Nick Davis's Blog, page 42

To Celebrate the Guardians of the Galaxy a Marvel Movie Rocket Raccoon #Sketch #GotG

Guardians of the Galaxy Movie Rocket Raccoon by Nick Davis

You’re Welcome… Many of you know that Rocket Raccoon is my favorite Marvel character followed by Captain America. I’ve been following Rocket on and off since I discovered his B-story in the back of my Marvel UK Transformers comic. To celebrate the release of the awesome Guardians of the Galaxy movie here is my illustration of the Movie Rocket Raccoon.

BLAM!

This Rocket Raccoon will be joining my line up of full-size prints that I sell at conventions, and I’ve put him on the backdrop of one of his more popular lines from the Guardians of the Galaxy comic book – ‘Blam! Murdered You! was taken from issue 002 written by Brian Michael Bendis.

The Art

The Original Rocket Raccoon by Nick Davis

This rendition of Rocket Raccoon was drawn on Bristol paper and inked with Faber-Castel ink pens.I then colored Rocket using blended Derwent Inktense pencils and finished off the graphics in Adobe CS.

Work-in-progress (WIP)

Here are the WIP pictures.

 

Drawing Elsa from Frozen and stepping outside your comfortzone #disney #sketch #frozen

Elsa Pencil by Nick Davis

Every week on Twitter there is a hashtag event called sketch Saturday where various artists of various skill level post a sketch they have done on Saturday. I am now taking part in this event so every Saturday watch for #sketchsaturday to appear on my Twitter feed, and follow along.

I have decided I am going to use this Twitter event to push myself outside my comfort zone of the usual fair of Cuddly sketches and Teddy Bears, and have a go at something different. I chose Elsa because I’ve never drawn a Disney Princess before and she seems to be the most feisty and sure of herself, plus let’s be honest her ‘Let it Go‘ song in Frozen actually is one of the most powerful Disney songs for a decade.

Step One

Elsa Inked by Nick Davis

I stared on Bristol Paper using a pencil and then inked with a Faber-Castell pen.

Step Two

Elsa Color Penciled by Nick Davis

I used Faber-Castell watercolor pencils to rough color her.

Step Three

Elsa Watercolor Blended by Nick Davis

I then blended the watercolor pencils using a paintbrush, adding more white highlights to her hair.

Complete

Elsa from Frozen by Nick Davis

A Good Exercise

Elsa was a good exercise for me mainly because I normally draw Teddy Bear’s, so figuring out human features and Disney’s unique style was an interesting challenge. From start to finish she took me 50 minutes, which is important as I am pushing myself to learn brevity for convention commissions.  My original Elsa watercolor measures 5×6 and is available to purchase, contact me and make me an offer.

Coming to a convention near you the Tristan and the Cuddly Defenders Preview Comic #comics

Tristan the Teddy Bear and the Cuddly Defenders Preview Comic Book

The next convention I am attending which will be the Baltimore Comic Con (BCC) on September 5 – 7 I am bringing something new to my table. A preview book introducing Tristan and the Cuddly Defenders, this is an 18 page of full-color Teddy Bear action comic and priced at $2.99 – making Tristan’s world even more accessible – would you take a chance on a whole new world for only a $3 investment?

The Preview Issue pictured above features a cover by Teddy Bear Tales Author and I hope by the time BCC rolls around I will have an alternative print run with the cover by Dan Nokes.

Tristan the Teddy Bear and the Cuddly Defenders Preview Comic Book Cover by Dan Nokes

So a Black Captain America and a Female Thor, eh?

It has been an interesting couple of weeks in the House of Ideas, Marvel has passed on the shield of Captain America (again) and we are going to be introduced to a new Thor (again). Since Cap is one of my favorite Superhero characters you just know I have some thoughts on this.

But First Thor

Verily… So Thor… The God of Thunder has been found unworthy to hold the hammer of Thor and it has passed onto another, this time Thor will be a woman! Some how this is a big thing on the internet, I really don’t see why. Thor or the power of Thor has seen, Thor, Eric Masterson, a horse face alien named Beta Ray Bill, Storm, a Frog, Captain America, Jane Foster and now a yet to be named Female, (note this is to my knowledge).

Although Thor Odinson will still be around, this time he will be wielding an axe, new Thor (the Female) will be totally new character who will be called Thor - not to be confused with Thor.

Sigh…

I don’t see how this is a big deal at all eventually Female Thor will just become another hammer powered character to join the ranks of Thor related characters. It feels gimmicky at best and positioned to give Thor a sales spike.

So Now Captain America is Sam Wilson?

You know this is not the first time Sam Wilson (the Falcon) has picked up the shield to become Captain America, so this is not a new idea, and Sam is a strong established character so it isn’t a bad choice to have him pick up the shield and carry on Steve’s legacy.

Indeed those of you that have read Truth; Red, White & Black by Robert Morales and Kyle Baker, which details the exploits of Isaiah Bradley, a Black Captain America created during WWII to rediscover the Super-Soldier Serum it is not the first time a black guy has become the Cap.

I think this time Marvel missed a trick and could have added legacy to this character change.

How I Would Have Wrote It

In the current book Steve Rogers has currently lost his Super-Soldier serum from his body (again), this time though instead of just reducing him to skinny Rogers, he is now old man skinny Rogers and is reduced to a mentor/planning role for Captain America’s role in the Marvel universe.

Sam Wilson is already a strong established character in the Marvel universe, the Falcon heroic identity has always been linked with Cap, but Sam by himself is a great character. Although I can see him taking up the shield out of respect for Rogers, I would have kept him as the Falcon and choose another.

I would have chosen heritage and legacy, the grandson of Isaiah Bradley - Eli Bradley as the new Captain America, now while Eli is known as the Patriot (Young Avengers), he would have been a better, and more accessible choice to pick up the shield.

Eli has a version of the Super-Soldier serum running through him, has a legacy to live up to and is very much a character the target readership can really identify with. I then would have set up a Mentor relationship with Old Man Rogers, very much like Batman Beyond, with Steve guiding Eli from behind the scenes to mold him into a better superhero. Which I know he is doing with Falcon, but be fair here Sam is very much his own man.

To me this would have made a better storyline and hook. Sam and Eli working together? And gives Eli the chance to step up to the big leagues and honor his family’s legacy; so what say you?

Not a bad idea, right?

Reset?

This is comicbooks though, we know in about six months once the sales spike has been picked up all the characters will reset to their baselines. Let’s at least do something interesting and really shake up the status quo.

Disney releases first Full Trailer for the Marvel Big Hero 6 Movie Adaptation

You know I am really starting to like the look of the Big Hero 6 movie, the character of Baymax is full of personality and I like the five-minutes into the future feel to the world. Check out the new full trailer for Big Hero 6 after the jump.

Tristan the Teddy Bear #Miniature #Wargaming Toy Soldier Now Painted

Tristan the Teddy Bear Gaming Miniature painted by Nick Davis

Tristan the Teddy Bear Gaming Miniature is the first Toy Soldier I’ve painted for over four years. I believe the last miniature I painted was a Games Workshop Sam Gamgee to complete my Fellowship of the Ring set for the LOTR Strategy Game… Since then, my eyes have got a little older and the majority of my miniature painting gear has well… Disappeared.

Tristan the Teddy Bear Gaming Miniature Rear View

So, I broke out what remained of my gear found two old miniature painting brushes and began. Tristan was painted over the course of an afternoon I would estimate his total painting was about three hours as I remembered how to paint toy soldiers again.

Work-in-Progress

Below are a series of work-in-progress pictures and the Tristan the Teddy Bear miniature at different angles to show the details of the sculpt.

Want to Own One?

You can also own your own Tristan the Teddy Bear Gaming Miniature. This toy soldier is approx 2 inches high, is cast in resin and supplied unpainted for $8.00 (plus S+H). Click the Paypal Button below to purchase now.

Life Advice, Teddy Bears and a Unconditional Hugs Bonus Comic Strip

Unconditional Hugs, Teddy Bear and his Boy Comic Strip by Nick Davis

Life comes at you fast, and sometimes things you expect to happen, just don’t, it doesn’t mean you’ve failed, it just means it wasn’t your time yet. It can make you lose sight of what is the moment important thing in life, finding your own way.

This Unconditional Hugs Bonus comic strip is reminder to me of that. The words for this bonus strip are from Bill Watterson’s (creator of Calvin and Hobbes) Commencement Address to Kenyon College on May 20, 1990  - you can read the full transcript here.

Concept Art from Cuddly Defenders II – Tristan the Teddy Bear Riding a My Little Pony

Tristan the Teddy Bear riding a Happy Pony by Nick Davis

We are currently in pre-production for the second book in the Tristan and the Cuddly Defenders series, the piece above is a concept piece that explores one of the ideas for the book. It features our furry hero Tristan the Teddy Bear riding a Happy Pony.

Why?

Concept art is drawn to visually explore an idea, which in this case what would Tristan look like on top of My Little Pony, which we’ve named Happy Ponies. I like the idea of Tristan riding one of these Pony’s and after drawing this concept there is a strong chance this will appear in the story.

WIP

Here is the concept art Work-in-Progress (WIP)

Preview a Color Page from the Spooky Abigail #Comic Book Project #witch #teenagewitch #comics

Here is preview of page three of the Spooky Abigail Comic Book Project is still in full swing, the first book is still under production and is being colored. Learn more about Spooky Abigail, not quite the worst witch yet book click here.

Happy 4th of July it is your Independence Day United States of America use it well #4thofjuly

Captain AmeriBear by Nick Davis

As is the tradition of the AltWorld Blog I wish you all a happy and safe 4th of July, today is Independence Day here in the United States of America;  a day of common purpose and freedom.

A Worrying Trend

And freedom is the most important of things, isn’t it? How we use it, how we defend it and how we share it. Freedom is a word of late that has been misplaced, misused and misapplied to gain advantages, not in the name of freedom, but in the name of greed and control and these people call themselves Patriots.

“Patriot: the person who can holler the loudest without knowing what he is hollering about.”

Mark Twain

And we have seen a lot of self-declared Patriots doing this while trying taking freedoms from us. We saw it with which was all about successionism and taking power away from the people to put into the hands of the few. Now we see Citizens United Decision that pretty much puts Government for sale to the highest bidder, and now the Hobby Lobby Religious Objection ruling which is already being used by Religious Non-Profits as an excuse to legally discriminate – and will be used to further chip away at our civil rights.

The sad thing is I see people cheering this, defending these rulings, people who really should know better, who declare themselves Patriots. But… For them they don’t see the danger, only the hatred that has spoonfed into them to the point they have forgotten what Freedom in the USA really means.

Always Attempt to Be Better

Listen to me — all of you out there! You were told by this man — your hero — that America is the greatest country in the world! He told you that Americans were the greatest people — that America could be refined like silver, could have the impurities hammered out of it, and shine more brightly!

He went on about how precious America was — how you needed to make sure it remained great!

And he told you anything was justified to preserve that great treasure, that pearl of great price that is America! Well, I say America is nothing!! Without its ideals — its commitment to the freedom of all men, America is a piece of trash! A nation is nothing! A flag is a piece of cloth! I fought Adolf Hitler not because America was great, but because it was fragile! I knew that liberty could be snuffed out here as in Nazi Germany! As a people, we were no different than them! When I returned, I saw that you nearly did turn American into nothing! And the only reason you’re not less than nothing –

– is that it’s still possible for you to bring freedom back to America!

Captain America, What If?, #44

Price of freedom is high my friends, do not give it away and always attempt to be better than you are. The United States of America is a great country with the capacity to be amazing. We have to stop letting the divisions that have forced into us by the media for ratings, to those who profit from causing fear, those that think they can buy the Government, or those who just want control, all of these are polarizing us, turning us against each other, distracting us from the common good, from the common goal of freedom in the USA . We have to rise above and remember the history of this land… And what freedom means.

So endth my lesson, have a fun, safe and enjoyable 4th of July everybody.