editor's blog

For the simple task of creating your own drawing board, it is best to first consider the size of the paper that you will be using for the drawing.  For Fabriano Ingres thicker paper, which is 19 ½” x 27 ½”, it would be best to select a surface that is approximately 2 inches higher and wider (21 ½” x 29 ½”).  I usually purchase a ½”x 30”x40” piece of  black Gatorboard from Daniel Smith, as it is light, sturdy, and can be cut into smaller pieces without the use of power tools. |Read more »

The pencil-top is a pretty rough measure, but it is an immense help in getting down the proportions of your subject.

Using this method, it is important to stand in the same place, and to keep your head as still as possible when measuring, and to extend the arm fully with elbow straight, each time a measurement is made. 

You should not be too close to the model or screen.

Remember that the basic unit in figure drawing is the model's head, from top to chin. Holding your pencil in a fist with the thumb upwards, and arm stretched out fully, close your non-master eye and align the top of your pencil with the top of the model's head, and slide your thumb down the pencil until it aligns with the model's chin. There you have your basic unit of measurement on the pencil. Repeat this step whenever necessary.|Read more »

The Norwegian artist, Odd Nerdrum, was sentenced to two years in prison without bail on Wednesday August 17th, when a local court in Oslo found him guilty for tax evasion. Critics claim that Nerdrum’s sentence was surprisingly more severe than the punishment recently imposed in a similar case in China concerning the artist Ai Weiwei, who was given a fine and released on house arrest after three months of detainment. 

Nerdrum has plead not guilty and will file an appeal.

Famous for his Old master-like paintings, the 67 year old artist was accused of failing to pay the full amount of taxes on $2.6 million (1.8 million euros) of taxable income from sales between 1998-2002, just before he became an Icelandic citizen.|Read more »

While there are other ink-to-digital pens out there, the difference here is Wacom's pressure technology. Recording 1024 levels of pressure, the Inkling will capture ever nuance in your drawings.  With whatever paper you choose to draw with.

This is how it works:

* Take the stylus and receiver out of the neat portable box.
* Clip the receiver on top of any paper notebook and start drawing. Don't worry about space: the receiver can store thousands of pages, according to Wacom.
* When you are done after a day, connect the receiver to the computer via USB (which is thicker than a penny and holds  2TB) and browse all your drawings, exporting the ones you like to Photoshop or Illustrator or any typical graphic format, from TIFF to JPG.|Read more »

This is a nice how to video on drapery, for any of the artist on our site that needs a little extra knowledge on mastering drawing drapery.

Digital Painting: Making your life easier: Actions from matt kohr on Vimeo.

During a very successful Heritage Comics & Comic Art Auction, John Romita's original cover art for Spider-Man #49 went for a solid $167,300. The cover art features Spider-Man in a duel with Kraven the Hunter and the Vulture. Other Marvel and DC gems were in the auction.

One thing of note that we think captures the spirit of the origins of Juxtapoz: “Up until now Robert Crumb was the only underground artist whose originals had commanded this kind of price,” said David Tosh, Consignment Director at Heritage, “but this is a classic of the Underground genre and the cover to one of the most important and groundbreaking comic books, as they pertain to matters of free speech in America.”

Another fun note: Charles Schulz Peanuts Sunday comic strip original art, dated April 3, 1955, a classic featuring Linus, Lucy and Snoopy, impressed with a final price realized of $47,800.

Quote via Juxtapoz