Being Interesting is Hard Work

Let me suggest these hairstyles to really make you stand out, whether you're making copies in the workplace or perusing expensive handbags at the mall.

Still trying to stay loose

Another Pirate

I'd like to show some of my process on this guy. It's not that I think he's all that great, but trying to balance several elements in his design has been a challenge and it might be helpful to talk about it. 

Perhaps tomorrow?

Buster Keaton

If only Buster Keaton had lived 50-60 years longer and never aged, he could have been in movies like this.

Profile

New Banner

For all our google reader followers, I'd like to invite you to come on down to the site and see our new banner! Made by myself with some consultation and invaluable aid from this blog's very own, Scott Gwynn.

Big Guys

Loosey-Goosey

Having been inspired by Nima, I've tried approaching the character designs to a comic my wife's uncle wants me to help him make. This requires staying loose, and trying to keep it fun... I don't know if either of these will be used but... I had fun doing it. It's fun to play with textures. I'm kind of a sucker for it. And I've been trying to make it look less like it was done on a computer...

More for Book 2

Here's a spread without text. This little dud shows the space lizard how to make work easier by using simple machines. The characters were not specified by the test in the book so I tried to make it interesting.

A fishman/alien and a general

This is to make up for the lack of ladies. It just didn't come together today. The fish alien pic was supposed to be cool but then I ran out of steam, but learned a lot in the process.

And this is a general I drew when I couldn't sleep last night.

Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel

My brother called me late Sunday night asking for some illustrations for his Euro History paper about Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel that was due tomorrow. Good kid, but like everyone else I talk to, has no idea how long it takes to do something like this. I worked on them all day today and finished at 8. I like some of these, but not all of them. And there's some Mike consistency problems, but I didn't have enough time to make a lot of adjustments. It did give me a chance to continue working with a variation of the look I used on "Eating and Peeing".

PS The last half of ladies week will hopefully return tomorrow. See you then!

Farmer Walking a...

Spacelizard

I'm finishing up with the first book (Little Brother) for work and here's the character for my second book. I have to finish 20 pages in less than a week and a half. There are so many things I wanted to do for these books but there wasn't time. I've tried to make it as interesting as possible under those constraints.

Quick Color Study/Ripoff

Day Off From Ladies Week:

The day off was unintentional but the following took longer to make than I thought it would:

Hard Labor

Ladies Week: Day 3 (+Bonus Self Portrait)

Tried to make this one more exciting....  (Also, it was originally flipped 180 degrees) Problem: How do I get the colors that I see in Photoshop to be the same one's that I see after I've exported the JPG? Both of these pics should be slightly more subdued...

I need to change my profile pic. I think I'm going to go with this...

Pose Exercise

Recently, as a way of forcing myself to apply what I've learned in figure drawing, I've started a new exercise.  Basically I've been trying to pull natural poses out of my head. What good is observational drawing if you can't apply it solidly? 

Anyway, it's been a challenge. This drawing is the result of about five other scribbles finally ending with this rough drawing. 

Ladies Week: Day 2 (+ Bonus Pic)

We'll definitely keep on working on this...

Also, I was a little more pleased with Uni-Man than with that lady, so here he is too.

Ladies' Week: Day 1

So, I SUCK at drawings persons of a feminine persuasion. If you look through my sketch you will find LOTS of dudes (many of them smoking pipes) but very few ladies. In order to rectify that I will be only drawing women all this week for the blog. I didn't get to put in as much time for today's as I would like which is why it is only a head, but expect better tomorrow. The lightness of the lines is a symbol of my timidness when it comes to drawing women.

Captain Bonzo

This astute figure and his crew of sophisticated gentlemen are in search of treasure... It's their treasure and they can't remember where they left it. 

Which Arm?

Yesterday's post, but blogger was down last night.

Monster-thing

I don't usually draw like this b/c while I might feel pretty good about it now, I'll hate it in the morning. Oh well, no pain no gain.

Happy Mad Scientist

He's suposed to have some massive, crazy-dangerous looking, black robot behind him. Hopefully I'll get around to that as well.  

Children Studies

Tea Party

Sea Flats

Jeff, I saw your animation and decided it needed a little somethin'. If it fits within your vision of course. Maybe some background flats would be cool as well? 

WIP Deep Sea Gentleman

I have terribly little to do at work right now... I'm working full-time with no assignments. So I've spent the last 2 days working on this... If this keeps up, I could have a short film in 2 weeks... I have some pretty cool ideas and a pretty specific idea of how this will proceed...

Deepsea Gentleman Test from Jeff Call on Vimeo.

Gentleman Cyborg

Meet Walter Cambowitz: an average, white, New England gentleman, who lives the upper-crust life we all wish to live. Until one day...

Will Walter be able to figure out what has happened to him? And how will this new arm affect his polo game? Will he ever be able to explain himself to Mary Peppercash, his beautiful and wealthy fiancé (who, unbenownst to Walter, has also found herself transformed into a mechanical monstrosity)?

Tune in next time for another gentrified episode of:

WALTER CAMBOWITZ: GENTLEMAN CYYYYYYBOOOOOOOOORRG!!!

Ballard the Space Mallard

The duck drawing from last Friday got me drawing ducks in space suits over the weekend in my sketchbook. I'm thinking: some tweaks, and then a t-shirt. Critique encouraged.

Ralph Fox!

I'm still hoping to work this up into a retro movie poster type thing. He needs a cooler suite. 

Herge Studies

Been trying to figure out what I find so appealing about the art of TINTIN... so I've been replicating his work.

A Swift and Cunning Warrior

I was feeling pretty happy with this guy after I inked him up, but then I took some marker to him and made him less fun. I thought about posting just the inks but decided to own up to my failure instead.