Goblins in progress

In my last post I talked about a Commission I got to do some Fantasy images.

that post > HERE

That Commission is finished and the finals for all 4 of those images are all on my online portfolio

See those Goblins > HERE

I was thinking that this project would be a good time to go into and share my artistic process with how I take an image from start to finish.  There is no need to go into all four of the Goblin images so i'll just talk about one.

Step 1. ink

    Step 1. So after the image is sketched out and inked I scan and clean the image digitally, simple step clearing up smudges and pencil lines just want the ink to be bold and crisp.

( the digital parts of this work is done in PhotoShop)

Step 2. Base Color

    Step 2.  this step is basically me turning my art into a coloring book, just filling in the lines.  But the real important part of this step is that I start breaking areas of colors in the image into there own layers.

The layers at the end of the image

    Creating separate layers is a very helpful tool to have for making quick corrections without effecting other aspects of the whole image, but when working with so many layers its a good idea to ether group them into folders or to at less remember to name them, which sadly sometimes I forget and when trying to fine 1 small light to fix among 30 something layers can get frustrating, so remember doing a little extra work early can save you a lot of extra work later.

Step 3. Light and Shadow 

   Step 3.  Then on separate layers i'll create a shadow and light layer to help give the whole image more sense of shape for each object and to push and pull different object back in the space of the image.  I also want to keep the shade and light layers relatively sharp as to not loose or take away from any of my line work.

Step 4. Splatters!!!

   Step 4.  This next step is still pretty new to me in fact this series is the first time I tried doing it, which is another reason I wanted to talk about it.

Random Ink splatter used for Goblin images

 I did a whole series of semi random ink splatter to add a more striking and designed look to my Goblin images, and in some cases and sense of grittiness.

Step 5. Final

   Step 5. Lastly I finish off the image with final light and shadow layers that make up the mood of the environment, instead of focusing on the individual objects in the image I think of it as a whole.  These layers can help me define a light source or just create a dynamic effect on the environment. Also can tint and unify the image as a whole.

That is usually my step by step process in making mostly all of my images.

Hope you find this helpful!

A trip to New York to see the Engine

      Yesterday I got to take a trip to New York with friend, and fellow artist, Mike Burns. The reason for the trip was to see the gallery opening for "The Monster Engine", check out more on it here. 

Examples from the monster engine project.

       "The Monster Engine" is the creation of artist Dave Devries. It all started with the question of what would a child's drawing look like when painted realistically. The engine has been around for years and I have loved it since I first heard about it, so it was a great opportunity to see this amazing work in person.

The front and back of the card given out at the show.

     The gallery will be up from May 3, to May 30, 2012 at the Sacred Gallery, located 424 Broadway 2nd floor (between Canal and Howard) New York, NY 10013.    

     A great topping of the evening was meeting Dave Devries himself. I was able to get his autograph and then have him pose for a picture with me and Mike.

In Order from left to right: Mike, Dave, and yours truly. 

       Our trip didn't only consist of seeing the gallery, it was a all day event. We got there early enough so we could walk around the whole city and fine some cool and interesting spots. Some note worthy places we went were The Evolution Store located in SoHo, a fascinating place where you can fine science and nature collectibles like fossils and bugs. It’s pretty much like the coolest science class you could dream of.


        Another place that speaks more to the nerd in me was the comic store Forbidden Planet. The biggest comic store I have seen to date, simply put, they had EVERYTHING, definitely going to check it out again, next time I go to New York. 


        We also were able to find the Comedy Cellar, a place known for all the amazing comedians that have preformed there. Mainly Mike and I were excited since it’s featured in the opening of the show Louis, and comedian Louis C.K. still performs there. 

Me in front of the Comedy Cellar. Sadly we couldn't actually go there this time .

      I had a great trip to New York that really gave me a boost. I got a lot of ideas from the trip and talking with Dave at his show was a real reminder to keep going and never slow down.

 Edited by: Mia Rose Cammisa

The Solo Tribune

        A short time ago I was asked by my old friend, and amazing illustrator, Miguel Mansur to be a part of his new art community currently on Tumblr.  The ultimate goal is to build a community of Philadelphia friends and fellow artists.  It is still in the beginning stages, but I believe in time it will lead to many great things for Philly artists. Hopefully such things as gallery shows andwide spread promotion. 

       The Tumblr, as you can probably guess by now, is called SOLO TRIBUNE. It already features an amazing group of artists such as: 

Alex Halpin 

Mike Burns

Yara Safadi 

Howard Schechtman 

Leah Romero 

Darren Tolliver 

        and of course yours truly!  So go check it out and enjoy the work of some of Philly's finest and show your support.  Here's an image I've recently posted there and stay tuned! 

Edited by : Mia Rose Cammisa

Comics Books, ASSEMBLE !

     I love comic books.  I started reading them in high school and never stopped.  I only started buying my own, however a short while ago.  Comics can just be so expensive, which is why I was so excited to discover "The Mighty Mighty Monthly Philly Comic Con".   

http://www.frankensteincomics.com/

        It's a monthly event, held every first Sunday of the month, at the International House.  The people there sell comics and toys at amazing discounts. A majority of the books were around 50% off.

My Face Looking At all the Comics

    It was a great time and if you live in the area and are a fan of comic books in general, come to next month's and get some great deals.

    At the end of the day this is what Mia and I ended up with, all for about $35.  Next time I will need a box to carry it all away.

Edited by : Mia Rose Cammisa

Practicing Sculpey

       Recently I got some modeling Sculpey, which, until this point I had never really worked with. Actually I hadn’t really worked with any kind of modeling clay, just a little in High School and never seriously.  But for the last couple of days I’ve been playing with Scupley and have found it to be an insane amount of fun!

Red sculpey fired and unpainted

      Sculpey is a really fun type of sculpting clay that stays soft until you’re happy with what you’re making. You can change it as many times as you like without it hardening until you’re ready. Then, when you’ve finished your piece you can bake it in the oven to make it solid. It's very easy to bake and unlike some other clay, you don't need a kiln only an oven set to 275 degrees. It makes Sculpey perfect for playing with kids with or making nice tiny sculptures without needing expensive equipment.

Blue clay sculpey fired and minimal painting

      At first I was just working with one block Sculpey for  fun but after awhile I was having so much fun I got more and continued creating some more little heads.

Blue clay sculpey fired and minimal painting

      I know I’m just getting the hang of sculpting and have a long way to go, but now that I’ve played with these guys, and had a ball doing so, I want to make more. Hopefully I’ll start selling them soon as magnets, pins and anything else I can think of! I can’t wait to show you guys more as I create them and if you have anything you might want, let me know I could make it for you!


     The photos in this post where taken by my girlfriend, who sells antique clothing and jewelry on her webstore : THEDA VINTAGE,

Lets Talk TEDTalks

Web site Here


       "TED is a global set of conferences owned by the private non-profit Sapling Foundation, formed to disseminate ideas worth spreading." I discovered the TED talks about two years ago, and I have been a fan ever since. 

       

      

       Lately, I've been keeping up with Ted talks on their Youtube channel. I love having them on in the background while I'm working. They're very engaging and cover such an amazing range of topics from Dinosaur fossils to new 3D printing to the growth of technology. It's cool to hear some of the amazing people that come to talk, such as Bill Gates. 

Bill Gates TEDtalk

  

        It makes me smile when I get to sound smart when I quote something i found out from TED talk. Thought, mainly I love finding out about all these unknown fields of studies and how technology still in development could potentially (and hopefully) change our world.  

        TED talks are something I would definitely recommend to anyone, and I'm sure you will get hours of entertainment from them because of how truly fascinating they can be.

Fishing with pet creature.

only half of the whole image, you got to wait to see the rest 

      Good news! I am almost finished my first children's book. My first illustration job went smoothly, and I was glad to see that the job came out as good as it did. I have a nice list of contacts coming together and am preparing to send off samples of my work to some prospective jobs.

      

      One of the pieces I plan to send off is the Wizard’s Brew piece I am working on, and the next piece you see above you. It’s a landscape piece with fun plants and creatures throughout the image.

     Also fun little fact : the landscape used as reference is taken from a Bob Ross painting

Landscape by Bob Ross

Wizard's Brew, a bit more progress.

Work in progress.

   A small while back in one of my updates I showed this image as a small sketch, it is a piece I can't wait to finish and add to my portfolio.

   I just finished inking it and scanned it in to start working on this in photoshop. Now here for you is the piece so far.

Fun References : Cover Browser

    I wanted to share a great site I was turned on to. The site is called Cover Browser and is an amazing resource for almost any kind of comic cover. It is just filled with covers from all of comic history. Definitely check it out for a fun time.

A Present for a Friend

A great friend

    I have known my friend Mike for about 9 years now, we first met in our high school  and became friends very quickly. It is fun watching someone's work change and evolve so much before your eyes along with you. So why am I writing about him now?

    A short while ago a friend of mine, Mike Burns wrote a very nice blurb about me on his blog. click here to see it. I was very happy and excited when I seen it and thought it was very moving to see him write that about me. After seeing that I knew I had to do something for him. A while back about a year or so ago I made a piece that I referenced mike in. 

The present monsters

    I really liked the piece back then thought it was cute, but even during the time thought the color was the worst and not thought out well at all. So it wouldn't make a good gift to my friend. That is when I decided to give it a nice redo and color it correctly.

The present monsters 

This is now the new version that I made to give to my friend Mike.

    To Mike, Hope you like it.