HERDING THE CATS RUNNING AROUND IN MY HEAD

Through my whole life people have asked me how I know what to draw. How did I see the picture in my head? It's kinda hard to explain if you don't experience it. It's like trying to describe something exactly from a dream. You see it but every detail isn't quite there. Certain main things are there and that's the easy part. The rest you can logically kinda fill in. Sorta.

It is elusive. Like herding cats at times.

Funny thing is the idea for the main picture I'm going to write about  started with a dream. Clearly influenced by bubblegum cards from my childhood and some Salvador Dali. Right before I woke up I saw this image. Basically all the bounty hunters from The Empire Strikes Back forming an image of  Darth Vader. So I sketch it up. I started with a basic line drawing of Vader.

Taking one step back before this I did draw a simple line drawing of Vader as the base for the image. Based on the lines I envisioned what lines could be shared lines of the base Vader image. Some weren't there but I incorporated some where I could. Like Bossk's shoulder and Vader's mask.

Once I knew who was going where then I went ahead and fleshed out the image and figured I'd tackle each one separately. I did question if I should maybe try doing this as one big image instead. Yeah, no. 

So I thought Fett would be the easiest. He's awesome and I was really into it.

Yeah well the initial sketch was cool and there are things I really like but clearly his head is off center and his right shoulder is wonky. I also had to reference his rifle because it is different in Empire and Jedi. Image still wasn't working for me.

So I tried this idea and once I finished the line drawing I grabbed some markers and filled it in. Again. the idea has potential but that's not it. Plus the orange background wasn't going to work. Thought was to have swirling clouds around him from Cloud City to help form lines in Vader's helmet.

Then I saw it. I separated the clouds from Boba and I could see it. Here's that moment people ask about. I don't know how I saw it but it was there. Seemed obvious to me. But I had to take the image to this point to see it. I stopped several times and came back to this picture. I knew this other version wasn't it but I had to keep going. Just felt compelled to keep on. 

So here it was. Clouds the same. I realized my dimensions were off and it was boring. So I gave him his rifle and made a smoking barrel instead of clouds. The background for all the other hunters is a blue-green-grey color. So away with the orange.

Now his rifle looked stupid. This looked like a canon. Not a rifle.

Changed the rifle then it was all good.

I colored it up in Photoshop referencing a million pictures and action figures. I found a pretty clean image online and saved it. I opened in Photoshop and sampled the colors for my pallet.  Not only is his rifle different but the  color of his suit and armor is a tinge different from Return of the Jedi.

Still working on the ultimate assembling of the colored versions. But here's the B&W with the whole gang.

In the end I'd say about 70 hours went into this one. Like I said though, still one or two more colored versions to come.

Almost there. Two more cats running loose.

CAVEMAN IN CYBERSPACE!

So I got to thinking about my process after finishing the latest pic of the colored Predator. My process has evolved over the last year in a way that allows me to be able to share my artwork with you. About a year ago I made it a point to get my artwork online. I've wanted to do more with my artwork and I figured being able to float my pics out there in cyberspace was an important step. 

That said, I am not a huge fan of computers and technology in general. But it is a necessary evil. So in order for me to get this stuff out there to you, my process has changed a bit. I started to ink again and I came back around to digital coloring. I used to work primarily in pencil and watercolor so that's a big jump in my world.

What I do is very low tech and a no-brainer. I like to keep it simple. Most all of what I do is through Photoshop. Illustrator frustrates me. Not sure why, and I know you can do fantastic things with it. I do all my coloring with a mouse on a PC. With everything that's out there, that's pretty close to crushing berries and using a stick to paint on a cave wall. I have fumbled my way through most of this with the assist of a long time friend and graphic designer (Roger over @ http://www.heyroger.com/) , watching tutorials online and dumb luck.

So with that, my process goes kinda like this...

I start with a pencil drawing on paper. Yeah, even my pencils are pretty simple. I'm all about the lines! This stage takes maybe about a half hour.

Pencil Drawing

I scan my drawing and print it out. Then I go over in ink again creating the basic line art using pens and markers. Eh, maybe another half hour.

Inked Line Art

 Then I go ahead and ink it some more and I get this swell picture. Um, this is probably one of the more details images I've done, so this was maybe another hour.

Detail Inks

 After I get this puppy scanned into the computer I go ahead and digitize it and clean it up. This takes very little time for the most part depending how much clean up is needed. Maybe fifteen minutes or so.

Digitized Image

 From there it's time to color in Photoshop. This is the time consuming part. Like most pics, I never know how much time it will take until I get to the end. This one was a good six to eight hours.

Again, I'm no Michelangelo of computer coloring but I can get by. Still lots to learn but I'm happy with most of what I've learned. There are a lot of different ways to color on the computer. I'd suggest you check around various tutorials online, go to school, or find someone who knows how and see what works that person. Like any medium there are many approaches and you'll find what works for you.

Digital Coloring

SO, that's that! That's how I do what I do. No rocket engines being built or anything crazy. Maybe some of this is helpful or on some level interesting. While I may not have advanced technology or new techniques on how to use computers to color pictures, it's all been kinda uncharted territory for me. Until the next step in my creative evolution (as long as that doesn't involve growing a flipper or a tail) this is how I roll. Hope you dig.