David Chelsea's Blog, page 32
May 9, 2014
Immersive Panorama: The Comics Convention.
There’s been a bit of a change of plan- or more like a total collapse of plan- since the last time I posted about this project, three paintings in spherical perspective on bowling balls created to be auctioned online by Space Object Gallery. Their curator, Mary Wright, died last weekend. My condolences go out to her family and friends (I myself never met Mary- we corresponded entirely by e-mail).
David Chelsea is reading:
Swindled: The Dark History of Food Fraud, from Poisoned Candy to Counterfeit Coffee
by Bee Wilson
Comics Convention, Acrylic painting on bowling ball by David Chelsea, 2014.
Since Space Object was pretty much a one-woman operation, this does seem to leave plans for the auction up in the air. Still, I am hopeful that these pieces will find a market- and at this point I welcome offers from potential galleries or buyers.
In the meantime, you can immerse yourself in the first piece, a view of a typical comics convention. Just follow this link to an immersive 360° panoramic version on my Flickr page.
In this spherical painting I closely followed my panoramic drawing of two years ago, which is based on sketches I made at the late lamented Stumptown Comics Fest (in case you haven’t heard, the very indie-oriented Stumptown was recently absorbed by the very fanboyish convention Rose City, which is not expected to take on any kind of Stumptown coloration as a result. What do you get when you cross Rose City Comicon and Stumptown Comics Fest? Rose City Comicon.).
I did make a few changes- I added more cosplayers to the scene, including one dressed as my superhero character Snow Angel, and another wearing my nonsexist redesign of Power Girl’s peekaboo cleavage window. I also added my signature in the form of a convention badge.
Many thanks to Tom Lechner for his panoramic conversion. Watch this space for immersive panoramas of the other paintings in this series, as well as news of any future auction or exhibits.
Comics Convention
April 23, 2014
Rebecca on Antiques Roadshow
Big News! Rebecca created an animated promotional spot for Maloy’s Jewelry store (where Eve works), and it premiered last Monday on Oregon Public Broadcasting, before and after Antiques Roadshow at 8pm. Portland people should be able to catch it for the next few weeks flanking Roadshow.
A longer version with music by Ben is on YouTube.
David Chelsea is listening to:
It’s a Scream How Levine Does the Rhumba
by Various Artists
April 18, 2014
Watch This Space
Comics Convention
Life Drawing
Video Store
Three bowling balls to be auctioned at Space Object in early May. Details forthcoming.
Video by Milan Erceg
GIF conversions by Jacob Mercy
David Chelsea is listening to:
American Mirror: The Life and Art of Norman Rockwell
by Deborah Solomon
March 20, 2014
Work in Progress: Bowling Balls
Me holding a bowling ball at Wizard World Con in January
As I said in my last blog post, I will be appearing at the Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle at the end of March selling copies of all of my books, drawing sketches, doing on-the-spot perspective critiques, and all the other stuff I do at cons. I will also be bringing along the project that has been preoccupying me for most of the year: a series of three spherical cartoon paintings on bowling balls which nicely combine two of my main interests, comics and unusual forms of perspective.
David Chelsea is reading:
The Pope and Mussolini: The Secret History of Pius XI and the Rise of Fascism in Europe
by David I. Kertzer
Each of the paintings depict a typical contemporary scene: a comics convention, a figure drawing session, and a video store. I originally conceived of them as installments in my very irregular Anapest comic strip series, so in each of them the dialog is rhymed.
The video store painting may already be a period piece. In doing visual research I turned up many images of empty and derelict video stores, and also video stores festooned with signs saying GOING OUT OF BUSINESS SALE, HALF OFF, and the like.
The figure drawing painting is based on a drawing of Spring Street Studio in New York City which I blogged about two or three years ago. The Comic Con painting is based on a panoramic drawing which I blogged about here.
My working method involves painting over a lightweight rubber bowling ball in acrylic. I plugged the holes with acrylic molding paste. I applied perspective lines using my own method of spherical perspective with six vanishing points; one for each point at the compass as well as up and down (the method is explicated in chapter five of my book EXTREME PERSPECTIVE!) . The painting was done with a combination of craft acrylics (the kind used for painting dollhouses) and Daler-Rowney acrylic artists ink.
Feel free to drop by my table at artists alley where all three will be on display. Afterwards, they are to be auctioned online. Information about that will be in a future blog post.
March 15, 2014
In Two Weeks: Emerald City Con in Seattle!
The Emerald City Comicon (ECCC) is an annual comic book convention taking place in Seattle, Washington. Originally taking place at the city’s Qwest Field (first at West Field Plaza, then at the Event Center), the venue changed in 2008 to its current home at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center. In 2011, the show expanded to a three-day event.
Attendees- don’t forget the dress code!
The convention features a wide array of activities and programming including industry guests, various discussion panels, celebrity signings and photo opportunities, prize drawings, and costume contests. It features a large and lively Exhibitor’s hall with comics retailers from across the entire Pacific Northwest bringing a large stock of modern and vintage comics, as well as other products such as statues, action figures, models, etc. CCG, RPG, and tabletop gaming is supported in specific areas of the convention center.
David Chelsea is listening to:
The Marriage Plot
by Jeffrey Eugenides
This year, for the first time ever, it features me, doing the sort of thing I usually do at conventions, meeting fans, signing books, drawing sketches, doing on-the-fly perspective critiques. I’ll be bringing copies of my latest comics SNOW ANGEL and EVERYBODY GETS IT WRONG!, along with some work in progress, most notably the project I’m working on right now, three spherical paintings on bowling balls, among them an adaptation of this panoramic comic:
Look for me in the Artist Alley section at table MM-20. I’ll be sharing space with Jacob Mercy of the webcomic PIZZA GUN.
Emerald City Comicon
March 28-30 2014
Washington State Convention Center
800 Convention Place, Seattle, Washington
March 28 – 10:00AM to 7:00PM
March 29 – 10:00AM to 7:00PM
March 30 – 10:00AM to 5:00PM
January 21, 2014
Saturday: Clash Of The Titans At Wizard World Portland!
My second-favorite Vonnegut
As I mentioned in my previous post, I will be at Wizard World’s Portland Comics Convention this coming Friday, Saturday and Sunday, signing books, selling original art and meeting fans (mostly other people’s, but I’m happy to say hello to anyone). I’m also booked for a panel this Saturday on Independent Comics, moderated by the esteemed writer and editor Danny Fingeroth, and with a truly stellar lineup of my fellow creators: Mike Allred, Shannon Wheeler, and Jonathan Hill.
David Chelsea is reading:
Friends with Boys
by Faith Erin Hicks
My second-favorite moon
SATURDAY JAN 25
3:00 – 3:45PM TITANS OF INDEPENDENT COMICS WITH MIKE ALLRED, SHANNON WHEELER, DAVID CHELSEA AND JONATHAN HILL
Danny Fingeroth
The model of comics creators, tethered to one or two major publishers, working on adventures of corporately-owned characters is no longer the only game in town. Many of the top talents in comics work either exclusively on their own material, while others work both sides of the street, alternating independent work with mainstream assignments done in their own unique styles. Here, speaking about how they have forged their own paths, are some of the most distinctive creators in comics today: Mike Allred (Madman; X-Statix,) Shannon Wheeler (Too Much Coffee Man; Villain House,) David Chelsea (David Chelsea in Love; Everybody Gets It Wrong!,) and Jonathon Hill (One of the Johns; Americus.) The panel is moderated by Danny Fingeroth (Rough Guide to Graphic Novels.) (C120)
Shannon Wheeler
I am flattered indeed to be called a Titan of Independent Comics; Titan is my second-favorite moon (after our own) and The Sirens Of Titan is my second favorite Vonnegut novel (after Cat’s Cradle).
Mike Allred
PORTLAND COMIC CON
JANUARY 24-25-26, 2014
FRI-SAT-SUN
Jonathan Hill
LOCATION
Oregon Convention Center
777 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Portland, OR 97232
David Chelsea
SHOW HOURS
Friday, January 24, 2014 – 3pm – 8pm
Saturday, January 25, 2014 – 10am – 7pm
Sunday, January 26, 2014 – 10am – 5pm
January 15, 2014
Come See Me At Wizard World Portland
Sorry for the somewhat late notice, but my first convention appearance of the year is coming up next weekend. Like the Chicago convention I went to last August, this is another Wizard World event, this time in my hometown of Portland. I’ll be there next Friday, Saturday and Sunday, signing books, selling original art and meeting fans (mostly other people’s, but I’m happy to say hello to anyone).
David Chelsea is listening to:
The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism
by Doris Kearns Goodwin
Wizard World, Inc. produces Comic Cons and pop culture conventions across North America that celebrate graphic novels, comic books, movies, TV shows, gaming, technology, toys and social networking. The events often feature celebrities from movies and TV, artists and writers, and events such as premiers, gaming tournaments, panels, and costume contests.
Wizard World isn’t just about comics professionals signing autographs- they have actors there as well. This convention’s celebrity attendees include Stan Lee, Summer Glau, Neal Adams, William Shatner, Bruce Campbell, Ron Perlman, Robert Englund- and that’s just the ones I’ve head of!
PORTLAND COMIC CON
JANUARY 24-25-26, 2014
FRI-SAT-SUN
LOCATION
Oregon Convention Center
777 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Portland, OR 97232
SHOW HOURS
Friday, January 24, 2014 – 3pm – 8pm
Saturday, January 25, 2014 – 10am – 7pm
Sunday, January 26, 2014 – 10am – 5pm
January 13, 2014
Ask Mr. Perspective: Three-point Three Ways.
Fumitaka Kotani writes from Japan:
Hello. I bought your book “Perspective! for Comic Book Artists” 3 years ago, and I have drawn many drawings using your guide book, but still I can’t understand the three-point perspective part, especially when you say “lines can be used as horizontal line and each grid can be used 3-ways”.
David Chelsea is reading:
Tubes: A Journey to the Center of the Internet
by Andrew Blum
In this section after you say that, you show 5 examples, bedroom,bathroom,laundry room, bed+bath+laundry room, and one more example (I can’t understand what I should say to describe 5th room). What I can’t understand is what you are trying to show in this part. All rooms look the same to me. Could you tell me what you intend to tell in this section?
Page from PERSPECTIVE! I could have been clearer.
Dear Mr. Kotani,
I agree that this particular section could have been clearer. What I meant by using each grid three ways, is that with three horizons and three vanishing points, there are three ways to position the grid with a horizon at top and a vanishing point at the bottom, and therefore three different angles of view one can get from a single drawing.(the green circle represents a 60° cone surrounding the center of vision). The drawing at bottom shows how I draw the same object from three different angles using the grid.
The idea is to save the extra work of constructing three-point perspective grids by using the same grid multiple ways. However, my newest book, EXTREME PERSPECTIVE!, eliminates the need to construct perspective at all, by including a disc of computer-generated grids which can be used a background element in digital drawing or printed out as hard copies to sketch over. The book has appeared in English, Korean, and Japanese editions.
Thank you for your letter,
David Chelsea.
This particular letter gave me an opportunity to try something new. Ordinarily I would have either drawn the diagram for him on paper or in Adobe Illustrator, which has infinitely stretchable lines and endlessly expandable visual area that make it ideal for perspective construction. However, instead I decided to draw it start to finish in Photoshop, which is the application I use for most digital art. I will outline the steps I used in a later post.
December 15, 2013
RIP, Peter O’Toole
Panel from an as-yet unpublished project, 2013
David Chelsea is reading:
Hollywood and Hitler, 1933-1939 (Film and Culture Series)
by Thomas Doherty
September 4, 2013
Nine Minty Green Houses In The Visual Chronicle Of Portland
A submission I recently made to The Visual Chronicle Of Portland, a city-owned collection of works on paper– prints, photographs, paintings and drawings– that focuses on artists’ views of the city’s social and urban landscapes- has been accepted, and at some point soon it will go on display.
David Chelsea is reading:
The Inventor and the Tycoon: A Gilded Age Murder and the Birth of Moving Pictures
by Edward Ball
I had a piece accepted to the Visual Chronicle of Portland (a sinusoidal view of the fountain in Irving Park) four years ago in 2009, but the City seems to have dropped the program for a few years and I forgot all about it.
Previous David Chelsea piece in the Visual Chronicle Of Portland
When I heard that they were soliciting entry again this year, the deadline was less than a month away. I decided to render some of the photographs from my Minty Green House series in watercolor:
I saw an article about the selection process that said the judges have a very PC theme this year- seeking images of the African-American, Chinese and Russian communities, and “areas east of 82nd Avenue”. That I couldn’t quite manage, but I was hoping my minty green houses would hit the plebeian note- at least they weren’t more pictures of Portland’s bridges, which the article said they already have plenty of. I kind of say it all in my artist’s statement:
Artist’s Statement
This series of images is part of my effort to to document all of the Minty
Green Houses Of Portland before they are painted over.
When I started out, I had thought this particular green, which I regard as
the quintessential Portland house color, was losing ground to more muted
Martha Stewartish shades of sage and jade, but there are still plenty
to be found. My preference is for frontal views without cars or trees in
the way, and while some houses appear to be recently painted, minty green
is such a currently unfashionable color that many are in a picturesque
state of dilapidation, clearly in need of a paint job that is unlikely to be
another shade of minty green.
I was just in time to record the house with the incongruous red brick
front on the middle right: it has since been demolished.
I don’t remember where all the minty green houses I photographed are located, but
every so often I notice when there’s been a change. I have already mentioned the demolished house (on NE Broadway and Hancock); recently I also observed that a once extremely minty house on NE 13th & Fremont has been painted a sombre gray:
Assuming they do the contest again next year, I have a whole year to think about what to do next. Pink houses?
David Chelsea's Blog
- David Chelsea's profile
- 8 followers
