Frank-N-Steen

Happy Halloween!

The Kraken Awakes-Brush Pen Results, Reaction

I built the brush pen. Click the title for link to the original,Clay Butler, article on the parts necessary. I made quite a mess with the initial ink filling. I figured out the cartridge has a plunger that allows you to draw ink in without the mess.

Anyway, I love the thing. It's like having a windsor newton that you never have to re-moisten.

I posted some examples of my inking. It has smudges and a lot of rust apparent in my inking ability. Plus I was never much of an inker. But you can see how fine the line can be.

The little page of mechanisms are thumbnail sizes. All these sketches fit on paper 5 by 8.

http://www.lamy.com/content/products/accessories/refills_and_inks/index_eng.html

The link above takes you to the only hard to track down part. The Lamy cartridge. You want the Z26 Lamy converter

Story Trailer for Avatar

Avatar - Theatrical Trailer | Movies & TV | SPIKE.com

The spoiler hating bunch should probably avoid.

Waste of time posting that. At least with firfox and my mac. I see half the screen.

I added the embed below it to see if I just don't embed right

Screwfly Solution

Memory sketch from the Masters of Horror segment based on The Screwfly Solution. Directed by Joe Dante

Hey guys. I don't know how many of you were aware of this, but John K withdrew his blog from public view a few days ago. But now it's back. It made me realize I need to check all his cartoon education and editorial before it maybe disappears again. So I added his link our link list with the suggestion you join me in drinking deep while all this info about cartooning how to, history and the biz is still easily accessed.

Robot Underwater!

So since Ellis was the one to actually write the words "It's a robot underwater," I guess technically he wins, but I hope he will share his prize of a bowl of filth with Rick, who did the detective work. The funny part is that Rick so generously gave me credit for having the cunning to put a fake name on the picture file to throw everyone off, whereas the truth is that I just forgot everyone can see the file name if you know where to look. Some of the guesses were pretty darn amazing though, don't you think?

I was shocked by "It's Buncake, nude, next to the dolphin tank at SeaWorld" - so close!

And the robot DOES look like it has breasts by golly.

This is one drawing in a little story I'm working on.

Perception Experiment - What Is It?

This is a drawing I've been working on. The actual drawing is 2000 x 3000 pixels. The resolution of this version is 20 pixels x 30 pixels. Can you still tell what it is? Best guess wins a date with Scott B. or George Clooney.

Ellis's guess is "John Wayne at the end of The Searchers" (depicted below).

Heck, I'm just going to put up the real picture tonight or tomorrow.

more brush pen sketches

Playing around.

Brush Pen Variations

I picked up today at Daiso store in Kerny Mesa a set of Zebra brand brush pens and I wanted to see the difference to my beloved Mitsubishi/Uniball PFK series. Well first are cheaper in price by $2 less. I would put them in the same group of any Tombo brand brush pens. Quick to use up and toss but still good to sketch with. The ink just doesn't flow as smooth as the PFK. The Zebra WFSS4 is the worst (Ultra fine) Took forever to get any ink to flow. Once I did the results looked more like a copic ultraliner pen not a brush stroke at all (I won't be getting these again). I think I'll use these up experimenting but I'll stick to my PFKs. I did like the Zebra WF1-G cuz it's grey.

Scott Eaton Anatomy Knowledge

Incidental to going to the Gnomon talk on anatomy for digital types tonight, i did a search to make sure of the time and discovered the web page of one of the speakers. The Title is a link to a page where you get to select some great motion capture type still photos ala Muybridge.

The video at the top relates to Andrew Mawrse. The sculptor who did that Freedom Of Teach Maquette. The performer is his favorite model. This ended the evening.

I traded my video for another guy's that was also there. He did a much better job. Now that you can see detail, that scar-like line on his right scapula comes from the sculptor Cawrse using a felt tip pen on the model, Stephan..

sketching with my brush pen

I want my Mummy!

Bode-Jones-Bones- Click for Photoshop Killer Tips

I've always assumed this was a personal joke by Vaughn Bode doing a joke on Jeff Jones.

I thought I was posting this to my blog. I'm too lazy to re-do it.

I wanted an online spot to ask Jeffrey Catherine Jones a facebook question.
If there was a back story on this cartoon.
If they were good friends during this period. Etc.

I've added a grab of the answers Jeffery gave me. Cool person

I made my title into a link to Photoshop Killer tips.
I've learned a couple of things already.

Cork 36

Hello. Here's Cork. I love Jeff Ranjo. Love him.

A polar bear character designed for a start up green energy company called Electric Green in San Diego, CA. Just to pick up some nickel and dime money.

Astro Boy Coming Up -- Opinions of it So Far?

If you don't like that this blog cuts out some of the YouTube frame, click on the title to go to the online version.

Is anyone going to see this movie ... ?

Opinions? ...

Miscellaneous

Did a sketch based on the Hello Kitty Vader link.
Did a Pink Death Dealer at the top. It shows how bad ass Frazetta was, that you just can't foo-foo that character.

For Fun

I think I fail hahaha.

I'm Back. Hey, You Didn't Even Know I Was Gone.

We just got back last night from a two week vacation out to the East Coast: Cape Cod and New Hampshire. We hit the peak of the Fall leaf colors on our trip. How many people here have seen this, raise your hand. Incredibly beautiful! Patty and I would drive and drive, and just when we thought it couldn't get any more beautiful, we'd turn a corner and see something even more impressive. I'm posting a few pictures from our trip, and the color has not been enhanced or Photoshopped on any of these. They're right out of the camera like this, I just shrank them a little.

New Brainstorming Aid -- Easy Peasy ...

Here is a really good Internet application for brainstorming ... really helps you get some quick ideas for your writing or artwork. The Title is the link ... but you can also click here.

My favorite (so far) is "letting go" "small town" "space station" ... could be the makings of a really great short story.

Real Project; (Some) Real Money to Help Pitch It ...

Hi, all.

This posting is to try and find a colorist. The group I'm working with is turning four novels into graphic novels. The character involved is iconic and has a following in the world at large. More than that I cannot say. We met as a group, me, Tim Vigil, Johnny B. Gerardy, and the author of the books at the Long Beach Comic Con last week. Went EXTREMELY well. The author is going to take this pitch into the 3rd largest comic book publisher himself, and it doesn't get any better than that. Anyway, I need a colorist to do the pitch samples: four concepts and one page of sequential art, all inked.

Anyone who wants to step up and try your color work out, here is the initial character sketch, penciled by Tim Vigil, inked by Johnny B. Gerardy, and now yours to download and work on. This is an open invitation and I will pass anyone's finished piece to the other two artists involved. The one they choose will get the gig -- simple as that.

I have faith that this project will find a home and that it will be a paying gig. The pitch sample pieces will have a price attached, but I need to work that out with the person selected to participate.

More questions, ask me: Shenandoah01 at gmail dot com.

Update(from Rick): I've added my color to this.

Update.(Ellis)
I did the one below Rick's

An Idea I gave to Kali That I've tried

Made a TShirt based on a Viral web happening.

Step two would be to promote it to a broad audience, which I probably won't do. I bought one for myself and that will probably be the extent of it.

Love the P-O-Demand concept.

Title is a link to the cafepress "store"

Another Burshes image done on the bus

Here's another image I've made on the ride to and from work with Brushes. I've got Sketchbook now, too, but I haven't done anything interesting with it yet. It's sort of clunky compared to the immediacy of Brushes. However, it does have more brushes and other features, so I will spend some more time with it.

Cork 35

It's three years in the making, but finally here's the new Cork. I'm going to try to pick up the pace again after a semi-hiatus, simply because Ellis DEMANDS it.

HELP!

Ok photoshop guys


I made a brush, and I want to import it my friend's photosop. But when I do, it imports all of the default brushes along with my new one!!!!


HELP!


What's the solution?

Private Parts

PRIVATE PARTS Is the Netflix movie I watched this morning.It will be reviewed this week on AintItCool news on the Horror Movie a Day Feature. Very funny. Not as funny as Zombieland.

Added a couple of memory sketches from Private Parts. Labeled as "Spare Parts" (accidentally) This is a Psycho Thriller, not the Howard Stern Movie.

Hey. Click the title for issue 2 of Squa Tront in PDF format. The first notable fanzine. The sort of thing that evolved into pubs like Starlog. It is a PDF so you'll be getting instant download action just by clicking it. so don't be alarmed.

I added more doodles to this group instead of taking CORK off the top. We want CORK to feel needed.

More sketchbook excerpts

Some more faces and stuff. The color pencil really looks good on paper but my HP scanner looses something in the digital capture I think. Oh well.

Shemp Thoughts

I'm going to do a Shemp series.
I was thinking the other day "What if I was a handsome devil like Ranjo or Davis? What doors would have opened for me that are instead firmly closed?"
I had these thoughts while watching some Shemp era Stooges. Here's Shemp with all this talent but he can realistically only be a Stooge. I've read enough about Shemp that I know he wanted to be more than a Stooge. Throwing Hollywood networking parties etc.
So the idea is to do some drawings with Shemp as Indiana Jones, Conan, James Bond etc.
Try to make them styling and finished for a change instead of my usual sketchiness.

Added by KZ. Shemp's last cigar.

http://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar/CA_Profiles/People_Profile/0,2540,64,00.html