Out With the Sickness and a PSA

Sorry my art has been in short supply. I had the flu pretty bad a week back (as did the rest of the household), and I was finally getting over that, taking it slow, resting up, but sure enough, today, I'm running a fever again. Pretty sure this is a different cold altogether (probably not the flu at all), but it's enough that typing this is about my speed right now (you should see all the spelling corrections I'm doing on this).

But chatting with some people today made me remember this PSA I post every year or so on my deviantART account. I've never posted it here, so maybe it'll be of some use (and give you something to gander at until I'm well enough to draw for more than five minutes at a time);

Word to the youngin's (the wise already know).

Back at the Joe Kubert School they used to ram one idea into our heads -- "Bad is not a style." Even Joe himself said this at one point.

What that means is learn the basics BEFORE you try to find a style. It might be fun to draw anime/manga, or just like Rob Liefeld (shudder ;)), or make up a style that you think is cool, but can you draw a good drawing of a tree? A baby? A portrait of your grandmother WITHOUT making them cartoony? I bet most pro anime/manga artists can, I bet Charles Shultz could, Bill Watterson DEFINITELY could. Trust me, it shows if you can't draw the basics; you drew Batman's ears nicely, but it looks like he has scoliosis, and not in a "stylized" way -- the whole piece suffers for it.

Walk before you run. Run before you fly. You don't get your artistic license until you prove you earned it.

Now go on. Grow.

Hippopotamus Rock

Hippopotamus Rock is a children's song originally performed by Rosenshontz. Google it, foo'.

Anyhoo, short and sweet today (though this dude is massive and probably tastes nothing of sugar) -- Richard Starking's Hip Flask.