• I’ve wasted no time in posting a crap-ton of new artwork up on my blog.  The Shepherd goddesses are now available as keychains in my online store, soon to be followed by a coaster set!
• I made a last-minute appearance on episode 11 of the Rampage Network Member Podcast last Sunday.
• This weekend, I’ll be exhibiting at SPACE in Columbus, OH.  I’ll be joined by Pete Tarkulich of Bardsworth, and I’ll be on the webcomics panel!  I’m also up for a 2009 SPACE prize for webcomics, so wish me luck. ^_^
• Next weekend, I’ll be at Penguicon in Troy, MI.  I have the following panels:
  Friday, 11pm: The World of Online Comics: How things have changed in the last 10 years
  Saturday, 4pm: Making a Living as an Artist
  Sunday, 10am: Photoshop – Back with a Vengeance!
  Sunday 12pm: Running a Creative Business
  I’m joined at Penguicon by a pretty impressive roster of webcomickers, including Howard Tayler, the Webcomic Beacon crew, and Megan Rose Gedris, to name just a few.  You can check out all the webcomic programming here!

I’m still getting a lot of comments trickling in, and I’m glad all you guys, old and new readers, have been happy with my ending. ^_^

Have a good one!

I’ve got two jumbo binders full of the original sketches for every page of Garanos so far, and I know I’m probably not going to have much use for them once the comic is over.

The price point I had in mind was $25 per piece.  Does this sound fair?  What about an option to include a print of the final colored page?

All feedback on this idea would be appreciated. ^_^

I love you guys SO MUCH, I want you to have these valentines!

Perfect for your classmates, boyfriends and girlfriends, and mortal enemies alike!

Seriously, though, I think it’s obvious I had fun making these.  Seeing people buying kids’ valentines at Target got me pining for the days when you could give away little cards with corny phrases and Power Rangers on them and be all set.  Happy Valentine’s Day!

I was so happy that so many of you submitted fanart for all my comics, and it was tough to choose the winners, but here they are!

First Place: Jenna

This beautiful costume/CG art really went above and beyond for the contest!  Jenna included an explanation with the artwork as well:

At about the time the contest was announced, I was in south India, watching Bharatanatium dance performances.  In this classical south Indian style, solo dancers do pantomimes of various Hindu stories.  Upon seeing one performance of the story of the goddess Durga, I immediately drew the connection between Garanos and Durga.

When a demon is ravaging everywhere and no one else can handle it, the other gods summon Durga and lend her their powers and weapons.  All of the statues I have seen of her look almost demonic.  As a demonic savior, she vanquishes the demon.  Garanos herself is almost a demonic savior, having been possessed by the Harbinger’s powers.  My model here, Danika, as a Bharatanatium dancer and is posing in one of Durga’s classic poses.

The clothing is styled after more traditional Indian dress, similar to what dance performers would use, though simpler in Garanos’s style.  I patterened and stitched the shirt myself by hand since I don’t have a sewing machine here.  The gloves are made of a pair of knee-high socks that I cut up and sitched together.  The pants are some that I wear everyday, though the color has been altered digitally.

To give credit to where credit is due:

Spider stock by Falln_Stock
Special thanks to my model Danika and Brian & Sonia for repeated use of their front yard

Second Place: Catherine

This rendition of Shepherd and Winter was just wonderful.  I loved the almost watercolor-y feel of the blues on the whites.

Third Place: Jorge

Jorge’s 3D rendering of Styx outside Maryoku’s house was very creative!

All Entries

Here are all the entries I recieved!  Thanks again to everyone who entered!

Fashions of Garanos, by AyaBlue

Garanos and Styx, by Cathinca

Winter and Shepherd, Darryl and Dana After Hours, and Geilen’s First Night, by Karin

Garanos, by Rebecca

Garanos and the Harbinger, by Russell

Garanos, by Sharon

Geilen, by Shira

Have a good one, guys!  See you on Monday.

New vote incentive is up!  An experiment in Painter, which I have never used before.

My Youmacon report is up, soon to be followed by my ISCA Con report.  If you’re not following my blog, then why not?  I post artwork up there about three times a week, so you should check it out. ^_^

Speaking of cons, my next con (and last con of the year) will be Steel City Con in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  I’ll be joined by Pete of Bardsworth and Kez of the War of Winds, which should make for a pretty awesome convention, so if you live in the area, make sure you come out! ^_^

Monday is the last page of Part 16!  :O  After that I’ll be taking a break of two weeks, and then Part 17 will start on November 30th.

Have a good weekend, everyone!

Con Announcement! I’ll be at Steel City Con in December!  I have a table in the Artist Alley, and I’ll have the good fortune of meeting up with Kez and Pete, as well, so I hope to meet (and make) some readers there.

So after brainstorming and going over some of your suggestions this week, I’ve come up with a drawing I’m happy with.  This is what will be on the new cover for Volume I:

I was inspired by the painting Dragon Reflection by British artist Anne Stokes, which was in a book of fantasy art I picked up at the library this week.  The idea of using Garanos’ sword in a reflecting fashion was particularly evocative, and this image went through several revisions.  You can see some of my false starts below.

The first drawing was originally what I wanted to go with for the cover.  It’s a very dynamic pose, but also very complicated.  The second image was an attempt to close in on the face of the first drawing, but the final image wouldn’t fit very well in the proportions of the cover.  The third image is a very rough sketch in preparation for the final drawing, above.  I liked the more stoic quality of Garanos holding the sword vertically over her eye.  I also wanted to draw it in a style similar to what I used in Volume I (more anime) so as not to potentially mislead those unfamiliar with the contents.

So I’ll be working on this today and tomorrow.  Hopefully, the book will be ready to go to Ka-Blam for printing by the end of the week.

UPDATE!

It’s finished!

This is easily the most work I’ve put into coloring an image in recent memory. ^_^;  It was surprisingly hard to do the reflection in her sword.  It looked too much like glass at first.  I had all sorts of detail on the reflection of Garanos’ skin, with the black oily stuff, but unfortunately it had to become lost in order to make the blade look like metal.

Here’s the mockup of the actual cover:

Another of Garanos along the same lines as the pictures I posted last week, and one of none other than the late, great, Maryoku.

Looking back, I realized I haven’t drawn Maryoku in almost two years.  Yikes.  I’ve certainly changed a lot about the way I draw since then, and this new picture is actually much closer to how I’ve always seen her in my head.  Besides, there’s more where that came from; I’ve got another drawing of Maryoku in the queue, and then I’ll get to coloring the guys.

You can see the progression of how I colored Garanos here!

I got some new artwork done this week!  Check it out.

In an attempt to get some fresh artwork up on the art page, I’m doing full-body portraits of all the major characters.  Maryoku and the boys will be next.  ^_^ I’ve actually thrown these two on some t-shirts in the Spreadshirt shop, so check ‘em out there.

The Graphic Novel

I’m going to start the process of getting the graphic novel ready to be reprinted and sold at IndyPlanet, and one of the things I want to do is redesign the cover.  The cover for the Lulu edition is a little boring, so I’m open to suggestions on what I should put on the new one, because I haven’t been excited about any of my ideas.  Post your suggestions in the comments or shoot me an email.

Ohayocon

I will not be exhibiting at Ohayocon this weekend as I was not accepted into their Artist Alley, which was juried this year.  So if anyone was looking forward to saying hi this year, it was unfortunately beyond my control, and I hope to see you next year instead.  I will probably be stopping in sometime on Saturday to say hello to Paradigm Shift and any other webcomics I come across in the AA, and to my other friends who will be there hanging out, so you can always go to the AnimePunch table to talk to the rad dudes there.  From what I know, there will be a breakdancing demo in the vicinity of the AP table at some point, which is usually on the second floor by the escalators overlooking the food court.

Have a good weekend!  Remember to vote!