Inspirational Sunday 2: Sandman

Sandman was a graphic novel series published by Vertigo Comics and wirtten by Neil Gaiman.  It  ran from 1989 to 1996.

(covers all by Dave McKean.   To see all of them, click here.)

It changed my life.  I rarely read something where each concept aches in how much it resonates with me and my own views.  I rarely agree so much with a fictional work asserting so many philosophical concepts.

Besides that, the art is stunning:

(Screw Thor, the Sandman's inclusion and interpretation of Norse mythology is far better.)

A variety of artists work on each issue, and switch out frequently in favor of letting as many people as possible have a hand in the artistic process of Sandman.  This is part of its glory and genius.  Also, it's known for its unique approach to the traditional comic paneling style, using methods sometimes favoring effect over efficiency--but overall considered quite successful.

Sandman is about the Endless and how they interact in various worlds.  The Endless are neither gods nor mortals nor angels, but concepts solidified, ex. Dream, Morpheus, The Sandman himself, who rules over the realm of dreams...which encompasses storytelling, sleep patterns, ambitions...a lot of things.  Including Shakespeare.  Dream's a really fascinating character.

(Just look at him.  That mysterious face is every goth's fantasy.)

(Gotta love the hair.)

The concepts within Sandman assert ideas that resonate strongly with my own, as I stated, and I've found them to exist in many philosophical and social contexts which I also agree with.  They opened the doors to a lot of material I have been examining for Shadowed Lives and other projects as well as my own life and well-being.  Many concepts seen in modern spirituality appear in Sandman, as well as concepts of fantasy and science fiction relating to the universe instead of singular worlds and peoples.  I have always enjoyed far-reaching works in this particular space, such as His Dark Materials and other works by Gaiman, and much of my own fantasy and horror work deals with similar setups of shifting places and the idea of a fragile, thousand-faceted universe of universes.....I could go on.
The Endless themselves have been praised for not only having "real" women in their ranks but for just being such enjoyable, believable characters.  They may be solidified concepts but they act as real people and feel as real people.  They are an incredibly complex, beautiful cast.

(Meet the family.)

Things containing so much mythology and history appeal to me.  I love studying other cultures and places through the stories they tell...and Sandman is so much about stories of various cultures and historic times.

The art itself has influenced my approach to character design, atmosphere, and technique, especially playing more with bottled inks and try for looser, more atmospheric work.  Also, the way each of the Endless has their own speech bubbles is really cool.

Delirium's speech bubbles include wobbly text and tie-dye like colors which to me suggest not just her...well...delirious state, but her constant lack of certainty resulting.  Also, I want to draw Emilie in this outfit really badly.

Despair's is gravelly and flat.

Sandman is most easily seen in Lance/Emilie (who got "Delirium" hair when I invented them, about two years before I even touched the series) and Liam, actually (his starling tattoo has a Sandman quote on the banner).  I  see so many of them as living by Sandman, in a way, since it has so many good quotes one can apply to life and how it should be approached.....

"You are alive, so live." - Fables & Reflections
"Everything changes, but nothing is truly lost." - The Wake
"We not only could know everything.  We do.  We just tell ourselves we don't to make it all bearable." - The Kindly Ones

The last one in particular I often include in bios about myself online (including this site) since that quote has really stuck with me since I first read it.  I was obsessed with examining it from as many angles as possible for a long time after and have it fully committed to memory.

(Sandman: The only literature I truly want to put on my skin.)

Sandman's inclusion of the queer community is also enjoyable...to someone such as myself, considering he is writing more than a decade ago about queers who were raised in the 70s, it's interesting (and upsetting) to see how society dealt with the community and to see how the community dealt with itself--the attitudes people were expected to present, etc. which can be examined through other works of fiction, but the fantasy inclusion to me makes it somehow more powerful.  This is, by the way, a subject you will probably see quite often on Inspirational Sunday....most of the comics and graphic novels I read are at least a little queer.  Volume 5 in particular contains a bunch of queer characters and allies.

(Wanda is my hero and one of my favorite characters in the entire series.  Also thus far the only trans character I've seen in the non-indie comic world.)

Now I'm all excited to go write and make some short comics!  Sandman does this to me.  I hope those of you who have not read the series are eager to pick it up now.  I've tried to stray from discussing plot too much, as there's too much I could accidentally give away....

NOTE: To those interested in starting the series, some argue sequence does not matter.  I don't believe this.  Some of the stories are indirectly related to the main plot lines, but they DO go forward and reading out of order will cause confusion.

Also, these stories work with some truly horrifying concepts and the art does not shy away from anything.  Nothing isn't shown.  If you are easily disturbed these may not be for you.

With that in mind, I recommend these more than any book, movie, band, artist...anything.  Due to their popularity, most libraries will have at least some of the issues available, which is how I recommend reading the books due to the cost of each individual volume.

Ink Spill Badge - Fox

I realized I hadn't posted this...my only take-home commission from AC, an ink spill badge for Fox!  I cut up a bunch of paper for these for future badges, the set size is 4x4" and there is a choice of white linework like this, or a layer of white acrylic paint and black linework over that.  Either looks pretty cool.

These are still $15 or two for $25.  I want to make more really badly, but I'm trying to cut down on taking many trades for the remainder of the summer and probably the beginning of the school year, unfortunately, so the only way to get much of anything from me for a while for anybody will be via commission.

I want to post a few other things, but I'm going to do that Monday, as it'll be text-heavy and I have Inspirational Sunday tomorrow. :)
Hoping to start another blog segment next week, for featuring other blogs, shops, and people taking commissions/selling work. :)

Inspirational Sunday 1: Caitlin Hackett

This is the first installment of Inspirational Sunday!

I'm hoping to do this once a week, in order to share what inspires me as a person and with my artwork.  I will be sharing and discussing music, movies, TV shows, books, and of course other visual artists.

I decided to start with Caitlin Hackett.

I may have mentioned it here before, but I'm very interested in rogue taxidermy (will make a later post about this, I'm sure).  Her work takes many elements I love about rogue taxidermy and the possibilities of the macabre.  Her delicate, detailed, loving approach to the anatomy she creates for her figures is incredible.  Being a detail-oriented artist, I look up to her work a good deal....which is a massive understatement!  

Describing her work as "Contemporary Mythology", she creates creatures with features combining both human anatomy and suggestions of tampering, like added heads, stitches, etc. elements associated with tampering, experimentation, and taboo science.  The blending of human and animal features appeals to me for many reasons, including my interest in anthropomorphic work.

The general sickly look to her figures as well as the aforementioned qualities to them greatly appeal to my aesthetic.  I love more melancholy macabre takes on monsters.  

I love when she uses features of baby birds too....I really love baby birds!

You can buy prints of her work here. 

And that's the first Inspirational Sunday!

Back from AC!

x-posted from LJ:


Had an absolute blast.  Got a few commissions (one take-home) and sold some buttons, also started a mailing list for my MLP paper dolls.  When they're completed and scanned I'll send emails to everyone on the list with previews so they can pre-order if they wish to do so.  I'm also going to to the same with a large Mononoke fanart piece that was in my con art book that a lot of people took an interest in.  Someone even offered to buy the original once it's scanned!
I made a ton of art as gifts and trades as well and hope to have scans of those from everyone soon.  As usual they'll be uploaded on my main galleries and on here, but I may post about name stickers, full-body sketches, and colored headshots over on teenycom on LJ now that I have some new, super-cute examples!

If you're interested in being on either list, please send me an email at adkstudioss@gmail.com titled "mailing list"!  List whether you're interested in the MLP art or Mononoke art (or both) in the message body.  


Also I still have many buttons and prints available.  1" are $2 each to cover shipping and Paypal fees, or $1 with any commission.  1.5" are $2.50 each to cover shipping and Paypal fees, or $1.50 with any commission.  Prints are $5 each unless they go together in a set in which case there is a discount.  I have many prints available and will make a page of current prints soon.
Paypal is adkstudioss@gmail.com.  Thank you!

Since I didn't get a lot of take-home work I'm planning out some small comics related to the characters depicted in Shadowed Lives since it won't be ready for illustration for probably another full year at least.  This is for my own practice as well as to stir up some interest and maybe get a chance to collaborate with other artists, since I still imagine Shadowed Lives being a collaborative artistic effort.  If you're interested in these, keep your eyes peeled.  I'll be posting all comics or at least links to them here.

Also, I'm going to be organizing to do more with my blogspot to make it more than just art, but also networking and advertising/featuring for other artists, indie shops, etc. and maybe post some inspiration-themed art and music shares and whatnot (linking to where someone may buy any music, of course).  I hope, in short, to make it more active on different levels than before.

And finally, I was included in Odium Comix Issue 1!  (WARNING: NSFW, mature viewers only!!!)
When I came home I found my copy waiting for me!  :)
It focuses on black/white art, mostly sequential/small comics, all dark/surreal, many but not all adult or even showing an organic subject matter.  A really varied zine, overall.  Some of the work is a little shocking/unnerving and to some may be considered vulgar, but I found none of it to be tasteless or un-enjoyable.  My piece is personal fetish work focusing on sex positivity and openness through the lens of something which to many would look like a humiliating, painful experience (I made this sound a lot less rough and gritty than it is, and a lot more deep...whoops).  I hope to contribute regularly as making work to fit Odium Comix got me out of my comfort zone, which is always a good thing.  I encourage you to check it out, but it will probably not appeal to many of my regular watchers--you've been warned.

Changing the blog! // Anthrocon 2012

I'm planning to change this blog a little bit by "cleaning up" the side bars and adding more clear links.  I want to add some other kinds of posts as well, like fashion posts, website finds/features (crafting, shopping, art), music and film reviews and shares (people will have to be willing to put up with things perhaps being based on when I see things, not when they actually came out), and some more regular writing updates as well, especially as I hunt down zines in the future.  Maybe some more comic updates, too.

I would love to make this place more varied and, to me, a little more professional.  I'd love to hear your input on this.

---

As I've mentioned, I WILL be at Anthrocon!  I leave tomorrow and return on the 18th.  You can find me in the artist's alley on Friday and possibly Saturday, but I'm starting to doubt that I'll be doing that since there's some other events I'd like to do on Saturday.

I will be selling prints, buttons, and originals and I will be offering commissions.

Prints will be $5 each, or three for $12.  Some prints go together in sets and will be discounted accordingly.  I only have ACEO prints currently.

Some originals will come with WIPs, such as preliminary sketches or ink work later transferred.  I will have general audience, adult, and observational works.

I'll be selling my ACEO originals for $15, pairs will be marked accordingly.

I'll be taking MLP, headshot, and bust work sketched, inked, or colored ($2-10).  I'll be taking full body sketches ($7+).  I'll be taking larger commissions home.  I'll be taking name stickers ($4).

I'll have three different buttons available for $1 and $1.50 according to size.

My friend and co-writer Hannah will be with me as well and will have some amigarumi turtles and crocheted flower headbands available!  I can attest from all the adorable things she's given me or traded for over the years that her work is excellent.

Feel free to say hello to me if you see me, I'll have my mohawk pulled up in a short ponytail but will most likely NOT have my typical purple bangs since I'm recovering from a skin reaction to a medication and feel uncomfortable with trying out bleach on my hair until I've completely stopped having flare-ups.

 Prepping for AC and being generally busy.  Finally done being sick too.  So, a few outstanding badges and a few sketches.  I'm going to scan some of my pony girls tomorrow and hopefully two headshots I finished, they keep getting pushed back to other scanning sessions.....been SUPER busy!

Badge for myself for AC.  Another example of my Ink Spill badges, this one without white paint.

Fancy badge for Fox for AC.  Trying out a new paper pack, I like it quite a bit. 

Name Sticker badges for Boe for AC!

Anatomically incorrect Merri and kinky Merri.  And Parenthetical Girls lyrics.  (from 2011)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrDrgaE5UKA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJ4BHCZ1ZJ8

Lyrics from above songs. 

And finally....I really like Legend of Korra, even more than the original series now...<3 and Bolin is Liam's SPIRIT ANIMAL.  He would totally crush on Bolin so hard too so naturally I had to draw it.

Also I hate Mako x Korra.  A lot.  You can guess I prefer Borra.

Lance/Emilie--new ref!

Just a heads-up that I updated Lance/Emilie's character page with a new reference sheet and updated information.
http://mylovelyastronaut.blogspot.com/2010/11/lancelot-emilie-baker.html

New ref's pose was somewhat referenced from Donatello's David , which is my favorite David.  I also really like Bernini's David.  Or anything by Bernini.  Not at all fond of Michelangelo's David in comparison, while still a fine work of art the others are often unfairly overshadowed for being in my opinion far more complex and interesting.

Wanted to try doing some dualistic poses to show the differences between each form/body as well as which moods/attitudes are more likely to be shown in each.

I had wanted to pick a nice, symbolic flower but gave up when I couldn't find any symbolizing androgyny or masculinity that was also not supremely difficult to fit in the space, since I kind of did the flowers last.....