Video Tutorial - the secret it out!

The secret recipe is up for grabs, folks!

My first video tutorial is available and I'm giving up the goods. I'm excited to share the methods and materials that are central to what are fast becoming my most adored works: Sketch Cards.

You know me; I'm not the competitive type. I think there's room for everyone! If I can share a method, material or tip that inspires you to push your art further, then I have done something right. If you take the ball and carry it further than I have, then we've both done something right!

So, kick back, fuel that creative furnace and enjoy!

The sketch card created in this video was a private commission for A.W. in Lansing, Michigan. Thanks, A.W., it was a blast!

E-Publishing, here I come!

Today I registered for an e-publishing workshop. I'm going to learn the complete process of creating and posting e-books for e-readers like the iPad, Kindle, etc.

I'm enormously excited about this! I've got an art book which is almost completely done and ready to roll. It's a pretty unique idea (I haven't seen anyone do it yet) and also completely fitting for me. When I announce it, you'll say "OF COURSE Nathanael would do that!" Lol.

I've wanted to talk about it for almost a year but I've been keeping a lid on the project until I knew I could get it released. I'm almost there! Wish me luck!

The weirdest tool at my drawing board

It's definitely not the first thing you'd expect to find at an artist's work station. Pencils: check. Pens: check. Markers and tape: check. Lint roller? Lint roller? Anyone?

Yep, I keep a lint roller right next to the drawing board and let me tell ya - it's a huge time & money saver!

As an illustrator I often make use of visual reference when I'm working on a project. Authentic details and accuracy are frequently required in my work. Back in the day it meant trips to the library - a HUGE time consumer (plus many coins in the copy machine). Then came the internet and I could print out all my own reference images right at home (but the cost of toner can crush you)! Then, finally, came the Smart Phone.

Now I just look up my visual reference right on my phone and keep it next to me while I work. No trips to the library, no print outs. The cost of time and money is practically eliminated.

My phone has a flexible, silicone case on it which means that it easily and naturally sticks to my angled drawing board...as long as the case is LINT FREE!

And that's where my delightful little lint roller comes in. I keep my phone case free of lint and my phone subsequently keeps me in efficient, low cost reference images.

Yep, definitely not the first thing you'd expect to see at an artist's work station but certainly one of the most valuable.

Step by Step Spidey Sketch Card

Hey everyone! I'm back in the blogosphere after some pretty intense work obligations. Thanks for hangin' with me! I've got some really amazing projects to announce soon. I'm under some non-disclosure agreements until they are released to the public but I'll start blabbin' about them as soon as I'm allowed. :)

I thought it might be fun to share the behind the scenes creation of the Spidey sketch card that I created for that fundraiser I mentioned in my last blog. By the way, I got the date wrong in my last post. The fundraiser is May 21st. I'll let ya know how it goes.

Here's the step by step creation of ol' web head.

Sketched him with red col-erase pencil on 8x10 chipboard. Inked him with colored ultra fine Sharpies and Prismacolor Premier fine line markers (LOVE those premiers). Started laying in flat areas of color with Prismaclor markers.

Continued laying in color with Prismaclor markers. In order to create tones or values (shading) I add additional layers of marker color once an area is dry. I build up the layers of color in the areas that I want to make darker. It's similar to a watercolor painting in that way. I also use progressively darker markers to speed things up.

More layers and tones. Right around this time I remember thinking about Todd McFarlane saying how he had backed himself into a corner when he designed this style of webbing for Spiderman. It's so detailed and dynamic that it turns out to be quite a bit of labor all by itself. Old school fans of the character probably remember the days of Steve Ditko and John Romita when Spidey's webs were just an easy-to-draw criss-cross pattern.

I start to choose and add colors as a graphic element in the background. I like using background shapes, colors and outlines as tools to accentuate the main image. I think of those background elements as a supporting cast whose job it is to make the star look amazing!

I saturate the color. Now here's the big secret to rich, saturated color with markers...add colored pencil on top! The marker ink provides a solid color base upon which to layer in colored pencil. Once you do that, the colors get deep, rich and saturated. It doesn't need to be done in every area but it's a tremendously helpful and useful technique in the areas where you want it.

Scanned and complete. The scan rarely maintains all of the dynamic punch of the original. Often I need to make hue, saturation and contrast adjustments in Adobe Photoshop in order to make the digital image look as good as the original. I don't cheat though. I don't typically make improvements or do any digital cosmetic surgery. Usually I need to mail the original off to the buyer anyway so there's no use in misrepresenting the artwork.

So there's a behind the scenes look at how this Spidey sketch card came to be. Now let's all cross our fingers that he raises a few bucks for a good cause at the fundraiser!