Behold, my comic book mediocrity!

Well, lately I've been applying to get a comic book illustration job. Not working for Marvel or anything, but it looks like a cool job anyway. It's for a sports consultant agency. Anyway, I'm not sure how much I can talk about on here, but I can show some of the pictures. Again, I don't know if I can show the entire sample page I did for them, but here's one of the uncoloured panels, my attempt at comic book illustration.
I've been using (stealing) techniques mainly from two artists whose work I love. Both their styles work so well for this project. I hope they don't mind my totally making a mess of their styles. The first is Robin Mitchell, who has an awesome style. Lately he's been posting his own creator comic on his blog (which I can't wait to get ahold of), and from what I can gather, he has a unique way of creating pages based mostly on drawing each panel out, scanning it in, and compiling the page on the computer. That's what it looks like to me, so I've used that method, which turns out is really nice. I can just thumbnail the entire page, then work out the panels individually, in whatever size I want on printer paper and scan it in and reduce it to the size I need.
The second artist is Sean "Cheeks" Galloway. I'm using his colouring style, which I'm in no way doing justice to, for either of them. Both artists are linked, so you should check them out.

And here is the previously posted image of the hulk celebrating my blog-iversary. I just like this one, so I thought I'd post the pencils. Keep your stick on the ice!

-Howard

My brush with Death! (not a bad guy)

So anyway, I help out with the youth group at my church; the Jr. Highs! And we just recently had our winter retreat at a camp 2.5 hours north of Toronto; Camp Medeba. It was a fantastic weekend. Those guys have SO much energy!
Anywho, we took a school bus there, which left the church at about 6-ish. At about 6:30 'o' clock-ish, well, there was a bit of a misshap.
I'm sure the vast majority of those reading this have at one time been on a school bus. You can picture the noise. You can picture the girls up front, singing, or talking about how smelly and gross boys are. The guys in the back, playing cards, or talking about how stupid the girls up front are for singing, or for not liking their body odour. And it's dark. Now, I'm sure, or at least hope, that none of you have experienced what happened to me that fateful night.
I was sitting in the dark, laughing at the guys behind me, when suddenly there was an explosion (it sounded like an explosion to me) and a bright light. Next thing I know, I'm covered in shattered glass, and everybody is going nuts. I glance at the window in my seat, which is behind me, and there's a giant, spikey hole where more glass should have been. Then I felt my head, concluding that glass usually doesn't shatter of it's own accord (I of course mean outside of Stephen King novels), and that something had to have come in. Taking my hand from my head, I see blood.
So I quickly do what any reasonable youth leader would do in this situation......I panic! I start yelling that I'm bleeding, and that I need a towel, or something. Everybody finally realizes that I'm yelling for a reason, and help is soon on the way. I say a quick prayer to God, no particular prayer that I remember, just wanting Him to know I'm still here, and then suddenly, as everybody gathers round me, I'm filled with this over powering calm. Like, unnaturally. I realize that there are a bunch of kids on this bus who must be freaking out, and I gotta calm them. So I begin to crack wise, and so forth, letting them know I'm fine.
Anyway, you're wondering what came through the window. Well, on the high way, you'll often see hunks of car off to the side. Well, that night, a passing vehicle (I'm thinking a truck) kicked up a muffler, which flew up, and crashed through my window. Now buses are pretty high, so it had to be the mother of all shots!
I don't think I was actually hit by the muffler, but if I were, it would have been just a graze from the end, but more likely, it was a piece of flying glass. So now I have a nifty cut, turning to scar on the right side of my forehead.

There were definitely funny parts to the whole ordeal. Like the fact that one of my fellow youth leaders was quick to help stop my bleeding by using one of her Maxi Pads (unused. I made sure to ask). And when the paramedics asked me how my vision was, I said, "I'm not really sure. I've never really been tested. 20/20, I guess." To which he replied, "No. I mean right now." "Oh.....it's fine."

But it was a great evening and weekend and I really learned and was reminded that God is watching out for me. That's my point. And now I'm tired of typing. Adios!

-Howard

Post Script: Of course, how can I forget my date with Marielle afterward. It was a romantic time. Just her, me, and everbody else in the emergency room. Very intimate!

Happy Blog-iversay!

That's right! Today, Wed-nes-day the 17th marks the one year anniversary of the day I started my blog. I wasn't really going to do anything for it, but then I noticed that it's a pretty popular thing to celebrate, so I thought I'd join in. Any reason to have guests over. Although, I did kindly ask the hulk to not wear those hideous tear off purple jeans, but he's kind of attached to them.
Maybe in the future I'll start doing more with my blog, like adding links, and putting capitals at the beginning of sentences, and adding periods and commas.
Anywho, to the future. I'm gonna go celebrate by making myself a cup of tea! Adios!

-Howard

Here it is, hot off the press.....I mean my desk. And they're not really that hot, which is in stark contrast to the out doors. Did anybody notice it's snowing out? Oh boy! We're back in Can-a-dah

Hope you enjoy the beautiful weather. Don't forget to where your rubbers.

-Howard

It's all about image, baby

-Howard

I have the internet back....

....and also the ability to update my blog. Sorry to you, blogger. I didn't mean to ignore you. Hope you can forgive me. Also hope I can put more stuff on here. Adios

-Howard

Nothing worth while comes easy!

Well, here's a page from my life drawing sketchbook. This is where it all begins for the artist. The trek to making great art must start with pages like these. Not much to look at, are they? But, like a scientist who wishes to one day build a rocket, we have to start somewhere. He isn't born making the right mathematical equations to get the perfect results. He must first practice many different variations with different numbers and formulas before he has mastered the art enough to bend it to his will. That's what this page is about, something I've been learning recently. To make the marks I want with the pencil, I must know how to juggle the endless variences of angle of element to paper, different pressures with the element and my own experiences and obversations.

Next time you see a piece of art, whether it's a painting or a Saturday morning cartoon, try to appreciate the amount of hard work and skill before you.

-Howard

I...I just don't know!

There's no story behind this picture. The character has nothing to do with the background. I don't have a clue what the greater meaning to the image is. I was fooling around in PhotoShop, and this is what happened. Accept it for what it is.

-Howard

A token of my esteem; Simple tripe!

I hope that perhaps my picture will explain to you where I have been, and why I was unable to make new posts. As you can see, I was incarcerated. Yes, framed, really. Sit back, and I shall tell you a story. I warn you, this tale is not for the faint of heart, or the ugly of face. It was three days after my last post. Sept. the second. That fateful day will forever be burned into my memory as the day my life changed for all time. It was a day of murder, drug peddling, bologne, and several shades of grey.....okay. Okay. I admit it. There was no framing. No murder. No bologne. The reason I haven't been posting is cause I'm a lazy, lazy man. Rather, an unmotived one. BUT! That will change!......I hope. Meh. I'm really just posting cause I didn't know how long it was till blogger'd shut me down. Anyway, to the future......or more posting......on my part.

-Howard

Post Script: The picture above was actually taken three years ago at Capernway Harbour Bible Center. I tell ya. Ya do some crazy things at Bible school. And what happens at Bible school, stays and Bible school!

Digital BG time

It's back to school time....officially! I've started digital background painting, and it's going pretty good. Got a cool teacher. I think this year is gonna go allllllright. The above picture is my first attempt at background painting. The layout was provided by my teacher. I simply did the colours. That's all for now.

-Howard