I confess that I usually never check who watches me or who favorites things, I just delete those messages right out of my inbox.  But when someone puts a comment down, I try my best to reply!

coloring this in photoshop: [link]

livestream:  [link]

if I livestreamed tomorrow (sunday) would anyone watch? maybe late afternoon/evening est?

If you haven't played teh whole game… well, then I guess this doesn't matter.  But I just finished human revolution … and I was so excited until the very end.  Then it was like "really?  REALLY?"  My choices are THAT?  I mean, I guess htey can only have so many endings….. but what would have of course been cool would be to have Adam himself make some kind of statement.  I mean, he's been all over the freaking globe in the game!  You've made friends!  YOu did people favors!  And I tried really REALLY hard not to kill people (except when they made me really REALLY mad).  Heck, I even saved Malik.  And I tried to be an all-around nice guy.  Plus, there's like that whole back story you can find on Jensen, and he's a decently smart guy.  But it just seems liek it would be such a more fulfilling ending to have him be the one to tell the world that everything is changing.  
(And then , of course, it would be great to be able to go back and finish any sidequests I didn't nab earlier.)

I know, I know, its cause technically the game is a prequel…  but I never played the old deus ex games, and honestly, I think it would have worked so much better as a standalone.  There's no need to link it in, really.  Yeah, there might have been some nice little easter eggs for people who played the other games (probably in the ebooks or emails or something).  

That, and the final boss fight was pretty boring, to me.  I mean, sure, I Had the plasma rifle, which kind of owns on everything, but the sneaking around and hacking and finding hidden passageways part of the game was so cool the boss fights (especially that last one) seemed pretty stupid.  And here you are faced with what is essentially the world's greatest supercomputer, and what, you have three turrets, some guards, two robots, and a lady hooked up to a computer who doesn't even fight back?  (I guess the floor is electric too, but I had that anti-electric augment.)  I know I'm no good at FPS's, but I want a boss battle to be a BOSS BATTLE.  Make it total chaos at times.  Give me real ramifications with these ladies I'm turning off the life support for.  

And then those end videos?  (I wound up watching them all, even though my choice was tell the truth).  Yeah, I believe games can be an awesome way to deliver a message - I mean, in the game up until that point you had a great message of what it means to be human, and about social changes and judging people… because it was played out.  Because you were part of it.  Becuase you were a man who was involuntarily changed, but what made you who you were was still fundamentally there.  Because you chose to beat up - or not beat up - a lady who got a social chip because she NEEDED it to keep up in teh business.  But then, these videos of WWII and Africa and all these social injustices?  Didn't need them.  I"m a smart enough human being to understand that you are talking about these kinds of things to begin with.  I don't want to be hit over the head with them at the end.  
Plus, there were a LOT of loose ends.  You found out the news is being controlled by the most advanced AI program ever.  You discover the secret to successful augmentation is in your DNA.  You find out that these companies have been pulling all of the strings, just to keep ahead of each other.  You find out there's a computer thats made of PEOPLE.  And you just … . . forget about all of them?  Take all of these secrets to your death?  What about trying to bring any of these people to justice.  Quitting your job at sarif and getting that AI computer to help you forge a more peaceful way to live?  Bringing people like those scientists you 'saved' to justice (walking throuhg that basement lab with all the people on the beds, moaning?  I was like WTF, I HAVE NO REASON TO SAVE YOU, YOU BASTARD.  Except I have to or the game won't go on.)

I know I have a kakuii dude complex, as my friend says, but I wanted a freakin awesome cutscene.  Give me 10 minutes of "I AM ADAM FUCKING JENSON, THE GUY WHO HAS THE DNA THAT COULD REVOLUTIONIZE THE WORLD."  Make it awesome.  Seriously, make me just crap my pants with the excitement I get from getting to the end alive (a challenge, for me) and give me an uber-hawt dude (man, jensen is sexy).  I mean, even jensen realizing that someone has to step in and fill this void that hydra/Eliza are making, and becoming the next supercomputer, but with a conscience would be a cool end.  Or..... I dunno.  Just, anything better than getting smacked upside the head with stupid "WORLD WAR TWO AND OIL SPILLS ARE BAD DUDE!" at the end.

But I guess thats the way the world works now.  Maybe they wanted you to be disappointed because there's no one like Adam Jensen to save the world we have now.

Well, except maybe George Takei.  

So what do you guys think?  For those of you who even played this game, or even read what I have to say, were you as disappointed as I was?  

…though probably no one will even read this.

I finally caved and got a tumblr

[link]

trying to post a sketch daily.

To try to raise some money for the tokyo trip (or just cause living is expensive), I'm offering $40 full color commissions! Normally I do these for $50+, but I'm desperate. What you get: 1 full character, fully colored in your choice of media (marker, colored pencil, digital, watercolor); 1 print of the character on archival photo paper, letter size; and one high-resolution digital file.

The only rule: if it looks like porn, smells like porn, or sounds like porn, its a no-go. Even if you aren't interested, please pass this on to some friends who might be - any little thing helps right now

[link]

a blog post about it.  Comment here or there, I yearn for your feedback!

I'm putting together a 48-page full color artbook.  I"ll probably be selling it through amazon.com's create space, and they would be $20 each.  I don't have the funds to put it together yet, but I am interested to see who would buy it.  It would have illustrations as well as some process/how to's, and I'd also sell them for reduced price at cons.  If you would spend the $20 to help out a floundering artist and to get your own copy, please tell me so!  I've only had one person who wasn't a close friend order a commission from me, and if no one would want to order this, I'm beginnign to think my art career is just a flop.  

Basically, before I invest this money, I'd like to know someone would actually want it!

Otakon.  I'll be there.  K 8 or 9.  Joined by , , and .  

Stop by, say hi, and check out some of the awesome stuff everybody has.

Mention you watch me on DA for discounts!

See you there.

oh hey.

Bein depressed about how much my art is crap.

gonna go draw something and feel bad about it.

just sharin and stuff.

edit - I'm not fishing for compliments.  But if you want to share what artists inspire you, that would be awesome.  Even pointing out things that you liek or dislike in particular about my work will help me improve.    For as much as I get depressed about my art, I can't imagine doing anything with my life EXCEPT art.  I want it more than anything.  So no matter how depressed I get, I'm always fighting to get better.  But I'm still uncertain where I as an artist fit in, and I want to both stretch myself but hone what I can do.  Its always a battle between things like lineart or the current preferred style of concept art, between color and black and white, between comics and illustration.  

So no, this isn't a pity party.  Its honestly pretty face value - I'm depressed, I posted, got it out of my system, and I'm working hard again.  at 2am.  

also, I should probably remember to take my antidepressants.

I'm going to try one more time to offer commission/freelance work.  Keeping in mind that if I were doing this for an actual job, I'd be charging waaaaay more, and once I get my MFA and am a certifiable comic artist (or potentially just certifiable), it'll be even more.

so lets make the pricing as easy as possible!

Letter size: one character, simple backgrounds

pencil sketch (new!!): $10, $5 for each additional character

black/white inks: $30, $10 for each additional character

color (marker, colored pencil, watercolor; photoshop or painter): $50, $20 for each additional character

with a complex background: add $20


larger size (11x17 or otherwise specified)one character, simple backgrounds

black/white: $45, $10 additional characters

color: $70, $20 additional characters

complex backgrounds: add $30



For traditional work, I will send you the original image; for digital work I will email you the high-resolution file.

I know I seem to have died, and its actually just because classes have been super busy this quarter.  Its been super fun, and I got to talk to editors from oni press, first second, and slave labor this past weekend, which was amazing.  Unfortunately, this past weekend, my roommate's (who isn't owning up to anything cause she apparently has the maturity of a 6 year old) cat spilled water into my computer and killed it (thankfully the hard drive still works okay, but it doesn't turn on and the motherboard is probably fried).  I sent it to the manufacturer for repairs, but I'm afraid its going to be more than my $0 income can handle.  SO.  I would be super appreciative if people would help out by buying some commissions, or by visiting me at heroescon/otakon this summer.  I also have a compilation of minicomics I've done and a sketchbook I've put together for sale for $8 each.  

I guess I don't really expect anyone to  help; after all, no one did back when I had some crazy $15000 medical bills after getting my gall bladder out, but I can always hope, right?  

right?

live streaming!

[link]   All done now.

You can see the result [link]<- THERE

I have to post this because of how terrible it is.

[link]

If you really think thats a valid way to create a background, then stop.  Stop drawing, and let those of us who are actually TRYING take it from here.  You cheapen us all as artists, you cheapen our skills.  You cheapen our degrees, our years spent honing our abilities, our desire and passion.  

Here at my DA page, images stretch as far back as 2003.  You can see my evolution from a cocky highschooler to an indentured grad student, but the thing I always had throughout was the desire to improve.  

Oh God . . . I just . . . gah!  I'm literally so mad right now I can't think straight.  Unfortunately, this isn't the first jackass to do something like this, here on DA or in the art world period.  There will always be someone using images the "found" with google, or tracing other people's work, or thinking comic sans is the greatest font ever.  There will always be people who can't draw for crap but think they're God's gift to the art world.  And because 80% of people can't tell the difference between "bad" and "good" art, they'll get away with it. Because life is, to a large degree, a popularity contest, people who are "famous" can get away with artistic murder.  

Don't be that kind of douchebag "artist."  Even if these things are "royalty free," money should not be the sole end all - as artists, especially as comic artists and illustrators, we are STORYTELLERS.

So I've been told my attitude is pretty terrible.  And I'll apologize, I am a bit huffy.  Or a LOT huffy.  I'm not doing this to make myself feel good - well, not completely.  I really want people to learn how to draw.  I think you are cheating yourself out of your full potential when you take the "easy" way out.  The fact that whoever made that tutorial is proud of his/her work when its just things she commandeered from google sketchup means that that is as far as she will progress as an artist.  She's set her limits there, and has no desire to improve.  She may someday, but for now, thats her limit.

I may not be the world's authoritative source on what goes and doesn't go in the art world, BUT I have graduated with a degree in illustration, I did work as an illustrator full-time for two years, and I am pursuing my MFA as a comic artist at SCAD.  You can take or leave what I say, but in my experience, not knowing perspective - or at least enough that you can fudge it - will only hurt you as an artist in the long run.

Hey all, my friend ~EJSCreations recently had her moped stolen!  While it was found, the thieves did a number on it and she doesn't have the money to get it repaired.  If any of you kind souls are willing to help her out a bit, maybe commission her or even just send her a few extra dollars, I know she'd be super grateful!  She'll probably even throw in a sketch for you!

If we're really a community, like DA likes to believe we are, then help a friend in need!

Hey guys, I'm trying to revamp my manga collection and get rid of some old ones from those times of otaku obsessions.  If anyone is interested, they're available on Ebay:

[link]

Sorry I haven't updated much, SCAD has been keeping me crazy busy.

I won't name names, but I recently got a note from someone else on deviantart asking my permission to use an image of mine in their soon-to-be published book, at their startup company.  Essentially, they were asking to use an old image of mine for the compensation of a free copy of three books they were publishing, or essentially $15 if I could actually sell them for "retail" cost.

This isn't the first time I've received something like this, though at least he had the decency to ask.  I've had other times people would ask me to do an image for free (and times when I've been stupid enough to do it) or for "exposure."  Other times, people ask if I want to be partners and do a comic with them (once I was even asked for 1000+ pages) on the guarantee that I'd get "a percentage of the profit."  

I'm going to warn you all right now, even if you've heard this a thousand times before, don't do it.  Or if you really want the exposure that badly, be VERY VERY sure of what you're getting yourself into - you are essentially giving away your hard work for nothing.  Its like asking a chef for a free meal - even if it is JUST a sandwich  . . . for you and all of your friends.  And then charging all of your "friends" to eat the sandwiches you didn't make.  And giving the chef one of his own sandwiches.  As "compensation."

Artists have a tendency to get screwed over, and for some reason, we let it happen to us.  We think "oh, we'll get the exposure we need," or "oh, it'll add to my resume . . . "  In this day and age of digital media, having your stuff on the internet is PLENTY of exposure (though I recommend you watermark your work or only use low-rez art, you'd be surprised what thieves steal).  If you want to add to your resume, do a webcomic, or go to a convention.  If you intend to make a living off of your art, you need to understand you're going to have to make more than "minimum wage" to sustain yourself - and if you start compromising, when will you stop?  The world is smaller than you think, and word WILL get around that you are a "cheap and easy" way to not have to pay a "professional" artist - a friend tells tales time and time again of someone on DA who essentially posted a journal saying "to get 'cheap' art just ask 14-year-olds on DA to draw stuff and pay them $5."

Yes, we've all got bills to pay.  Yes, money is scarce and time is scarcer.  Heck, right now, I"m not making ANY money off of my art - I'm paying $30K a year to go to grad school and I can't even find the time to get a "normal" job.  (and no one wants to buy commissions from me.)  But I will not, WILL NOT stoop to being the person who gives away art.  And neither should any of you.

AS LONG AS PEOPLE THINK THEY CAN GET US TO GIVE AWAY OUR HARD WORK, AS LONG AS WE ARE GIVING AWAY OUR HARD WORK, WE WILL NEVER HAVE THE RESPECT OR COMPENSATION WE DESERVE AS HIGHLY SKILLED PROFESSIONALS.

Heck, there are a LOT of professions that get paid more than artists do, which is completely unfortunate.  A world without graphic designers, illustrators, architects . . . lets just say the human brain is so keyed to sight as its primary input that it overrides all other senses.

Don't be stupid, guys.  If you really think its worth it, I won't stop you, but I"m telling you, YOU ARE WORTH MORE.

if you could see me change one thing about my style, what would you want me to change/improve on?

A recent discussion in my classes here at SCAD have prompted some thinking from me.  So I want to ask you what your opinions are.

I know generally, American artists doing manga are not well-received, and even I am part of this "elitist" mindset.  I believe part of it is because of the differences in Japanese and American culture, and how art is taught, as well as the end product.  There is also the overwhelming idea that American "manga" is just an "imitation" of Japanese.  Yet at the same time, I have seen even Japanese Manga-ka that have poor art quality and poor storytelling.  Likewise, Korean, Taiwanese, and Chinese authors are not Japanese, yet we tend to accept their art as "manga" as well.

So here is what I want to know:

Are there "American manga-ka" that are truly unique in their approach on the style and stories?  

Would you choose to read a manga just because the author is Japanese OVER an American (or western) author, even if the american had better quality story/art?

What do you believe is missing in the "American" comic scene that has allowed manga to become so popular here?  (And do you even look at the comic section in a bookstore, or do you skip immediately to the manga, like I do?)

What are your feelings as to American/western artists who HAVE broken into the OEL manga scene?  

Last question! Sorry its egocentric:   Where do you consider my art to fall on the "manga-esque" scale?  

I know this seems a bit essay/school like, but as much input as you guys can give me is appreciated.


UPDATE:  wow, you guys are freakin writing essays on this!  Thats more than I could have ever hoped for!  I'm doing my best to go through and read them all and respond, but its a lot of thinking!  Don't feel put off if I don't get to yours for a few days!

Suddenly, I'm experiencing what people freak out about when they don't have money and stuff.  Because thanks to a lot of medical stuff, my savings went poof, then I moved down to savannah, then our 3rd roommate crapped out on us so our rent is higher each . . . I'm looking around for jobs as fast as I can, and in the meantime looking at what came in my car with me thinking "what can I sell?"  

Anyone have any suggestions on how to make it when you've got next to nothing?  I know God will provide, somehow . . . but its still terrifying.