Disney's Avengers!

I've worked on this piece for a few months now in between everything else and now have a second, pop culture full illustration (the first being my Sesame St. piece) with a painted background and a digital foreground. I'm digging this direction I've undertaken with these Disney's Avengers. I realized too late that I didn't include the GOTG but with as many characters that are here, I'm okay with that. I hope I did your favorite Disney and Marvel character justice. This was designed as if it would be a wrap around cover and the right side would have the logo/title over top of everyone. Would you read this comic? 

Check out what the art would look like with a HOUSE OF MOUSE logo on it!

...and here is the process for the piece from pencil drawing to inks, and on to how the background was painted in watercolors!

Secret Wars

10 years ago I began playing a game called Vs. System in which characters from the Marvel Universe & DC

Universe were illustrated in trading card form. These cards would be used as a method to take from the 50 points you and your opponent started out with until there were no points left. The beauty of this game was that you were able to put together a deck of cards that included your favorite characters and/or favorite teams and use them to play a game anywhere at any time.  You didn't need a gaming console or figurines like you did as a kid (even though HeroClix seems to still be played at tournaments). It was a game of chess with your favorite comic book heroes and villains.


I fell in love with this game because of the art.  Upper Deck had done a great job of commissioning veteran artists as well as up and comers to create artwork specifically for the games art. Each card you saw was a brand new piece of art that had never been seen before and as the game continued on, the art got better.
I wanted to be an artist for this game so bad.

As a artist who wanted to make comics, I felt this would be a great starting point. If I could get my art into the comic community through this medium, I would feel fulfilled and excited to be able to play the game I loved with art that I produced.

I had an affinity for teaming up characters that I loved as apposed to using the teams that were already set up in the game. As I got into the game more, I tried to be more inventive. I threw caution to the wind and I would use teams that others felt weren't strong enough, or create combinations that were just fun to use. I had some success in tournaments but nothing on a grand scale but I enjoyed playing regardless.
This art is a collection of characters from Marvel Comics that at one time were brought together in what was called the Secret Wars back in the 80's. It is where we first saw Spider-man in the black suit (which would later be known as Venom) and where we first saw all of these characters fighting together. I wanted to create a team up in the game that would support these characters. New team up cards were being created in the game along with puzzle cards which when placed next to each other would make a larger image. I wanted to make those cards and this is the product of that desire.

I am about to send my book out to a few printers to get proofs.  This is a huge momentous time for me. Creating art is something I have done for 25 years so to be at this point is an amazing feat for me.  I always knew it would happen, but to be here is pretty surreal. I look back at this art and see how far i have come and am proud that I never let any of the pitfalls keep me from being the man that I am. I appreciate all of you who have ever given me a compliment, bought art from me or commissioned me to create new art. I wanted to share this story with you because I wanted to bring you along with me during my journey and hopefully it is something that will inspire you to keep pushing forward.

"A Reason To Smile" is about seeing what we have and knowing we will be okay if we keep a positive outlook and continue to push forward. I am a living example of that, and I hope that you all can experience that as well!

My Upper Deck Sketch cards

Upper Deck is producing sketch cards when Thor: The Dark World is released and I was able to contribute to that set! Here is what I produced! 79 out of 81 cards approved... I like those numbers!

My approach to these cards was Thor's Mythology. I have been a fan of his since I first saw his first appearance on the cover of Journey into Mystery no.83. I always wanted a hammer like that so it automatically caught my attention. The stories or characters I depicted are those that I have the closest connection to. I have depicted his first appearance when Donald Blake finds the walking stick that is Mjolnir (imagine a Thor movie done like Lord of the Rings?! WOW!), all the way to fighting his uncle in Fear Itself. I wish I had more cards to depict some other classic stories of his, but I hope this was enough for you=]

All cards are 2.5 x 3.5 and are done with a 01 Prismacolor tech pen and Prismacolor markers... oh, and the AP of Thor on the horizontal piece is already sold!

Below are the cards I have available for sale outside of eBay or being lucky enough to get one within a pack. Send me an e-mail at thelearningcurv@gmail.com to purchase them! 

Are you going to Heroes Con? Cause I am=]

I have been attending & exhibiting my art at Comic Book Conventions since 2008 & every artist worth their salt raves about Heroes Con. It's always been said that it is geared toward artists & is VERY artist friendly. What artist wouldn't want to attend a show with that kind of reputation?

I will be attending the show this year for the first time. I have been hearing more recently that Heroes is a show where original art is better received than prints. That made me take the time to do some Sketch Covers to have available at the show. I have pretty much every sketch cover ever produced, so if you'll be at the show you could either request one from me beforehand or get one at the show. 

Hope to see you there! 

Batman and Wolverine Team-up

I often get requests for both of these characters so rather than give them their own illustration each, i figured this would be a perfect way to kill two birds with one stone.... besides, I'd really love to see them in a story together, so I am sure you would too=] How do you think their philosophies would work together?  Would they be best friends, would they hate each other, would one look down on the other for going too far, or not far enough?  It'd definitely make for great action and high tension!

Avengers Assembled

I was lucky enough to be able to enter a contest creating a t-shirt with the Avengers are the theme.... this is my entry.  I hope it is well received.....

Thanos, the Mad Titan

I am in the process of trying to get back to doing traditional media art and am proud to say this was completely done by hand. I have a fine arts background as well as wanting to do the commercial, comic styled art, so revisiting this style was very reinvigorating.  I am not even close to where I want to be, but I am happy with the result..... Below is the finished piece..... now back to more practice!

Ororo Munroe

The last illustration helped me complete this commission of Storm of the X-men..... thought to be an African Goddess, Professor Xavier recruited the weather witch to help not only those of Africa, but everyone in the world.  She's been one of the greatest characters to ever lead the X-men and always will be a compelling character!

Clash of the Titans!

Here we have Thor vs. Wonder Woman, and strangely enough those asked on Facebook went with Wonder Woman, but Thor wins out on Deviantart.com.... I go for Wonder Woman myself, I think it'd be nice to see her win this=]

I have always been fan of the Avengers. I started collecting them in the 90's but quickly became a fan of the older comics. I think it all came from my love for the Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe trade paperbacks.  I had all 8 volumes and even the death volume.  All of the coolest characters and even the villains were from the Avengers books so I had to learn more about them.

The Avengers comic is now a book I can't do without.  As much as I am a Spider-man fan (notice he's in the closest in the foreground)  The Avengers are right there with him.  Brian Michael Bendis is in my opinion the best writer for continuing such cool stories for the most diverse amount of characters ever seen in Marvel Comics. I plan on drawing more characters and making this a much bigger grouping that I will end up inking and coloring.  Who would you like to see included in this mix?=]

and yes, this definitely was inspired by the new movie coming out=]