The Iron Throne Returns And So Do I.

Here are a few of my favorite characters from the show
I'm looking forward to the return of Game of Thrones. I had read the first book prior to knowing about the show but I find the series to be a great representation of the novel. I'll admit that the first 300 pages did not thrill me but it got awesome after that. I have my friend Wendy to thank for sharing the book and Lindsey to thank for watching the show with me. We are both excited to see the new season. I have not read the second book so it will all be new for me.


This sketch was done last night at my brother Zach's 27th birthday dinner at the Montage. I bought the 'old mac' classic mac and cheese. It's the best
I'm going to be in Seattle for the emerald City Comic Con in Seattle, Washington, at the end of this month (March 30th-April 1st.) and I'm taking early commission requests. I can do licensed characters, portraits,pinups and all the rest.

You can find me at booth 222 along with other members of Periscope Studio.

I’m offering discounted rates until the convention. Here are the specifics:

-Single figure Prices:

All images drawn on 8.5 X 11 Bristol board
40 for black and white inked.
45 for black and white inked with tone-wash (the style of Tragedy Series.)
80 for inked with full color (watercolor.)
I take payment though paypal or you can pay cash when you pick them up at the show!

Contact me at tragedyseries (at) gmail.com or spiderbridge (at) gmail.com if you would like to order a drawing or require more information.

See you at the show!

Tragedy Series Breakdown

I thought it might be fun to do a walk through of how I make my posts for the tumblr I started in recently. Hopefully this won't ruin your enjoyment (if you do enjoy them- I shouldn't assume) of the 'tragedy series.' It would be a shame to ruin it for you like when I found out that Rivendell is a bunch of foam and Christmas lights and now I can't stop seeing that.


If you want to preserve your neutrality on their development and execution you should stop reading now!

Number 222 is a good example of how these little notions I get can become a thing I was proud and surprised that I made. First I try to think of a subject I haven't done yet that falls within the parameters I've set for myself (that I will spell out more clearly in a bit.) As I progress it gets a bit harder but generally it can prompt something unexpected, since I'm trying actively to avoid clear repetition.


In this specific instance I had thought of a news story Lindsey and I saw while we were in Lincoln city, for our anniversary, about a safari park here in Oregon where they have lions that like to play tug of war. That image is enough in and of itself! once I have a self evidently odd or funny situation then I try and compound that comedy if possible. In this case I tried to imagine what sort of opponent would be funny. It occurred to me that a group of kids in a scout troop might do but they had to be capable or else it would be too close to something genuinely sad (the first of the tenents I try to uphold; No genuine tragedy) At that point I write it down to be addressed later.


I generally do a little drawing (like the image of #57 seen above) if I can't fully imagine it but in this case I had it pretty firmly in mind. It is at this point that I will do an image search to find good refrence that coincides with what I have sketched. I lucked out and found these two images:


Even though I had the elements of the final image, the phrasing wasn't quite there yet though and I went through several iterations of what would work best. I often ask Steve Lieber for advice; this questioning runs the gamut from 'should I buy a house?' to 'what sort of pen do you use to ink nostrils?' He is also a super funny guy who gets how to translate humor into drawings because he has studied it extensively for his own development so I go to him first for comedy.


I had written out a bit about 'ragamuffins' challenging a hungry lion to tug o' war but that seemed too plain. It struck me that a 'rematch' would be funny but it didn't quite fit yet. Steve said "Rematch is funnier if there is evidence of the previous encounter...make some of them amputees." I was hesitant to go there but the more I thought of it the more I realized that he was right about the necessity for notes from the first lion vs. kid showdown. I put a few shoes and scraps around the lion and Steve added the cherry on top the sundae by suggesting that I wrap the ragamuffins in bandages and give a few of them ragged clothes. He was so right! Once I did it the whole thing came together and I got this:


There you go. Thanks for sticking with me through that description. Also much gratitude to all of you out there who support my tumblr and read this blog. I am a lucky guy.

Wednesday Sketchplosion!

I love doing observational drawings of people who aren't holding still. It is almost always difficult but conversely enjoyable when you get things right. I thought I might share a few them with you:

My dear friend Scott Barkan was in town for a few days on tour with Alaskan songsmith Marian Call and I was able to capture them over the course of two delightful sets.
Lindsey's family had a get together this last weekend. Part of her family lives in Idaho and it is a rare treat to see them. I tried to capture as much as I could. For the most part this is pieced together from several configurations as people traded chairs and went in and out to get food and mind adorable babies.
I was asked by friend Chris to draw his band 'The Wishermen' at Jimmy Mak's last night. From left to right: Adam Schwietert on Alto, Special Guest Elysia Strauss on Tenor, Cyrus Nabipoor on Trumpet, Grant Sayler on Guitar, Chris Friesen on Bass and Barra Brown on Drums.
I also started a new tumblr that you can check out for yourself here:

tragedyseries.tumblr.com
It covers all manor of absurd silliness and I post once a day. Tell your friends and family if they are the sort of people who enjoy vaguely Victorian schadenfreude.

Facts and Figures (Nudes Ahead!)

Periscope hosted a figure drawing session last night and these are my drawing from that set of hours. It had been several years since I had done dedicated figure drawings but it was as if I had never stopped. I used a pentel pocket brush for the wash and my pentel brush pens for the black.

My lighting preference is a double light source but I know my fellow studio-mates would rather a single high contrast source; this time is was a sort of compromise born of available materials.
As figure drawing sessions go it was really nice. Our model was great at holding interesting poses even in our long suffering, ancient studio nap-chair. I'm looking forward to the next one and I'll be sure to post those too!

Dewey's Tuesday Grab-Bag!

I have a few 'targeted' blog posts coming up but for now I have some drawings and points of interest that I'd like to share before I forget! The first of these somewhat unconnected offerings is a little painting I did of my cat in anticipation of a project that I'm developing with writer Paul Tobin. More on that front as it becomes appropriate to divulge details.

I'm really enjoying the qualities of Gouache. I might even make a painted comic, of modest length, as an upcoming project.
I played a show with my friend Josh Malm at the Aladdin Theatre on the 11th of this month and I was able to do a little drawing of one of the opening bands. All I had was a sharpie and a 0.05 micron. It's like having a broadsword or a scalpel when you want to spread jam on your toast.

These guys knew how to work a crowd but they were a little crass backstage; I suppose that is rock n' roll for the most part.
Here is another drawing of Lindsey that I did while we were eating at a restaurant. We went to Genie's to try their breakfast fare. I liked Lindsey's French toast but I was not a fan of my own pancakes. I think it was probably a fluke because the rest of breakfast was great. I think Lindsey is very pretty and I like to draw her.

My current sketch book has really thin paper so I didn't add a wash behind her; I still like this image as it is with the tints of white pen on the off white paper.
I've got plenty of drawings in process and lots of projects in the cue. Come back and visit. Feel free to tell me what you think and what sorts of things you might like to see on the blog. I'm open to including suggestions and stealing your ideas! Happy Tuesday. Thanks all!

Sketchy Sketch Sketch.

I'm continuing my work on the avengers pages and while working up thumbnails I generate a bunch of little ideas. These are for page 3 of my sample script.

A few of these vignettes work well as stand-alone images but they might not function well as part of a page comprised of several panels. I wanted to post them because I find the rough searching quality charming.

Sometimes the fragile nature of those sketches can't be reproduced in a finished piece; the preparatory work has a vitality with its' own value but isn't conducive to conveying information clearly.

I hope you've enjoyed looking at my drawing without its' makeup on.

Heroes, Robots, Girlfriends; Oh My

Right now Periscope Studio is very busy working on a big commercial gig that I have a substantial part in, I'm doing backgrounds on Justice League 'Retro' and trying to produce some Marvel samples. I don't mind the juggling but I sometimes feel like I lose track of things that I promise myself I'll finish "when I have time." Here are a few recent drawings I've done outside my professional obligations.

I was walking down the street with Lindsey a few weeks ago and a guy walking towards us raised his hand in the air and shouted "Green Lantern!" As he passed us it occurred to me that I was wearing my (now ten year old) G.L. hoodie. We high fived and as he continued on his way he added "...only black super hero!" It was a nice little nerd-bonding moment between strangers.

John Stewart is a fun character to draw. With the movie coming out, focused on Hal Jordan, I thought I might reiterate his place in the pantheon of the Green Lantern Corps. This gouache painting is 6 X 6 inches.
Buy it from the Periscope Etsy Store while you can!
When I sketch I tend to keep it pretty loose. I don't like the idea of a sketchbook that exists as a strut. I believe it is a place for a person to work out ideas. I did a new banner for this blog, improving on my initial sketch, and I wanted to work out the robots that would accompany Lindsey:

Lindsey got me a sketchbook and filled it with quotes that she liked. She's embarrassed by it by I like it.
Speaking of Lindsey, here is yet another sketch of her at our (or mine at least) favorite breakfast spot. I didn't get her likeness but I think it's worth posting my failures too.

She was moving around a lot and our food came super quick so this one has some issues but I still like it.
I'll be returning to old projects, starting new ones and reinventing my web presence this summer. This new blog format and name are just one piece in that larger puzzle of advancing my artistic and commercial appeal. I'm having a lot of fun so far taking on that challenge. Many exciting developments are on the horizon so come back and visit soon!

Behind The Scenes Of TFTWP

I thought I'd share some aspects of how I put a recent page together. You can see the script here below. I start by printing out what Nathan sends me (which is his distillation of ideas that we've talked out or things he has a firm grasp on that will move the story forward.) I highlight the relevant parts of the script so that I can keep track of what I'm supposed to keep in mind for dialogue and description.


In this case I had some elaborate descriptions to work off of and some other panel descriptions that leave a lot of room for interpretation. You can compare the script with the thumbnail layout I did and then the finished page (here or seen below) that Nathan is working on (lettering as) I type this. It is also interesting to see how he will sometimes alter the interchanges based on things I've drawn or new ideas he has.


I've been trying to finish my pages really fast because I have a serious work load to catch up on but I don't want to neglect our beloved web strip. I've taken to using methods that I've seen Terry Dodson and Mike Mignola employ. One of those tools is the use of an establishing shot followed by several images that either only hint at or neglect the background when it is not necessary for telling the story. I rely on the mind of the reader to fill in the parameters of the location once I've given them the prompt.


This is a sketch of some possible banners for the revamped website. Nathan and I have been trying to do this for a while and with the approach of the Emerald City Comics Convention (where we'll both be in attendance) we have a concrete deadline for the launch. The only problem is that I have, literally, a dozen other White Pony related art projects to finish in the same time frame. This would all be in addition to the ongoing story (which is getting better and better; you guys just wait and see!)

I'm also drawing an 80 pg. Star Wars GN for Darkhorse (as I've mentioned before) so February is going to be one busy little month. Wish me luck friends!

Fabulous Secret Powers Were Revealed To Me...

I have had cause to draw He-Man as of late and it is really a fun project to undertake. I get to remember all the fun I had as a kid both with my older brother Aaron and my dear friend Ben Brosius. We made extensive use of our He-Man figures both in the world that was portrayed in the cartoon show and as a wrestling federation, that Aaron devised a whole system of statistics and charts for, to track the outcome.I am working on a larger piece right now (see rough above) but I thought I might share the preliminary sketches that I did.

Dustin Weaver suggested that I just sketch the character without an specific composition in mind; to play around with poses and proportions. I did just that and it ended up making the image I'm working on right now much stronger. See you Saturday my fine friends.

I have... The Power

Orcs And Ends.

First of all, thanks to my dear friend Bobby Bracelin for keeping me honest. He's an amazing artist in his own right and he prompted me to post today! I didn't forget I swear.

I am working out a list of tribute art I want to do for this blog but for today I'll show you a sketch I did for the Grizzly Boar monster in the most recent White Pony. Nathan came up with that name and I just tried to imagine what Claire Wendling would've drawn if she had been tasked in a similar way. The Libra Golem is also on the same page:

Today Lindsey and I went out to breakfast- a rare event for us and I did a drawing of her in my other sketchbook:

I don't think it flatters her appropriately because she is a real fox but I'm going to do lots of drawings of her in that particular sketch book so there will be other chances to fix this discrepancy between her beauty and my limited skills!

One last Thing: My friend Rich Ellis and I played HERO QUEST today.

I got that game when I was 10 and I think it's been about 18 years since I played it last and it was a fun little visit to my joy of 20 years ago.

I recommend it highly. There is a lot of joy in fighting orcs, goblins and ghouls on your table top without all the books and crazy rules; just exploration and straightforward brawling! Yes I am 30 years old and I am a nerd- I imagine you are too on some level if you found this blog and are predisposed to reading this!

Join me once again on Monday for more tales of jolly-geekdom and art making.

A December To Remember.

I promised my girlfriend Lindsey that I will post every other day during the Month of December. Since I love her and I want her to think of me as a trustworthy fellow I'm going to do my damnedest to live up to that pledge. It would also be pretty cool if I could beat out last year's total number of postings.

I've been working with Nathan on some improvements to our website. Some of this experience is a trail and error scenario. Sometimes I end up making things that I can't use and I'll post one of those things here for you to see:


These were intended as a marquee for the top of the site and some icon images. It all ended up looking pretty crappy when the detail was reduced to make it load appropriately so I am altering my plans. We're going to try something more simplistic in design and color it digitally to contrast it with the hand drawn quality of the comic.

Here's another process image:


These are the pencils for the monsters and Dames piece I submitted for the upcoming Seattle Comic Con. Nathan and I will be in attendance and hopefully the finished image that resulted from this image will be in a hardbound book that you can bring over and have me sign when you visit our table!

There you have it. Post number one for December. See you all again on Saturday!

Help Me Obi-Wan Kenobi: It's Our Only Post

I have been occupied overly with my industry projects as of late. However, with some difficulty, I've been able to fit in a few commissions. I was recently approached to do a piece that featured 3 female characters occupying the same space without knowing if any of them were favored by the client and or what kind of composition they wanted. The way I start a job like this is to draw out around 10 thumbnail images to get something down on paper. I like to do more depending on what sort of image has been requested of me. You can see the whole process below:









I wanted to post this Before November was over.

Know that I haven't forgotten about the blog. I've just been so busy that, between my professional and personal commitments, I've had to let some things lay fallow. Unfortunately this has been one of them but I'm going to make a vow to post once a week at minimum during December. My holiday gift (to the ten of you that read this blog) will be more posts!

Becky and The Bikeasaurus

I just got some great news that will keep me super busy for the next few weeks and I'll post on that as soon as it becomes polite. In the mean time I'm working on White Pony, a project for a famous guitarist, a few books and a hero initiative cover. It's been a whirlwind.

Before all of this started ramping up my friend Becky asked me to do a drawing for her store BIKEASAURUS and I enjoy both bikes and Dinosaurs so I made this image for her:


I plan to do a color version of this when I have a bit of free time so be on the lookout for that image posted here in a few months. Her store is open now and full of cool bike-related gifts and local items sure to please anyone. If you're in Portland you should pay her a visit!

Here is a sketch of Sloar I did and I don't remember why. I think I just wanted to see what he would look like with his mouth open or I was trying to practice his horns.


I'll put up My colossus as soon as he is complete. I didn't forget.