I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who checks out my work and is kind enough to comment on what I've been doing. Thanks also to all those people that faved my work or added it to one of their collections. I've been busy with school lately and haven't been able to respond to everyone like I like to. Thanks again.

Integrity: adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.

I just recently heard about an artist that I really respected in the comic community stealing the work of one of his contemporaries. People that know me know that I'm adamantly against light boxing of photo's to produce "artwork". In this particular case the artist in question not only light boxed photo's but also another artist's work, which I think everyone agrees is wrong.
What makes art special is that it is life interpreted through the artist's eye. This is what makes each persons art individual and unique. If you're tracing photo's what are you contributing? I hear people justify light boxing in comics all the time saying that first and foremost that comic artist's are storytellers, and while I agree, you're still using art to tell that story. I want to see art in comics, not manipulated photo's.(And that's all light boxing is.) The comic industry obviously does not care about the artistic side to comics, it's obvious in the type of artist's that are popular in many of the top books now a days. You might say that if I don't like a particular artist just don't buy the books that they work on. Well, I don't and I won't, ever! The problem is the general comic reading audience doesn't care about how an artist got to the end result they only care about the story, which is fine, they aren't buying the books specifically for the art. But as artist's who legitimately produces work on their own they are losing jobs to people who trace photo's.
I think that it's time for artist's who produce honest work, work with integrity to speak up and let people that light box know that it's wrong and that it's cheapening the comic industry. I know that many people will disagree with me and I don't really care your entitled to your opinion as I'm entitled to mine. The argument could be made that there is a wide range of what is art and what makes someone an artist. And while I think that artist's should be free to explore things without too many restrictions I think there are some boundaries. If you look back at some of the great illustrators in history they were staunchly opposed to tracing photo's because they knew that it was wrong. Dean Cornwell, one of America's greatest illustrators had this to say "Do what the camera can't do-the camera can't add the spiritual- it can't go beyond the mentality of it's models. Test your work, ask yourself, can the camera do all that I have done? If you can can make a real picture you won't have to worry about the camera". Some however did so even back then and I put them in the same category as anyone who does it today.
I always assume that someone who draws realistically does so without tracing and I defend those artist's to people who question their methods or abilities, but I'm getting sick and tired of being proven wrong. I've traced things before myself but I was five and I didn't know any better. I'm an adult now and I want to make big boy art and not just trace. Learning to draw is hard work and I've personally spent a lot of time to get where I am as an artist and I know that there are no shortcut's, there isn't an easy way. People who trace want an easy way to make themselves look better than they really are and that's dishonest. I like to hold myself to a higher standard as an artist and I think that people in the comic industry need to do the same thing, all that matters isn't the bottom line, it's knowing that you put out a great product honestly. Whatever happened to working hard and feeling proud of what you accomplished at the end of the day? I was taught early on that cheating is wrong and that's exactly what light boxing is.

So i'm just curious because of my latest post's if people want to see more of the sketch book stuff or if you prefer more finished work?

thanks

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who has added me to their friends list or commented or faved a drawing of mine. I try to answer everyone that comments on my work but i've been pretty busy lately and I could'nt do that this time around. Again thanks to everyone. I think that like everyone on D.A. who post's regularly you get really addicted to getting comments on your work and sharing ideas about art and that really helps to motivate you. I'll b seeing you soon, hopefully with a new painting.

10,000 views

Just want to thank everyone who has come by and checked out my work and to all those that continue to look at all the new crap that i draw.