Rotting In The Berkshires

Progress Report

2010-12-12T17:50:00.000-08:00

After a bit of a sputtering start, I'm going great guns illustrating "Little Old Adam Mantooth". I wasn't quite prepared for the amount of work it took to simply choose what medium to use. I went from working with pen and ink with water color, to markers and Dr. Martin's colored ink. I finally decided on painting it with Gouache. I love all those old Little Golden Book illustrations from the 40's and 50's. I'm hoping the end result will have that classic look.

During the week, I've got about 2.5 hours to work before I go to bed. Gotta get the kids off to daycare and school, then it's off to work. where I spend much of the day impatiently waiting to paint again. Here's what's on my table now.

This mess works for me. I know exactly where everything is. I could clean it up but it would look like this again in a couple of days. I am slob.

This is a pile of false starts, practices, and pencils . When I paint, I do all the drawing on tracing paper on top of the board. That way I can change the layout if I want. If I like what I've drawn, I'll flip the tracing paper over and trace the image on the reverse side with a soft leaded pencil. Then flip the tracing paper over to the original side and trace it for a second time on to the illustration board. When you're painting with a transparent medium, you can't really afford to do a lot of erasing on the board because if you chew up the paper your going to paint on with your eraser, it's going to look like hell. So I do all my erasing on the tracing paper with a kneadable eraser.

I'll be posting some illustrations as I finish them. Maybe some layouts and sketches. The blog will serve as a progress report. So check back in a couple of weeks.

This is the New Stuff

2010-10-30T15:57:00.000-07:00

This is what I had in mind for inking and coloring the antagonist in my story. This was quickly scanned without messing with the hues or contrast or anything. Just a mock up to see what it would look like.

Designing Stage

2010-10-17T12:59:00.000-07:00

I've written my first children's book. Now for the fun part!

Lookie Here!

2010-07-15T16:54:00.000-07:00

Here's a job I did for the state to promote gun control. NO! No, no, no. Recycling! It's all about recycling people! So do it! I DO IT! Bye-bye.

Expensive Box of Crayons

2010-06-21T16:37:00.000-07:00

Trying out new techniques with painting in Photoshop. I don't mind the fact that it looks like it was colored on the computer. But I want my paints to look like they were kind of slapped together. Almost hastily.

Lord of the Mechanical!

2010-05-08T16:00:00.000-07:00

Here's a nifty piece of art I did in all it's stages. This guy's name is Hank Hazzard, and he just swiped this robot from an evil genius. I wonder what he'll do with it?

Grumpy Frump & Pickle Puss

2010-02-21T07:32:00.000-08:00

Here's a collage from this weekend. I never have any idea what I'm going to do when I do one. It's like improv jazz. Not as nice to listen to though.

Goofing around with gray markers.

Heaving Toast

2010-01-31T17:33:00.000-08:00

This is a sketch that I ended up coloring and inking. I inked it with a marker-brush because it was super fast. Finding a good marker-bush is like clever dialogue in a James Cameron movie, Really, really hard to find. I have yet to find one I like. But I suppose they're good in an emergency.

Tender Vittals

2010-01-24T10:28:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time since my last post. That's the way it goes sometimes. I haven't been doing a whole lot of art lately. Mostly sketches and doodles. I've been doing a ton of writing though. Oh yeah-that's right, Writing. I'm working on my first Children's book and having a good time with it. I've always thought that I couldn't write a story because it never just flowed out of me. Like spinning a yarn, or telling a tale. I never worked at writing as a craft. I've learned that you have to actually work at it to make a good story. This may seem obvious to most of you, but it was quite a revelation to me.

Here's last year's Christmas card. The name on the gravestone has no significance. I just needed a name. Gravestones have those on them. So many people have come up to me and said, "Hey, who's Lester?" It's just a name friends.

Leathery Batwings!

2009-09-17T16:19:00.000-07:00

Hey man. What's going on?.. Nada. I'm kind of floundering lately with my artwork. It happens once in a while. I lose focus. I get discouraged. But then I create something that I know wont fail! I'm at the top of my game! This will surely be a breakthrough!.. And then goes nowhere. It happens all the time.

Perhaps I don't try hard enough? Maybe I don't carry it as far as I should? Perhaps. Maybe the wrong people are saying "no", and the right people aren't seeing it at all. The wrong people are dicks anyway. They're never going to be right.

I'm in a funk. Not a super-cool Bootsy Collins funk. A why bother funk. It's been with me for a while. I'm trying to develop a comic based around these guys who can't find a job. They go on different jobs and quit or get fired. The premiss is solid, the characters are designed. I just can't think of one goddamned funny joke!!

So, if there's two of you out there who wonder, "What's Todd up to?".

Nothing man. All dressed up with nowhere to go. It's a bitch.

Hardcore Collage

2009-08-09T18:19:00.000-07:00

Here's a detail of what I'm working on now. I'll have it done for next week.

If you're new to the Rotting blog, thanks for stopping by! Feel free to leave comments or questions about the art or anything that's on your mind.

BOOP.

Rubber Balls and Liquor

2009-08-02T15:05:00.000-07:00

Here's a collage I did. More of these to come. Planned out though.

Buy the new Doves music. Buy new OSI music. When is Maiden coming out with their new one? Steve hinted that it could be their last. There's a tear in my beer.

Colorful Roadkill

2009-06-28T19:36:00.000-07:00

Here it is in color, dear reader. It sure takes a bloody long time to color. More time than penciling and inking put together. I'm going to be doing more of these cartoons. I rather fancy them.

For as long as I can remember, seeing something dead in the road has always sent a shiver through me. It's a sad sight. When I was a teenager, I hit a cat. An orange tabby. I cried all the way home. It was someone's beloved pet and I smashed the life from it. It breaks my heart to think of it today.

I think I'm getting my period.

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-21T20:13:00.000-07:00

Here's a cartoon I did today that was picked from real life. I think it's the first time I ever finished a cartoon in a single day. Maybe I'll color it for the next post. Maybe not.

Anyway Happy SUMMER!

MOCCA Fest 09

2009-06-07T18:39:00.001-07:00

Sorry for my long absence. I've been doing a lot of inking lately. To warm up I ink a sketch that's laying around. This is Chimpie. And he just loves Bananas. I fancied it up with some pretty colors.

This past Saturday I was lucky enough to attend MOCCA Art Festival - Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art, that is. This isn't one of those comic conventions where people dress up as Super Skrull or Xena. This con is for independent and small press comics. The art styles and subject matter are incredibly varied from publisher to publisher. The highlight for me was getting Dave Mazzucchelli's new graphic novel "Asterios Polyp" before it officially comes out. Signed with a sketch no less! My friend Tim Callahan invited me along on his annual pilgrimage to comic book nirvana. Thanks Tim.

Despite the mild temperature in NYC that afternoon, it was like a crock pot in the armory. But it did not dampen the good cheer and enthusiasm of everyone involved, though there were some pretty stinky people.

It was a laid back crowd. So many great books! No amount of money is ever enough. I could blow a thousand dollars and sill not have enough to buy all the new books by talented authors. A splendid day for all.

I just asked Tim if he wanted to go get some dirty whores.

Speaking of dirty whores, there's Arnold Roth and Al Jaffe!

Sketches!

2009-04-26T16:56:00.000-07:00

This happens every couple of years. I clean up my drawing area and find orphaned pages covered with sketches, usually on both sides of the paper. Most of it is garbage, but sometimes there's good stuff. I don't consider myself a constant doodler. Or even a doodler dandy. I don't even really remember going out of my way to doodle. But I do sketch. Here's the proof.

Maybe for a project called "Steeple City" where animals and humans co-exist in a pre-industrial village. A very ambitious comic that I will complete. Someday. When the kids are grown and I'm old.

I really like that mouse. I'm certainly doing something with him. As a rule I hate cartoon mice. Mickey's a douche. Jerry was always a coward, running from Tom. Speedy Gonzales was...fast. So hilariously fast. Ignatz from "Krazy Kat" was cool.

I do love robots. I like the idea of people owning robots. It would be like slavery without the evil. There would be no uprising because we would program them to love to clean. My robot would cut my nails and shave my face.

They're Like Us

2009-04-21T18:56:00.000-07:00

Here are some super-duper exclusive pencils from the latest Tim and Todd collaboration. I'm not really sure when it will be out, or even what my deadline is. Our story will be part of a collection of other stories from other creators in a book to benefit Chimps. Or Chimp research. Or something. Anyway it's got monkeys cover to cover so buy a copy and help scientists find out why Mr. Buttons smokes so damn much.

Conroy's Layout

2009-04-11T14:10:00.000-07:00

My 5 year old son Conroy drew this one day and it blew my mind. He really captured flight and weightlessness. Also, his perspective is impressive. I would've never have come up with this at his age. Great layout boy! Although I'm not sure he meant to do it. When he was watching me color my version on the computer he asked "How's that big one going to fit in there?"(the cave). I'm also not sure if he meant for those little guys to be flying out of or into the cave.

Every child draws. Almost every adult says they can't draw. What happens in adolescence that makes us stop drawing? Is it not cool? Is it unappealing to the opposite sex? I think that people who draw well when they're adults never stopped drawing from childhood. They've just been practicing over many years. Maybe they have always gotten more out of it than adults who "can't" draw.

Off the subject completely. I saw a sweet little movie called "Once" last night. It's an untraditional musical of sorts. Good movie, GREAT music. If your ear is in a rut. download the soundtrack today.

Ninjawolf & Squidhunter

2009-04-05T17:23:00.000-07:00

This was my first collaboration with the very talented writer Tim Callahan. He originally wrote and illustrated the mini comic several years ago. When I read it, I was charmed instantly by Ninjawolf and Squidhunter's friendship. They're such dorks, but can kick some ass. A couple of years ago, I drew up these pages and the rest is history. We are both now extremely wealthy and Ninjawolf graphic novels are outselling porn and illegal narcotics.

These scans are pretty crappy. I refuse to rescan them because I'd have to do it in sections and put them together again in Photoshop. That's just too much work, even for this majestic, glorious blog.

More awesome team-ups from me and Tim are coming soon.

Hello Nobody!

2009-03-29T15:46:00.000-07:00

My son and I draw a lot together and sometimes I really like what I draw using his Crayola markers. This sketch was done with a Crayola brush marker. There's no under drawing. I don't even think I set out to draw a pig at first, but there he is.

This-here's a cartoon 'bout grabbin' a Witch's boobie. It ran in a magazine that I'm sure absolutely no one will ever see. It was called GAG! Howard Stern thought it was a gay porno mag, but it wasn't. It probably would've sold better if it was. GAG! was pretty much like MAD and CRACKED only less funny. It ran for a couple of issues then went belly-up...I like the art. The joke was stupid. "Colder than a witch's tit." Duh-har!

Damn Dog

2009-03-22T08:58:00.000-07:00

This is a true story. It was quite alarming when it happened, but now it's just funny. That dog was pretty gross. Her breath smelled like hot, rotten fish.

A Fresh Of Breath Air.

2009-03-17T16:58:00.000-07:00

Crashing down to a world on fire! Through a jungle of doubt (which is also on fire), I come swaggering in. Blogging all over the place as if I don't give a damn. "Have you no shame?!" People say aghast. "No," says I.

This shall be my new home for sketches, cartoons, and illustrations. And I see that it is good. Visit me often. Leave a comment if you wish. I will endure, no matter the criticism.

Acquaint yourself with some past works of mine. I will try with weekly posts. But I'm a busy man after all. There are lawns to mow, a wife to attend to, and children to discipline.