Mission Log 5/28/17

May 28, 2017May 28, 2017 nelsoartLeave a comment

I have gotten the paper that I need, or prefer, to commence my work on the pages of my comic. The only thing that is special about this paper is that is tabloid sized Bristol board. which is nice, because then I don’t have to waste time cutting down paper to that size, it will fit on my scanner easily, and the detentions will be spot on for when I have to downsize it for the comic book size. It’s a win, win to me.

Beyond this, I have been working on other projects, researching other well known comics/authors/artists, making my small, small (cozy) studio efficient and organized as possible, and working my day job at an art supply store.

As far as Number 19, I finished the working cover for the first issue and now I will be diving into completing the pages. I hope to have it fully inked and coloured in a few months, well for the first part.

My current reading are:

TinTin
Hellboy (as per usual)
Mœbius’s The World Of Edena

And what books I’m listening to are:

Frankenstein
H.P. Lovecraft (all his works)
A Farewell To Arms

Libraries are amazing! If you don’t use yours; you’re missing out!!!

Cheers

Mission Log 4/17/17

April 17, 2017April 17, 2017 nelsoartLeave a comment

Still waiting on paper… Spoke to higher-ups and should be getting it soon, hopefully within two weeks. So doing final pencils and so on for Number 19 is put on hold. I forward my attention to making shorts and other small side projects that I’ve been needing to do. This included the revamping of my Tumblr and this website on how I present images, comics, and how things are organized. I’ve also turned to creating a short story-esque series called The Many Misadventures Of Theō which will be what it says. I’m currently working on the first short comic, three pages, and I hope to have it done by 4/22/17.

Beyond that, I am looking into new possible products to start making and selling, like enamel pins, stickers, original works, and signed prints. I would have to find a way to sell these online, maybe through Etsy or a online shopping things, like Bigcartel. If anyone has any suggestions, leave a comment or message me!

Mission Log 2/20/2017

February 20, 2017April 17, 2017 nelsoartLeave a comment

In short, what I have been up to has mainly been reading. Primarily books about how comics are structured and what guidelines there are for making them. Through that research, I have been focusing on finding and creating a clearer direction for my comic series Number 19. When I was originally creating the story, I had very limited prior knowledge making comics (Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud, and various comics that I got). With that, my first go at comics was good, considering I’d had no formal training or understanding and only limited time of guidance from the new head of the department at GVSU.*

The story itself is set and practically done [‘practically’ meaning that, if necessary, I will make changes or additions to the story]. What is still brewing in my mind is how I am going to make it visually, which is like standing in the middle of Times Square during rush hour and trying to take in and understand everything. I’m essentially trying to find the best way to tell this story, weighing the questions, and meditating on them. Is color necessary, or can I tell it in black and white? Should I use gray scales or ink-washes? If so, do I also use color too or leave it out completely? What about using color for flashbacks? Should I stylize things more? Etc. Most likely, I will still use the ink-wash and I will probably use color for the purpose of storytelling and design. That opens up more questions about what paper I can, can’t, or should use. Although I can do it all on heavy bristol board and color it digitally, sometimes doing things in the traditional manner is still the best, and that will be a page-by-page assessment. Finally, I still have to figure out what size I want it to be in, a factor that is also dependent on who I publish it through.

So I am reassessing all the questions that I skimmed over quickly when I made the preview edition of Number 19 due to time constraints.

The only constraints that I have now are my day job, my mind’s ability to function after a long day at my day job, and my personal life. To think I was busy in college. I am just as busy, if not more, but I am making less short-term work. That lack of making something new every week or day is strange still. I don’t feel as successful, which I know is rubbish.

In all, that is where I am at currently as of Feb. 20th, 2017

*Side story – So, In the second to last semester of my undergraduate, the head of the illustration department retired and the new head took over on the start of my final semester. Which was awesome because he helped to push that understanding and drive forward for comics more than the last head of the department could. Ed Wong-Ligda > Durwin Talon But don’t get me wrong. Ed was an amazing teacher and I learned scads of traditional methods from him along with all the amazing professors in GVSU’s art department.

Current Long Term Project

January 12, 2017January 11, 2017 nelsoartLeave a comment

As of December 2016, my current long-term project is Number 19, the story of a mutant bear cub, Theō, who has twisty blue antlers, telekinesis, smart-ass wit, and an unsatisfying hunger for ice cream. As a secret weapon made by an undercover U.S. government agency to combat the Russians in the 1950’s, Theō must find a way to escape the fortress lab and the evil scientist who keeps him there. In the process, Theō may find out who he really is and what his fate will be: a destroyer of nations, or a part-time fighter of evil and full-time, albeit out-of-place, ice cream and food critic.

I started this project as my undergraduate thesis back in February-March 2015 and finished the first draft in September 2015. I made the comic portion over a two-month and a quarter span, and exhibited the thesis portion of it in December 2015 for my senior gallery show.

Senior show space.jpg

For the past year, I have been revamping the script completely, adding more dynamic scenes, developing the characters, and making it all the better. So far, I’m about 45% done with the script rewrite. After I finalize the script, I will revamp and expand upon the comic portion of it. That process will take the most time because I am doing everything, from the penciling, to the inking, coloring, and lettering. So it is my hope and plan, if all goes well, that I will have this done by the end of 2018, if not sooner. From there, I will seek out publishers (DarkHorse, IDW, Oni Press, Image, or others that I see fit as a home for my story) and look into having it translated into other languages, especially Japanese, to tap into that market. So when this project is done, the first volume will be ready for distribution in comic format. This will allow me to start working on the next few stories in this series.

Yes, I know my way of doing it is unorthodox, and yes, there is no guarantee that this will succeed at all, but I don’t care. There are a lot of success stories of people who have gone about things their own way and have succeeded brilliantly. (George Lucas and J. K. Rowling to start with.)

Personally, this is something that I want to do and will do no matter if it makes me money or not. Which is how many brilliant things are created. The creator had an immense desire to create something, so the creator did without care if he was rewarded.

If you wish to support me, please consider donating money to me to help me fund and complete this project. That would be brilliant of you and I will be soooo grateful!

If you donate any amount under $50, I will mention you name in the thank you section of the comic.

And if you donate anything over $50…

I will work on setting up awards and prizes on a crowdfunding site for anyone who donates more!

Thank you,

Cheers,

Seth

So here is some early sci-fi illustration

December 15, 2016December 15, 2016 nelsoartLeave a comment

I’m not going to say much but this is a nifty article that goes over and showcases the original illustrations used in The War Of The Worlds. Enjoy

http://dangerousminds.net/comments/science_fiction_in_its_infancy_fantastic_illustrations_for_the_war_of_the_w

Nikon or Canon?

December 8, 2016December 2, 2016 nelsoartLeave a comment

If you have read my MAC or PC blog, spoiler: it’s basically the same conclusion. But in this blog, I will talk about my experience with both brands and tell you which is better.

For the longest time, Nikon has been known as the brand you go to if you want stellar photos, or amazing glass that’s native to the Nikon camera. But in recent years, Canon has been catching up to those standards, both for their camera bodies and glass that allows you to take stellar photos; just you’ll need to buy either third party glass or get their L series for optimal glass performance.

Now in regard to video, Canon takes the award for this. If you are to ask anyone in the film industry what DSLR you should get for film, Canon is what you’ll be told. But amazingly, (and it is) Nikon is getting better! With Nikon’s mid to top line cameras, you can now get stellar video and same function as you would Canon. It’s been a long road for Nikon, but they needed to do this otherwise they would lose the DSLR race.

So who is better, Nikon, or Canon?

To be honest, and you have to be honest with yourself too, if you look at the specs and what the cameras can do, it doesn’t matter what brand you start off with anymore. You can now get amazing pics with Canon, and you can now get amazing video with Nikon. You still won’t see many videos shot with Nikon because nearly everyone in the industry uses Canon. However, with the video that I have seen, it is just as good as Canon. Now, if you want to get into technical details, I will say that Canon does a better job with their color profile out-of-camera with a jpeg or vid file. The images will look more warm and more pleasing. With Nikon, pictures have more of a green tint, which works better with portraiture, but overall, it would be better if it was more warm. But that’s why we can shoot in RAW, which is the best option unless you’re a person who thinks that images should be perfect out of camera and no post, or a basic camera person. you use raw so you can color correct the hell out of images.

Now for those who already own a Canon, you don’t have to do anything. Canon is going to give you the best of both worlds and Magic Lantern. (Yes, Nikon NEEDS something like this.)

As for those who already have Nikon: great news! You will be able to use your great lenses to shoot video and have all the amazing functions that Canon has (just not Magic Lantern). However, you’ll need to upgrade to at least a d7200, but preferably a d750 for full-frame glory. Yes, all of Nikon’s 2013+ cameras support 1080p at 24 and 60, but they lack some of those wonderful features that the D7200 or D750 have. Or you can always get a D810a or a D610, but I personally wouldn’t because they lack some features and abilities that the D750 has.

You can start with a Canon rebel series, or a Nikon D3000 series, but’s going to be rough because they’re more basic intro cameras. For a Canon, start with a 60D, and for Nikon, a D5200. But even then, I would encourage you to dish out the extra money and get a newer model. I would recommend getting a full frame, preferably a D750 for Nikon or a 5D Mark II for Canon. That way, you have full frame glory, amazing low-light abilities, and a camera that will last a long long time (until the shutter dies, the fate that all DSLR’s have).

So it doesn’t matter what brand you get to start with because they are headed in the same direction. Your choice, however, is very important.

And here is why.

Lenses.

I mentioned these already, but again, to those who many not know, Canon glass and Nikon glass are not interchangeable. Sure, you can get adapters for old Nikon and Canon lenses to just use in manual mode, which is fine for filming. But then you lose the ability to have auto-focus. So if you want to be able to have auto-focusing lenses, you will need to buy native lenses or third party, which sometimes are not any better quality unless you are willing to dish out a lot more money, for at times, marginal improvements. This leads to a crucial question: does the gear you own take great pictures or is it the person behind the camera?

But I can tell you this. For Canon, if you want good glass, you will have to buy their L-lenses. But for Nikon, all their glass is good. Just I would encourage people to buy the full frame (fx) versions of Nikon lenses.

As with anything, do your research before you buy and weight the pros and cons. Find what fits your needs. After all, there are a lot more camera brands out there than just Nikon and Canon, and there are many different camera formats other than a DSLR.

And by no means this is a definite answer to which is better. You must choose that. And as always, it is not the camera that takes a great image or video. It is the person behind the camera.

MAC or PC?

December 6, 2016March 11, 2017 nelsoartLeave a comment

To be honest, it really doesn’t matter. There’s no “everyone should get this certain kind.” It does, however, depend on what you want to do with the computer. I have used both, and I would argue that you can get the same bang or more for your buck with PC as with a Mac. Yes, the operating system matters, but nowadays, as long as your specs are at par or beyond with the software requirements; you’ll be fine with either. This is especially since Microsoft has just released a beast line of new surface books and studio. Does Apple have an edge on some features or products? Yes, like Final Cut Pro, or Garage Band, other Apple-only features and programs, and some hardware advances like its Thunderbolt 3 . But overall, unless those and other small differences are a deal breaker to you, it doesn’t make a difference anymore. All that becomes a personal preference and what you are more comfortable with, not who has the better specs or performance. Unless you want to get into the nitty gritty on the OS, the lines are basically even. As long as you have a computer that has the right specs, you are fine. If you are just going to use Adobe products, it is a cross-platform program, except for Linux OS, which has its own programs and opensource glory. Mac products are great, and they perform well, especially when they are fully optimized for the powerful creation programs. But the same is true about PCs. They are just as powerful, if not more, than Macs and it is becoming clear that PCs can meet the mark for artists of all fields.

HOWEVER, in the latest upgrade to Apple’s Macbook and Macbook Pro’s, they are doing away with essential features, like USB and SD Card ports, which so far can only still be found on the old 13 inch, 2.7GHz Processor, 128GB Macbook Pro and the Macbook Air (which won’t be the best if you are looking for speed and high processing power). So if you buy a new Macbook Pro, be prepared to have to buy overpriced adapters for Apple’s forced and backwards innovation. I understand that Apple is trying to reinvent the wheel, but no one is ready for that complete overhaul yet, especially when the majority of the market still uses USB 2.0 and SD Cards. You can’t force people to accept a new wheel when majority of people still use the old wheel and don’t have the means to switch over that suddenly. Conversely, Microsoft is just improving the wheel, say”Wheel 1.2.” They aren’t trying to force change, but rather improve on how innovative and functional their products can been. They have caught up to Apple in the creative market spectrum, and it looks like they will do well. Based on that, I would argue that a PC might be a better choice than the 2016 Macs.

But wait, there are other companies? Yes, there are (which run Windows) like HP, which makes a wonderful gaming computer and has the specs to handle 3D software. And their ZBook Series is also the same and powerful. Yes they can be more hefty, but they are incredibly powerful and just as affordable, if not cheaper, than a Macbook Pro or a Microsoft Surface.

And then there is Lenovo, which also offers some beast laptops.

But WAIT! You can put Mac OS on a PC. I’ve seen it done. So, if you love the OS but want the function of a PC, look to doing that (AKA a Hackintosh). You can also put Windows on a Mac, although some of the features might not work because Macs are not touch-screen computers.

So, in all, there isn’t a clear winner unless you want to go into nit-picky detail about which OS runs better with “x” program, or if you want certain features. But in my opinion, it’s all neutral ground.

But with anything, do your research and find what best fits your needs and budget.

*Heading image was was found on google search and had no copyright restrictions.

Mission Log 12/01/2016

December 1, 2016April 17, 2017 nelsoartLeave a comment

Hey!

Seth here with another update!

SO, since my last update; I have been working hard on a lot of thing and unfortunately the blog topics that I have in queue have been set to the wayside. And that’s been for many reasons, which I will explain, but I will dedicate time this weekend to blogging.

So most of the blogs that I have planned are mostly done, just they need a little more to them and some peer editing.

But as for what I have been up to, a lot, this past week I was working on typing up script to my comic, prepping postcards to send out to potential clients, family gatherings, planning for what I need to or will be creating, some client work, job searching because I need an income until my freelance takes off, and crunching numbers; which is always a fun time.

So essentially I’m still trying to organize the chaos of my life and starting a freelance and pushing it faster than I thought has been stressful especially when my money supply is dwindling and I still need to do a lot of marketing and buy supplies. So you can say I’m good with financing and how to spend efficiently. And stress management.

As far as what I am planning for the next few weeks and navigating around the Christmas chaos. I do plan on making some Christmas, or festive stuff, on top of writing more script, designing a zine, and anything else that comes up.

So yeah.

That’s all I have to say.

Cheers!

If you have any question or comments; leave them down below or send me a message!

Mission Log 11/14/16

November 15, 2016April 17, 2017 nelsoartLeave a comment

So, It’s Monday and five days since I have posted last. At least on this site. So a quick update of where I am. I have created more simple icons for my blogs and created more work which I posted on my store and social media; which you may have seen if your following me. (links are on my site, please follow me, thank you!) And I have been working hard on a wedding invitation for a friends wedding, which so far is going great, Working on one of the layouts I designed. I’ll see how they like it, if they do, then I’ll put it through the final stages and I’ll be done and everyone will be happy. If not, I’ll develop some of the other ones and repeat.

Beyond work stuff: I went to a gallery show, went to a visiting artist talk, Aya Kakeda, at my old stomping grounds (GVSU) and had a few drinks with one of my besties and talked about life. I also dropped $$$ this weekend on marketing supplies, a present for my bub, and a 58mm soviet lens (Helios 44-2) for my camera, which I will do a review of it on this blog once it comes from Ukraine . Hopefully, eventually a video review, but I need more $$$ to buy the software that I want to use and other things I need. (Functionally I could do it, but quality wise, it would suck. I personally would want quality, plus I need to put out quality material so my brand [my name] looks good and so I can get more money so I can live and create more.) I have also been working on some more blog that will be posted eventually, that talk about meaningful thing and not just me rambling on about my life.

So that is where I am at right now. Hustling as much as I can so I can make a living.

Cheers,

Seth

Mission Log 11/09/16

November 9, 2016April 17, 2017 nelsoartLeave a comment

What I have been up to.

Lately I have been working on many things. One of which is finding a full time or part time job that can sustain me financially until this, my freelance, can financially support me. Which is the norm for many freelancers. They moonlight until their freelance making them enough money to live off of. Beyond that, my current projects include: wedding invitations, branding for a small company, short story illustrations, and my personal projects; Number 19, Dolly, photography, keeping up with my social media, and my website/blog. Even with those being the main projects, I have books full of backlogged ideas that I will eventually get around to. Those ideas usually go between blog topics, illustration and design projects, story ideas, and future plot directions for The Number 19 Universe.

So there you have it, that is what I have been up to lately. I’ll try to keep this updated every week.

Cheers,

Seth