And, here are a few more really great sites worth exploring...

http://www.goadingthepen.blogspot.com/

http://www.agentquery.com/

http://web.missouri.edu/~yoons/EDN323/class_W102.htm

http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/tv-animation5.htm

http://www.comicspace.com/mazzstudio/

http://www.emaki.net/

I found this little gem a few weeks ago and I want to post it before I forget. Check out Lynn Johnston's step by step process for her comic strip For Better or Worse...very cool!

http://www.fborfw.com/features/makingof/index.php?page=1

This is a new comic just out by Everett Soares.

Its entitled Sky Pirates #0 and its available now through Dimestore Productions. Check it out, I will come Friday...can't wait.

http://www.dimestoreproductions.com/

Author/illustrator Jason Cheeseman-Meyer has several books coming out this year. One is a graphic novel called Gina's World due out this summer.

http://www.cheeseman-meyer.com/Gina/index.htm

His book Vanishing Point: Perspective for Comics from the Ground Up is available for pre-order from Amazon.com. Its already in my cart. ; )

Mr. Cheeseman-Meyer gives you a glimpse into this wonderful book in his web site under tutorials. You can view these tutorials on his web site, along with his illos and journal.

http://www.cheeseman-meyer.com/

I've just discovered Christophe Swal, a talented French illustrator who work I admire. His blog is French, but even if you don't speak the language its still nice to look at some of his and other artists work through his links.

If you want to see a larger sample of his illos though, I would really check out his web site...so cool!

http://www.christopheswal.com/

http://artsilencieux.blogspot.com/

Here's a simple illustration I did for last week's Picture Bookies Showcase. I had a blast playing around with these characters. First I sketched them out in pencil and then I inked them in lightly with a fine tip pen.















I decided I liked the dialog better in front of the big guy, instead of behind him.

Here are three of my rough concept sketches for Sweets, last weeks weekly theme on the Picture Bookies Showcase. My sister Amy loved the last one, which I submitted.

http://picture-bookiesshowcase.blogspot.com/

My sister founded Little Flowers of Hope, a center for children of special needs. They utilize sequential images in their program, everything from how to wash your hands and put away your toys, to cooking, baking and doing laundry. She asked me to send her copies of some of my story boards to hang in thier classrooms. I'm going to sketch a few better ones (even though she loved these roughs), then I'll ink and apply some watercolors too.

http://littleflowersofhope.com/mission.html

This was the first set of concept sketches I did. They took me about an hour. These are just rough thoughts on paper. The tree house just sort of sprang into my head towards the end.














I liked the tree house idea and began playing around more with the concept here. The first image in the upper left corner took me about fifteen minutes. The second image on this page took me almost two hours. Yes, I was trying too hard. It lacks the spontaneity and freedom I love so much in the smaller sketch. I could have spent another hour or two working out the values, but I was running out of time and proceeded to the following sketch.

Here is my final rough concept sketch for the Sweets theme. I will do a few more for my sister and when we are satisfied I will take them from rough concept sketches to finished, full color, sequential teaching aids for her center.

Here's a list of some of books I've been reading and studying lately, and two animated films I was able to add to my personal library. Yes, I love animation its as much a passion of mine as children's books, myths and graphic novels. The more I read and learn, the more relationships I discover between film and all other forms of writing and visual storytelling.

Jin-Roh - The Wolf Brigade [DVD] (2002) Michael Dobson; Yoshikazu Fujiki; Sumi

An excellent story with wonderful urban scenes and some surprising plot twists. My 17 year old son and I both loved this one.

Grave of the Fireflies (Collector's Edition) [DVD] (2002) Tsutomu Tatsumi

Ok, I know this got excellent reviews, but it was not one of our favorite films. It seemed as if the main character became more pitiful and helpless as the story unfolded. True, there is a lot of gut wrenching scenes and the animation was beautifully done. And, yes, there were struggles, determination, persistence, and some creative problem solving on the main characters part. Still, we found them a bit too weak minded and lazy for our taste

Perhaps we have been through too much in our journeys, and survival has become too integrated into our being. Then again, perhaps its a lone Mother bear and her cubs in the woods thing...You learn to survive utilizing every resource available with as much honor as you can muster, or you die. I know it seems cold, but the will to live alone won't save you. You have to do your part. I guess we just admire stronger heroes. It is still a bitter-sweet story worth viewing several times, just not our personal favorite.

The Art of My Neighbor Totoro, by Hayao Miyazaki

This is one of my favorite animated films and the book is just as precious. Between its covers you will find a feast for eyes...concept sketches, cel art, film images, character sheets and even a few pages here and there of storyboards.

The Art of Spirited Away, by: Hayao Miyazaki (Illustrator)

Another wonderful animated film and equally wonderful book. This is a beautiful book filled with page after page of incredible film art, concept sketches, character sketches and pose illustrations, the script and so much more.

The Art of Howl's Moving Castle, by Hayao Miyazaki (Author)

Another favorite. This book also contains the story script, concept art, character sketches, some storyboarding and a great deal more, simply beautiful.

The Art of Kiki's Delivery Service: A Film by Hayao Miyazaki

Yeah, I've got as many of Hayao Miyazaki's books and animated films as I can find, and Kiki's Delivery Service is no exception. Its a wonderful heart warming, coming of age story with some of the most delightful illustrations and street scenes ever. This book includes color analysis and choice for the film, a color chart, complete script with frames, discussion and view of various animation techniques and terms,character sketches, storyboards....just amazing.

These are a few more wonderful books worth checking out if you love visual storytelling in all its forms.

Disney That Never Was: The Stories and Art of Five Decades of Unproduced Animation

Before the Animation Begins: The Art and Lives of Disney Inspirational Sketch Artists

Walt Disney's Nine Old Men and the Art of Animation, by Canemaker

Art of Walt Disney, by Christopher Finch

Chuck Reducks: Drawing from the Fun Side of Life by Chuck Jones

Chuck Amuck: The Life and Times of an Animated Cartoonist, by Chuck Jones

Animation from Script to Screen by Shamus Culhane

Creating Characters with Personality: For Film, TV, Animation, Video Games, and Graphic Novels, by Tom Bancroft and Glen Keane