being to detail out the sketch before digitally coloring it and another on how to create brushes for Adobe.
I really struggled with this piece, that doesn't mean it hasn't been fun, but at times I ran into so many corners that I had to work out of that I wasn't sure I would finish it at all. Now that it is completed I can move on to the next and I am happy with how it did come out. The words Micalla and Camilla are anagrams for her original name which was Countess Mircalla Karnstein.
Amazon has Carmilla if you are interested in reading the story here.
If you would like to purchase a print of Carmilla, you can do so here. I may offer it soon with a different border.
Poe came to live with me in October seven years ago, since then every October I celebrate his birthday on Halloween. This ink pig, who in the beginning could fit in the palm of my hand, has grown huge and has been a constant source of comedy, irritation, manipulation and also affection. I have never owned a male cat before Poe, females are rather demure, well behaved and love attention, the male species however are dramatists, court jesters, highly inquisitive and manipulative.
Poe also has his own vocabulary, a chorus of mews, coos and many other verbs but he can't seem to master consonants but he has little issue getting his point across whether it be food, attention or something he wants. He has also learned how to open doors and many times I have come home to see cat food poured on the floor and Poe sitting in the cupboard with an innocent look. I have since switched to canned food not only because it is healthier for him but also because he hasn't learned to use a can opener yet.
Here is hoping he will be here to celebrate 7 or even more birthdays.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
A Quick Note...
After my car broke down on the interstate about a month ago I decided that I would finally break down and get a cell phone. My car's alternator decided to give up its ghost and I had to walk two miles to a Homeland to used their payphone which upon arriving, there was none. The clerk informed me since cell phones had become so popular they had removed their payphones but I was allowed to use the store's phone. It was at that point I became resolved to get one.
Being the nerd/geek that I am I shopped about and finally decided on the HTC Evo. The Evo, running on the Android platform, is very customizable so I decided to create a couple of quick wallpapers, not animated, that may come later, because I always like to personalize my stuff. Below are a couple of wallpapers that I created rather quickly. I created brushes in Adobe using Alchemy symbols and a dragon's eye I created sometime ago for a comic book shop that commissioned me to do their web site. The gears are a brush set called SS gears, no I did not created them. The clock face on the second image is one I am working on for a steampunk clock for cafepress. It was a project that I set aside for awhile and may finish soon.
Both images are in the Evo size format if you have an Evo or an android phone, feel free to use them.
Note: I am still hard at work on Carmilla and have learned somethings and ran into a few snags. I am taking a 6 day Sabbatical from work starting this Wed. and hopefully will have something to show as well as more blogs since Halloween is quickly approaching.
Being the nerd/geek that I am I shopped about and finally decided on the HTC Evo. The Evo, running on the Android platform, is very customizable so I decided to create a couple of quick wallpapers, not animated, that may come later, because I always like to personalize my stuff. Below are a couple of wallpapers that I created rather quickly. I created brushes in Adobe using Alchemy symbols and a dragon's eye I created sometime ago for a comic book shop that commissioned me to do their web site. The gears are a brush set called SS gears, no I did not created them. The clock face on the second image is one I am working on for a steampunk clock for cafepress. It was a project that I set aside for awhile and may finish soon.
Both images are in the Evo size format if you have an Evo or an android phone, feel free to use them.
Note: I am still hard at work on Carmilla and have learned somethings and ran into a few snags. I am taking a 6 day Sabbatical from work starting this Wed. and hopefully will have something to show as well as more blogs since Halloween is quickly approaching.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Ponderings, Musings and Flattery...
Musings and Ponderings
October for me is not only a month of hollowed eyed ghosts and howling, shapeless masses that cling close to the shadows, but also a month of reflection and reassessment creatively. Soon in the next few weeks I intend to revamp my cafepress site, Through a Glass Darkly and rework some of the border work as well as organize it so that items and prints are more easily found. I have neglected the site for over two years and it shows. I am not happy with some of the prints and items, either I have grown a bit more artistically or I feel that my work needs more respect than I have given it and thus needs to presented with more care. I have decided I would rather offer a few good pieces than just fill the site with things I am no longer happy with. It will be a slow process and many pieces will be reworked. I will update as I do changes to the site.
Flattery
Almost a year ago I finished a piece with pencil on bristol based on the Norse god Odin. I decided to depict him in his hermit guise which he would adopt when walking about humanity and not the typical warrior god on his throne. This aspect of Odin always interested me, with his one eye given up for wisdom and his cronies of ravens that acted as his messengers. Here is the original pencil.
I decided to try my hand at digital coloring and used earth tones primarily creating an almost sepia effect. I use Adobe Photoshop for digital coloring and used a "leaf" brush that comes with the Wacom tablet I have to create a vignette about the central figure. I was pleased with the results and it was one of my better attempts at coloring a piece. Here is the colored version below.
Now I admit that this was one piece that I did on the fly, I liked it well enough for what it was but really never considered it one of my better works and it never fails to surprise me that sometimes people will like works I have done that I myself don't consider as one of my best pieces. Goes to show perhaps an artists is his worst judge. The real surprise came in my email, a young lady, I suspect who abides in France, sent me an email with a picture of the Odin piece that she had tattooed on her back. Now whatever your stance is on tattoos is a personal matter, but I found myself extremely flattered that this young lady would put this piece on her flesh. I mean it is one thing to buy a print or an item like shirt with an image on it, but to put it permanently on your skin for me was the highest form of flattery. So I thought I would share the picture she sent me.
I thought the tattoo artist did justice to the image and retained aspects of my style. I know that had to hurt the young lady as she lay under the needle and I am flattered that she not only chose my piece to adorn her back but also took the time to send me the picture of the results.
Note: Halloween will be here soon, I will blog more creepiness soon. =)
October for me is not only a month of hollowed eyed ghosts and howling, shapeless masses that cling close to the shadows, but also a month of reflection and reassessment creatively. Soon in the next few weeks I intend to revamp my cafepress site, Through a Glass Darkly and rework some of the border work as well as organize it so that items and prints are more easily found. I have neglected the site for over two years and it shows. I am not happy with some of the prints and items, either I have grown a bit more artistically or I feel that my work needs more respect than I have given it and thus needs to presented with more care. I have decided I would rather offer a few good pieces than just fill the site with things I am no longer happy with. It will be a slow process and many pieces will be reworked. I will update as I do changes to the site.
Flattery
Almost a year ago I finished a piece with pencil on bristol based on the Norse god Odin. I decided to depict him in his hermit guise which he would adopt when walking about humanity and not the typical warrior god on his throne. This aspect of Odin always interested me, with his one eye given up for wisdom and his cronies of ravens that acted as his messengers. Here is the original pencil.
I decided to try my hand at digital coloring and used earth tones primarily creating an almost sepia effect. I use Adobe Photoshop for digital coloring and used a "leaf" brush that comes with the Wacom tablet I have to create a vignette about the central figure. I was pleased with the results and it was one of my better attempts at coloring a piece. Here is the colored version below.
Now I admit that this was one piece that I did on the fly, I liked it well enough for what it was but really never considered it one of my better works and it never fails to surprise me that sometimes people will like works I have done that I myself don't consider as one of my best pieces. Goes to show perhaps an artists is his worst judge. The real surprise came in my email, a young lady, I suspect who abides in France, sent me an email with a picture of the Odin piece that she had tattooed on her back. Now whatever your stance is on tattoos is a personal matter, but I found myself extremely flattered that this young lady would put this piece on her flesh. I mean it is one thing to buy a print or an item like shirt with an image on it, but to put it permanently on your skin for me was the highest form of flattery. So I thought I would share the picture she sent me.
I thought the tattoo artist did justice to the image and retained aspects of my style. I know that had to hurt the young lady as she lay under the needle and I am flattered that she not only chose my piece to adorn her back but also took the time to send me the picture of the results.
Note: Halloween will be here soon, I will blog more creepiness soon. =)
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