theillustrator :: Tony Shasteen

Conan Warm-up sketch

2011-11-22T10:20:00.001-05:00

Today is a Conan kind of day. Hopefully I won't end up on the tree of woe.

Baltimore Comic Con!

2011-08-16T07:32:00.004-04:00

I'll be at the Baltimore Comic Con this weekend, so stop by and say hello if you're planning to attend! I'll be sitting at the Jolly Roger booth or aimlessly wandering the show floor.

I will be doing a limited number of sketches. My prices for con sketches are:

$50 for a single character in B&W on 9 x 12 bristol

If you know you're going to one of these Cons and would like a sketch, please email me through my profile above. This is the best way possible to guarantee that you'll get your sketch.

I'll also have a handful of books, sketchbooks, and mini prints from my warm-up sketches available. The prints are $3 each, or $15 for the set.

Heroes Convention

2011-06-02T09:03:00.003-04:00

It's that time of year again. I'm off to Charlotte for Heroes Convention! I'll have some new mini-prints of my warm-up sketches. I don't have many, so if you want them, come early. I'll be at booth AA-201, and the prints will be selling for $3 each, or $15 for the set.

Figure Drawing Friday

2011-05-06T17:42:00.000-04:00

30 seconds

Nupastels on Newsprint

20 minutes
Nupastels on Newsprint

Movies I love :: Aliens

2011-05-02T10:41:00.001-04:00

I had another warm up sketch in mind, but this line from Aliens seemed more appropriate in light of recent events : )

Figure Drawing Friday

2011-04-29T10:39:00.000-04:00

30 seconds
Nupastels on Newsprint

2 minutes

Nupastels on Newsprint

10 minutes

Nupastels on Newsprint

20 minutes

Nupastels on Newsprint

Movies I Love :: Predator

2011-04-23T08:54:00.002-04:00

Another warm up sketch from a movie I love. The boys and I use this line all the time in Modern Warfare : )

Figure Drawing Friday

2011-04-22T19:01:00.000-04:00

30 seconds
Nupastel on Newsprint

2 minutes
Nupastels on Newsprint

10 minutes
Nupastels on Newsprint

Movies I love

2011-04-21T08:25:00.006-04:00

I'm going to post some warm-up sketches based on movies I love. It's just my take on some favorite scenes. First up... The Terminator!

Figure Drawing Friday

2011-04-15T15:35:00.005-04:00

2 minutes

Nupastel on Newsprint

10 minutes

Nupastel on Newsprint

15 minutes

Nupastel on Newsprint

Figure Drawing Friday

2011-03-31T11:04:00.005-04:00

1 minute

Nupastels on Newsprint

5 minutes

Nupastels on Newsprint

5 minutes

Nupastels on Newsprint

10 minutes

Nupastels on Newsprint

Figure Drawing Friday

2011-03-25T11:26:00.001-04:00

1 minute

Nupastels on Newsprint

2 minutes

Nupastels on Newsprint

5 minutes

Nupastels on Newsprint

30 minutes

Nupastels on Newsprint

Happy birthday, Mr. Einstein!

2011-03-14T17:29:00.002-04:00

pencil, PS colors

Figure Drawing Friday

2011-03-11T15:48:00.004-05:00

1 minute

18x24 Nupastels on Newsprint

10 minutes

18x24 Nupastels on Newsprint

15 minutes

18x24 Nupastels on Newsprint

10 minutes

18x24 Nupastels on Newsprint

X-Files Character Studies

2011-03-02T19:01:00.003-05:00

11x14

Pen and Ink on Bristol Board

Emerald City Comic Con X-Files Sketch

2011-03-01T10:10:00.001-05:00

9x14

Pen and Ink on Bristol Board

Emerald City Comic Con Punisher Sketch

2011-02-28T14:16:00.001-05:00

9x14

Pen and Ink on Bristol Board

Figure Drawing Friday

2011-02-25T09:46:00.005-05:00

1 minute

Nupastels on Newsprint

1 minute

Nupastels on Newsprint

5 minutes

Nupastels on Newsprint

10 minutes

Nupastels on Newsprint

New Orleans and Chip Board Art

2011-02-01T14:20:00.009-05:00

The New Orleans convention was a blast. I met a ton of great people, and I did a ton of these little fun sketches. Here are a few of them that we managed to get shots of. I'll be doing them again at the Emerald City Comic Con in a month.

New Orleans Con Sketches

2011-01-27T10:31:00.004-05:00

I'll be attending the New Orleans Comic Con this weekend. I'll have a stack of books available, and I'll be signing whatever you stick in front of me. I'm also going to be doing a whole lot of these little drawings dirt cheap. They'll be 10 bucks, and it's whatever is in my head at the time. No requests, just a brain dump on paper. They're meant to be fun! If you're going to the show, come on by and get one, or just say hi!

-Tony

USA TODAY Interview

2011-01-13T18:49:00.002-05:00

I was recently interviewed about my most recent project with Top Cow. Give it a read!

http://www.usatoday.com/life/comics/2011-01-13-Netherworld_N.htm

Oh, and here's some art too...

Figure Drawing Friday :: 24

2010-12-17T14:39:00.006-05:00

minutes

18 x 24 Nupastel on Newsprint

10 minutes

minutes

18 x 24 Nupastel on Newsprint

15 minutes

minutes

18 x 24 Nupastel on Newsprint

15 minutes

Witchblade Annual 2010

2010-12-15T10:24:00.004-05:00

My inks before JD did his magic.

After JD's magic.

The trade dress.

The Witchblade story I did a few months ago hits the comic shops today. Here's the solicitation copy:

Witchblade 15th Anniversary Issue!

Sara Pezzini comes face to face with a former Witchblade bearer, a Russian soldier who served during the frozen Siege of Stalingrad, a pivotal battle in World War II. What tale does she have to tell Sara? Witchblade bearers past and present come together in a one-of-a-kind story, with amazing art by New York Times bestselling illustrator Tony Shasteen (The Talisman). Featuring two striking covers by Tom Feister (GI Joe: Origins, The Darkness) and Tony Shasteen along with a bonus back up feature!

Figure Drawing Friday :: 23

2010-12-10T16:51:00.011-05:00

2 minutes

18 x 24 Nupastel on Newsprint

minutes

18 x 24 Nupastel on Newsprint

15 minutes

18 x 24 Nupastel on Newsprint

20 minutes

18 x 24 Nupastel on Newsprint

ORIGINAL FOR SALE HERE

Fantasy Flight Game Cards

2010-12-08T10:53:00.004-05:00

Figure Drawing Friday :: 22

2010-12-03T09:58:00.003-05:00

20 minutes

18 x 24 Nupastel on Newsprint

Original available for sale

Atlanta Comic Con

2010-12-01T19:01:00.005-05:00

If you're going to the Atlanta Comic Con this week, please stop by and say hello. I'll have my usual swag on hand and I will be doing a few commissions.

Panel Info:

12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m.
JOLLY ROGERS ARTIST PANEL W/ TONY HARRIS AND TONY SHASTEEN
The Jolly Roger Studio team lands on the Wizard World Tour for a talk about art in the modern age of comics, the digital versus traditional movement and why the studio system works for them. ROOM 104

Witchblade Cover

2010-11-22T16:12:00.004-05:00

This one has been solicited, so it's safe to post. I drew the Witchblade 2010 Annual, written by the fabulous Ron Marz. I had a blast drawing it, and I hope you enjoy reading it! It should be out near the end of the year.

Original artwork for sale at Cadence Comic Art.

For Sale

2010-11-22T14:14:00.005-05:00

Yes, I am a commercial whore. I admit it. I do commercial illustration and comics for love AND money! Where can I buy your artwork you ask? Ok, well maybe you didn't ask, but I'm going to tell you anyway.

I just launched a new store site at http://theillustrator.bigcartel.com. I've added all my books, prints, and whatnot on there. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Also, all of my original art is for sale with Cadence Comic Art. We just lowered the prices for the holidays. So if you're in the market for some comic art, please give them a look.

Figure Drawing Friday :: 21

2010-11-19T16:38:00.010-05:00

2 minute

18 x 24 Nupastel on Newsprint

1 minute

18 x 24 Nupastel on Newsprint

15 minute

18 x 24 Nupastel on Newsprint

20 minute

18 x 24 Nupastel on Newsprint

20 minute

18 x 24 Nupastel on Newsprint

Figure Drawing Friday :: 20

2010-11-12T10:12:00.005-05:00

30 seconds

18 x 24 Nupastel on Newsprint

2 minutes

18 x 24 Nupastel on Newsprint

5 minutes

18 x 24 Nupastel on Newsprint

15 minutes

18 x 24 Nupastel on Newsprint

Kenneth Parker Shasteen

2010-11-11T07:20:00.003-05:00

My Uncle, Private First Class Kenneth Parker Shasteen, joined the Marine Corps and served our country until May 5th, 1968 in Quang Tri, South Vietnam. He was 19 years old when he died.

"To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with lots of pride in the heroism of those who died in the country's service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations."

- President Woodrow Wilson

Armistice Day, November 11, 1919

Talisman Tuesday

2010-11-09T11:38:00.003-05:00

These are the last five pages from issue five where we're introduced to Wolf. He was one of my favorite characters from the novel, and I wish I was able to do more with him. Oh Wolf, I hardly knew ya!

Colors by JD Mettler.

Work In Progress

2010-11-08T08:15:00.004-05:00

Figure Drawing Friday :: 18

2010-11-05T14:18:00.002-04:00

1 minute

18 x 24 Nupastel on Newsprint

20 minutes

18 x 24 Nupastel on Newsprint

Pieces From The Past

2010-11-03T15:28:00.004-04:00

Occult Crimes Taskforce Original Artwork

Talisman Tuesday :: 1

2010-11-02T14:23:00.004-04:00

I'm going to try to add some never before seen Talisman work each Tuesday. Why each Tuesday you ask? Well... it'll give me something to post on Tuesdays.

Here are five b&w and colored pages from issue 5. The previous color pages from issue 5 were posted here...

Click on the images for a better view.

Predators Motion Comic

2010-10-27T07:55:00.013-04:00

Last July I worked on a couple Predators motion comics for the blu-ray edition. The timeline was tight, but there was no way I would turn it down. I was a HUGE fan of the original! GET TO THE CHOPPA!

This was a very collaborative project for Tony Harris, JD Mettler, and myself. Like I said, we had a short timeframe, so we broke the work up from the start. I did the layouts for the project.

These layout were done at the final size in Photoshop, but they are rough. Once we had the layouts approved, we broke up the work. We new JD would color it, but this was a new process for Harris and I. We decided that he would do a good portion of the foreground characters, while I would do all the backgrounds, close-ups, and shots with no characters. Our styles are close enough that we thought it would mesh well.

Here's an example of how I broke down the work load. Red = Harris, Green = Me. Each of us did our parts, then I would assemble everything in Photoshop. From that point, I gave JD layered files to color. The guys that animated it needed everything drawn and colored on separate layers so they could move the camera around, push past foreground elements, etc.

Below is the start of the Noland story. These are the panels where I assembled my work with Harris's. EVERYTHING had to be layered. Vines, trees, all the foliage, foreground, middle ground, background... all layered. To make some sense of this, I added a grayscale to some of the elements.

The dead samurai was originally supposed to be Harris's, but I jumped in on these two (above). Harris did the foot and hand. Time was getting tight.

Then they were off to JD, and he did an amazing job coloring them. You'll have to buy the blu-ray to see the final animation version, but here's a link to the teaser:

http://www.predatorsmotioncomics.com/

Pieces From The Past

2010-10-26T16:53:00.003-04:00

Occult Crimes Taskforce Artwork

Figure Drawing Friday :: 18

2010-10-22T17:44:00.004-04:00

Warmup drawing, Nupastel on Newsprint, 1 minute

Nupastel on Newsprint, 20 minutes

Studio Tour

2010-10-21T12:45:00.016-04:00

A couple weeks ago I did a major remodeling to our home studio. It was in desperate need of one. Since my wife and I both work from home, and I spend a good 12 + hours a day in here, it needed to be someplace that we both wanted to be in. I'd call my design aesthetic "1950's government office meets 12 year old boy's bedroom". On to the tour!

This is the view as you walk in, well my side anyway. Just to the left of the picture is the supply closet. My wife's side is over to the right. We'll get to that shortly. As you can see, I have a love of industrial metal furniture. I've collected it for years. Some bought, some found, some new, some old. We have matching Steelcase desks. I've hauled these desks around for years... and they aren't light.

Here's my wife's side of the studio. Slightly smaller, but we'll share the drafting table on my side. The shelf holds some visual entertainment for me as well. There's a small tv that we use occasionally, but mostly for music these days. We use the computers for movies since I have no patience for commercials these days. Above the tv is a couple pieces of original artwork. The sitting area is on the right, and the small deck is behind the door straight ahead.

Brian Stelfreeze gave me this piece that he did of one of our sons. I love it, and it's positioned directly in front of me on Sarena's shelf where I can see it all day. It's either an inspiration or a driving force to give up... the jury is still out on that one.

Speaking of giving up... beside Brian's pice is my little Mignola skull and bones original. I pinned it in a shadowbox so you can still see the production notes.

Luke, one of our other studio-mates usually takes over Sarena's chair. Leia must be hiding.

Next to her shelf is a vintage Shaw Walker file cabinet. I eyed this one for years at Victory Vintage in Decatur, GA. It was never for sale, but I was able to finagle it when they closed down.

This is Sarena's side again. There are a couple printers and a few index card files we use for general storage. She has a framed promotional calender press sheet on top of the filing cabinet. This is the only piece of my work in the studio. I tend to loathe my work shortly after it's completed, so having too much of my own work framed would be trouble.

Sarena's desk. As you can tell, we have a fondness for vintage office supplies.

Sarena's stapler. Don't steal it or she's likely to burn your office down.

Back to my side. The kids have claimed these chairs. They usually come in and hang out here after they get home from school. One of the perks of working from home. Between the chairs is a rolling filing cabinet. I'd like to turn it into a little bar Madmen style.

Just past the sitting area is the restroom, and above the chairs are vintage coffee ads. We collect those as well.

On top of the rolling file cabinet is the money plant. It has a freakish ability to know our financial situation before we do. It's the bane of our existence, but don't tell it I said so or a leaf will drop off.

Here's my shelf. It's filled with a pretty odd assortment of items. To name just a few, there are harpoons, a pinned bug collection, a cat skull that needs mounting, military headware, a Russian Ushanka, a dummy bomb ridden by Hellboy, graphic novels, art books, R2-D2, and enough index card files to drive my wife nuts. She thinks I have an issue with "cubbies".

More miscellaneous items layered onto the shelves. There's a derringer in that Boba Fett mug. Where else would it go? Hello? The boxes are filled with trinkets that go back to my childhood.

Here's a little bit of a tank helmet liner and a vietnam era (I think) infantry helmet. I have a lot more of this type thing, but it's stored away.

Hellboy on the bomb, and the sign from my Graphic Design/Illustration firm.

This is a view of the shelves from the drafting table. More Hellboy magnets up top. I obviously love Mignola's work.

And here's the drafting table. This used to belong to Brian Stelfreeze, then Karl Story, and now me. It has seen a lot of use. Behind the drafting table is a large cork board that I use for a rotating collection of inspiration, pieces that need framing, and project notes.

Here are a couple portraits of me drawn by my kids. I think they have me down.

I found this old container of lead in one of the desks when I moved it. It's a piece of wood with little grooves cut into it to hold the lead. How cool is that!

Someone made these badges for us based on my design back when we did the Occult Crimes Taskforce. It actually rotates.

Another prized possession waiting on a frame. Thanks to my friend and agent Paolo Belfiore, the Reverend Dave Johnson drew me as an evil photoshopping racist! That'll teach me to photoshop him into awkward situations.

A monkey mask I picked up while traveling about.

The oily waste can. Feel safe when you're throwing away oily rags here. Just make sure to empty it every night.

Above the sitting area are a few of our vintage coffee ads. Have you read old coffee ads? They're full of lies! LIES!

The second office. You get the point.

A little James Jean postcard above ye old throne.

More vintage items. I love this phisohex soap dispenser from Winthrop Laboratories. Still works great!

Here's my desk. I have the Cintiq on an arm so I can lower it below usual desk height, and I can move it out of the way if necessary.

On the other side of the desk is the laptop that drives the Cintiq. It's a portable setup, but it rarely moves these days. I used to haul it back and forth when I worked from Gaijin Studios.

The arm with Sarena's laptop in the background.

There's a little deck off the studio. I'm still looking for a nice vintage glider rocker so I can do layouts and sketch here. It would work well for the occasional morning cup of coffee or evening drink as well!

Leaving the office, the supply closet is to the right. It's a mess. Trust me, you don't want to see it yet. Out in the hall are a few vintage J.C. Leyendecker coffee ads from the 1940's.

Vintage Stock Room sign above the supply closet.

If there's anything I love more than coffee, it's Leyendecker. You put the two together and it's like chocolate and peanut butter!

Here's the set of three coffee ads. Two more are waiting to be framed.

Alright, that's about it. Hope you enjoyed a little peek at where I spend the bulk of my days. Back to work!

Gears of War

2010-10-20T08:39:00.003-04:00

Here's a Gears of War piece I did for Wildstorm. I was trying a slightly different style here. It's more loose/brushier than usual. It was a fun piece, but man I would not want to draw that armor all the time.

Figure Drawing Friday :: 17

2010-10-08T11:14:00.002-04:00

1 minute

18 X 24, Nupastel on Newspring

20 minutes

18 X 24, Nupastel on Newsprint

Figure Drawing Friday :: 16

2010-09-30T22:02:00.006-04:00

1 minute

18 X 24, Nupastel on Newsprint

20 minutes

18 X 24, Nupastel on Newsprint

Punisher Pitch Pencils

2010-09-30T19:02:00.010-04:00

A Few Punisher Pitch Pencils. This was also the last time I used the process of drawing all the elements individually and then compositing them in photoshop. That was a laborious process... and a stupid one. I did it because it gave me more freedom to experiment with the composition if it wasn't working. I could simply move a character around in a panel until I got it right.

I used point .3, .5, and .9 pencils to vary my line weight. The paper was a better than average copy paper.

Old Punisher Pitch

2010-09-28T15:30:00.005-04:00

Back in late 2007/early 2008 I did a Punisher pitch with my friend Jose Torres. Honestly, I'm not sure if it was ever formally pitched. This was the last batch of pages that I did in this super detailed style. It was just too overly rendered, and I think it didn't appeal to the comic community the way a more traditional pen and ink style does. Looking back at these pages, there are a lot of things I would change, but that's pretty typical. So, that said, judge away! : )

Figure Drawing Friday :: 15

2010-09-24T10:19:00.006-04:00

1 minute

18 X 24, Nupastel on Newsprint

1 minute

18 X 24, Nupastel on Newsprint

20 minutes

18 X 24, Nupastel on Newsprint

Piece From The Past

2010-09-23T17:26:00.002-04:00

9 X 12 pencil

Gaming card for Fantasy Flight Games

Sketches :: Logan

2010-09-20T19:50:00.004-04:00

I always though Robin Williams would have made a great Wolverine back in the day. That is, back in the day when wolverine was short, hairy, gruff, and unattractive. Now he's a pretty boy. Anyway, here's my take on Robin as Logan. I'm still playing around with these brushes, so bear with me.

Arrrrrrrr, ye land lubbers!

2010-09-19T16:10:00.003-04:00

It's international Talk like a pirate day!

Figure Drawing Friday :: 14

2010-09-17T11:41:00.002-04:00

20 minutes

18 X 24, Nupastel on Newsprint

25 to Life :: Interview

2010-09-15T10:24:00.004-04:00

The good people at CBR have an interview up about 25 to Life with quite a few finished pages. Issue #1 is on sale today, so grab yourself a copy while you can!

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=28326

Piece From The Past

2010-09-14T13:47:00.002-04:00

9 X 12 pencil and ink wash

Gaming card for Fantasy Flight Games

Charmed Cover :: Process

2010-09-13T15:22:00.011-04:00

Here's a Charmed cover I illustrated a few months ago. Due to a tight timeline, and the high possibility of multiple revisions, I decided to paint this one 100% digitally. Below is my process from approved sketch to final piece.

Figure Drawing Friday :: 13

2010-09-10T15:04:00.004-04:00

15 minutes

18 X 24, Nupastel on Newsprint

Piece From The Past

2010-09-09T17:01:00.004-04:00

8 1/2 X 7 1/2 pencil and ink wash

Illustration for Realms of Fantasy. The story was Restroom Murders and here is the link to the finished piece.

Work In Progress

2010-09-08T17:48:00.001-04:00

Cover Art :: Grimm Fairy Tales : Inferno #3

2010-09-07T16:36:00.002-04:00

Figure Drawing Friday :: 12

2010-09-03T10:58:00.002-04:00

18 X 24, Nupastel on Newsprint

Cover Art :: Issue #3 25 to Life

2010-09-02T09:52:00.003-04:00

Cover Art :: Issue #1 25 to Life

2010-08-31T17:01:00.003-04:00

This is the cover for issue #1 of 25 to Life coming out through 12 Gauge Comics in September. Eriq La Salle did an interview on CBR and you can read it here.

Monday : Work In Progress

2010-08-30T11:07:00.003-04:00

Figure Drawing Friday :: 11

2010-08-27T16:53:00.004-04:00

18 X 24, Nupastel on Newsprint

Artistic Style :: Part One

2010-08-20T19:03:00.003-04:00

style |stīl|

noun

1 a manner of doing something

• a way of painting, writing, composing, building, etc., characteristic of a particular period, place, person, or movement.

That's how Webster describes style. I've been thinking quite a bit about style lately, and the meaning behind the word. There is a world of weight placed on that word. All artists search for a style from an early age. They are told they should have a particular style, and if they don't, they're floundering. Their careers are built on a style that they're known for. I've come to a conclusion. Style is simply a person's interpretation of something within a set of restraints and resources. Style changes when those restraints and resources change.

The first restraint or resource isn't something we have control over. It starts with the period the artist is born into, and when they enter their professional stage of their life. For example, the illustration industry is drastically different in 2010 than it was in 1910, or even in 1990. I have no doubt that the industry will be noticeably different a decade from now.

The second restraint or resource is someone's raw ability, and that ability varies from person to person. Over time that ability may grow, and from that growth comes a style. Within that period of growth are other variables. What type of influence or drive do they have. Did they go to school, and if so where? Who were their mentors, or what other influences did they have? What is their ability to retain what they've learned. Once they found a direction, what level of focus did they have? All of these factors, among many others, mold an artist's ability.

When an artist finds their direction, they generally start to move toward their professional career. This is another major set of restraints or resources, and they are the ones we deal with as professional artists on a day to day basis. Commerce steps in and influences style. Finances, workload, client involvement, tools, personal and professional relationships, all play a part, positively or negatively, in artistic style.

All of these constantly shifting factors lead to an artist's current set of resources. It's what you have available right now. It's these resources that we carry with us when we create. Add to your resources the one thing that we all need to create... time.

Resources + timeline = style

These resources and restraints will constantly shift throughout our lifetime. And so will our style.

Talisman Book and Sketch

2010-08-18T15:15:00.003-04:00

EBAY Auction

I decided to include an original sketch of Jack with a signed copy of The Talisman.

Black Widow Commission

2010-08-14T16:22:00.001-04:00

Hero's Con Commission

Black Widow

The Talisman Issue #1 Page 2 for sale!

2010-08-12T21:46:00.007-04:00

EBAY Auction

The time has come to start cleaning out some artwork! To make things a little easier, I have decided to start posting things on ebay. I am going to start by putting a few things up at a time. First up is The Talisman Issue #0 page 2.

I will also be putting signed books up with original sketches. If you are looking for anything in particular, let me know.

Witch

2010-07-13T19:02:00.004-04:00

I'm working on a new project with Kickstart Comics that was announced today! This will be an 80 page graphic novel coming out this fall. Here's how they describe it:

Written by: Terry Matalas and Travis Fickett

Edited by: Jimmy Palmiotti

Pencils/Inks by: Tony Shasteen

Cover by: Amanda Conner

"A teenage girl discovers that she is a witch and that the voice in her head, the one that she’s always tried to ignore, is in fact her familiar which in her case is a large black cat…sort of. Our heroine knows nothing of her heritage or that she comes from a long line of witches who were hunted almost to extinction. With the aid of her familiar and a mysterious young man, she must find the other remaining witches before the witch hunters find her."

25 to Life

2010-07-05T09:35:00.001-04:00

Sorry for the lack of posts! I've been working on a few projects that I haven't been able to talk about. I finished up this three issue mini-series just before Heroes Convention. Here's a brief explanation of the book along with some sample pages:

"The three-issue series will explore the idea of an experimental FBI division that partners elite agents with 25-to-life sentenced criminals in "Silence of the Lambs"-esque fashion in order to solve high profile cases. In this particular instance, the gruesome murder of three African American police officers force Special Agent Gabriel Santana to team with the racist white supremacist Pratt, currently serving a life sentence for his terrible crimes. As expected, tensions raise rather quickly as neither men find themselves none too fond of the other. Written by La Salle and Doug Wagner, the title features art by Tony Shasteen and heads to comic shops in September."

Heroes Convention 2010

2010-06-02T10:47:00.002-04:00

It's that time of year again. I'll be attending Heroes Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina this weekend, June 4 - 6. I'll be sitting at the Jolly Roger booth, AA-216.

I will be selling prints, sketchbooks, comics, and also be taking on as many commissions as possible.

I hope to see you all there!

Cover Work :: MAD HATTER VS QUEEN OF HEARTS

2010-05-28T07:02:00.004-04:00

Here's a recent cover I did for Zenescope. It had to do with the Mad Hatter also being Jack the Ripper. I made this from Jack's perspective using the blade to watch the unsuspecting prostitute walk towards him.

New York Times Best Seller!

2010-05-13T15:38:00.003-04:00

I just got word that The Talisman is number 4 on the New York Times Best Sellers list! What an amazing honor!!!

Figure Drawing Friday :: 10

2010-05-07T18:44:00.002-04:00

Legs. Legs can be some of the most difficult parts of the body to draw. Feet are even more of job to tackle. You'll notice I didn't focus on the feet here? That's because they're as complex as the hand. You have to pick a part of the composition and focus on it. Think of it like the camera. What part of the drawing do you want to pull the attention to? The rest can get fuzzy.

18 X 24, Nupastel on Newsprint, 20 minutes

18 X 24, Nupastel on Newsprint, 15 minutes

Figure Drawing Friday :: 09

2010-04-30T20:46:00.004-04:00

For the life of me, I can't remember who these models were. Maybe I should have drawn their faces.

18 X 24, Nupastel on Newsprint, 20 minutes

18 X 24, Nupastel on Newsprint, 15 minutes

Figure Drawing Friday :: 08

2010-04-23T15:06:00.001-04:00

18 X 24, Nupastel on Newsprint, 20 minutes

Figure Drawing Friday :: 07

2010-04-16T07:40:00.004-04:00

These are some examples of me not feeling my all. At 20 minutes each, they should have been a little farther. You get the good and the bad here folks!

18 X 24, Nupastel on Newsprint, 20 minutes

Talisman Issue 5 :: Color Pages

2010-04-13T15:11:00.007-04:00

Talisman #5 hit the stands, so I'm posting a batch of pages drawn by myself and colored by the very talented J.D. Mettler. I can't tell you how happy I am with what JD has done here. He's an amazing talent. I hope you enjoy them!

Click the pages for a much larger view!

Figure Drawing Friday :: 06

2010-04-09T14:07:00.004-04:00

When I'm figure drawing, I prefer a good solid bun! Drawing hair is great and all, but I love the graphic shape of hair pulled up. It's just too easy to get lost in the detail of flowing hair when it's down and all of a sudden... you're out of time. Here are a few examples of buns!

18 X 24, Nupastel on Newsprint, 20 minutes

18 X 24, Nupastel on Newsprint, 15 minutes

18 X 24, Nupastel on Newsprint, 10 minutes

Commissions :: Poison Ivy

2010-04-08T08:07:00.003-04:00

Here's a piece I did for a Poison Ivy collector. It took me WAY too long to get this one to him, so I went a little nuts on the leafy border. Click on the image for a larger look.

Figure Drawing Friday :: 05

2010-04-02T10:52:00.003-04:00

18 X 24, Nupastel on Newsprint, 20 minutes

18 X 24, Nupastel on Newsprint, 10 minutes

18 X 24, Nupastel on Newsprint, 15 minutes

Commissions :: Spock

2010-03-30T07:14:00.005-04:00

I did this piece for the Heroes Con charity auction. Yes, his phaser is smoking. It wasn't set to stun, it was set to awesome!

Commissions :: Liz Sherman

2010-03-29T19:10:00.003-04:00

Here's a Liz Sherman commission I did a while back, but I forgot to post. This one is based on the movie version of Liz... actually kind of a mix. Hope you like!

Figure Drawing Friday :: 04

2010-03-26T16:37:00.008-04:00

18 X 24, Nupastel on Newsprint, 2 minutes

18 X 24, Nupastel on Newsprint, 20 minutes

Random Panels 3

2010-03-24T16:07:00.001-04:00

Figure Drawing Friday :: 03

2010-03-19T14:06:00.003-04:00

18 X 24, Nupastel on Newsprint, 15 minutes

18 X 24, Nupastel on Newsprint, 2 minute warm up sketch

Random Panels 2

2010-03-17T11:29:00.004-04:00