Now that's what I call ART!

I'm such a proud Papa! It is so important to involve our little ones in the arts as early as posable, and see in them the potential for greatness. We spend our lives as adult artists fighting to develop our technique, our style, our vision. But what we need most is to remember the fun, the wonder, the joy of it all. Picasso found it. I think thats why he lived so long.

James is four years old. NO. I'm not saying this is genius! I'm not running out to contact a gallery & promote my son as the next visual arts prodigy. I just love watching him create things.

Fresno Fine Arts had a family day at the museum on Saturday. We eased our way through the quiet and unfortunately empty galleries. We Oood and Ahh-d at the beauty hung there, and tried to see what the artist saw. and then it was time for a little hands on. James is as left handed as his daddy. I marveled at the way he meticulously chose his color and brush and slowly & deliberately executed this piece. Most kids his age make a muddy mess. A lot pay no attention to staying in the lines of a coloring book, yet my little guy shows a propensity for the arts that I remember having myself early on. I couldn't be prouder.

My Minnie Me.

Stephan Silver

My video podcast with Stephan Silver is posted on my site and ready for viewing. I have decided that any future interviews that I do will be in support of a new group that wish to form for Graphic Novelists. I will be browsing the web on the lookout for individuals that I think will benefit from from such a group, and from whom I think I can trust to help myself grow as an artist. If you are reading this and you are seriously interested in developing a Graphic Novel, drop me an email with a link to examples of your work so I can review it for consideration.

Meanwhile, please enjoy this sneak peek at July's Podcast interview with Stephan Silver,

Force of Nature.

http://web.me.com/samuelkirkman/Site/Stephan_Silver.html

What comes playing around. We learn.

I have been really concentrating on sketching more, always carrying around a pen or pencil and anything to draw on. I sat down a few days ago and gave birth to several Sketches.

I was trying to ink with the classic india and pen. I just couldn't get the control I was after.

So I sat down at the Wacom, and with the scratch pen brush went after my first sketch of the wife. Loved the way this turned out, and may play around with doing a few line pieces. My reading BONE may have something to do with that. Jeff Smith is a genius.

Now that she is finished I feel a renewed confidence that I can truly figure this thing out.

It is amazing How comfortable I feel in the midst of such chaos. The way I am working is so completely unorthodox. I truly try to write the story down, but until I see the new scene visualized, my mind won't budge. It's like watching a movie in slow motion. I have to see it in order to bring it into being.

I need Character!

I've been working on GREW pretty intensively since March. Two & a half months into it and I realize that I have to bring more character interaction, dialog ,and Drama into it. Shan Tan spent four years of his life on The Arrival and It shows. Realizing that I'm only two months into this makes me feel better. I want to rush myself, make it happen NOW! Trouble is what ever gets rushed usually looks it.
So why do quick one minute or faster character sketches? Well... the reason is to catch a moment of time. a whiff of inspiration and go with it. I'll spend MUCH time refining them in Painter later, right now they've got to breathe, "let us out!" they shout!

We'll see what comes.

Two new pages done

I've got two more days left of vacation time this week. Hope to finnish at least one page a day,

but with the challenges getting more & more intense I'm not sure if I can or not. We'll see.

Got to get as much done before Comicon as I can.

Time off for family camping.

Took the advise of all the successful people I've been listening to and I took the sketchbook on vacation. we went camping at San Simeon state park sunday & monday night. Tried sketching the family.  
James and his toasted marshmallows , quick 30 sec sketches, not real accurate but close enough for quickies.  
even got the teenager to sit for me. actually he didn't realize it. another 30+ sec sketch.

I think I caught his "coolness" don't you? 
other campers walking the dog, birds picking the campsite clean of breadcrumbs, trees around the site. The ancient cypress trees there are amazing. Took some video too. hope to put a short piece together to share. had a good time, but now back to business! I hope to work into the next section of GREW before the week I have off is out.      

Mac's interview is up and ready to view!

Well it's finally June and my interview with Mark McDonnell is posted on my web site.

Check it out by clicking on the link bellow. It turned out good I think. I still would like to figure out a way to record his inbound audio better. It is recorded in Garageband Via Skype

and the audio is picked up by the built in mic. Sure would like to find out how to record the incoming audio from skype direct & not through the mic.

Anyway check it out! hope you find it encouraging!  

Mac's Interview