Recently, I went on an X-Men TPB-buying spree, trying to catch up on the last 6–7 years of storylines. I also picked up Casanova and some Doctor Who trades. I’ve read through some, but I’m waiting til the move is done to really get into them. Maybe I’ll talk about the books here? Sure, that sounds fun.

Carrie and I have started work on the next volume of To The Power Against, which is super ridiculous and great, so far. I don’t want to give anything away, but: sharks, the ISS and bindles.

Along those lines, convention season officially kicks off (for us) in March, with Wonder Con. Although I will miss visiting San Francisco and seeing our NorCal buddies this year, I am absolutely excited about heading over to Disneyland after the show each night.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have more books to pack.

I have been busy paying the billz and having a birthday, but you may be happy to know that comic drawing will be happening again THIS VERY WEEK. I also have a couple lingering commission requests (Mike! Doyle!) to work on during my holiday break time. I am not the fastest, but I do get things done. Eventually.

I did manage one small art project in the months since the last update, though I couldn’t safely talk about it til now. My good buddy David recently proposed to his girlfriend Jen via a comic book that he wrote and asked his friends to illustrate. Here is a video of the proposal:

AUGH. Isn’t that just the best?

Here is the page that I drew, if you want to see it closer.

This was my first time using watercolors in roughly one thousand years, and I think it turned out pretty well. I also used some colored pencils on top to add some shading and clean up the edges.

Click for the larger version.

Actually no, that is pretty much all of the time right now. Forgive me, Comics! I’ll be back soon!

Anyway, below is a fun thing I designed for use as a t-shirt graphic for the upcoming Game Days event at Disneyland, put on by the fine fellows at Mega64. Greg and I went last year and had a ridiculously good time—this year, we’re coming equipped with our own shirts.

If you are going and would like to use it to make shirts, I’ve uploaded a couple of files for you.

PNG File (90 KB) [Download]
EPS File (545 KB) [Download]

Done with the usual Prismacolor art markers and colored pencils. Click for the full version.

First is a quick piece I did for the daughter of a couple friends. She’s one year old so this is sort of more for her parents until she’s fully indoctrinated into the Holy Church of Star Wars. (Click the images to zoom and enhance.)

Next up is a commission done for probably my number one fan (other than my mom and my husband), Rick. I can’t draw Kitty Pryde without drawing Lockheed, it’s a rule.

Click the image to zoom and enhance.

Normally when I color art in Photoshop, I do something similar to cel shading, either with a hard edge paint brush underneath the line work (quick) or tracing over the artwork with the pen tool, essentially using shapes to construct re-construct the drawing in color (slow). An example of the first method is this Amy Pond sketch:

An example of the second is this cover for To The Power Against #4:

The Emogician image up at the top was my attempt at the more “traditional” digital coloring that you see in many of the mainstream comics. I haven’t decided which method I like best, I have yet to try a watercolor effect or something that mimics what I do with art markers on paper.

Maybe I’ll just use all of them AT THE SAME TIME.