Friday, October 16, 2015

#INKtober 2015 No.15: Pumpkin Head

For Inktober image #15, I wanted to do something a little different.
I wanted to demonstrate how the meaning of words can be altered by associating them with an image. In this case, the lyrics from a popular Christmas song, which in my opinion always had a creepy vibe.


So the next time you hear that Christmas song, maybe you'll remember this little experiment -- and hopefully I haven't ruined that song for you . . . (snicker).

The original image sans words.
Inked with a SB brush pen on toned paper and colored with markers and highlighted with a white opaque pen.
The original pencil sketch

#INKtober 2015 No.14: Godzilla OOPS!

Continuing with this year INKtober images and my childhood thoughts about monsters.
I LOVED giant monsters! I can still remember rushing home after school with my best friend Joe to watch the 4:30 movie on ABC (Channel 7.)
Several times a year, Channel 7 would run Monster Week. Sometimes it was the classic Universal Pictures monster movies like The Mummy or Frankenstein -- but the best was Giant Monsters week!
One thing that confused us as kids was why in some movies Godzilla was good and in others he was bad. In the original Godzilla movie - he's bad. In Destroy All Monsters - he's good. In King Kong vs. Godzilla - he's bad. Godzilla vs. Ghidorah - he's good. So confusing . . . 
So my friend and I came to a conclusion that Godzilla is never bad, he's just misunderstood. His size is threatening and causes damage, so the military has to step in. If Godzilla just stayed home on Monster Island, none of this conflict would have ever happened. So he is basically guilty of having a curiosity that has made him wander -- which got him into a whole lot of trouble.
One last note: If you haven't heard -- there is a re-make of King Kong vs. Godzilla in the works and set for 2020. I'm not a fan of re-makes . . . But I have to admit that is something I would like to see.

Thursday, October 15, 2015

#INKtober 2015 No.13: Dracula - Sans Cape

Next in my line of INKtober 2015 submissions is good ol' Dracula. Like many of these inked cartoons I have been doing, this one goes back to my childhood where I wanted to absorb all stories about monsters, aliens, mythology and the unknown. I believe it's what drove me to be creative, to ponder and question the impossible and somehow make it seem like it could be real.
INKtober #13: using Ink brush pen and digitally toning in Photoshop
I still remember images of Bela Lugosi's Dracula holding out his cape and transforming into a bat. It was a very impressive visual effect for the time. But then came the questions . . . so the cape melds and becomes a part of his biological bat form? What is the cape made of? Can any cape be used in this fashion? What if Dracula decided to transform into a bat but forgot to wear his cape?

Inked version without gray toning
Notice below that I changed the angle of the original sketch. I felt rotating the bat so that he was looking and facing downward was better to convey that he was in fact falling.
Original light pencil sketch

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

#INKtober 2015 No.12:T-Rex Hand Satnd

Here's submission number #12 for INKtober. This one I had in the back of my head for some time. It simply follows the comedic formula of T-Rex + Small Arms = Funny.

INKtober 2015 12th submission, draw with a pen brush and digitally shaded
I wanted to add a prehistoric background, but I have been very busy with work. I might return and update this image when I get the time. This image needs just a little bit of background to give it proper placement which will help identify the character better.
The Inked version without shading
The original pencil sketch. Notice the tongue was left when I was inking since
its placement was not the best for the composition (and just didn't look right.)

#INKtober 2015 No.11: Pumpkin Spice

Almost didn't post this one. It didn't turn out the way I imagined it. Somehow it seemed funnier on my head. I feel this could have been better, but my workload is getting very heavy lately - so it shows in this INKtober submission.
I like the character, but my idea of a joke is definitely weak. If I had the time, I'd do this one all over again.

Sunday, October 11, 2015

#INKtober 2015 No.10: Half-Lit Lantern Fish

This No. 10 image for INKtober is inspired by one of the creepiest looking fish in the world: the deep sea Lantern Fish.

I've always imagined that a lantern fish would probably lose its mind having a bright light shining in front of its face, deep within the dark ocean depths.

INKtober #10 submission with digital shading

INKtober #10 submission with just the Ink

Original pencil sketch, notice the fish looked too long, so the height was adjusted when inking

Saturday, October 10, 2015

#INKtober 2015 No.9: Hunchback of Dingleberries

INKtober submission #9:

Thinking of monsters from my childhood past, I started thinking about the popular breakfast cereal monsters of the time . . . Count Chocula, Frankenberry, Boo Berry, etc.  So I started to imagined what monsters were rejected from having their own cereal.

 INKtober's submission #9 including some digitally coloured grey shading via Photoshop

Just the inked image for INKtober's submission #9 using a brush pen

Those paying attention might start to notice the repeat appearance of the little space gnat/fly. I'm planning to use this little character in about 1/3 of the images throughout the month and then end the event with an image feature this little insectoid character. 
The original pencil sketch (including the written text)

Friday, October 9, 2015

#INKtober 2015 No.8: King Kong + the Empire State Building

For those keeping counts . . . Here's INKtober No.8!
This one goes back to my childhood memories of watching all the big ape movies around Thanksgiving. King Kong is often portrayed hanging from atop the Empire State Building -- that image is as iconic as the film itself. But let's face it, the radio antenna on top the Empire State Building is not made of titanium people!
INKtober 2015 image #8 inked then gray tones added in Photoshop
For creating this image, I needed to work in several steps.
First, I needed to make a picture of the Empire State Building in cartoon form. The goal here was to try and capture the characteristics of the building that make it instantly recognizable. If the building is drawn too stiff, detailed or mechanical, it doesn't work with the cartoon. Inking the lines freehand (without a ruler or straight edge) gave the Empire Building a more playful look.
The original inked image without gray tones.
Once the building was sketched, adding the cartoon of King Kong became easier. I also tilted the building to the right to give a better perspective, movement, and energy to the overall image.
Original pencil sketches. Originally two separate images which were combined to create this look.