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Kitty

Joss Whedon's Astonishing X-men run ended today, and his love for the character of Kitty Pryde showed through. Kitty was significant for me too, because a drawing of her was the first thing I ever got printed in a world-wide publication. This drawing isn't of the newer, cleaned-up Kitty of late, but the awkward, flat-chested, not traditionally pretty Kitty Pryde that I grew up with.

Bluey

There's something to be said about having only so much creative energy for one's projects. I've been in a good state for design, but my drawing seems to be suffering - I'm just not inspired to do anything but design work. Guess it's just one or the other...

Feeshything

Still a lot going on, work-wise, and I haven't the wherewithal to do anything of worth...so here's a Feeshything to distract you.

Long Day

Today was pretty productive - worked on several projects, met up with an old friend who was visiting, went to the gym and had company over for dinner... nothing out of the ordinary, but a lot for one day. Me so tired.

Bathroom Boys

Went into a new Brazilian takeout place near me to order dinner, and while waiting for my order a bunch of kids came in to use the restrooms. The staff was really accommodating, not the sort to say, "restrooms for customers only," which I thought was either very generous or naive of them. Anyhow, I had nothing to do so I pulled out a sheet from my bag and sketched some of the kids as they waited their turn to use the facilities.

Aquaman, Again

I posted a drawing of Aquaman as my 194th drawing or so, and for the 500th, I picked it up again. I didn't like how girly I made him look the first time around, but I was trying to channel the old Mike Grell style I loved back in the 80s, but to no avail. Unfortunately, I don't think this retooling is any better. I suppose I should have done something special for the 500th drawing, but I think getting to 500 drawings is special enough on its own.

Start

I worked on a long overdue artwork. Got some initial details in... it's always difficult to go to projects in the beginning stages because the foundations for the pieces need to be laid. But once started, it's always easier... This is my friend PJ.

Bashful

Heh.

A common comics trope is to reimagine classic stories or legends for present day. CBRunway's latest challenge is to reimagine one of the Seven Dwarves for present day. It's supposed to be a visual challenge, but I just got an idea that I found so ridiculous I hadda do it!

I chose Bashful.















Why was Bashful so shy? Because not only was he unhappy as a dwarf working in the mines, in his heart of hearts he hated his appearance because he really believed he was...


...




...




...



...a woman.






Hundreds of years later, the immortal dwarf has discovered gender re-assignment surgery. Free of his/her hated penis, she's also addicted to plastic surgery. New nose, cheek implants, lip implants, chemically straightened bleached hair, major breast implants, and the tartiest clothes she can find after having relocated to California, Bashful is now Basia Fulvomari, a mini blown-up doll version of Donatella Versace...and she's anything but shy.

Needless to say the rest of the dwarves have severed contact with Bash, except for Doc, whose overly enthusiastic approval of Bashful's new outlook has required Ms.Fulvomari to file a restraining order against the bespectacled dwarf, now a gynecologist working with many members of the Adult Entertainment industry in LA.

Whee!

Dodo

Some days you just find yourself drawing completely random things... like Dodo birds.

Ruby Blue

I don't know why I settled on that name, but it's based on a song by Roisin Murphy. So, here's the female Iron man character I designed. Don't love it, but it was a fun drawing exercise in sapphire & copper.

Adding Armor

Time was that I loved drawing tech and robots and spaceships... but I also had a set way of drawing them that was pretty simple compared to how tech is rendered in comics nowadays. but times have changed, and the look of tech is much more complex. Hell, the Iron Man movie raised the bar to a whole new level in th public consciousness, and I'm barely able to keep up. Now how does one draw an armored female character without making her look just like a female in a space suit? Still working on that one...

Tuesday

Planning a piece that I need to do with a model, and this is a study for a possible pose.

C'est La Vie

I was watching old, old 80s videos on YouTube, one of which was Robbie Nevil's C'est la Vie, a song I used to love. It struck me how there was a definite 80s boudoir look involving retro underwear as costumes, dark lips and slightly smoky eyes, plus curly hair... on models with really sharp bone structures. I should know - my drawings at a certain period in the 80s all followed this look. Ah, the good old days... I realize how old I've gotten.

This is a very rough sketch because I went on a yacht ride around Manhattan this evening... in rainy weather. I think the captain of the boat just didn't want the pre-booked ride to be cancelled because he supposedly said that the rain would clear by evening. Pfagh! Choppy seas and three hours of seasickness and throwing up reminded me that I should have chosen the better part of valor and declined my boss' gracious invite when I got dizzy within minutes of boarding the yacht, but I didn't want to be a spoilsport, so I tried to rise to the occasion. It's over 4 hours since we disembarked and I'm still nauseous.

Glossy Globes, 2

Added a few more details, but not enough inspiration to finish up. Interestingly enough CBRunway's latest challenge involves designing an armored character... quite the coincidence.

Glossy Globes

Part Iron Man, part Wildfire from teh Legion of Super Heroes, I suddenly got it in me to draw shiny visors after watching a video of Daft Punk (quelle suprise). This was the start of it.

Fish Thingie

This has nothing to do with anything. Well, actually that's not true. I went to the Kid Robot press opening at their newly renovated store in Soho, and I was in the mind to do some chunky doughy critters. Not quite in the Adult Toy vein, but it's just my style I suppose....

Virgo, finished

So my version of a super-hero named after a Zodiac is Virgo. Very similar to another CBR member's interpretation, her main power is that she heals herself, not unlike Wolverine. Not the most original when thought in those terms but appropos, methinks. Plus she's kind of a violent sort too, but I think from an interesting angle: her healing factor is mystical in nature, brought about by the fact that was killed - drowned - in a fountain of youth. So she died and was reborn, and now can never die again... and she's sick of life. I like the idea of taking what the name Virgo may stand for for most people - virginity and purity - and turning it on its ear.

Virgo's a sadomasochistic, perverted soul because she's lived too long. Violently strong, highly resilient and nearly invulnerable because of her origin, but as a result of her advanced healing factor, she can barely feel. Her body is immune to all but the most intense stimuli and continually being renewed to a pristine, "virginal" state, that Virgo has become numb to the world. She now only reacts to the most extreme physical sensations, as her healing factor has dulled her own senses through the centuries, and rendered her mentally unstable. She seeks out violence and pain, causing it in hopes of she'll get as much as she gives, so she can feel. It's a fix. I imagine even her fighting style is limited to close quarters, allowing her to cause pain and suffering up close and personal, to allow her adversaries to have equal access to her to hopefully return the same in kind. Even Virgo's costume is intentionally dangerous to herself, and she is constantly impaling her own body on the spikes she adorns her body with because she knows she's gonna heal anyway. Her 'signature move' is rough and sexually violent - she prefers to kill her victims by wrapping her legs around them and crushing them at the same time extending the spikes built into her boots (yeah, a little Xenia Onatopp, but I'm running with it) . There's definitely a sexual interplay in her chosen coup de grace. She gets a sexual thrill from causing pain, since intense pain is the only thing she can truly feel, so she associates pain with her own pleasure. She's so violently out of touch, literally and figuratively, that I think if this were a comic book, the story possibilities would be very interesting. My friend Justin thinks she's very Claremontian...

Mass, pt.4

I actually started Virgo on Saturday and did this one on Friday, so Virgo should count for Saturday's post while this one is Friday's. I'm being secretive with all of these because I don't want to post the Virgo sketch I'm developing (and worked on) today because you're not supposed to post sketches until everyone has submitted theirs for the challenge. Plus, it's not done yet. :)

Virgo

CBRunway's current challenge is to design a comic book character based on a Zodiac sign. I chose my own, Virgo and started sketching yesterday and she's... kinda looking like Pat Benatar. I like the way I drew her boobs though.

By the way, this is yesterday's post.

Strike A Pose

One of my favorite models, Doug G., was posing at the Queer Man's workshop tonight. I hadn't seen Doug since he modeled for me before he moved out of New York a couple of years ago, so I thought I should go to see him (plus it would be a pleasure to use real media again). However, I seldom go to this workshop anymore since they tend to be the same old poses I'd drawn before, but Doug chose a simple one by himself with a slightly pigeon-toed stance. He was totally giving off Female Fashion Model, which I loved, so I sketched it quickly like a fashion sketch... although the sheer briefs and cowboy boots were an unfortunate combo, haha! I wasn't at the top of my game, could barely get a good likeness tonight. Ah well...

Sleepy

Been working all day on a design project so not much energy for drawing. Feeling tired and sleepy... yawning quite a bit, actually.

Karma, circa 1985, colored

I started the Karma drawing yesterday, and here's the final, somewhat rough colored version.

Karma, circa 1985

For lack of a better thing to draw, I decided to Play Along again with CBR's CBRunway, the challenge of which was to redesign an existing chracter from the X-men to have a more mystical look and bent. Karma, an old character from the New Mutants, was someone I had redesigned ages ago, around 1985 or earlier. I thought this costume worked for the challenge as I designed it back then, using her original Yin Yang symbol. I toyed with opening the neckline from the original high-neck, but I think it reads too much like a costume-y dress now instead of a comicbook costume.

Mass, pt.3

Self Portrait, Photo Booth

I used to do self portraits using a mirror. Now, drawing on the computer, I use my iMac's cam in the Photobooth application to look at myself. it's always slightly weird, with the light coming from the screen and outside sources. Still, good for a quick sketch.

I notice my self portraits nowadays, quick as they are, are always much more honest. I'm drawing my features just as I see them, not trying to make myself look better. It makes for a more precise drawing, but man, sometimes it makes me lose self confidence looking at my features that way.

Although I never had cheekbones like I do now. Well, guess it's not all bad...

Dora

I was pondering Jonathan Adler's Dora Maar vases, and decided to try and render that kind of bisque-y ceramic.

Operative word: try.

More Mass

Continuing my 'secret' project. Can't share it all until I get model sign-off. :)

Mass of Metal

Working on a project idea that has a few components, including metallic drawn items much like I always do for comics. Don't want to show the final piece yet but here's a section.