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Santa Karl

My latest coloring video..now with commentary by me!
[link]

Hey look.  Me on Bleeding Cool. [link]

Thanks to everyone who came by my table this weekend at Long Beach Comic Con. I drew tons of sketch covers. I had a great time and I truly appreciate the kind words and the support you give my work. Next stop Amazing Arizona Comic Con?



_karl

I'll be at the Long Beach Comic Con this weekend at booth #1813

Come down say hi. I'll have original art, sketch covers and prints.

[link]

See you there!

_k

I've finally got my new store up and running. You can check it out here: [link]

I have new versions of ECB up and I'll be adding more fun and cool stuff over the next week or so!

-Karl

I'm at the Las Vegas Comic Expo today and tomorrow at the Riviera Hotel. Swing by say hi. Prints, OG Art, Commissions, sketch covers the whole Enchilada!

Vegas Baby

K

Two new videos of me digitally painting and designing a character from Gekisen Warriors. If you've ever wondered what my process is like when creating work digitally this is a sneak peek into how I approach things.

Gekisen Warriors is a Transmedia gaming experience that combines comic books, CCG gaming and action figures.


Part 1
[link]

Part 2
[link]

The Gekisen Warriors Blog
[link]

All the best,
Karl

Up next Las Vegas Comic Expo on the 29th and 30th [link] I'll have some new prints. "Sucker Punch" and Me2.

Any requests for prints I should make.

Thinking about Wizard World Austin. Should I make the trip?

_karl

I thought this was a fantastic blog on 9 Warning Signs of an Amateur Artist. It's a great wake up call for those starting out and a welcome reminder for those who have been in the game.
[link]

I get asked a lot about what people should use to do traditional inking. Traditionally inkers in comics use the Hunt 102. Some use the Gillott which works essentially like a tiny brush because the tip of the nib is so flexible. Here is a link to a good place to find almost any type of nib you are looking for. [link]

I've also heard good things the Deleter brand nibs from the company out of Japan. I have not used them but I've heard they are becoming very popular.

Pro Tip: Take an Ex Acto Knife and scrape the tip of the nib. This takes off some of the top layer of varnish and helps the nib hold the ink better.

Pro Tip: As far as ink goes. I use a combo of Pelican and Higgins as well as BlackStar ink. Finding a combo that gets you the correct flow off the pen while remaining black and not bleeding will take some experimentation. A lot of it has to do with how you store the ink and the level of humidity you are inking in.

Pro Tip: Obviously paper makes a big difference. I've seen a lot of artists get frustrated with inking because of bad paper. I prefer to use "smooth" Bristol board. The better the paper the less "pull" you'll get when the nib scrapes the paper. Better paper..better inks and less bleeding of the ink when it makes contact with the paper.

Pro Tip: Ink starting from the left hand corner down. This way you don't run the risk of smudging your inks while they are drying. Also also ways pull the nib down and away. Never try and ink up and down. It will split the nib and potentially splatter ink.

Pro Tip: When using a ruler tape pennies to the bottom of it so it's raised above the paper. This will stop ink from slipping out of the nib and under the ruler causing a mess.

Good Luck and good art.

Karl

I did this Batman piece for Comics for a Cure. If you are in the area please bid on it and help raise money to fight cancer. [link]

_karl

I'll be at the Long Beach Comic Book Con [link] and the Las Vegas Comic Expo. [link]

I'll have some brand new prints and some new OG art. I'm also taking a limited amount of commissions before the shows so contact me if you'd like a commission piece and I can arrange for you to pick it up at the show.

See you in Vegas Baby!

_k

I'm planning some new prints for the Las Vegas and the Long Beach Comic Cons. I'm opening it up to any and all characters. Who would you like to see me draw?

For those of you that missed the Live stream of me drawing for MTV Geek at SDCC you can check it out here: [link]

I had a fantastic time creating a piece based on the new JJ Abrams show Revolution.

Further in the video there is an interview with myself, Joshua Fialkov, Kody Chamberlain and MTV Geek boss Tom Akel. I talk Me2 and why I think Abraham Lincoln makes a great ball puncher.

-karl

Watch me live draw this Sat from 11am to 12pm at San Diego Comic Con for MTV Geek at [link]

I'll be drawing images from the new show Revolution and Star Wars the Clone Wars. The pieces will be signed by the casts that will be interviewed while I'm drawing. These will then be auctioned for Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. Be sure and check it out and watch me in action.

_karl

Anybody going to San Diego Comic Con?

_k

Even though I've been going to Anime Expo for years I'm still blown away by the dedication the fans have to the lifestyle of being a modern Anime fan. The commitment to detail in terms of costume and character of each Cosplayer is staggering. They not only love the artform of Anime/Manga they live the artform. Anime/Manga is no longer a hobby, it's a global lifestyle that transcends our typical ideas about branding and merchandising. The world of Anime/Manga isn't owned by the companies that create the source material. Anime/Manga is owned by the fans.

This idea of fan ownership is evolving very quickly in the digital age. The ability that the average fan has to connect with other fans and self promote themselves within the community via the internet has caused the Anime/Manga fandom to evolve into something unique and in it's own way unprecedented in the history of fan to brand relationships. The fans at Anime Expo come to see each other more than to engage with the source material. It's about celebrating their creativity as a group vs. waiting to be entertained. They don't wait for the next big trend they entertain themselves by making the next big trend themselves.

As this way of thinking evolves I believe being a full time fan will become a lifestyle unto itself. I can see a time in the not so distant future where fans will want their lifestyle to be recognized in the same way LGBT is becoming more accepted. Instead of moving towards a lifestyle that is determined to be "normal" or "acceptable". Fans will want a "Custom Life". Where their love for the Anime/Manga/Cosplay lifestyle enters more freely into their daily lives. They will want to express their "inner" selves by projecting out the version of themselves they want to be recognized as. The version of themselves that is accepted by the world, in essence becomes the "costume" while the cosplay becomes a truer expression of their inner personality and idea of themselves.

The "Custom Life" -style will further extend into their daily lives effecting where they live and play. They will want to live with like minded people surrounded by physical things that reinforce their custom life.  Imagine "Anime" themed apartments or restaurants. Already in San Francisco there is an Anime themed hotel. [link]

As these lifestyles are embraced by the mainstream, employers will create workplaces that reflect these themes allowing for the employee to better transition between the world they have constructed and customized and the world of the workplace. Generating more loyalty to employers that understand their needs and lifestyle choices.

The Anime/Manga style lends itself to this type of future because of the sheer amount of detail that goes into making the worlds behind the movies and TV shows. These worlds become "hyper real", seeming more constructed, more thought out with a sense of purpose to them.

As daily life becomes more stressful, uncertain, violent and dangerous there is a part of our minds that seeks out a happier more constructed way of living. A retreat to a world we make the rules for. A place where we are the hero, the princess, the sidekick or the funny animal. A place where dreams become reality and we step a bit closer to being what we really want to be.

It was a great turnout at Koffee and Komics last night. Lots of new faces and great conversation. Looking forward to seeing everyone next month.

You can also join Koffee and Komics on Facebook and talk about the event and discuss ideas for themes.

[link]

-k

Blown away by the DeepComix teaser app. [link] Fantastic future for comics.