Kicking my own ass into gear

[I'mAWheel]

Okay, in an effort to start drawing every day again for the sake of self improvement, I figure I may as well start one of these here sketch blogs. They seem to work well for some folks, so here's hoping I can stick to some kind of schedule and update this thing regularly. C 'n' C are both welcome as hell, and here's some stuff from the last few weeks to get the ball rolling.

http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/2056/youngheroes041707psdcolrt8.jpg

http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/5709/design1apsdcy0.jpg

http://img478.imageshack.us/img478/2211/design2bx4.jpg

[I'mAWheel]

http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/8131/sketches031307fg4.jpg

http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/1295/sketches031207psduv7.jpg

[Dri]

Good stuff, Paul. I like the way you've gone for a design element to your work by spotting the blacks and using simple lines. You got faces down pretty well too. It's in your own style and would be consistent for comic book work. Also it's good to see the underlying structure of your sketches to help remind us that we can never take short cuts. Look forward to more of your posts.

[I'mAWheel]

Thanks, Adrian! Here's a couple more I drew last night and coloured today.

http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/2997/youngheroes4psdpp8.jpg

http://img129.imageshack.us/img129/8995/tankcolours1fu9.jpg

http://img238.imageshack.us/img238/3574/tankcolours3zx4.jpg

[I'mAWheel]

Another one, in case I don't manage to do anything tomorrow (which seems likely tonight). Most of these guys are characters I'm working up for a pitch. Yeah, everybody's got one. Blah.

http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/5647/youngheroes5psdhq6.jpg

[I'mAWheel]

http://img403.imageshack.us/img403/7291/yh7hi0.jpg

http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/2120/lildfhji1.jpg

[I'mAWheel]

http://img378.imageshack.us/img378/4102/yhsketches051207hx2.jpg

[I'mAWheel]

http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/9825/yh051307psdmw7.jpg

I think our robut's nearly done. He's close, anyway. Does anybody happen to know if "Tank" is in use as a superhero name? I figure it has to be, but I can't seem to find out for sure.

[K.E. Woolfork]

Loving the pics.

Tank was a big kid in armor who was on The DNAgents team.

He looked like this:

http://image.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/25819409712.13.GIF

But the company went tits up and DNAgents have been out of print for over 20 years. I think you're good with keeping the name.

ALL your sketches look GREAT! I wish I could work with you myself. Outstanding stuff.

k.

[I'mAWheel]

Hey, thanks for the compliment and the info! I was a bit too young to get on board the Eclipse train, so I missed out on the DNAgents and never read any back issues.

Some more sketches:

http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/6189/yh051507um3.jpg

[I'mAWheel]

http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/9430/yhsketches05182007psdez5.jpg

http://img518.imageshack.us/img518/8408/shirtgx4.jpg

[Spidey]

Lol, the shirt is awesome! I gotta make one like that with my O-face.

These are some great sketches, dude. I really dig your shading style and the little word balloon comments are pretty funny.

Please do us a favor and update this regularly. :)

[kman]

I like your stuff, dude. You've got a really clean, thought-out style that makes your sketches look like finished pencils. You should definitely keep it up.

[I'mAWheel]

Thanks, guys! I guess I'd call these sketches pretty finished. My approach is to scribble loosely with a light pencil (usually a 4H) and then I just go over everything and tighten it up with a mechanical HB. The cool thing about this is that the scanner doesn't really pick up the 4H lines, which makes the art look a little less sloppy than it actually is.

Here's a few more (sorry about the repetition):

http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/9789/yh052207psdws7.jpg

http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/8521/coldwarriorpsder6.jpg

I tweaked this one up a bit and submitted it to Threadless (http://www.threadless.com/), just to see if there'd be any interest. It's not on the site yet, but anyway:

http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/9825/meagainfleshype9.jpg

[I'mAWheel]

I know nobody likes a huckster, but if you're signed up with Threadless, you can now vote on the above design by following this link: http://www.threadless.com/submission/120195/Cthulhu_Desires_Your_O_Face

I'll love ya forever if you do (even if you give it a shitty rating; I appreciate attention and honesty way more than empty praise)!

[I'mAWheel]

This one started off a sketch and then turned into a team shot:

http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/176/youngheroes052707mh3.jpg

[E.J.Su]

Great stuff!!

[I'mAWheel]

Thanks, E.J.! I really loved your work in the latest Superpatriot mini. I'll have to finally check out Tech Jacket when the new edition comes out.

Not much to add today, but since I'm trying to post often, here we go. I think all the Starman I've been reading lately is coming out in my work.

http://img157.imageshack.us/img157/5365/dapperalienbpsdkh2.jpg

[JimLeeforGod]

You have a great knowledge of foreshortening in your pics. Great work :)

[benrosa]

Beautiful Work.

[I'mAWheel]

Thanks!

This thing here is something new for me. A while ago, I decided that I'd attempt to write and draw a "literary graphic novel" (ooh la la), but I never know where to start when it comes to this sort of thing. So I'm basically writing and drawing the book simultaneously, using a pretty rigid panel/grid structure that allows me to play around with it as I go (kinda got the inspiration for this from Scott McCloud's last book). Sometimes the script I'm writing in Word comes first, sometimes I draw the panel first. It's a pretty fun way of creating stories.

Since these thumbs are pretty detailed, I think what I'll do is just take them back into Photoshop, ink right over them, and that'll be that. I'm thinking of a two-colour approach to finish things off. Just nice and simple, easy-on-the-eyes kinda stuff.

http://img57.imageshack.us/img57/7026/sheetyt5.jpg

[I'mAWheel]

More conceptual stuff. You could argue that this belongs in illustration, I guess, but I'm still feeling my way through some ideas, so I'm-a stick it in here...

http://img116.imageshack.us/img116/9083/ryadpagepsdvr6.jpg

[I'mAWheel]

Still working through this style. I sketch everything tightly, scan it, then do it all up in Photoshop, from the inks to resizing the images. If I combine the layouts at the top of the page with this sort of style, I think I'll be ready to start serializing my OGN on the web.

http://img386.imageshack.us/img386/6296/edithandthekingpinpsdff1.jpg

http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/1493/singaporedonepsdwe9.jpg

http://img462.imageshack.us/img462/8787/chinamenzb0.jpg

[I'mAWheel]

Figured I'd resurrect this with a few sketches I'm doing before jumping into a Zuda pitch (inker needed, if anybody who might be interested happens to read this).

http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/624/sketches08032007agc5.jpg

http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/7990/sketches07312007psdlq2.jpg

http://img252.imageshack.us/img252/4396/sketches07302007att4.jpg

[I'mAWheel]

http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/5797/kidcoloursln2.jpg

http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/7171/zuda082907qp8.jpg

http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/7669/zudasketches0826vu2.jpg

[Dri]

Definitely envy your linework for it's simplicity and clarity. The tones in post 23 work well and the terrier's cool.

[I'mAWheel]

Belated thanks, man!

Here's some recent stuff:

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/6928/bqpinuppencilshw6.jpg

I took this into Photoshop and finished it up for a pinup in Bomb Queen IV #2, which I also colored.

http://img160.imageshack.us/img160/7773/dreamgirl11272007yj2.jpg

http://img158.imageshack.us/img158/9334/dreamgirl02tj5.jpg

[1peace]

Great work dude

[Repo Man]

I dig that literary graphic novel thing you have going on. Are you going to publish it or at least put it on the internet in some finished form?

[I'mAWheel]

Thanks! And unfortunately, I ditched that strip months ago. I'd actually forgotten about it til I came back here and saw it again.

http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/2749/aislyn01km1.jpg

[I'mAWheel]

http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/8664/aislyn02kaseyev3.jpg

[I'mAWheel]

http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/9248/mofbgraffjl2.jpg

http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/3513/fbgrafwn2.jpg

[1peace]

Nice stuff!
I love the fact that your cranking them out man!
You do a lot of what one of my buddies accuse me of doing , that is having the character look right - at - the - camera. I didn't even know I was doing it. anyway I liked it that way.
peace

[I'mAWheel]

Thanks, 1peace! I definitely do the eyeball thing on purpose, although it's probably something I should cut back on.

I've been effing around in openCanvas lately and have been enjoying it:

http://img252.imageshack.us/img252/9426/acceleratorki8.jpg

http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/9067/supeshadastraightjober1.jpg

http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/7121/expdf1.jpg

[I'mAWheel]

http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/1048/exp2xi6.jpg

Crummy old pencil:

http://img241.imageshack.us/img241/6524/n90322064924895667958md6.jpg

http://img409.imageshack.us/img409/2230/n90322064924895678415jq3.jpg

[I'mAWheel]

http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/1092/accelerator2rj3.jpg

[hydekomiksink]

Hey I really like your pencil stuff......

[I'mAWheel]

http://img177.imageshack.us/img177/830/poutpf3.jpg
http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/2296/ninjagardenpinuprj0.jpg
http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/5894/041308tl2.jpg