2013 Life Changes

So right now where I am, it's 11:03 pm. I don't personally celebrate New Years, but I definitely appreciate the symbolism of new beginnings. That's something that I think everyone needs after a long period of reflection on past activities, decisions, both good and bad, and experiences. I'm reflecting on these things, and I have learned a lot. I can say that 2012 sucked really bad for me. A lot of personal things happened to my son and I, as well as a lot of set backs with my art and the goals I wanted to meet. But the difference now, is that now since it is just my son and I, I can examine these things and make appropriate changes. I can do the things that I have never done before. And unlike before, I'm not going to allow situations, or certain people, or life circumstances to hold me back from accomplishing my goals. So with that being said...

New Life Goals...

1. Lose Weight... (Goal weight of 190-200)
2. Pursue my art career VERY aggressively.
3. Reconnect with my art fans, and let you guys get to know me through my blog and artwork.
4. Learn 2 new languages; Spanish & American Sign Language.
5. Finish, and put out TWO of my indy titles this year. The first being The Swaggernauts.
6. Start and Finish Project 365.
7. Travel and make new and interesting friends.
8. Auxilary Pioneering for 3 months during the year (only certain people will know what this is)
9. Improve my artwork and become a better learner.
10. Become a student of the Bible again... (don't worry, I won't smash it in your face, or slam you all with religion all the time. :P)

If you notice, these are NOT resolutions. Those are meant to be broken. It's time to break the cycle of redundancy and mediocre and make real lifestyle changes. And that's what I'm going to do. I am looking forward to the rest of my life with my son and I. And it would be nice to add a new person to that, but now we are content with what we have and the opportunity to have a clean slate.

Now, you guys probably saw something about Project 365. Well, I will do a new blog on that tomorrow about that, and what that will entail. You will like it I am sure, and it's a great way to follow my work and journey of artistic improvement and discovery. Anyway, it's 11:15 pm now, and I'm gonna stop. Talk to you guys soon.


See You Next Year!!!
Ian D. Walker

Swaggernauts Talent Search

So here is the deal... You all may, or may not know about the comic book project I am working on in Obsidian Studios called The Swaggernauts. If you do, awesome! If not, check out the Kickstarter on it, and help get this thing moving!

Swaggernauts Kickstarter Campaign

I am currently both the writer and artist on The Swaggernauts. I know how to color, but I simply just do not have the time to do that as well and get my project done on a timely basis. The Swaggernauts is going to be a web comic put out through my studio, Obsidian Studios. It is going to be a full 22 page comic book that will be posted up weekly online as a web comic.

To do this, I am looking and scouting for new talent. Talent that is brand new and wants to get their feet wet in the world of comics, as well as earn a bit of cash either bi-weekly, or monthly on the side. That's right... YOU GET PAID!!! What I'm looking for, is for someone to color up an image for me. The image that is chosen will receive $20 CASH, as well as your colors on a print that will printed for all to see. That is the immediate reward.

The second reward, is that you have an opportunity to get your very first PAID comic book gig, and at the end of the day you can call yourself a professional comic book colorist, and put that on your resume for the future! The work will be WORK FOR HIRE, and a contract will be involved for the colorist that is chosen. Page rate is likely to be $30 a page. You can be paid either weekly or monthly by check or by PayPal. You will need to be willing to put aside 2 1/2 months for this project if you are chosen.

This is a paying gig if you are chosen, but know that you will not be getting super rich either. It is steady freelance work for a time, your work will be seen weekly by comic lovers and readers, and it stands to chance that this could go to print as well. So this is a great beginners opportunity!

Here is the drawing that will need to be colored...

No, the job will not be of sketched artwork, but I want to see what you can do. The contest entry deadline is Dec 24th Christmas Eve. I am looking forward to seeing all the possible entries! Spread the word everyone!
Send your emails to: obsidianmoonrising@gmail.com. Subj: Talent Search

Ian Walker

Swaggernauts Kickstarter Campaign

Hey everyone! It's Ian Walker, here again with a great new Kickstarter campaign. As you all know, I am currently working on a few comic book projects. But the main one I am focusing on is called the Swaggernauts. I have been very tight lipped about it, but now is the time to let you all know what it is about! I put up a Kickstarter campaign to do a special 6 art prints to do for the new 2013 con season with the express purpose of getting the word out about this the Swaggernauts. I am hoping to get some kind of traction on this and reach the goals that I am looking for so that I can get this book seen by the masses next year. 2013 promises to be a good year for me, and what better way to kick this puppy off than to launch a promotional campaign about a book that I am really passionate about.

I understand that not many of you will be able to donate. All I am asking of each of you, is to simply get folks to take a look at the page, and spread the word about it. The more people know and are familiar with the Swaggernauts and anticipate it, the better this will be. I thank you all so much for taking the time to read this journal, and I hope to hear from you all soon!

The Swaggernauts Print Kickstarter Campaign

Been away for a minute, but I'm back! New Swaggernauts Print!

It's been a while since I have been on the interwebs. A lot of things are going on which I can't say is too good, but hopefully after the dust settles, it will be for the best. In my ongoing efforts to get Obsidian Studios up and going again, I am continuing the work on the Swaggernauts. This coming 2013, there will be promo blitz regarding this comic series, and a lot of things are in the works.

For the comic conventions we plan on doing this coming year, I am doing 6 themed Swaggernauts prints, a new sketchbook, and hopefully a new promo booklet from Obsidian Studios highlighting the projects that we will be coming out with, detailing some previews for these stories. The announcement for the next story will be coming out soon, so be on the lookout. For right now though, I want give you guys a small taste of the first print that I did. The first of the six Swaggernauts prints!

Enjoy!

The Spectre

The Spectre...  

Buy it here...

Finishing up commissions... Part 1

So I have been taking the time to finish up some long overdue commissions that I have been busy working on. After this, I will be doing some new sales to help me get my new place hopefully within the next 6 months. All will be custom artwork and really fun. Hopefully a sort of a one of a kind type piece/product.

So far though, I have 2 pieces left to go for one client. Two original character pieces of Star Wars characters for another, and two original pieces for another client. All together I need to finish a total of 6 more commission pieces. I undercharged a lot for these in the hopes to get a lot of business, but ended up using a lot of it for shipping. Took a HUGE loss on these. Gonna fix that next time I take commissions!

So here are the two pieces that I did today. 6 more to go!!!

After a funk, then... SHAZAM!!!

So I haven't drawn anything over the last couple of days except the commissions that I'm working on finishing and sending off. It's sad because I know that after those are done, I'm going to be starting another round of them to start on some stuff that I have been slacking on.

Anyway, after a long break for a bit and not drawing any big pieces, I finally came up with the idea to draw one of the most fun characters to draw in my opinion, and do a really epic looking Captain Marvel from DC Comics. I initially had the intention of doing a marker drawing, but as I went on, thought that this would look so much cooler if done in pencil, and then outlined in ink. So that is what you see below...

The piece was drawn on Canson comic book artboards and drawn strictly w/ pencil and ink, and a blender stub. I forget the technical name for those things... Anyway, what came out was awesome! I was amazed at how it turned out and was really happy with the results. Now of course I know that I still have some learning to do when it comes to pencil work, but being that I have done a ton of marker stuff, and went back to basics with this one, I'm glad that I did this. 

Now with the final question, how the heck do I seal the pencil so that it wont smear!? Any answers would rock. I'm going to be putting this piece up in my art gallery site for sale through PayPal so that a fan can buy it if they'd like. Anyway, that's it for me today. Thanks for reading!

Asaaj Ventress Sketch

Thought I would do a sketch a few days go. Practicing some marker techniques w/ my Copics, and I am really glad how this turned out. This is for sale on my art site right now for $50 if you are interested in it. Click the link above, or the link here... Asaaj Ventress Marker Sketch

Let me know what you guys think about the sketch here. I definitely plan on doing many more soon!

New Sketchbook Plans!

Had an amazing meeting yesterday morning over in San Rafael w/ Jackie and Adrianne at GlobalPSD. These girls are top notch professional ladies, and I was impressed with how they handled everything from the meeting and call backs, to the rapport, the conversation, everything! They are really down the earth ladies, and I cannot WAIT to do work with them! I am putting together a sketchbook in time for APE Con in SF this year, and I need to get to crackin on that bad boy now.

I'm confident that these ladies will be able to help me out with whatever it is I need. Right now, I have no working title for the book, but I can tell you that it will be AH-MAZING!!! This is going to be high quality stuff, and I know that it will help me be able to stand out in a sea of really big fish as an artist. Over the last few days, I have been thinking seriously about my path as an artist, and really have been considering attempting to do this as a full time gig, and just follow my dreams. I have so many plans, and so many things to do; and unfortunately all of this costs money. I'm going to be using these sketchbooks as a double sword to not only cut my path into a new career, but to also get my studio moving forward with my projects that have been lingering on the back burner. 

Got a few projects I am in the middle of that will be webcomics coming really soon that I will be promoting at APE, as well as the sketchbook. I'm going to get a few prints ready too! Anyway, I really appreciate everyone that is still around and reading my blog about my journeys as an artist. Talk with you guys really soon!

Ian W.

Dr. Who Warmup Sketch

A new warm up I did of good ol' Dr. Who w/ floating TARDIS! This was a fun one to draw as I have never drawn Dr. Who before. Done on 8.5 x 11 high quality bristol, and Copic Markers w/ Pentel ink brush. Who fans, can get their hands on this one for a decent price over at my Big Cartel store! Let me know what you guys think of it!

http://iandwalkerartsales.bigcartel.com/product/dr-who-original-drawing

Harleyquin - Warmup Sketch 1

This is a warmup sketch that I did to start out my day. This was done on high quality 8.5 x 11 cardstock paper, with Copic Liners, and colored with Copic Markers. Harley has always been a fun character for me to draw. This is for sale in my new Big Cartel shop for only $20! Go grab it now! I'm going to be selling all my warm up sketches there from now on, so watch the blog here, or my twitter to see when I put a new one up!

http://iandwalkerartsales.bigcartel.com/

Saw Dark Knight rises last night, and it was AH-MAZIIIING!!! Will definitely go see it at least one more time. And to me hands down the best Batman film Nolan has made. Very well done, and very well executed. Loved it, loved it, LOVED IT!!! More on this later! In the meantime, let me know what you guys think of my drawing.

Bane Sketch

Sketch of the Day of Bane!

Couldn't go see him in the theatre, so I did the next best thing... I drew him!!! Gonna go see the Dark Knight Rises movie tomorrow, so look for a review in the next couple of days!

The Swaggernauts

This started out as an idea for a team name for some colleagues of mine at work. The team leader named us The Swaggernauts. I'm not one for the word swag, or any variation of it, but even I had to admit that this was a cool name. After trying to figure out what a Swaggernaut would look like, I then took my vision further and came up with what you will see below.

I have been studying movie posters for B-Movies, and came up with this idea. I think it came out really good. I am going to be taking this idea and running with it, and turn it into a daily comic strip really soon from Obsidian Studios soon. Thinking about something to do with life. We shall see when the time comes. In the meantime though, let me know what you guys think and enjoy!

White Ninja Guy Kickstarter LIVE NOW!!!

Very excited right now to announce that my Kickstarter project for White Ninja Guy Saga #1 is up and running NOW!!! I have 30 days to raise the appropriate funds needed to make my dream a reality! Please be sure to spread the word about my project to family, friends, whoever is interested in fun, comics, and action! I really look forward to seeing how this project will turn out!

If you can't donate, don't worry about it. Just go ahead and tell everyone you can. Link the link wherever you can to let folks know about the project, and I will greatly appreciate that! If you guys have ANY questions, please don't hesitate to send me a note here, or send one to my email.

 

White Ninja Guy Saga Kickstarter Campaign ---------------> http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/iandwalker/white-ninja-guy-saga-issue-1

Kickstarter Campaign to begin in June

Hello everyone! Just wanted to give a heads up on what's going on in the homefront I like to call Obsidian Studios. Right now as we speak, I am working on a project for our first Kickstarter Campaign. This project is for the next White Ninja Guy comic book coming out in October 2012. We are attempting to raise money to be able to pay for various expenses; the most important of those being printing for the 1000 copy run as well as the special edition 150 copy run of the special edition B&W sketch cover version of White Ninja Guy Saga #1.

We are producing a lot of artwork from various artists for variant covers, and promotional posters and the like for various comic shops. We are looking at a projected goal of $4500. Though the costs are MUCH higher, that being of $8300, the $4500 is much more doable, and the rest will be coming from the income of commissions and original art sales of other artwork. This campaign will be ready to launch by June 1 2012. Along with the Kickstarter campaign, we will be launching the White Ninja Guy Facebook page. This will allow us to be able to find out who the REAL fans of White Ninja Guy are. As a result, this can help us create contests and incentives for those fans. Over on the Obsidian Studios blog, and Facebook page, we will be uploading pictures and video of the White Ninja Guy project and other things to keep you guys up to date with progress.

This is a very exciting time, and we hope that with these avenues of promotion and networking that we can make White Ninja Guy a success. The final endgame will be to get White Ninja Guy Saga #1 into the hands of potential new fans at the Alternative Press Expo in San Francisco in October. We can make this happen, and so stay tuned! What can you do? Spread the word and tell folks about the project, and if you can donate, please do so! Thank you all so much for your time, and we hope to hear from you soon!


Until next time Moonwatchers!

Ian Walker
Obsidian Studios Founder / Owner

Chill N' Sketch - May 2012

So I got together with a bunch of local talent where I am here in Santa Rosa, and decided to put together my own little drink and draw style get together which I call, Chill N' Sketch. It's where we... You guessed it! Chill and Sketch!

We all met up at the Aleworks in town which is a local bar and restaurant, and I reserved part of the upstairs area, and all 10 of us in attendance ordered food, sketched out some great artwork, and had an AMAZING time. For the first event, it was a really good turn out. Below are a few of the sketches that were done. I'm going to be putting up a blog post every month when we have these events, and hopefully they get bigger and bigger with even more artwork.

2012 Sketchbook - Understanding Women Vol.1

This is the cover to a new full color sketchbook that I will be coming out with in the later part of the year! Still putting this together, so the page count is still up in the air. This will showcase all of my sketches and drawings, including fan art of all female characters over the years spanning 2010 to 2012.

I will be self publishing the book, and doing a limited number release of books under the Obsidian Studios banner. This will also be revealed in the next few months as well. Pre-Orders for the book will be available once everything is set and ready to go to print. So keep watching and looking for details!

Free Comic Book Day 2012

This was a great great time at my local comic shop FTW Comics here in Santa Rosa.  Got my mind off all the stresses of the last 2 months, and I met some new and amazing people! Sold only 2 of my books, and got only 2 commissions, but all in all, I think it was really great.

I will be posting up one of the pieces that I did that day up here soon! I know that I will be definitely doing this every year forward. Now that FCBD is done, I now need to gear up for APECon! That means new projects must begin, and I need to be ready and solid to go come October 2012!

The Avengers: A Movie Review

There is not enough good things I can say about this film. Anyone that knows me know that I am a DC fan boy. However, my opinion is this... The Avengers will go down in history as the GREATEST comic book film ever made. Here are a few reasons why...

 

THE HULK... THE HULK... THE HULK!!! Aside from the Ed Norton film which was AMAZING in it's own right, and set the precedence for realism for how the Hulk should look, the Hulk in this movie was simply amazing! I remember how when Mark Ruffalo was revealed to be the new Banner, people (including myself) were miffed that this role wasn't reprised by Ed Norton. But recognizing the trend that most of the CG Hulks are modeled after the real actors themselves, I was thoroughly pleased with not only the performance of Ruffalo as Banner, but also the LOOK of the Hulk. With a tiny bit of exaggeration, he ended up being an amazing likeness to the classic Hulk we see in the comics. Seeing him reminded me of Dale Keown's Hulk w/ the exaggerated features and such. 

We also got to see a lot of the Hulks personality as well. He was a pissed off destructive force, but smart enough to understand at the right time, he needed to work together with a team. This was done wonderfully and the Hulk was a major asset to the team, showing you how muscle should be used in a team. There is so much more to the Hulk, but if I say more, then I will be spoiling ish. One thing I will say though, is that from the second we see the green behemoth to the end of the film, he is tearing through EVERYTHING, as the Hulk should be! No sentimental BE-TTY moments with her single tear on his finger. He simply HULK SMASHED!

The chemistry between everyone in this film was wonderful as well. The mix of humor brought to us graciously by Robert Downey Jr aka Tony 'Iron Man' Stark was wonderful. The relationship between Hawkeye and Black Widow that we all know of in the comics was played on brightly as well. Hawkeye honestly is not a character that is given the opportunity to shine very much. Not too many people I know care a lot about Hawkeye, and I think that Whedon and the writers knew that. So even though they didn't capitalize on his background too much, I think they played a very smart move here by making sure that whenever Hawkeye was on the screen, he was doing something really cool. In effect, this would make folks who never cared about the character go... Hmmm. Who is this dude? After this movie, if I didn't know who Hawkeye was, I would be checking him out afterward for sure. I think they were really smart with this. Captain America was shown as the worlds greatest leader in this film, and the character I feel was given another side of which was seen in this film. You need to see it to understand what I'm saying. 

Thor throughout the film was just annoyed with his brother, and it kept a realism and a much different element to the movie in regard to the relationship to Thor and Loki. He still really loves his brother, and will do anything for him, but he never ever once condoned the actions he was taken. Thors growth as a character was plain as day in the movie. It even seems as if the writers wanted us to see that he had grown and learned a lot more since the Thor movie that had come out, and I thought that was nice to see.

I like to call Nick Fury as wonderfully played by Samuel L Jackson, the Great Manipulator. The thing I love about Nick Fury and his role in the film is that he is a friggin GENIUS! The man knew how to fight, he knew how to think, and motivate the Avengers to get their butts in gear, and do what he knew in his heart what they could do. Sam Jackson is not an action star by any means, but give this dude some lines, and that ish does not even matter. I know very few actors that can do this, and Sam is one of them. He made Nick Fury a very cool character. And it does help a lot that the Ultimate Nick Fury was modeled after him, so to see this come alive in film was amazing.

Finally, Joss Whedon... I have been a fan of this guy since Firefly. I didn't really expect him to do much for the film honestly because this wasn't a property that HE created, so I didn't expect him to pull off his usual amazing skills. But BOY was I wrong. After seeing this film, Whedon, and his writing team say a few things to us as comic book fans. 

1. We are sorry for all the crap hollywood had you sit through and waste money on. Here is our gift to you.

2. You are a fan, and so are we...

3. The comic book movie CAN be done like the comics. 

4. There are no more excuses for not putting together quality films just like the comics, since comic books are essentially movies, and TV in printed form.

5. Comic companies (Mainstream or indy) MUST invest in putting together their own studios to create films that stay true to the characters they create. And these must also be willing to cater to indy creators that want to see their properties on film as well. This eliminates the risk of any tampering with those who just want money or who only want to please Hollywood, and not the fans.

This man can do and touch anything he wants from this point forward. He like Christopher Nolan of the wonderful Batman films and his other great films have the ability to touch anything and turn it into GOLD!!! Whedon from this point on has proven to me, and even more so to his hardcore fans that he is an undeniable talent. And I'm going to call this right now... After the Avengers film, the next great TV project he creates will survive for more than 2 seasons. Hollywood now has NO CHOICE but to recognize the talent for what he is. The Rise of Joss Whedon has begun!

Thanks for taking the time to read today! If you want to leave comments, leave them here!

Talk to you guys soon!

Ian W.

The Hunger Games: A Movie Review

Now in this review, I have some very strong opinions about what I saw in this film. I plan on going about this review in two ways. One as a film, and two a personal opinion.

So the Hunger Games in short is a movie about 24 young men and women ages 12-18 that must participate in an arena style competition to the death as punishment for an uprising
that took place by the 12 districts of Panem, against the ruling government of the Capitol. The story has a very unique and interesting premise. Having read the book before
seeing the movie, I went in with alot of expectation as far as sticking close to the story goes, but not so much as i wouldn't call myself a raving fan of the series.

The Katniss character in the movie played by Jennifer Lawerence was very well done. I am a fan of the average beauty of a woman, who when made up becomes strikingly gorgeous. She
shows strength, and beauty which is to be applauded especially for a young actress. The character of Peeta Mellark wasn't as engaging and interesting as I thought he would be.
He was a perfect back up character, but I feel didn't really do much to complement Katniss in the movie as much as he did in the book. I found that as a character at least in
the movie, I didn't really care about him. The brutality of the Hunger Games were shown very prominently in the film. The struggle and fight for survival, along with the dreams
of the main characters played a role, but again were down played and overshadowed by the glory of the games, and I think that was a mistake. The only time in the movie where
those sentiments were expressed was during a conversation in the film with Katniss and Peeta. After that it seemed to be all about the fighting and killing. I feel that there
was so much more that could have been played up more in the film, and in fact extended visually in movie format that would be hard to express in the books. The meaning of the
games to everyone in the districts were a non-issue, it just seemed like they all hoped they didn't get picked. The reaction to the games from the general populace should have
been something that could hae been expanded on, but it was not. This is where the book shined in my opinion.

The movie as a whole I feel was rushed and happened very fast in regard to the story and pacing. A lot of details that helped round out the characters were deleted, and I think didn't help to develop a quality story. Honestly as I watched, I began to really feel that this was simply a movie that was put out to replace the hype of Twilight which will thankfully burn out in
the next few months. The casting and script was really good, and was probably my favorite aspects of the film. Lenny Kravitz as Cinna was awesome, Stanley Tucci as Caesar
Flickerman, Woody Harelson as Haymitch, Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket, and even Donald Sutherland as the evil President Snow were all great and put on amazing performances. However, the look and feel of the film in my opinion were very lack luster. Capitol was a HUGE disappointment to me. The city looked sterile while it's inhabitants looked like left over extras from the Fifth Element. When reading the book, and the description it gave, I envisioned very vibrant colors, flamboyant designs from the clothing, to the people, to the architecture. The environment and the people in it did not complement each other, and was not cohesive at all. Being an artist, it was not appealing, and I felt that the designers of the movie were very lazy in this aspect.

As a movie, and simply considering the craft itself and what it presents itself to be, I give this movie a 7/10.

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Now this second part is purely personal opinion and convictions, and if you do not wish to continue reading here, then that is alright. I appreciate you at least taking a look at my initial review.

The Hunger Games is a story that should have stayed just that... a story.  I remember a time when it was taboo to show a child being murdered on television, or in a movie. And if it did show that, it received and immediate 'R' rating. I think it's amazing how we as humans interpret things in our minds when we read a story; allowing our minds to conjure up images in our imaginations as to how something or someone looks, or how action plays out. I have to say that though as a movie, it was pretty good, from a moral standpoint it was outright disturbing, and inappropriate. What saddens me even more, is that this stuff is going be eaten up by the public and media; thus showing the advancing love of violence no matter where it comes from, and the sad state the world is in now, because we have become so callused to violence.  My mind didn't even come close to projecting the gruesome, and violent images that were being performed by those that either were, or pretended to be children in this film. They acted sadistic, savage, uncontrolled; and to me, for children to act like this is unacceptable no matter what time period, no matter what circumstance.

Children are SUPPOSED to be a reflection of fun and innocence that is forgotten in our adult lives. They are the people we look to, to remind us of what innocence, and curiosity is in the times we live in. They are the balance in our lives when we take life and ourselves too seriously. And when children are being portrayed in a way that is not only overly mature, and perform acts like killing other children, I personally feel that this crosses a line, and is completely unacceptable. I am not in anyway slamming the original author of this book. I understand that it is a fictional story, and a different time period, and even more, that IT'S NOT REAL. But what I am upset about is the fact that the entertainment industry didn't pause and take a look how a movies like this would portray children to be. That is NOT okay... Remember how controversial Lord of the Flies was as a story? And remember how even more controversial it was when it was put to film? Well now with Hunger Games, the Lord of the Flies is now like Spongebob Squarepants in comparison.

I do not like, nor will I ever condone, or try to make acceptable the portrayal of children as violent, brutal, sadistic murderers. And because this is what the entertainment industry has done, I have become very sad and now truly realize the lengths these people will go to make a dollar. And before anyone reading this post decides to try and be snarky or funny, and say "They are teenagers, not children" go ask your local police officer how old you need to be to drink, or get married. Just because it is done, doesn't mean that is HAS to be or that it's acceptable.

So based on all the aforementioned here, I will have to give this movie of 2/10...

HarleyQuinn 2012

Harleyquin done on 11 x 14 Bristol w/ Copics! Like it? I have it... Want it? Let me know! In the meantime, you can check out the YouTube video for it below!

Talk to you later...

eBay Commissions 5 Slots available

Hey guys! Just wanted to shoot some info your way regarding commissions. I am open for them now and it is really simple to get your hands on one. Simply go to my eBay page, and click buy it now on one of my auctions for $35! It's a full color commission on 8.5 x 11 high quality cardstock paper done w/ Copics and Prismacolor markers.

As I mentioned before, each one is only $35, and shipping is FREE!!! So no need to feel like your getting ripped off when paying for shipping! Anyway, thanks so much for your support! Talk with you folks really soon!

eBay Commissions Link

Ian W.

The Black Dame... Coming in 2012

She's coming back for 2012... The Black Dame. 

More information to follow. Stay tuned...

Zatanna Process Video

Because it was Creator Owned Day yesterday, I didn't put up the new process video I did for my new Zatanna piece. But here it is right now so you guys can enjoy. Remember to subscribe to my YouTube page, and comment please! Love to have feedback so that I know what other vids you guys may enjoy!

It's Creator Owned Day!!!

I wanted to do a giveaway for Creator Owned Day today. So it's really simple as far as what to do. Be a legitimate follower on my blog. Leave a comment below telling me what your favorite character is, and just check out my other stuff! That simple! The first 10 to do this, and send me an email w/ their address gets a copy of my 2010 Sketchbook: Introducing - The Sketches of Ian Walker, and a signed copy of White Ninja Guy #0: One Shot! I may throw in something else as well, who knows! Thanks so much, spread the word, and talk with you folks soon!

Newest Avengers Trailer

I don't even need to say nothin... Just watch...

 

Now tell me what you think cause I just got back full control of my entire body only about 15 minutes ago...

Mary Jane Process Video

Here is another process video of me doing Mary Jane in her husbands costume. Hope you guys like it. Leave comments and be sure to subscribe and follow me. There will definitely be more videos to come!

Power Girl in Watercolor

Hey guys, I just wanted to share something that I finished up tonight. For the first time, I have finished and completed a watercolor painting piece. I am very proud of it. I decided to go with a very simple style, that being my cartoon style for this one, because I wasn't confident enough to do anything that would be too crazy. I promised myself that I would expand in my art, and one of the mediums that I had been busting in my head back and forth was the medium of watercolor.

Granted, I don't have the space, and that was one of my excuses for a really long time. But today I went to the art store, bought some Pentel Watercolors, and got out my watercolor paper and put it to use. I just decided to jump in instead of examining and preparing like I normally do. And I think that this piece ended up looking really good! Let me know what you guys think of it will you!?

This is up for sale in my Blogspot art store. You can click the link at the top of the page!

Talk to you soon!
Ian W.

Leia Process Video

  Hey folks got a new video up detailing my process on how I did Princess Leia. I talk a tiny bit about the materials I use, and some technique, but not too much. Hope you enjoy the video. Please be sure to comment and Like and subscribe!  Also, tell me if you want to see more of these types of vids!Talk to you guys soon!

Movie Review: CHRONICLE

So I took some time this weekend to go and see this movie, and I have to say, with a few exceptions, those being the Batman series, this was a real breath of fresh air to me. Now we all know that superheroes and supervillains are nothing new. The origins of such are not new either. But the way they went about the telling of the story, the style the film was shot in, and the development of the characters was really fun. This movie had an excellent mix of everything that makes a movie entertaining. It had drama, it had love, it had comedy, and more importantly it was rife with angst. The moral subplot of the film was done very well. I feel like it took every question in our minds as to what WE would do if we had superpowers, and made them come to fruition in this film. I can't count how many times I said to myself, 'I would TOTALLY do that!'

The main plot of the film focused on one character in particular... Andrew. That recurring theme was, "What's wrong with Andrew?" and by golly this movie told us what's WRONG with Andrew. The character though very cliche in origin was told and built up very well. I feel the approach that was taken made him very appealing. He made a few mistakes but was the quickest to harness and control his power. All of this played into the role he would play as a character. For all comic fans out there who have their favorite villains, this film succeeded in making you have a ton of feelings for the character who later becomes the villain. You understand him, you feel for him, you love him, and you also hate him. That's all I'm gonna say on that, or else I'm gonna end up telling you parts of the film, and I don't want to spoil that for anyone.

Just like any story, the film has a few plot holes in it. The biggest one is the moment after they received their powers. I feel like they simply just decided to forget about it, and move forward. You will figure out what I am talking about when you see this movie for yourself. But it's something that made what could have been an AMAZING story, only a good one. There are many more throughout the film that will admittedly have you scratching your head wondering what ever happened to...? The most amazing thing about the film that I can say is what all huge superhero fans look at, and that is the POWERS! There was not one single time where I didn't feel that I was with those guys each and every step of their journey. The special effects were so amazing, and clean, it's really hard to nitpick at certain things, though it does have very few things you will notice, but they aren't really important. 

All in all, Chronicle was a very well done film, with a cohesive cast that definitely had chemistry and worked well together making the whole movie believable. And for the type of film this was, I think believebility is very important. And for every second I was watching, I thought there were 3 dudes out there somewhere with superpowers. This is a GREAT date movie, because there's not so much bang bang beat em up, and there is just enough drama and romance to keep your girl entertained. And it even passes the muster as a superhero film, as it met all the criteria we see in the comics translated very well onto film. If I have to give this movie a rating, I give it a 4/5. I will be seeing this movie at least one more time and then buying this piece on DVD.

Talk to you guys later,

Ian W.

eBay Art Auction for the Week of 2/6

Humbled this week I must say. I did some new pieces, and was a bit on a Star Wars vibe as well and managed to sprinkle in a Black Cat as well. The prices on the auctions were adjusted. A lot of the same items from last week are up again this week on eBay due to an extremely unsuccessful week of selling. The new catalog is almost finished and will be mailed out by the end of the day today. Again the same items will be up with these three items as well. At the end of the month, the catalog will have some of the new pieces in my primary art store, which you can go to the link at the top of the page. Hope you folks enjoy, and I will talk with you all soon!

eBay Art Auctions for the week of 1/29

This week I've got tons of artwork to sell because I need to earn some cash for personal reasons, and also get my studio off the ground. I hope these auctions appeal to different fans out there, because a few of these I have never drawn before to the best of my knowledge.
Big Barda from DC Comics, one of Darkseid's former furies, She-Hulk, Black Widow (who is ALWAYS fun to draw), Psylocke, Black Canary (had the auction up before and sold for $60, but the buyer didn't pay.), and Selene the Deathdealer from the Underworld movie series.

I also raised some prices of my artwork as I found that I was losing money, due to shipping costs. I have been mailing EVERYTHING Priority Mail, and have been dropping $5 a pop US, and $16 a pop international, just on shipping alone. That means with my old pricing, I was only making $5 a drawing for US and $0 for international. NO BUENO!!! So I have raised the prices, to a flat starting bid of $25 w/ FREE SHIPPING, and unfortunately for those outside the US, they pay shipping of $10. Again, this will be priority shipping w/ a tracking number which will be emailed when shipped.

View all of the auctions here on my eBay page! Good luck and Happy Bidding!
eBay Auctions for week of 1/29

The Seven going on hiatus!

Unfortunately, at the moment, the project that I have labored and put so much time into right now has to be put on the back burner right now. The graphic novel project I have talked so much about called The Seven is unfortunately going on a hiatus. A bit of creative differences as well as conflicting schedules and family have put this project on the halt for a while. I'm not about to call out anyone or point fingers as to who to blame, but I will say that I am a bit disappointed. 

I'm going to be taking a lot of the things that have been working on and shelving the project for a while until I can create a great team that has a cohesive drive and commitment to the projects that we are putting out. For right now, this was not the time, and honestly, if it's not going to be done right, then I am glad that we came to the crossroads right now, and stopped where it is now before going too far and having a bad time later. 

I want to take the time to apologize to all the folks waiting so long for this project, and the supporters through means of the comments and those faving the artwork. I really appreciate it, and know that when it is time to take on this project again, that you will be back on this bandwagon supporting the Seven once again.


If you have read my journal this far, I thank you, and know that I appreciate you. A few weeks back, someone here on DA left a message on my page saying that the name of my studio, Obsidian Studios brought chills. And because of that, he knew that we were serious and that we are going places. I'm here to tell you from experience, that a name means absolutely NOTHING is there is no action behind it, and nothing to give people to look forward to. I'm going to put my focus and time and energy into this project and give you all a reason to be fans of Obsidian Studios. I'm hoping that the full completion of the Black Dame will inspire people to continue to work with me and be committed to a serious endeavor and help me do everything to tell more of my stories. Because honestly, that's all I want to do. I just want to tell and share my stories.

Thank you all for your continued support and I will speak with you all again VERY SOON!


Ian Walker

New DC Comics Logo

So DC unveiled it's new logo for their entire entertainment division today. I'm not gonna lie, when I first saw the logo, I was like most of us out there who generally just look at something, and then make a snap decision that I either like it or love it without really finding out why something was done in the way it was.

Being an old school DC fan boy, and being generally pleased with the recent changes made to the comic characters and such, this almost came from out of nowhere. I get on the internet and BAM! DC has a new logo. I thought, 'Wait... Didn't they JUST revamp the logo a couple years ago? But I realized that it's almost been ten years since that revamp; so I guess it was about time.

I'm not gonna tell you everything in the article as to why they changed it, but I thought there were some solid reasons and the marketing reasons behind it made a lot of sense. Now as to if it will be something that new fans will easily recognize??? I think that will take some time, as the logo still takes some getting used to. But going with the secret identity angle that DC is so well known for is a pretty neat concept. Things like this show that people see and recognize 2012 as a new year of change and new possibilities.

So to us, the independent creators out there, lets be sure to follow suit and keep up with the times and get ourselves out there! Let me know what you think of this article, and go check out the article!

DC Reveals it's New Identity!

Talk to you soon!

eBay Auctions for the week of 1/16

So this week I got 3 auctions up right now on eBay for sale. We've got a burlesque pinup, Black Canary, and old school Firestar. All of these pieces are original art pieces done by myself on 8.5 x 11 high end cardstock paper. The starting bids for each auction are really low. All the pencil, ink and greytone auctions this year are going to have starting bids of $.99, and the full color auctions are always going to be $5. I want to make my artwork affordable for those that can't just drop $100-300 on my bigger pieces. All the money made off this artwork will be going toward the production of The Seven comic and Obsidian Studios. So if you can, please go and bid and support my cause! You can follow this link here ------> eBay Auctions for 1/16/12 or you can go to the eBay link at the top of the page here!

Thanks folks, I'll talk to you later!