Watercolor Postcards and Postcrossing

Recently two new interests careened into eachother serendipitously! First, I've gotten into watercolor and I LOVE it. It's been so much fun to play and learn. I have a long way to go, but I'm enjoying myself.

The second is I've gotten into Postcrossing. As you may know, I feel like an armchair globe trotter. While too poor to go to exotic locations, I instead read about them and adore them from a distance. I am also a huge hispanophile, I have a boundless interest in all countries that speak Spanish. For those who don't know, check out postcrossing.com. Basically you register for free, build a profile about you and your interests, then you make the daring jump to send a postcard. The website looks in its database for someone who has just sent a postcard and gives you their address. You mail off a postcard, and when it arrives your recipient registers it. Upon registering it, someone will then receive your address and send you one back. It's a bit addicting!

So how do these two things cross paths? Well at Emerald City Comicon a month ago, I saw someone doing sketches on watercolor postcard paper! Ding! That metaphorical light bulb went off! I can make my own postcards as long as the illustration paper is thick enough for a journey across the world. Thats when I looked at google, and stumbled on postcard exchanges. I knew something like this might exist, and lo and behold it did.

Now not all people may enjoy my watercolor works, so I have searched my current city and my hometown for postcards. This is a ridiculous challenge! Only one Walgreens had postcards! What poppycock! At least they were .25 a postcard. The other postcards I found at two sister oddity novelty shops, and those postcards were .85 a pop. Yeesh!! I even went to Barnes and Noble, who had two postcard box sets of 100 James Bond and Star Wars, but nothing else. I didn't really want 100 various postcards related to those subjects. I also went to Hallmark in the mall, you know, the card store. They had ZERO postcards. How stupid.
I'll keep my eyeballs open, but postcards are getting rare these days, unless you're in a touristy spot. While in Seattle I saw a bajillion. But poor Spokane and Tri Cities lack the tourism I suppose. Had I known I was going to go all out on postcrossing, I would have bought a ton of postcards while there. I actually did buy a few while there for family, but that's it.

Well, this is an art blog, I'm sure you're tired of my rambles at 5am, so here are my current watercolor postcards:








































The odd one with the meals was for a girl in China who was interested in food from around the world. So I illustrated an ideal breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the US. The redhead is actually a portrait of the postcard recipient. I wasn't sure what to draw for her, and generally people like portraits. The brown silhouette is actually done on chipboard (looks like heavy brown paper sack paper). The last photo is of my rubber stamp I use to magically turn my 4x6 paintings into "postcards." There honestly is no magic here. I could have just as easily drawn a separator line to divide the message and address, and ruled out some address lines.

The post office has no real regulations on what can be a postcard, but anything larger than 4x6 may need a standard stamp instead of a cheaper postcard stamp. Also, an international postcard needs $1.10 postage. I spray the front and back of the cards with a matte acrylic sealed to seal the paper from any water mishaps from damaging the card.
That's about the gist of postcard making. I hope you try it. Right now, besides postcrossers, I've started mailing my grandmother a weekly illustrated postcard. It drives me crazy that I didn't think of this twenty plus years ago. I could have made this a tradition for all my grandparents if I was smart enough as a kid. At least I'm doing it now. I'm also very much considering turning this into a project for my future children. I could have even a toddler scribble scrabble on the postcard art side with crayons. I can envision my parents with photo albums of postcards my child's correspondences. It would be quite the treasure indeed.

One last thought. Those with iPhones or iPads (not sure if android has this yet), there is an app called Postcardly. I think you can use their site directly as well at a computer. Basically you upload a photo, type a message and address, and they will print it and mail of your own personal postcard. As a digital illustrator, I may have to make some use of this besides the common realm of photos. I sent one postcard to a good friend whom I've not seen in about six months. I sent a postcard of a photo I took at EMP in Seattle. They had an amazing Film Horror exhibit, and I used a photo of Jason's mask and machete props from Friday the 13th.

Location:W Sylvester St,Pasco,United States

Painting Process: Princess Peach

Hello everyone! I just wanted to share my photo progression of Princess Peach to you all. I took these photos because I was working with a client on the other side of the state, she prepaid, so I wanted too keep her up to date on my progress.

This project took two weeks, and it went fairly well. The worst part was blending the skin time for some reason. She also owns my Mario portrait, she bought it at Emerald City Comicon four weeks back In Seattle.

Here's the original Mario, done in a classic animate style:




My concept art for the matching Princess Peach:




Prussian Blue background. I do this first just because it makes me feel like I'm already half done.




Started the crown and body:




While I coated over the eyes to try to get an even blended skin tone:





Small details and cleanup:




I didn't like the pinkish skin, so I redid it.




Complete!



Now it's time for a new commission! I'm always available, feel free to contact me on prices!

Free Personalized Sketch Cards at Emerald City Comicom!

Interested in some free art?
If you’re attending Emerald City Comicon March 1-3 in Seattle, I can hook you up. I’ll be doing free grayscale artist sketch cards as time allows (commission sketches will take priority). I am opening myself up to TEN slots for preorders before the show. You just need to appear at my table during the con, and it will be yours! Any character you like, in a chibi form, or a headshot. I’ll be at K-9, so swing by!

If you would like to take part in this offer, just email me at Jesse.Acosa at gmail dot com, and I'll let you know if a spot is open!

Below are some preview illustrations if you're new to my art style.

Location:Pasco, WA

The more you know...

The last few years, but specifically this last year, I've learned so much about my beloved comic making dream, as well as storytelling as a whole. I never shied from a good book about scriptwriting, or an article on story books, or anything else that false into telling stories. Looking over it all, I know I've learned so much, but can now see more than ever how little I know. This doesn't discourage me though, it makes me feel as though my path is clearer. I'm bumbling around less in the wrong direction, and now all my steps are forward.

I feel like I've been mentally practicing for an Olympic event. This is one of the few times I can say I feel proud of how much effort I've funneled into something. I can't wait to share with you my future projects. They all will have elements I've been learning on the way.

More Oscar work and animating

For the last month I've been developing this classic style character Oscar the Otter. My inspiration has been from early animation, particularly the rubber hose animation that you see in early Disney and Max Fleischer cartoons.
I'm planning on Oscar being my first large comic story. Shooting for 100+ pages, and to start off, I am writing a 16 page ashcan teaser comic. I want to have something to promote at upcoming conventions, so I'm busy telling my first mini adventure with Oscar.
Below you can see several character designs I've been working on. At the bottom, I drew a Dog plague doctor for fun, and now I'm really digging the look. So now I'm thinking of maybe doing an Oscar story set during the Black Plague.

Last note I'd like to mention is the fact that I've been wanting to build a zoetrope for several years now, and finally I am starting to work on one. If you haven't seen a zoetrope, check out this video:

 

I am building my zoetrope much like this design, but at a larger scale. The drum I'm putting together is 24" in diameter. The reason it is so large is that I'd like to be able to make 12 frames at about 5" in size. I'm planning on submitting this at the next Terrain Art Show, and making four or five different animation strips that attendees could swap out at will. Right now, I'm trying to get a hold of a junk one speed bike (even a kids bike), and taking out the gears, chain, and pedal so I can use it for my zoetrope. If you have one and live in either Spokane, WA or the Tri-Cities, let me know!

Oscar the Otter

If you've been following me, you may notice my increased interest in vintage cartoons. I've been at the drafting table, coming up with something that I can use to funnel this style into, and I think I've finally hit the nail on the head. Here's a little sampler of the idea:

I'd love to make a nice opening story for this, maybe 24-36 pages. It would be a fun story to jump on from now and then. It's such a departure from my usual work, it's incredibly refreshing.

Critiques and art updates

The further you delve into art, the thicker skin you need to build or else you're going to smash into a wall and never excel. You have to be able to weigh a critique as well, whether it was an honest critique, or a personal jab, or just an uneducated opinion. The most important thing though, is to keep cool in all three situations. Who wants to hire an illustrator, or artist in general, who blows their top? You look like an ass, and you're not impressing anyone.

Recently, on Instagram, someone posted a tattoo design based on traditional Americana tattoo designs of two hands shaking. One person said that it looked off, but they couldn't finger it. I replied "The woman's palm looks extra long, and the fingers look short." I didn't attack the artist, I didn't say it wasn't done with quality craftsmanship. Hell, the illustration problem could have been solved simply by extending the lines that break up the fingers just a half inch. Sadly though, several people blew up, one in particular dropped to below the belt inconsequential bullying techniques. But you know what, it didn't phase me. I'm an adult, not a child susceptible to online offhanded remarks. It was ridiculous, and I replied by asking everyone to chill and the world isn't ending. No need to cursing or other vulgarities. Again, a second onslaught of remarks. I just dropped the discussion.

Sadly, this soured me to that particular tattoo shop's professionalism. I won't name names, but let's just say it is fairly famous through television. I held them in high regards, but I should have really known from just watching their show how unprofessional and just plain street thug they are. Formal art training will sculpt you into a proper giver and receiver of fair critiques, or you'll be weeded out. Simple as that.

All I can say is keep a cool head, and analyze what is being said to you. Flying off the handle never helped anyone. That's all I'm going to say about that. How about I talk about some personal projects going on at the moment.

First up, I've decided to hop back into acrylic painting again. Man has it been a while! Almost a year I think! I've decided to do some 11"x14" acrylic portraits of cartoon/video game characters, starting off with Mario. But the first snag came with his color scheme. Check out the image below from Super Mario Bros 2, Super Mario Bros 3, and Mario Bros (1983). What is Mario's official ensemble? Red overalls and blue pants, or blue overalls and red pants? Also, just to throw things off worse, check out Mario's hat on the Mario Bros arcade side art.

Well, I'm going with the SMB3 color scheme, but going with a vintage cartoon art style. Recently I've been watching the early Disney cartoons again, as well as Felix the Cat, and reading the Fantagraphics books of Floyd Gottfredson's Mickey Mouse comic strips, and Carl Bark's Donald Duck/Uncle Scrooge. Really impressive work!

Below, you can watch my progress from initial sketch to about 65% complete. I was hoping to finish by January 1st, 2013, but that won't be happening. Maybe by the end of the week instead.

And below Mario, I have a couple sketches. First is of Megaman, again in that vintage look. I might paint a portrait of good old Megaman next. Lastly, for the heck of it, I drew Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. I really haven't seen much of him from either cartoon or video game (ala Epic Mickey). Not sure if his muzzle protrudes like Mickey's or more flat like the Warner Bros(and sister) in Animaniacs.

Well, that wraps things up. Later in the week I think I'll be writing a year in review, as well as some goals I'd like to publicly announce. Best regards, and to my fellow artists, a productive year for 2013!