I wanted to write a post today sharing what I've found in my search of the internet for information and resources to help make me a better artist. Many of these resources are web forums, which I find to be excellent for inspiration, developing fresh ideas and soliciting advice where you may be stuck in a rut. And while many think of forums in terms of text-heavy bore-fests that require a ton of reading, these are quite the opposite and thrive because of their users' visual participation.

So without further ado, here they are (in no particular order):

1)Deviantart (http://www.deviantart.com)

Arguably the best creative resource on the web, period. Basically a user-driven community of creatives, Deviantart showcases user work ranging from traditional to digital media, and includes everything from fine art to photography. The site also contains a treasure trove of tutorials, stock images and tools for users to experiment with.

2)Conceptart.org (http://www.conceptart.org/)

If deviantart is the best 'general' art resource on the web, then conceptart.org is probably the best 'specialized' one. Featuring the talents of the Massive Black team, this site is ripe with creativity that appeals to both 2d and 3d artists. Although the site focuses on concept art specifically, the forums are bursting with all kinds of artistic inspiration and resources. I also highly recommend checking out the monthly challenges they run on the forums, which can be an excellent way to jumpstart your creativity engine!

3)Fineart.sk (http://fineart.sk/)

As far as free anatomical reference material goes, this is probably the best site on the internet. Featuring the work of Andrew Loomis and others, this site provides visitors with a wealth of free anatomy resources. Although there are a few pay sites out there offering more, you can't beat the price for what this site offers.

4)The Flight Forums (http://www.flightcomics.com/forum/)

For those focusing more on sequential art, the Flight Comic forums offer an excellent place to discuss work, receive critique and be inspired. Although the community here goes through hot and cold periods (like most any long-history web forum), there is still a very active core group that welcomes new users willing to contribute.

5)Gnomon Workshop (http://www.thegnomonworkshop.com/)

One of the best resources available for digital artists. While mostly focusing on 3d subjects, Gnomon still has an excellent catalog of instructional videos catering to everyone from comic book people to tattoo artists. If you don't mind spending a few bucks and/or prefer video instruction, Gnomon is the place to go!

Other worthy resources:

Shutterstock.com
Penciljack Forums
Drawingboard.org
Blambot Fonts

In the next month or so, I intend on launching my new webcomic site that is currently under development!

I've already made a half-hearted attempt at creating a webcomic (Gitzo), but I wasn't at all happy with the quality or direction I was going in with it. Maybe I'll come back to it at a later time, but for now Gitzo is on permanent hiatus. My rekindled interest in comic books, however, is growing by the minute, as is my desire to write and draw them again. I haven't actually worked towards creating a comic book for over 13 years, but I feel like now is the time for me to get back on the horse and head towards the sound of the guns...

For my return to comics, I chose to go the route of the webcomic, mainly because of the advantages of cost and ease of access to readers. It also gives me the ability to post up each page of the book as I finish it, instead of having to be saddled with the pressure of completing an entire book before I can show it. For the subject matter, I'm returning to one of the original characters I created while in middle school called Captain Cataclysm. A kind of 90s cross between Superman, Batman and Dee Snyder, Captain Cataclysm is the superhero name of Robert James Watts. A wunderkind born in fictional 1950s Merrit City, he experiences a lab accident (in true comic book form) that transforms him into the superhero protector of his city and country.

My recent artwork that features depictions of 'Cap' have mainly focused on how he would look now, a sort-of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns take on his character that shows an older, retired and melancholy man struggling with the process of finding a purpose to his post-superhero life. Very much liking this approach, I've decided to call the new comic The Last Ten Years, and the series will focus on that period of Captain Cataclysm's life from 1998 to 2008. Besides exploring the problem of finding one's place in life once older age hits, I also intend to touch on topics important to me like patriotism in the post-911 world, environmentalism, and the greed that drives American politics.

I'm planning The Last Ten Years as a six book, 28 page-per-book series that will be published in webcomic format. Each book will encompass a specific, unified story that forms part of the ten year period. Depending on my success getting through it and the level of readership, I may eventually put out the series in a limited print run.

But those are long terms goals/intentions, and for now I'm going to focus on one page at a time. Once the site and first few pages are ready in the next week or so, I'll post up the URL to the site. So STAY TUNED!!!

Click on the image for a full-res version

I've been struggling a lot with my redesign of the ajtone.com website redesign. Initially, I was thinking of a very minimalistic website that would sink into the white background of the browser, using a very conventional page structure. The more I worked on this the more I realized just how disgusted I was with the thing as it just seemed to be a shoddy and bland version of too many other sites on the web.

But the other day while driving with Cate I had an idea flash into my head for something a little more unique, and so luckily I had a pen and an old envelope handy with which to secure my vision onto paper. (lest it be forgotten!) Today, finally, I had a chance to complete the above Photoshop mockup of my idea and Amanda at AJTone has seen it and is very enthusiastic about my 'version 2' interpretation of the site.

Although this new design would be an ideal candidate to take advantage of Flash, I am going to code it up as straight XHTML/CSS to save time and achieve the required animation affects with the use of some neat Javascript code I've been eyeballing like JonDesign's SmoothGallery. The flourishes are basically placeholders, as these came from tutorials I had on hand to quickly knock out the mockup. So while those will change, the general look will be quite the same.

What do you think?

Link: http://www.ajtone.com

Here is a mockup for my latest project, a complete redesign of AJTone.com:

To view at full size, click here.

Photography by Mandi Jane, new logo, layout, etc. by me.

Comments?

Link: http://www.jonwalters.net/uploads/gitzo_2.jpg

Eco-Friendly

Click on the image to enlarge!

Link: http://www.jonwalters.net/uploads/gitzo_1.jpg

Tis the Season

Click on the image to enlarge!

Link: http://jackal111.deviantart.com/art/Rolling-Fast-103504244

I wanted to do a quick speedpaint and for some reason the M1 Abrams is at the front of my thoughts... No reference for this, just mental pictures for inspiration.

Time involved is about 20 minutes in Painter X.

Link: http://jackal111.deviantart.com/art/Highway-101573565

I've come to the realization that to become a better artist, I have to actually DRAW...

And paint. And create.

I've already known for a long time that you only get better by doing things, because in most cases, practice truly does make perfect. But for so many years, I've neglected my artistic talents and let my imagination become a stagnant nothingness that seems to delight in providing me only with artist's block when I need it most.

So in an effort to take a stand and make a change, I am going to pledge to myself that from here on, I will create at least one work of art a day.

And the digital painting you see above is my first step towards making this happen!

It doesn't matter if its big or small, polished masterpiece or scribbly sketchbook drawring (misspelling intentional), because all I care is that I am forcing myself to create and hopefully become creative again.

Maybe in the process I can get skilled enough to quit my day job too...

You never know, right?