Recently, reading a collection of popular Japanese ghost stories called Kwaidan inspired me to create a comic based on the work. Since these stories were collected and translated over a century ago, I wanted to use traditional illustration techniques and media to honor its rich history.

With the help of Copic Multiliners, the lettering, background textures and shading tones have all been hand rendered using pointillism and hatching. By mixing simple techniques and rendering them using multiple pen sizes in the same element, I’ve added greater levels of depth and subtlety to these pages while keeping the style personal and unique.

COPICS Used: Multiliners of the following sizes: 0.05, 0.3, 0.5, 0.8, 1.0 and Brush-M

To begin my project, I create a storyboard on standard copy paper folded into a half-size booklet (4.25″ x 11″). This allows me to read it like a finished comic. I can see how things flow and make changes before spending too much time working on the details.

From there, I sketch rough pencils on Bristol board at 1.5x the finished printed size. I work them until they’re ready to be inked. For this step, I prefer hot press (sometimes called “plate finish”) Bristol board due to its smooth surface, heavy weight and durability when erasing and inking.

I use non-photo blue guidelines to mark the comic’s live area and trim guides. Turquoise colored Multiliners are perfect for creating guidelines when preparing your own custom boards. These blue lines will disappear when scanned, leaving only the black ink ready to be printed.

 

Figure: For basic line-work, I use the 0.05 Multiliner SP due to its precise nib that gives me really fine detail which stays razor-sharp at the reduced, final comic size. Before adding shading or texture, I complete all of the figures on the page. Once the outlines are finished, I move on to the shading and texturing of the figures.

Background Basics: At this stage, I only add basic texture and shading to the backgrounds. Leaving the backgrounds until after all of the figures have been finished lets you shade and texture them appropriately so they don’t overpower the characters.

Fabric: By combining pointillism and hatching, I create a smooth base shading with only 0.05 on areas like this kimono, followed by pointillism layers using 0.3 and 0.5 to create shadows and folds in the fabric. This is a great low-tech way to do your own shading screens (screen tones) directly on your artwork. By varying your lines and point density, you can simulate different materials, indicate the draping of fabric and create the illusion of volume through light and shadow.

Backgrounds, leaves: Once the figures are shaded, move to the backgrounds. I did the leaves using the Brush-M because its flexible tapered brush nib allows me to create that classic leaf shape with just a gentle press on the board. For each leaf, I held the pen at an angle and dabbed at the paper lightly, compressing the brush tip only hard enough to leave as large a mark as needed. To get a more realistic look to the leaves, I rotated the direction of the pen so the leaves weren’t all pointing in the same direction and varied the brush angle and pressure to vary the size or shape. The shallower the angle, the longer the leaves. I also created perspective by making the leaves smaller on trees that were farther in the background.

Grass: I rendered the grass with three sizes of pens, beginning with 0.05. By pressing the pen to the paper vertically and quickly flicking the pen upwards by rotating my hand backwards, I created random tapered lines. By flicking the pen, it caused the tip of the pen to lift in an arc from the paper, naturally tapering the tip of the line. For a more natural, grass-like look, I added in 0.3, 0.5 and 1.0, especially when creating the shadowy area and repeated the process a few (thousand) times! To get a smooth texture on this stone wall background, I used 0.05 for crosshatching.

Crosshatching: This is one technique that Multiliners excel at because of their consistent line thickness and ink density which is why I recommend them for anyone wanting to achieve this style of shading. By filling an area with an even layer of parallel hatches, the shading looks smooth. To create different shades or a gradient, I hatched in one direction and then again at a ninety degree angle. I repeated this in a third direction, or as many as I needed to achieve the darkness level I was looking for. For the textured surface of earth and rocks at the base of the wall, I used 0.05, 0.3 and 0.8 to create multiple layers of pointillism with a random placement of points. By intentionally building up 0.3 and 0.8 points in certain areas, I was able to simulate peaks and valleys which either caught the moonlight or were in shadow.

Lettering: Even though this page has no standard lettering on it, I wanted to show an example of lettering using Multiliners from a different page. Drawn at 1.5 times the finished comic size, I laid down parallel nonphoto blue lines 3mm apart for the lettering and 2mm apart for the leading (the vertical space between each line of lettering). Since I was going for a clean, mono-weight lettering style, I simply drew out the letters using a 0.3 for standard text and a 0.5 for bold. In this case, the Multiliners beat a traditional nibstyle pen and ink’s varied lines.

As you can see below in the finished page, basic illustration techniques can be taken to the next level simply by using a variety of Copic Multiliners. By switching between pens, you can add as much depth as you need to set the mood for your piece.

What Multiliner techniques do you use? Let us know in the comments, below.

For more from Alex, visit him online. Enjoyed this post? Feel free to let him know.

Website: http://AlexHeizer.com/
CopicColor: Alex Heizer
Twitter: @AlexHeizer
Facebook: Alex Heizer
Google+: Alex Heizer

Largely self-taught illustrator Drew Blom talked with us about having work curated into the Art for Hope exhibit, his art making experience, and using SketchBook Pro Copic Edition.

Congratulations! How did it feel to be approached by Autodesk for this art show?

I was contacted by Chris Cheung at Autodesk to see if I was interested in contributing a piece for their Art For Hope benefit book in partnership with Viz Media. It was right around the time the Copic Edition of SketchBook Pro (SBP) was released. I planned everything digitally, printed out and did a traditional graphite rendering, scanned back in and used the new Copic settings to create the colors for my piece.

I was pretty humbled to asked to be part of the Art For Hope book. It’s a great cause, I was excited to work on the piece  – and excited to hear it was selected. It was quite an honor.

Unless you’re a big name who’s having their work reviewed all the time it is easy to work in a vacuum. I’m not a big name so it’s kind of fun to see that the piece is making an impression on others.

Anything you’d like viewers to keep in mind while viewing your piece?

The piece was created as a cover for my story Calvin Hedge and the Iron Golem. It’s a story about hope, so it was a natural fit for the anthology. The story is intended to be the first of a trilogy of YA fantasy novels. I am writing and illustrating a children’s book as a precursor to the world and characters early next year. The characters in the image were not just put in to fill the composition. They all have a part in the story. Knowing who the characters are really helps me as I work on the actual piece.

Calvin Hedge and the Iron Golem, Graphite, Strathmore 500, Digital, 11″ x 17″

How do you normally go about art making?

I use digital drawing tools like SketchBook Pro for planning because it’s easiest to change, but for the actual work (rendering and line art) I prefer traditional media.

Every artist has a preference for tools and it usually winds up being the ones they have the most control over. Graphite and colored pencil are my go-to most of the time. Markers and pen-and-ink techniques are also a part of my process. I like the digital tools available because of the speed and ease of making changes. But I am still a sucker for the texture and depth of traditional media. The computer does “perfect” really well. But the hand of the artist is more readily visible with traditional media.

I did a talk recently explaining the process a little bit here. My part starts about 20 minutes in:

I use traditional Copic markers as well and am planning on using them as a monochromatic underpainting layer for a children’s book I’m writing and illustrating. After that I go in with digital color, similar to the SketchBook piece. I just need to start building up my grayscale collection of Copics.

Underpainting is a technique that has been around for a long time. In traditional oils it is used to define value and texture before a full-color realization is done over the top.

Calvin Hedge and the Iron Golem, underpainting

With the piece above, I used graphite pencils for the values, lighting and materials. It’s my version of underpainting and brings in the texture of the traditional media I’m working with.

With my upcoming children’s book I’m exploring a new process where the initial planning of the composition is done with SBP. The piece is then printed off and traditional Copics are used to lay in value, lighting and texture to the scene. Once the values are defined and the edges are contained with colored pencil the piece is scanned back in and a full color treatment is done digitally. This allows the texture of the paper and the markers to build up as they naturally would in a 100% traditional piece but also allows for the speed of doing final colors digitally.

What makes Copic your marker of choice for that?

The Copics blend very well, and with a set of grays you can lay in value incrementally. I like to feel in control as I’m creating the piece and the Copics are very natural and easy to reign in.

Have you been using SketchBook Pro (SBP) very long?

In one way or another, I’ve been using SketchBook Pro since version 1.1. I started out using it for storyboards but now use it for a lot of other things like planning out my compositions and coloring my final pieces.

How about SketchBook Copic Edition?

I picked it up the day it was released. I did a pretty quick update when the announcement was posted.  I already was using the markers so it was a natural transition.

It’s is a very natural sketching tool. Because I work on a tablet computer, I appreciate the gesture-based navigation. For coloring it is a bit different than I’m used to for my comic work, which is based on laying down flat color for selection and then building up volume. Its closer to traditional media which makes it very easy to get started with. You can tell the software was developed from an artist’s perspective.

The Copic presets are helpful as well. The palettes make sense and are great for narrowing in on a limited palette. The brush presets make the transition from traditional to digital media pretty smooth.

Any advice to people wanting to give SBP Copic Edition a try?

If you’re used to traditional Copics you’ll be familiar with the color palette. And the actual use of the digital preset brushes is pretty close too. Just like with traditional markers you can’t lay in light color over darks. It was a bit odd at first because I was used to standard digital tools, but over time it became an advantage because it kept me in the same mindset from traditional to digital.

Anything else you’d like to add?

Thanks for taking the time to talk to me.

___________________________
Connect with Drew online: http://about.me/drewblom

Visual Journaling

The importance of keeping a sketchbook can never be emphasized enough. If you can get in the habit of sketching every day, you will undoubtedly see great improvement in your drawing. According to Walt Stanchfield, who practically wrote the book on Disney-style animation, “Quick sketching is the shortest route to training yourself for capturing those spontaneous gestures and poses that are so essential to good drawing”. It is important to keep in mind that visual journaling is the capturing of events in your sketchbook as you perceive them, in your own experiences. Draw your breakfast, draw your lunch. Draw your clothes wrinkled on the floor as you threw them just as you got home, and record your thoughts about the event.

Last year, I traveled to Hong Kong and Indonesia where I experienced many things that I had never before known. Everything interesting that I heard, saw and read I recorded in my sketchbook as I explored these new places, and today I have a collection of images that tell a story far better than any photograph because every line that I drew came from my own personal translation of the event.

I call this process ‘visual journaling’ because it is the combination of expressive sketching and in many ways you assume the role of reporter, sometimes I like to imagine that something I am currently sketching is something I have never before seen, like a visitor on a distant planet or far-away land.

Try and make a sport out of sketching, call it a mental exercise. You can use these sketches as reference for later finished pieces or allow them to be their own works to serve as reminders or a chronicling of the past. Feel free to write all over the page, try to use text as a graphic element; after all, letters are graphic symbols that we have trained our brains to ‘read’.

Resist the tendency to worry what others will think of your drawings or writings, these can be completely private, this is your own personal diary as an artist!

You don’t have to visit some far-away land to make interesting drawings in your sketchbook. Simply take a walk and find a street you’ve never gone down before, explore your neighborhood, have fun, and keep it loose!

Copic products used in these images: Sepia Tone Kit, warm gray Sketch markers, Multiliner SPs

Find Jackson on the web:
Web Site: http://www.jacksonroot.com
Copic Color: http://www.copiccolor.com/Jackson

Share your illustrations with us on Facebook and Twitter!

Tell us about when you started drawing, and how you became interested in Manga style art?

My mom tells me that I was drawing ever since I was old enough to hold a crayon! In grade 7 my friends and I started drawing cats. But then I was worried that I would become “the crazy cat lady” so I started to sketch people. In grade 9, someone told me I looked like an anime character named Misa, so I started looking at some of the manga and watching animeonline. I fell in love with it instantly and started collecting manga. Later, I decided I wanted to create my own characters.

That seems like a pretty natural progression. How and when did you come up with the idea for PaigeeDraw?

When I decided I wanted to learn to draw Manga, I was frustrated with the tools and books available. I felt that the books I found showed the finished product but didn’t explain the process of how to get there in enough detail. So I started collecting manga comics and taught myself. Later, my friends kept asking me to teach them, so I approached my dad to help me find a way to make it easy for anyone to learn how to draw.

So what makes PaigeeDraw different from other teaching tools on the market?

In PaigeeDraw, I break every character down into as many as 29 steps, and provide instructions and tips each step of the way. I also provide detailed tutorials on how to draw hands, eyes and faces. Also, PaigeeDraw teaches users how to hand draw, not rely on digital drawing tools or expensive software like Photoshop.

Do people need special supplies to get started, or can they use what they have at home?

All you need is a pencil and a piece of paper to get started. But manga looks best using special markers and marker pads, which are all available on PaigeeDraw.com When I was learning, my mom had to drive me all over town looking for art supplies, so we sell starter kits that make it easy for people to get started.

The kits you sell to go with the application come with Copic markers. How did you first come upon Copics, and why do you continue to use and recommend them?

I first came upon Copic Markers from DeviantArt. Many artists that I love are on DeviantArt, and most of them prefer to use Copic markers when they use markers. I have tried a number of other markers, and Copic are my favourite! They are very reliable and do not streak as much as other brands.

Which part of drawing a character gives you the most trouble and how do you overcome  that challenge?

Hands and feet still give me the most trouble. Like most artists though, I love drawing hands. I look at images from artists I look up to. I always reference them for difficult poses, and for practice.

Do you draw your characters based off of real life experiences and people, or are they random ideas from your imagination?

Imagination! Many of my characters are based off of my dreams. Reading manga comics and watching Japanese Anime inspires me. The characters from the application are based on individual poses or hair styles I like. Sometimes, they are based on fashions that I have seen.

I’ve heard that you have a name for your character in mind, before you draw him or her. At what point do you know what colors you want to use for a character?

I usually just play with the colors while creating the characters. When I created the PaigeeDraw application, I tried to use only a few colors, so that people could draw the character without having a huge Copic set.

We know you’re great at creating mango character, and are considering Fashion Design school in the future. Do you have any other interests or talents that we may not know as much about?

One of the other things I like to do is bake. I have a lot and am getting quite good at it. I’ve made Melon pan, cream puffs, cookies and cakes. I plan to tackle macaroons and chocolate mousse in the future!

My passion is still art. I have recently been practicing with my airbrush! I have not included backgrounds in my application yet, hopefully we will get there in the future.

TEWSR1 displayed work in the gallery and did live graffiti work at the event. In addition to those at the recent Black Book event, TEWSR1 has worked with notable artists and comanies such as Cypress Hill, Snoop Dogg, Steve-O from Jack-Ass, Audio Hustlerz Records, One World, FIND Art Magazine and 5 Star Clothing.

You can go here to find out more about the Black Book event and to read attendee comments and feedback. Or view more of TEWSR1′s work at waistedtalent.com. We’ve pictured work done by TEWSR1 with Copic Markers in this interview, but his website will give you a glimpse at work he does in other mediums. 

You can also see his work this summer at the L.A. Art Machine International Urban Art Festivalfrom July 14-17th.

Tell us about your background and how art played a role in your life growing up.

I grew up in Orange County, California in a city without much of a strong graffiti element or influential art movement to speak of at the time. I began copying and drawing from comic books and old cartoons when i was younger. I eventually developed a cache of techniques and elements that gave me a good basis to start creating my own ideas incorporating my style characteristics. In grade school I created a small revenue selling sketches of Mega-Man and Tiny Toons characters, and it was then I realized there was a chance to make a living in art if I could learn how to do it well enough. I’ve been actively trying to acquire a better grasp ever since.

How has your work changed over time?

I think my work has become more refined and technically complex compared to my earlier work. I create with the intention to provoke thought. My art used to have a more cartoonish look and lately I have been using my knowledge of realism to twist my creations into a more tangible entity. It also adds to my style of graffiti work since the realism aspect in that genre is only applied by few.

What makes you want to draw?

My drive stems from my desire to learn and to constantly acquire new techniques to apply to my art, to achieve the caliber of work I’ve been seeking ever since I began this worm-hole journey through the world of art. I feel that if I never reach that point, then I will still be consistently learning new things in hopes of arriving there. That is what ultimately drives me.

Copic is sponsoring a Black Book event you’ll be showing work at. For those of us who aren’t graffiti artists, what is a Black Book, and why does a graff artist have one?

A black book is a way to develop one’s style and way of working out the look before actually bringing it out into the open public for all to see and ultimately judge.

Some use their black books to complete and fully render pieces of art and fill them to the margin with everything they’ve learned of hope to learn. I use mine mostly for brainstorming and concepts. Although I have been known to rock a mean full-page or two-pager, nowadays it seems more archival and useful for me to spend the time completing the works on canvas or illustration board. I will never lose the desire to throw something  in a black book thought. It will continue to be a staple in the arsenal of the seasoned graffiti artist and all other alike.

Who would enjoy a Black Book event like the one you participated in on May 21st?

I think this [kind of] event is for anyone with an open mind and desire to see some truly amazing work by some of the most prolific and talented artist’s around. It’s a great chance for anyone that has never had the opportunity to see first hand how graffiti mural is done from start to finish. And a great way to see how the difference in sketchbook techniques used by many artists with the same goal; to achieve a great looking piece of art! People can enjoy all this with the ambient sounds of some of the “freshest” D.Js out.

What’s the farthest you have traveled to be in a black book event?

Unfortunately, I haven’t been much farther than within California since the good black book events are few and far between. However, I am willing to travel far and wide to spread my art, wherever it’s needed, and not needed for that matter.

Have you seen the new 4pc Multiliner Pen sets yet? Now available in assortments of Sepia, Gray, Fine Black, and Broad Black, these sets just arrived and are already flying off the shelves.

The Copic Multiliner Pens are seriously the best inking tools you’ll ever pick up. The pigment-based ink flows smoothly, for a clean and precise application.  The ink is also archival, acid free, and even waterproof (test this — I didn’t believe it until I tried and failed to smear the ink with water).

To see examples of what artists are doing with these pens, check out the 2011 Copic Catalog, where we featured a number of artists’ work. Check out our Multiliner page for more information on other available colors and nib sizes.

Tip: if you’re thinking long term, check out the refillable Multiliner SP. The SP contains the same superior quality ink, but in an aluminum body style with refillable ink cartridges and replaceable nibs.

“What a great giveaway! I would love to see what’s inside this book.”
We had over 233 comments. Thanks to everyone who participated!

Book Giveaway

The Shadows & Shading book is now available at many of your favorite retailers, but we also wanted to offer you a chance to WIN a copy. Thursday the Copic Certification Instructors in the US and Australia are doing a Blog Hop!!!

Marianne Walker’s new book, Shadows & Shading is great for beginners, papercrafters or fine artists – this is the reference book you have been looking for to help you add shadows to give your projects more dimension. The book does not teach you to draw, but rather helps you know where and how to add shadow and shading. This is a wire-bound book that comes with 4 clear printed guides to help you add shadows properly on your own work. So far, people who have read it, love it! There is a lot to digest, so take it slow and read it often to let the concepts sink in.

Now, a Blog Hop wouldn’t be as much fun without FREE GIFT! Today or Tomorrow each of the blogs listed below will be posting an opportunity to win. You have lots of chances to win. Simply leave a comment and your name will be included in the drawing for a chance to win this fabulous book. You have until Sunday to leave a comment on any of the following blogs, including this one. One comment per blog please.

Please note, this contest is only open to North American Residents on the North American blogs, or Australian Residents on the Australian blogs.

North American Residents only:

Copicmarker Blog

Marianne Walker

Lori Craig

Sharon Harnist

Jenn Balcer

Jennie Black

Colleen Schaan

Bianca Mandity

Debbie Olson

Sherrie Siemens
If you live in the land down under, you can win by posting on the following Australian Blogs:

CopicOz (Australia)

Kathy Jones (Australia)

Mandi-Lee Klinger (Australia)

Follow the links below to see his Free Art Lessons, produced by Burning Oak studios for Jerry’s Artarama.  Each video is about 10 minutes long.
.

Adam Hughes How to Draw Eyes | Free Art Lessons.
Adam Hughes How to Draw Fabric and Clothing | Free Art Lessons.
Adam Hughes How to Draw Flesh Tones | Free Art Lessons.

Come use Copics in the Youth Room at the Oregon Asian Celebration on Febrauary 19th and 20th. Marianne Walker will be available to demonstrate and give tips on creating your own anime figures.

More details here.

Dan’s career began in print, creating illustrations for such companies as Marvel and DC Comics. After studying with Stan Green (Disney animator), Dan entered the world of animation working on two seasons of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, James Bond Jr. and episodes of The Mask and Wildcats. To view more of Dan’s work, check out his Copic gallery feature.

Dan will be in Eugene for the Open Lens Festival as Host. Dan will discuss his career in the film industry as storyboard artist and illustrator. Using pen and paper he will demonstrate his techniques, and share his influences and experiences in the industry. This event is presented with support from Imagination International and Copic pens.

Storyboarding Seminar
Sat. Jan. 29th
10am-11: 30am.
Tuition: $50. $25 Students/Festival Entrants.
UO Baker Downtown Center 975 High Street, Eugene, Oregon.

The following is our online interview with Dan.

Tell us where are you from and what are your education and artistic interests?

I was raised in Mulino, Oregon and was heavily influenced by television, film and comics from an early age. My education includes Clackamas College, Portland Community College, Portland State and apprenticeships. My artistic interests include classical drawing/painting and contemporary illustration by illustrator’s such as Jack Kirby, Patrick Nagel, Frank Frazetta, Al Williamson, William Stout, Dave Stevens, Howard Chaykin and so many more.

What is your earliest memory of drawing or making art/film?

My earliest memory of drawing probably be of drawing pictures of Batman and Superman when I was 3 or 4. I was always drawing and watching cartoons.

Do you have formal training or are you self-taught?

My most important educational experience comes from a course I attended, taught by Stan Green who was an animator for Disney, and my work as an apprentice for several comic book professionals. I was able to work as an assistant to Chris Warner (Dark Horse), Randy Emberlin (Marvel), and Ron Randall (DC Comics) on many projects including books such as Predator, The Warlord, G.I. Joe, Spider-man, etc. This helped me develop professional examples for my entrance into professional illustration.
My training for film comes from working with so many directors as a storyboard artist, which I have done since late 1989. Going through the process of working with people who have very different work styles has given me options in how to deal with problem solving.

What inspires you to create?

Figure drawing has always been my biggest inspiration and fantasy Sci-Fi stories in film or books.  Interesting people and subjects usually inspire filmmaking for me.  I’m usually most inspired by either reading a good book or seeing a good film.

What have been the various media areas of your creative life and how have they emerged and changed over time?

I was lucky to start my career when I did in the mid eighties, as many of the tools used by illustrators were primarily traditional. Pen and ink, pencil, and painting were the norm.  As an apprentice, I was taught to use both the pen and brush to ink drawings with and that led to my work as an inker for companies such as DC Comics, Marvel and Dark Horse Comics. Inking is a special art form, in that you are responsible for refining and finishing the pencil artwork.  Not only are you refining the work, but your also using line weights to add three-dimensional depth visually. These skills helped me when I started storyboarding on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from 1989-1992, as I was responsible for maintaining character designs. The influence of the computer coincided with my entrance into commercial advertising in 96 when I was illustrator/designer/storyboard artist at Adidas. I had been storyboarding for a number of years and decided that I should be more involved in the rest of the filmmaking process. In 2001-2, I went back to school to learn the technical aspects of filmmaking and almost immediately began directing, editing, and shooting my own films while in school. All of the skills I had learned in art traditionally were then combined with my new skills as a filmmaker.

How did you develop your particular style in your current work?

My drawing style is still very traditional and relies on my knowledge of figure drawing and perspective, which always come into play as a storyboard artist. Storyboarding is the art of visually mapping out a film scene by scene as the director tells it, so you need to be able to both have a good understanding of “film language” and be able to interpret the director’s vision. Watching film and taking notes has been very important in my development. You also have to be able to put your self in any spot the camera might be and draw it from that angle, usually very quickly. The process of storyboarding is a lot like the writing process, as you are interpreting the story visually and thus adding to the story.

Can you briefly describe your process in your current work?

I read the script before the project starts and sit with the director making rough drawing notes as he describes each scene. I will then refine the boards and get approval for that stage before I move on to finish them. Most of the time there are revisions reflected in a new version of the script or new/better approach to the material the director has discovered.

As for filmmaking, the process starts with research (reading or collecting everything you can on the subject) and then (in my case) contacting people to interview on camera that can then be combined into the final documentary. Having a good small team to help you with other roles in the process (sound editing, camera work, music) if it’s available.

How did you happen upon Copic Markers?

I found out about Copic markers from two comic shows I attended and then found them at my local art store.

What motivated you to use them?

I really like the variety of colors and subtlety between the colors. They also last a long time and blend well together. Those are all important elements when you want the work to look good!  Copic markers are very similar to water color paint in the way you can build up the color more gradually. In the end you have a work that looks more like a painting that a marker drawing.

Who are some of your favorite artists and why?

I have so many favorite artists hat it’s hard to list them all. Jean Giraud (Moebius) is one of my favorite artists, as he seems to have limitless amounts of imagination.  I like that and how it inspires my own work. Andrew Loomis was my standard for figure drawing and is still a very big influence. I always go back to the Loomis book if I need to know something!  Howard Chaykin is also a great influence for me as he uses a cinematic approach to his comics and is a blending of both comics and film.

What comments from a teacher or mentor have you received about your work that helped you develop?

I’ve been very lucky, in that I’ve gotten advice from many great teachers/mentors through the years. Will Elder, whom had both worked for EC Comics in the 50′s and Playboy told me that, “If you love doing the work, don’t let anything get in your way to doing it.”  I’ve gotten good advice from many of the people I’ve mentioned and worked with in the past. I try to use all of it!

What’s your favorite part about being an artist/filmmaker?

I like the process of making the work whether it’s drawing or film. Also, the reaction to the work when it’s done is satisfying!

What is the worst part about being and artist/filmmaker?

Trying to keep up with multiple projects can be hard, although I’ve always done it that way! Making a film and having to promote it afterword can be a difficult process in that it is changing gears so radically. A different mindset takes place.

Do you have any special or particular advice for others looking for artistic inspiration or wishing to work your artistic field?

Being a storyboard artist is very much like being a director, so know your film language (framing, camera moves, etc) and learn to draw fast and get along with people. Have fun doing it!

You can see more of Dan’s work and learn about him at the following sites:
www.filmbyframe.com
www.filmstoryboards.com
IMDb