sci-universe:

I really love these starry illustrations by Hajin Bae.

(via pumpkinmmmilk)

12:19 am  •  10 March 2014  •  132,067 notes

I do art as a rejection of the system. I refuse to believe that we are but merely puppets to be manipulated by unseen forces. Art is my agency to think for my own - to think in ways that defy the world; to think, free of the limitations we are forced to submit ourselves to. This irrationality is my personal revolution against the structure.

1:52 am  •  29 November 2013

poseidonology:

Hi guys. If you can, please spread/reblog. We’re collecting artworks/photos from people around the metro to be sold at Intramuros, Manila, on the 24th of November, 2013. All proceeds go to Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda victims. 

If for any reason you can’t personally make it to Intramuros on the 24th, especially if you’re not from Metro Manila, you may email your work to me at kapunan.una@gmail.com. Our team will be shoulder all expenses for printing of your artwork/photos. Thank you very much and I do hope you can contribute :’)

Please visit our Facebook page for more details. :D 

(via poseidonology1-deactivated20140)

8:37 pm  •  19 November 2013  •  61 notes

Anonymous asked: Hi Rob! I'm a frustrated illustrator who just recently got a tablet and man oh man, the learning curve. All my lines are jagged, not smooth at all, and it's hard to make it look clean like your drawings or like the ones on Zen Comics. They get especially jagged w/ handwritten text. Any tips? :( How do I go about making my comics more smooth/ crisp? Do you use special Brushes? Is there a big diff with working on PS or AI when it comes to web comics? *sighs*I feel like I don't deserve my tablet :(

robcham:

1. All my lines are jagged, not smooth at all, and it’s hard to make it look clean like your drawings or like the ones on Zen Comics. They get especially jagged w/ handwritten text. Any tips? How do I go about making my comics more smooth/ crisp?

Here are some tips. Just for Photoshop for now, if you want me to go in depth with Illustrator, I can do so as well, but for now, some basic principles that also apply to Illustrator.

First off, get to know the tools of Photoshop. This includes the brush tool, eraser tool, the line tool, pen tool, paint, and pretty much all of em. You can find PDFs and tutorials that should help you understand the basics of it. There are layers which can help you arrange your inks, colors, flats, and background. It helps to know which layer has what so you can use it to your advantage say coloring underneath your linework and inking over your pencils layer. Once you acquaint yourself with how Photoshop’s tools work, this will get a lot easier. You’ll understand a lot more of what you can do and what you can’t.

Next. I’m going to talk to you about 2 things that I think will help you with your problem. They are:

Canvas Size/ Image Size

and

Brush configuration

First off, Canvas/ Image Size. It helps if you work in a higher resolution than intended. How this works is basically how comics and other published pieces of illustration work. Illustrators work in dimensions relative to how much space the piece should be albeit at a higher resolution to shrink down later. Much like in comics art where the standard page size is smaller (around 7x10 inches) than the artists page size (11x17 inches). When an image is shrunk down a lot of the lines appear smoother. In your computer resolution how it works in Photoshop is it’s using anti-aliasing and pixels to give the illusion it’s a curve. For example:

Standard resolution

Close up

As you can see from the pixels, this may be why you may have been getting jaggedy lines. If you adjust accordingly, you can have smoother lines by working at say 300dpi as opposed to 72dpi. 

Next:

Brush talk.

In your Brush settings, you may be working without some of the ‘effects’ that Photoshop is capable of. Go to Window>Brush.

This window should pop up.

For this example let’s pick a normal circle brush. As you can see a lot of the dynamics are still ‘off’ hence how the line will appear to be just that. A stubby line. By turning on Shape Dynamics

and Smoothing 

You should have a nicer brush stroke. The image above are the options for ‘Brush dynamics’. Toggle the settings til you find one that is suited to your needs and how you want it to look.

Hopefully this helps. If you have any questions feel free to ask me anything else. But these are basically how I started out messing with brushes. 

2. Do you use special Brushes?

Yes. I bought brushes from FRENDEN and KYLE T WEBSTER

but you can have some basic pencil brushes from here

They’re great and easy to use. Installation instructions are there, too.

3. Is there a big diff with working on PS or AI when it comes to web comics?

Yes. Photoshop for me has its size limitations. AI uses vector files meaning you can size them as large as you want given a certain limit, where Photoshop, when resized to larger images, will get pixel-y because of its nature.

With working on Webcomics, it wholly depends on you on your intention and how comfortable you are working with either one. I work mainly with Photoshop and this other program Manga Studio when it comes to brush work. AI is a powerful tool as well, but they all have their own strengths and limitations. AI isn’t as good with coloring. Photoshop can’t have vectors be as crisp as AI. Manga Studio is Manga Studio. (Rad.)

My advice is try each one out and figure out which one works for you. I did. Again, knowing the tools and how to use them will help you find out which works for you. I can’t tell you. A lot of comics use Photoshop like Penny Arcade and say A Lesson is Learned, but other comics also use AI like Achewood.

figure it out, for yourself is all I could say. Each offers a diverse style only you can choose to use. Yeah.

Feel free to ask any more questions if you got em. Hope this was helpful. 

I feel like I don’t deserve my tablet

You just started out. It’s okay to have these questions. That being said, everyone started out where you are, clueless as to how these things work. I was like that when I first started. A great thing you did was ask questions and look for answers. Which is a pretty great thing. Just keep at it and never think you don’t deserve anything because you are a fucking champion god damn it. I learned a lot of this stuff from browsing youtube tutorials with questions and people are willing to give out answers.

NEVER STOP QUESTIONING THINGS. YEAH!

reblogging for reference

8:06 pm  •  29 September 2013  •  110 notes

eatsleepdraw:

Gettin’ those feelings.  my blog

8:53 pm  •  18 September 2013  •  4,664 notes

choodraws:

nightingales:

There is a really problematic culture of artists underpricing their commissions online - though I’m sure this practice extends towards the ‘real world’. A fun fact before we start: the internet is actually part of the ‘real world’. If you don’t think that…

(via robcham)

3:27 am  •  20 August 2013  •  8,280 notes

joshdierickx:

ofthefaeries:

Cinnamon and Honey

Drug companies won’t like this one getting around. Facts on Honey and Cinnamon:
It is found that a mix of honey and Cinnamon cures most d…iseases. Honey is produced in most of the countries of the world. Scientists of today also note honey as very effective medicine for all kinds of diseases. Honey can be used without side effects which is also a plus.Today’s science says that even though honey is sweet, when it is taken in the right dosage as a medicine, it does not harm even diabetic patients. Researched by western scientists:

HEART DISEASES: Make a paste of honey and cinnamon powder, put it on toast instead of jelly and jam and eat it regularly for breakfast. It reduces the cholesterol and could potentially save one from heart attack. Also, even if you have already had an attack studies show you could be kept miles away from the next attack. Regular use of cinnamon honey strengthens the heart beat. In America and Canada, various nursing homes have treated patients successfully and have found that as one ages the arteries and veins lose their flexibility and get clogged; honey and cinnamon revitalize the arteries and the veins.

ARTHRITIS: Arthritis patients can benefit by taking one cup of hot water with two tablespoons of honey and one small teaspoon of cinnamon powder. When taken daily even chronic arthritis can be cured. In a recent research conducted at the Copenhagen University, it was found that when the doctors treated their patients with a mixture of one tablespoon Honey and half teaspoon Cinnamon powder before breakfast, they found that within a week (out of the 200 people so treated) practically 73 patients were totally relieved of pain — and within a month, most all the patients who could not walk or move around because of arthritis now started walking without pain.

BLADDER INFECTIONS: Take two tablespoons of cinnamon powder and one teaspoon of honey in a glass of lukewarm water and drink it. It destroys the germs in the bladder….who knew?

CHOLESTEROL: Two tablespoons of honey and three teaspoons of Cinnamon Powder mixed in 16 ounces of tea water given to a cholesterol patient was found to reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood by 10 percent within two hours. As mentioned for arthritic patients, when taken three times a day, any chronic cholesterol-could be cured. According to information received in the said Journal, pure honey taken with food daily relieves complaints of cholesterol.

COLDS: Those suffering from common or severe colds should take one tablespoon lukewarm honey with ¼ spoon cinnamon powder daily for three days. This process will cure most chronic cough, cold, and, clear the sinuses, and it’s delicious too!

UPSET STOMACH: Honey taken with cinnamon powder cures stomach ache and also is said to clear stomach ulcers from its root.

GAS: According to the studies done in India and Japan, it is revealed that when Honey is taken with cinnamon powder the stomach is relieved of gas.

IMMUNE SYSTEM: Daily use of honey and cinnamon powder strengthens the immune system and protects the body from bacterial and viral attacks. Scientists have found that honey has various vitamins and iron in large amounts. Constant use of Honey strengthens the white blood corpuscles (where DNA is contained) to fight bacterial and viral diseases.

INDIGESTION: Cinnamon powder sprinkled on two tablespoons of honey taken before food is eaten relieves acidity and digests the heaviest of meals

INFLUENZA: A scientist in Spain has proved that honey contains a natural ‘Ingredient’ which kills the influenza germs and saves the patient from flu.

LONGEVITY: Tea made with honey and cinnamon powder, when taken regularly, arrests the ravages of old age. Use four teaspoons of honey, one teaspoon of cinnamon powder, and three cups of boiling water to make a tea. Drink ¼ cup, three to four times a day. It keeps the skin fresh and soft and arrests old age. Life spans increase and even a 100 year old will start performing the chores of a 20-year-old.

RASPY OR SORE THROAT: When throat has a tickle or is raspy, take one tablespoon of honey and sip until gone. Repeat every three hours until throat is without symptoms.

PIMPLES: Three tablespoons of honey and one teaspoon of cinnamon powder paste. Apply this paste on the pimples before sleeping and wash it off the next morning with warm water. When done daily for two weeks, it removes all pimples from the root.

SKIN INFECTIONS:Applying honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts on the affected parts cures eczema, ringworm and all types of skin Infections.

WEIGHT LOSS:Daily in the morning one half hour beforebreakfast and on an empty stomach, and at night before sleeping, drink honey and cinnamon powder boiled in one cup of water. When taken regularly, it reduces the weight of even the most obese person. Also, drinking this mixture regularly does not allow the fat to accumulate in the body even though the person may eat a high calorie diet.

CANCER: Recent research in Japan and Australia has revealed that advanced cancer of the stomach and bones have been cured successfully. Patients suffering from these kinds of cancer should daily take one tablespoon of honey with one teaspoon of cinnamon powder three times a day for one month.

FATIGUE: Recent studies have shown that the sugar content of honey is more helpful rather than being detrimental to the strength of the body. Senior citizens who take honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts are more alert and flexible. Dr. Milton, who has done research, says that a half tablespoon of honey taken in a glass of water and sprinkled with cinnamon powder, even when the vitality of the body starts to decrease, when taken daily after brushing and in the afternoon at about 3:00 P.M., the vitality of the body increases within a week.

BAD BREATH: People of South America, gargle with one teaspoon of honey and cinnamon powder mixed in hot water first thing in the morning so their breath stays fresh throughout the day.

HEARING LOSS: Daily morning and night honey and cinnamon powder, taken in equal parts restores hearing.

**i found this particular bit on facebook, but if you google the subject there are tons of articles on it! check out some on ‘grapefruit’ while you’re at it! it’s amazing what we don’t know about our food!

Let’s all try it out! Honey + Cinnamon = our friend!

(via izzymar)

2:51 am  •  6 August 2013  •  8,410 notes

magnificenthoofbeasts:

ampullae:

geometricdeathtrap:

yourdashboardmanifest:

emilysachs:

t-okeefe:

perchance-todream:

Dial-Up sound 700% slower

what the fuck.

If I ever end up in the film industry I’m going to put this in a horror movie and it will affect people on such a deep psychological level that they’ll be terrified of getting on the computer for weeks without knowing why.

This is hauntingly, horrifyingly, horribly beautiful, and literally physically affected my ability to breathe. Holy. Fucking. Shit.

This would make great atmospheric ambiance for a horror game

I’ve been listening to survival horror soundtracks all day and really, there is little difference

I’m sprawled out in my cold quiet basement listening to this and I have a sudden urge to go back upstairs regardless of how sweltering the heat is.

(via with-clubsauce)

12:06 am  •  19 July 2013  •  176,670 notes

I am enveloped in the abyssal blackness of the night. I try to make out figures as my eyes adjust to the darkness. I feel lost and helpless even in this familiar space. I trudge along the path, along the hallway of my empty house. I hear creaks in the floorboards. I feel another presence lurking around.

I draw my hands to the walls, looking around for the light switch. I then find its nudges. Finally, in anticipation of meeting my unexpected visitor, a flick brings light into the room. The brightness blinds me. To my surprise, I am greeted by my reflection. It was just me all along.

5:20 am  •  15 July 2013

fyeahartstudentowl:

bigbigtruck:

juliedillon:

romy-chan:

I made this comic solely to explain how the interview went, so please ignore how ugly it looks. This was easier than trying to just write it down for me.

I am a very emotional person especially when I’m nervous, so this event hit me quite hard.

More news soon.

Oh honey. Oh god. I’m so sorry.  Okay. This is not a school you want to associate with. These are bad people. They are not better than you. I don’t care how prestigious they think or say they are. Going there would have been a waste of your time, because you are so much better than anything they could offer you and they do not have a fucking clue what they are talking about. Trust me. I struggled through a college full of people just like that, and got nothing out of it but wasted time and resentment. All they did was tell me I was phony and a failure for wanting to actually learn how to draw and paint, and that is all kinds of backwards. All that self-important grandiose bullshit about illustration and technical skill not being “art” is just hiding the fact that they can’t paint or draw for shit. They live in an echo-chamber, and they only worship the absolute newest trends in the handful of areas of modern art they deem worthy, to the exclusion of all else. That is NOT art, that is elitism and egotism, pure and simple, and that sure as hell does not help the students. They are NOT better than you. Your beautiful artwork and expressiveness and illustrative style are powerful and important - everyone’s is. Saying someone’s work is “not art” and therefore not important is not a critique. It’s an asshole thing to say, and offers absolutely nothing of importance or value for potential students.

Now, that isn’t to say there is no value in modern and post modern and abstract expressionist etc. art - on the contrary. The more inclusive you can be in your influences, and the more you can look at and study, the better. (Branching out is always a healthy thing to do!) But if that’s ALL a school has to offer, if an art school tries to tell you that technical skill and illustration are invalid or unimportant, if they try to tell you that Rembrandt and Van Gogh aren’t worth looking at or studying because they are dead, if they dismiss artists they don’t approve of as “kids who like to scribble,” if they tell you that you don’t have a place there unless you conform exactly to what they want, then you need to avoid that place like the plague, because they are not there to help you, they are not there to teach you,  they are there to find people who can make the school look even more self-important than it already is. 

Sorry for the rant. XD I’m still haven’t quite gotten over how crappy my art college experience was. (For those interested, the crap school in question was Sacramento State University. After I left, I attended a handful of classes and workshops at the Academy of Art University in SF and Watts Atelier in Encinitas, CA ,which helped me SO much more, as the teachers were interested in actually helping students learn the skills that art schools are supposed to teach you. You know, painting and drawing and inking and sculpting and all that good stuff.) 

Uh, so yeah. >_> Basically look for schools with a good technical program that stresses life drawing, painting, drawing. Art is one of the few careers where people care about your portfolio more than where you got your degree (unless you’re gearing up to work for a Pixar or Dreamworks or something, in which case it does help). So find a place that will help you be the best you can be, and don’t worry about how prestigious or fancy they think they are. <3 

Echoing Julie’s remarks here. I spent my college years at an institution like the one in the comic that valued ~soul expression~ and AbEx over developing technical skills. At the time, I thought it was all peaches, because I was (and still am) super into making and observing AbEx art. Fortunately, I was required to take classes in Photoshop and Illustrator— without those, I would not have gotten a job after college.

I graduated without having learned ANYTHING about drawing, about color theory, about perspective or line weight or form. At thirt*coughcough* I’m still drawing like a high school kid and trying to make up for the damage of those wasted years.
Fuck “real art”, fuck “high art”, fuck “low art”. Learn, develop, grow, evolve, create.

I don’t often reblog stuff, but this comic and the commentary are incredibly important.

A lot of people ask me about college, expressing fear and nerves about whether or not they’re “good enough” or doing “the right art” to get in/do well. Fuck that, kids.

Find a school that will help you grow, no matter what art you do. Be open to criticism, yes, but if the school you’re talking to talks down to you or says that what you’re doing isn’t ~*~*~*”REAL”~*~*~ art, tell ‘em to fuck right off and walk the fuck outta there. That attitude is wrong. THEY are wrong.

You deserve to have an environment that nurtures your art and your skills and offers classes that will help you the very most that they can. Nothing will hurt you/your art more than cutting off the corners of your square peg to fit into a round hole.

/raises fist in solidarity

/extends middle finger at art elitist assholes

this faithfully encapsulates all my sentiments of the moment.

(via )

2:57 am  •  8 June 2013  •  17,157 notes