Inception

So, the sun came and went a couple of times, but finding more to add was elusive. Then I had a guest over and we watched a DVD of the AEon Flux animated series. I had not thought of this cartoon for so long that I had forgotten how it had a dramatic affect on my personal drawing style.

So, I guess this is as good a time as any to give credit to the artist influences of mine.

At the top of this list is Leonardo Da Vinci. His work is not as clearly reflected in my own as others on this list. But, his craft for invention and dissection of the human anatomy, as well as his use of values (color) within his work, is definitely something that has been an influence of all artist. And, since I enjoy creating new and interesting things, I found a kindred spirit in him. I discovered that it was possible to be an artist that creates rather than one who just reproduces. This was instrumental in being able to find my own style and my own way to express it.

The next most influential would have to be Greg Capullo. Greg's work first caught my eye when he pencilled the New Mutants last Annual in the first series (or maybe it was X-Forces first Annual). In that story he portrayed a futuristic team that included my favorite single comic book character: Magik. I liked his art unlike many artists who are pulled in to draw the Annuals. Soon after he became the full time artist for the X-Force comic. This was a series that I was following fully at the time and continued to be excited about his pencils. While researching his background, I noticed that he had been a commercial artist before comic book work. This is were his influence took hold. He let me know that there were jobs that I could get where I could gain experience and earn a paycheck. I then became convinced that pursuing a Graphics Arts Degree would be most beneficial to my future plans. I could gain an education in art without fighting to stay engaged in general ed and boring art history classes. Don't get me wrong, I know those classes have merit, but they just seemed like an unnecessary obstacle on my path to becoming a professional artist. To this day, I have some pages torn out of the Wizard: The Guide to Comics in which he had a monthly article about learning to draw comics. These have become a kind of comic bible that I refer to often.

The next to last on my list is Brett Booth. Not as well known as other artist in the genre, but his was a style I enjoyed looking at. In addition, he taught me that, the style I was developing by accident, was perfectly acceptable. His characters tended to be leggy and nearly unproportionate. But, he was able to make it look good. My style was developing into one that was being reflected in this artists publication. I was able to determined how his art looked so different but not in a bad way. I could see how my own style would sometimes stray from reason and be able to reel it in. In a sense, he taught me how to see when my proportioning was getting too 'out of control'.

The final, and possibly most influential is/was Peter Chung. He is most well known as the lead artist/designer/director of AEon Flux. The first glimpse I had of the animated short on Liquid Television had me drawn to it. I would anticipate the next episode of the series in hopes of catching another glimpse of it. His storytelling was dramatic and equally elusive. As there was no dialogue in the shorts, all the story was told in actions. Most notably, his characters were drawn lean and angular. While the angularity of the art made it strange to witness, the leanness and agility they held, fascinated me. During this time frame is also when I had determined that I wanted to be a comic book artist. So, as I was learning to draw superheroes and the like, I was also being entranced with his style. I wanted my characters to be lean, leggy, and lithe. But, I did not want them to be angular unless it served the character (typically with those who possess a hard substance covering them i.e. stone skin, armor plates, etc.).

Now, these are not the only influences I had (mainly because each of those possessed their own influences who, in turn, would be considered mine). But, this is by far a list of those who most directly influenced my style. And, it is a commonly accepted trait, that if you want to be recognised in the comic book industry, you have to have your own style. I feel fortunate that I did not have to force myself to draw any particular way. I know when something looks wrong to me, and change it appropriately. It may very well be wrong still... but it is my kind of wrong =]