Sneak peek at my new Uncanny work. First issue in March is Uncanny # 522 then I comeback for a story arc starting with # 526...

Tribu-In progress

End of Innocence-in progress 222

End of Innocence- in progress

End of Innocence-color final

End of Innocence-color sheet

End of Innocence-layout

Here's a piece I just started called "End of Innocence". I 'm really getting into liking the quickness of this process. I have some Spawn work today so will try to finish this piece in stages...

Sketched and shaded in Sketchbook Pro then background and effects in Photoshop. About a three hour job. Trying to get into the habit of sketching something everyday as warm up to actually doing work.

Unfinished digital piece I started this last Sunday. I started a couple of digital paintings this last Saturday.

Recent line sketches

These are random subject line sketches all done June 27-29. Various mediums. Some traditional pencils, most done in Sketchbook Pro then roughly painted in Photoshop. Had some off time from comics so wanted to play around doing random designs. Just trying to show various styles and approaches I take.

Comic book digital painting

These are samples of my experiments in digital painting over the years thru out my comic book career. I've always been interested in the digital medium. Some of this was done on a Sony Vaio Wacom PC, the rest done on a tablet PC. I currently go almost nowhere without my 14 inch widescreen tablet PC to draw whenever in the mood. Photoshop, Painter and Sketchbook Pro. . .

Spawn design phase

There is traditionally not much time in a comic book schedule to do designs but here are the design sketches I did in searching for a new direction for Spawn. Traditional pencil on paper.

Recent line drawings: Spawn

Samples of line drawings from my most recent assignment the Spawn comic book.

Recent Digital Paintings

These are unfinished digital paintings started this weekend. (June 27-29) Looking at my portfolio I realized a lack of digitals with environs. So I started a batch of digitals. These are all done in Photoshop 6 (Just got comfortable with this version) on a tablet PC.

Spawn Art Process...222...Final Drawings...

Now once the layouts are approved the final drawings are done with an eye to closely follow the approved layouts because copy space is so important to Todd when he scripts. So whatever "space" we give in the layouts must be apparent in the final drawings. During the layout phase while Todd and I are talking he goes into great detail regarding alot of the minute detail he'd like to see in the final drawing, it's mood, it's intent. Sometimes like an animator he voice enacts the scene for me...suffice it to say these are long conversations and I have been told all of these conversations are recorded on tape...attached are various pages from #191 and a feww close-ups to show the care I take in the details...Whilce...

Spawn Art Process...step 111 Layouts...

Every page of Spawn is first realized in layouts of which then long phone conversations are had going back and forth between Todd and Myself regarding composition and pacing before they are finally approved by Todd. Attached are scans of Greg's approved layouts from #191. To save time on the schedule Greg and I split the layouts for this issue. As you can see Greg has a true artist touch that even in his quick layouts you can see perfect flow and form. Not all artist including myself can so easily do such precise layouts. My layouts are just rough representations of what goes where with no real indication of poses or form. Layouts in their true essence are just to communicate composition and placement of basic forms before time and care are taken in doing the final drawings. I include Greg's layouts here so that the non-artist can readily see what these layouts are conveying, and to show Greg's real artist touch...

Francis Magalona...

The Three Stars and the Sun...

Da Man and his fans...

That night in a club in Manila where our friendship started...

A good man has left this life...a good man and a good friend. So long ago to remember we met in a club in Manila. He was a comics fan, that night I became a fan of his "The Man from Manila". He was a crafter of words and thoughts. His lyrics gave his fans a mirror to watch themselves from.


A true creative giant captures the breath of life around him. He not only told of the societal ills that plagued our country and all other cultures but he also raised pride in being Pinoy, where there was so little. His songs like "Mga Kababayan ko" and "The Three Stars and the Sun" gave rallying cries to a generation. I was raised in the United States and was not aware of my heritage, Francis opened my eyes. He showed all around him that a Pilipino could be gracious, strong, gentle, and kind. He sold us on the fact that you could be all that and that you should be all that.


His long marriage to his beautiful wife Pia and his wonderfully bright children (all eight of them last I counted) are a testimony to his power to give and provide. He was always bright and warm and his family mirrored that. After a long eventful life as a poet, a man, a rapper, an actor, an entertainer, an idol/role model, a producer, a film maker, a businessman , an award winning shutterbug, a collector, a dad, a husband, and a devoted friend...my friend Francis Magalona went to meet his beloved maker...peace, my friend, I will visit you wherever you lay when I come home...Whilce...

http://francismagalona.multiply.com/journal

First attempts at speed painting...

Your Power...get out the vote...

During San Diego COMICCON I took time out to film a PSA with a good friend Patricio Ginelsa the director of the "Bebot" video for Apl from the Black Eyed Peas.

The commercial features myself and a famous Pinay DJ Kuttin Kandi and basically revolves around the idea that if you were born with our talent you wouldn't just waste it by not ever using it, just like you should not waste your vote...it is your right to vote...use it...

A brilliant concept conceived by a brilliant talent that people should watch out for in the future...Patricio Ginelsa. We've had long involved conservations about every topic under the sun, this is a penetrating mind with big things in his path.

Click the link below and watch the different versions of the PSA and browse his site and enjoy the other videos he's done...Whilce

http://www.kidheroes.net/yourpower/

Below is the version of the PSA soloing myself...

YOUR POWER (Whilce Portacio PSA) from Kid Heroes on Vimeo.

Next is the main PSA including DJ Kuttin Kandi...

YOUR POWER (Main PSA) from Kid Heroes on Vimeo.

Drawing I contributed to the Calgary CON...

Thank you to now great friends Kandrix and Laurie...my family had such a wonderful time at the CON and then the vacation with friends after the CON in Banf...my girls will never forget the snow and the moose...uh, reigndeer...I advise everyone to go to this CON and to this wonderful town and become friends with Kandrix the promoter and his beautiful wife Laurie the artist my girls love...cheers....Whilce...

Drawing of the Clown's face from Spawn...drawn on a tablet PC...

Spawn with Todd is back...

As reported by Wizard and Newarama I am the new artist on Spawn. Brian Holguin will come back as writer. And as a happy surprise Todd Mcfarlane comes back to the book. He will co write with Brian and he will collaborate with me on the art. I do most of the art but Todd will make a pass on my pencils so it will be a collaboration.

With this we have three pro's only interested in telling a new story. There will be a new guy in the foreground but everything else will be the same world we know and love. I liken it to the fact that thruout all these years the Spawn universe has been expanded by the comic book and the toyline but because of the nature of Al Simmons who is basically a private person we have only seen this big bad world that is the Spawn Universe but in glimpse's. Now for the first time we will be given a situation that will allow us to explore every corner of this vast Universe.

So it is new and all the same in the same package...it promises to be a fun ride...will keep you posted...you can also check out its official site...http://endgame.spawn.com/...Whilce...

Image is Back...

Hey, this year see's me officially coming back to Image as a founding member. We got together for the first time in ten years at San Diego CON last year and then at Atomic Comics in Phoenix and again in Chicago and San Diego CON's this year. I can gladly report we're still the same tho' maybe a bit more thoughtful and driven because we all have family's.

This past San Diego CON saw us revealing a brand new Jam Piece with all our characters and announcing a six issue cross-over for late next year being written by our newest member Robert Kirkman. For this project I have created an all new character called "Fortress". He will play a prominent role in the end of the crossover so my issue will be the last one.

Fortress is a character design I created a long time ago while I was in the Philippines. In fact it was gonna be a local comic book there and to be drawn by none other then Lienil Yu who was my student at the time. I have a watercolor/pen and ink pinup by Lienil back then so I guess you can say I already have a variant cover...so I just updated it for today and here he is. He will see life sometime the end of next year.

The main interesting thing about this project which cuts it apart from others is that thruout all six issues every instance Fortress appears he will be drawn by myself, that goes for all the other characters, Todd will draw every Spawn thruout all six issues while drawing one full issue himself.

I'll keep you posted of the progress of this book. Tho' I am now told that there will be a website posted specifically for this book and will have access by all six of us to post our updates as the project rolls along...keep ya posted...

I am also now the official artist on Spawn...leave the details to the next post...Whilce...

Hello Again...

Been away for awhile now but I'm back. It's been quite a ride the last few months. Been real busy with more projects than I could have expected. But I'm back to the board so to speak and now can tell you about most of them, there are still a few I can't yet mention but there is plenty to talk about so in the next few post I'll individually chat about what I've been up to...Whilce...

More ink samples done in Alias Sketchbook...

Here's the image on the laptop in prior post...

This is done on my Tablet PC in Alias Sketchbook. I've finally mastered the inkbrush tool and it gives me lines I am having a hard time reproducing in real life. And it is extremely quick to do. I don't do any finished penciling at all and with the undo key and the eraser onboard the tablet pen I do all corrections on the fly immediately as I make them. I am seriously thinking about inking professionally with the computer.

Testing for the New Year...

Here's to the new year. I've got a new phone with a 3M camera, a new tablet PC computer, and a webcam, all to better update this site...oh and most important a new huge project for this whole year that I’ll soon be able to chat about...2008 already looks to be a great year...

 

Happy New Years and a belated Merry Christmas...

Wow what a year...we've been to see alot of you going to CONventions all over the country thruout this year. Of course its always great to put faces to voices or e-mail's. Thanx for all the interaction thruout the year. It's been fantastic either drawing sketches for you all or transacting artwork. Getting to know you all out there is always gratifying...let's all keep in touch...here's to seeing you all again this coimg year of '08...

My two girls are of the age to trully understand the fun of the holidays this year and boy did they enjoy the season and I thru their joy. I trully am enjoying their childhood...

It looks like I'll soon be able to talk about my next project. I'm really excited about this one its a character I've never drawn yet and it looks like we'll have the freedom to really play with this Universe. The commitment we're talking about is a minimum of eight issues but can be open-ended so we're talking about doing some big epic things with this character. As soon as I can talk about it we'll do it on this site. I've already gotten the green to use this site to take you on the creative trip of this next project from the beginning thruout. Stay tuned and soon we'll start a new trip...in the meantime look for my three issues of Superman/Batman coming middle of '08...I'll leave you with a penciled page from Superman/Batman...enjoy...

Fifteen minute warm-ups...

Right click to download 17MB video (.mp4) file to your computer...

Been away awhile working and attending to my kids holiday festivities. For the last month I've been trying to do fifteen minute warm-up drawings every morning to jumpstart my days...here's a quick christmas gift, here's a video of me drawing a Storm sketch done all on my computer. This is about a fifteen minute sketch. It's all about doing a completed figure drawing within the time period, very little thinking and no planning. Just gung ho full speed ahead...this is definitely a thing everyone should do as much as possible. I also have a small series of sketches where I try to do an actual scene. I'll try to flash them together over the weekend for viewing...

I was hoping to be able to post what my new project will be after Superman/Batman but still have a few details to work out...will at least post a Superman/Batman image by next week...

Thank You Harvard Asia GSD...

Got back from Cambridge and boy did we have a wonderful time. Not only was the place itself just very pretty and relaxing but we enjoyed the time with the students. Brought me back to my own days in college. I was amazed at the resources that the GSD had at hand for its students. They had laser cutters to form realtime prototypes. Not one but four. In fact so much other gear that I had to joke to my guide that when I want to form my own ILM I will have to come to GSD to make my FX laden movies. It's great to know that our future architects are being trained on the latest gear.

The studio itself (and it is perfect to label it a studio) is a huge inclined open area space where each student gets not only a full sized desk but a large cubicle space to work in. All towards the goal of providing a real workspace environment for the students to learn. To say the least I was duly inpressed...

We were put up in the cozy Irving House. A bed and breakfast barely a block from GSD. We got a top floor room with TV and bath and wireless internet. The bed was so comfortable I didn't want to leave it. I usually like a hard bed, this was firm but soft at the same time...perfect.

We didn't spend too much time in Cambridge but what time we had free we spent exploring on foot. Everyday we ate at small places we found on the way. Last day we had a BLT Crab Cake sandwich...woooh...I loved it, so much so that that's my weekend goal to make my own sandwich.

So mucho thanx to all at GSD and especially Helen, Daisuke, Brian, John, and George...and all that keep up Irving House...Whilce...

Here's yet another way to upload tutorials...

This is a new video done on a real screen recording program, meaning a paid program called Camtasia. Notice the quality is crisper and it is done in real time...this is how fast I draw. Also notice the cool zooms. I've uploaded it directly to my server so it is on its own page...please click this link to see the 11 minute video...

Happy Birthday Dozer...

For the Wetworks fans...today is Dozer's birthday. The real Joseph "Dozer" Mendoza, my brother-in-law. He's a vice principal for a middleschool here in next door Sun City. Had a nice dinner at his house with his kids and I did this piece for him. Says he'll frame it and hang it in his office at school to remind his kids of "the ole days in the Navy SEAL's and Team WETWORKS"...

Harvard in November...

For those that will be in the Cambridge, MA area I will be one of the guest speakers at the Harvard Graduate School of Design this coming November 10. I'll be there by invitation of the AsiaGSD co-president Helen Han.

I'm really looking forward to this conference (entitled Space Rocks!) which will deal with how other art fields should relate to architecture and design. I love talking to people eager to learn, the energy a crowd like that gives out is contagious. I am told that students of MIT will be there too so extra cool. Here's the press release...

Again, if the gods allow will post from the conference...Whilce...

How to...

A member asked what I use for these videos. I draw them using Alias Sketch which is a great quick sketching program. Just load it and draw...it's set up for quick load and go. I might switch over to Artrage 'coz it has other tools allowing for more different types of drawing. Again this is also a program setup for quick load it and draw. For more detailed videos in the future I'll use the workhorse Photoshop.

Great thing about both Sketch and Artrage they have free versions. I use Debut a free screen recorder. It does high rez recording but doesn't compress as nicely as other paid software so I do compression by setting an initially small screen reduction size as I record the original video. It does the job quick and easy tho'.

I draw all this whether I am home, or in my backyard, or in my car while waiting for the wifey to shop on a brand new tablet...the Gateway C-140x. This is the first tablet made for artist. It has a large 14 inch wide screen. All other tablets traditionally have 12 inch screens to keep the unit light weight for portability. This again is an artist tablet so the bigger wide screen helps out so much in terms of how much more of the drawing I can see as I draw.

It also is the first tablet with actual new processors...mine is a dual core 2.o. Again, traditionally tablets have last years processors so as not to drain the battery quickly. So this is more like a new laptop than a new tablet. Traditionally new tablets are much slower than new laptops. Again in an effort to keep it small and portable.

So with this fast processor and its dedicated ATI graphics chip it burns battery cycles like crazy so mines has the HUGE high capacity battery which gives me up to eight hours of battery usage with highest brightness settings. Typically tablets with the slower processors and smaller battery's give at average two hours of battery time. Again this is perfect for an artist for extended drawing sessions. The tradoff is the battery is huge and actually extends beyond the tablet itself which makes the tablet bigger and heavier...this is a heavy tablet. It feels like a big 21 inch widescreen laptop. Some have said and I agree that the extended battery gives you a nice grip to hold the tablet while you draw. Again this is a tablet made for sitting down and drawing/painting not for portability...an artist tablet...

The dedicated graphics cards is fantastic so there is no cursor lag which made me stop using my old first generation tablet. This was a concern of mine because these Gateway's come loaded with Vista. I can draw at full high rez with Vista running underneath with full video settings and get no lag while drawing. In fact I have sidebar on at all times running to the right side of my desktop running a real time ticking clock and a small tv screen running the online version of the cartoon channel continuously while I work.

There are minor things that are slightly irratating but with the wide screen, fast processor, dedicated graphics card, and long battery times this is easily the holy grail for artist. Thru the years I've tried wacom tablets, dedicated Cintiq LCD tablets, SONY Vaio tablet computers and this is by far the best solution whether I am in my studio on a deadline or on the go at a CONvention...thanx Gateway, please let there be a second and third generation tablet like this. In fact, label this tablet specifically as an Artist tablet and strictly market it for artist only...I'll be there...Whilce...

Test...video uploaded straight to blogger...

The blogger loaded videos seem to be sharper. It takes much longer to load, but there is a higher limit of 100MB so the next one I'll post will be a full frame one (so the speed of the running video will be more normal) that might be the ticket as to how I will post art tutorial videos from now on...

Fires...

All of the pictures are of the huge smoke cloud that is San Diego taken from my backyard as I write this...

We're all safe here in Menifee, which is one hour drive from all of the fires. I'm in my backyard and I can see huge smoke from two fires in the south (most likely San Diego and Fallbrook and San Marcos) and then to the north of me another very large smoke cloud that must be the northern fires. Fortunately where I sit in Menifee is in the basin of a ring of rocky mountains (very few trees if any). Those mountains block all of the fires from us. So in order for the fires to reach us they would have to climb over the rock and stone mountains and since we were originally a desert here in the valley and again there are few trees anyways even if some fire did get in here.But then again you never know...

Up until two years ago I did live in San Diego and just got word that my area Mira Mesa where we used to live just got evacuated. Our real estate broker who still lives there said the air quality was real bad and the skies very dark. She says the airport is still open and so they might fly out to relatives out of state. And now we hear that the big Marine base got evacuated.

Unfortunately for my parents they left for San Diego to visit my grandmother the day before the fires and are stuck there since the main freeway connecting us to them has been closed from the beginning. Fortunately they are staying with my mom's sister at her house south west of San Diego very near the coast. An area full of ranches so the area is fairly cleared of trees so they are safe...

When I started this post the smoke clouds seemed to be flattening out but now I look out again and all of the huge clouds, especially the one coming from San Diego is now larger again and higher meaning renew fire activity there...6:13PM Oct 23, '07

It's just weird hearing on the radio or on tv or online one by one as each city of San Diego gets closed and evacuated...and they say this will go on til a minimum of thursday...let us all pray for the best outcome possible...Whilce...

Test 222 full figure...

Here's a second test..full figure. As suspected its a little more grainy. Got to do more test. This was a six minute drawing done on my new tablet captured with screen recording software. At original size it is sharp but the file is 8MB...once it goes thru the youtube process it grains out and doubles in speed...back to the drawing board...Whilce...