Frank Rain Episode 1

It's on baby. get your nose bleed right here:

Episode 1

2 New Brushes App Paintings

Here are 2 new quick paintings I did using Brushes on the iPod Touch.
Enjoy!

Purple

Here's another quick, but fun, iPod Touch panting. This time using the very popular Brushes app which was featured in the Apple iPad event. Also, I admire anyone who can paint in Brushes or any other paint app on the iPhone or Pod with their finger. But I can't. So I use a stylus made specifically for the iPhone and iPod's touch screen called a Pogo Sketch Stylus. It's pretty neat and allows me to draw and paint a bit more accurately then I can with my finger.

The video that follows the painting was not captured in the order I drew this. First and foremost, I started the whole thing with a sketch. Then worked my way to the "inks", and lastly, I began to add colors with the very last thing I did being the eyes. As you'll see, it's all backwards.

Thanks for reading.

It Begins

Well it's Monday and you all know what that means right?

You don't?

Really?

Well, neither do I. I just thought I'd start this post with that line in hopes of grabbing your attention.

And now that I have it, I'll take the opportunity to remind you that starting next Monday, February 8, Frank Rain will begin!

Aren't you excited?

I am!

Woo-Hoo!

Okay... Okay...

I'll settle down. But really, I'm eager and excited to finally debut the strip to the World!....

Well...

Not really to the World. But to everyone who's been waiting to see it. You know, like you. Right?

Cool.

Besides the excitement of debuting the strip next week, I'm also excited about how the website has turned out.

And there's a story behind that.

This is not the first time I've tried to use the Wordpress theme Comicpress.

As many of you know, Comicpress is the one and only theme widely used by almost every web comic Artist in the world. Almost.

But it is a very famous theme and it's just perfect for webcomics if you're using Wordpress.

Well, the first time I tried to use that theme it was like being on another planet. I wanted to modify it. Make it look like a custom website and failed. Miserably.

The second time I used the theme was on my failed attempt at a web comic... ahem... Spaced Thing.

And I need to clarify something here. Spaced Thing did not fail because no one cared for it. It failed because I did not finish it the way I should have!

Something I hope not to repeat with Frank Rain.

Anyways, back to driving my point home.

With Spaced Thing, which is up on the Crashland Studio site, Josh Alves did all of the mod on it. I just provided a crappy header for it :/

But with Frank Rain, I wanted to really get a good look and feel to the site to support the comic. I wanted readers to feel that the website was part of the comic. And I'm happy to say, I've been able to get it to a point where I now feel like I have achieved that goal.

It wasn't easy. I had allot of figuring out to do. Allot of head scratching and teeth grinding too. But thanks to help from Josh and Drew, we managed to figure things out here and there.

I've learned allot. And now I feel a bit more confident using the theme and making changes to it.

Wait, what's that you say?

You haven't actually seen the site yet?

Oh dear. Well... What are you waiting for?

Head on over there and check it out will you!

Cheers.

The Araknid Kid in my iPod!

Another iPod Touch painting done in Layers app. This one of my buddy Josh Alves' Araknid Kid.

I Dream of an iPad

Okay, I'll admit it. If you're not into technology or have been away from the T.V or web, then, you really don't know what I'm talking about and the word iPad sounds... Well.. Let's just say it sounds very feminine.

For those of you who do not know what this "iPad" thing is, let me give you a brief intro.

A few days ago, Apple introduced the World to it's latest creation. The first ever, Apple built Tablet (don't you dare call it a Netbook!). And they called it the iPad.

It has been called an "exploded version of the iPod Touch". Having an iPod Touch myself, I can honestly say, it is just that. A 9.7" screen iPod Touch.

There's been allot of back and forth about this device. Many love it. Many are in the middle. And others hate it and think it will fail. But let's not forget, they thought the same thing about the iPod when it was first revealed by Apple and, well, look at it now.

I had mixed feelings about the iPad myself. I was looking at it from the point of view of being an exploded iPod Touch. Why would I need one, if I already have my trusty iPod Touch that goes with me everywhere? And at that price tag starting at 500 greens. How could I possibly justify such a purchase?

First, the negatives.

1. It has no Wacom technology. No stylus (your finger is your stylus). No 512 or 1024 pressure sensitivity.

2. It runs the iPhone/ipod Touch Operating System and not the much anticipated Mac OSX. What does that mean? It means you can't install Photoshop on it. Or Adobe Illustrator or Manga Studio. Three key programs I use religiously. It means you can't install any program that runs in OSX unless there is an App (Application) equivalent to it for the iPad, as is the case with Pages or Keynote (which I hardly use to begin with).

3. It's size. Although this is a plus, it's also a negative because, unlike my iPod Touch, I cannot carry the iPad with me everywhere go.

Okay, that's what I could think of for my personal notes on the negatives of the iPad.

Now lets' look at the positives.

1. It's made by Apple. What does that mean? Apple has the track record of making things better. They have taken the iPod and throughout the years, have made it better. The iPod has even morphed into a phone! And not just any phone, but a phone with touch capabilities, and thousands of applications for it. But not just the iPod, they have made their computers, the Macs, better too.

As a 3+ year Windows user, I can honestly say that my switch from the Windows OS to the Mac OS has been one of the many great decisions I have made. The Mac system works for me, and unlike the Windows system, not against me. Period.

2. It's too early to make a judgement call. Do people honestly think Apple would make a product like the iPad without any ideas of where it's going to go? That's like sitting down and drawing page 1 of a comic you have not even plotted, let alone done preliminary character designs, let alone have not even written a script for it! It would be risky, and to some extent, kind of dumb. You need to have a clear goal. And Apple, without a doubt, has one for the iPad.

3. There are thousands of Apps already made, waiting for you to download, that can be used on the iPad. Granted, some may not look as great on the 9.7" screen, but they WILL work. Take for example THINS. I love that App. It's the most used app I have on my iPod Touch. Out of the box, I will be able to transfer that app to the iPad and use it.

4. Other Apps like the comic readers Panelfy and Comixology will display my comics in a much better and more natural way. Instead of squinting for some detail, it will be the closest I will get to actually reading a printed comic. And even better! This thing was made for this kind of stuff. It is intended to be used to read comics and books and so many other things.

5. Battery life. 10 hours? nuff said.

6. And Brushes, Layers and Sketchbook Pro.

This last one, to me as an Artist, is the biggest reason I have for dreaming of an iPad.
There's allot of people saying that the iPad is not suitable for Artist.

Bull!

Come to think of it, with it's small screen, how can any Artist use the iPhone or the iPOd Touch? Well, they are. And they are creating some of the most beautiful and amazing art I have seen. All wit their finger. Wow!

Now imagine that creativity, on a 9.7" display. Oh boy. One can only... What's the word I'm looking for?... dream!

So do I need an iPad?

No.

Do I want an iPad?

Yes.

Will I get an iPad?

Not sure.

What will I do with the iPad if I do get one?

The same thing I've done with the iPod Touch. I'll use Layers, Brushes and Sketchbook Mobile Apps to create art.

And with that, I'll leave you with this. Which I happened to create on the iPOd Touch using Layers App.

Peace.

Frank Rain: The Logo

One of the things I wanted to do going in with Frank Rain was to have a good Master head to go with the series. I'm not much of a logo person, having really only created a few for comics, including Dog Saint, Noah and most recently Priscilla. But the times I have created a logo for a comic I have really liked the out come.

So I was faced with two alternatives. Get someone to create one for me or, create one myself.

I thought about it and based my decision on the fact that, if I did ask anyone to create a logo for me, it would be free because O could not pay the person. And what if, after I asked them to create the logo, I did not like it?

I wanted to avoid this. So I decided to go at it, like I did with Dog Saint, on my own. Of course, it REALLY helps when you have a talented illustrator buddy who can guide you along the way with his wisdom (Thanks Drew!).

Now, I'm not saying this logo is perfect. But damn sure if I like it.

Also, if you have not yet, and really want to keep up with Frank Rain, you're going to want to head on over here and bookmark this or grab the RSS feed, because I'm very close to making an official announcement soon. One I'm sure you'll like ;)

Peace

Update: I've decided to launch the website. So check it out :)