My December Project

For November, I tried to do a drawing a day. I managed to make that threshold. So, I think I want to come up with a Drawing-A-Day project for December. Adding to this is that I just got a new Mac. So. Much. Faster. So I now I feel like I can really start playing with Manga Studio and learning that program. So, I want to have a project that will be done solely on that system so that I can force myself to use that program and really become comfortable in it.

What I want to do is this: I want to draw a different super hero or villain every day. I'm going to keep them black and white, and possibly collect them as a sketchbook. We'll see about that. One character a day is the right amount of work is to play in Manga Studio and still keep my workload going.

I'll post them as they get done. I may take a day off here and there. After all, Christmas is December. But, what I'll do is either work ahead or get caught up. So, if you don't see one every day, you'll know why.

Here's where you come in: I need suggestions for this kinda-Advent Calendar of characters. Give me a shout on Twitter with the hashtag #tzadvent and I'll pick and choose whatever moves me from the list.

Now I Have a Machine Gun… Ho Ho Ho!

I've seen some great costumes over my convention travels this year, but this is one of my favorites. DragonCon is definitely the place to see the most obscure characters and the most clever costumes. This Die Hard cosplay is one of my favorites.

It seemed appropriate as we enter the Christmas season to share this. Ho ho ho!

Sketchbook Art: Electric Ice Skater Superman

This version of Superman, which I like to refer to as Electric Blue Ice Skater Superman, is one of the weirder artifacts of the 90's Superman. In truth, I like a lot of the idea. In the story, Clark's powers changed and he got electric abilities. Part of the trade-off was that he lost his invulnerability and other powers. It was fun to see him have to watch what he ate because he no longer had his super-metabolism or be able to shave with a normal razor. The story went on a little too long over way too many issues, though.

But the costume design is still pretty cool, so it was fun to get to draw this!

Sketchbook Art: Up From the Depths, Thirty Stories High

The great thing about doing commissions at conventions is all the stuff you get to draw you'd never think of doing yourself. I was a huge fan of the Godzilla movies as a kid, and drew him all the time. I probably mostly drew the Hanna Barbera cartoon version, but they'd already converted the King of Monsters into lines for me. How could I not?

The 90's remake was pretty abysmal, but if you have the time, do yourself a favor and check out the original script. Much, much better. Godzilla's the good guy!

At ComicPalooza I got the opportunity to draw Godzilla doing his thing. Pretty cool!

Sketchbook Art: Chernabog

Chernabog is one of my favorite Disney villians. He's got such a cool design, and he's in one of my favorite Disney films. I just wish he were on more merchandise (and likewise, that the Villian Shop at Hollywood Studios hadn't become essentially a candy shop) because I would eat it up.

More Chernabog and more Hades, that's what I'd like to see.

This is a commission from DragonCon, and it was a ton of fun to do.

Thor Tattoo!

I was commissioned to draw a Thor piece a while back. (Look! It's a Thor: The Dark World tie-in!) The interesting thing is that I was told that this would be turned into a tattoo as well.

That just blows my mind. I've famously said that I would never get a tattoo* since I'd feel obligated to get some of my own artwork, and I can't stand anything I've drawn that's over six months old. That's part of the nature of being an artist if you're doing it right, though.You should keep improving.

So when someone says they want to affix some of my art to their person forever, that's amazing. The art I did was flipped to make it work better on the designated location, but i's definitely my art. Incredible!

(* The only exception being if Paul Storrie and I ever become hunters and need an anti-possession tattoo.)

SKetchbook Art: The 7th Doctor

This is another Jesse Jackson sketchbook piece. This one is Sylvester McCoy, the Seventh Doctor. I've done a lot of Doctor Who art over the last couple years, but this is one of my favorites. The visual gag of the universe being inside his umbrella, and "bigger on the inside" really pop. This is one of the very few sketches that turned out better than it did in my mind.

Sketchbook Art: The 5th Doctor

This Saturday is the big Day of the Doctor worldwide simulcast, so I'm digging some of Doctor Who art out of the archives. This piece is one I did for my friend Jesse Jackson's DW sketchbook. He does a very cool thing where he has the actors sign sketches of them. This picture of the Fifth Doctor was signed by Peter Davidson at DragonCon.

Two Color Art

Here's another of my "Every Day a Drawing" pieces. I'm trying to use them as a place to experiment, so this one is in color. A duotone, actually. I'm messing around with some ideas for how to handle color on a future project. We'll see where it goes.

I'll Make My Own Shogun Warrior

Here's another one of my "Every Day a Drawing" pieces. I got i in my head I wanted to draw a Shogun Warrior, probably inspired in part by the Dragun that my cousin Jamie got me for my birthday years ago and stands guard over my studio.

This is an example of using this as an opportunity to try some things, too. I inked this all in Micron, keeping a relatively dead line and using a thicker outline to define the contour. I like the way it turned out.