<![CDATA[The Art of Douglas E Draper Jr<br />

<![CDATA[The Art of Douglas E Draper Jr<br /> - News Blog]]>Thu, 16 Feb 2012 12:03:58 -0500Weebly<![CDATA[Alla Hjärtans Dag]]>Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:51:06 -0500http://www.douglasdraper.com/2/post/2012/02/happy-valentines-day.html

Whatsup everybody,

Happy Alla Hjärtans Dag. Or, for you non-Swedish English-speaking ladies and gentlemen Happy "All Hearts' Day".

Enjoy the chocolates,

- D

]]><![CDATA[Eagle Awards | "Favourite Newcomer Artist"]]>Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:04:49 -0500http://www.douglasdraper.com/2/post/2012/01/eagle-awards-favourite-newcomer-artist.html

Whatsup everybody,

I hope your New Year is off to the best start possible. I've high hopes that this is going to be a good one for us all - ya know, despite the whole Mayan calendar end-of-the-world thing.
Sure hope not though. I've kinda got some things to do this year.

Definitely stick around for this 2012 spectacular because I've a slew of exciting news and projects coming up that I'm really looking forward to sharing. I've also got some upcoming plans for displaying my work in a new way that I think you'll all really enjoy, courteous of our modern age of technology. Not only that but the ever-so-strong possibility of an item for sale directly from the artist (that’d be me) that I've been hard at work on and am very excited about. I think you’ll all dig it as well. More on all these soon enough!

Now, as to this giant bird on the left. To start the year off I did get some rather pleasant news yesterday. Apparently my name has been placed on the initial EAGLE AWARDS ballot for nominations for "Favourite Newcomer Artist". As has my writing collaborator Mr. Steve Ekstrom for Favourite Newcomer Writer. Probably in regards to our recent Top Shelf publishing of BREAKFAST this past October, with of course outstanding coloring by the one & only Mr. Jesse Turnbull (where’s the Favourite Newcomer Colourist category btw?).

For those that don't know... the Eagles, introduced in 1976, are the comics industry's longest established awards. Acknowledged as the pre-eminent international prizes, they have been featured on the covers of leading US and UK titles across the last 30 years. Unique in that they reflect the people's choices.

Pretty exciting news I must say. If you'd like to vote for yours truly I'm listed amongst a gaggle of extremely talented makers-of-the-pictures. Just click HERE (or on the big eagle fellow) to vote, find Favourite Newcomer Artist and scroll downward for moi. Though not required you can also vote in the rest of the categories. So here's your chance as the people to take the reigns and say what's what. Enjoy!

Have a great beginning to your New Year and I'll be keeping my nose to the grindstone, along with updating you fine folk on new works & news. Cheers to 2012, I'll talk with ya soon!

Doug

]]><![CDATA[ ADRIFT | Concept Piece - Part 3: Painting]]>Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:14:19 -0500http://www.douglasdraper.com/2/post/2011/12/-adrift-concept-piece-part-3-painting.html

Whatsup ladies & gents, here we have the final stage of the ADRIFT concept piece...

As you may already be able to tell this is created using that weird substance known as "paint". It's been quite a little while since I broke open the acrylics and gave them some attention so I thought this would be an opportune time to do just that.

I love working in color and I love working with paint, despite believing they're two of the most difficult areas of art-making, but from start to finish I had nothing but fun on this. There's a curious quality to paint that allows it to just give a work life, especially if you've been on a black & white binge-fest.

So starting off I tried to keep the process as simple as possible - with laying the ground down, using simplified versions of the color scheme, and then as things progressed narrowing in on the details, the light laying on the various surfaces, the shadows that light casts, and any reflected light bouncing around. Mix that together and this is what I came up with.

Hope you've all enjoyed this sneak-peak at my creative process and I'll talk with you soon.

- D

]]><![CDATA[ADRIFT | Concept Piece - Part 2: Drawing]]>Fri, 16 Dec 2011 15:38:41 -0500http://www.douglasdraper.com/2/post/2011/12/adrift-concept-piece-part-2-drawing.html

In this stage (part deux) the goal is to clarify the original sketch. This is done in a few ways. One is by cleaning up the line work and identifying where the light lands on each particular subject, as well as where the shadows fall. Another area I bridge into is reference photos. Not knowing precisely what the walls of a canyon look like or what the design of a 1950's house boat is I span the all powerful google, or any other resource, for answers.

I've also decided to move the composition up an inch or two to allow for room for the text that's to be included later on - an extremely important part of illustration (one I've learned the hard way a couple of times)

As you can see too I've left out the shading from the previous sketch. The reason for this is that the "drawing" stage is meant to support the stage that follows. By leaving the shading absent I find it easier to reproduce this stage into the next. And it also allows for a sense of improvisation, which is incredibly important for keeping the image feeling fresh with vitality and life. Always a consistent goal.

Hope you enjoy and I'll back on Monday with the completed illustration,

- D

]]><![CDATA[ADRIFT | Concept Piece - Part 1: Sketch]]>Thu, 15 Dec 2011 14:15:09 -0500http://www.douglasdraper.com/2/post/2011/12/adrift-concept-piece-part-1-sketch.html

Over the next few days I've decided to post the process of a concept piece I did for the ADRIFT folks. They wanted an image that summed up the mood & feel of the story and I was of course happy to oblige. And starting off this series of images we first begin with the "sketch" phase.

For this project it's all about communication. Which goes for both the illustration itself and with those I'm collaborating with. So, I do my best to keep those doors between the director/writer and myself as wide open as possible. And for me this always starts with notes.

I do a lot writing before the sketch gets to paper because I want to retain as much detail as I can get from the image in my mind - and writing is the quickest way to get it out there. You can check out my notes based on Will & my conversation right HERE.

Then from there I move towards communicating those notes through quick pencil sketches - like the one we have here.

Hope you enjoy and I'll have part deux for you tomorrow,

-D

]]><![CDATA[Cody & Eugene... in Action!]]>Wed, 14 Dec 2011 16:28:08 -0500http://www.douglasdraper.com/2/post/2011/12/cody-eugene-in-action.html

Hey whatsup eveybody,

Hope your holiday season is bustling along. Just thought I'd post this pic I stumbled upon of the first Cody & Eugene strip taken during a 2rw or EnergyVibe presentation. Pretty cool being a fly on the wall for this behind-the-scenes action.

Hope you enjoy and remember "Communicate, Communicate, Communicate!"

- D

]]><![CDATA[ADRIFT | Alien]]>Tue, 22 Nov 2011 13:26:28 -0500http://www.douglasdraper.com/2/post/2011/11/adrift-alien.html

Whatsup everyone,

Here we have a friendly, or perhaps not-too-friendly (I'll never tell which) alien designed for the potential graphic novel & film ADRIFT.

This is actually the second design I came up with for our extraterrestrial character here. The first was thinner, sporting a smaller head and was overall a bit more homo sapien in appearance.

After discussing it with Will & Joel it was decided we wanted to go with a more classic approach. Something more traditionally science fiction and could easily match the era of the 1950's - when the story takes place. And so, voilà! This is what we came up with.

Hope you dig it and I'll talk with you soon,

- D

]]><![CDATA[CCART & 3rd Friday... TODAY!]]>Fri, 18 Nov 2011 16:00:28 -0500http://www.douglasdraper.com/2/post/2011/11/ccart-show-3rd-friday-today.html

If you're in the area the wonderful CCART Art Show will going on in downtown Salisbury, MD from 4pm 'till. It's featuring a multitude of artists from the area, including yours truly. This will be the second year I've personally contributed to the show, this time around showcasing a number of prints of my comic book and illustrative work.

Also in the show are two extremely talented ceramicists and very good friends of mine - Robert Johnson (cool name, right?) & Sarah Halcott from Amused Studios. They have on display a number of they're works, from clay pottery & mugs to handbuilt sculpture & ceramic drums.

CCART is also partnered up with Downtown Salisbury's monthly arts event, 3rd FRIDAY - which is celebrating the opening of Mojos, as well as the November Tree Lighting.

And in case you want to know a little more about CCART...

The Cavallaro/Cleary Visual Arts Foundation (CCART) is a 501 (c)3 charitable organization giving scholarships and awards to talented students pursuing professions in the visual arts. CCART serves nine counties in Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia, and is currently celebrating it's 12th year! 30% of ALL SALES go towards scholarship & award funds for up-and-coming artists. It's gonna be good times all around so definitely come on out.

Thanks all and I'll talk with ya soon,

- D

CCART (Located in the Powell Building on the Downtown Plaza)
218 West Main St.
Salisbury, MD 21801
410-546-1068 / ccart1@live.com

]]><![CDATA[Salisbury University Panel & Workshop]]>Thu, 03 Nov 2011 14:49:12 -0500http://www.douglasdraper.com/2/post/2011/11/salisbury-university-panel-workshop.html

Hey everyone,

Lot of good stuff going on these days. One of them being this. Later this evening from 7-8:30 pm I'll be participating in a panel on "The Many Media of Young Adult Narrative" at Salisbury University, which is in conjunction with the One Maryland One Book program. Truly looking forward to this.

I'll be accompanied by authors Michelle Ray (author of "Falling for Hamlet"), Cynthia Leitich Smith (author of the graphic novel "Tantalize: Kieren’s Story"), and graphic novelist and National Book Award for Young People finalist Gene Yang ("American Born Chinese"). Should be a hoot.

Also, right before the panel from 5:30 - 6:30 pm I'll be conducting an Introduction to Illustrating Comics workshop . Where we go through the process of illustrating an actual comic page - from reading the script to roughing out the page, onto to drawing & inking the page. It's going to be a great time. If anybody's interested in being a part of the workshop check out the link to Salisbury University's website right HERE, though I think there's only a couple spots left so you'll have to hurry.

The entire panel and workshop are free to the public and takes place in Room 153 of Salisbury University’s Teacher Education & Technology Center. So feel free to stop by and say hi. See you there!

Doug

The Many Media of Young Adult Narrative
7 p.m. Thursday, November 3
Room 153 of SU’s Teacher Education & Technology Center
410-543-6030
www.salisbury.edu

]]><![CDATA[Happy Halloween! BREAKFAST is Served]]>Mon, 31 Oct 2011 16:19:28 -0500http://www.douglasdraper.com/2/post/2011/10/breakfast-is-served.html

Trick r' Treat everybody,

Just wanted to pass the info onto you good peeps O' mine that BREAKFAST has just been published online over at Top Shelf 2.0. So feel free to turn out the lights, break out the jar of pig's feet and indulge yourself in a little horror delight.

Oh, and as a headsup to you non-adult peoples out there this does have a bit of the "adult" content so you may wanna consider passing. But if you're feeling rebellious that's up to you. It is Halloween. No egging my house though. For serious.

Anyways, hope you guys enjoy the comic and have a Happy and Creepy Halloween!

Talk with you soon,

- D

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