I'm Star of the Week?

I was featured as the Star of the Week on the NYCSSC blog Action Weekly today, which is the league in which I play Inner Tube Water Polo. Considering how impressive I know some of the people in the league are in their daily lives, I was very flattered. I offered to do a quick illustration for the article, and figured I would cross post here as well as putting up some of the process images. Final, watercolor under-painting, and quick thumbnails.

I actually have really mixed feelings about this piece - Inner Tube Water Polo is supposed to be a light hearted, social first and competitive second kind of league and I wanted to make sure the illustration reflected that. I know that's the direction NYCSSC wants the league to move, and the friendly games are more fun. Unfortunately the fact is, as often as not it's a physical and intense game where cheap shots are easy to get away with and tempers can run high. As a player, I'd like to eventually do another piece for myself that I think reflects actually being in the pool.

Comps That Didn't Suck

Whenever I get ready to paint or ink, I'll usually do a small quick thing in my sketchbook first to get my arm and brushes moving around before anything serious can go wrong. Often they turn out terrible and devolve into me making a bunch of lines and shapes, sometimes I get a small image out of them too. Or in the case of the egg, not so small.

Random Offerings

Some random things I had laying around the last sketchbook that were worth posting, plus an old pencil sketch of Nephenee that I scanned ages ago and forgot to post.

Freaky Sketchbook Comic

So in my last sketchbook I decided for a bit that I was going to try drawing a comic actually in the book. To make that section of the sketchbook a comic itself. As you can see, I did this for one splash page and half a page.

I then got excited about it, and bought a special sketchbook just to do a project like this in. Then everything I drew in it was crap. None of it was inked, so maybe there is still hope. In the meantime please enjoy the experiment.

ALSO. I am discovering the joy of hand lettering. This is because how much I hate computer lettering Benthic. Dicking with the text in InDesign and the bubble in Illustrator at the same time is my least favorite thing to do, possibly on the planet. The people who do this professionally need to be diagnosed. Hand lettering is a pain, but at least I feel like I'm eliminating a step on the back end.

Amanda Grey

So I've been very lazy about posting the past few months. I have not been lazy, however, with drawing. So I'm going to be posting a lot over the next few weeks, and am starting this off with a bit of a double header.

This is a tattoo I drew for a very good friend of mine.. The color study was the real challenge, since its hard to project what ink is really going to look like when it is going through darker skin; though I am excited to see how close I got once the tattoo is finished for real.

More Reliving My Childhood

This all happened.

Spiderman, Spiderman

More messing around with ink and Photoshop. I think this color palette is retarded, but I kept it anyway! Bahahaha! Enjoy.

Alice; Testing

I'm putting together a new illustration portfolio. The last year all I've done is work for Benthic and none of my portfolio shows what I can actually do. Also, my color work is rusty, and I love color. I've just been cranking out stuff today, and heres some stuff I did as an exercise for an upcoming piece.

Lunchtime Inking Sessions, Part 2

More drawings from lunch, where now I bring you the seedier side of life with fighters and skanks.

From The Editorial Department

A lot of downtime at the day job this holiday season has had me doodling in ballpoint pen in my notebook an awful lot. I figured since this is supposed to be "sketch" blog after all, I'd share. Here they are along with wishes for a Happy New Year.

Evil Santa in Color

Messing around in Photoshop this morning over coffee, enjoy. If this picture I'm doing of the Three Magi right now doesn't turn out, this may very well end up bring the Christmas card.

Evil Santa? Plus...Christmas Card Reminder!

I was messing around tonight with comps for those Christmas cards and ended up drawing some stuff in straight ink with a bamboo pen and my ancient Raphael 8404, and ended up with the evil looking Santa. So I figured I would share.

Also, I have address info for many of you for the upcoming Christmas cards, but needless to say I'm still missing out on some of you. Drop me an e-mail with your info and prepare for the holiday cheer! Technically, the 12 Days of Christmas don't end until Jan. 6th. I'm just floating that out there.

A Lazy Friday Night

Working on a character design for a friend, who is looking for a tattoo of a "sexy ninja chick". Now I guess I just have to find a good pose.

Afghanistan Piece - Final Ink and Color Comps

I'm collaborating with a friend on a political magazine mock-up, and this is the main illustration I'm doing for it. Figured I'd toss some of the comps up before I go to bed.

Craigslist Freelance Postings Break My Brain

So rather than look only for a new full time day job (which I found) and a part time job (not so much), I've also been looking on and off through the Creative Gigs section of Craigslist too. Bwahahahahahaha, there is some goofy stuff out there. Of course most of my time now is spent on No Submission, so I haven't looked as much recently.

In any case, in some fruitless back and forth on one project, I actually ended up drawing a little girl ballerina I thought came out alright and I figured I'd post it here. The reference image searches were incredibly pedo. Oh well.

Would You Like A Christmas Card?

That's right you crazy kids, I'm sending out Christmas cards this year. Some of you are married, some of you own homes, some of you even have children; sending Christmas cards is how I have chosen to dip my toe into the pool of adulthood.

If you would like to receive a card this year, send an e-mail with the subject line "Send Me a Christmas Card!" to ashposey@gmail.com. In said e-mail put your name, titles, and the names of various spouses, significant others, children, pets, significant pets, house plants, unwanted guests, and celebrity cardboard cutouts that you would like the card to address. Also include a full mailing address and I will send a card (art courtesy of me) along with a short note (possibly a long rambling nonsensical note, baby you know I treat you right).

I look forward to sharing my holiday cheer with all of you...right around Martin Luther King Day, which knowing me is when these will show up. Maybe earlier though! This holiday season you can dare to dream!

Angry Swine Flu Driver

Last week my sister passed her driving test while sick with swine flu. Hardcore little girl! I decided to draw her a picture while we were on the phone last night and post it on some sort of book of faces she has. On the inter-toobs no less.

Reliving My Childhood

My new roommate has the re-release of Turtles in Time for his Xbox, as well as the 1989 arcade game so last night we sat down, drank beer and beat both of them. Good times.

So this morning I woke up with two things; a raging headache and an urge to draw some Turtles. I hadn't done any non comic stuff in awhile so its nice to have the break.

Tsaigen, The Pete Best of Issue 1

I've been doing random drawings of the characters for the inside cover, and I decided to do the only main character who isn't in the first issue as well. I just feel like a tool putting him in the final, because I want this first issue to also stand on its own, so I'm just gonna post it here.

This September has been and will continue to be the craziest month of, well, definitely this year and in the running for craziest ever.

PSA

Hello everyone, I'm Ash Posey and I'm here to tell you about a disease I suffer from. Its called "Never leaving enough room at the bottom of the page for anyone's fucking feet." Every year, untold artists suffer in silence. However, my doctors fear my case may be terminal.

There's probably nothing you can do, but maybe if you're feeling motivated you can sponsor a 5K event or something.