Thursday, December 30, 2010

Year End 2010 Re-Cap!

So, the year ends, and I thought I'd take the opportunity to talk about goals accomplished in 2010, and the upcoming goals of 2011.

Accomplishments,

1) I'm an Author!!- RODD RACER celebrated a limited release...twice, and sold out in moments each time. This is especially thrilling since I wrote, and drew the comic myself. Ideally I would prefer to simply draw material written by other writers, but I never seem to find writers that want to write what I want to draw. So....that means I gotta write my own material, which is fine, cuz this way I can explore themes, metaphors, and genre that interest me. Writing is a craft unto it's self, and it's a mistake to think an artist can easily move into writing. The years I've spent learning how to draw are years I haven't learned how to write...so I need to spend thousands of hours learning the craft before I'll feel as confident as I am in art.



2) I'm a Publisher!!- I've self published thru Image Comics before, and created my own collectible zines before, but last year I finally had a chance to write, design, and pay a printer to bind my own work in a comic called RODD RACER. My publishing company is called "Punkrock*Jazz Publishing"...of course :)
My goal of the company is to publish high quality books, and art prints of my work...focused mostly on limited/collectible editions.

here is a sample of my limited edition Collector's Print for Rodd Racer's epic release at the New York Comic Convention 2010.


3) Strange Tales!!- I had a chance to play with Marvel's characters True Believers, and get paid for it. True, I've worked with Marvel before...almost 10 years ago I guess, but it's a whole new ballgame now. I had a chance to write my own story for them in STRANGE TALES Vol 2, issue #3, and it was an amazing experience.




2011 Goals

1) Rodd Racer Wide Distribution!!- I'm planning a re-release of Racer with added material, and wide distribution thru Image Comics. Yes, I'm my own publisher now, however I can't manage the demand for the book, and this way my favorite publisher (other than myself) can help get more good comics to the masses. Also, rumor has it new colors for Racer might be involved.

2) SDCC!!- I haven't been to Mecca (San Diego Comic Con) of Geekdom in ages (3 years?) because it's grown out of control, and I'm usually busy, and very broke. 2010 was great for business, and I'm planning a big return to SDCC partnered with the fabulous Celia Calle. Rumor has it our booth is going to be the most amazing booth at SDCC.

3) KURSK!!- if you don't know, betta ask somebody! www.kurskcomics.blogspot.com
My new creator owned property takes me from the internet, and into your laps. Kursk is a new web comic which will be updated every week, and eventually collected into books. The goal is to have the first book available at SDCC in July.

4) Fit to Print!!- Punkrock*Jazz Publishing wants to publish limited edition art prints of the highest quality, and hopefully I can produce between 4-6 unique prints for framing, rock&rolling, and adoring.

5) Art in a Book!!- I hope to finally put a collection of some of my favorite pieces together in a fancy art book. The thing I'd really like to do is offer commentary on some of the work, including the thinking process, criticism, and technique. I miss teaching illustration, and I continue to get asked how I do certain things...also I want to make a book I wish were around when I was an excitable young artist looking for inspiration, and techniques.

Well, those are a lot of goals for 2011. I may not be able to live up to all of them, but I'm going to give it my best shot.
Happy New Year.
~T.Cypess

Wednesday, December 01, 2010

RODD RACER available now for a LIMITED TIME ONLY!!



ORDER HERE

We at PUNKROCK*JAZZ PUBLISHING are celebrating the general release of RODD RACER today!!

I can take orders for a limited time, and close out 2010 with a big bang.
Once 2010 is over, Rodd Racer will be trying to partner with a larger publisher to ensure that we can distribute widely next spring.

got to www.roddracer.blogspot.com for ordering instructions.

or if you don't want to follow the link above:

Rodd Racer: $17 a copy. 80 pages B/W

paypal account: punkrockjazz@gmail.com
or Check/Money Order to:
Toby Cypress
1108 Laurel Ave.
Sea Girt, NJ 08750

Thank you for the support!!
~Toby Cypress &Punkrock*Jazz Publishing

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Paintings for Sale!



LEFT: BRAIN BAT a.k.a. "AM I EVIL?"
HERE is the link to purchase this piece!

RIGHT: BURLESQUE DANCER a.k.a. CANDY BARR
this one is currently on EBAY.
HERE is the link to bid on this piece!

Thanks,
~T.Cypress

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

STRANGE TALES II



My work will be featured in the upcoming STRANGE TALES II, issue #3 this December by MARVEL COMICS.

I contributed a short POWER MAN story, which is based on my own comic book experience as a kid while reading one of my aunt's MAD magazines.
It's a terrific honor for me to be included with the great talent on STRANGE TALES, especially creating my own story. I grew up as a MARVEL ZOMBIE in the 80's, raising myself on MARVEL back issues from the 70's so POWER MAN (LUKE CAGE) was my top choice.

Hope you enjoy the book in a few short weeks!
~T.Cypress

Friday, October 01, 2010

ART PRINT available at New York Comic Con 2010!


I'll only have 10 copies available of the Limited Edition Print #1 (signed/numbered of 50) priced at $50 at the Jakob Javitz Center during the New York Comic Con October 8-10.

Booth# J-4.
Stop by for handshakes, jokes, original art, books, and limited prints!

Saturday, July 31, 2010

Monday, May 03, 2010

COMMISSIONS!

I'm now accepting new commissions, information is available at THIS link.
So if you're a collector, or just want some snappy art...visit the site for info, and email Simon...he'll set you up with receiving your own personal piece by yours truly :)
Thanks!
~T.Cypress

Monday, April 26, 2010

The Coffin


It's always an honor for me to be asked to contribute to great storytelling.
In this case, super talent Mike Huddleston asked me to contribute a pinup to his upcoming Hardcover Collection of THE COFFIN, published by IDW.

Hope you enjoy my little pinup celebrating the hardcover's release, and please remember to pick up your copy of THE COFFIN this September!
~T.Cypress

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

CANDY BARR



Candy Barr-1950's burleque dancer.

While riding the train thru Brooklyn I came across some graffiti that had been destroyed with acidic cleaner. The job unfinished left the colors running like candied colored paints. It was the prettiest thing I'd seen that day, and it inspired my painting of Miss Candy Barr.

Miss Barr was known in Texas/Las Vegas at your high end burlesque shows, but she came "famous" for her business with Jack Ruby, the shooting of her estranged husband, and prison time for drug possession.

WIP photos below...

~T.Cypress

Tutorial


ABOVE- here is the line drawing of my painting. I used india ink in this case to ink the pencils, but usually I like to use a burnt umber acrylic ink. The Burnt Umber line work typically blends in with the finished painting for a more "lifelike" effect rather than a heavy dark india inked outline.


ABOVE- This is the underpainting. Generally you want the underpainting to be a tonal rendering of your light/dark values. In this case I didn't do a very tight underpainting...mostly just a quick block in with darks using burnt umber acrylic paint, and a light layer on top to pull the painting together. This is actually a bad example of an underpainting, but many painters might go tighter with a painting nearly finished in a tight tonal, monochromatic piece indicating light source, and shadows. I usually just want to get right into the paint/textures so I use a very simple wash, building up in layers towards a deep dark for shadows. But nothing too time consuming. The underpainting acts as a surface for your paint to adhere too, and as your layer for your shadows. Traditionally opaque painting will have portions of the underpainting showing in shadowy bits, pulling the whole painting together with harmony.


ABOVE- The painting will be completed with acrylics, an opaque medium. Traditionally acrylics, like oil paint is used by building atop layers of thinner paint with thicker paint...gradually moving from your shadowy/dark values towards your light source/light values. Here I am building my forms by painting thicker layers of light value around the form atop thinner shadow values beneath. This gives the painting dimensional, and visual form. Rule of thumb, the lightest values, and light source parts of the painting will be the thickest. Acrylic paint wont stick evenly if your too using too thin a paint atop a thicker base.


ABOVE- Here is a look at my middle values filled in. I like to get as much of the painting worked up to it's middle before dropping in the lightest values. You see the underpainting remains untouched in the background, and in portions of the figure.


ABOVE- Ok, now I've moved toward the figure finish. I'm dropping in my light values (thickest paint), to indicate light source, and pushing the forms. Building the painting from dark towards light. I'm trying to "pull" the figure from the shadows.


ABOVE- Whoa! What happened, I totally ruined my painting...Just kidding.
With the figure nearly done I begin work on the background. I start by adding more darks, very loosely, and thinly. I'm mostly interested in mood. Depth and drama is created with dark vs light, thick vs thin, and hard edge vs soft edge contrasts.


ABOVE- Nearly there. I'm dropping in my thickest paint, tightening the background, and figure. I'm trying to remain aware of "happy accidents", and allowing the paint to do it's own thing. In this phase I'm using ALOT of gloss medium to color correct, build color depth, and other special effects. "Gloss Medium" is a varnish that mixes with your acrylic color to allow the acrylics to become transparent. This way you can tint your painting with effects, and BLEND shades. Also the gloss medium re-news the original vibrancy of the acrylic color. Acrylics dry as a matt-color...losing it's "out of the tube" intensity, and saturation...so I layer gloss medium atop my painting to bring back the vibrant color. The finished acrylic painting looks more like an oil painting with blending effects, and thick impasto applications.


ABOVE- And the finished painting.

~T.Cypress

Wednesday, March 03, 2010

My ORIGINAL ART available at www.gotsuperpowers.com


Sorry I've been neglecting my site for the past year! But please friend me at Facebook, where I've been posting new art, and sketches.
-friend me

Also, I have a new Art Dealer...Simon Miller here
Contact him for original commissions, and published art.
I'm really proud to be included with his great artists he represents like Mike Allred, and Jason Alexander. Great stuff for sure.

So I'll see you here soon with some new art, but in the meantime please check me out at Facebook, and let's be friends :)
~T.Cypress

Monday, January 18, 2010

AEON FLUX pin-up art for sale at EBay!




Want to own an original drawing?!!


HERE
is the link to the EBay auction for my pin-up for Aeon Flux!
Details at the site.
~T.Cypress