Saturday, October 24, 2015

Inktober Days 21 and 22

Things got busy again so, these and the next 3 days will likely be super quickies. I'm looking forward to when my life stabilizes again and being able to get back to a few hours of drawing POST workday. The restrictions of Inktober have been good for me to get a better understanding of some things I need to work at.

It also has given me an appreciation for the time I used to have for post-work art when things were bit more settled.

Got a pair of eyes for you and a quick Edward Elric aka the Fullmetal Alchemist.





- Conduct Lionhardt

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Inktober Day 20

Okay, initially I was thinking of doing random days where the art would be inked sequential pages. I have a special project in mind that basically doesn't require a lot of set up or too much figuring things out BEFORE drawing. But I had a few shifts in my schedule and plans for this month that made starting that next to impossible (although...maybe some thing for the coming month. hmmm...)
Anyways, this is from something else entirely, a thing I once tried to get a grant toward but didn't pan out. In terms of story, I have this one fleshed out almost to every single beat. Its a cool idea that has only somewhat been tread before.

All that said, (and yeah, I know its vague as all get-out) this is a sneak peek at an important image near the end of a sequential series I will get to at some point, hopefully in the very near future...





- Conduct Lionhardt

Inktober Day 19

I really just wanted to draw a cute goth-y punk chick with attitude and cool hair style. No real story to this one. Laid off the heavy dark inks, though.



- Conduct Lionhardt

Inktober Day 18

Ming The Merciless!!

Any Flash Gordon fans here? (or, ya know, anyone at all? haha) Flash's main foe popped into my head and I decided to attempt it. My brush pen is gnarled somehow and line width control is a process. I'll need to get a new brush for inking, it seems. This Ming fared well, despite it, though. I might just start getting into a groove on these things yet!





- Conduct Lionhardt

Monday, October 19, 2015

The Act of Helping WITHOUT helping.

This morning, I had someone decide that I needed some "help" with my life going "better."

They proceeded to detail how I do not put in any effort and play a genie-wish game with God, looking for Him to just magically place everything I could want or need on a platter while I sit and put in zero efforts to make stuff happen for myself.

Sigh. There's a part of me that would love to detail how much I do to explain just how idiotic someone saying that to me truly is. Like, its BAD how off that sort of commentary on my life is. Especially this year, which has been my busiest year all around on moving a LOT of things forward and working a TON.

But, I don't think its worth the effort nor is it the sort of thing that would likely help the issue at hand.

Pride is a serious drug for us all. Its about time we realize that...even if it's unlikely humanity ever truly will.

Pride can create a hill upon which you can look down on other people with words and actions, even if you have convinced yourself that your perspective gives you grounds of which to "help."

Human beings have a great capacity and desire to step in when we see others in difficulties or circumstances. We feel an urge in us to do SOMETHING when its someone we care for. But, the trouble that can come from that is when the desire to help overlooks who the person IS, what the person could possible NEED to experience, and whether or not we have LISTENED well enough (or watched) to understand what the circumstance calls for.

Since we have a natural impulse to help, helping is good but, with the difficult web of existence and its many layers, "help" isn't singularly defined. It can be subjective. And it is the subjectivity of what "help" means, that can create a gap that is very difficult to properly, and respectfully, cross.

These are my three consideration which I use when feeling like I should assist. I am not saying my method is capable of being the universal means to do things properly.  I can only share and hope it is not unsound:

1.) LISTEN.
When someone speaks on things they need help with, take time to listen to the issue as well as to the PERSON. By knowing more about who they are and what they do, you will be able to figure out how best to be a REAL helpful friend to them. Asking questions, can also be key, especially full conversation where you leave feeling you have most if not all of the picture.

2.) ACT ACCORDINGLY.
After the first step, if you know there is something you can actively do, then proceed to do it. This can be as simple as checking in on someone, making a connection they might require, or putting in a good word for them. Sometimes we feel it needs to be this huge thing, like opening up your home or giving someone a sum of money but, often, just small but distinct means of helping can "assist" someone in their OWN EFFORT. That way they walk away feeling like you supported them but didn't do ALL the work.

3.) PRAY FOR THEM.
Again, this is my list so, prayer was always going to be a part of it. Sometimes the help needed is bigger than your network, or ambiguous than a simple phone call to an employer. Or, you might not be able to fully understand it from your perspective despite conversing fully with someone. Thankfully, I think God can handle things larger than your ability to perceive or the range of your reach. Often, I find, prayer is the BEST option. It not only gives you the chance to speak with God about someone but people tend to feel it is neat that you are asking your source of power or inspiration (whether they believe or not) on their behalf. If nothing else it very clearly displays your moral support without overstepping any bounds there may be.

Bottom line is, no one wants to "help" without actually helping someone. You'll feel bad if your effort to be nice makes someone feel like you're being ignorant or not nice towards them, when they are in the midst of crisis. I think that we should help one another if we can. Consideration of whom and how others are, should be the first place in getting to the destination of assisting, though.

Don't end up looking or sounding like a jerk. Be a TRUE friend who is actually helpful.


- Conduct Lionhardt




Saturday, October 17, 2015

Inktober Day 17

Now THIS is a bit more like it!

Broke my rule and decided to spend more than the shorten time length I said I was going to do and came up with this illustration of Kyle Barnes (as played by Patrick Fugit) in the upcoming show "Outcast" (which is based off the series by one of my favorite artist, Paul Azaceta, and writer Robert Kirkman.) Its an atmospheric and creepy book about possession and NOT for the weak at heart and easily offended. I found a picture of the actor and tried to capture it via attempting an Azaceta-esque way of drawing it. It's not how Paul would draw it, I'm sure, but I feel its a decent middle ground. Maybe. haha.

Best thing I've done since my Casanova and Friday Foster pieces. Gonna try to stay at this level going forward. Enjoy!


- Conduct Lionhardt

Inktober Days 14-16

Animated Batman, Mr. Freeze, and Captain Cold. Respectively. Sorry for the rush job on these and the shoddy pics. I need to work on finding the best lighting to capture stuff well.







- Conduct Lionhardt

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Inktober Days 12 and 13

Here's the quick ink sketch from yesterday and today. I have a TON of going down on my end and none of it good. Hence the dip in quality. In order to try and bring up moral, I may break my time limit rule (which I haven't even been using to its full length) and do something in the next few at a higher (read: normal) quality. We'll see though. Lots of pressure and I'm am physically not in a space that allows for focus on doing decent art.

Chief Man-of Bats (for Indigenous People's Day) and the Renee Montoya version of The Question.



(sorry, no links today)

- Conduct Lionhardt

Monday, October 12, 2015

Interruption

Sorry folks, I been hitting the daily posts with solid frequency (if not the best quality) but today I won't be able to make an Inktober post. I'll double post tomorrow.

Sorry again.

- Conduct Lionhardt

Sunday, October 11, 2015

Inktober Day 11

Today I give you a two-fer of DC heroines, Huntress and Zatanna.

I like each of these characters for separate reasons.

Huntress is an interesting character that comes out of the Batman family of books, in that she occasionally has killed and is a bit more morally interesting to watch go through things than, say, a stalwart character like Batgirl or Robin. You're not really sure what she may do sometimes. That's fun to read.

Zatanna is actually a great concept that (outside of Paul Dini's work with the character in animation and comics) hasn't really ever been done well. She's a magician in places like Vegas and what not yet, she also is a sorceress of the highest order. There's such potential for her as a solo character but she is constantly paired up with people or teams. (that last bit will be funny by next weekend. Stay tuned.)



- Conduct Lionhardt

Saturday, October 10, 2015

Inktober Day 10

One of my all time favorite female characters from DC Comics, is Big Barda. I always thought she could be a great character on her own but, the relationship between her and Mister Miracle is one of my favorite couplings in all of comics. Read up on her origin and, though its hard to come by, you should read Jack Kirby's Mister Miracle series as it details both that hero and Barda from their time after leaving Apokolips all the way up to their marriage. Its really great stuff.


(Sorry about the image quality. For some reason the lighting or something was off and this was the best I could capture today)


- Conduct Lionhardt

Friday, October 9, 2015

Inktober Day 9

I decided to do something now that was supposed to be inked later in the month, in an effort to help kick me out of my drawing funk.

As I am sure you may have noticed, my off-the-top drawings thus far have been beneath the quality I usually have on display here. Someone even had the gall to send me a question asking if "this is what it looks like when you can't trace with a light table?" Honestly, I can see why someone would say that, in comparison to past work I've posted on here. Thing is (and I'm sure you've seen this said elsewhere) I'm one of those "good art takes time" illustrators. I generally spend a day on the pieces of art I post and, if I ever can manage to get video of me doing a piece, you'll get a clear understanding of how meticulous (aka nit-picky) I am with every detail in the pencil stage. I put in the maximum amount of time in effort before I do the ink and tones (which go quicker than pencils, due to my having figured out what I am going to do after the time spent in that stage.)

Inktober, however, is a reality check and a challenge for myself. I limit the usual process by HOURS and I do the LEAST amount of pencil work that I've done on anything since...I dunno, middle school? It is actually, at times, debilitating how much the work looks so unlike what I, myself, even consider to be "how Conduct does illustration." I totally get the critical questions comparison can stir up. I'm the one making the most commentary about it to me.

So when you catch a peek at today's post (and, hopefully, the next few days worth...which I think will go as well) you will begin to see a shift in the quality somewhat. NOT like the majority of things posted on here before October, but certainly better than the last week's worth of things. I've made adjustments, I'm not selecting a random subject off the top, and I'm using my portable drawing board (as opposed to the last 8 postings, which were done sitting on a couch in random pads.)

I've found that making the trappings of where and how I work, as well as having proper pre-selected subject, allows me to produce a better quality cartooning. This should (focus and schedule willing) create a much better set of images coming from my pen.

But, ya know, we'll see. I would, however, encourage anyone who has found a rhythm in doing something, to occasionally attempt going at it different and shaking things up, like I'm attempting. You may do a face-plant. And that is perfectly fine because you'll find your limitations. Or. Maybe you will discover something that takes you further out than you were allowing yourself to consider possible.

I'll let you know what the journey of Inktober brings me to, when its over and I can reflect on it. Till then, behold: Black Canary!



- Conduct Lionhardt

Thursday, October 8, 2015

Inktober Day 8

A very quick ink-sketch of Mike Baron and Steve Rude's Nexus. It's easily one of the best indie comics of all time and has been going (in off and on spurts) since around the time I was born. I have bits and pieces of the series and plan on getting a hold of the lovely full volume collections Dark Horse has been releasing the last few years.

Sadly, things have been a bit rough and focus was off again today when it came to doing a quick ink piece for Inktober. I wish I had less things going on pulling my focus from art lately. I can't stand doing stuff that could rock with more time and better refining. Sigh. I'm dedicated to doing Inktober all month long, whether good or crappy art. Looking forward to when I get passed the hurdles and do some GOOD ILLUSTRATING.

Do yourself a favor and look into the series. Its really a neat and sprawling tale and Steve Rude is a MASTER of pretty much every form of art he's tried out.



- Conduct Lionhardt

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Inktober Day 7

Today's image is of Friday Foster. Who is Friday Foster, you might ask? Well, this is Friday Foster.

First time drawing her but, it won't be my last...



- Conduct Lionhardt

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Inktober Day 6

This whole Inktober has been a challenge. Having to fit it into a time of my life that is very difficult and unfortunately full, schedule-wise. I've yet to take time and focus well enough to have done a drawing I'm actually pleased with and proud of. But I dedicated to do it so you all have to bear with my lackluster quality until things get better or I manage some sort of breakthrough in limited time illustrating.

I chose Luke Cage and Iron Fist as today's piece since Marvel announced a new series for them, by writer Brad Walker and artist Sanford Greene. These two guys on a title is the second big step by Marvel to get black creators on books they publish so, for those who were unaware, it is kind of a big deal.

(I tossed them in Sanford's redesigned costumes. You might notice the similarities of the figure work too. Sanford is WAY better than I.)




- Conduct Lionhardt

Monday, October 5, 2015

Inktober Day 5

I've decided that the work I am doing on these posts for Inktober (done late in the night, and long after my best energy has been exhausted) isn't all that great for the outcome of things I actually want people seeing. I'm a pretty harsh self-critic and it is rare that I enjoy something I've illustrated when I look at it the next day.

All that said, I will be switching things up and doing my pieces earlier in the day as well as putting a bit more time into them (so I can at least not cringe at what I posted late the night before.) And, in a classic example of loopholing, I will likely draw a few of the subjects I already have to a far better degree of detail and quality.

I took on this challenge for a reason and its time to really use it to challenge myself and hopefully come out on the other end a better talent, for it.

Tonight's is a really rough sketch of a sleeping Ninja that is in a series of stories I use to get my niece and nephew to go to sleep. My plan (copyright pending) is to make the stories into picture books for kids. Here's the sketch which I have decided isn't close to the final look I'll want this lazy dude to have:



- Conduct Lionhardt

Sunday, October 4, 2015

Inktober Days 3 and 4

Double your art, this post!

Got tied up and wasn't able to post these on their individual days.

October 3rd was "Fullmetal Alchemist Day" and, being one of my favorite animes I knew I wanted to draw something for that. Unfortunately the day ran long and I had to settle for the logo instead of a pic of Edward and Alphonse. Since I technically didn't draw them it won't break my rule to do so at a later date this month.



Today, I decided on a quick illustration of Mike Mignola's wonderful character, Hellboy. Despite his gnarly look and the absurd nature of his story, I've always loved that HB was so down to earth and human, reacting to the weirdos and craziness with such a level of, "sigh, okay." I didn't realize it till now but this series is heavily inspiring the wandering aspect of a project I will likely start work on after Inktober.

Enjoy! I may attempt to take things up a notch tomorrow.



- Conduct Lionhardt

Friday, October 2, 2015

Inktober Day 2

Today's 2nd post and Day 2's drawing is of Matt Fraction, Gabriel Ba, and Fabio Moon's fantastic spy character, Casanova Quinn from the series "Casanova" published by Image Comics.

It's seriously a wild, trippy, crazy book that is about a spy but also about a million other things. Cas is always getting further and further into interdimensional hi-jinks.

here you go!


- Conduct Lionhardt

Inktober Day 1

After years of sitting on the sidelines and watching, I have decided to do Inktober this year!!

For those not in the know, THIS is Inktober.

Back? Gooood. While the rules for Inktober were listed on there for you to read, I wanted to us this as a chance to REALLY challenge myself and I am implementing my own:

1.) I will only use two ink pens (Pentel Pocket Brush Pen and Faber Castell Pitt Pen)

2.) I am limited to one hour max to illustrate. (my usual work is done in a few hours)

3.) No repeat characters/subjects


Cool? I hope so. I also hope that I can fit it in between my work and stuff.

Sorry that this post went up a day late but, hey, DOUBLE POST DAY!!!

Day 1's image is Cartoon Network classic, Samurai Jack!




- Conduct Lionhardt