So passes yet another Wacom: Bring Your Vision to Life Contest. This time, the subject was Dreams. What are your Hopes? What are Your Aspirations? What do you think about when you're trying not to think of anything at all?

I don't know about anyone else, but when I'm awake at night, I keep inserting characters from different movies, tv shows, or games into other stories. Anyone else ever do that? Wonder what would happen if you were to stick a Jedi amongst that Final Battle scene during the Lord of the Rings? Yoda starts whacking on an orc, and everybody else wants to know what marvel of genetics created a part-elf, part-orc, part-dwarf who can throw boulders with his brain but can't seem to conjugate common. Meanwhile, Sam and Frodo start hiking it up the volcano only to find Obi-Wan trudging back down, muttering to himself "Arrogant little prick...'You Underestimate My Power'... Ooooooh... Ass." And it turns out Mordor is actually located in the really cheap part of Mustafar. Who knew?

Or here's one. What would happen if a Borg Drone were to assimilate a Terminator? Would Skynet take over the Collective? Or would The Borg Queen suddenly realize that if she keeps all her mechanical parts on the inside, maybe Captain Picard would be less inclined to melt her face. One thing's for sure: the movie would suck.

Anywho, for my entry, I created a Battle scene with Six of my Original Characters facing off. Edison, Phantasmagoria, Star Charger, Samantha Clayborne, Jakob Rousseaux, and Proteus, with my ugly mug staring down at them. All located inside a world of my own imagination, brought into view thanks to the good people at Wacom (so I'm fishing for brownie points, sue me). Point is, this is the first time I've created a piece with this many characters in one space. First time I've had to make a piece with this much planning involved. And I've got to say, I'm proud of this one. I really got into the idea, started it early enough that I didn't feel rushed, and pushed the limits of my skills.

Now, I don't suffer any delusions that I'll win the contest. I've seen the other entries, and there are a number of them FAR better and far better EXECUTED than mine. I just wanted to mention how much I enjoy these contests, and Wacom's contests in particular. Not being bound by any specific criteria or requirements, but instead having an open-ended theme, allows for a degree of creativity that gets my proverbial juices pumping. It's been a dream of mine since I was in the sixth grade to be a comic artist. Since then, I haven't stopped practicing. But since most practice is in the form of unfinished sketches, nothing much gets posted here, and I forget how far I've come since then.

These contests remind me of that. Even between the last Wacom Contest this past May, and now, there's a marked improvement I think. My colors are more subdued, not as Vibrant, helping the picture focus more on the action. Star Charger's energy blast looks more dangerous than in previous incarnations. I used Poser to Model difficult stances, lending to a better feel all around. And the glow effects were put to much better use this time.

So anyway, that's my rant. Call me Conceited if you wish. I'm bragging on a piece of my own work, not because I think it'll win, but because I think I've gotten better. I'm definitely inspired to do more Profile pieces on each of these characters.

OH, and if you do choose to fave my entry, could I ask that you do so between the 16th and 22nd of December? That's when they count toward the Community Choice Award, and I could really use an upgrade to Photoshop CS4.

Now, on to the next contest!


December 8- Wacom Deams Entry: [link]

May 20- Wacom Good Vs. Evil Entry: [link]

Okay, at this point, I'm pretty sure my car is actually a Decepticon in hiding.

I'm driving a piece of shit 92 Oldsmobile and over the past two months, I've had a series of breakdowns happen one after another. Every time I fix something, something else breaks. The AC went out. It's freon, so I can't fix that. The engine started smoking, so I got an oil change. The key somehow ground itself down to a toothpick, so I got a new one made. Then the brakes and rotors went out. I fixed those, so the shocks and struts failed. I fixed them, having to tack on a wheel alignment, so the bushing (little rubber thing) holding the shocks to the car ripped in two. Got them fixed again, only to have the harmonic balancer go out. That's fixed, so now I've got some kind of grinding in my wheels, my axle is leaking grease, and my car keeps wanting to overheat.

The problem with the balancer didn't show itself until the day I got my shock bushings replaced. The balancer didn't fail until after the bushing was replaced. I swear, it's an evil plan on the part of my car to simultaneously get everything replaced and drain my bank account so as to prevent me from simply getting a whole new car. The total cost, with parts and labor for the above mentioned items? Somewhere in the vicinity of $920.00 USD. And I deliver Pizza for minimum wage.

Like I said, DECEPTICON.

Anywho, since obviously money is an issue, I'd like to again mention that I'm available for commissions. Character designs, portraits, illustration, etc.

Digital Images
8.5" x 11" - Single Figure

$10 - Black & White
$20 - Color

Additional Figures, Backgrounds

$5 - Black & White
$10 - Color

If you would like to request a commission, send me a note with a description of the character, a reference photo, or both, and I'll get back to you with a Sketch posted to my scrapbook so you can decide on any changes you'd like. All commissions will get an email with the final product at 300ppi. I have no shame, so if you want something done that DA would never allow to be posted, don't worry. I, of course, reserve the right to show off and post finished commissions to my gallery. If you'd like to request a larger size or whatnot, send me a note and I'll quote you a price.

I can't possibly begin to describe how frustrating it is looking for a job these days. Well, actually, I can describe it. Otherwise this journal entry would be pretty short.

Since January, I've been looking around town for a job. Something that would justify the past five years of my existence and bring me ever so much closer to paying off the thirty grand in student loans I've accrued. Until then, I'm stuck in a grunt job that requires so little thought, our managers come to work high and no one seems to notice.

Now, I understand that the art world is hard to get into, but I surely thought it would at least have a front door. I've gone through the phone book looking for places to take resumes only to find out that most places IN the phone book aren't there anymore. And the ones that are still there are small one-person shops that take on only those clients the one person has time for, and have no interest in hiring help, save for the occasional possibility of freelance work sometime in the vague future.

Same problem with staffing companies. I go to Express, and places like it but they really only handle office work and general labor. Art careers, requiring a portfolio, aren't filled through staffing agencies

On the digital front, I check Craigslist for postings every week, but it seems that the only places that post jobs there are Silkscreen T-Shirt companies looking for freelance designers, and seemingly excellent postings from staffing agencies that only result in them spamming my inbox with job offers from across the country that are no where near what I'm looking for. Explain this quantum leap of logic: "We see that you applied for a junior graphic designer position. How would you like to work as a warehouse shipping specialist?... in Rochester?" I swear, one day I'm going to conquer the world and stupid people will be rendered for their fat and used as a fuel source.

In the meantime however, I'm still open for commissions. Note me if you have something you want done. I'll give you a quote.

CDalman

Check it out. I now have an actual website. As in a domain name, business e-mail account and everything. I feel so... legit. Almost makes me forget that I'm delivering pizzas to pay for it. And speaking of money, I'm also accepting commissions, in case anyone out there thinks I'm worth my stuff. If you're interested in a commission, or just seeing the same stuff I've got here in a different format, pop on by and have a look.

CD Artworks


I've gotta say, I like the new DA layout. Being able to feature a collection as opposed to a single deviation is kinda cool.

**The preceding rant is rated DA-FH for Free-floating Hostility. Reader Discretion is advised.**


I missed the deadline! Damn my verbose nature! Wait, is it still verbose, if it's only in print? Well Damn whatever kind of nature it is that I've got.

In case anyone out there is curious, I'd spent the past week getting my idea ready for the NVidia: Speak Visually contest. I had a five-panel comic penciled and ready to go, but didn't factor in just how long it would take me to color, so halfway (okay, maybe a quarter of the way) through, I was forced to rearrange my design to something simpler... And I actually pulled it off. I got the piece done before 12PM PDT and submitted it, but I took too long writing my essay in the description and MISS THE DEADLINE BY THIRTY SECONDS!!

You know who I blame for this? Every English teacher I ever had who told me to be more thorough in a book report, essay, or summary. They ingrained into my head the need to write as if I'm wearing a dinner jacket and putting quill to parchment, and now I'm so much more coherent a writer than a speaker that I've actually had people in chat rooms confuse me with a lawyer. I guess sarcasm is a lot harder to catch in a text box.

You know who else I blame? Mazzios. I ordered pizza this afternoon and if it hadn't been so damn good, I wouldn't have gone back for seconds and I'd have had those thirty seconds to get the piece in. Damn you, Mazzios, and your Vegi-deluxe goodness.

You know who else I blame? Rush Limbaugh. I don't know why I blame Rush Limbaugh, but I do.

Oh, and in case any of you are wondering, yes, I blame myself as well. I blame myself for not practicing coloring enough. I blame myself for not having my essay written out first. I blame myself for not starting the drawing thirty seconds earlier. If I'd gotten in and lost, that would be one thing. I'm a big boy, I can handle rejection, but missing a deadline by thirty seconds is just heartbreaking. Now I know how all those guys at the World series of Poker feel when they lose half there stack because the other guy snagged an inside straight on the river. But mostly I blame Rush Limbaugh.

Anywho, I'm going to sleep. Tomorrow I'll start on a new contest. [link]

Hasta la byebye.

"The importance of an individual can only be determined by observing the world in which they never existed."
--CDalman