Apps I use daily: App Advice

I found out about App Advice when I was looking into the iPad. There site was very helpful in giving me in depth reviews about apps for iPad. The app itself takes the latest content from the site and streamlines it. The interface reminds me of iTunes also. If you have an iDevice it's definitely worth checking it. You can check it out here.

Location:Blake St,New Haven,United States

Games I can't put down: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is the sequel to the first generation Playstation 3 game Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. It's about the continuing adventures of the reluctant thief with a heart of gold, Nathan Drake.TV reporter Elena Fisher (she was a love interest from the first game. She's also one of the most well done female characters ever done in a video game.) is back and Sully makes a fitting cameo.(Victor Sullivan is like Drake's mentor and fellow adventurer.)

Drake is taking a break from treasure hunting when he's approached by his old partner, Harry Flynn and Chloe Frazer. (An old flame of Drake's but Flynn doesn't know that.) They talk him into going on an expedition to find the treasures that Marco Polo had on his lost fleet. I can't forget the game's ruthless antagonist, Zoran Lazarevic. I'm surprised just how many people he gets to off in the game. Basically the story is a masterstroke. I absolutely love the way it unfolds. The game genuinely makes you care about the characters. They feel like real people. I especially like the way they interact with each other.

The game itself takes the best aspects of Tomb Raider, and Gears of War and expands on them. You can go from running and gunning on the top of a moving train car to using stealth to taking down foes. It's all so seamless and the game only loads when you start it up. The set pieces are the best I've played in a video game. They all the serve the story and create a cinematic experience. What's hilarious is that the game is so captivating my girlfriend and her brother watched me play through it from start to finish. It's that good. The game also gives you some nice weapons to dispatch foes with.

Their are pistols, rocket launchers, machine guns, crossbows and more. Thankfully you can grab ammo from fallen foes too. Sometimes their are just too many enemies in some sections. (toward the end especially.) it isn't a huge deal though. Using stealth usually makes matters easier. His takedowns are mad cool. I have to mention traversing Nepal, Borneo, and Tibet is literally breathtaking the first time. The variety and the attention to detail make this my favorite game of all time. It's like playing a summer action blockbuster. I feel like starting a new game as I write this.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad (Anubis)

Location:Onyx St,New Haven,United States

Featured Illustration: Ultimate Captain America

This is an old illustration I did of Ultimate Captain America in Photoshop. This is the no nonsense version (He broke Hank Pym's jaw, and dropped a tank on the Hulk.) from The Ultimates 2 by Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch. I love the design because the mask is a helmet this time. That makes sense in the story. They did deploy him to Iraq after all.






- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad (Anubis)

Location:Onyx St,New Haven,United States

Comics Review: Steve Rogers: Super Soldier

Let me just say whether or not Steve Rogers is Captain America or not (It's Bucky now.) he'll always be my favorite superhero. Steve Rogers: Super Soldier is about the former Captain America in his new role as the head of S.H.I.E.L.D. It's written by Ed Brubaker and drawn by Dale Eaglesham. I won't spoil the story but basically Steve learns that someone is trying to mass produce super soldiers for private gain. He goes to investigate and stop the threat before it gets serious.

One of the things I enjoyed about this issue is the vibe. The art is top notch and it feels like 007 meets Marvel Comics. Brubaker has been writing the Captain America story for some time now. His attention to the core traits that make Steve who is are on full display. What I like is how he makes Steve seem human even though he's superhuman. I'd never heard of Eaglesham before but he does a great job of rendering the story. Steve's leap from a skyscraper comes to mind.(So well done.) I like how the style has a silver age look to it also.

I could've done without the inner dialogue during the fight scene but what can you do? All in I thought it was a strong number 1. I hope the whole miniseries is this consistent.






- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad (Anubis)

Location:Central Ave,New Haven,United States

Apps I use daily: Twitterrific

Twitterrific is the Twitter app I use for iPad. The presentation is sleek. It's very easy to post, rewet and find people. Recently I've been using it to network and meet my favorite artists. Twitter is one of the best ways for me to strengthen my web presence. I have the free version so it comes with ads but I don't really mind. I'm a broke cartoonist. I'll take a quality free app when I can get it.








- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad (Anubis)

Location:Onyx St,New Haven,United States

Featured Illustration: Bayonetta

Just put the finishing touches on my Bayonetta illustration. I tried some different blending styles for this one and I'm very pleased. I'm making strides in replicating my traditional cartooning style on iPad. Here it is. It'll also be on Facebook and Flickr later today.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad (Anubis)

Location:Blake St,New Haven,United States

Featured Illustration: The Reaper

This was an early Sketchbook Pro illustration I did of The Reaper. Basically he's a defamed knight in a medieval world. The Reaper is the protagonist in my fantasy story called Savior. Just thought I'd share. This character will be popping up all over my blog very soon.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad (Anubis)

Location:Blake St,New Haven,United States

Trying out BlogPress for iPad

Wow, this is a late post. I'm trying out the BlogPress app for my iPad. I didn't get the chance to post any art today but I made progress earlier. Thankfully I managed to put in work on my Bayonetta illustration earlier. I'm just about done with it. The plan is to not only speed up my drawing but my coloring too. New work will be coming starting tomorrow. I've got more inspiration than I can handle at this point.




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad (Anubis)

Location:Blake St,New Haven,United States

Featured Illustration: Isis Wingspan

This was the first design I made to represent my brand, Eye Of The Sun God. Isis is known in Ancient Egypt as The Sun Goddess and Mother to Ra aka Horus. This piece is a few years old but the vibrant colors still make it eye candy to me. I plan on revisiting her and doing another few illustrations.

Creative Surge

I've been feeling great about my craft as of late. It's like I can't stop drawing. Right now I'm in illustrator mode. I want to get pieces done to flesh out my Flickr and Facebook pages. I feel like I'll get back to comics shortly though. My main focus now is my girlfriend's Sketchbook Pro portrait. I've been working on it so long though that my inner perfectionist is popping up. So I'm taking on some projects that aren't quite as labor intensive. I started work on one of my favorite characters: Bayonetta from the game that Platinum Games did for X-Box 360 and PS3.

I always thought she had an interesting character design to say the least. Her costume is a real pain but it's coming along. I'll be posting that as soon as it's finished. Just today I finished collecting reference for new Euphony pieces. I'm really looking forward to illustrating those. I'm just going to take the time tonight to put my nose to the grindstone.

Apps I Use Daily: Penultimate

If Sketchbook is my favorite app then Penultimate is number two. This app just seems to get better and better. Basically it's a note taking app. The program lets you create notebooks that you can write or draw in.(Best with a Pogo Sketch Stylus) You can even choose from Lined, Blank or Graph paper. It's like having a Molskine on my iPad.

I haven't used paper and pencil in weeks now. Wrist protection and different font sizes and colors make this app a gem. I highly recommend it. I've been able to keep my Grocery List, Finances and Gym info all in one place. As long as I have this app I will only be using a pen and paper to sign documents.

Apps I Use Daily: Sketchbook Pro

Like I stated in my previous blog I'm in love with Sketchbook Pro for iPad. What started as a slow burn for me has now become a mobile canvas. It gets used mainly for illustration at this point put I'll be making the jump to illustrating comics eventually. Transparent layers are one of my favorite features on the app. I can go in, sketch out a figure and then start layering and rendering. Gestures can be used to undo, redo and bring up the menus. The shortcuts are definitely appreciated. The bulit in color wheel and guides make color selection a snap. Learning how to navigate the virtual canvas took a little practice but it was definitely worth it.

As pleased as I am with it though there are a few things that could be improved. For one you have six layers maximium. I would like to see that number increased so I could have more freedom. Also I think a program like this could use wrist protection like Penultimate. Other than that this program has been keeping me creative lately. I feel my digital work is on it's way to surpassing my traditional with this program. Especially since 90% of my art comes from my iPad now.

Featured Illustration: Egyptian Goddess

This was a fun piece to do. It was the third illustration I did in Sketchbook Pro. I was at my girlfriend's place and feeling creative. I had my Ancient Egypt book with me and flipped through it to find reference. I found a statue of Nefertiti and used that as my launch pad. I wanted to experiment and create a sandy texture similar to stone. I knocked out this piece in one sitting. It was important for me to tackle this one because I wanted to test myself with the program. Like Euphony this piece can also be found on Facebook.

Featured Illustration: Euphony

This piece is the first of a series of planned Sketchbook Pro illustrations. Originally it was going to be a t-shirt design. I decided against that because I couldn't do a full bleed. (I'll have to take it down at some point soon.) Euphony was inspired by my love of music. I wanted to tackle doing a more feminine design.

Someone told me she resembles Sade. I thought that was funny because I was killing Soldier Of Love at the time. The background is inspired by The New Haven Green. I usually do a lot of fantasy comics and illustrations.

While you can't really see music notes flowing out of someone's hair this piece still has roots in reality. My hometown to be exact. I think I'll do the entire series that way too. Sort of a homage to New Haven.

What do I use my Apple iPad for?

The purchase of my iPad 3G was definitely a costly one. I got the 32 gig and I was paying for AT&T's wireless service. This product was met with a lot of hate initially yet somehow Apple sold three million copies. Anyway I believe the iPad is a useful tablet computer. It's right between a smartphone and a laptop. You can surf the web, watch movies, read books and email and even create content. (Contrary to popular review.) I'm not posting a review though. This is about what I use my iPad for.

First and foremost I'm a cartoonist. I spend a large amount of time working in Sketchbook Pro. It's my favorite app and I don't see it being dethroned anytime soon. I would say 90% of my artwork comes from there. I was timid with the program at first until my stylus came. I went to town after that. That program alone would've warranted the purchase. I read more now than ever since I got the iPad. I'm always on Safari, Yahoo Entertainment, App Advice, The New York Times and SkyGrid. Those are some of my favorite apps for getting the news.

Marvel, DC and Archie all have comics apps so I love sitting in my chair and reading digital comics. If I want to take a note or write a journal entry I'll go into Penultimate. It's a handwriting app complete with wrist guard. I use it so much I'm starting to forget what a pencil and paper looks like. I get so many strange looks when I write with the iPad. One of my friend's thought it was a high tech Etch A Sketch. The only magazine I consistently read on it is GQ. I love the way it's presented on iPad. It just flows.

As for videos I'm usually on Netflix. I love having it on the go. It usually doesn't work all that well over 3G but if I'm at my girlfriend's place I'll use it over Wi-Fi. I've been into collecting Hip Hop music videos lately. It's been cool just going to the app to watch them instead of Youtube all the time. Some things I just want to own. Fitting the iPad into my life was especially easy because I've never had a laptop. To be honest though I don't think it would've mattered. My Uncle Bill sold his laptop after he had a chance to use my iPad.

As much as I love it I think it's the kind of product that you have to use for yourself before you buy. I personally think this is better than a laptop. Mostly because of portability and price. I think it's uses in the classroom, boardroom and art studio make it more than a "big iPhone." Although that doesn't mean I don't make calls on it. Ha! Ha!

Drawing with Kids

My day job is as a paraprofessional. I have a few years experience of working with children of all ages. One of the things I enjoy most about teaching is integrating my artwork. Three years ago I started doing work with Easter Seals/Goodwill's Youth As Leader's program. I did various cartooning classes with middle schoolers in the after school program. It opened a lot of doors.

I won a grant through New Haven's Office of Cultural Affairs. With those funds the children gained access to Adobe Photoshop to complete their storybooks. During the year I work at Augusta Lewis Troup School. Just before the year ended I decided to draw for them. They were a great class so I figured I'd reward them. There's nothing quite like having a classroom of kids jumping for joy over your art. I used my iPad to do the drawings quickly and keep things organized. Well that I wanted the practice. If you want to see how they came out they can be found on Facebook.

Cartooning on iPad

One of the Apple iPad's most alluring features were it's capabilities for the artist. I learned about Sketchbook Pro and I researched it. I was amazed how much detail was possible with this program. As a cartoonist I knew I had to have it. Sketchbook was definitely a steal for eight bucks. I had to have it. I had to warm up to drawing on this tablet instead of paper but I've taken to it.The Pogo Sketch Stylus is used to draw. I've been using it for a month and I'm getting results that rival my traditional work. It's so convenient to carry around a light, portable electronic portfolio.

Check out some of my Sketchbook Pro work on Facebook.