FCCP Behind the scenes: Making pictures fit (Fallout 76 coloring pages)

If you've been following along, you know that I'm the artist who started the Fallout Community Coloring Project (FCCP). I've drawn well over 70 free coloring pages so far with requests to compile into a coloring book. The community response has been awesome and lots of people have contributed their in game photos for me to potentially draw.

Most of what I get I can draw and fit in the frame for a coloring page pretty easily. Sometimes, however, the best results come from a few alterations of space and detail. Today I'm going to give you a couple of examples. Let's start here:

BEFORE

AFTER

Whoa! There are some major changes going on there. I draw in photoshop and utilize tricks to bring things together. I brought everyone closer, added some baubles to the tree, omitted suit guy's backpack, and corrected her wardrobe malfunction. Click on images for closer view. To break those down on the last two, the seated guy in a suit had a backpack on that was digitally  merging with the couch. The lady's hand was merging through her dress into her lap. That's just how Fallout objects go when they are close to each other. It's not a perfect system. It's easy enough to correct when drawing the picture. 

BEFORE

AFTER

As you can see, after I drew in our dancing couple, I zoomed in on the tent and made for more active background to color. The giant rock is nice and all, but comes across as blank ground after you draw it in and thus dead space.  So now there is something active to color in the background without losing the action of the scene.

I have to say the community has been wonderful and I am still working on the ways one or more coloring books may happen. The update on that is that I am in process of moving across states, doing the FCCP coloring book will have to wait until I finish moving. I will update on that more as time draws near. Hopefully you will have a book by this summer. 

As for the rest of the images, if you have not seen them all, you can view them at my page HERE. Just click on PHOTOS and there are two albums. 

If you really love my work and want to help me keep it going, consider ways to support your favorite artists HERE. 

Until next time... thanks for reading and I am still accepting new images, just know that it takes about 3 weeks to get to a new person on the list. In about 3 weeks I will be restarting on my list of people unless new folks add in.

So I've started up the mailing list

That's what all the gurus say to do. Get a mailing list going in order to get more people interested and latched on to your brand. Well, there is one phrase that definitely does not work in this business;

If you build it, they will come....

Not so fast. You have to go find them and while I've had some fellow authors croon to me about how easy it was for them.. I have had no such luck.

It's literally the ''superhero age" in movies and books even though comics have suffered. I can't think of a time my brand could possibly be more relevant.  But in a world that wants Spider-mans and Captain Americas how does an Indy brand get noticed?

Well, I'm still struggling to follow guru advice, but I can tell you it is practically never as cut and dried as presented. I'm saying this to you, fellow Indy creator because we live in a tough market. So what am I doing about it now?

Well, opting onto my mailing list (upper left corner of my blog page) will net you a free book. But it won't stop at that. I'm going to make sure my mailing list gives cool updates, more freebies, new artwork, and whatever else I can think of to stuff into that package until it bursts. I want every email you get on my list to feel like you're opening a birthday present. I want fun in your inbox.  Maybe some puzzles or coloring pages you can print out for the kids? Or totally keep them to yourself, I won't mind.

I'm changing the cover of Chaos Rising today. It may take a couple of days for that change to go live, but it will and I will make sure people know about it. Eventually all the covers will be changed. Yeah, you're getting to see that cover right here as the header to this blog post.

And soon I think I'm going to offer a chance to have yourself drawn as a superhero or fantasy character straight from a photo you send me. More details on that if we can get this off the ground.

That's what I'm doing about it now. My next steps are more writing and art of course. I have to keep creating and keep things moving. Direction has always been hard for me. I can wind up with too many projects on the plate but that's easy to do as a one man band.

So that's the update for now. Off to do more creating.

Changing covers

Yes it's time for me to make some changes. I've been rehashing how I'm trying to sell my books and I've gathered some tips. Fact is, even if you are a respected or reputable artist, you need to know a few things about how layouts are done. You also need your cover to accurately convey your story. It also helps if it doesn't look like a child drew it. I've come to the decision that the critics I recently spoke to must be right. So it's time to make changes and recirculate. On top of that I will be adding quite a bit of extra advice like setting up a mail list. I have some ideas for it and I will be looking to make getting my email a fun thing to do.

As for the covers, well, let's take a look at the first novel of the GZ series, Chessmen.

I've realized that the problems are almost too many to list. My book isn't about Chess rather a royal guard of a distant planet. They come to be called "Chessmen".  They are heroes. That's what I do. Heroes. I wanted a near comic book appeal for the story while accenting the planet they are from. Well, I should have sought more advice at someplace like KBoards.com a long time ago. Still I will with this new cover.

Well, what do you think of it? I'm hoping that showing two actual characters from the book will make it clearer what they reader is getting into. I'm quoting a reader in a blurb at the bottom. I think that should be okay. It has the comic appeal I'm going for and simplifies. I'll be looking for what people think of it. Do you like it? Is it appealing? Tell me your thoughts in comments.

New Art November!

Heck yeah! I'm doing  new art while practicing my female forms. You can see three of these pics right here. More to come for sure. I have to admit, drawing the female form has been super tough for me. But then when my hands come into the mix with my cognitive state, things get screwed up. That's why my artwork is so simple in its form today. But I am putting in extra efforts, I do want it to look good. So I've added backgrounds to liven up the pics. I think the best one I've done so far is Lypsii the Althamite as she bursts through the faceplate of a Rotanian soldier. Second best goes to Traveler with  her fire staff. Of course I'm drawing straight from the stories.

Speaking of the stories, I have some junk to clear out of my laptop and I'll be forming up PDF files of the books done so far. Those will be going out to people for free in certain places. You have that to look forward to. The second book of short stories is coming SOON. You can bet there will be a giveaway to commemorate the occasion.

I'm quite a ways into the writing of Chessmen 2 as well. Over 40k words! The action is way over the top and more than anything seen in the first Chessmen. It's a gathering of characters that will blow your mind. Characters are coming in that will show up in future stories of their own.

Speaking of future stories, the baddest of the bad villains of GZ make his official book debut in GZ Tales vol 2. Maestro is the highlight attraction of the book and he will bring an evil to the table that is undeniable and menacing. More excerpts will be on the way this month from all the books.

Trying to use social media is not easy. Trying to get my stories out to people is also not easy. I've managed to increase Twitter numbers significantly, but it's a slow slow process. When I have those PDFs ready, I hope to get them out to reviewers. I also hope that's easier than getting reviewers for the board game because that's proven nigh impossible. Won't stop trying though.

As for the board game, remember that the special custom card offer ends on Thanksgiving. I do have some cards going out. You can still get into it. It doesn't matter what you want as a character (except I don't do porn). You can have super backwoods lawnmower dude if you want. But really, this game just needs to get into peoples hands.

That brings me to the awesome news announced by Geekonomicon that Galaxy Zento will be demonstrated there. It's cooler news than I've had all year. Big thanks goes out to Steve Huckabee who is running those demos. I'm going to make sure he has a little something extra to hand for free.

So there are good things coming up in GZ. Bit thanks to all you awesome readers for being there.

GZ character stat cards!

Some may have noticed that I'm doing my characters from A-Z with some special info. I've hinted at future use for these cards and I wasn't bluffing. These are the first GZ character stat cards. They are based on the formula I use for the role playing game. Yes, I said "role playing game". It's a ways of in the distance yet, but in the meanwhile, you can enjoy the amazing stats and info of these characters.

So what do the numbers mean? In the five stats STRength, ENDurance, SPEed, AGiLity, and MeNTality, you will note a number from 1-10. 1 is the level of a very average human being. 10 is godlike. So, the higher then number you see, the more powerful they are in that stat.

Above that, you see the minimum character level they would start at, their sex/race if applicable, and their alignment from good- evil with personality scale if applicable.

You can clearly read what powers they have and then see any equipment they carry. Don't worry to much about the numbers you see with the equipment. Suffice to say that a number with a + sign is for dealing damage and a number with a minus (-) sign is for reducing damage.

The info section gives you a little bit of insight to the character. There will be a lot of info from stories, so be sure to catch up on the stories of GZ if you haven't already.

Right now, I'm working on this in between other projects What's my current schedule, you ask?

This is my tentative schedule:

Kickstarter for board game (coming very very soon)
Chaos Rising (novel)
GZ Tales 2 (short stories)
GZ Tales game expansion cards
Chessmen 2 (novel)
GZ New York (game expansion with new board)
Wicked Ways (novel to follow Chaos Rising)
GZ Tales 3

That doesn't include the fact that I plan on being at Geekonomicon in December and then Southern Geek Fest next year.

I know you see a lot of reused artwork, but I assure you, I am working on new artwork too! There are definitely exciting days to come. I can hardly wait!

Guest Artist: Billy Barnette!

Anubis looking tall and strong

It's been an awesome lineup of guest artists lately and today is no exception. Billy Barnette has actually done three GZ characters; Songcutter, Yxee and Anubis. Billy is man making a breakthrough comeback into art as you wills see from our discussion. To check out more of is astounding work you will need to go to Genesis Studios on Facebook.

GZ: So, Billy, how long have you been doing your art?

BB: Been back at it for 3 years after a 10 year hiatus from drawing altogether.

GZ: Wow. Safe to say your art hasn't suffered from the hiatus. What inspires you the most?

BB: My son. Always has been and always will be.

GZ: I can understand that as I feel the same way about my son. Do you have any upcoming projects?

BB: My buddy, Jeremiah Ciardullo, and I are working on a little something something. We're in the process of getting some pages stacked together and we'll be releasing it later this year.

GZ: Sounds a little mysterious and that makes it cool right there. Are you currently for hire or have commissions open?

BB: Unavailable for hire due to our current project but pretty much always open for a good commission piece.

Yxee with Songcutter in back

GZ: So essentially, long term projects are out, but one shots are a possibility. I know the feeling. I think we're definitely looking forward to what you have coming next. Now, is there any advice you have for budding artists?

BB: It sounds so cliche and I know everyone's heard it all before, but the advice I'd give is  draw, draw, draw. Whatever it might be. And whatever you do, don't go on a ten year hiatus!

Excellent points but, I still stay that hiatus hasn't hurt your work (but we are our own worst critics when it comes to art). Thanks so much for being involved. As the rest of you can see, Billy has his own personal and powerful style that shows in all his work. Captain America here is looking expressive and has a strong jaw profile.

And if that's not solid enough for you, take a look at this. That's some awesome detail and expression if you ask me!  Be sure to add his FB page and check out what's going on for current action.You won't be disappointed. And thanks for tuning in, heroes! See you next time!

Guest Artist: Kevin Woolfork!

I absolutely love showcasing independent artists! The ability to show you the work that you can't see in your mainstream comics or books is an astounding adventure in talent. Today, we take another step in that adventure and bring you Kevin Woolfork. Kevin honored me with a great pic of Major Xeroh from my novel: Chessmen. Check it out!

So I asked him a few questions as I usually do and found his answers detailed and profound.

GZ: So how long have you been doing your art?

Kevin: I have been drawing ever since I can remember. That had to be the most generic answer you get in regards to drawing. I will say that my skill level has always improved exponentially when I am surrounded by other creators creating. It's difficult creating in a vacuum. Without that feedback and constructive criticism, for me, skill and motivation tends to waver.

GZ: I think that's a great answer, actually. Do you have any current projects?

Kevin: Right now I'm working on a project titled ABOUT TIME. It's a slow and steady grind with a very capable young artist, Rafael Gumboc. I found Rafael on one of the Facebook comic forums and he's been knocking it out of the park with every page. It's about a scientific time traveling family. We're bringing trouble, adventure and hopefully dodging cliches. Through my side project FOOLS WORK Designs, I have designed logos, comic covers, T-shirts and banners. That business is very much in its infancy and has a small client base. Hopefully I will have more time to devote to developing that brand in the near future.

GZ: Sounds very cool. Are you otherwise for hire?

Kevin: If anyone saw something in my skill set that they thought could positively impact their project, I AM for hire. I am a self proclaimed writer, but have spent years studying and dissecting comic art and production. I am conversant with, if not proficient in, most aspects of comic production. My independent study includes writing, character design, inking, basic coloring, page laouts, scripting, dialogue, logo design, and graphic design (branding).

GZ: That does sound like you've got some work under your belt. So what inspires you?

Kevin: I gain inspiration from almost everywhere. I try to find something to motivate me to improve my skills no matter what I see. If something doesn't appeal to me but is finished, I am inspired by it being done. If it's great, I'm given a standard to strive towards. I'm motivated by the things I can't do. I want to be able to do ALL aspects of creating so I know what I'm asking of collaborators. Currently I'm frustrated yet inspired by loading brushes for my Wacom tablet so I can ink and color digitally and learning the basics of comic book lettering. I'm also trying to decipher the controls in Manga Studio. I've heard from many creators that is'a a more intuitive program specific to comic production versus Photoshop which is photo manipulation software the comic book industry hijacked.

To see more of Kevin's work you can check out his Deviantart page, contact him at his Facebook page, or just email him at wolfprime@hotmail.com

In visiting his Devaintart page, you will see that Kevin's work is diverse in many ways, just as he describes above. Even in what he calls a quick sketch, his talents shine through. I particularly liked this gender swap Falcon work.

As always, big thank go out to Kevin and all guest artists for all the amazing talents they share. Don't miss out on independent artists, you never know what you'll see!

Guest Artist: Scott "Fuzzy" Joseph!

Independent artists are their own special breed and I love to share space with them. Today's guest has his own style and flair and he's published too! As you know, to be in theme with this blog, guest artists choose a GZ character (any GZ character) and draw up their own rendition of him or her. Scott chose Anhur from Ankhforce and the result is pretty darn cool. But this, as always, is just the tip of the iceberg. 

I asked Scott some questions about his work.

GZ: How long have you been an artist?

Scott:  I've been an artist since I was a child. I would copy the pages from my comics and draw on any surface I could. My father would tell me that I would draw on the underside of tables and the bunk bed that I shared with my brother.

GZ: That sounds like an awesome Dad! What kind of career do you want in art?

Scott: I want a career doing what I love, and I love creating art. I would also love to be part of something that has an impact on someone else. Something that inspires and encourages. Ideally I would love to get into game designs. Conceptual art for characters and monsters for either video games or table top war games.

GZ: I can totally relate since GZ aims to inspire youth with disabilities. Are you currently for hire?

Scott: I'm always for hire. That's what's fun about this whole art business, is that many opportunities come along and you have to decide if it's going to be something you embrace or neglect.

GZ: Speaking of that, I see you are published! What can you tell us about Patch Hawkins?

Scott: Oh man, Patch Hawkins, that's one of my kids right there. It all started out as a LEGO figure I made so that I had a cool hero to play with alongside my 4 year old daughter. I would have him go on adventures it was fun. I then thought about turning him into a comic book. I had recently started Panda Fuzz Ink (A self publishing comic book company) with a good friend Anthony Ray Bench, who is a great writer, and threw the Patch Hawkins comic together.
Patch is your 80's action hero with your 90's comic book violence. There's lots of blood, lots of one liners and lots of Patch getting out of ridiculous situations. What makes Patch real to me is his goal, to avenge the disappearance of his wife and kids during an attack by the beastly race of Khareeshians. I had a Kickstarter for it in 2013 and a lot of friends and family supported it, now as a result, it's on ComiXology, you gotta check it out!

GZ: Well, we are posting the link to that right HERE and echo that sentiment to our readers! Please do check it out, people! It looks way cool! Now, Scott, where is this 'Fuzzy' business from?

Scott: During the Tattoo Apprenticeship I had, my mentor Tattoo Bee, bestowed the nickname of 'Fuzzy' to me. I'm a big hairy guy and throughout the apprenticeship I had these awesome mutton chops.If you want to improve as an artist. you need to find something like a mentor..Surround yourself with artists and creatives better than you, it will push your art in a positive direction. I learned more artistically in my apprenticeship than I did getting a Bachelor's Degree in Fine Art.

GZ: Nicknames always have the coolest stories, don't they? Do you have any upcoming projects we should know about? 

Scott: Currently I'm working on Patch Hawkins Issue #2! It's exciting. I handed over the writing reigns over to Writer Anthony Ray Bench this time around to see where we can go with the book, and it looks like it's gonna be a beast of a book.We're delving deeper into how sick the Khareeshians are and get a look into the supporting cast of characters while also getting to know Patch more.

GZ: Sounds smoking hot.

Here you have it folks, and you definitely need to check out the stylings of Scott "Fuzzy" Joseph. You can do that at the following links:

www.ravenborn.com His personal page, loaded to the gills with art!

His Facebook page, with cool updates!

Links open a new page and as always, click on images for a closer and cooler view! Big thanks to Scott for being with us on GZ!

If you want to be a guest artist, get the details right HERE!

Time for a new update

So much has been going on that it's been hard to keep up. Sadly, things like my blog here got neglected in the process. How much can you put on your plate along with what life gives you before you get too busy for your own good? It's not hard to do. I'm a chronic multi-tasker and it gets me in trouble.

But a whole lot is going on in my life and GZ is just one great part of it.

On May 10th, I attended the first annual bookfest here in Monroe. The assortment of authors in one place was great. They even came from near New Orleans to where we are in the Northern part of the state. There were several religious/inspirational authors, maybe two other fictional authors and one who wrote of a life after Vietnam. There was one who had a historical look at one man's life here in Lousiana. It was a fine combination of people.

Quite a few people came by including a couple of local friends and I think some new interest was created. The only drawbacks I give the day are that it was HOT. My dear wife has quite a sunburn. Sadly, the crowd was also sparse. I had really hoped to see more people at the Rivermarket. Some people folded up and left early which is a big NO NO in the agreement with the market. I folded a few things up in the last hour, but remained available to sign my books and talk to people until 4 as advertised. Once the day was done, my wife and I were both exhausted. Forget cooking dinner, we went home and ordered a pizza.

All in all, it was a good day and I met some incredible people.

So what about GZ Legends?

Honestly, I'm not sure. I am writing the second storyline and the first is compiled with new edits for the book, Chaos Rising (coming very soon!) but I have to decide what I can most reasonably do with the time on my hands. I have a lot and I mean A LOT of artwork to do for the card game coming up. I have Chessmen 2 still in writing stage and another book of short stories to compile. And it's not just being a one man band, life itself has stepped in. My son has needed me and I'm about to be a Grandad for the first time. I don't think I've ever had so much happening at one time ever in my life. It's quite amazing.

The next thing to come out, should be Chaos Rising if all goes according to plan!

So it's time for me to get back to building and get the activity rolling again! Stay tuned, you never know what's going to happen next!