After a rash of illness and computer problems keeping me from work and the net proper for about a month now, I'm now back to work.

Currently, I'm finishing up a few lingering commissions, waiting for approval on a few others, and...

...working on The Big Project.

What is the big project? I can't say right now (due to an NDA), but clues abound if you're observant enough. I can say that it's a comic book, and that it's a very personal project, working with a character that I've loved since childhood. This is very big for me in many ways, and that's saying something, as I've illustrated a line of children's activity books, official sketch cards for Marvel Entertainment, and logos for Hollywood production companies.

I promise to say more when I can.

In the meantime, I'll soon post a few commissioned sketch cards done over the last couple of months (some of which I thought I posted already... ah, well).

Stay tuned!

~B
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All images appearing within this dA gallery are copyright © 2009 Blair D. Shedd unless otherwise noted. All original characters are copyright © 2009 their original owners unless otherwise noted. Blair D. Shedd makes no claims of ownership on characters, stories, people, places, or events appearing in his illustrations unless specifically noted.

Still a bit sick, but chatting with some people today made me remember this PSA I post every year or so. I have new watchers now, so maybe it'll be of some use (and give you something to gander at until I'm well enough to draw for more than five minutes at a time);

Word to the youngin's (the wise already know).

Back at the Joe Kubert School they used to ram one idea into our heads -- "Bad is not a style." Even Joe himself said this at one point.

What that means is learn the basics BEFORE you try to find a style. It might be fun to draw anime/manga, or just like Rob Liefeld (shudder ), or make up a style that you think is cool, but can you draw a good drawing of a tree? A baby? A portrait of your grandmother WITHOUT making them cartoony? I bet most pro anime/manga artists can, I bet Charles Shultz could, Bill Watterson DEFINITELY could. Trust me, it shows if you can't draw the basics; you drew Batman's ears nicely, but it looks like he has scoliosis, and not in a "stylized" way -- the whole piece suffers for it.

Walk before you run. Run before you fly. You don't get your artistic license until you prove you earned it.

Now go on. Grow.

~B
____
It is returning through the dark...

...And I shall help him meet it there.
__________________
oneGemini Studios
oneGemini on Twitter
MySpace Profile and Official oneGemini Studios Blog
oneGemini Studios @ eBay

All images appearing within this dA gallery are copyright © 2009 Blair D. Shedd unless otherwise noted. All original characters are copyright © 2009 their original owners unless otherwise noted. Blair D. Shedd makes no claims of ownership on characters, stories, people, places, or events appearing in his illustrations unless specifically noted.

Sorry my art and comments have been in short supply. I had the flu pretty bad a week back (as did the rest of the household), and I was finally getting over that, taking it slow, resting up, but sure enough, today, I'm running a fever again. Pretty sure this is a different cold altogether (probably not the flu at all), but it's enough that typing this is about my speed right now (you should see all the spelling corrections I'm doing on this).

Anyway, more when I can think faster than ten words per minute.

~B
____
It is returning through the dark...

...And I shall help him meet it there.
__________________
oneGemini Studios
oneGemini on Twitter
MySpace Profile and Official oneGemini Studios Blog
oneGemini Studios @ eBay

All images appearing within this dA gallery are copyright © 2009 Blair D. Shedd unless otherwise noted. All original characters are copyright © 2009 their original owners unless otherwise noted. Blair D. Shedd makes no claims of ownership on characters, stories, people, places, or events appearing in his illustrations unless specifically noted.

Well, it finally happened. I found on dA a drawing obviously swiped from one of my drawings.

I'm not furious a) because this is obviously an amateur, teenage artist, and even I did a little swiping back then, and b) the head is facing in a different direction.

I'll take it as flattery this time.

Now, I won't post a link to the piece or artist, and I won't say anything more than it was a Doctor Who piece (and not from photo reference -- so they didn't use the same source if that's what you're thinking).

Anyway, I guess it was bound to happen.

Sadly, they didn't swipe what I consider a good piece. A popular piece of mine, no doubt, but not a good one.

Ah well.

~B
____
It is returning through the dark...

...And I shall help him meet it there.
__________________
oneGemini Studios
oneGemini on Twitter
MySpace Profile and Official oneGemini Studios Blog
oneGemini Studios @ eBay

All images appearing within this dA gallery are copyright © 2009 Blair D. Shedd unless otherwise noted. All original characters are copyright © 2009 their original owners unless otherwise noted. Blair D. Shedd makes no claims of ownership on characters, stories, people, places, or events appearing in his illustrations unless specifically noted.

I posted this in the body of the deviation itself, but it's such a cool series with very awesome artwork that it's worth clarifying here as well;

There seems to be a bit of confusion as to what I've drawn here - [link] - so I'ma school ya (where your Google has apparently failed ya );

From Richard Starking's Wikipedia entry;

Richard Starkings is a British font designer and comic book letterer, editor and writer. He was one of the early pioneers of computer based comic book lettering and as a result is one of the most prolific creators in that industry.

Among things that he's lettered was a little Batman project called "The Killing Joke." (Note: "Little" in the last sentence was used sarcastically - if you've never heard of "The Killing Joke," I have no idea why you're watching my artwork.)

Hip Flask can be found in the pages of Starking's monthly comic book Elephantmen, and more info on that can be found at the official website, www. hipflask. com - [link]

And finally, a brief overview of Elephantmen, from the Hip Flask website;

2259: THEY ARE THE SURVIVORS of genetic engineering experiments and indoctrination by Doctor Kazushi Nikken and MAPPO, a sinister organization which sought to create suprahuman weapons of mass destruction.

FREED AND REHABILITATED by the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce, the 'Unhumans' now live amongst men. Legitimized by the 'Elephantmen' act, they are nevertheless denied the right to bear arms and must survive on their wits alone.

BUT REGARDLESS OF THE ROLES they accept in the concrete jungles built by man, Hip Flask and his kind are treated with suspicion and contempt by the species that created them, and cannot always rely on one another for reassurance or friendship.

And to make it matter even more to some of you, Richard Starkings has worked on Doctor Who comics in the past, including most recently, scripting "Doctor Who: Cold Blooded War" (with appearances by the Draconians and Ice Warriors) for IDW Publishing.

So Hip Flask and Elephantmen are far from "funny animal" comics. Dig?

~B

____
It is returning through the dark...

...And I shall help him meet it there.
__________________
oneGemini Studios
oneGemini on Twitter
MySpace Profile and Official oneGemini Studios Blog
oneGemini Studios @ eBay

All images appearing within this dA gallery are copyright © 2009 Blair D. Shedd unless otherwise noted. All original characters are copyright © 2009 their original owners unless otherwise noted. Blair D. Shedd makes no claims of ownership on characters, stories, people, places, or events appearing in his illustrations unless specifically noted.