In this second part of our discussion with Rob Moran we fired off some shorter questions where he goes into his cultural influences and daily rituals. Here’s part one of the Rob Moran interview.

How have digital tools affected your creative process over the past few years?

ROB: I worked digitally for a couple of years, everything done on a Wacom tablet and got pretty good at it, but ultimately that wasn’t for me. I still use the computer for scanning and cleaning up my work and to send it via e-mail or FTP, of course.

What would be your best and worst professional experience?

ROB: Probably my best experience was working with my former editor at Platinum Studios, Lee Nordling as he became one of my best friends; great editor, super guy.

As for the worst I think I’ll plead the fifth on that; you never know when you’re going to work with someone again so I’ll keep me big mouth shut.

What was the best advice you’ve ever received but may not have listened to the first time out?

ROB: Learn to keep your big mouth shut.

Do you approach your full page illustrations differently than your sequential comic work?

ROB: Certainly. With sequentials it’s all about designing the page/ pages to tell the story as clearly and dramatically as possible. With single illustrations it’s all about the design and the content/information you need to impart to the viewer; this breaks down even more depending on whether the illustration is an ad or pin-up or a cover. With covers it’s of great importance to work in the placement of logos and other wordage into the final design or your picture can be ruined…and don’t forget the dreaded barcode.

Which pieces are you most proud of thus far?

ROB: I’m not mad about much of my own stuff…tend to only see the flaws; perhaps my Catwoman drawing from the ‘Batman: the Lost Serial’ series and a couple of my noir pieces.

What’s your vital daily ritual?

ROB: Checking my e-mail and Facebook…LOL! Kissing my wife. Cuddling my cats. Nothing special.

What’s currently sitting in your mp3 / CD player / turntable?

ROB: Nothing nada, zilch, zero; I can’t/don’t listen to music while working. I’ve been bipolar since my teen years and find music affects me too much at an emotional level, need to keep my mood on an even keel for working.

I never listen or watch anything when penciling but watch TV or listen to Radio 4 when inking…I could ink on the back of a camel while a High School Marching Band played the greatest hits of John Phillip Souza and never miss a stroke.

What’s hanging on your walls and what is your favorite piece of art that you own (not created by you)?

Two Frank Robbins JOHNNY HAZZARD strips and a MARTIN MYSTERIE page by the great Corrado Roi

What’s the last novel you read and last movie that you saw that you’d recommend? Which movies and books do you always return to?

ROB: I read very little fiction these days, mostly non-fiction reference material. If I do read fiction it’s usually the Jeeves and Wooster books by P.G. Wodehouse or the Campion books by Margery Alingham – both of which I heartily recommend. In comics it would be the classic Modesty Blaise strip collections or the Corto Maltese books.

As for movies; I see loads but most bore or disappoint me –the two stand out I watched recently were DESPICABLE ME, which is a joy and the original Swedish version of LET THE RIGHT ONE IN; a hauntingly beautiful modern fairytale about loneliness wrapped up in the guise of a vampire movie.

Current and upcoming projects?

ROB: The big project for me right now and for the next eighteen months or so is I am drawing a graphic novel adaptation of Shakespeare’s RICHARD III for UK publisher Classical Comics. This is a huge undertaking, coming in as it does at 176 pages but I am very happy doing it as I love Shakespeare and Richard is my favorite play.
I’m also drawing a strip written by Paul N. Neal called DEATH BE PRAISED for inclusion in an anthology book of his work alongside Steve Pugh, Glenn Fabry and John McCRee.

Later this year I will be illustrating a book of noir detective stories.

The other big thing is that my mini-series BLOOD NATION which came out from Platinum Studios/Image Comics a while back is being made into a movie.

What would you tell an aspiring artist who is working his ass off but still needs and wants to break through to the next level?

ROB: Work harder…seriously; there is no substitute for that.

Here’s a basic that tends to be ignored; LEARN TO DRAW – don’t rely on Photoshop effects and flash. Learn the basics, figure drawing, true anatomy, learn to draw drapery, wood, metal, all textures. Learn to draw FEET! Have you seen the number of comic artists who cop out on drawing feet? Don’t draw empty suits; I see lots of artists drawing people wearing suits that have wrinkles and creases in the clothes but no bones or flesh beneath them; draw the body first – then put clothes on it.

And look outside comic art for development; look at the great illustrators, attend life drawing classes, study the classical artists, Michelangelo, Rueben’s, etc.

Learn to develop a thick skin for crits of your work and rejection…you’ll need it.

Lastly; be fearless; don’t settle in a comfort zone…constantly challenge yourself to try new things, new techniques. Don’t look to become a famous artist…try to become a good artist, maybe even a great one.
I’ll get down off my soapbox now.

What’s been the most effective means of marketing yourself both online and off?

ROB: That’s easy. FACEBOOK; hands down FB has been the single most effective tool in getting my work seen; I’ve acquired a following of fans and friends and artists/writers who have been incredibly supportive and helpful. In the past year I have had many offers of work and have a list of writers who want to work with me…all of which stemmed from Facebook.

Thanks again for taking the time out to do this. It was worth the wait.

ROB: You’re welcome; I’m very grateful to be included in this line-up of wonderful artists you’ve interviewed.

ROB MORAN; Master of Noir, Pen, Brush and Ink Part 2 [INTERVIEW] is a post from: Optimum Wound

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Rich and I both approached artist Rob Moran for an interview last November. Neither of us knew that the other had done so. That should tell you just how much his art affected both of us individually. Rob is an extremely busy creator and was gracious enough to answer over 20 of our questions.  He labours over every brushstroke that he lays down on paper formulating hard-edged timeless illustrations. This interview will be broken up into 2 parts.

In this first part he dives pretty deeply into tools and his technique. Part two will appear tomorrow.

What inspired you to first start drawing? Did you struggle in your formative years or did it come easy to you?

ROB: Comics were definitely my inspiration to draw. I could read and write from the age of four and learned to read using comics before I went to school; I started with the weekly comics published here in the UK and very quickly discovered the joys of American books… The artwork in comic books hooked me right away and from very young I learned to recognize the different styles of various artists.

I feel as if I have struggled for most of my artistic career, never mind ‘formative years’. Art is struggle, essentially…if you are doing it right. It’s only in recent times have I felt I was achieving about 95% of what I was trying to do with each page or piece of work…I’m finally getting what I see in my head down on the paper. I’ve also stopped doubting and second-guessing myself as much; both of which plagued my early years. As for coming easy to me…that’s complicated; I was born with a modicum of ability to draw – or ‘talent’ if you will, but so are a lot of people…talent is as common as salt. What makes the difference is having the focus, determination and application to work hard and refine that talent; to wear down the rough edges and polish it until it shines brightly enough for people to notice you.

When I was a teenager I showed my art to a pro comics artist who rather dismissively and snarkily said, “Your ambition exceeds your ability!” Well you know what, so it damn well should…if it doesn’t how are you ever going to strive to be better?

First professional work (piece / year) and maybe a quick story behind it.

ROB: Oh Lord! Now you’re asking for the impossible; I have trouble remembering last week, never mind that long ago. Very first pro work was when I was sixteen; a series of cartoon illustrations for a local newspaper. I learned a valuable lesson on that job…never piss off your editor by drawing a cartoon of them looking like a drunken bum or they sack you. A sad truism of this business is that some editors have no sense of humor…especially the ones dealing with cartoons.

Were you self-taught or formally educated? (or mixture of both, mentors etc…)

ROB: Self-taught, I’m afraid; a complete autodidact. A self-made man, if you will…and I think it’s damned nice of me to take the blame. No mentors or teachers; frankly, I never met a teacher I didn’t want to punch.

Tools of the trade: Taking a quick glance over at your pens, brushes etc…what tools have you mainly been using over the last few years?

ROB: Ah, on to the good stuff; I could talk tools for a year and never get tired of it. When it comes to basic drawing or penciling I don’t use anything special; mostly mechanical pencils with a plain HB lead, though more often these days I use a mechanical filled with non-repro blue leads.

Since I believe most of the work is done in the inking the tools get a bit more specific here; my primary weapon of mass inkstruction is the Gilot steel pen nib, the kind you put in a pen holder and dip into a bottle of ink. I use mostly the 303 nib but occasionally vary that with a 404 or 1950; have to say though I LOVE the 303 – you can use it and abuse it. I buy them mail order; they are pretty inexpensive which is good ‘cos I go through a ton of them. You need a lot of practice to make these pens work for you, years of it; people worry that they spit and splatter ink, that’s mostly inexperience talking. Using them at the correct angle with a good flowing ink of the right paper cancels out that concern. Also don’t just draw with the point of the pen, use the edge, even the back of the tip to vary your lines.

As for brushes…for most of my career I have used the traditional sable brush but just recently I started using nylon brushes and I like them; they hold their point well and you can scub them into the paper for dry-brush techniques without fear of damage.

I also have what I call my ‘SFX Tray’ which is filled with all sorts of weird stuff; wax pencils, sponges, strips of leather, dried leaves…anything that will create a texture effect. I even use the stalks from millet plants, these dipped in ink are great for drawing grass or tree branches. I pretty much will try anything that makes a mark.

How has your toolbox evolved compared to when you first started out?

ROB: My toolbox seems to have gone in a strange evolutionary cycle; it started out quite simply like most artists’ do, I acquired and tried nearly every tool you can think of searching for that magic instrument – you know, the one that will suddenly make your drawing brilliant (they don’t exist BTW). So my toolbox has devolved back to the traditional tools I started out using; pen, brush etc.

Favorite brand of ink:

ROB: Used to be Higgins Black Magic but the quality has declined in recent years. I’m constantly searching for good NEW inks; currently using Speedball Super Black on the recommendation of some artist friend from the US and Canada and it is mighty fine.

Type of paper:

ROB: I drew on Bristol board for years but sadly the quality of that has declined, too; has a tendency to bleed and not take a line the way it used to. These days I use Norfolk cartridge paper which I buy in bulk from an online supplier; it comes in huge sheets that give me four US comic sized pages per sheet and is considerably cheaper than Bristol. The Norfolk has a good surface for pen or brush and will go through my A3 (10 x 15”) printer easily…I like to print my pencils out in non-repro blue for inking as I hate the effect erasing has on my inks.

Which artists or creators do you return to for a quick boost of inspiration? Who are the masters of ink?

ROB: OMG! Seriously? You really want to go there? Okay, on your own head be it – THE GRAND MASTERS: Alex Raymond, Al Williamson, Hal Foster, Alex Toth, Joe Kubert, Angelo Torres, Frank Robbins, Milt Caniff, Noel Sickles, Jim Aparo, Dino Battaglia, Sergio Toppi, Hugo Pratt, Jesus Blasco, Luis Garcia, Fernando Fernandez, Esteban Maroto, Alberto Breccia, Frank Hampson, Frank Bellamy, Jim Holdaway, Don Lawrence, John Burns…I could go on and on but I won’t.

Current artists who inspire me are, Paul Gulacy, Phil Winslade, Butch Guice, Gianluca and Raul Cestaro, Francisco Francovilla, Mike Perkins, Mike Deodato and my absolute favorite contemporary comic artist – Corrado Roi!
I have left DOZENS out, BTW and that’s only the comic artists, don’t get me started on illustrators of fine artists.

Once a client has handed off an illustration job to you, how do you first tackle the job. Could you give us a quick overview of your process?

ROB: This process differs depending on whether we are talking about comics or illustration work. Since I primarily do the former these days I will address that.

First up, it’s always a good idea to read the script – that definitely helps. I read it at least twice; once to get the story down – then to start breaking it up into pages. I usually draw small thumbnails onto the actual script page, sometimes I pencil straight from those, sometimes if the editor desires it I will draw up more fully realized layouts (I’m doing this with my current gig), before going to pencils.

The ‘pre-process’ after thumbs/layouts and before penciling is very important to me and often the most time consuming; being a stickler for getting thing right I tend to reference EVERYTHING. This often includes shooting tons of reference photos for costume, poses, lighting, vehicles, animals whatever. I even go to the length of building model sets to get the lighting right.

Once all the reference is in place I start penciling, getting everything down as quickly as possible, usually the pencils are not so detailed unless I really need to nail an expression or stance.

INKING: this is the most enjoyable part of the whole business; I tend to zone out when inking…it has become a very Zen-like for me and the thing I enjoy most. For years I stressed over my inking, concentrating so hard on getting every line right I tightened up and never achieved the results I wanted. In the past couple of years I discovered the secret is to let go, relax, let the inks just flow from your hand as easily and naturally as you can…like handwriting. Mind you, it took me years and hundreds of hours of inking practice to achieve this state so I’m not saying it’s easy to do.

Visit Rob Moran’s website.

Masters of Ink with ROB MORAN Part 1 [INTERVIEW] is a post from: Optimum Wound

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BLUE ESTATE #1 has a Diamond order code of FEB110384 so go out and order it from your retailer now and support crime comics. The FOB is 3/14/11 so head on over to your retailer and support crime comics by ordering it.

VK: Thanks for having me on OpWound. I really appreciate the invitation.

RS: You’re welcome Viktor, it’s an honour to to do an interview with you. It’s always a pleasure to interview another creative type like yourself who is so open to sharing with our audience your incredible talent.

RS:  What was your first professional work (piece / year) and maybe a quick story behind it?

VK: Well, I’ve been doing art professionally for a very long time, but may be the very first piece I did on my own and got paid for was this mural in front of a small candy store. I don’t remember the name of it, but they wanted a cute girl standing in a sexy pose with a giant heart-shaped candy behind her. I was 18 and very excited to have a paid gig. This was back in my home town – Varna, Bulgaria. The guys who owned the store were two 25 year old students from the local University and they wanted a long legged girl you can’t resist. I might have the drawing for it somewhere back in my parents’ house. I am curious to see it now.

VK: My first mentors were 2 great Bulgarian artists – Ventzi Antonov and Stoimen Stoilov (his work is also exposed in the Louvre). They managed to keep me away from teachers and helped me grow very independently, finding out what really drives me and what I want to do, rather then learning to be like everyone else.

A great deal of influence was the French comic magazine “PIF Gadget”, which arrived every Wednesday and it was like Christmas for me. This and the German caricaturist Herluf Bidstrup shaped me to become absolutely in loved with visual storytelling and characters.
I graduated the High School of Art in Varna and then got my M.F.A. from the National Academy of Fine Arts in Sofia, Bulgaria. I specialized in print, which is a very black and messy inky situation. I’ve done pretty much all printing techniques – from simple linoleum and woodcut to complicated multi-layer mezzotinto, aquatinto, dry point and lithography. I have to admit though that this wasn’t my thing. The materials I used back then were mainly German brands, but I can’t remember their names.

RS:  Tools of the trade: Taking a quick glance over at your pens, brushes, favourite brand of ink and type of paper, etc…what tools have you mainly been using over the last few years?

VK: I will combine all these question and hopefully won’t disappoint you, because I haven’t been using real ink and paper for many years now. I discovered Wacom tablets somewhere in 1992 and became really attached to digital art. The entire book PHERONE is done digitally, using Corel Painter’s Scratchboard Tool. For me, by now, this is hands down THE BEST digital representation of a classic pen and ink. Most of my drawing and inking happens in Painter and I only use the standard tools.

RS:  Which artists or creators do you return to for a quick boost of inspiration? Who are the masters of ink?

VK: It’s a long list, but here are a few names in no particular order that I associated with Black & White: Nicola Mari, Bidstrup, Bernet, Mignola, Baru … As for inspiration in general, it’s a crazy long list and I don’t even know where to start. I am a sucker for good art and thanks to the Internet I discover new inspirations everyday. May be a good start is to check the LINKS section on my web site, but that barely touches the surface.

RS:  Once a client has handed off an illustration job to you, how do you first tackle the job. Couls you give us a quick overview of your process?

VK: – Well, first I need to understand exactly what has been asked of me, know my limitation and opportunities. I go back and forth clearing all that out.
- Then I come up with a basic plan and have my internal deadlines I know I have to meet if I want to make the client’s deadline.
- Next step is reference – this is KEY! If you are drawing an M16, you better know what it looks like to the smallest detail even if you don’t need to draw every single screw. I’ve seen so many badly drawn guns I still find it hard to understand why, given the fact there is so much available reference online.
Know what you draw!

RS: I completely agree with you. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen an artist draw a block and try to pass it off as a gun or when the story actually mentions a specific type and the artist just wings it and completely botches all of the details. This burns me a lot….. Sorry, please continue.

- Then I do my first sketch and submit it along with a bunch of comments and question that got raised in the process of creating the sketch – it’s always a good idea to keep your client informed of what you are doing to avoid unnecessary fixes. The earlier you catch a potential fix, the better for everyone.
- After it’s approved (and signed with blood) I move on to the final phase of actually finishing the piece. I like to have a bit of time so I can step away from my work for a day or two. It helps me to see it with fresh eyes and find what I can do better.
- Then comes the “suggestion” from the client that changes what you’ve been working so far and it’s really important to not get bitchy about it, because just like you, they were also in a creative process and thought of better ways to convey the idea. Hopefully it’s not setting you back too much and you are able to stay on schedule. My advice to young artists – always plan for fixes when you ask your price! There will always be some and if there aren’t any, then good – use the money for the client with more fixes then you planned for.

RS:  What’s currently sitting in your mp3 / CD player / turntable?

VK: I listen to Groovera.com and a couple of stations on Pandora. I like mainly Chill, Acid Jazz and a bunch of modern oriental jazz (I don’t know how it’s called exactly). A few names are Dzihan and Kamien; Adam Shaikh; Badmarsh and Shri.

RS:  What’s hanging on your walls and what is your favorite piece of art that you own (not created by you)?

VK: I have an original from Stoimen Stoilov which is priceless for me. Also a few prints from Loisel I bought in France; 2 posters from Nathan Fox and Tommy Lee Edwards. I have to admit that my favorite piece though is “Pushing Buttons” from my good friend Bruno (a.k.a. Nox at Massive Black). I just love this piece too much and I can’t explain why.

RS:  Last novel you read and last movie that you saw (that you’d recommend)?

VK: I recently saw The Air I Breathe and I really liked it. A great movie!
Lately I’ve been reading old Raymond Chandler books, I don’t know why. Maybe they make me feel like I am 16 again (that’s when I first discovered Philip Marlowe and he became my hero.

RS:  Current and upcoming projects?

VK: BLUE ESTATE. I’ll be working on it for the next year and have 12 amazing issues slated for production. It’s by far my most favorite project of all times and I am really excited to work on it. The first issue is coming up on April 6, but we’ll have in time for Wonder Con, so whoever can make it, stop by the Image booth and you can have your copy before everyone else. I am working on this with 3 good friends of mine – Toby Cypress, Nathan Fox and Robert Valley. Amazing ink artists, one of them you had already interviewed here (Nathan Fox).

Check out the web site for a lot of info and FREEBIES:
www.BlueEstateComic.com

RS: What would you tell an aspiring artist who is working his ass off but still needs and wants to break through to the next level?

VK: – To begin with, never think you are working too much. There is no such thing if you really love what you do. If you have the urge to do it – go, use your body while you are young, because as you get older you can’t stay up all night and then keep going the next day.
- Know what you draw! This has several meanings – know why and who are you making this for. If it’s for you and you are just having fun – explore the hell out of yourself and don’t care. If it’s for a client – make sure you understand exactly what they need, because that’s what matters!
Second – know what it is. If you are drawing people – learn anatomy. So many artists these days get away with cool effects and shiny details, but are missing the big picture. Use reference if you need to, but stay true to the body and how everything works.

- Communicate with your clients and keep your deadlines! If you are afraid you are not going to make a deadline, don’t hide and hope for the best – tell your client in advance and get help or time.

- The last and VERY important advice is – be easy to work with! Be nice and listen to your clients. Don’t bitch when they want you to change something. This means that either you didn’t do it right the first time, or you didn’t plan enough for fixes in your price.

VK: Thanks again for having me.

RS: It has been a pleasure sir. I’m really looking forward to reading Blue Estate when it comes out. I loved Pherone and highly recommend it to everyone reading this interview.

There’s even a behind the scenes section that I’ve included a sneak peek of in this interview AND a bonus story. Awesome stuff.

Blue Estate – Blue Estate – issue #1 – The Rachel Situation – April 6

Viktor Kalvachev brings NOIR back to Masters Of Ink is a post from: Optimum Wound

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First professional work (piece / year) and maybe a quick story behind it.

Honestly, I don’t exactly remember. For years, just about all of my work was in private commissions/illustrations, so I don’t really have a specific date and time of what my first professional piece was. Sad……

I’ve since branched out, and have done spot illustrations, a novel cover, some character design, and am just recently getting into the comics world, with some indie covers, some work on trading card sets (base cards and original sketch cards) for FemForce and Luxura…and I’ve got a couple things in the works that hopefully I can talk about soon.

Self-taught or formally educated? (or mixture of both, mentors etc…)

Completely self taught. I’ve always been a big fan of art, of all kinds, and I’ve done my best to study and learn as much as I could from the artists I admire most…which I try to continue to do to this day.

I also do my best to continuously try new things, new mediums, styles, methods. I love trying to figure out something that’s new to me, and usually I end up incorporating what I like into what I do. I strive to be constantly changing, and improving.


Tools of the trade: Taking a quick glance over at your pens, brushes etc…what tools have you mainly been using over the last few years?

I enjoy working in several different mediums. For most of what I do, I work primarily with ink and watercolor. My brushes are Windsor Newton Series 7 (size 2 & 4). For inking, I use a brush with Pelikan ink, or the Pentel Brush Pen, and various sizes of the Faber Castell PITT pens. I then paint with watercolor (and often incorporate some acrylic paint and/or colored pencils.)

If working in gray tones, which seems to be the most popular request for commissions, I will sometimes use wash, but most often go with a mix of warm and cool gray Copic Markers. I use a white paint pen for highlights, and when the mood strikes, a mix of paint, ink, or whatever I can find to finish a piece off.

You have a very unique style to your artwork. Can you give us an in-depth look at how you create an image?

Not a whole lot of mystery here. Once I have an assignment, or character decided on for a commission, I start with some brainstorming and doodling. From that, I’ll get an idea of what I want to do with the piece (this sometimes takes seconds, sometimes days).

Once I have an idea, I’ll usually do a very rough thumbnail sketch, mostly to work out the design of the piece, and where I want everything to go. Then, I’ll dive right in to the pencil drawing. Since I’m always inking and finishing (be it paint or Copics) a piece myself, the pencils are left pretty loose. Once I’m comfortable that I’ve got enough of a drawing on the page, I do the line work and tighten up the drawing with the PITT Pens.

Next, I go in with the Copics for color (well, not really color, as I only work in gray, warm and cool….so let’s say “tones”) and shading. From there, I finish it up with some highlights….and if I feel like getting messy, some paint and ink splatter.

Favorite brand of ink, Copic markers, watercolor, etc.

My ink of choice is Pelikan. I use the refillable original Copics Markers, in warm and cool tones. For water color I use mostly Pelikan, but I’ll mix in some Windsor Newton, and various types of acrylic paint. For white highlights, I love the Sakura Gelly Roll white pens, as well as concentrated white watercolor, and a standard white out pen.

Type of paper:

For Copic drawings, I use Strathmore Medium Drawing paper. Not as thick as the Strathmore and Canson paper or board I use for watercolors, but I love the natural tint to the paper, and it holds and blends the Copics beautifully.

Which artists or creators do you return to for a quick boost of inspiration?

I’m always returning to the works of my favorites for inspiration. My favorite artist, and the biggest artistic influence on me (even though you can’t see it at all in my work) is Tim Sale. He excites me, and inspires me, and just does things that I can’t do, which is what really draws me to his work. He has a style that is completely his own, and I do my best to learn from his masterful storytelling, design and technique. He’s also a wonderful man, who I am proud to be able to call a good friend.

And when we’re talking Copic Markers, my biggest inspiration (and the biggest inspiration for all current artists who use copic markers, whether they admit it or not) is the Master, Adam Hughes. Adam is an unimaginable talent, who can draw anything. And when he’s working with copics, he is the king.

I also have a great love for the work of Darwyn Cooke, John Romita Sr., Robert McGinnis, Norman Rockwell, Fritz Willis, Drew Struzan, Scott Morse, Bill Presing, Stephane Roux, Juanjo Guarnido…I could probably go on forever.

When you’re commissioned to do a piece for someone do you have a different approach to when you create for your own pleasure?

Hmmm…I guess that depends. As with any paying job, having someone else “make the rules” certainly changes things a bit, at least in that I’m trying harder to stick to someone else’s expectations and am less likely to do something crazy, or try something completely new.

But otherwise, no, not really. My favorite commissions are those I’m turned loose on….and in my opinion are the ones that always come out best. Of course, when someone commissions me, my first priority is to give them exactly what they want, but when their only request is “Spider-Man…and have fun with it!”, and not “Spider-Man…..swinging through the city, tilted to exactly a 64 degree angle, with exactly 41 cars below him, at least 24 unique buildings, and exactly 207 windows on each building, etc……”, the results are probably going to be better.

(That’s an exaggeration of course….but you’d be surprised how specific some folks can be…)

What’s currently sitting in your mp3 / CD player / turntable?

For no apparent reason, I’ve recently been trying to decide on my top 10 favorite albums of all time. So I’ve got several full albums loaded up that I’ve been listening to constantly – Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking by Roger Waters, Ten – Pearl Jam, American Idiot – Green Day, Blood on the Tracks – Bob Dylan, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness – Smashing Pumpkins, Downward Spiral – NIN, OK Computer – Radiohead, The Chronic – Dr. Dre.

What’s hanging on your walls and what is your favorite piece of art that you own (not created by you)?

I’ve got several drawings and original pages by Tim Sale hanging up, as well as a few paintings/drawings that were done for my son by some friends and masters from the animation world….Scott Morse, Nate Wragg, Mike Lee, Robert Kondo.

My favorite piece is a wash drawing by Tim Sale, of Superman proposing to Lois, which was done to help me propose to my (now) wife. Not only is it a beautiful drawing, but for obvious reasons, it means more to me than any other piece of art possibly could.

Last novel you read and last movie that you saw (that you’d recommend)?

I’m not much of a novel reader anymore, unless graphic novels count. If so…I recently finished “Revolver” by Matt Kindt (creator of the phenomenal “Super Spy”). I’m a huge fan of Matt’s style and storytelling, and highly recommend everything he’s done.

I also just re-read the three volume collection of “Blacksad” by Juan Diaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido. The recent English collection printed by Dark Horse is beautiful, and if anyone out there hasn’t read it, there is nothing I would recommend more highly.

My wife and I just recently welcomed our second child, so I don’t get out to the movies much anymore either. I think the last movie I made it out to was “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”, which I’d definitely recommend. Easily the best in the series since “Azkaban”.

Current and upcoming projects.

Right now I’m finishing up some sketch card work on the upcoming “Luxura: Sword of the Apocalypse” trading card set, and a cover for an indie comic called “Void”…..as well as a few things that are in the works that I can’t really talk about yet.

I’m also hard at work on my first children’s book, which is nearly finished, and should be out sometime later this year.

In addition, I’m always accepting commissions. I use commissions as a way to take a break from whatever else I might be working on….they keep me sane. So regardless of my schedule, I always mix in some time each day to work on commissions.

What would you tell an aspiring artist who is working his ass off but still needs and wants to break through to the next level.

Draw. Paint. Skribble. Scratch. Doodle. Whatever! If you love to create art, you must do it. Practice, study, explore…..and practice. If you wonder what will happen if you try something new….try it. If you wonder what it would be like to be a professional artist…..find out. It’s never easy, but if you love art, and work hard, you will get there….and nothing will make you happier.

The Copic Wonders of Rich Hennemann [NSFW] is a post from: Optimum Wound

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What inspired you to first start drawing? Did you struggle in your formative years or did it come easy to you?

Everything inspired me honestly. I was drawing ever since I can remember, when I was younger I had a friend who had a huge collection of comic books, I loved those covers! At the same time while growing up I played a lot of video games such as Atari, Nintendo (The original), Sega Genesis and such. So all of those video games and their covers really made me want to draw since I loved how colorful they all were.

As far as struggling goes, I did struggle a lot at first. Posting in non art forums can be very difficult. I remember one time I did some Grand Theft Auto fan art and showed it off and people just bashed it and laughed how my hands looked like penises. So I did have a rough start, but not quitting really helped me improve. And always looking at inspiration and reference did a whole lot as well!

First professional work (piece / year) and maybe a quick story behind it.

I am not sure if we are going with first art sold or actually a professional level illustration so I will go with the second one. I think in 09 I actually got a chance to do stuff for the band Lamb of God. I did a few designs for them but the one that was chosen was a girls T-shirt design. I was still very excited about it and the interesting part was that this design was a random one. On others I tried very hard to think of complex concepts, on this one I threw together random things I doodled and surprisingly it turned out nicely!


Were you self-taught or formally educated? (or mixture of both, mentors etc…)

I was all self taught. I actually went to art school one day and one day only. When I got there the teacher told us to draw what we wanted so I thought of drawing a sadistic voodoo doll. Apparently when you are 12 years old you are not allowed to draw that so they just told me how I can’t draw things like that. This quickly took away any interest I had in art school.

Tools of the trade: Taking a quick glance over at your pens, brushes etc…what tools have you mainly been using over the last few years?

Over the years I really evolved with my work. In the past I would draw a sketch on paper then scan it over and ink it using the pen tool in Photoshop and go forth. Then I started inking using the brush tool when I got better with a tablet. Now days I start with a sketch digitally, and ink digitally. I have tried to ink on paper and scan it and color that but I could never get my lines as crisp as I would like them to be, so I just stick with digital inking.

How has your toolbox evolved compared to when you first started out?

Well over the years it got a lot smaller heh. I still do have pens I ink with when I care to do something on paper alone, but for most part everything I ink is digitally.

Favorite brand of ink:

When inking on paper I tried various companies and the one I like the most is the Faber-Castell Indian Ink pens.

Type of paper:

I always liked standard computer paper, it’s just perfect the way it is for me. Cardstock is also very nice, especially when working with color markers that bleed through typical paper.

Which artists or creators do you return to for a quick boost of inspiration? Who are the masters of ink?

A lot of the time I go to the conceptart community. A lot of high end professional artists go there and it is a very overwhelming place even with inspiration. I only try to look for it every once in a while because I feel the more I look at someone’s work the more I kind of start leaning to his or her style, and that is definitely something I want to avoid. As far as masters of Ink I don’t really have any names that I know of. One of the artists I always loved ever since I saw his work in a book was Albert Durer, he puts so much detail into his inked pieces!

Once a client has handed off an illustration job to you, how do you first tackle the job. Could you give us a quick overview of your process?

Usually I start doing research on the client if I hadn’t beforehand. I find exactly what this person is into and try to create something that would work for those interests. I always do a sketch or two first and submit it while explaining to them that the sketch is a rough idea of placement rather than accurate details of the art so they know it will look completely different and better once I attack it completely. After I get the sketch approved I begin to ink the piece. Sometimes I color a little while inking that way I can get some colors thrown on and plan how I am going to color what. I continue that proves until the illustration is done. I typically try to keep the client updated the entire time to make sure they are still good with the art and they don’t want any changes yet. Because if I finish then they decide they want the hand to be a little bigger I have to re-work a lot of colors!

How have digital tools affected your creative process over the past few years?

I love digital tools a lot! Having to work with a tablet is awesome; over the years trying various applications also helped me find something I am comfortable with. About a year ago I also purchased a wacom cintiq tablet, and that made life so much easier. I am able to now do a lot more details in my work, and have it look very crisp at the same time.

What would be your best and worst professional experience?

My best work experience would definitely be when I had a single client buy over 5 designs I have done in the past all in one day. That was definitely a wonderful day. On the other hand my worst experience was when I actually first started working. I had a client who I agreed on a rate for. Afterwards he decided to not pay and I had done 6 or more illustrations. That was definitely a good time to learn to ask for a kill fee up front.

What was the best advice you’ve ever received but may not have listened to the first time out?

Light source. Back when I was starting out a guy told me to work on my light source. For some strange reason I had no idea what he meant by that and so I kept doing the same thing I was doing, so it took me a bit to realize how to define a light source and use that to add more interest to my work.

Do you approach your album cover illustrations illustrations differently than your t-shirt designs?

I do approach those differently. When doing a T-shirt design I separate each color into a different layer, whereas on an album cover I just mash all the colors together.

Which pieces are you most proud of thus far?

You know I am always proud of my current work. There are pieces that I have done in the past that is great and I am proud of achieving progress with them such as work I have done for Lamb of God or Harley-Davidson, but every time I do a new project I feel like I have a new favorite. I did a cannibal T-shirt design for Born of Osiris a few months back and even though I have done new work I still feel that is my favorite and I am very proud of it because of the concept and the colors I used.

What’s your vital daily ritual?

Well I do a lot of stuff and have a lot of hobbies. Usually if the weather is nice I like to go out and practice stunting on my motorcycle. Then I get home and start working. Throughout the day I get snacks and continue working. I pretty much continue this until 4-5am? I also take breaks throughout the day to play some video games. I have an Xbox 360 hooked up to my monitor so I just switch over play for 30 minutes then get back to hours of work. It works nicely heh.

What’s currently sitting in your mp3 / CD player / turntable?

Oh man, so much music in my MP3. I listen to a lot of music but while answering this I am listening to Gianluca Ferro an instrumental band from Italy. I do love all sorts of music from death metal – hip hop – Horrorcore – old school music such as Bobby Vinton.

What’s hanging on your walls and what is your favorite piece of art that you own (not created by you)?

Umm, well that is a difficult one to answer. I usually have random stuff from magazines cut out that I like, as far as actual work goes I do have a nifty Guild Wars poster I got with the game back in the day that I have posted.

What’s the last novel you read and last movie that you saw that you’d recommend? Which movies and books do you always return to?

Right now I am on a few books, they are I Lucifer by Glen Duncan, and Mister B. Gone by Clive Barker. Those are both great books and I really love concepts that deal with demons, and horror, and just interesting story lines. So I would recommend those, I also love the Dark Tower books by Stephen king. I always seem to return to his writing. Heh as far as movies go I can’t get enough! I watch a lot, recently purchased Netflix so usually while working I either have a movie or music playing. The other day I actually saw the movie Due Date, I thought that was pretty funny. My favorite movie is probably The Crow with Brandon Lee.

Current and upcoming projects?

Right now I am working on a skateboard design or two, which I am thrilled about because I haven’t had a chance to do any so far. I am also back to work on some projects for Bravado, which is always exciting. And always doing random personal stuff, recently started a mummy design.

What would you tell an aspiring artist who is working his ass off but still needs and wants to break through to the next level?

Keep going? Heh just kidding that is pretty much what everyone would say right? Well I would tell him or her to promote himself to everyone he or she can. Use all the different social networks and company websites to get in touch with bands and labels. Just email everyone showing examples of your work and letting them know you would be interested in working for them. Don’t be shy! What is the worst that can happen? The band lets you down and says they are not interested? On the other hand if they are interested, then you would get yourself a client! Another thing is if you have different designs you have done for fun submit them as a mock up with the band’s name, maybe the band will love it and purchase that design right away!

What’s been the most effective means of marketing yourself both online and off?

Honestly the best marketing I have ever done was online and on MySpace. Back before their high tech flash version MySpace was fantastic to use for work! I would constantly send messages to different bands/artists and get work that way.

Thanks for the interview, I had a fun time answering your questions, was nice to reevaluate how I got to my current stage as an artist.

For more of Alex’s work head on over to PoltArt.com

The Deliriously Freakish Designs of PoltArt [INTERVIEW] is a post from: Optimum Wound

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Batman – private commission

First professional work (piece / year) and the story behind it.

Wow, you’re taking me back. My first professional comic work was for a small indie publisher based in NYC called “Evolution Comics”. The book was a mini B&W anthology and the character I drew was called “Vidorix the Druid”. The writing was well researched and it was a fun character — kind of a cross between “Name of the Rose” and Dr. Strange. Anyway, I met the publishers at a small NY comic-con. I drew 4 issues for them and we toured some small east coast comic conventions together. Fun times, it was all so new to me. Vidorix was my art school. I did a lot of learning on that title.

Ripclaw special (Top Cow) – Page 31 & 32

Self-taught or formally educated? (or mixture of both, mentors etc…)

Largely self-taught, but technically I did attend both Joe Kubert’s school of Cartooning and Ringling school of illustration for one semester each.

Tools of the trade: Taking a quick glance over at your pens, brushes etc…what tools have you mainly been using over the last few years?

Ink-wise I’m a brush man. Used to love Raphael #4′s with Black Magic india ink. But because my pencil work is as tight as it is, these days I’ve been trying to cut out the ink stage. My most recent work was drawn with black Prismacolor pencils on vellum. When handled with care, you wouldn’t know it wasn’t ink.

Ripclaw promo

Favorite brand of ink:

Black Magic

Type of paper:

Seth Cole Duralene vellum.

Industry of War issue 1 pg. 2

Which artists or creators do you return to for a quick boost of inspiration? Who are YOUR masters of ink?

(in no particular order) Jorge Zaffino, Kevin Nowlan, Neal Adams, Mark Beachum, Frank Frazetta, Sergio Toppi — to name a few.

Once a client has handed off an illustration job to you, how do you first tackle the job. A quick overview of your process.

I’ll start with thumbnail layouts (drawn to scale). Once I’ve settled on a design I’ll submit it for approval. Once approved I enlarge the layouts to original art size and tape my vellum (effectively bristol board quality tracing paper) over the layout and complete the finished line-art from there.

Industry of War issue 2, pg. 4

What’s currently sitting in your mp3 / CD player / turntable?

Well, considering I have a 200 gig iPod, a lot! Too much to break down, but let’s just say my music tastes are firmly rooted in the 70′s and 80′s. I’ve also always been fond of listening to movie soundtracks — especially when writing or working on layouts.

Marvel Tombs of Terror

What’s hanging on your walls and what is your favorite piece of art that you own (not created by you)?

Framed signed/numbered Death Dealer print by the late great Frank Frazetta.

Last novel you read and last movie that you saw (that you’d recommend)?

I don’t really read novels so much as listen to them as audio books (it’s a multitasking thing). Nothing in particular to recommend at the moment, but I do love me some Tom Clancy. Start with The Hunt for Red October and work your way up — you won’t regret it. Last movie I saw was Inception.

Ripclaw cover

Current and upcoming projects:

Werewolf by Night for Marvel’s “Tomb of Terror” (B&W horror anthology available in October). Upcoming project is a question mark. I’m considering pitching a tale for Heavy Metal but I’m also considering doing some storyboard work for film and animation.

Marvel Tomb of Terror

What would you tell an aspiring artist who is working his ass off but still needs and wants to break through to the next level?

Chuck Jones (famed animator) once said: “You’ve got 100,000 bad drawings in you and it’s best to get them out as fast as possible”. Practice makes perfect. These days, however, it’s just as important to learn digital programs as it is to become a good draftsman. It’s important to think of yourself as a commercial artist, not a comic book artist. Comics alone will not pay your bills. Learn other things besides comics. Also, make sure you spend time networking. Relationships get you jobs more so than your portfolio.

Find out more about Jordan Raskin by heading on over to his website.

Vampirella vs. Dracula cover

Artist Jordan Raskin on Versatility, Professionalism and Killer Artwork is a post from: Optimum Wound

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First professional work (piece / year) and maybe a quick story behind it.
My first professional piece that was published as the cover for the novel Buddha Airlines by author Louis-Philippe Hebert in 2009. Prior to that was Dead Sexy in 2004 by bizzzart studios and perhaps soon a comic book from Big Dog Ink comics Not much was published beside those ones. I recently (5 years ago) went back to drawing and exploring art to better myself. Now things will get more serious. More ugly.

Self-taught or formally educated? (or mixture of both, mentors etc…)
I am self-taught. Never went to art-school (my parent didn’t have the money!) I was inspired by my mother who used to draw/paint houses and flowers. Later on I discovered comic books. Marvel and DC published in French by Les Editions Heritage. That was the “calling”. I used to draw Cyclops, Iron Man, Daredevil and Batman. But all those drawings were destroyed in a fire (our house burned down while we were all at the fair!). But, I didn’t give up hope!
My inspirations were by far the “King” himself Jack Kirby. And it still is. All of my first drawings were based on his style. After the fire, I decided that I had to have my own style.

Tools of the trade: Taking a quick glance over at your pens, brushes etc…what tools have you mainly been using over the last few years?

My tools, at first, back in the 70′s and 80′s I think I worked with almost anything I could afford or my parents could. Which was not much. My grand-mother (my father’s mother) was really there to push me and advise me on how to handle crayon, pencils and pens. I think she was in a way a mentor to me! May she rest in peace!
In the 90′s I started working with fountain ink and brushes. That is when I met two great guys Michel Lacombe and Yannick Paquette. We were hired by “The Other Side Comics”. I didn’t quite like the way it worked, the brushes and fountain pens are sloppy. But I still worked with those things from hell. ‘Till I discovered micro pigment ink pens and archival ink. Marvelous, precise and they come in a lot of line widths.
So since the year 2000 or so I have been using pigma micron pens. Me sa like it.

Type of paper:
All sort of paper, from Strathmore to Strathmore..:) Because when I moved in with my father back in 1989, I went to a comic book store on Montreal’s south shore called Hero. A real comic store! Back in Sorel there was none! I met the clerk “Martin Noro” a great guy and a mentor too, he taught me a lot. From what kind of paper to use (paper was the only thing I drew on!), the right pen, pencils and ink. But also he made me discover new comics from Montreal, independent comics like The Jam, Madman and Grendel. I thought that Marvel and DC were the only ones (publishers) out there. Boy was I wrong. And at the same time, discovered more styles.

Which artists or creators do you return to for a quick boost of inspiration? Who are the masters of ink?
My inspirations are by far Jack Kirby, Alex Ross, Mike Mignola and Mike Allred, to name only a few. When I am out of inspiration or feel down I turn to them and it gives me the boost I need. But I discover new artists each time I go to the Montreal Comic-Con. We have great talents here in Quebec. I think that Michel Lacombe is by far a Master of Ink at the same level of Palmiotti and co. I kind of lost contact with comic books and I don’t read as much now.

Once a client has handed off an illustration job to you, how do you first tackle the job. Could you provide us with a quick overview of your process?
Well, the way I handle a job or commission is simple. The client will tell me, send me the details (what character(s), what settings). I do some sketches that I present over a coffee (Press cafe is my place of choice!). When the decision is made on which sketches (he, she) likes the most then I go back to my studio. Once the job is done we meet again.
I like to meet the “client” ,because it feels more human than to send the request by e-mail. I get to meet people. Of course, if they live very far then that is another story. Travelling is not my thing.

What’s currently sitting in your mp3 / CD player / turntable?
Well, I don’t have an mp3 player. Sticking things in my ears I really dislike..But, I do have a portable DVD player sitting on my drawing table, so I can listen to music. (I mostly listen to Mandy Lion(ww111), Avenged Sevenfold, Alice Cooper and so much more. And I can watch movies (I am a movie maniac!). It creates a certain ambiance for me, I hate silence when I draw or write. Except when I sleep.

What’s hanging on your walls and what is your favorite piece of art that you own (not created by you)?
What I have on the wall of my studio are prints of Leo Leibelman, Richard Serrao, Noumier Tawilah (a great guy i met back in 2009 at a Montreal Comic-Con.!)  And of course, Alex Ross. Signed comic books by various artists both local and international. Pictures that I took (I like to take pictures!). During special events, stars I met (actors and artists).But, I don’t have much wall space because I am also a collection freak (Actions figures. Marvel, DC (Mostly Alex Ross : Justice, Kingdom Come and movie figures!). But I must say that the most important piece of art that is hanging on my wall in front of my drawing table is by me. It is a “positive vision art”. It helps me focus on what I really want in life. It is a portrait of me surrounded by all the things I want, my goal in life. Which is going forward with my art.

Last novel you read and last movie that you saw (that you’d recommend)?
The last novel I read was (I am not quite finished!) is a novel by Louis-Philippe Hebert which was a gift from him. The last movie I saw was Flesh Eater, Revenge Of The Living Dead!, a B-movie. I love zombie movies! But the last movie I saw in a theatre was The Expendables with Sly and co. I actually loved it. It’s a no-brainer. But it’s very entertaining.

Current and upcoming projects?

Right now I am working on Dead Sexy Vol. 2: Masquerade and Vol. 3 featuring Isabelle Stephen. Some comic book one-shots. A movie script for Sv Bell (Black Flag Productions) and a big one. My graphic novel which is a secret for now. And in between some commissions.  A lot of goodies.

What would you tell an aspiring artist who is working his ass off but still needs and wants to break through to the next level?
I would say to aspiring artists, keep trying, keep working and never give up. Practice makes perfect. Take pictures of buildings, nature and people as reference or use magazines, books and movies. There are  also  books available on how to draw shadows, hands, faces and figures(anatomy). Explore all media, portraits, comic books ,2d, 3d digital colouring etc..The more you can do, the more you’ll be better at and it’ll get you noticed. Don’t be shy to ask questions or advice from professional artists. The most important is perspective, try drawing with fountain ink to pencils, everything. It is very important to be versatile. Have faith in yourself, keep pushing your limits, and bring your portfolio to conventions. Show off. Get noticed.
I just want to tell you “MERCI!”, THANK YOU. It was fun and I hope that the last question will bring confidence to those who are trying and working their ass off. Once again thank you, it is such an Honor for me to have been interviewed by you.

A NSFW Interview With Artist Martin Gagnon is a post from: Optimum Wound

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by Jason Thibault

There was just something too crazed, twisted and fun about Aaron Crawford’s artwork to not ask him to do a Masters of Ink interview. I love talking to artists who work in the music biz and get a chance to generally be as wild and imaginitive as they want. Especially on art for more underground metal and hardcore bands who would typically seek Aaron out BECAUSE his art is so badass. Aaron and I connected on Twitter and put this together pretty quickly. I have thank him for supplying all of the technicolor eye candy. Let’s get to it.

What inspired you to first start drawing? Did you struggle in your formative years or did it come easy to you?

I can honestly say the first thing that inspired me to start drawing was my mom. She would paint these awesome landscapes that just blew me away, and it got me hyped to want to draw. The second thing would be horror movies and shows like Tales From the Crypt and Tales From the Dark Side. I’d see guts, contorted limbs, and eyeballs hanging out, and want to recreate those on paper my own way. Most of the drawings sucked I’m sure, but I guess you learn from your mistakes, right?

First professional work (piece / year) and maybe a quick story behind it.

Wow, never had that question before. I actually had to go back into the long lost files of my old harddrive to figure that out. Turns out it was a piece for a band called Darkened By Reason. They were a local metal band, and great friends. I think that’s honestly the very first shirt design I ever completed, and actually got to see printed back in 2003. The design was a pretty simple muscle diagram I went and redrew and added some stuff to. Nothing too crazy.

Were you self-taught or formally educated? (or mixture of both, mentors etc…)

I went to a tech school for graphic design for less than a quarter, and quit because there wasn’t anything inspiring about the course, nothing was pushing me. I gained more knowledge by sitting at home and fucking around on the computer and drawing pad and making my own mistakes, and learning from them. I’d just sit around and try and recreate Pushead art and old pictures from Fangoria magazines. I would never tell anyone to not attend an art school, but I think it’s overpriced, and that learning your own way to go about things is the best route, because you’ll probably make a ton of mistakes, and look back, and learn from them. It’s much more fun that way. Also, Persistence and patience, and an open mind.

Tools of the trade: Taking a quick glance over at your pens, brushes etc…what tools have you mainly been using over the last few years?

I mostly use inks, acrylics, and watercolors. For shirt designs, I illustrate on bristol board, then scan it, and do the coloring in Photoshop. A pretty basic method. As for paintings, I paint on whatever I can get my hands on. Everything from canvas, to wood, to old records, anything.

How has your toolbox evolved compared to when you first started out?

I’ve branched out and found other tools and supplies that I never imagined I’d be messing with. Just experiment with different stuff, that’s my best advice. You might find your niche in something you never thought you’d enjoy.

Favorite brand of ink:

I mostly use windsor newton, Higgins, and Faber-Castell stuff, but there’s a ton of different stuff out there that’s just as good.

Type of paper:

Mostly bristol board, but not really limited to that. I draw on everything. I’ll draw on your face if you want.

Which artists or creators do you return to for a quick boost of inspiration? Who are the masters of ink?

Lately if i get in a stale spot, all I need to do is go to http://www.theartofskinner.com and BAM, I’m on inspiration overload. There’s so many artists that keep me pumped up. Lately it’s been Skinner, Tastes Like Gold, Craola, David Choe, Neckface, my good friend Brian Mcgrath, and a ton of others.

Once a client has handed off an illustration job to you, how do you first tackle the job? Could you give us a quick overview of your process?

We’ll usually discuss concepts, maybe go over some lyrics, and then HOPEFULLY settle on something we’re both happy with. Then I start with sketches, and if the client approves those, then I go into inking, then coloring digitally. It’s all about communication, man.

How have digital tools affected your creative process over the past few years?

I don’t really try to depend on digital tools as much, but when it comes to shirt designs, you kind of have to depend on Photoshop for the coloring. I think it’s a good thing, but I don’t necesarrily like the way digital line work looks all the time. It almost looks too perfect and robotic, because, it kind of is. You can’t really recreate the style you get by using real ink and your pen / brush.

What would be your best and worst professional experience?

I really enjoy almost every single client I work with. of course, there’s concepts you might not be too stoked on, but you have to make the best of it, and you’ll at least gain something out of it. The worst experiences would have to be when there’s a massive lack of communication, waiting on payments from certain labels for weeks at a time, or just having to tamper with a design over and over to make the client happy, it just ruins the process of creating the actual art. It doesn’t happen very often though, which is good.

What was the best advice you’ve ever received but may not have listened to the first time out?

Something my mom would tell me when I’d draw something, and completley hate it. She would say “you might look at that and think it’s crappy, but in someone elses eyes, it might be beautiful” which is actually true. I’ve done paintings and looked at them and thought “wow, this is shit” but then a friend would come over, and fall in love with it. You never know.

What’s your vital daily ritual?

I wake up, maybe a bike ride, usually get food, then check emails and start sketching. Sometimes coffee and a redbull fits in there somewhere too. My schedule fluctuates so much. Being my own boss is great though. I pretty much make my own hours. It’s all about finding the balance between personal life and work.

What’s currently sitting in your mp3 / CD player / turntable?

I’ve been listening to alot of music by a band called Clinging To The Trees of A Forest Fire. I’m an avid music fan, so instead of lisiting every band because there’s about a million, I’d say just check out my last fm page @ http://www.last.fm/user/aaroncrawford

What’s hanging on your walls and what is your favorite piece of art that you own (not created by you)?

I recently bought an American Psycho print by an artist named Erik Jones. His work is beautiful and dark at the same time. Besides that, some random movie posters, and some creepy little characters my friend Tena painted. Besides that, just pictures of stuff that inspires me. Random cut outs from Fangoria and Rue-Morgue, and whatever else I find to be cool or fun.

What’s the last novel you read and last movie that you saw that you’d recommend? Which movies and books do you always return to?

I don’t read as much as I’d like to, but the last thing I read was Haunted by Chuck P. The story “GUTS” blew my mind. As for movies, I always end up returning to classics like Dawn of The Dead, Friday the 13th, Halloween, etc. I just went back and re-watched Planet Terror and Death Proof, and I can’t stress enough how much of a genius Tarantino is. I really love most of the stuff Eli Roth does as well.

Current and upcoming projects?

Where to start… hm. I’m working on a ton of new shirts for KITTIE, some shirts for WRETCHED, cd art for an upcoming full length for WITHIN THE RUINS ,and a limited edition print release collaboration type thing (that was a mouthful) with artist Scott Saw that’s going to be released in July at Comic Con! I also have a new urban art project called “THE BOX MONSTERS” that me and my friend (and rad artist) Brian Mcgrath started, where we hide little box monsters around different cities, and photo document them. Just taking another persons trash, and making something creepy and silly out of it. (Follow us on twitter: @theboxmonsters ) We’re also launching something in July, but I don’t want to sound cliché’ and say it’s a “clothing line” cause everyone seems to have those nowadays, but you MIGHT be able to wear it, If it turns out the way we plan. It’ll be fun! Just trying to stay busy.

What would you tell an aspiring artist who is working his ass off but still needs and wants to break through to the next level?

Just keep working at whatever you are doing, even if it gets frustrating, and most importantly, have fun with it. There will be times where you feel like everything you make is utter shit, but you have to just work through that, and not give up. Keep creating, no matter what medium or type of art you are doing. I’m terrible at giving advice. I hope that was ok.

What’s been the most effective means of marketing yourself both online and off?

The online revolution has been insane. Between the use of facebook, myspace, Twitter, and blogs, you’re able to now reach all around the world, and it’s giving artists a means of exposure that they never had before. I’m a HUGE fan of twitter, and I think it’s one of the best social networking sites to be in existence at the moment. It’s simple, and allows updates directly from the person’s mouth. (or finger tips I guess). It allows you to connect with some of the people that inspire you, and see into their lives like never before. As creepy as that sounds, it’s a great tool in promoting yourself as a brand / artist.

To find out more about Aaron look for him on Twitter and visit his website.

Aaron Crawford and His Technicolor Artistic Nightmares is a post from: Optimum Wound

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by Richard Serrao

The first time I saw Wes Craig’s artwork was on a Texas Chainsaw Massacre comic from Wildstorm and to be honest I had never heard of him before. Once I looked inside though his artwork blew me away. Ever since then I’ve been a fan and I really wanted to share his work with everyone so that you can enjoy his work as well.

First professional work (piece / year) and maybe a quick story behind it.

My first pro job was on “Touch” from DC comics, it’s rare in comics that your first job is for a major publisher, usually you have to climb through the ranks of small publishers and small paychecks at the beginning. I got really lucky on that one.

Although I never really even sent my samples to smaller publishers so, who knows? Maybe I could have started working earlier if I had. But I’m happy with how it turned out. Touch was part of a new line called DC Focus that disappeared pretty quickly, but it was all about the learning experience, and it was really valuable to me.

Self-taught or formally educated? (or mixture of both, mentors etc…)

Self taught in terms of the usual tools of comic books: pencil, pen and ink, etc. I made my own comics for years as a kid, full stories, inked on full size board, hand lettered, the whole deal, and when it came time to go to college I took the closest thing I could find to Comics 101 in my area which was a three year course in Illustration and Design, which prepped you for a career in commercial illustration.

I didn’t learn anything new about comics, in fact they were looked down on by most of the teachers, but I did get my first education in acrylics, watercolor, Photoshop, etc, so it was really useful for that.

Tools of the trade: Taking a quick glance over at your pens, brushes etc…what tools have you mainly been using over the last few years?

I use a lot of Faber-Castell Pitt pens and Microns, the brush and calligraphy types. I like the beveled edge of the calligraphy pen. If I have the time I like to use those along with a Windsor-Newton brush and Speedball ink, do some spatter and get messy, the fun stuff.

Favorite brand of ink:

Speedballs the best for me so far, but I’m not an ink snob, you can get cool effects with watery inks too.

Type of paper:

Strathmore, I’ve used the smooth kind for years but i just started using the vellum kind for one project and I love it, lots of tooth, makes the ink very scratchy, if that’s your thing, which for me, it is.

Which artists or creators do you return to for a quick boost of inspiration? Who are YOUR masters of ink?

Hmmm… I like guys who can bring their own voice to the pencils, it’s a rarity and getting rarer by the day, also pencilers who ink their own stuff, which is one of the reasons I do it myself. Kevin Nowlan, Bill Sienkiewicz, Brian Bolland, Paul Pope, Moebius, also Klaus Janson, who I didn’t like when I was a kid but I’ve grown to love, I didn’t like Jack Kirby when I was a kid either… apparently I was a stupid kid.

Once a client has handed off an illustration job to you, how do you first tackle the job? Could you give us a quick overview of your process?

I sit down with the script, analyze it, try to figure out the best, clearest shots to tell the story, pencil it on 8.5×11 printer paper, keeping it small so I don’t get bogged down with details, then blow it up to 11×17 Bristol board (by that I mean scanning the pencils into my computer, increasing the size in Photoshop, and printing it out in non-repro blue on my big-ass printer), and ink it over the blue line, trying to keep the life and energy of the pencils.

And this may be getting off the point but bear with me, the most important thing to me is getting the emotion of the piece, because above all you want to connect with the readers emotions. Technical prowess and the proper tools are important but to me, emotion is what matters above all, putting your own emotion into the work. It’s like hearing a band that’s the most technically skilled band ever, but that’s all they are, and at the end, you’re unmoved.

I’d rather hear music by a bunch of novices that play it with heart and with urgency and feeling over the technical stuff. Which brings us to our next question…

What’s currently sitting in your mp3 / CD player / turntable?

Tom Waits is a constant, every album Radiohead’s ever done, Spoon, Metric, Arcade Fire, Death From Above, lots of other stuff too, some rap, jazz, lots of punk, pulling inspiration from as many sources as possible is important to me.

Looking back on what I just wrote, why does every rock-loving white guy have to mention they like rap so they can seem cool, but they never mention any names? Mos Def, K-OS, Native Tongues.

There, see? I know my stuff.

What’s hanging on your walls and what is your favorite piece of art that you own (not created by you)?

Sadly, I don’t own any original art, but I hope to change that some day soon. On my walls in poster form is an Alphonse Mucha, “Starry night” by Van Gogh, a Japanese print, and just so I don’t get too artsy-fartsy here I also have a Mike Mignola Hellboy, and a Jack Kirby New Gods splash page reprint that I cut out of a book.
But the gold is really on my bookshelf, tons of art books, convention sketch books, graphic novels, etc.

Last novel you read and last movie that you saw (that you’d recommend)?

This isn’t the last novel I read but the one I’ve read most recently that blew my mind was Ragtime by E. L. Doctorow, and in comics I’d say Parker by Darwyn Cooke, and Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelli were both amazing. The last good movie I saw was A Serious Man by the Cohen Brothers. And just for popcorn fun, I thought Iron Man 2 was really good, but that’s me.

Current and upcoming projects?

I’m working on a creator-owned series for Wildstom right now, it’s a five issue series, created, written, drawn, inked, colored, lettered, and designed by me. So as you can imagine, it’s pretty labour intensive and it’s taking me about two months to finish each issue, so it won’t be out until early 2011. For updates you can go to http://mojoblender.blogspot.com/

What would be your dream project to work on that you haven’t yet have had the chance to?

Working on my own comics and getting paid enough to live, is my dream, so, check. But aside from that there are certain characters I’d love to work on; Superman being the biggest, also Thor, the Hulk, the Flash, The New Gods, and the Joker.

As an artist you continue to grow and improve with each new body of work, how do you motivate yourself to do this?

Well thank you kindly good sir. I’d say I’m in a constant state of trying to get better, with occasional fits of laziness where the work looks like crap to me. I don’t want to get to a level where I think I know how it’s done and there’s nothing else to learn. I want to keep on learning until I’m in the ground. I’m always studying other artists, practicing different techniques, and trying out new tools.

What would you tell an aspiring artist who is working his ass off but still needs and wants to break through to the next level?

You’ll never make it and you’re a failure.
Too harsh?
Really, if you’re working your ass off then you will get there eventually, you just have to keep marching onwards. If the next level means company work like Batman or whatever, then you have to hit the comic conventions and show the editors of the company your stuff, if the next level is doing your own work, you can do it right now, put it up on the internet. Right this minute, damn it!

For more info on Wes visit his blog and his original art pages.

Artist Wes Craig on Combining Ink and Emotion is a post from: Optimum Wound

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By Richard Serrao and Jason Thibault

In the first part of this 3-part conversation with Tim Bradstreet he talks about the tools he uses to create his highly realistic pen and ink work. In part two he discusses his influences and process. In this third and final part Tim hands off advice and wisdom for aspiring artists and talks about recent and upcoming projects.

What would you tell an aspiring artist who is working his ass off but still needs and wants to break through to the next level?

Just keep punching away. It’s easy to get discouraged, but no one worth a shit ever got there the easy way. When you want something bad, it burns brightly inside you, drives YOU, that’s a sign that you’re passionate. Very important. If you don’t have the passion . . . that drive and determination, then do yourself a favor and go back to college. Get a degree and then call me, you can help me with my taxes

Seriously, you HAVE to want it. Set a goal, work HARD, work every day, put away the girlfriend/boyfriend, hang out with your friends a little less and put in the time. If you love doing it then it’s not difficult. You can stand in portfolio lines, send jpeg samples to editors, ask artists to look at your shit, start a Facebook page and promote your work, network like a demon (but don’t be pushy), all those things are a part of the process.

A cover image from CRIMINAL MACABRE

But the real way to step up to the next level is to earn it. If you can’t get motivated then go flip burgers. If you work at your craft and remain open to learning (even from mistakes), then you are going to find it a lot easier. The harder you work the more likely that some editor or other artist is going to look at your stuff someday and SEE IT. See the work. Know you’re not a pretender. Look at and study your inspirations, be a student of the game, you gotta keep that fire hot.

A conceptual illustration for THE PUNISHER movie starring Tom Jane.

One of my favorite things to do was go to conventions and meet my favorite artists, show them my work, take the crit, eat it even if it tastes bad. That’s just fuel. Just seeing those guys sketching, looking at their originals, talking to them . . . Man, you walk out with a high that makes a night with Mary J seem like sleeping

A BLADE 2 pre-production illustration

Are there times when you’re working on a personal illustration that you’ve had to stop and walk away from it for a period of time? How do you pysche yourself up to finish it later after some time has passed?

I don’t have this issue very often. For a long time I wasn’t making time for personal illustration and it’s only been in the last 6 months that I recognized a problem with that. Now I’m making time for it but so far it’s been very rewarding. Essentially I’m back to where the real roots of my passion for this craft began, with pure black and white illustration. Right now there is no block, only a massive compulsion to create and illustrate. I’ve never really had issues with having to pysch myself up, it’s my default setting.

Horror Icon Jason from FRIDAY THE 13TH

When you do an illustration, you follow a process rigorously. Over the years have you changed the way you approach and work on an illustration? And if so, how?

Everything changes, but the same basic process is still at the core of my approach. What really changes is the results, according to what I’m absorbing day to day, what inspires me, and my own technical growth and experimentation. I’ve been drawing for a purpose pretty much constantly since 1986, I work at it every day. That forces you to periodically throw a change-up into the mix to keep it all fresh, the idea is to never sit back and settle in completely.

EL BORAK title image

Over the last few years I’ve been trying to get a lot more organic, playing with textures on the terminus of light and shadow. Prior to this the work was getting too technical for my liking and it needed a bump in another direction. Consequently I’ve gotten a lot more into dry brush techniques and using that organic feel to advantage with big slabs of black, but also with white.

The El Borak job got me thinking a lot more about blowing some defining line-work completely out of the illustration, letting the eye follow the course and do the math. This was a very difficult technique to jump into as a guy who’s used to defining everything with line But I really dug it, the results were simple, bold and powerful. I’ve always had a great love for the ‘invisible’ line but had never before thought about going farther with it. It’s got me in a new direction I’m real excited about.

Image from Robert E. Howards Swords of Shahrazar

Your illustrations for Robert E. Howard’s -El Borak, and other Desert adventures had a bit of a different look to all of your other work. Could you explain what you did differently and what tecniques you employed for the El Borak illustrations?

I guess I kinda just touched on that. For The Desert Adventures it was all about finding a bold style that lived in the desert environment. I wanted the illustrations to feel like the sun was beating down mercilessly in the scenes. The desert is BRIGHT. Subsequently, whatever blocks that brightness would create deep shadow. I needed it to be high contrast, wanted it to feel like it was carved out of rock. I felt it also had to be somewhat strongly tied to classic illustration, it couldn’t all be simplistic, massively bold shapes so texture became a big part of it too.

An EL BORAK illustration

I’d been experimenting with different inking techniques prior to beginning the job, attempting to bring a more organic feel to my work. I went back to basics to a degree. Jim Steranko’s work on El Borak was always in the back of my mind. His work was very bold, but I also had Kaluta, Gianni, Wrightson, and Mark Shultz hanging over my shoulder. Gianni and Schultz ’cause they’d gone down a similar road illustrating Howard books of the same line. Kaluta because he was the only other artist that I really knew of that had defined the Kirby O’Donnell character. Wrightson because when I think of pure illustration I think of Bernie. The work had to be uniquely mine but it also very much needed to be connected to these types of “masters of illustration”.

An illustration from The Fires of Asshurb from EL BORAK

There is a whole subculture of Howard enthusiasts that are into the whole history of the illustrated pulp adventure, and their standards are high. So my goal was three-fold, I wanted to please myself and make the “job as a whole” a sheer joy to work on. I wanted to do these other illustrators some justice, and I didn’t want to disappoint the fans of the writing. I felt that the direction I keyed into was covering all of that.

At first I did some warm-up pieces to get my feet wet, a lot of which were not used for reasons of continuity, those were really fun and challenging. I knew right away that the job was going to be a delight. Then I did the vignette (spot) illustrations, and that really set the tone. I couldn’t just draw inside a box like you tend to do with a cover, etc. It had to have no real defined borders so it could float. That was really liberating. I created a bunch of dry-brush ink swatches and added a little of that to the backgrounds digitally.

An illustration from Robert E Howard’s EL BORAK

Doing those first swatches separately gave me the confidence to employ the effect into the actual pieces as I continued. I also added another digital element, very simple. I took a piece of gessoed illustration board, made it real rough so you could see all the little back and forth chaotic brushstrokes and then scanned it. Then I inverted it so it was mostly black, with all the tiny little bristle lines going to white. Then I screened it over portions of my images (mostly backgrounds). I wanted to add a layer of chaff, like blowing sand, grit, etc . . . I needed something to really help give the environment a feeling of substance. It worked better than I’d hoped. People ask if it’s scratchboard. Now THAT would have been insane, but truthfully I didn’t have the time to go that route. AND, I’m not that brave yet.

I couldn’t see scratching or sandpapering that texture all over my originals. What if I screwed it up? Yikes! Most all of the work you see published is present ‘physically’ there on the board. I wanted the originals to be as complete as possible. All of that really took off when I slid into the larger images. I started to get really bummed out as I neared the finish line. I could sit around and draw that stuff forever. Love the period, love the desert environment, hopefully that passion shows in the artwork. There are lots of bold shapes and lots of brushwork, but 90% of all that work was done with a tiny little crowquill nib. It was a noodler’s dream

Your Red Sky Diary work employs different mediums. I know at this point it’s early but if you had the chance to do just Red Sky all of the time non-stop until it was finished would you make it into a series of volumes or would you stop at one Volume?

The plan is that it will be a series of volumes (Novels), but not necessarily in the way you might think. The first book is like DUNE. It establishes a certain time frame (the mid to late 19th century), a certain story. The MAIN story. It’s basically the final chapter of a 600 year war. After I establish that story and the characters I’m going to go backwards 600 years and start at the beginning with a line of prequel books. The tentative title for the first prequel is, Red Sky Diary: Book one – Progenitor.

An illustration of ‘Polidouris’ from Tim’s Red Sky Diary. Pen, ink and watercolor.

This line of books will trace events that lead up to the aforementioned main story. RSD is a mythic, epic in scale chronicle of a dynastic succession of Clan leaders, warriors known as the “Ulaan Bataar”. The firstborn male of each generation in the succession is tasked with carrying on a desperate guerilla-style war against a clandestine society of nocturnal creatures (known as The Mudir) who’ve prowled the shadow realms between reason and superstition since the dawn of civilization.

Tim Bradstreet’s character ‘Polidouris’ from his upcoming saga Red Sky Diary

The main story features the greatest warrior of them all, Gallows. His fate is of singular significance in the epic war that’s about to come full circle. It’s huge. And the first book (main story) isn’t the end. Once I’ve completed the entire story from 1281 AD to the latter 19th century everything will pick up where we left off with the first book. Where that first story ends is a real gut-punch. Things will really get turned upside down and it will be a great launching point for the next set of volumes.

My hope is that we’ll begin to adapt the novels into sequential form while simultaneously developing the prequels for TV mini-series. Then do the main story as a film. Then it’s anybody’s guess. I really want to do a video game too. But first thing is first, get the story out there as an illustrated novel. I was just speaking of how much I loved working on The Desert Adventures, well, Red Sky is my absolute favorite subject to illustrate. I put everything I have into the work. This project has been hanging around in my consciousness and on my back-burner for nearly 20 years. The time is finally now.

Illustration from Tim Bradstreet’s property Red Sky Diary

As an artist you continue to grow and evolve while some others stagnate and plateau. What do you feel has always been your driving force to push the boundaries of your own personal limits?

I’m just never necessarily satisfied with where I am as an illustrator at any given moment. I’m inspired too easily There may be work that I am proud of, where everything came together and the work resulted in something that was fortunate enough to gel in all the right ways, but those successes are all too rare. When they happen they propel me forward another step. The challenge is to make that success the norm until you’ve taken another step, and so on. Truthfully I don’t even think about it. No one should. It should be automatic. I look around and I see literally thousands of artists out there who’s work really blows my mind and I think, how could anyone not feel inspired and challenged by that? With me it’s all about chasing a vision, and it’s still ahead of me.

Another cover from CRIMINAL MACABRE

Apart from Red Sky,if there was any other dream project or character you could work on who would it be?

I’ve almost gotten over the need to draw cool and awesome characters I don’t have a stake in. Not that I don’t absolutely love illustrating characters like The Punisher and Hellblazer, nor would I turn my back on the opportunity to do Deathlok, Nick Fury, Jonah Hex, etc . . . BUT the true dream projects are things I’ve had a hand in, like Red Sky, or like this other thing I cooked up called The Devil’s Commandos.

Some people satisfy themselves with achieving the goal of drawing Superman, or writing Green Lantern. I’ve spent almost 25 years working on other people’s characters and it pays the bills, it’s great. But I want to make the myths. That’s the dream. Way back before I became a professional artist I used to look at the drawings in role playing game manuals and think to myself, I can do better than that. Even if I couldn’t really at the time I knew that I could eventually

I set that goal. Once you prove to yourself that you can set a goal and achieve it, then the sky’s the limit. And there are many more goals ahead. Having said all of that, I’ll give you a simple answer too. I’d love to team up with Tom Jane, a director and writer of our choosing, be handed a decent but modest $30M budget, and make the penultimate Punisher film. And yes, I’d want Ray Stevenson to be in it too, not as Frank Castle, maybe as the VILLAIN. That’d be fucking bitch-tastic.

Cheers – Tim

For more info you can visit Tim Bradstreet’s website or head on over to his company page for RAW Studios.
Read Part One of this Tim Bradstreet interview.
And then part two.

Tim Bradstreet on Drive, Determination, Craft and Red Sky Diary Part 3 is a post from: Optimum Wound

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