Saturday, April 16, 2016

Guster: Re-Covering a cover video

I usually only post stuff related to my character designing or drawing. But this is something I want to archive on the blog for future viewing. Guster has been my favorite band for over a decade now. I've gone to see them perform more than any other band. It's not just the music. It's the band members. It's the fans. It's the humor.


It's the fun things they do, like:
• Firedrills! Where all members of the band switch to the instrument on their left.
• Having their drummer Brian (who is the worst singer) sing an old pop song from the 80's.
• Playing an acoustic set of their songs with violins.
• Doing surprise "pop-up" sets in public, (like when they performed by the rear gates of the Mann Theatre or in front of a dumpster in Pittsburgh for 12 people.)
• Hiding free tickets for a scavenger hunt and giving video clues online.
• Tweeting fans to bring strange items to their concerts to dress the stage up (like potted plants and strange lamps.)
• This video . . .

Saturday, April 9, 2016

Daily Quick Sketch: Teddy Bear

Just trying to get back into submitting stuff to the blog. This sketch was a simple teddy bear image I was doodling with a brush pen. No pencil sketching, just directly drawing on a pad with a brush pen.

Teddy Bear sketched with pen brush and colored with Copic Markers

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Illustration Friday: Sparkle

Illustration Friday: Every Friday a word is given on the website, IllustrationFriday.com. Artists and illustrators then submit an image that represents that word all during the week.
This week's word: Sparkle

Thought Process: It's been some time since I did any sketches for Illustration Friday. The word sparkle immediately made me think of the comical effect of "sparkling teeth" often seen in cartoons, commercials and comedies.


Cartoon lion with a shiny tooth/fang -- hand inked and then scanned into Photoshop for coloring
I remembered doing a pencil sketch of this cartoon lion seen below, except he wasn't smiling -- in fact I drew him without a mouth at all. So I added a huge toothy grin -- exaggerating the smile. 

The original pencil sketch of the cartoony lion (sans mouth)
To add the "sparkle", I had to darken the entire image in order to visually show the white tooth shine. It helped to texture the image, creating a slightly darker tone to help emphasize the sparkle.

Saturday, March 19, 2016

Monsters and Bunnies: Nap Time

Another image from my collection of sketches called "Monstas and Bunnies". This is one of a planned set of 12. Once the set is complete, I plan to create a calendar for 2017.

"Nap Time" - finished sketch created with pencils scanned and colored with Photoshop
Possibly might try to KickStart this project, hoping the work itself will be enough to generate interest to get the calendar printed. If the KickStarter goes past the set goal, I plan to then turn the set of images into a children's book with a story about the Bunny and his year long travels meeting "Monstas".

Penciled cave background added and gray tone colored using Photoshop
Originally, I created a single image of a lion terrified of a group of bunnies. It was a sketch exercise I created for the website Illustration Friday, where I still occasionally submit new artwork, (work + time permitting.) The lion was high in a tree while several cute innocent bunnies were simply passing by. I got a lot of site hits and feedback from posting that image and it later inspired more similar sketches. But this time, the big creatures weren't frightened by a bunny -- they were adoring the bunny.

Original pencil sketch created around Spring of 2015
There something appealing about big giant monsters (many inspired by Sendak's "Where the Wild Things Are") being friendly with a small cute bunny. One by one, images appeared in my head and I started sketching them down. More to come ... 

Saturday, March 12, 2016

Doodles and sketches: Alien Critters

Here are a couple of creature doodles laying around my desk for the past year. Many of these were simply quick sketches, but then I started inking in details. I currently have no plan or intention to use any of these characters yet, but  I may one day look back and reconsider (or revise a character into something better.) Instead of having them get lost in a pile or just forgotten -- I'm tossing them up here.

Various alien characters sketched and inked over the past year
The name near each character was given when saving each image. I tend to name things on the spot without reason or meaning. (For example the creature in the lower right is named Space Cow, even though it has more fish-like features than a cow. But for some reason, Space Cow works for me.)

Thursday, March 10, 2016

Creative block / 5-minute exercise: Mouse Skiing

This unfinished image was done a few years ago, I found I was having a creative block and needed to get out of that state of mind.  Many times when a project is not working, I'll stop what I'm doing and doodle. In this case, I set a 5-minute alarm to create a character.
Quick digital inking of a pencil sketch, unfinished due to a 5-minute limitation

The trouble with having a career as a designer is that you eventually burn out, especially when the work is repetitive, tedious and just not inspiring.  There are good days and very bad days when nothing seems to work. But taking a few minutes to create something you enjoy can sometimes do wonders.

Very loose pencil sketch of the inked drawing above
For this exercise I simply started penciling a character, not really focusing on any specifics. I usually start with the head and after adding big ears it was looking more mouse like. Once the head was made, the body's pose suggested a skiing posture. After adding the scarf I felt there was enough of the sketch to scan and ink in Art Rage Pro. Once the 5-minute alarm went off I stopped drawing the image.

(Just to note: This exercise turned out better than I expected . . . it doesn't always work out this way every time.)

Thursday, February 11, 2016

UPDATE!: Sea Tea Time

UPDATE: Feb. 11, 2016
Image color touch-up and added a poem . . . officially FINAL!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
(originally reposted on Dec. 8th, 2015)
Was: Illustration Friday: Wet (aka Sea Tea Time)
Recently revisited this image over the weekend and added more detailing and color. I still feel the tone is too dark, especially with the water. It looks fine on screen, but when printing, everything seems toned down and the colors don't pop the way they do on a computer screen. Arrrggghhh!
Will probably play around with this image again in the future.
Cha-Cha-Changes: The latest and last revision to this image (for now.)
Update Text: Keeping the elements I liked from below, I made changes that I felt were not working in the image below:
• Stronger texture highlights were added.
• I felt the sun didn't fit with the style, so I redrew a more textured pencil sun instead.
• The coloring of the sky and water were too similar; adding textured shadows to the water and toning down the blue sky helped create a stronger contrast between the two.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
This is an old image I did last year* which I'm posting now for Illustration Friday. Every Friday a word is given on the website, IllustrationFriday.com. Artists and illustrators then submit an image that represents that word all during the week.
This week's word: WET
The digitally colored image made in Photoshop
*Below is the pencil sketch I drew during the 2015's SCBWI Winter Conference in NYC in February. I had no reason for drawing this image, just random inspiration. I've already purchased my tickets for this year's conference in February and decided to also show my portfolio this year, looking forward to it.
The original pencil sketch that was drawn on the back of a sheet during the SCBWI Conference

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Daily Quick Sketch: Running Gator

Testing out some new alcohol based markers. These aren't as good a Copic markers, but far cheaper. The brand is called Premiere, and they sell 2 for $5 in Michael's stores. Like Copics, they also have dual tips on both ends; one pointed and the other a broad flat tip.

Sketch made using new Premiere alcohol-based markers - then inked with a Jet pen

The colors are okay, but the ink doesn't spread out evenly the way Copic markers do. Instead, these markers clump up and cause streaks if you go over any area that's already been colored. In contrast, a Copic marker would allow you to build up and go over the same area many times to create deeper colors without causing streaks or clumping.

Image sans the pen/markers:
Note the unevenness of the ink, especially around the mid belly - causing a coffee stain effect
So I guess the bottom line here is: you get what you pay for. A marker for $2.50 doesn't come close to the high-quality marker that costs $7. Overall, I'd give the Premiere Markers a 3 out of a 5-star rating. I wouldn't want to do complete images using just these markers, but if needing a specific color for detail or highlights - this marker will do the job for a great price. I plan on buying more Premieres that are missing from my huge collection of Copic markers. (Especially the lighter shades of color.)

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Follow-up: Using RedBubble.com

I mentioned in a previous post about using RedBubble.com and I wanted to follow-up on my experience using their custom product/printing service. I first tested them out by ordering a couple of t-shirts using some of my 2015 INKtober sketches: T.H.E. Walking Dead and Batman vs. Baseball. The shirts arrived in less than a week after the online order was made.

Image showing the high-quality T-Shirt printing
The quality of the t-shirts was excellent. Tight coverage and spot-on color. The shirts are very comfortable and light, great for spring and summer wear. (My only issue was that some of my designs had transparent backgrounds, so those parts of the images blended into the color of the t-shirt. This could make the print look muddy if a dark colored t-shirt is selected.)

Metal traveling coffee mug using my image "T.H.E. Walking Dead", created using RedBubble.com
Link to the T.H.E. Walking Dead product page CLICK HERE

After getting the T-shirts, I purchased 5 other items from Redbubble: pouch, travel mug and pillows. All of these items were very reasonably priced for the high-quality made-to-order products. It used to be, (not too long ago), you had to buy a costly minimum quantity to get this level of quality. 

A zipper pouch using my design "Ghostie Emojis" on RedBubble.com
Link to the Ghostie Emojis product page CLICK HERE

I've added several other designs in the past few months, which have already been selected by other people to create their own products. There is also cash back sent to the artist for each item being made using their artwork. It's not a HUGE amount . . . but still, it's nice to see others enjoying the artwork.
There are so many great gifts and self-promotional ideas that can be used with this service.
Imagine creating products using your child's artwork, creating a prototype sample of an idea or design or making personalized "inside joke" t-shirts for friends, etc.

I highly recommend Redbubble.com
They often have discount sales from 20%-30% off . . . sign-up to get email notifications when these sales happen. (I suggest only purchasing when there is a discount sale. Usually, their best discounts occur around holidays.)

To see all my designs available on RedBubble.com - go to: Arrrggghhh's Shop

Monday, February 8, 2016

UPDATE: #INKtober 2015 No. 7: T.H.E. Walking Dead


UPDATE to the Update:
You can see my follow-up post using this image to create custom RedBubble.com products.
Link: CLICK HERE.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Originally Updated on Dec. 3, 2015
UPDATE:
I colored this image over the weekend to test out the website RedBubble. RedBubble is a company that prints customized t-shirts, pillows, mugs, etc. It allows you to easily use your own images, even sell your own work and setup is very easy.

I've ordered two t-shirts to test the quality of their product. The cost was around $50, which for two customized t-shirts is a fairly good price.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Originally Posted on Oct 8th, 2015

#7 and I think it's my favorite so far, mostly because it made me smile as I drew it. This is a great example of writing a joke where maybe I'm the only one who finds it amusing.
INKtober 2015 image #7 inked with a brush pen then gray tones added in Photoshop
As I finished the image, I started wondering if my little play on words would go over some people's heads since the cartoon has a double meaning to it.
Some might just think it just "a DEAD character WALKING his pet" and that's as far as they'll see it. But those who read into the ghost's full name and dog's name tag should see the actual pun intended.
Inked on Canson marker paper with a black Faber-Castell brush pen
I'm sure it'll annoy some Walking Dead fans simply because there is no zombie in the image. That kinda makes me smile too . . .
The original combined pencil sketches.
This was actually made combining two sketches into one with the leash bridging the two sketches together.

Friday, February 5, 2016

UPDATE! Monsters and Bunnies: Hopscotch

UPDATE!: Background added
Finally added the much-needed background to this image. This is the image that will be used for my promotional postcard during the approaching SCBWI conference.

BELOW IS THE ORIGINAL POST THAT WAS CREATED ON 01-14-2015
UPDATE: Color!
2014 was a terrible year, mentally and physically. For over 9 months I dealt with a frozen right shoulder, my drawing arm, making every action and motion painful and irritating . . .
Even though that shoulder is still not 100%, 2015 is going to change for the better.
I plan to be more committed to art projects like this for 2015.

Exactly 7 months ago, I posted this image on the blog as a pencil sketch only. Then over the recent holidays, I added color to the sketch. It is one of a set of six images for "Monsters and Bunnies".

Because these images were all done at various times, with different techniques and styles, I intend to redo the entire set of 6 images again. Only this time, the style will remain the same for all of the images, along with a more limited pallet of colors. The style for all six images will pretty much follow the style of the image below . . . 

UPDATED pencil sketch with digital under coloring.
This is by far my favorite of the 6 images and it will serve as the style template for all six images.


BELOW IS THE ORIGINAL POST THAT WAS CREATED ON 6-14-2014

Here's another of the 6 images I've been working on for the past several months; these images feature monsters and bunnies. I've been too busy lately to finish the coloring, but this one came out nice just in gray tones.
Hopscotch: Another Monsters and Bunnies image done in pencil.
I plan to make all six images fully digitally colored and then make several high-quality prints of each to sell on my website. (But that won't be for a least a few months.) The current working size is 7" X 5", but that might change once all the images are finalized.

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Daily Quick Sketch: Happy Dog

Recently, I wrote a picture book story that needs a dog character, so I started flipping through old sketchbooks to see if I had anything for the character. I came across this image which is playful and happy -- but it doesn't fit the story's character at all. I do like certain parts of the dog which I will try to morph into the dog character I need.

Happy dog pencil sketch from one of my sketchbooks

Monday, February 1, 2016

Goblin Week: Goblin Pirate Robbers

I just heard that Goblin Week came and went. Goblin Week is an annual Internet thing, where artists from all over the world draw and submit their Goblin drawings online to share for amusement. I drew several goblins for the past 2 years but missed this year's Goblin Week completely.

Better late than never . . . right?
Flat colored floater version of the artwork (sans background)


I didn't have time to fine tune this image, so I just flat colored it (without highlights or shading,)

The inking on the pencil line

If you enjoy seeing this type of artwork, check out other artists' Goblins sent during the week (and past years) by searching #GoblinWeek and #GoblinWeek2016.

The original pencil sketch for "The Goblin Robbers"

When I find the time, I'll finish this image's highlighting, shading and add a proper background.

Seen with a tan background: my late Goblin Week submission for 2016, called "The Goblin Robbers"

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Throwback Thursday: Dragon Tattoo

This one goes back to the summer of 2001 when I was successfully freelancing (until 9-11 changed everything.)

I got word that a local tattoo shop near my home was looking for a large detailed flying dragon for his client's entire backside. The tattoo artist only wanted line work, but it needed to be made to scale to fit the gentleman's entire back.

GIF scan of the top portion of a pencil sketch made for a tattoo created circa summer of 2001

The instructions were to create a dragon with huge wings hovering over flames. I had to do the design on two sheets of paper to fit the dimensions needed. I remember wanting to scan a copy of the work to keep on record, but I had a hard time trying to scan such a huge image back then.
Now, I only have this small GIF scan of the top half; I've no idea why the bottom half isn't in the same folder.

I never got to see the finished tattoo -- but when I got paid, the tattoo artist gave me back the original artwork, which I quickly archived into my portfolio. Unfortunately, a few years later, that entire portfolio was lost when I applied for a job with Fisher-Price. They insisted that I send my portfolio to their New York office and then they lost it several weeks later. They claimed they never received the portfolio, even though someone signed for it when it was delivered. ( Yes Fisher-Price, I still remember how unprofessional that whole portfolio fiasco was . . . )

Perhaps I'll find that bottom half one day. But I learned my lesson that year:
If you like an original piece of work, NEVER mail it out in a portfolio.

Thursday, January 21, 2016

Throwback Thursday: A Graduation Card circa 1997

This one goes back to around 1997. A graduation card that I gave to several people back then. Like all work from the past, it could be better. So much of the card bothers me now . . . but I still like the sequential joke and pacing of the card.

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Looking Back: Character Design circa 1998

Before the popular TV series of the same name, I worked for a place called CSI (circa 1998). I was an animator, hired along with a group of artists, coders, and website designers. We were all hired to create an educational website called SchoolKidsOnline.com.


Long story short, the project lasted about a year before the Internet bubble burst. Stock shares plummeted, our investor pulled the plug and our group of artists, coders, and web designers had to be let go . . . all except for a handful of people who remained to do other websites. I was one of the few kept on the payroll. But the work just wasn't the same. After another year, I left CSI in 2000 and went back to freelancing.

But in that first year, I had designed many characters to be used for the SchoolKidsOnline website. This character, Chip, was never used for the site. He was one of about 25 characters I had developed to interact with the main children characters.

It's a shame the website never got to see its launch. The idea was fantastic. It would have been a website that teachers could use to test their students, get automatic test scores, a database study of each child's progress and it was able to retrain each child on specific lessons they found difficult.

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Daily Quick Sketch: Happy Monkey Cheese Day

I created this sketch over the Holiday break. Pretty much just doodling.
I thought back to my childhood, a time when silly words and phrases could really make me burst out in laughter. Silly names and phrases always got my attention and it is probably the key reason why "The Phantom Tollbooth" remains my all-time favorite children's book.

There is an art to making silly names, words and sayings; it can not simply be gibberish.
A good silly name needs rhythm. It needs to be colorful and playful. But the most important element . . . it needs to make you stop, think and imagine. That's what weird, creative and strange things do -- they make us stop, think and imagine. The funnier the words are, the longer they stay with us.

"Monkey Cheese" was pencilled then colored with Copic alcohol markers . . .
and "No", I wasn't drinking the markers' alcohol when creating this image!

"Monkey Cheese" is a phrase that always made me laugh as a kid. It made no sense. It's also something I thought only I created, but if you googled that phrase today -- apparently many similar like minds have thought of the same saying.

So this is my visual image of Monkey Cheese. Does it make sense? No.
Doesn't have to . . . but having created this little sketch did bring a smile to my face.
NOTE: The Urban Dictionary even defines "Monkey Cheese" as: " Term often used to describe a random, pointless act or outburst. Commonly used in an attempt to draw hilarity where none is found. "

Happy Monkey Cheese Day everyone . . . 

Friday, January 1, 2016

UPDATE: Daily Quick Sketch: Happy Baby New Year

UPDATE: New Digital Version of New Year Baby for 2016

5 gooder than 3! Much gooder!!!

Did a quick digital ink version of my 2013 marker comp image of Baby New Years. This time dropping the top hat and making it a little more about everyone world-wide.
This is a much cleaner drawing process than the Copic markers version (see that one below.) I've decided to not shade or highlight this time too. This technique also allows a transparent background, so it's nice to have the option to place this image on or over any background image or color.

Can't believe 2 years went by so fast.


Black ink lines were created in my latest art program, Mischief -- and then colored in Photoshop.


 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Originally posted on Monday, December 23, 2013

I know it's not even Christmas yet, but I had a vision of this Baby New Year in my head and needed to put it on paper before the image faded from my memory. (That happens often -- thinking/imagining a character (or idea) which I don't get down on paper in time - forever lost.) 

Baby New Year, kicking off the new year . . . 
I would like to thank everyone who visited this blog over the past year and wish you all a Happy and Healthy New Year! There are more drawings to come in the upcoming year!
The original Pencil sketch of Baby New Year
UPDATE
Added a new sketch version of the baby for illustration Friday. The word of the week is "Reflect", so I created a "reflective" version of the New Year Baby 2014 with an Old Year 2013. 



Thursday, December 31, 2015

Throwback Thursday: The Christmas Card Design of 2002

Just found this old Christmas card design from 2002. Back then I did an annual Christmas card cartoon which usually had bathroom related humor. I think friends enjoyed them, but family didn't quite appreciate the humor at that time of year. (Sorry, Nana!)
2002's Christmas card cartoon entirely digitally designed usig Photoshop

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Character Development: Charli

Creating a character is tricky . . . sometimes. When I doodle, a character might emerge that seems to have more appeal than other sketches . . . and that could inspire a story for said character. But it sometimes goes the other way around, where the story is created first -- then the characters have to be fleshed out. I find this to be the most difficult process because I'm searching for the right fit. Never satisfied until the correct character is created. I've some stories with "missing" characters . . . some being decades old. This character in particular simply appeared as I doodled one night.

I've written my wintry story of Whazzit about 2-3 years ago. It's been re-written over a dozen times and I'm close to what I feel is the final manuscript. In the story, the sister is a tween and is her baby brother is slightly older than a toddler. My main problem with her character's look was that I wanted a smart and mature yet playful girl, full of curiosity and wonder -- but everything I drew seemed silly, too old and goofy looking. Nothing seemed to fit the character I needed.


I find when I'm cornered with no idea where to go . . . the best solution is to walk away and let the project sit. There always something else to do. I didn't think of the story for several months and then in a moment of reflection, I started to doodle the image seen above. Half way through sketching, I knew this was the sister character, Charli, for my picture book story.

It can't be explained, but there are simply times when things all seems to fit.

Saturday, December 19, 2015

Daily Quick Sketch: Skull-Belly

This image was highly influenced by the animated TV show Adventure Time. I've been a fan of the show since it first started 7 years ago. There's something about the stories, characters and style of the show's design that seems to really work. Its so original, yet it borrows so much from all genres. While it may have an overall cute and friendly appearance . . . the show is very deep on a dark and philosophical level.
Skull-Belly is a character I created that was highly influenced by the animated TV show, Adventure Time
While watching a recent episode of Adventure Time, I thought of this yeti-like creature.
Creating his name was simple, since his chest+stomach area looks like a skull. He's a very dangerous creature, but Skull-Belly turns docile when holding a red helium balloon. So every day, someone is in charge of exchanging a fresh new helium balloon in order to have the creature remain peaceful. Of course, one day the helium runs out . . . that's when Adventure Time begins!

Thursday, December 3, 2015

1-Minute Doodle: I'm Batman

While testing out an ink setting in Photoshop for my Cintiq tablet, I did this quick doodle. Usually, I just delete these doodles, but this one I thought was a keeper.

Quick doodle in Photoshop that took about a minute to create

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

UPDATE: #INKtober 2015 No.22: Batman vs Baseball

UPDATE:
I colored this image over the weekend to test out the website RedBubble. RedBubble is a company that prints customized t-shirts, pillows, mugs, etc. It allows you to easily use your own images, even sell your own work and setup is very easy.
I've ordered two t-shirts to test the quality of their product. The cost was around $50, which for two customized t-shirts is a fairly good price.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Originally Posted on Oct 23rd, 2015
For #22 of the INKtober drawings, I couldn't help but go back to Batman.
Intober #22: Inked with brush pen and digitally toned in Photoshop

The original pencil sketch

The inked image sans type and gray tones.

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Daily Sketches: Sweet Tooth Reaper and Post Inktober Comments

Well, I wasn't able to complete the entire month of Inktober. This is the most stressful and demanding time of the year in my line of work. I actually worked several 18+ hour days to reach deadlines. It's mentally and physically exhausting, especially when considering that the same similar holiday designs are needed over and over each year.

In times of a better economy, designers can experiment more, take risks and do ideas never seen before. But it's the opposite in our current poor economy. Retail store buyers want the same price and quality products as their previous years - while the manufacturers face inflation to materials, labor, safety regulations and shipping costs. As a designer, I must help create sensible high-quality designed items that don't cost more to create.

Anyway, my job took over all of my spare time and pretty much burnt me out. I have many doodles and sketches that could have worked for Inktober, but for legal reasons I can not share those on the blog. But there are a few loose images that were not used for my job. I will throw a few of these sketches up on the blog as I get the time; like the one seen below. Many of these are related to Halloween given that it was around that time when they were created.

This image was created using pencils and Copic markers with light highlight Gelly Roll pen

Thursday, October 22, 2015

#INKtober 2015 No.21: Iron Baby

For this drawing, #21 for INKtober, I wanted to experiment with a few new brush pens I bought on Amazon. I've been seeing other artists' using different pens and I wanted to try a few and compare them to what I've been using. 

The image below was a pencil doodle of a baby Iron Man. I inked over the pencils using a Tombow N15 brush pen and then colored with a Tombow N60. Note: The pens have two ends, one end is the brush tip and the other end is a normal fine point marker tip.
INKtober image #21: Pencilled and then inked using TomBow N15 and N60 brush pens
For most of these INKtober images, I have been using a Faber Castell SB brush pen.
The ink in that pen is solid black, good coverage, ink dries instantly and the brush nib is very flexible.

The Tombow N15 I used for this image had several issues. The ink was not a solid black as with the Faber-Castell SB. The ink didn't dry quickly, smeared and when used with a second marker the black line blended into the lighter gray marker. These pens also create bands and lines when coloring, typically seen with most water-based markers. The Tombow brush pens are definitely not the quality level of Copic markers for coloring.

The lower two pen brushes were used to create the Iron Baby image seen above

The only plus to the Tombow pens is that the brush nib is very long, extremely flexible and durable. It can definitely take more pressure, allowing more control for thin to thick lines. It seems like the tips of these pens are made of a strong poly-fibre and will hold it's point much longer than the Faber Castell SB. I really like the line control with these pens, but the ink needs a lot of improvement.

Comparing the two brush pen nibs