Robaato's Corner

New Workspace!! (One of which I should've been doing ages ago...)

2010-06-23T00:57:00.001-05:00

Well, I figure it was time to try out somethin' new with the Cintiq. Because it's like a true widescreen format horizontally, it really makes it harder to draw because I'm working out of my preset comfort zone. Normally, most people draw on a paper in the portrait format, so I figure, "hey, why not try that on my Cintiq?". Good thing I can rotate the screen format.

This is my setup now. As you can see, I have the Cintiq in portrait format. (I was reading a few forums and one gal said that's how she uses hers, I wanted to try it out and-- ) LOW AND BEHOLD, it feels so much more natural now. And the overall viewing angle is much better because you can really see more of what you drawing, even when you're zoomed in close. I was contemplating selling my 12inch for the 21, but now that I've done this, I don't think I need to entertain the thought anymore. (Still, the 21incher isn't bad at all so....)

So working out the layout of my workspace (especially in Photoshop) is gonna take some getting used to. So far I have a pretty good setup.

That's how my main workspace looks. I have all the File Menus mapped to my stylus buttons, so no need for constantly looking at the other screen (something of which I can't stand doing, especially being used to the default PS workspace format for the past 14-15 years...) And even more thankfully enough, CS3 and CS4 got the lil' icon-to-expand window thang going on, so I have my layers, brushes and can put some other stuff around the edges, and expand like so...

I think my life has just gotten a bit less complicating now. :)

Check the Mai out!

Another Girl

2010-06-13T16:39:00.002-05:00

Here's a lineart commission I've done recently.

I think I, for now on, will post all sketches, lineart, and random stuff only on my blog, and keep all the finished work on my dA page.

This was sketched on regular thumbnail paper and scanned and lined in Sketchbook Pro 2010.

Still Trying!

2010-06-09T22:21:00.000-05:00

Getting the hang of this technique. :)

WOOOOOOOT!

Still Playing Around with Techniques

2010-06-05T16:52:00.001-05:00

Hey guys, I'm still trying to keep this sitr updated. I have so much on my plate, albeit good stuff, but busy nonetheless.

I asked some other friends about the previous tech I was going for, but they weren't feeling it as well as I. Reason being because I was trying to start a whole different way, one of which I'm not even used to.

Noticing the fail and coming to conclusion that I will never most likely be able to truly PAINT digitally, I do know how to work Photoshop, and I can ACHIEVE the effect by using my existing style/technique. And I like it. Without even really "painting". I wouldn't call this cheating, as it's work as well. It's just that I can't grasp painting and I have so much respect for people who can.

Well, I'm gonna keep trying things out.

Exploration

2010-06-02T17:45:00.006-05:00

Yes, it's been a while. Had a pretty busy week and a half - I got the job by the way. :D I'll explain more in my dA journal.

First is a Lara Croft sketch I did on my last night at my previous job. I was just playing around with the rendering more, since I seldom attempt to do tight rendering like so. I used a 0.5 HB and 4H pencils altogether.

The second is a quick sketch study that I always wanted to try. I want to get into different rendering styles and such, focusing more on painting - because I don't have to focus so much on the quality of the line work and tedious flatting.

I know it isn't anything great, as I rushed a lot of things (hair highlights, etc.), but I was just playing around with coloring over the line art (or using the line art as a guide lightly). This is highly influenced by Krenz's style. I always wanted to try a rendering style like his, and I know it's no where near like his finished stuff, but I kinda deciphered how he goes about doing it. Gonna keep playing around and see what I can dig up. :)

Wondrous Prisoner

2010-05-23T23:50:00.001-05:00

Hey, a quick post today. A new Wonder Woman I sketched at work last night. I really didn't have any time to scan this one. Or the Cody sketches as well. But, figure I post 'em all the same to keep with my daily goal. These were done with no ref, from the top of the head. I might use that Wonder Woman later on... See ya tomorrow!

Oh, by the way -- been reading the reviews for Mario Galaxy 2.... I NEED THAT GAME!

Sketchbook Stuff

2010-05-22T16:26:00.001-05:00

My wife's family dog, Tails, was put to sleep after 17 years of loyalty today. 'Tis a bittersweet day for us.

These are some sketches I managed to work up last night. Started to play around with different dynamic figures. All of these are from the head, as usual. I think I need to start studying from various references now. Warning: There are few character cameos in this post, by the way.

Until Next Time. :)

Sketchbook Stuff

2010-05-21T21:13:00.006-05:00

I'm getting closer to my goal, each and every day. :)

Cyclops!

2010-05-20T10:45:00.000-05:00

Did a 10 minute Jam with Kat earlier, and I picked Cyclops. The actual finished-at-time drawing can be seen here. Here's the touched up version, as I forgot pouches and wanted to add some more shading to it.

Power's Back - Powered Up.

2010-05-19T14:14:00.001-05:00

Here's some samples of the sketchbook stuff I've been doing while power was out. Nothing great, just some figures off the head and gesture drawings. These were done in pen, by the way. Just uppin' my fluidity.

I also managed to draw Rogue from Power Stone with no reference too. I'm amazed at how much of her design I remembered. Power Stone had such amazing designs. Gonna draw some other Power Stone characters, methinks. :)

Power's back on obviously, or else you wouldn't be seeing these now- now to clean out the fridge. TT____TT

Making Negative Situations Positive

2010-05-18T08:46:00.001-05:00

Well, returning from work yesterday, I was very excited and ready to break my artistic block, only to have my power cut off by the great tyrannical power company.

For starters, I would say that I'm what they call literally a 'starving artist'. My wife and I have practically been struggling, and I tend to not tell people and I usually keep things to myself- even possessing a positive demeanor when everything is falling down around me.

Deep down inside, I'm really a negative person to myself. I need to start seriously staying positive, even though I fake it.

I have a new job interview today (it's crazy how those things are so hard to obtain nowadays) and hopefully it'll put us above water if I get said job. I'm hoping and praying right now. It's to the extent where we're scraping for money, just to make the rent and stuff, only to be stabbed by another bill. I tend to always get the short end of the stick with job related matters, and it sucks. I would even say this is happening so much, that I'm getting a bit callous of the after effects from it. Don't know if that's a good or a bad thing, though.

But making this positive, I'm still going to draw while I can. Having no power will help with having no distractions. So I guess that's good.

Wish me the best on this interview today, guys.

PS. I'm writing this through my phone, btw. :)

Sketchbook Stuff, Part 1 of I Don't Know How Many...

2010-05-17T09:54:00.005-05:00

So, since I promised that I will not neglect this blog and put more stuff up that I won't pertain to dA, I figure I'd stick to my word.

Nothing special to the right other than just being some figure sketches. I have a lot more to put up here, but I'm going to start posting mass figure studies here and there. This is pretty much boring, whacked-out randomness going that I sketched at work.

I really want to up my gesture sketching, as I've been neglecting doing that for a while; y'know, being pent up with the stress and all. I find doing gestures to be a tad bit stress relieving, and it keeps the gears oiled. I don't like coming back from a 1-2 week long hiatus from the table, only to feel rusty as a car that's not garage-kept for decades.

So I've been reading a few blogs that talks about staying productive artistically, especially the guys at The Art Center, who have amounts of ideas and tons of inspiration seeping daily. But I need to get back to being as loosey goosey like they, are not to be so hung up on details.

Next is a Batgirl sketch I did over the course of a couple of days. My rendering completely sucks now, but I really want to get back into doing it. Just gotta remember to not smudge and buy me a can of Fixative so they don't mess up.

I might sell this original later on, we'll see.

And lastly for this post, are some spontaneous mermaid gals. I like drawing Mermaids. ^___^ But I'm not a fruitcake. *seriousface*

That's it for now. PEACE.

PS. I noticed I write WAYY too much in my blog posts.... >______>

Getting Out Of Line

2010-05-16T08:53:00.001-05:00

Well, I really wanna start making my own personal lil flair and niche. I've been doing some ink/line tests again with Sketchbook Pro.

I really want to get rid of the perfectionist attitude, trying to treat my linework all perfect and whatnot. I'm just gonna draw them in a whatever fashion. I like the outcome of it, so I think I'm gonna stick with it. It's good to have multiple avenues of lining work anyway, methinks.

I like the sketchy look that I managed to keep intact. Lining in SBPro pushes me to "sketch" my lines, something I fail to do with a pencil or pen (I actually have to be more cautious, careful, and have a steady arm when I line that way.

The other plus side to this is that it'll take significantly lesser time to flat when I color. I'm a fan of color holding my lines, so emphasis won't have to be put on lasso'ing right outside the lines and whatnot when flatting, which can be painstakingly tedious and boring.

All in all, expect some personal changes to my work. Sometimes. :)

Marveled Out

2010-05-11T03:31:00.003-05:00

Okay, so I went to see Iron Man 2 earlier today. Feels good to get out of the house and just chill for a couple of hours in a theater. I haven't read any reviews before seeing it, but all in all, I was happy AND impressed with it. I consider the Iron Man franchise to be my 3rd favorite Marvel franchise (Spiderman is my 1st and X-Men is my 2nd, albeit the X-Men/Wolverine movies are considered horrible to me, I rather stick to the comics - I was a BIG "Uncanny" fan growing up).

Despite my few direct hits towards Superheroes and mainstream comics in my comments and stuff, I really don't have a big disdain for the genre as most people think. All in all, I DID grow up on Marvel and DC before even seeing anything from the Orient. I have to say it was the reason that kept me drawing until I met the proper motivation (the Japanese style). I used to create superheroes of my own when I was a kid (in which are terrible designs I would consider nowadays, but we all have a majority of horrible designs when we were kids, so that doesn't really matter), and I enjoyed creating them. So I'm not all mean-faced towards superhero stuff. It's just I find it boring to draw most of the time now.

But I'm starting to get back into it, now that there's been a few things recently that are re-sparking my interest. Marvel VS. Capcom 3 is coming next year, so that's giving me the umph to get back into 'em. I picked up the Ultimates TPBs a few months back, and after reading them, I've been spiked from them. And there have been also a few figures that have been sparking my interest, since I'm an aspiring statue collector.

I REALLY want this Dark Phoenix statue that's coming out later in August this year. I mean, just look at her. Awesomesauce. I always loved the idea of combining the East with the West, and this is no exception to the rule. They also have a regular Phoenix too, but the Dark version just looks much more hardcore.This WILL be among my collection.

Speaking of Iron Man 2, the same company recently released this Mark IV statue, that I MUST get. This one really made my eyes light up (both figuratively and literally, as he got the LED lights to prove it). It's over a hundred bucks, but hopefully, when I get back on my feet, I'll be able to grab him.

(They're also running a Japanese-esque Black Widow that's been out a while that I've been wanting to get as well.)

Figures aside, this has motivated me to start trying my hand in combining styles. I really want to get back into drawing heroes again, maybe these recent surges of events can help me in doing so. :)

I'm a Perfectionist! :s

2010-04-25T16:00:00.001-05:00

Don't know if this is a good or a bad thing, but I recently posted this discussion on my Twitter. I found out that I'm a strict perfectionist, and that's the reason why I go into those episodes of always feeling that I'm not good enough or when something goes wrong, I blame myself, accusing myself of being stupid, inferior, and unworthy. It's just something that I really need to put a check on.

I always used to think that I'd never strive to be a perfectionist, but it's coming out one way or the other. This type of thinking not only manifests itself in my art, but also my thoughts throughout life in general.

I even took a test to see if it was true or not, and it states my perfectionism is on a scale of 69/100, which may not seem bad, but I feel that its higher in the sense that I'm always a downer about my work and other stuff.

The test explained this:

"Perfectionism can be a healthy quality that drives a person to try his/her best and to make the effort to excel. Some people, however, take the strive for perfection too far...and there is a price to pay. Extreme perfectionists are forever dissatisfied; they can never fulfill their own expectations so, in their own eyes, they are always failures. Chronic perfectionism is driven by deep-seated feelings of inferiority and self-hate, and by nature it reinforces a negative self-image. Performing tasks or fulfilling goals becomes intimidating and unpleasant, since the perfectionist knows deep down that the finished product will never meet his/her expectations. So the perfectionist might have problems with procrastination. Perfectionism, then, can become a double-edged sword - the perfectionist is driven by a desire to succeed, as well as a fear of failure which leaves him/her paralyzed.

In all realms, striving for excellence can be beneficial and lead to a fulfilling professional and personal life. Accepting nothing less than excellence, on the other hand, can be emotionally scarring."

I think my level falls near the "chronic category". I do tend to procrastinate for this reason, always feeling my output will never reach the desired goal.

The test results explained this afterwards:

"According to this test, you have some perfectionist tendencies that may be making you unnecessarily unhappy. You sometimes set high standards that are difficult to meet; either you impose those expectations on yourself, others, or a combination of the two. You may even think that others expect you to be perfect. While a desire to do your very best and strive to reach your full potential can bring you personal fulfillment, you have to learn when good is 'good enough'. It's important that you strengthen your ability to distinguish between reasonable aspirations and unrealistic demands. When you set unattainable objectives, you are being cruel to yourself and denying yourself the rewards and self-acceptance that you deserve."

I guess I need to work towards canning these feelings. I thought it was just something wrong with me, but I'm glad I'm finding the reason of my sporadic episodes of guilt, blame, and total unworth.

This is not a sad post, as I'm glad I found the method to my madness, and will work on correcting it now. :)

A Link to the Past...

2010-04-22T11:00:00.000-05:00

But this has nothing to do with Zelda. -____-

I figure I put some older stuff I found on my old computer. Nothing too special, just a filler post.

This is just a WIP of the Brave Fencer Musashi piece I did a couple of years back. I figure it was interesting to show this because I was totally heading in a different direction at the beginning of the piece. It also shows my horrible composition skills at the time. (I'm still not all that impressed with my current composition skills, but hey, I'm still learning. :) ) Since this was my first outing on doing everything completely digital, it was also a handicap for me as well, as laying out on computer is totally different than pencil and paper. But all in all, it was a milestone for me, and I still like the piece- despite it's horrible composition. XD

That's all for today. Just a look-in-the-past-and-realize-how-much-more-you-sucked-back-then-compared-to-how-much-you-suck-today post. ^___^

Stay frosty, folks!

I Know I Got The Talent, so...

2010-04-22T10:38:00.000-05:00

...why can't I get anywhere?

I turned 24 today, and I was just thinking... it seems like I'm wasting so much time. Yeah I'm young but, time is time. :|

Maybe because I probably can never find time to make a portfolio for a pitch. I'm always drawing things for everyone else (i.e. commissions and clientele) and can never find time to put my own resume-stuff together. And it sucks because I know I can do most of the staff that people in the industry does, but I'm always stuck drawing one-pieced characters, nothing elaborate that can drive my portfolio, no time for drawing a sequential excerpt, etc.

And the biggest thing that sucks is that I can't afford to work on that stuff. I need commissions to help me keep bread on the table. The Job market (part-time, even) is just getting straight nasty out there, and it's not helping that my regular job is kinda hinting at the "ok, so we keep taking days off your schedule; get up and leave already" mentality.

I know this is hurting me, when my gallery is comprised of the same rinse-and-repeat thing on almost every single piece. I have no time and at the end of the day, energy, to work towards putting together a solid portfolio. This is why I never get my hopes up anymore with anything.

There just has to be something that can change soon. :(

Just when you think you got it down...

2010-04-19T03:44:00.000-05:00

...You don't.

Well, that's the typical scenario for learning artists; you never really can get something down, even if you at first believe you did. I, too, fall under that category.

Everyone may dig my work and all, but essentially, I'm an amateur. I'm still learning, still grasping new concepts, ideas, and fundamentals. I do take what I learn seriously, always applying and taking it to action. However, one may become so used to doing things a lot, that things can end up becoming dull, bland, and blunt. Think of it like a sword; you can be a skilled swordsman, but if you don't take it to the blacksmith every now and then, your strikes won't do NEARLY as much damage as a nice sharp one. That's how I feel.

Earlier today, I ran across something that made me realize I need to hit the "blacksmith" up. It was an older work I was hired to do, and I, in turn, subconsciously didn't make the connection of what I needed to correct that the client expressed concern about. Long story shortened, I now realize what his concern was. Why did I pass it off? Beats me, but maybe because I was swinging that "blunt sword". I was caught up in the thought of owning a "sword" rather than keeping it "sharp".

I'm speaking figuratively because it's the best way I can show how I feel about this. It also brings humility into play.

I can say, "I see myself as a humble guy", but what is humility if you're 'labeling' yourself as humble? That's kinda contradictory to me. In my head, that's what I believe. Because after every piece of work I do, and I mean EVERY, I always catch a flaw. ALWAYS. Which makes sense because no piece is perfect; though in my head, seeing that flaw always humbles me.

Well again, with this incident, I guess my mind was ignoring that flaw, and it started to feel a bit high and mighty. It just shows how easy it is to get caught up with a proud persona. I'm not talking 'bout "Man, I'm proud of myself on how I did this one"; rather, the pride that no one likes, a la "I think it looks fine" amidst a heavy rain of critique.

I don't know where I'm really going with this, but all I think I'm saying is that I let myself slip, yet again. Everything's a trial-and-error thing, but also a live-and-learn thing. Just keep moving on, I suppose.

Rats and Crap

2010-04-18T02:18:00.003-05:00

Hey folks!

It's been a few days since I posted something on the blog, this past week has been horrendously busy. I'm on another job hunt because I have to find something else because my hours have been cut again. Sorry to say that, but that's actually what's going on. Gotta bring that bread to the table. As long as I stay optimistic enough, I think I shall be fine.

Man do I got some upcoming stuff in the works! Collabs, prints, and all other type of good things to come. :) It shall be a good year, I reck'.

Yes, indeedy, Rat Rage is full speed ahead! ^That's my lil' Japanese mock-up logo, I just couldn't help myself. XD

I'm glad to say that production for Rat Rage is finally starting. I'm going to try and give myself a page-a-day quota so I can have something to show. It will be a 200+ pg. Original Graphic Novel, may I remind you. To build up some hype again, I recently did a print featuring Rai and Nini escaping danger. I will do a few more prints for this year, just to have solely as a hype builder and original content.

Here's a few process shots for the print.

1. Thumbnail Sketch

2. Lineart

3. Lineart Cleaned

4. Rai and Nini flatted and toned; BG buildup

5. Everything flatted, toned, and BG almost complete

6. Finishing touches, atmosphere effects, and textures applied.

I would also like to re-remind people that the way this is colored will be in the same manner as how the book will look!

Other than that, Rob out!

2010-04-17T05:37:00.001-05:00

It's very hard...

I can draw dudes too.... Can I?

2010-04-13T09:39:00.001-05:00

Something's been buggin' me for a while.

I'm always commissioned female characters. Like, 95% of inquiries are females. Not that I'm hating on that, I DO need the money. But it sucks that I can't get any type of play when I draw dudes. Am I really known as a "chic artist"?

Really, it's not something of a big deal, but I'm going to go on a strict "drawing dude" regimen.

No sketches today. But just a thought.

Rob!

One Week Ago...

2010-04-12T02:16:00.000-05:00

... I took steps to give myself a new... self.

Week one of the 'New Robaato' has passed and I'm feelin' good! Despite the regular crap that goes on in my life, I'm surprised that I've managed to keep up with my goals! Which is all that matters to me. Life will hit you hard, but if you roll with those punches, you'll feel even more stronger. : )

Let's get on to the art:

My wife is creating a story, simply going by the name of "Fuschia" (working title). The lead character, obviously, is Fuschia Vidal (pronounced Foo'Shee'Ah Vee'Dahl, not like the color Fuchsia), who's on the run because of a family conspiracy that interlinks with a war between 4 neighboring planets. I must say, it's been such an experience working with my wife on this, as I'm learning more about her ideas and fantasies that she loves to think about. It's really fun when your closest acquaintance and the one you love can work together on something. :)

I'm going to start posting some tidbits of her, her planet, and various character designs that we have planned to show. It's going to be much fun- in that I haven't created a character from scratch in YEARS (all my characters existing and the ones you don't know about have been created years ago).

I'm pretty sure everyone has seen these on dA. I drew these because I AM doing a Final Fantasy 13 print (it's pretty obvious now, heh). I had to draw their faces to map out how I'm going to draw them in that print. I like how they came out. Going to be a fun print, mmhmm, mmhmm.

Well, that's all I'm going to say for this post. I'll divide the art posting throughout the week. Hope all is well!

BUSY!! Gotta Stay busy. :)

2010-04-09T16:06:00.003-05:00

Hey guys! I missed a day on the blog here, but that's due to me just taking this work out! Which is good! So I'm not neglecting. :)

Now, after using this schedule thing for the first time this week, I pretty much gauged how much work I can actually do each day. So people who didn't get their stuff in accordance to the schedule will get switched around properly; now that I know what I can do in a given day. :) I really like this schedule system. :)

I also will take the time to put a little summary of my process of Toshinho's Blade Collector I drew and colored. This is mainly the parts I did before coloring the pic on my Livestream.

1. So here's the base sketch. I usually sketch real rough and loose, and a lot of things can be hard to decipher upon looking at my initial sketch (other than the gal). But on this one, instead of a thumbnail, I started on regular printer paper, and found out I wanted to draw more towards the bottom, so I attached another paper to the bottom to follow through.

2. I then scanned the sketch in, turned it into a Cyan color via Photoshop, lightened it enough so I can see it, and printed it out on 11x17 paper. (You can still see the faint blue lines from the scan...) I then carefully started lining the picture with a 0.3 H Pencil. (I like using H because it has a nice black level and it doesn't smudge.)

3. The Blade Collector is practically finished here, I then started on adding the various weapons and swords, being even more careful with the lines.

4. I got half of the swords in there, and I'm still adding details. This process took about 2 hours (after drawing Sunny).

5. And I'm done with the lineart! I scanned it in after, leveled it out, and prepared it for coloring by adding values. (I showed how did this all on my Livestream lastnight, so if you wanna see it, click here! The whole picture took 9 hours to do, but that information is explained directly in the beginning so you really don't have to wait long!

6. And after 9 hours of coloring in Photoshop on the Cintiq, this is the result! Remember you can check my Livestream to watch the process. I recorded it. :) I have entertaining video game music and commentary as well to keep you occupied. :)

Other than that, until next time people!

Video of my Workspace

2010-04-07T16:40:00.000-05:00

Sup folks, not much today, just a video I took of my drawing pad. (The one you can sit in and stuff, not draw.) I'm pretty busy today, so I don't have time to say too much. Just read some Twitter posts for your Robaato fix today. XD

More Process Stuff

2010-04-06T22:54:00.002-05:00

Hey, just droppin' some more artistic insight on you foos out there!

I was chatting with a buddy on Skype today, and he wanted to know about layout/thumbnailing. For some reason, he couldn't grasp it or always felt obligated to go beyond and always complete everything in a large format.

There's nothing wrong with doing that, it's perfectly fine to do. And since art's an expressive subject, there really aren't any hardcore rules! However...

If you're starting off and still haven't grasped many fundamentals of what you're aiming to do, or if you're still a big learner, laying out your idea in thumbnails can be very crucial into helping you achieve the desired result.

For example, say you have this quick idea in your head, but it goes away if something else jumps in your mind. Draw a small stick figure (and I mean "small" like the size of your thumb") and voila! The general idea is there. And in case you lose it, you can always view that stick and expound on it. But I don't draw stick figures.

Here's a template I created for myself, called the Super Thumbnail Frame Comic Guide Turbo EX Alpha X8! Yes, I created a name for it. What it is, is basically a grid with 8 frames proportioned with the general comic format/11x17 paper. These are all the sketches I had scheduled to do today. I draw my quick thoughts on the paper, just to get the idea out my head. As you can see, these are no where near finished. And you can see how easily my mind can wander, King K. Rool doesn't even belong in there. I then print this grid out on printer paper (or even larger). I printed out on 11x17 paper, but it's best to go smaller with regular A4 printer paper to keep yourself from adding too much detail.

I use these layouts for when I'm doing comic layouts for my clients (when I'm working on comic pages) or even for commissions. I try to keep everything in proportion where the client can print if he/she needs to. But this works great for comics because you even have your page layout as well. So you hit two birds with one stone! 50000 bonus to your score!

I then scan these in Photoshop, select a picture with the box selection tool, copy, open a new document, paste, put a Cyan color on a separate Overlay layer above it, merge em, adjust the opacity so the blue is light enough for me to see when drawing it after it's printed out, I print it out, and then do the fine sketch/lineart over it. Then I scan it in again and remove the blue with an adjustment layer.

Seems like a lot, but fortunately, my ink cartridges for the printer are big. So no worries. I rather do this than lightbox any day.

Well, that's all I have to say for today. And I will start doing daily music posts I enjoy off youtube!

Turning over a new leaf...

2010-04-06T14:53:00.001-05:00

Well, it seems I've garnered an ample amount of disdain (due to the immaturity I displayed in the past, regarding commissions and clients).

I don't want to start making excuses like, "I didn't feel I was good enough at the time, so that's why I didn't do your work" or "I am too busy". The truth is that I had been commissioned because people have liked my work at that time, so there was no excuse that I had to get better to do the work; they would've liked it all the same. And I had small pockets of time to do the work, even though I was going through a lot of crap, I still could've done them.

And I don't know, maybe what was going on through my life really had an effect on my artwork. I felt like I wasn't good enough, because life was treating me like I wasn't good enough. All the artists seemed like they had nothing to deal with 'cuz they were pushing work back to back, just like my RL friends had consistent jobs and a nice life going for them at the time. I was, most likely, just broken.

Still, it's no reason to deal that type of thinking towards my clients. And I suffered because of that.

I couldn't focus on my own work, and couldn't even do things I wanted to do. And that's not meant in the whiny tone, but just a point blank fact. Over the course of time, I fell into relapses everytime I had a spurt of artistic power. And those relapses have gotten bigger each time I fell into them, and it ended up turning me into an artistic vegetable. Only recently have I been able to break those relapses, and even more recent that I'm taking this art thing a bit more serious than I previously claimed.

I know I may have broken some long-term relationships doing what I done, and some have still given me the benefit of the doubt. Which is okay on both terms. I appreciate those who forgave me and continue to hire me, but I also deserve those relationships to be broken.

But anyway, this is just a public apology to all those who have at once before felt offended by my immaturity in the past. And I ask if you people can forgive me. You don't have to, but I hope you can.

Oh Yesh!

2010-04-05T12:03:00.000-05:00

OH YESH! It's time to update that blog again!

Had a great weekend. I don't care much for Easter, so I just worked as usual at the hotel. I did a few sketches while I was there.

Here's a thumbnail drawing of a Witchblade commission I just did. Usually, I do very small drawings like these (which is about a 2 to 3 inches high usually). I then scan it in, turn it cyan, blow it up in Photoshop in adjustment to the paper size, and print it out again and draw over it in more detail. This is actually my current process with everything. Rinse and repeat, yo.

This just an assortment of Ruby sketches did over the past few weeks. I haven't drawn her that much like I used to, and I was kinda rusty on her face and stuff. I also did some quick sketches of her frame, pictured on the right. So sorry for the slight inconsistencies, just getting a feel drawing her again - gonna need to since Erratic is in production.

Look! A ME meme. That sounds dope! ME Meme... MEMEMEMEMEMEMEME... Just one of the pages I have been doing where I draw myself in all sorts of ways, doing various things. Pictured here, I'm mixing my favorite drink (you know what it is!!!!), getting spawnkilled by Snipers in Bad Company 2, posin' with my wifey, and me in my assassin garb. (It's true, I'm a member of the Assassin's Guild and I hop into the Animus every now and then to help people getting bullied by the Templars.)

Until next time! RO!

NEGLECT can be such a pain...

2010-04-04T04:27:00.000-05:00

WOW!

I haven't posted on this blog in almost a year! BAD BIZNESS...

Well, I'm not going to go into great detail of everything that went on between now and what was the last post....? August? ...Yeah.... *clears throat*

Anyhoo, everything has been shaping up to be great! I finally got all my ducks in a row as far as work goes (secular and artistic work, I'm talking about here) and I now included my schedule, which is embedded right under my profile! (Look and see! ---->)

Anyway, I'll start today off with a sketch I did yesterday of Marvel's She Hulk. Yesh, she's utterly hit with my anime-influenced style, but what can ya' do...? I'm not Adam Hughes.

I went to the store and picked up some colored pencils, and even though this is designated as a $10 Sketch, I kinda went overboard visually, it appears. However, this is the quality I would push if I was drawing with a regular No. 2 pencil... So no one is getting anything special, just the fact that She-Hulk wouldn't be... green enough, with regular pencils.

Anyway, back to setting up. I got my Twitter account added on here as well, and I really would love to tweet often, but I need more followers to put fuel to the flame! So go and follow me! You can even reach me instantly with a question or whatever (since I have it on my hip via my Palm Pre).

With that, I'll save it for next time!

And NO MORE NEGLECTING!

It's Been a While!

2009-08-22T23:26:00.000-05:00

What's up folks - sorry for not keeping this place alive - It's hard to run a daily blog, especially with this wonderful and busy summer I've had as far as conventions go. :)

I need to get back on the bandwag', so here's some stuff I did yesterday between commission work.

It's just some low resolution Photoshop sketches. I've found these to be rather fun and relaxing, rather than the constant articulate work I do. So you shall see these more often- they're kinda like Oekakis, but less work.

Other than that, I will try to have more news coming. So far, you guys will be expecting an epic from me known as Rat Rage, where these two lovely mice gals are from- I'm talkin' an 80+ page OGN on the way. More news to come from that.... Meanwhile, check out the lineart stages of these first four pages. Until next time, folks!

Artbook!! (Part 3)

2009-06-03T18:59:00.000-05:00

So guys, I have some of the information on my artbook entitled MUSTART? The Art of Robert Porter Vol. 1!

It will be an awesomely full-color bound book full of new work and sketches, and a few of my most likable images. Right now, the page count is up in the air, but expect over 24 pages of art. I will most definitely have more information soon as convention season is already kicking up around, and I will be selling online as well, so more info on that too.

Other than that, Rob Out!

Artbook!! (Part 2)

2009-06-02T23:04:00.000-05:00

Hey Hey!

Here's a sneak WIP preview of the cover of my FIRST upcoming artbook!

Enjoy!

Artbook!!

2009-06-02T01:59:00.000-05:00

So yes, I am getting down to the nitty gritty on this artbook! More info later!

Moving Things Along Noicely.....

2009-05-31T23:49:00.000-05:00

It's been a very productive day today. On the brink of completing commissions, working on my up and coming artbook, and getting personal things out the way, I am freeing up what was previously not even a month ago a heavy life.

I hit up Adam Law's comic book "Felicity" and man that is some FUN! So much fun, I'm prompted to whip up a fanart of his main character Chastity '99' Fox.

Until Next Time!

Epiphanies.

2009-05-30T22:36:00.000-05:00

Whassup.

No new art today. But, as the title of today's post states, I've had many epiphanies as of late.

I found myself that my art really has no purpose. By here said 'purpose', I mean there isn't any spine to my art. Like, it's there, but it can't stand on it's own. Now I admit, I know I'm pretty good, but I also know there's that HUGE margin for improvement (we all see that in ourselves) that I'm at the behest of. So.... here's what I plan to do.

I need to get some backbone in my work, and by that, start doing comics. Now the thing with comics is that every time I get ready to try something, like a page, or whatever, I get either a) sidetracked, or b) sidetracked. Yeah. There's this fear of messing up a panel when I start something, or I just give up and work on something else.

So, like this blog has done for me, making me a more creative individual, pumpin' this need in me to always draw something, whether it makes you fap or it's a piece of crap, just SOMETHING; I think I wanna start a Webcomic. Since I'm no where near the level of sending my stuff off to publishers for a one-shot pitch, this will be a chance for me to get critiques and the like. I really wanted to always get into comics since I was a kid, and growing up, being humbled by all the artists I've seen that did comics, but also pressured knowing I have tons to work on, has delayed my aspirations.

So, here's to a successful chance of doing comics!

In other news, I am having an artbook made for this year! WOOT! Will be 24 pages, of full color art and sketches! More news to come!

Whew, TIRED.

2009-05-29T04:30:00.000-05:00

Man, I don't have much to say about today, other than one word:

SLEEP.

But, I did manage to get a sketch in at work.

ZZZZzzzz....

Randomness to the Third Power.

2009-05-25T15:59:00.000-05:00

What's up everyone!

I am so happy how easy my schedule is and managing it. It's a piece of cake. It's all just hiking back up that incline and I have to say far, it's going pretty well. :)

IN other news, as much as I don't like to point out the imperfections of Apple products, I have to pick a date and take my Macbook Pro up to the Apple store, so they can replace my left USB port. It's totally not working. And it's starting to become a pain, being that Apple still didn't choose to place more than two USB ports. I've been using a 4-point hub, but it's getting annoying since I shouldn't really need that. The pros about this is that I'm still under warranty and they can just replace it for free, but the cons are that it takes a couple of days - Lord knows why, since I know they can just do it in one day. But, that's one of the flaws with Apple. Whenever I choose to do so, this blog will stay updated each day, I'll just bear a couple of days with my decapitated-but-still-working Powerbook until then.

On to scrappy sketches:

I did this sketch earlier today before work, on the Cintiq, using the infamous "scribble" method that I love to employ so much. This is by far my best Spidey drawing, and this still looks bad. Live and learn.

These are just some random sketches and poses, particularly of a recent practice session I like to keep myself to doing regularly. Nothin' special, just a sketch of a practice session. Speaking of practice sessions:

A constant thing I struggle with, but managed to maintain a better skill with drawing the: Feet. I have, I wanna say, MILLIONS of sketches with the foot. This is just an example of how they look. Imagine pages upon pages of footwork. Yeah.... for you guys with foot fetishes. XD

Well, that's all I have for today. I'm working on some good stuff I'm not ready to show just yet, so stay tuned folks!

Wow.... One Neverending day.

2009-05-24T23:40:00.000-05:00

So after getting off of work, I ended up staying up so my wife could look for a dress for my younger brother's graduation. Yes, he graduated from High School, and I'm darn proud of him. Mostly because I slacked in high school and didn't give my parents the certain pride they deserved, so I'm glad he didn't follow in my footsteps. Buuuut.... back to the day.

The thing is I woke up the night before at 7:30pm, went to work at 11pm, got off at 7am, went back home, dealt with the dog for like an hour and an half, went to the mall, got dressed, went to the graduation at 1pm, graduation was god-awfully long at a strong two and a half hours, left the place, the infamous 290 (Eisenhower Expressway) was backed up as usual, so had to take the streets back to a TGIFriday's in a suburban area (far from the city), ate food, got back home at 7pm, went to sleep for 3 hours.... and after all that, I'm back at work.

..... yeeeeuh.

Well, on a good note, I have art for you guys to see. :)

A recent quickie sketch of one of my many inspirations in art, Rockman (or Megaman for you American people). This took about 10 minutes on the Cintiq during warm-ups. I love drawing Megaman, and if you can notice closely, my Rat Rage characters, especially Rai, is heavily influenced by Megaman.

This was just another random chick drawing. Seriously, chicks consume about 80% of my sketches all around, so be prepared to see a lot of them. Why? Because women are fun to draw.

This last one is a sketch of my bud Chamba's character, Melody Frial of Randomveus, that I did a month ago. Her design is fun, so every now and then, I'll catch myself sketchin' her.

Well, that's all I have for tonight. Until next time...

PEESHOUT!

Failed Sketches, Volume 1.

2009-05-23T23:42:00.000-05:00

So I haven't drawn anything today, I was actually beat down. So I took it easy and got my rest before I went to work. I'm actually at work now, but I've tapped into my reservoir of badly drawn images, just so I can keep up with my postings.

These first set of images, are some quick doodles of girly girls. The second being more impressionist than the norm. XD Grade A crappiness. :) But I did find some acceptable imagery of Rat Rage gals in my drive.

Don't you just love Nini's cuteness?

And here's Chase Bataka, Ruby's partner and love interest, badly drawn on a bike.

Last but not least for today/tonight (wherever you are on the planet at the moment), are some designs of an RPG game I was designing for fun. The characters are based on real life counterparts, such as myself (the first one named Kay) and my wife and some other friends I know. I really want to finish developing ideas for this, but alas, I may never come to it. :( Oh well. There's always another day.

Well, until next time folks! Tomorrow I shall have more goodness for you! Peeshout!

To Start Things Off Nicely...

2009-05-22T12:01:00.000-05:00

So, here it goes.

Been doing tons of drawing. I have this block that keeps tryna overpower me. But I WILL NOT LET IT GET THE BEST OF ME! Nuh-UH!

Well, I've been designing layouts for prints this year. And amongst that designing, I found I have a fetish for drawing Kei from Dirty Pair. Maybe it's the hair? Hmmm... That HAS to be why...

The first one I really went wild on, makes her look like a rooster. The second one, just playing around with the posing. And the third, I actually took some time on it. I started feeling the curly look of her hair on the third one, typically 'cuz it never has been done before. On to the next stuff...

Designing the blog header image was a stump to me, so I chose to use none other than my most popular OC, Ruby.

Number 1 wasn't the pick of the litter for me... Obviously, 'cuz it's a vertical image. Really didn't wanna work with that.

But number 2 DID make it! And the result is what you see on top of the blog! :)

Last, but not least, is a crappy drawing of Ichigo from Bleach.

Again, another failed attempt at a pose and anything having to do with the term posture in the art world. Plus, I was totally effin' up the hands and the hilt position. So, it's scrapped. One day, I'll draw a legit Ichigo image.

Well, that's it for now! HOLLER!