January 2015 Sketches

Here are some doodles from my sketchbook I made during this month:

Happy New Year!

Random pen doodle.

Roy.

Photo Reference.

Khakmonee.

Photo Reference.

Bobby.

Photo Reference.

Danny.

Photo Reference.

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Stephen Silver's Two-Day Character Design Workshop

I had a lot of fun this weekend at Silver Drawing Academy during Stephen Silver's Two-Day Character Design Workshop. Met a bunch of talented artists and had a great time. A very inspiring and awesome learning experience.

Day one was a full day of learning and designing characters and day two was all about character gesture drawing. From the start, I was already rethinking my own character designs and how to improve them.  This was character design boot camp and a hell of a good time!

Stephen Silver is a freelance Character Designer and teacher/owner of Silver Drawing Academy. He designed cool cartoon characters such as Kim Possible, Danny Phantom and Kevin Smith's, Clerks the animated series. 

Here are some of my doodles from the workshop:

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Je suis Charlie

On January 7, five cartoonists (Charb, Cabu, Honoré, Tignous and Wolinski) and seven others were killed by gunmen at the offices of satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo.

This is horrible and it doesn't make any sense to me.  I immediately wanted to say or draw something, but I couldn’t make sense of the incident.  I tried looking at it from several angles.  They were obviously great cartoonists.  As for the satire, the cultural or religious critique, I don’t know if it was good or bad, if it was funny or not.  At first glance, some of their cartoons do seem kind of racist and stereotypical, and I get the impression they were made to provoke and bully a specific community.  But none of that matters now, because the main point is this:

No drawing is worth killing someone over, even when it's offensive.

Expressing this message is what matters now.

So, I made this cartoon.

Take care,

-IAMO

El 7 de enero , cinco caricaturistas ( Charb , Cabu , Honoré , Tignous y Woliński ) y otras siete personas murieron a manos de hombres armados en las oficinas del periódico satírico Charlie Hebdo .

Esto es horrible y no tiene ningún sentido para mí. Inmediatamente quise decir o dibujar algo, pero no podía dar sentido al incidente. Intenté mirarlo desde varios ángulos. Ellos fueron, obviamente, excelentes dibujantes. En cuanto a la sátira, la crítica cultural o religiosa, no sé si era buena o mala, si era chistosa o no. A primera vista, algunas de sus caricaturas parecen algo racistas y estereotipadas , y tengo la impresión de que se hicieron para burlarse y provocar a una comunidad específica. Pero nada de eso importa ahora, porque el punto principal es éste:

Ningún dibujo es razón para matar a alguien, incluso cuando es ofensivo.

Expresar este mensaje es lo que importa ahora.

Así que hice este dibujo.

Saludos,

-IAMO

December 2014 Sketches

Here are some doodles from my sketchbook I made during this month:

Girl sketch.

Happy Birthday, Otis Frampton!

BB-8 on the move!

Droid from the ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ teaser trailer.

People Sketching in San Francisco.

Hands.

Finn from the ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ teaser trailer.

My beautiful wife, Patricia.

Naughty & Nice Holiday Pin-Up Sketch.

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El Chapulín Colorado - R.I.P. Chespirito

Here's a tribute to the greatest Mexican superhero of all time, El Chapulín Colorado (before you say El Santo, he didn't have any super powers and El Chapulín did... well... sorta.  He self medicated on "chiquitolina" pills, which made him shrink to the size of a grasshopper and... I think that's about it). This character was part of a Mexican television comedy series that ran from 1972 to 1981. El Chapulín Colorado was the inspiration for Bumblebee Man on "The Simpsons" and I have to say, it was also a huge influence for creating the Chorizo Bandit character on my cómic "Nerdmigos." He was created by comedian Chespirito (Roberto Gómez Bolaños) who recently passed away, leaving an unforgetable body of work, funny characters and good times.  He will definitely be missed.

Free hi-res download at deviantART!

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Thanksgiving 2014

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

¡Feliz Día del Pavo!

Here's a pilgrim girl eating a turkey leg!

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Random Shape Doodle Exercise

Here's a fun drawing exercise.

Create a character or any drawing using these random shapes (or make your own).   I compare it to watching cloud formation shapes that look like people and things.

This is also very helpful for when you are stuck designing characters that all look the same.  It will help you get out of that framework and try out new shapes.

Here are a few doodles I made with these shapes:

Este es un ejercicio de dibujo muy divertido.

Crea un personaje o cualquier dibujo utilizando estas formas aleatorias (o haz tus propias formas). Yo lo comparo a ver nubes con formas que se parecen a personas y cosas.

Esto también es muy útil para cuando estas diseñando personajes que todos tienen el mismo aspecto. Te va ayudar a salir de ese marco y probar nuevas formas.

Give it a try and show me your doodles!

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Meet Me At AlmibArte 2014!

It is my pleasure to announce that I will be at AlmibArte 2014 as a guest artist on October 4 in Tijuana, Baja California.

AlmibArte  is a small art show created as an alternative to the current trend of big mainstream art shows in Tijuana and will take place at Almibar Postres Etc.

I will be sharing the exhibit area with:

• Andrew Pallares
• Ernesto Delgadillo a.k.a. El Netox
• Julio César Cárdenas
• César Cervantes
• Fabs Mostaza
• Rotzy Clothing and Stuff
• Cris Guzmán

Among other cool creative cats.

If you're in the Tijuana area on October 4, be sure to stop by and say hi and enjoy some cool artwork along with Almibar's signature desserts.

RSVP on the Facebook event page!

Cheers!

-IAMO

Es un placer anunciar que voy a estar en AlmibArte 2014 como artista invitado, el 4 de octubre en Tijuana, Baja California.

AlmibArte es una pequeña expo de arte creada como alternativa a la tendencia actual de los grandes eventos culturales en Tijuana y se llevará a cabo en Almibar Postres Etc.

Estaré compartiendo el área de exposición con:

• Andrew Pallares
• Ernesto Delgadillo a.k.a. El Netox
• Julio César Cárdenas
• César Cervantes
• Fabs Mostaza
• Rotzy Clothing and Stuff
• Cris Guzmán

Entre otros creativos.

Si estás en el área de Tijuana el 4 de octubre, pasa a AlmibArte a saludar y disfrutar de obras artísticas muy suaves, junto con los distintivos postres de Almibar.

¡Visita la página del evento en Facebook!

¡Saludos!

-IAMO

The X-Files: Mulder and Scully

Here's a tribute to one of my favorite TV shows from the 90's: "The X-Files", featuring FBI Special Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully.

Get a free download of this fan art at deviantART!

Whenever I think about "The X-Files", I can't help but remember the 1997 "The Simpsons" episode, "The Springfield Files" because agents Mulder & Scully showed up as guest stars, but also because 'Star Wars' (my favorite movie of all time) and Pearl Jam (my favorite band of all time) are referenced.  

That was three of my favorite things referenced in one single "The Simpsons" episode!!! Isn't that awesome?

Well, I thought is was awesome.

(You're no fun).

Oh, here's another "X-Files" reference I remember from an episode of "Eek! The Cat" where Mulder & Scully:

Does anyone remember that? :)

Anyway...

What's your favorite "The X-Files" episode?

Batgirl

The internet exploded recently when Babs Tarr and +Cameron Stewart delivered a brand-new Batgirl redesign for +DC Entertainment.  

Their new design is so wonderful and cool, I just had to make my own doodle and join the party.  She was a lot of fun to draw and color.

Congratulations to Babs and Cameron for their awesome work!

Share if you like it!

The Fearless Zombie Hunters: Heads Will Roll

This illustration was made exclusively for Sadhaka Studio and it features Candy from their awesome indie comic, The Fearless Zombie Hunters.

The Fearless Zombie Hunters is a black comedy about a trio of zombie slayers led by Professor Abronsius, who is joined by the incompetent and disgraceful Angel, Son of El Angel, the greatest wrestler ever in Mexican history, and Candy, the sassy, sexy, feminine balance between those two complete opposites. The three of them try to rid the world of the coming zombie plague.

Sadhaka Studio invited me to join them at their Comic-Con International 2014 booth and we will have a limited of these prints available.  Be sure to stop by Small Press table P-12 and say hi.

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June 2014 Sketches

Here are some doodles from my sketchbook I made during this month:

"I hate you, beasty." - Maleficent

A radio antenna on the hills of Tijuana :)

Una de las antenas de radio en los cerros de Tijuana :)

Kick A Soccer Ball.

FIFA World Cup 2014

D.J.

Happy Father's Day!

¡Feliz día del padre!

"It just popped in there!"

Stay Puft Marshmallow Man 'Ghostbusters' 30th Anniversary sketch.

Back In Black.

"He slimed me."

Slimer 'Ghostbusters' 30th Anniversary sketch.

Catwoman sketch.

"Called Crane Technique. If done right, no can defense."

'The Karate Kid' 30th Anniversary sketch.

Harley Quinn sketch.

What should I draw next? Post your suggestions on the comments below.

Don't Give Your Creative Work Away For Free!

Fellow artists, beware of this type of creative work offers!!!

This is a very bad practice that affects the art community and I’m ashamed to say that it’s very common (even acceptable) in Mexico and Latin America.  

I received this e-mail from a “creative network” that helps companies look for free work and ideas from creatives.  I won’t use their name, this is just my e-mail correspondence with them.   This type of practice is just wrong.  Be sure to research everything you can about these types of companies and websites before you get involved with them:

“Hello Ismael, we have seen your work and we really like it and we would like to invite you to participate in ________ to become part of the online creative staff.

_______ is an online creative network where you can earn money by creating ideas for brands and artists. You can participate in projects for international brands.

What we do is to connect the best brands with the best creatives wherever they are, there are projects for design, advertising, art, photography, illustration, audio, music and more.

Each project is assigned an amount of money, you send your proposal and if the client likes your proposal you get that amount.

We are always hunting for the best creative talent and Latino power. That’s why we saw your work and we like to invite you to be part of the creative online staff and fill out your profile, this way, when we have a project for your style, we will contact you to participate from anywhere, home, office, café or beach.

There are 2 ways to be part of the creative online staff:

1. Basic Staff: you can do projects for up to 800 USD, being part of this staff is free.

2. Professional Staff can participate in projects and in unlimited amounts of money and have the following benefits:

- You participate in better projects and over 800 USD for the winning idea.

- Your proposals do not go through a selection process, they are always seen by the client.

- You have prior access to the brief / project.

- You have personalized attention to your questions.

- You can participate in unlimited projects.

The professional staff subscription has a value of ______ year. If you are interested, go to __________________ and select the staff that best fits your needs.

If you come on board, we recommend you also follow us on twitter at @ ____________ to learn more about projects and news, on instagram: ____________ and Facebook as _______________.

Or if you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask by mail or online chat on the web.

I hope you will join us.

-_________.”

Dear _________,

Sorry, but I disagree with what you are doing: trying to get free samples of visual work (for you or your clients). 

If you want to support the creative community, you can refer your clients to creative portfolios. Even if the clients see a portfolio, there is no need to put creative talent in a contest where there is only one winner and the rest just give away their work. I always warn my fellow artists about such practices that destroy the artistic community. If you or your clients want to get samples from creative professionals, you need to pay them for their time and then make a decision. 

I hope to receive a response from you, before posting this on my blog as a warning to the artistic community. 

Sincerely, 

Ismael Alejandro Moreno Ozuna (IAMO) 

Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico”

Not surprisingly, I did not hear back from them.

Artists have value.  Share this post with your friends if you agree.

-IAMO

¡Colegas artistas, tengan cuidado con este tipo de ofertas de trabajo creativo! 

Esta es una muy mala práctica que afecta a la comunidad artística y me da vergüenza decir que es muy común (incluso aceptable) en México y América Latina. 

Recibí este e-mail de una "red creativa" que ayuda a las empresas a buscar trabajo e ideas creativas gratis. No voy a usar su nombre, esto es sólo mi correspondencia por correo electrónico con ellos. Estas prácticas son simplemente incorrectas. Asegúrese de investigar todo lo que puedan acerca de este tipo de empresas y sitios web antes de involucrarse con ellos:

“Hola Ismael, hemos visto tus trabajos y nos gusta mucho y me gustaría invitarte a participar de ________ para que seas parte del staff creativo online.

_______ es una red creativa online donde puedes ganar dinero creando ideas para marcas y artistas. Puedes participar en proyectos para marcas internacionales. 

Lo que hacemos es conectar las mejores marcas con los mejores creativos estén donde estén, hay proyectos de diseño, publicidad, arte, fotografía, ilustración, audiovisuales, música y muchos más. 

Cada proyecto tiene un monto de dinero asignado, envías tu propuesta y si el cliente le gusta tu propuesta te llevas ese monto. 

Siempre estamos en etapa de hunting del mejor talento creativo y power latino. Por eso vimos tus trabajos y te queremos invitar a ser parte del staff creativo online y que llenes tu perfil, así cuando tengamos un proyecto de tu estilo de contactemos para que participes, desde donde quieras, tu casa, la oficina, un café o la playa. 

Existen 2 maneras de ser parte del staff creativo online: 

1. Staff basico: puedes participar de proyectos de hasta 800 USD, ser parte de este staff es gratis.

2. Staff profesional: puedes participar de proyectos y montos en dinero ilimitados y tiene los siguientes beneficios:

- Participas de mejores proyectos y sobre 800 USD para la idea ganadora.

- Tus propuestas no pasan por un proceso de selección, siempre son vistas por el cliente.

- Tienes acceso antes a los brief / proyectos.

- Tienes atención personalizada para tus dudas.

- Puedes participar de proyectos ilimitados.

El staff profesional tiene un valor de ______ al año. Si te interesa, entra en __________________ y se parte del staff que más te acomode.

Si te incluyes, te recomendamos seguirnos también en twitter en @____________ para ir sabiendo sobre los proyectos y más noticias, en instagram: ____________ y en Facebook como: _______________.

O si tienes alguna duda, no dudes en preguntarnos por mail o en el chat online de la web.

Espero te animes.

_______.”

“Estimado _______.

Lo siento, pero no estoy de acuerdo con lo que ustedes hacen: tratar de conseguir muestras de trabajo visual gratuito (para ustedes o para sus clientes).  

Si quieren apoyar a la comunidad creativa, pueden referir a sus clientes a los portafolios de los creativos.  Aun así, si los clientes ven un portafolio, no necesitan meter a los creativos a un concurso donde sólo hay un ganador y los demás solo regalan su trabajo.  Yo siempre les advierto a mis colegas artistas sobre este tipo de prácticas que destruyen a la comunidad artística.  Si ustedes o sus clientes quieren muestras de un creativo profesional, necesitan pagarle por su tiempo y después tomar una decisión. 

Espero recibir una respuesta de parte de ustedes, antes de publicar esto en mi blog como advertencia a la comunidad artística.

Atentamente,

Ismael Alejandro Moreno Ozuna (IAMO)

Tijuana, Baja California, México”

Como era de esperar, no recibí una  respuesta de ellos.

Los artistas tienen valor.  Compartan este post con sus amigos si están de acuerdo.

-IAMO

May 2014 Sketches

Here are some doodles from my sketchbook I made during this month:

¡Feliz día de las madres! Happy Mother's Day!

Some alien dude in Tatooine from Star Wars - Episode VIII.

Wolverine, inspired by X-Men: Days Of Future Past.

"All right. My name is..." -Madison (Daryl Hanna).

Splash movie 30th Anniversary.

"We need you, Sebastian.  You're our best and only friend." -Pris (Daryl Hanna).

Inspired by one of my favorite movies, Blade Runner.

A sketch of my beautiful wife, Paty, and my dog, Nolan, having a happy day at the beach.

What should I draw next? Post your ideas below!

-IAMO