Kids' Comic Con- Saturday, April 16th!

 Hey everyone, just a quick blast to let you know that Comic Book Diner is going on the road!

John, Jamar and I will be exhibiting at Alex Simmons' wonderful Kids' Comic Con in the Bronx, NY, Saturday, April 16th. If you're in the area, and especially if you have kids, please stop by and see us!

Pickup Process

Well, I intended to do this post a bit sooner, but life sometimes gets in the way. Sorry to anyone that's been waiting.

As I mentioned last time, many of my project go through a variety of iterations, from start to finish. Revisions are a huge part of the illustration and design process, and virtually every assignment I get goes through many stages to get the end result. I sometimes have to revisit an image up to 15 to 20 times! In this particular case, there were probably about twelve, but I'm going to just post a sample, for the sake of clarity. Some of the revisions were so slight, it's tough to even detect the change. So, here are the truck images:

I began with a pretty straightforward shot of a 1956 Ford pickup, above.

My client thought it was a good start, but wanted something a bit more cartoony. I added a warp to the drawing to give it a soft roundness, and made the grill a bit more "friendly" with the upturned look to it. Picture it as an abstract smile.

The client was happy with the warp, but wanted me to show a bit more of the side of the truck. She asked me to turn it just a little. Also, she wanted to carry the split on the hood up to the windshield, and change the grill. So, I got a chance to customize the truck a little, and suddenly my '56 Ford transformed into a '53 Chevy!

Next, I was asked to shorten the height of the windshield a bit. It's subtle, but if you look at the previous version, you can see the change.

Another minor change: I was asked to lengthen the hood, just a bit; stretch it a little. Again, a subtle change.

Finally, the sketch was approved, and I inked the final rendering. Here is the end result!

The illustration was used in an interactive kiosk at a children's museum in Texas. I'm not sure exactly where it is, so if anyone out there has seen this work, please let me know! Sometimes, work gets sent out into the ether, and I never know where it ends up!

Thanks for checking this out. tune in next time, when I go to the dogs!

Best,
Rich

A Little Teaser

I'm going to do something I rarely do. I'm going to post an image which is a preview for my next post. I want to show the process by which I go from a rough sketch to a finished illustration for a project. This particular assignment, which I worked on a couple of years ago, is a very interesting example. I was asked to draw a couple of vehicles for an interactive exhibit, to be used in a kiosk at a children's museum in Texas.

I don't normally show every iteration of my drawing/design process, but that's exactly what I intend to do in my next post. I think most people will be surprised how many changes can be made to a single image during the design and approval stage. From start to finish, there can be many process stages that go into completing a finished illustration. I'll be more specific next time, but for now, I'll leave you with this, one image in a sequence of many:

I can't wait to show how many revisions there were on this project! I hope you'll check back for the follow up on this one! Until then, enjoy!

Best,
Rich

Social Networking- Follow Me on Twitter and Facebook!

Just a quick public service announcement. As much as I'd love to update the blog on a regular basis, the reality is that my best intentions are often laid to waste by deadlines and family life. Therefore, if you're interested in seeing more of a frequent presence from me, the best way to do that is to follow me on Twitter, and/or check out my Facebook page. Both of them are linked on the sidebar of my blog, on the right. You can also just click this link for my Twitter account: http://twitter.com/rich_faber, and you can click here for my Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/rich.faber.illustrator.

 

2011- Now what?

Happy New Year! It's been quite a while since I updated this blog, or for that matter, any of my homes on the internet (more on that later). While I haven't purposely stayed away, I haven't made any real effort to push my online presence lately either. After spending roughly the last two years laying out most of the details of my life online, I guess I've just needed a break from writing. I've been in a sort of rebuilding limbo, and have been trying to sort out my life, my career, and pretty much every other aspect of my world. I'm pleased to say, that after the traumas of the past couple of years, I finally feel as if I've found some equilibrium, and am now ready for the next big challenges.

So, now what? That's what I keep asking myself. I've worked very sporadically over the past couple of years, and most who have stopped by here know why. For those who haven't, a quick recap: my wife Traci died in 2009, after a 13 month battle with cancer. I have a little boy, and have focused much of the past year on spending time with him, and making sure he (and I) are making the adjustments necessary to go on. I've done a few client projects here and there, but have mainly been dealing with my private life. So, now, it's time to jump back into my career.

To that end, and to help further the purpose of this forum, as an illustration journal, I'd like to present a project I recently completed for my client, The LightStream Group. I was asked to produce their holiday card, after doing another interesting project for them in the fall. I'll probably show that one here at a later date, but they were very happy with the way it turned out, so they decided that they wanted me to do the card. I was given a concept and asked to present some roughs. What they were looking for was an image featuring an elf decorating their logo with holiday regalia.After a couple of rounds of roughs, it was decided that we'd go with a Rankin/Bass style. This is the first time I ever did something like this. I drew everything digitally, on my Wacom tablet, and really tried to emulate that specific stop motion puppet style. Here is the end result (and just in time ::ahem:: for the holiday season!):

The last image is to give you an idea of what the images of the elf at a larger size. Click on each of the images for a larger version. You can see the textures much better that way.

I had a great time working on this, and the client was fantastic. I'm hoping to get a chance to do more cards like this in the future. I might decide to do another blog entry on this one to show the process in creating the artwork. As this was my fist fully digital illustration (I do a lot of digital editing in my work, but this was the first ever fully digital rendering), it might be interesting to explore the process here. I'll give that one some thought.

In the meantime, thanks for checking this out. I'm going to try to keep the blog more regularly from here on, so please stop back soon. I have a lot of unseen artwork to share in the coming weeks, so hopefully, that will keep you guys coming back for more!

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One last note: I have a number of other places I can be found on the internet.

If you're on Facebook, you can find me at  http://www.facebook.com/rich.faber.illustrator

You can also find the Facebook page for Comic Book Diner, the podcast on comics and graphic novels that I do with my buddies Jamar and John here: http://www.facebook.com/comicbookdiner

I'm also now on Twitter, so you can follow me here: @Rich_Faber

Thanks for stopping by. I'll be back soon!

Best,
Rich

New York Comic-Con

Really brief on this one. I'm set up with Jamar at the inaugural Comic Book Diner Booth at NYCC. Come see us at booth #432. John is right around the corner at booth #643. Hope to see you this weekend!

Best,
Rich

See YOU at Baltimore Comic-Con!

Hey everyone! This weekend is the always spectacular Baltimore Comic-Con. I'll be there along with my Comic Book Diner Tri-Hosts, Jamar Nicholas and John Gallagher. Appropriately enough, we will be at the Comic Book Diner All Ages Pavilion (I believe the program book lists us as "Kids Love Comics"), Booth 2401-2402. Please come by and see us there!

Additionally, I have a few pieces of VERY exciting news: First, John and I will be debuting our very first ROBOY RED GRAPHIC NOVEL!

Roboy Red: Nuts and Bolts collects all of the short stories we've done, as well as an all new sketchbook section, plus art tutorials and other fun stuff! We are very proud to be premiering this at what John and I consider our home convention. This Comic-Con Special Edition is an exclusive, with a very limited printing, so please don't delay! Come to Baltimore, and get it this weekend! This is the culmination of 8 years of hard work, and is just the beginning of big plans for our little boy robot! I hope you'll stop by our booth and check it out! We'll be easy to find. Look for Roboy Red (you might recognize the art) on the Comic Book Diner Pavilion banner:

If that wasn't enough, we'll also have another all new graphic novel at the show-- Buzzboy: Sidekicks Rule!

John and I are very pleased to have this collection of the fun and funny three issue mini-series available as well. So, TWO brand new graphic novels by us at one show! How cool is that?!?

The other bit of exciting news is that we of the Comic Book Diner will be joined by our good friend Todd Dezago (Tellos, Perhapanauts, Sensational Spider-Man) as the hosts of the Baltimore Comic-Con's Annual Art Auction! So, if you're interested in seeing if we're capable of being as entertaining in person as we are on the podcasts (your mileage may vary), or if we fall right off the stage, here's your chance! It's all happening on Sunday. Check out the con website for more details, and show your support!

That's it for now, and as the sign says, I'll see you in Baltimore!

New Comic Book Diner - Roboy Red!

Ok, so I've been VERY busy over the past few weeks. I'll have some news about that over the next few days, but for now, I just wanted to remind everyone about the Comic Book Diner, the podcast on the art and business of comics, that I "tri-host" with my pals Jamar Nicholas and John Gallagher. We've already done 8 shows! You can find us on iTunes, and at our own website, www.comicbookdiner.com. The latest episode is up, and it's one that we're particularly proud of! It features Jamar interviewing John and me about our process in creating Roboy Red, which ties in very nicely with...

Well, actually, I'm going to wait on that, as it's part of my news later this week. But, if you listen to the latest episode of CBD, you'll have a pretty good idea of what the news is. So, I hope you'll get over there and have a listen! Oh, and while you're at it, if you would be so kind as to rate the podcast on iTunes, and/or write a review and post it on iTunes for us, that would be great! We'd love to hear your feedback!

Thanks for reading... and for listening!

I'll be back in a day or so with more.

Best,
Rich

It's Gallagher!

So, as promised in my last post, I've done another portrait, this time of my pal and yours, John Gallagher:

I used basically the same technique as I did for the portrait of Jamar, but I still think it looks slightly different stylistically. I think the portrait of Jamar is a bit harder edged, maybe with more of a watercolor feel, while this one seems more like gouache to me. Perhaps because it seems a bit softer; I can't quite put my finger on why. Of course, both are "painted" digitally over my pencil sketches. I'd like to someday get back to exploring this sort of work in actual real world paint, but for now, I'm happy to play around on the computer. The next portrait I do will be that much-needed updated self-portrait. I'll keep you posted.

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Speaking of John and Jamar, my fellow trihosts of the Comic Book Diner, I just want to make sure everyone out there is aware that we've been podcasting weekly. We are up to Episode 5, and just recorded the sixth show last night, so if you haven't checked us out yet, you have some catching up to do! Please be sure to check out what we're doing. We're having a great time, and talking a lot about the business side of working in comics. We get a little goofy at times, but we're also trying to be as informative as possible. All in all, it's both educational and entertaining. Or at least it is to us! Please go to www.comicbookdiner.com or you can find us on iTunes here, so please have a listen! The fries are on us!

I'll be back soon with more!

Best,
Rich

It's Jamar!

Or rather, a sketch I did of him.

I rarely draw just for the fun of it these days. I find most of my time is taken with drawing for work, or I wind up spending my work time doing things for my various websites. Yesterday, I was proofing some comic book stuff, in my capacity as editor for John Gallagher's Buzzboy, and I went to the web to check to make sure one of the visuals was correct. When I found what I was looking for, one of the other things that came up in the image search was a picture of me with one of my trihosts from Comic Book Diner, Jamar Nicholas. I liked the angle of the shot (the photo was taken by your friend and mine, Mike Manley, so no surprise that it was well composed), so I decided to do a little sketch of it. I thought it turned out ok, so I took a photo of it with my phone camera, and imported it into Photoshop to clean it up a little (that, by the way, is a little tech tip. If you're on the go with your art, and don't have access to a scanner, but need to upload it somewhere, you can take a picture of it, and clean it up in Photoshop later. I actually do this quite a bit now).

Well, I got kind of carried away, added color, and an hour and a half after I began, I wound up with a completed color sketch. What's funny, is that generally, I do a finished drawing, maybe ink it, and THEN add color digitally. and even then, I use my tablet to color, fairly precisely. This time, I used a mouse, on my dining room table. I don't normally work this way, so this was a little rougher than my usual finished work, but it was also liberating. It kind of felt like working with watercolors, and I think the finished drawing sort of looks like a watercolor piece. Anyway, here's the sketch:



I'm going to attempt to do a few more like this, beginning with a much-needed new self-portrait, and one of Gallagher as well, as I'm thinking we might be able to use them for the podcast website. I'm sure I can do one like this of me, but I have a feeling John will be a challenge. Ironic, since he and I have been friends and colleagues for over eight years, and I sit right next to him at every show I do. We'll see if that translates into an accurate portrait. I'll keep you posted!

I'll be back soon, so stay tuned!

Best,
Rich

Podcast! Comic Book Diner

So, I have a new endeavor, and it's related to my art, but it's a bit of a step sideways in my career. While I've been an illustrator for over 17 years, a little over 24 years ago, I was a DJ on my college radio station. I was only at this particular college for one semester, and therefore did not have enough time to really explore that avenue of expression, but the experience has always stuck with me.

A couple of years ago, my good pal, Charlie LaGreca, a fellow illustrator, and an alumnus of the DC Comics trenches, interviewed my collaborative partner, John Gallagher, and me at HeroesCon, in Charlotte, NC, for his Indie Spinner Rack comics podcast, which spotlights independent comics and their creators. John and I loved the experience, and we've had an idea brewing since then. It's not something we actively talked about a lot, but over the past couple of months, John has had a real desire to do a podcast of our own. Early on in the discussions, I mentioned that our good friend Jamar Nicholas would be a fantastic partner on this project, as he has a natural charm and wit, and has plenty of experience behind a microphone himself, as the emcee of the Glyph Awards, a ceremony at the East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention. We immediately contacted Jamar, and he was on board!

About two weeks ago, we all got on the phone together and came up with a plan for what we wanted to do, and so, The Comic Book Diner was born!



Basically, John, Jamar, and I are the (as Jamar coined it) tri-hosts of the show, in which we discuss, round table style, the art and business of comics, both web and print, and the future of each format, as well as whatever related (and unrelated) topics come and go with the flow of the conversation. We each have a different take on things, as each one of us comes from a slightly different perspective in our careers. It makes for interesting listening. We're all pretty decent conversationalists, and we tend to amuse one another, and we're told, others as well, so I hope you'll stop by our virtual hangout and have a listen. Our first show is right here, so please click that link, and then drop us a line to let us know what you think. Our contact info is right on the CBD home page, or you can always drop a line here, or from my website. I hope to hear from you soon!

We'll be doing shows on a regular basis, so check back here for more scheduling info. I'll be sure to post whenever a new podcast is up, and when we establish what our schedule will be, I'll be posting that here as well. In the meantime, be well, and I'll be back soon!

Best,
Rich

PS: the awesome logos you see here were created by John Gallagher, our Designer-in-residence!

With 100% More Apes...

...than my last post.

I've had a t-shirt idea rolling around my brain for the past few weeks, and did a little sketch last night to try it out on paper. I won't say what I have in mind for now, but I was thinking about the idea when I just happened to read my buddy Matt Wieringo's recent post, featuring his OUTSTANDING Planet of the Apes illustration. So, I was definitely more than a little inspired when I drew this.



I hope you like it. I also hope my idea is as clever as it first seemed to me when I came up with it. If it is, you'll see more of it here soon.

Best,
Rich

School Library Journal Interview From HeroesCon

Well, it's been over two weeks since I returned from HeroesCon in Charlotte, exhausted but happy. The drive is about 13 hours from door to door (about 9.5, if you subtract all the stops a little boy in the back seat needs!), and after all the activity that goes with a con, added to things on the personal side, it's taken me a couple of weeks just to feel rested again. Therefore, I haven't posted anything about the show.

Fortunately, I had something in my inbox this past weekend that spurred me to write. My creative partner, John Gallagher, and I were interviewed about Roboy Red at the show by Snow Wildsmith (yes, that IS her real name!) for the School Library Journal, which is "The world's largest reviewer of books, multimedia, and technology for children and teens." Quite prestigious! You can read the interview here.

And here's a picture I took of Snow interviewing John:



One of the people I met at HeroesCon was Tim O'Shea, who is a blogger for the excellent comics industry blog site, Robot 6 at Comic Book Resources. Tim indicated in his con report that he thought his might be among the very last of all the recaps out there. I had to chuckle at the time, knowing I'd be far behind him! So, at this late date, rather than post a true con recap, I'll just post some pictures with commentary. Links galore to follow.

John Gallagher, at our booth.

Our congenial boothmate, the multi-talented Dave McDonald. Always a pleasure to share space with Dave! Check out his Vincent Van Doodle cartooning kit at his website!

One of only a few sketches I did at this show, the Golden Age Green Lantern. As you can see, it was for Fred, who was quite a loyal customer at the show. Thanks, Fred! I was very flattered that this one caught the eye of my friend Joe Staton, former longtime GL artist, and a sweet guy to boot! Joe saw it as he was walking by, and stopped to watch me draw. He was very complimentary, despite my insistence at pointing out all the things wrong with it. Thanks for the support, Joe!

More friends:

My friend and Baltimore Comic-Con organizer, Marc Nathan. When I showed him this picture, Marc said, "Wow, Rich, that's a great picture of you and your dad!"(Marc is only about two years older than I am) On another note, his show will be my next con appearance of the season. Even though *ahem* I'm not yet on the guest list. I hope Marc sees this! Follow the link to learn more.

Tom Bancroft is an incredible animator and character designer. He also is in fact, tall enough to be my dad! Years ago, I introduced him to a friend of mine who worked for a book publisher at the time. She was looking for an animation artist to do a book on character design. In this picture, Tom's holding the end result, Creating Characters With Personality. Follow the link and go pick it up! It's a GREAT book! Tom was gracious enough to write something really nice in my copy, and to do a little sketch in it for me too! A true treasure!

Here's another boothmate and pal, Franco, of Tiny Titans fame, with 30 Rock's Scott Adsit. Franco did a sketch for Scott (who I somehow managed not to have a chance to speak with, despite numerous encounters over the weekend), and asked me to take a picture of them together, so I've appropriated it for this entry. Sorry, Franco!

Ladies and gentlemen, Ron Garney! Er... oops... moving right along...

Hey, more artwork! I did this Swamp Thing sketch for a friend of mine, Danna Bremer. Danna is the wife of another pal, Bobby Timony who does a really fun book for Zuda Comics called Night Owls. You should check it out! I did this one to repay Danna's kindness. She took pity on me the first day of the show when she saw me lugging my entire con setup baggage into the Convention Center. She generously offered (insisted, really) to take some of the stuff off of my hands and assist me in carrying it all inside. Thanks, Danna! I wish the sketch came out better.

Speaking of sketches, here's a shot of John drawing Buzzboy for a fan.

Love and Capes creator Thom Zahler, doing his finest Kirk-on-the-bridge. I love hanging out with Thom. We shared some great meals this time, and had a blast. Looking forward to doing the same in Baltimore!

Jason Horn and Dean Trippe. Dean is a buddy of mine, and on our last day in town, the Monday right after the show, his son, Field, and my son, The Boy, finally met. It was epic! Field was wearing his Superman shirt, and The Boy was wearing his Flash shirt. As soon as they saw each other, they both immediately took off, racing toward the elevators from the hotel lobby! We actually got to witness a live, classic Superman/Flash race! I'd like to tell you who won, but it was an exciting photo finish! And ironically, they both moved so fast, nobody was able to take a picture! Ah, well. Perhaps next year!

My buddy, Matt Wieringo, with Franco, and the COOL Nova sketch Franco did for him! Matt LOVED it!

Kelly Yates, one of the nicest men in the biz (right up there with Mr. Staton).

Artamus Studios alumni, Chris Kemple and Chuck Wojtkiewicz (Chuck will be pleased to know I did NOT have to look up the spelling!). You can tell they really missed each other! I had some wonderful conversations with both of these guys over the weekend. Chuck and I hadn't seen each other in over 15 years, so it was so great to finally catch up again! Chris will soon be famous. Mark my words! He and I have talked a bit over the past few years, so we had a nice time talking shop. Always a pleasure!

Additional Artamus dudes, Rich Case and Jeff Parker, hamming it up at con organizer Shelton Drum's "Dead Dog Party" Sunday night after the show. Rich is a terrific guy and I always have a nice time seeing him at shows. Jeff is an old friend, and one night in the hotel lobby, he and I had a profound conversation that I will always remember. I'll just leave it at this: Jeff is a good friend, and I appreciate that very much.

Here are a few of the costumed personnel who graced the convention throughout the weekend:



These were great costumes, but I really love capturing these folks when they're not "on duty." Hence the following:



A couple of shots of Charlotte's nighttime skyline. A beautiful city!


The building on the far left in the first picture is the official con hotel, The Westin, where we stayed. You will not find a nicer place or a better hotel staff in that city (well, actually, I've only been there once before, so I'm not positive about that, but we really liked the place!).

One more shot of friends:

Suzanne and Matt Wieringo. Love this couple! We had a few meals together, but the most memorable was the day after the show ended. Suze suggested that we eat at the food court in the Convention Center, as it was quick, inexpensive, and easy. It was deserted! The perfect, quiet way to end a busy weekend. As an added bonus, we got to see this:

The day after. The leavings of a crazy weekend (please forgive the sloppy melding of two photos)!

As you can tell, it was a really fun weekend, and something I've really needed for a long time. Thanks to Shelton Drum and Dustin Harbin for putting on an excellent show, and for their hospitality. I also need to add an extra thanks for giving me a cool poster I've wanted for two years! Thanks, guys! Looking forward to seeing you next year!

If you've read this far, thanks very much! I'll be back again with more soon!

Best,
Rich

June 18, 2000

I hope you'll indulge me one more time, in allowing my personal life to seep onto my illustration blog. Ten years ago, at just about the time I'm writing this, I was preparing for my wedding day. I wasn't a typical nervous groom. I was completely confident and happy; at ease knowing I had made a commitment to a woman who was my partner and best friend. It was, up to that point, the happiest day of my life (only to be eclipsed 6 years later by the birth of the beautiful boy she gave me).

Yes, today would have been the ten year anniversary of my marriage to Traci. I'm feeling a lot of conflicting emotions, as one might expect, but overall, I think it will be a good day. I'm going to spend the day with my wonderful father-in-law, who has been a rock for me, despite the enormity of his own loss, and my boy, the everyday reminder of the love she left me, and my constant source of humor and happiness in my life. The legacy that Traci gave me is not only encompassed in that boy, but in who I am today. I'm a better human being for having shared her love, and her positive attitude throughout her illness has helped to inform me about what's important in life. I would not be the man I am today, if not for Traci's love, support, and influence. I've become (or am becoming) the man she always wanted me to be. And that's a good thing.

I don't have any digital pictures of our wedding, or course, but I took out our album to show The Boy this morning, for the first time. He will always have those photos, and her memory. I snapped a couple of pictures of the album pages, some of which I decided to share here. For anyone who wasn't there, it was a spectacular day, and the beginning of something truly incredible. I wish I could share this ten year anniversary with my beautiful bride, but I hope that wherever she is, she knows that we're happy, healthy, and doing well.

I can't think of a better way to celebrate our marriage than to spend the day with her two (other) favorite guys.

Peace.