So I've finally solved my printing issues and I'll be returning to self publishing again.  I was happy with print on demand but it didn't allow me to give you the product I wanted to give you at the price that was reasonable.  

I've set up my printing plans and am putting the book together now.  I'll be doing a 100 page, full color artbook once a year from now on.  And my goal is to keep them 100% original material.  No Marvel characters. No DC characters. Just the drawings, sketches, doodles, paintings, etc. that I create.  I'll be doing a small print run of 1000 copies and they'll all be signed.

Here's where you come it.  Help me by suggesting a name for my series of art books. They will all have the same name with different volume numbers.  "Blah Balh vol. 1" for example.  If I pick yours, you'll get a free book with an original drawing inside.

Here's a few do's and don'ts:

1. The book will be filled with drawings I do for fun, in my free time. They are experiments and pieces that help me explore new techniques and styles.  Keep these ideas in mind for  a theme.

2. One word is preferable, maybe two.  But no more that two.

3.  Do not use my name.  No clever plays on Skottie or Young.

4.  Remember that it has to cover all genres of art and styles and be open enough to cover my art 4 years from now.

There, now you have a mission.  Name my book people.

Anyone have any tips on making a dry brush or something textured like that in Manga Studio?

I want to thank everyone who purchased copies of JUNK and CHEAP JUNK. I'm taking the books off the market for a bit while I look into a few more printing options. I'm happy with JUNK but was never pleased charging so much for it due to the production costs of print on demand. So, i'm going to be hunting down a few more options and see if I can't come up with a better solution to the make the book more affordable for everyone. It will most likely mean trimming the size down from 300 pages but I'd still like to keep it in color.

I know none of you are probably interested in any of what I'm talking about here but I like to keep you all in the loop. You're all fantastic with the support and I'd like to give you a great product. Talking with you about the product makes it easier for me to create it and a product that you all want.

So to the few of you who have the 300 page version of JUNK and CHEAP JUNK, you may be the only ones ever. Thanks, and I'll keep you in the loop in the coming weeks.

Take ten bones, throw it away and you have the newly priced CHEAP JUNK sketchbook. Now only $15!

[link]

Hey everyone,

For those of you who were sitting outside my house with pitchforks and torches because my art book JUNK was way too expensive... I'm here to hook you up.

I selected 100 pages out of the 300 page JUNK book and collected them into a smaller, black and white paperback titled CHEAP JUNK.  Oh yeah, it's also a fraction of the price you cheap m f'ers!

CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO BUY YOUR COPY TODAY

[link]

I wanted to send out a GIANT thank you to the DA community. I've been apart of the DA for less than a year and I already fell like this is my home.  The support you've shown me has been flattering and drives me to keep pushing myself and my art.  So thank you.

Another thank you goes to everyone for having such great 'favorite galleries'.  I've spent a billion hours searching thru them and getting inspired.

DA is my new favorite thing.  Bring on the New Year!!

After broadcasting a Draw Block Live I sped the video up and added some music for your viewing pleasure.  Enjoy.

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Every week day for the next month (or more) I will be updating my blog with a daily warm up drawing that follows the adventures of a world destroying alien.  Come join the fun.

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Seriously, my mind was blown today when I was linked to the New York Times

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Hardcover has entered the New York Times Best Sellers List.  Thank you all for helping make this possible.  We're all very proud of the book and hope that we can see it stay on the list for weeks to come!!!

Read the article at the New York Times

And if you don't have your copy yet, get it here

The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz HC

I hit the record button on my last Oz cover so that you all could take a look at the piece come together at the drawing stage.  I then print this out and ink it traditionally with brush and pen.  I thought you might enjoy seeing the rough beginnings of a cover.

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Thank you to everyone for all the support on The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. It's been a great run and you all have helped make it a great success so far.  For those of you that are interested, the hardcover edition collecting the entire 8 issues has hit the shelves of your local comic book shops and book stores.  There's a hefty sketch section with some process stuff also included.  It really is the best production I've ever had on a book and I couldn't be more proud.  Click on the link below to get your copy.

[link]

I'm going to start a new tradition here.  Every time I read a blog post or journal entry that is ranting about how they're writing or art got a bad review, how people don't get what art is really about, about the comic industry being destroyed by what ever disaster seems to be floating around in their head, or any other general negative thing that doesn't really add to the forward movement of things... I will do my best to throw around a little positivity.  This will help prevent my head from exploding and hopefully be an inspiration for you and I to go do something real...create art.  I would rather spend my time creating art and admiring art than waste one single second trying to convince people that my way of thinking should be their way of thinking.  Building things is so much better than tearing down.  Isn't creating something on a piece of paper so much better than ripping that paper into little pieces? There's not much you can do with the pieces at the end except throw them in trash and then it's gone.

So today, I want you all to post a link in your comments to your favorite artist at the moment.  It CANNOT be a link to your own work, this is about spreading the love others and exposing them to people that aren't aware.  So, let's get this thing rolling. Let me see some art!

The best part of my job is when I stumble into a friendship with the great artists that I've idolized for years, even before working in this industry.  One of those idols that I'm lucky enough to call friend is artist and inker Tim Townsend.  Not only is his talent above most of those you'll ever see, he's also an incredible guy, good friend and one of the BIGGEST fans of art that I've ever known.  This guy's art collection would cripple you in a matter of seconds.

People might know Tim as an inker, but he's also very good with a pencil and that leads me to this post.  He's collecting his drawings and allowing you to take them home in the form of his new book

MEANDERINGS: THE ART OF TIM TOWNSEND is available for purchase. [link]

Do yourself a favor and give it try.

While your at it, don't forget to get your copy of my new 298 page, full color, hardcover art book.  JUNK [link]

First off, my new artbook JUNK is available exclusively online here [link]

It's 298 pages, full color, hardcover.  It covers 3 years of doodles, sketches, designs, covers, pages, and anything else you can think of.  it's a hefty price, but this book is filled to brim for the die hard illustration fans.  Look for a new black and white book later in the year.  

And for those of you who want to wear a t-shirt or hoodie with a cute and cuddly ZOMBIE BABY, well now here [link]

You can choose from a wide variety of styles and colors for men, women, children and even pets.  Get yours now!

It's been awhile since I put out my first full color sketchbook, B-Sides (which will be available on a limited basis again soon).  During my time off everyone has joined the club and released their volumes of hardcover, color sketchbooks.  Everyone I know has a great 48 pager for me to pick up and drool over so I started thinking about my next release.  Do I just jump in line and put together 48 pages of art?  Now come on, you know that is not me.

JUNK.  That's the name of my new book and it's a beast.  300 pages of all of my... JUNK.  It's sketches, doodles, process on pages and covers, and much more.  It's really a little of it all.  I'm not going to call it a sketchbook because that term is getting tossed around a lot.  This is a collection of my art and it ranges from the loosest of the loose to the nice shiny finishes of a final piece.  You'll get it all in the book.  

I'm working out the printing details now so I don't have a solid date but it will be sometime this fall.  Even with a page count that will break your wrists, I'm trying to keep the price at $60.  You don't get much more bargain than that.

So, start saving and keep an eye out here for more details to be updated soon.

Thanks everyone!

For those of you that are interested, Friday July 3rd, 1pm central time I will be be broadcasting another episode of DRAW BLOCK LIVE SKETCH SESSION.

Come on over and join in the fun.  [link]

Another artist that will make you want to put all your drawing tools directly in the trash

Chris Brunner

I don't need to say anything here folks, you'll understand when you see the art.  He's new to DA so click away, blow up his spot, leave a comment and tell him I sent you!

Enjoy.

p.s. Make sure you browse the gallery with box of tissue near by, you will be crying.

So I'm getting back to the Draw Block idea.  I've done 2 sessions of live drawing on uStream and it's went very well.  I'm still working out the kinks but things are fun so far.  I'm trying to figure out a day and time to broadcast each week and when I get that info I'll be sure to let you know.

Right now you can do two things.  Follow me on twitter to find out when the next Draw Block Live will be and you can also watch the previous 2 broadcasts recorded at uStream [link]

It's all free, and it's all for fun. See you there.

I'm about halfway done writing my graphic novel and things are going great.  It's my love letter to a time in comics that I consider MY time...the 90's.  Not so much in the look of it, but the tone.  I loved the 90's era of comics because they knew what they were and didn't pretend to be anything else.  They were excess, they were flash, and most of all, they were balls to wall fun as hell.  From Lobo to Spawn, and Creed to Gen 13.  From Generation X to the Maxx and Trencher to Youngblood.  There seemed to be a little something for everyone.  I loved it!  So, for my first graphic novel, I've tried to put in all the things that made me love that period in comics.

Here's where I want your help.  I've been adding cameo and homages to creators that have played a part in my comic history and want to know who you'd like to see in there and what they would be doing.  

example.  I have a character named Rob L. Feld who owns a Comic & Guns store and below is a giant lab for him to make giant, sick ass weapons.  Like insanely big weapons!  Oh yea!

So, take that and reply your ideas.  If any of them pop off the page at me, i'll try to work them in and you'll get a special thanks in the book!

Let's have some fun!

Ok, the title is lame but the subject is amazing.  Spreading more art love.

Ryan Ottley is freaking AMAZING.  I met Ryan years ago when we were both trying to claw our way into this industry and have loved his artwork every since.  He can drawing anything, and everything he draws has an infectious energy and life.  Ryan can draw the great action you're used to in a comic book but also focuses on the acting of his characters.

I just finished reading Invincible Hardcover Vol. 4 and I just smiled from ear to ear watching him draw his ass off.  So, if for some reason you're not already in love with this man's art, go to his page and prepare to have a life long affair.

s.