Commission line art samples

I'm currently taking commisions for full color, single character (Fan art or Original), 8 1/2 x 11, 300 dpi pin ups. $35.00 per. Digital copy only. Please email me if you're interested. Thanks.

Here's a few pre color samples, reduced from original size.

Group Shots 2.12

Sketches 2.12

Hard at work...

Be EPIC

Hulks...

Puzzle

Solution

Live Better...

I live in NYC. There's never a shortage of sad stories anywhere you go but in NYC, every sad story WILL end up on all of the news broadcasts. So, to say that New Yorkers are constantly reminded of the uglier side of life is not an exaggeration. You get used to it, living here... well, you get used to it or you become a part of it. The average person learns to tune it out after the initial horror hits them. It doesn't make us heartless, though it may seem like that to people on the outside.

Anyway, this isn't a commentary on New York or it's inhabitants. I'm trying to give people an idea of how I normally react when I hear bad news on the news. Lately though, it's become so much more than about what bad thing is happening in NY. Yes, there was a nugget of a NY tragedy in the news this morning having to do with a bus load of people being involved in an accident so terrible that, you only ever see that kind of thing in horror movies. However, that story was sandwiched between tons of horror stories outside of NY. That made me stop and think about the number of worldly tragedies and natural disasters we've seen in the past few years. That made me scared. The kind of scared that I'm not able to put in my back pocket like I normally do.

At first I thought, "The news is able to cover world events like never before so it only seems like things are worse now than ever." There may be some truth to that but the reality is that there is more going on on a global level than ever before. The world feels like it's becoming a combination of global natural disasters and an abundance of human atrocity. Every now and then, it's tempered by a survival stories of miners underground for months, but they are so few and far between. The real kicker here is, it's all our fault.

I guess that all sounds really cynical. The truth is, since the majority of our worldwide issues are our own fault, we can fix the problems if we try. I don't have all the answers, but I want to say this: Be better to one another. Be better to the earth. Be truly better to yourself. Live better and we'll start to set things straight in the world.

Maybe I'm just an idealist, but I'm tired of carrying my fears in my back pocket.

Matt

The First Step

Here is a sample of what my creator owned Web Comic will look like. I'm not 100% on it, but it's close.

Pick yer poison

Matt crappy color bad!!!

Young Hero

This is the new and final look for Daniella "Dove" Mason. I love this look. I love this character. I suddenly have more faith in this comic than I thought I could. Hope you like.

Next to last...

This set is the next to last commission on the list I worked on from September thru January. I have one more to do for a co-worker then I'll be working on some creator owned stuff as well as Will Corpenings, Priests Epic Adventures RPG. Commissions are still open, but my rates have changed, which I'll put up on the blog somewhere when I figure out how to add it permanently.

These characters were fun to work on as they were already fleshed out and not mainstream. Most requests I get are usually established like Marvel, DC, or video game characters. Either that or people ask me to make them into a superhero of some kind.

Iron mask, Miss Power, Red Phantom and Willpower are all owned by Dark Light Comics, © Vince White 2011. 

By Moonlight...

Few weeks old. Forgot to add this to the blog. Not very dynamic, I know. I'll be pushing/playing with perspective and movement more. Try and loosen up this stiffness. Also, I'll be adding more cheap backgrounds like this one until I get more comfortable with putting objects in space around characters. 

Prioritizing...

I think I need to take a few minutes to list some of my art related goals this year. Last week, I had a conversation with my good friend Mike Moss who spent some time trying to put things into perspective for me. As always, after thinking about it for a bit, I realize that he's right. So, what I want to do is list the things I'm going to be working on/towards in the coming year to have as a reminder when I lose focus. So here we go:

1. I will learn to be patient with my art. I get frustrated too easily.
2. I will learn to be more deliberate with my art. I tend to spend 50% of my art time doing whimsical things rather than staying focused on the project at hand.
3. I won't put aside my personal goals and projects for for quick and easy commission work. I completely neglected my own goals for about 5 months while I peddled my skills for cheap. Work is good, but it can't come at the price of progress. I lost sight of my own goals and progress for a little recognition and a few bucks. From now on, I'll limit the commission work to a manageable amount so that I can do both... Unless there's a shit-load of  money involved...
4. I will give as much attention to backgrounds and composition as I do my character art. It's obvious I don't spend enough time on that stuff. I can do it well, I just have to actually do it.
5. I will attend and perhaps participate in more conventions. The only art communities I'm a part of are online communities. I'm hella busy and it's difficult (VERY) for me to socialize and meet people, but it's something I need to do, not only to learn about the industry but also to be in an environment I can feed on.
6. Lastly... I will launch my web comic this summer. 

I guess it's not-so-exciting a list to the observer, but these are all tremendously huge steps that I really need to take. I'd really like to thank Mike and also Will Corpening for being so supportive of my endeavors. So, thanks guys =)

Matt

Balancing Act

Let's try this again...

Break on through...

So, I'm hoping people are seeing the progress I'm making with the inking and coloring. It's been long and frustrating, but I've kept at it and I think we're seeing another step of progress. The last couple of days I've made an effort to slow down, which has really helped a lot. Hope you folks like it =)

Matt

Dain Bramage

You tell me which one looks better...

huckleberry

Somebody to lean on...

Protagonists from the upcoming web strip.

Oops, forgot one... Gemini Gold

5 and out... Gemini Black

2011

Happy New Year to everyone. Not that I've fooled myself into thinking people actually visit this blog but I'd still like to put the good vibe out there. I hope everyone's holidays were good. Mine were as good as they could possibly be. I worked almost every day for the month of December (That's not true, but it kinda is... hard to explain so I'll just move on...). I did upgrade my phone for Christmas, which had been bugging me for 6 months and I did get the most wonderful gift in the form of Photoshop CS5. I couldn't ask for more. Well, I could, but I didn't. Anyway...


Update time. First, I cleaned out a lot of the old posts in this blog. I essentially wiped everything out from before I got my tablet last year. All of the old art is still in the gallery links, if people want to go back and look at that stuff. The direction of my art changed once I went digital. Also, I discovered that artists have trends that I figured out will continue to repeat themselves until the day the artist dies. So I found that a lot of what I talked about on the blog, I had almost certain talked about before on the blog. Recurring themes of, "I have an artist block", or, "I think I'm making progress", followed by identical details every time made want to get rid of all that blabbering. 


2010 introduced me to the world of freelance commission art. WEEEEEE!!!!! As awesome as it is for me to actually get a little money for what I do, commission work has exposed a number of my weaknesses as an artist. Mainly, my inability to draw backgrounds. Not that I can't, but I don't do it well.  So, I'll be dedicating a lot of time to getting better at that this year...


...Also, I'll be drawing a lot more sexy women...


People love it. Don't be fooled. Sexy does not mean stereotype. If I have any skill as an artist or any salt as a human being, I'll deliver "SEXY" in all it's forms. I'm doing this for a couple reasons. First is that it draws attention to me and my work. Shameless, I know, but it's what I'm in this business for... The attention that is. Second is that I need to get better at drawing the female form in action. I've been a pin up guy most of my life, so this is an exercise I need to do. Lastly, the women will help balance out the background crap I'll be drawing while I learn to do that... at the very least the girls will distract from that.


In terms of actual projects I have lined up for 2011, I'll post on that later. I still plan to release the Four Horsemen web strip this summer and I'm working on a couple of collaborations with some good friends. I can't put deadlines on any of that because the commission work will continue and probably take precedence (yay for making money!) for a while. In the mean time, please enjoy the work I put up here. Speaking of "put up", thanks for putting up with me =)


matt

Gemini Blue

So, it doesn't end with the art for me. I'm writing this web strip as well. I find that it's true when they say there are no original stories. One of the best ways to add depth and interest is by creating great character dynamics in the storytelling. Now, I don't know if what I've created is considered great, but I'm trying. The Gemini Sisters in this Four Horsemen story will have a dynamic that I've never worked with before and that has me excited, which is why it may seem like I've given them a little extra attention... because I have. Hope you like.

Matt

Gemini Red

Deal with it...

The color and the shape...

Seventh Son...

There's always a bigger fish...

Only if you mean it...

The Business of Business...

The real slim shady...

WIP it good!

And the winner is...

The HULK!!! Yep, by far the most requested character for commissions that I've received. I have an admission to make. I love drawing the Hulk too! Truth be told, I was never one for drawing characters that were properties of others. Really, I just spent a lot of time working on my own stuff. Now that I've been doing all this work for other people, I gotta admit that I do enjoy it.

Motoko Kasunagi

Ghost in the Shell. I was thinking of a good friend of mine when I did this. He told me once that he was a big fan. I loved the first movie. Couldn't really follow the show because of time constraints. I never understood though, why they had to put Motoko in the skimpiest clothing. Well, I finally figured it out... BECAUSE IT'S COOL AS SHIT TO DRAW!

Hey Tim, I'll do a proper piece and mail it to you =)