May Q&A - leave your questions here!
Added 2020-05-03 20:51:44 +0000 UTCHey!
Hope you're well, please feel free to leave whatever questions you may have for me here and I'll address them all later this month, which may be prerecorded like last time. Remember, you can ask me about anything - process questions, scheduling, client questions, lotion regiments, my last will & testament, what my seat smells like, etc.
Thanks for your support as always!
Dave
Comments
What's the most viable social media account to get your name out there for artists and what should we be posting.
Fidel Murillo
2020-05-28 06:49:42 +0000 UTCHey Dave, I'm sure this gets asked a million times, and that "affordable" is a relative term when it comes to digital animation, but what do you think would be a good investment for someone who is improving their skills? Not professionally but as a serious hobby. I was looking at Wacom's Intuos Pro (Medium or Large).
Thy3rdEye
2020-05-28 04:36:15 +0000 UTCHey Dave! Do you think you'll make vidoes on drawing and inking like in your recent Magic: the Gathering illustration? Thanks!!
Conon Kudo
2020-05-25 23:40:24 +0000 UTCHey again Dave, thanks for answering the last question I had. I have another regarding focus. I’ve heard you talk a fair bit in past videos about how hard it can be at times to sit and draw. I hear guys talk about drawing all day and not even realising the day has gone by. Then for me I need to set 1h timers and tell myself you can’t get out of the chair even if i shit my pants or any other reason. Sometimes I get 20mims into drawling and the next thing i know I’m walking into the kitchen to eat something or my minds involuntary thinking about anything else. I know it sounds like laziness but when I’m making constant efforts to extend my focus time with little return I’m wondering if there’s something wrong. I’ve heard you talk about it in the past but now days you say you can get into flow. Was there a change in diet or something that can help here. Or am I just adhd or something and destined to eternal struggles Stay golden
Jeremiah Jensen
2020-05-24 01:34:14 +0000 UTCHi Dave, I was wondering if you could talk a little about what your experience doing character concepts has been like. I’ve always loved drawing characters and enjoy looking at concept art books for my favorite games (my favorite being Tactics Ogre). I have watched your Bog Witch tutorial and looked into the Paragon concepts you posted publicly. Doing exactly that type of work, as a career, seems like so much fun to me. My question is: does that kind of work accurately represent what the job typically is most of the time? In your own experience, what is the reality of the “character design” job that people outside the industry don’t understand? Thanks as always; please give my best to Kim and Axel!
Rauv_Art
2020-05-22 23:39:13 +0000 UTCHi Dave. I just recently started working on my graphic novel with an author and plan on using Indie GoGo. Quite frankly I don't know what the hell I'm doing lol! Do I need a publishing company to distribute my book? or should I start my own publishing company?
Aaron Randall
2020-05-22 21:37:37 +0000 UTCHalo Dave, what brush do you use in your photoshop underpainting?
Mediocre Artist
2020-05-22 19:04:31 +0000 UTCHey Dave. Just started my first digitally painted character design using your watercolor brush and it is going well since I followed your Venom process video. In that video you switched to Photoshop to do the flat color layer and changed the line art layer to a Multiply layer. I was wondering if there was a specific reason you don't use the Multiply layer option in Clip instead and keep the beginning process in Clip exclusively. I did and it seems to be working out ok. Is there anything I'm missing aside from the certain texture brushes in PS you like for the beginning stages? Thanks! (Also I was so hesitant to try painting in Clip for so long and your tutorial helped give me a push so thanks a lot. Ever feel that way about any kind of new processes or programs?)
mrjake786
2020-05-22 02:09:11 +0000 UTCHello Dave. Did you have any specific exercises or studies that you focused on while you were working on making improvements in your drawing and lineart?
Craig Paton
2020-05-21 14:59:13 +0000 UTChello, i would like to know how you can delete the ugly gray area that is left behind when you drag the canvas off of the top and have it show whatever you have open on the computer(in this case a browser with reference open) so you can see the browser next to the canvas and work on the sketch with the reference in view next to the canvas. i hope you understand what i'm asking, i kina confused myself reading it to myself lmao. lovely work as always, i learnt a lot from the venom process video and it kina taught me what i needed to know and where i was at with the whole art thing, now i just have to stop being lazy :)
Echjar
2020-05-20 21:37:11 +0000 UTCI love Clip Studio more and more by the day, thanks for the tips with that great watercolor-ish brush, I use it all the time and it feels so nice to paint with! No questions really, just wanted to say thank you for your videos and steps, it helps me a lot in pretty much all things art related. Keep it up!
Flo Tasser
2020-05-20 16:44:22 +0000 UTCHey Dave, No question this month. I really like what you do. I had MGS printed out and it's looking great! Just one little thing, sign your painting! Or add it as a layer. It feels weird that it doesn't have your signature.
Bora_M
2020-05-19 13:29:42 +0000 UTCAny tips for learning discipline when trudging through art studies? I have a hard time focusing on it for long periods of time.
Louis Whitworth
2020-05-14 20:54:26 +0000 UTCDave at what point in your career did you move from the wacom intuos to the cintique? Did you get a big bump in productivity/speed? And when you first started working on your line based comic style what would you say helped you improve the most. Thanks Bro!
Tony Chris
2020-05-14 05:35:18 +0000 UTCwhy do you prefer clip studio for sketching rather than doint it all on photoshop?.
Oliver
2020-05-14 04:50:55 +0000 UTCHey Dave, I have a lag problem painting in clipstudio with your brush at 7000x9000. How do you deal with brush lag? Do you work all the time on big canvas? Or do you work first on a smaller size and then export to clipstudio to render on a big canvas? (I think my pc specs are good enough to work) Thanks!
Tomás Medina
2020-05-14 00:22:09 +0000 UTCHey Dave, I know this has been asked for the other pieces. But can you talk about how much time you spent on this one? I know you count it as days, but it could be great if you can give us vague number in hours. Like 10, 30, 50, 100, 300 etc. I always have the mindset that I draw and paint so slow and that everybody else is much faster than me this insight would be really helpful.
Mush
2020-05-12 19:23:31 +0000 UTCHey Dave, getting into doing con's at Artist's Alley after this whole end of the world thing is over. Was wondering about good places to get prints done? Thanks in advance!
Jimmy Kucaj
2020-05-12 05:14:39 +0000 UTCHey Dave :) I wanted to ask your opinion on photobashing, 3D and other similar techniques. Do you see yourself using any 3D software in the future? Would you ever use photos as parts of your images? Thanks for the awesome content over the years!
Volen CK
2020-05-11 10:29:44 +0000 UTCHey Dave, you were looking ripped on the DA podcast. This is probably a stupid question, and I'm not sure if you'd know, but when it comes to doing traditional art, does approaching clients generally work the same?
Ian Marshall Pellerin
2020-05-09 17:05:34 +0000 UTCLong time listener, first time caller. I hope more than one question is ok. 1. Is there anything in the works, or maybe even just pipe dream plan for more Star Veil/Skull & Shark? Your online presence is all over, its hard to track down one source of info. Also: Thank you so much for introducing me to Lazerhawk. 2. Do you listen to anything in particular while you work? Something to focus or space out, something to get you in the mindset of the project, or maybe just your classic go-tos? 3. I love Steve Lichman, and was a backer. I dont know if you play/have ever played D&D, but have yall ever considered expanding Steve Lichman into a campaign supplement for fans? Character art and ridiculous magic items and cursed items, stupid funny adventure hooks and story ideas, rollable tables for jokes and insults... that kind of thing.
Alex Means
2020-05-09 07:38:09 +0000 UTCThis sounds like a stupid question in retrospect. It hit me as I was going to bed. I suppose I could take mushrooms or something. Huff kerosene. Brain trauma. I don’t know.
Joshua Barbour
2020-05-09 03:32:00 +0000 UTCHey Dave! Thanks for this Q&A thing, it REALLY helps! :) My question is - Is it an advantage to be able to draw, ink, and color, or one should focus on just a specific role to get comic jobs initially and develop other skills over time? How has your experience been? - Gaurav
Art Of Gaurav
2020-05-08 19:49:11 +0000 UTCDave, do you ever see something that’s so out there it makes you think “I thought I had some creativity and imagination, but nope.”? A recent example for me was the enemy designs in the Scarlet Nexus trailer. Any guidance on improving imagination?
Joshua Barbour
2020-05-08 09:13:32 +0000 UTCHey Dave, what is the most ridiculous thing a client has asked you to draw?
Dean Brorson
2020-05-08 08:39:33 +0000 UTCHave you considered digital painting over top of pencils? Or is that less efficient for you than your current workflow? It could give you the opportunity to sell originals.
Dustin Irvin
2020-05-06 14:57:57 +0000 UTCHow much thought do you put into the filigree work you do? There's so many different styles out there.
Faolan Grady
2020-05-06 04:46:49 +0000 UTCHi Dave, can you tell me how Sabin suplexed a train. Even though he may have been able to do it since it was a Ghost Train and ghost are super light. Maybe I answered my own question. Shit! I did it again.
DookieFace
2020-05-06 04:00:45 +0000 UTCAny tips on mechanical design? Would you ever or have you ever done any Mecha stuff?
Hunter Alexander
2020-05-05 22:14:48 +0000 UTCHey Dave, Have you ever seen a ghost? Have you ever experienced anything paranormal activity? spooky or creepy? I know Dan and his family have a lot of those, but I wonder if you have some? Thanks Dave, stay safe.
Senna Prahara
2020-05-05 18:25:01 +0000 UTCHey Dave! Any chance of seeing some of the old painty style Skull and Shark comic pages on here? Also any any process videos on stuff in the style of the black and white S&S stuff you put on instagram and twitter?
Stygian
2020-05-05 16:45:08 +0000 UTCis final fantasy 6 > than final fantasy 7?
Andrew
2020-05-05 14:31:24 +0000 UTCHow to battle fears of dying alone and unwanted?
ivan p
2020-05-05 13:11:45 +0000 UTCWhat's up Dave! So here's the situation, you have a bomb implanted in your head set to detonate in exactly one year from now if you don't meet the following criteria: take a person with no prior training or experience in the art industry and within the time limit get them to your level of skill and expertise. What do you do?
Dean Brorson
2020-05-05 11:04:06 +0000 UTCWhere are the bodies Dave? The families need closure.
McDaniels
2020-05-05 03:34:03 +0000 UTCHey Dave, how do you go about writing/revising/etc. scripts for story-driven projects like Starveil and Skull & Shark as opposed to Steve? Obviously you and Dan aren't professional writers, so do you worry that the story of your project will suffer?
Nick Waldinger
2020-05-05 02:29:37 +0000 UTCWhen you and Dan are working on stuff how do you settle creative differences? Does one of you have executive control over the other?
grundalug
2020-05-04 22:43:58 +0000 UTCHi Dave, I was wondering if you could talk about how to make a transition to the next level. I'm 33, working 40+/wk as a graphics acct manager, teach 6 hrs/wk at a local JuCo, and work freelance around all that. I also have a wife and 2 kids so I stay pretty busy. I've completed 2 painted comics for an Indie Publisher as well as a TPB cover. Any tips on transitioning to bigger publishers? I'm mainly interested in covers. I don't mind the hustle but would prefer to spend the time getting paid to make art. Appreciate your time. Also, what does your seat smell like?
Dustin Irvin
2020-05-04 20:14:40 +0000 UTCWould you rather have the choice of pooping and never needing to wipe ever again (ghost poops with a clean crack) or you only have to poop once every year but it’s for 24 hours straight. Constant flow of poop from your butt. You would still experience normal things like hunger and pain from sitting too long whilst pooping. Thanks Dave!
Gage Swales
2020-05-04 19:49:29 +0000 UTCCould u tell us more about standing in front of a green-screen for all the Deviant art contest stuff? From what u said I gather it was surprinsigly awkward
Colorblindraws
2020-05-04 12:01:30 +0000 UTCWhat are some of ur guilty pleasure shows?
Colorblindraws
2020-05-04 11:58:55 +0000 UTCWhat are some of ur favorite artbooks? Not study ones tho, ones like The Art of blablabla books
Colorblindraws
2020-05-04 11:58:17 +0000 UTCI figure u learned a lot from working alongside great artists, what are some of the best advice they gave you as an upcoming Dave? Before all the Gordon Ramsay following level of fame that basically makes u as famous as will smith of course
Colorblindraws
2020-05-04 11:57:17 +0000 UTCIs Marko Durjevick the thickest artist you know Dave?
Colorblindraws
2020-05-04 11:55:31 +0000 UTCOh hai there! So I recently played Streets of Rage 4 I wanted to get your thoughts on the game and the style If you've played or seen? Also I was thinking if getting an iPad Pro would you recommend for drawing and painting is it worth it? Stay delicious and safe, hope the little en is well and please extend my regards to Dave hope he's still smiling in the mirror and scaring himself silly!
John Crossland
2020-05-04 11:07:47 +0000 UTCHi Dave! In your pantings the character are always posed very dynamically and the poses feel very natural and real. Do you have any advice on what to study for posing characters?
Juho Huttunen
2020-05-04 09:05:16 +0000 UTCWhat makes a good thumbnail? And what to focus on when drawing them? on gesture, foreground/background/middle ground, general perspective, composition, shapes? how much information should they really contain to be a good foundation for full illustration later on?
Zuzanna Horaczuk
2020-05-04 06:56:16 +0000 UTCHi Dave! Do you plan on doing some traditional work here? Also can you talk about how were you approaching clients in the beginning and after getting a commission, how many sketches / compositions was appropriate to deliver etc. What were your policies on revisions. And can you tell us some client horror stories ? Cheers <3
Stas Aldinov
2020-05-04 06:09:32 +0000 UTCHey Dave!, I'm planning on starting a daily twitch group study, do you have any tips from the crimson daggers days. I hope you and your family are well! <3
Félix Hinojosa
2020-05-04 05:47:10 +0000 UTCHey Dave, love your work. Could you share your thoughts about what makes good comedy and how to write one? Thanks!
Sleepy
2020-05-04 04:08:22 +0000 UTCHey Dave, any news on a new book? Also, any chance of high-res FF9 art being published? Thanks!
Nicholas Ferro
2020-05-04 00:10:15 +0000 UTCI'm here to just say "keep up the great work!" and "stay safe!" and also apart from FF6 and Chrono Trigger (my fav JRPG ever) what other games, actual or old school, inspire you? Maybe not even the games per sé, but the artwork of it.
Gabriel Vendries
2020-05-03 23:33:56 +0000 UTCSup milkman, you mention studying loomis a lot and I wondering how I should go about it. Do you read the whole book, do you copy every drawing or just reference it when stuck? Also specifically which books? Thanks babe
Bogsloth
2020-05-03 22:46:50 +0000 UTCHey Dave! Hope to pick your brain with these two questions. You've worked on so many visual arts fields, like comics, cards, concept design, posters, to name a few. For an intermediate artist in the industry who has worked on animation, design, and graphic illustration, would you recommend to keep on working and improving on various kinds of projects simultaneously or choosing one field and sticking to it? Did you feel that working on one aspect/field of visual art helped you in others? You mentioned that at some point you had to stop only painting and had to start drawing seriously, and that it helped you improve a lot. By drawing vs painting, what would you say is the key difference? Is it thinking/focusing more about lines and structural construction vs shapes?
Figmenter
2020-05-03 22:19:00 +0000 UTCI'm very impressed in the way you used hatching to create the shadows and textures in your Chrono Trigger art mainly in the Robo one . Can you show us some of that process please?
Oliver
2020-05-03 21:57:14 +0000 UTCHi Dave! I was wondering how you usually view your project in your head? Do you have a very vivid imagination that you can use as you draw? Or was this developed with time? Also, did you use a lot of reference when you were starting up? My favorite series of yours is Chrono Trigger btw 😃
Paola Valdez
2020-05-03 21:43:08 +0000 UTCAre you a foodie and what's your favorite food? What music do you like? What does your seat smell like? Greetings from Germany!
Leon Ngo pham
2020-05-03 21:38:37 +0000 UTCI watch you and many other skilled artists for guidance and education but who are you currently watching or learning from? Any online courses of videos you can recommend?
Quazu
2020-05-03 21:20:44 +0000 UTCGreetings Dave, I'm starting my own graphic novel project, and I wanted to take the opportunity to ask for advice regarding character design. When designing new characters for your sequential art, do you use character sheets or character illustrations you've created as reference, or do you go straight into the page as you're working? PS. That FF6 piece is looking really good.
Jorge
2020-05-03 21:15:59 +0000 UTC
