2011 convention sketchbook for sale

Ooops, I didn't even think of it till I was putting together my online store, but with all of my running around to cons, I forgot to ever offer this years 2011 convention sketchbook for sale to folks directly on my own blog...d'oh!
Well, if you didn't bump into me at a con, here's your chance to pick one up, I will sign before I send it off, promise ;) $10 plus some shipping, just head to my store.

Hey I opened a store!

I've heard some good things about the Big Cartel online shopping cart service from other comic book folks so I thought I would give it a try. Here's a link to the official Michael Dooney shop and I will keep the link in the listing on the right column of the blog from here on and add things from time to time.

Lots of Batgirls

I recently did a batch of commissions of various female Batman characters. I did them all the same size and used the same technique to make them look like a cohesive set. It was challenging to make each one unique in it's own right, but fun. For some reason, the guy didn't ask for Batwoman, maybe he's a more old school Batman fan. Ink, gray copic markers and some whitel painted hightlight details on my fave light gray cardstock paper.

So, I hear you want to draw!

I get asked often how to draw or more accurately how to draw better. The short answer may sound kind of smart ass-y but the old saying is 100 percent true...'You learn to draw by drawing". I suppose that there are artists that are born with a gift of drawing prowess, but that certainly was not my experience. I have gotten to whatever place I'm at with drawing (still far from where I'd like to be) by pure stubborn manual labor. I draw, I read art books, I practice, I draw, I watch tutorials online, I take classes and oh yeah did I mention that I draw???
Even with the explosion of information available online I for one still feel that there is no better help for artists than some really good books. I collect folders full of content from the web myself, but a lot of it never gets looked at again, but books can be open right next to you at the drawing board or breakfast table to give you some insight into what you are doing.
In my opinion, there is no better guide to good solid drawing than the Andrew Loomis books, period. Figure Drawing for all it's Worth and Drawing the Head and Hands are back in print after many years and every artist should have them on their shelves. I was happy to see a couple of Loomis' books on the shelves of Norman Rockwell's studio when I visited a while back, that should tell you something about the level of insight an artist of any level may glean from these volumes.
Another book that I pass along to beginning artist is Drawing the Head and Figure, but Jack Hamm. This book is so good that it has been kept in print in an affordable paperback edition for decades. I am always happy to see it at Barnes and Noble and major book stores holding it's own against the sea of terrible 'how to draw whatever" books that jam the shelves.
So while there may be no short cut to better drawing, there is in fact a lot of helpful info out there to keep you on track.

Great drawing and painting resource

Even as a full time working artist, I have never gotten over my interest in how other artists draw and paint, so I am always on the lookout for new insights. Recently I discovered this great site called Ctrl+Paint Digital painting simplified that is jam packed with tons of fantastic content. The site is produced by Matt Kohr, a talented concept artist/illustrator. There are insightful tutorials on traditional drawing skills as well as basic photoshop painting demos. If you are an artist, clear an hour or so and go there...you will not be sorry. The drawing and painting tutorials are so clearly presented that I am sure that artists of every level will get something out of them, I know I did and now I'm hooked and look forward to his future video posts ;)

Green Day!

Here are a bunch of recent commissions, all done on green paper with gray copic markers and some white painted details.

Thank you Steve

I couldn't let the passing of Steve Jobs go by without send out a heartfelt Thank You to him and the universe.
While I am no techie, his creativity and vision have made my life a better place. I use a Mac for most of my professional work, I love Pixar movies and I seldom draw out in the world without my ipod keeping me company.
Imagining a life as big as his that has touched so many lives for the better is really humbling.
Thanks man.