Neil Segura Blog

T-REX Elton John

2012-01-02T11:36:00.001-08:00

The Process

I am doing all my drawing in sketchbook pro. I start off with a rough drawing to find the right pose. I work out the basic composition first before starting any detail.

I tighten up the drawing a little more defining the heavy detailed areas like the feet and those crazy feathers. I also alter the composition a little to accommodate the added feathers .

Now that all the lose ends are figured out I start inking. I try to use simple and expressive lines here. My main goal is to capture the energy of the original drawing.

Here I start adding details and shadows to bring some life and personality to the drawing.

When I am happy with the black and white drawing I will move it to Photoshop to start coloring. First I fill the main areas with flat color.

Then using mostly the burn and dodge tool I will add shadows and highlights to better define the form. I mask out a lot of areas and separate parts in many different layers.

Here I add the finishing touches on the character like super highlights, texture, a secondary light source and of course sparkles. These little things really bring the piece to life.

The background is a series of gradients, textures and photoshop brushes for a fancy effect. I add the drop shadow as well.

2011: A Good Year for Art

2011-12-31T09:19:00.000-08:00

Here are my last illustrations of 2011.

2011 was a great year for artistic growth. I don’t think I have been this productive since I was in college over six years ago. I owe much of this drive to creating a comic book, it opened me up to new ways of thinking and creating. Here are a few things that also contributed to this being a great year.

Telling a story

Storytelling has become much more important in my work. Obviously, it is a big part of creating a comic book, but it has also helped me with my illustrations. I feel like in the past I would draw without meaning, I could make it look good but it had no substance. Putting the focus on story takes it to a new level makes my art more interesting and engaging.

Studying storyboarding has given me a better understanding of how to tell a sequential visual story. I learned a great deal of this from Sherm Cohen, a talented storyboard artist. His DVDs “Storyboard Secrets” and his blog “Cartoon Snap!” have made a huge difference in my growth this year.

Conventions

I was shoved out of my comfort zone and thrown head first into the convention world. It’s no joke, I had to do the things I hate most, convince people to buy my work, draw quickly on demand (while people stare at you), and be surrounded by large crowds. Although very uncomfortable, conventions have been the best training ground for pitching myself and drawing under pressure.

They are also a great place to network. Every time I do a convention I make new contacts and learn about the business. It’s very helpful talking to people who are at different stages and how they got there. I always leave a convention inspired and ready to work.

Community

College was an artist support group with critiques and art shows galore. Nowadays, it takes a lot more effort. The last art show I was in prior to 2011 was four or five years ago and I went a few years without talking to other artists about my art. This year I joined an art group called the “Cartooistas” it is the first legit art group I have been apart of and it’s great. I forgot how important it is to have other artists around to share ideas and experiences. We all influence and support each other. They have really pushed me to be my best.

Putting my work out in the world has allowed me to take part in a few art shows this year, the “Zombie Art Show” in Long Beach and a western themed show at “Catalyst” in Westminster. I also participated in an online Alice in Wonderland themed art show.

Sketchbook

I had a sketchbook by my side all year. I spent many lunch breaks and late nights drawing. Even if it was nonsense or doodling I made sure to draw. It was a hard habit to start but once I got the momentum going it did not stop. I am happy to say I filled up eight sketchbooks this year and I plan on matching or besting that number next year. I see my drawing and observational skills improving and I feel it is starting to show in my work. It’s really about keeping my mind in drawing mode and making quick decisions.

All in all a wonderfully productive year and I expect 2012 to be even better. There will be more art, comics and I will be learning some things from a great animated show creator in the spring (more about that later).

Happy New Year!!

Examiner.com Inteview

2011-12-19T17:47:00.000-08:00

Here is a fun little interview I did about my influences and the journey. I got hit up to do this interview after participating in the Long Beach Zombie Art Show. Goes to show you never know what you'll get out of each event, the important thing is to put your work out there.

Here is the Link

http://www.examiner.com/speculative-fiction-in-long-beach/neil-segura-cartooning-on-his-own-terms

Subconscious Drawing

2011-12-01T22:38:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things to do is to draw funny characters in my sketchbook. I like to draw with nothing in mind and see what kind of things I come up with. I will usually start with a shape or just a line of action and see where it takes me. I try my best to never repeat myself. For a long time I thought these kinds of exercises were not helping me progress, and I would do them just for the joy of it. I think there is some value in unplanned, experimental sketching sessions where the only goal is to fill a page and have fun. I believe this is where your subconscious comes out and you find the things that really interest you. Each page may hold a potentially big idea. These are messages to myself which may spark a new idea later on. We don't always have the perspective to see that something is great. Sometimes it takes time and a look back to figure out what we were trying to say.

I've been listening to the Paper Wings Podcast lately. They gave some good advise on character design. One of the tips was to make a list of traits for your character (e.g. big, strong, scary) and then make a list of opposite traits. Then mix and match to make a more interesting character. For this drawing I listed a bunch of traits a big scary monster would have, but made him vulnerable by having him react to a scary movie he is watching, with a blanket around him and a bucket of popcorn in his arms. It's a nice way to figure out good contrast and to make a character more interesting.

I made a goal this year to fill 8 sketchbooks and I am happy to say this is one goal that can be crossed off the list!

2011 CTN Animation Expo Highlights

2011-11-29T21:10:00.000-08:00

I spent Nov 18th-20th in Burbank California, the animation capital of the world for the CTN Animation Expo. This event was filled with amazingly talented artists and creators. Despite a rainy sunday the event was an inspiring one.

My first stop was at a favorite storyboard artist Sherm Cohen (Spongebob, Phineas & Ferb, Fish Hooks) who was promoting his Storyboard Secrets DVD set which I purchased last year. Sherm is one of the nicest and approachable professionals I've met. His DVD's are amazing, I showed him some new storyboard samples and he gave me some very helpful tips on how I could improve. I always walk away from his table with a wealth of knowledge. He even hooked me up with a complimentary copy of his new DVD "The Key to Powerful Storyboards". I gotta say he really lays down some knowledge!

http://cartoonsnap.blogspot.com/

I wasn't really familiar with Jim Smith before this convention but after a few people recommended his sketchbook I had to met him. He was one of the original creators of Ren & Stimpy, and a very talented animator. He had some animation pages from the show. They were all so great. His characters are classic and his drawings have so much energy and gesture. I picked up both of his sketchbooks and got a picture with him. I think he may be a little crazy, but damn it he can draw.

http://jimsmithcartoons.blogspot.com/

I Signed up for a some panels a few weeks before the convention, unfortunately most of them were full by the time I signed up so I grabbed whatever was left. I managed to get a panel with Don Bluth. I didn't really know much about him before this panel, but by the end I was happy I had a chance to hear him talk. He left Disney to create his own studio where he created some classic animations such as The Secret of NIMH,Dragons Lair, American Tail, and The Land Before Time. He talked about starting his studio in his garage. His goal was to make a superior product because Disney at the time was cutting to many corners and it was effecting the quality of the animation. It was a very inspiring life story about taking a chance in what you believe and following your heart. I was very impressed.

http://www.donbluth.com/

Another panel I attended was with the guys from Creature Box a blog created by two friends who enjoy drawing well… creatures. Dave Guertin and Greg Baldwin talked about how they got into art and gave some great advice on how to stay motivated and focus when you are trying to be creative on demand. I found there panel to be incisive and practical. They don't sugar coat things and told us about their struggles which is great to hear from people you admire. They are super cool guys. I was able to pick up their book which comes with a DVD.

http://creaturebox.com/

Friday ended with a very special performance by Richard Sherman one of the brothers who wrote all the classic Disney songs. He sat down at an old piano as he played songs from Winnie the Pooh, Jungle Book, Marry Poppins and Disneyland Park. In between songs he would talk about working with Walt and how the music was such an important part of telling the story. The best moment of that performance and one of the most moving things I have witnessed was Richards performance of "Feed the Birds" from Marry Poppins. He explained how this song was the key to the whole movie, it represents kindness and love in a simple sincere way. He told of many days when Walt would call Richard into his office and have him play this song for him. It's a truly beautiful song with a great message and I am so happy to have been part of that moment. The crowd was completely silent as he played. I posted a link to the video. The story he tells afterwards is amazing.

Drawing in Public 9

2011-11-01T21:38:00.000-07:00

Some sketches I did during my down time at Long Beach Comic Con.

Zombie Fiesta

2011-10-09T17:54:00.000-07:00

Here is my piece for the Zombie Art Show Oct 29th in Long Beach which is part of a great big Halloween weekend including Long Beach Comic Con, Zombie Walk & Street Fest and the Zombie Art Show. My original black and white drawing will be on display at the art show and I will be selling digital color prints at the Forever Freshman table 1508 at Long Beach Comic Con. It's gonna be a lot of fun so stop by and say hello.

http://www.zombieartshow.com/

http://www.longbeachcomiccon.com/

Java Jive

2011-10-02T21:56:00.000-07:00

Express Yourself

2011-09-30T13:37:00.001-07:00

Had a busy week of drawing. Experimenting with styles and mediums and freshening up my brush skills. I tried to keep things loose and expressive. I used an actual brush and ink. I had to put the pentel brush aside for the week. Colored with markers, colored pencil, and whatever else was laying around. I think I'm getting ready to move on to painting, but that may take a while. I gotta lot coming up in the next 2 months. I am excited to get back into something a little more expressive and painterly. For now drawing in my sketchbook will have to hold me over.

First self portrait in a long while

Drawing in Public 8

2011-09-16T22:21:00.001-07:00

I was all over the place this week. Drawing in my sketchbook, post-its, or just a plain sheet of computer paper. It really doesn't matter where or how, as long as I'm drawing.

Drawing in Public 7

2011-09-07T23:14:00.001-07:00

A few silly drawings from lunch. I have been feeling very unmotivated the last couples weeks. I need some focus. These little drawing sessions always help clear my mind. Gotta try to remember to have fun.

Sketchapalooza 2011

2011-08-28T19:26:00.000-07:00

I had a great time at sketchapalooza 2011. There was a great turnout, a lot of kids exited to get sketches of their favorite characters or just stuff they made up. I was drawing non stop all day and met a bunch of great people. Like always these events go so fast with hardly any time to socialize with all the great artists. Oh well, it was fun non the less and I can't wait till the next event!

Here are just a few of the sketches I did

I had 2 ninja turtle requests. That was a lot of drawing. (Phew!)

A sketch for a teacher to put in his history class. I hated history. LOL!

A dragon eating ice cream!

A little kitten riding a bike.

My homie Steven wanted a dancing underwater dog. Nice!

More Viking Madness

2011-08-27T10:41:00.000-07:00

I'm still on a Viking kick. This time I wanted to create a whole scene that tells a little bit of a story. I love this character so much I didn't want the background to take away from him. I tried to keep the BG as simple as I could while framing the main characters. I had a lot of fun working with the reflective light of the fire and the cast shadows that are created by that strong light source. It makes the illustration much more dramatic.

Vikings!

2011-08-24T22:49:00.000-07:00

My recent obsession with "How to Train Your Dragon" inspired me to do some Viking sketches.

Drawing In Public 6

2011-08-17T22:39:00.000-07:00

I try to draw something in my sketchbook everyday. These are some fun little sketches I did throughout the week during my lunch. Sometimes no one is around so I just make up stuff to draw. I keep these very loose and just let the ink fall where it may.

Sketch and a Haircut

2011-08-09T18:45:00.001-07:00

After doing the poster for Sketchapalooza I decided to draw some more comic book super heros. It was fun putting my own spin on these classic characters.

I got my haircut by a super happy women at supercuts. She was so animated I had to do a sketch of her.

SKETCH-A-PALOOZA

2011-08-01T21:10:00.000-07:00

A poster I did for SKETCH-A-PALOOZA a free all ages live art event I will be participating in.

Sunday, August 28th at Geeks in Whittier.

Western Illustration

2011-07-06T22:50:00.001-07:00

An Illustration I did for a western themed show

The Show with No Name....

Saturday, July 9

7:00pm - 10:00pm

Catalyst

6630 Westminster Blvd

Westminster, California

Alice in Wonderland

2011-06-24T10:51:00.000-07:00

An Illustration I did for a project called

What is the Use of A Book Without Pictures?

Artists are assigned a paragraph from the book to illustrate. My paragraph takes place at the tea party. The door mouse is telling Alice a story about 3 sisters that live in a well and get sick from drinking the water.

Ron Swanson

2011-05-31T23:41:00.001-07:00

This guy is my hero! Best character on "Parks & Recreation".

Drawing In Public 5

2011-05-30T11:41:00.001-07:00

In this session I explore an office building courtyard and a Wendy's. I do not recommend the grilled chicken sandwich.

Drawing In Public 4

2011-05-16T18:57:00.000-07:00

Some loose sketches I did at lunch. Gesture posses and of course faces. A lot of people walking by pretty fast, so, I did mostly memory sketches. My main goal was to have fun and just draw without thinking too much.

Using a new Pentel refillable fountain pen, which I really like for sketching. I also dig this little leather bound landscape sketchbook, very good for on the go sketching.

Drawing in Public 3

2011-03-30T20:08:00.000-07:00

There were a lot of people out today, almost too many. I had a hard time concentrating on what I was drawing, every time I started a sketch I would see another person more interesting to draw. A small group sat in front of me half way through, and one of the guys had a big funny mustache which I had to draw. These sketches were inspired by them.

One of the main things I have noticed is that I struggle with my approach to life drawing. I can't decide whether I should concentrate on capturing a good likeness or capturing a good pose. Ideally I would like to do both, but I find that I am usually able to do one better then the other, depending on what is more appealing to me at the time. In this case, capturing likeness was more of a concern, although for all you know, they may look nothing like the people.

I had a good amount of time to study my unknowing drawing subjects which always seems to make my drawings boring. I start drawing whats in front of me, as if I were back in school in a formal life drawing class. In these cases I feel time is the enemy and spontaneity is key for what I want to accomplish. I want to concentrate more on capturing mood and personality through the pose. I will work on these points and try to apply them next time.

Creatures

2011-03-29T22:40:00.000-07:00

I was just drawing the first things that came to my head. I ended up with these funny creatures. When I'm drawing characters I try to think of interesting shapes and proportions that contrast each other. I could push these a lot further, right now they are all the same size. I could also exaggerate proportions and size to make the relationships more dynamic. If I ever come back to these characters I will keep all that in mind. For now I just image what kind of conversation they are having.

Lights Out!

2011-03-18T17:58:00.001-07:00

I wanted to post some scans of the progress of the new forever freshman comic, but the power went out at work so I couldn't use the oversized scanner. Here are some drawings I did while waiting to see if power would return. Fortunately it did not and I was able to leave a little early. I'm gonna pencil a few more pages this weekend and I'll scan them next week.

Drawing in Public 2

2011-03-16T19:12:00.000-07:00

So, I'm gonna call my little life sketching sessions Drawing in Public. This is session 2. I'm thinking more about the overall pose before I begin drawing, which makes for more interesting drawings. Still mostly drawing from memory and trying not to creep people out by staring too long at them. I think sitting further away from people makes it easier to capture their personality. I find when I am super close I focus on details too much. That's 2 this week! I have no set schedule for these, it's pretty much whenever I get the chance.

The Fighter

2011-03-15T18:36:00.000-07:00

Worked through lunch today had to draw at the computer. This is the angry drawing that came out. Could have exaggerated the pose more. I'll keep that in mind for next time.

Lunchtime Sketches

2011-03-14T17:58:00.000-07:00

I have decided to take back my blog which was being used as the Forever Freshman website. You can go to www.foreverfreshman.com to see the new set up. Thanks

Did some life drawing during lunch. It's always a challenge to capture the gesture in such a small amount of time. I'd like to do more of these, I'm gonna try for once a week. I left in my under drawings to show the struggle I have finding the pose. Usually I only get a glimpse of the person walking by and have to work from memory. I hope to get better at capturing quick gestures and then concentrating on other details.

Salabration and Other Freshman News

2011-02-27T15:00:00.000-08:00

Last night we hung out at Geeks to celebrate owner Sal's B-Day. We had a good time and good cake with fellow creators JIM LUJAN, RAUL AGUIRRE, GRASIELA RODRIGUEZ, GEO BRAWN IV and of course the man of the hour Sal Felix. It was a very relaxed atmosphere with cool people. Everyone contributed to Sal's "Avengers" themed card. Our Contribution was the alcoholic sexually ambiguous Iron Man. The highlight of the night was when Neil was officially inducted into the Cartoonistas. He swore on a copy of the Superman Chronicles that he would uphold the values and standard of excellence that the Cartoonistas are universally known for.

Neil did some custom drawings for fans of the comic, and talked to them about his process.

We appreciate everyone who came down and we hope you had fun.

In other News:

Here are some new drawings for ya'll

Finally here are some rough draft samples of the new comic entitled Forever Freshman and the Cunning Code Crackers of the Girl Network. The freshman will infiltrate girl world to gain information about a new student. The whole time trying to avoid evil hall monitors who will stop at nothing to put the freshman in detention. We have finished the layout and are moving on to final artwork, a little later then we original hoped, but we are determined to get this too you guys asap!

Thank you all for the support.

Live art event at GEEKS!!

2011-02-16T17:06:00.000-08:00

Neil will be joining the Cartoonistas for a live art event in honor of Geeks owner Sal. This is a great opportunity to see the artistic process in action and meet some incredibly talented comic creators, animators, and fine artists. Geeks is a great comic shop that celebrates the independent spirit and for that we SALabrate! Come hang out with some fun and friendly people Saturday Feb 26th 7pm-???

Geeks

6747 Greenleaf Ave, Ste A

Whittier, CA 90601

(562) 696-9393

Freshman News

2011-02-14T20:44:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone we are hard at work getting ready for the many events we plan on attending this year. The biggest of coarse being San Diego Comic Con, which unfortunately sold out in one day. If you were not one of the lucky ones who got tickets you can always catch us at the Anaheim Comic Con coming in April.

We will be printing a second run of our premier issue as we continue working on the next Forever Freshman comic that is progressing nicely. The size and length of this next book will increase to standard comic size and 24 pages of awesomeness. We have been working on a storyline that will take place throughout the next 3 books, each one leaving you hungry for more, or maybe just hungry. This upcoming book will introduce some new characters of the female persuasion and the freshmen's attempt to infiltrate their secret world. What will happen when awkward band geeks try to interact with the opposite sex? I'm sure everything goes smoothly.

We are very pleased with the progress John Ottinger is making with the Neil figure. He's got some more detail in the face and hands and adjusted the posse to really make him look like he's bustin a mean air guitar. This picture is still in the rough stage. Just wait until you see it all cleaned and polished. John is an amazing talent and we are so happy to be working with him. He took a few rough drawing and turned them into an amazing sculpture! I can't wait to cast and mold them. Check out his characters Lucky and Fluffy

One last thing, a great big thanks to all of you who bought our Valentines Day Cards. We appreciate your support and we love you all!

Valentines Day Cards on sale NOW!!!!!!!

2011-02-06T13:53:00.000-08:00

Wanna tell that special someone how you really feel, but can't find the right card? Fear not, the Freshmen are here to help!

For a limited time you can pick up 6 CUSTOM Forever Freshman valentines day cards! Just like the one's you got in grade school. They are great to give to co-workers, classmates, friends, and family.

Valentines Day is just around the corner so order now to get them on time.

There are 6 cards per sheet, printed on high quality cardstock. Shipping is included in the price.

1 sheet - $1.25

5 sheets - $4.50

10 sheets (60 CARDS!!!!) - $9.00

Order online from our store via Paypal (Most major credit cards excepted)

or email your order to info@foreverfreshman.com

We will accept checks or if your in the area cash always works.

Freshman Figures!

2011-01-05T21:17:00.000-08:00

Here are the first pictures of the Forever Freshman figures. Sculpted by John Ottinger creator of Lucky and Fluffy.

I got to see the start of what will soon be a detailed sculpture of my character (Neil) rocking some air guitar. John will then start work on Ray, in a full on metal posse. Once these two figures are finished and put together they will definitely rock your world!!

The figures will make their debut at San Diego Comic Con 2011. Check back for more updates on the figures and other Forever Freshman products and events.

Keep up with all things freshman by signing up for our mailing list, just send an email to info@foreverfreshman.com

Thanks

Neil & Ray

Sketchbook

2011-01-03T23:20:00.001-08:00

These are a few studies of Annie I did over the weekend, along with some other sketches, just for fun.

Lorretto

2010-12-26T21:36:00.001-08:00

This is our good friend Lorretto, a flag girl whose personality is bigger then life. Just watch out for flying flags and rifles when she's around, they leave nasty bruises.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-23T07:40:00.000-08:00

We hope everyone has a great holiday!

What's the deal with Kim?

2010-12-15T22:04:00.000-08:00

Some more character concept art. Kim was inspired by the lead singer of THE MUFFS and other female alternative rock goddesses. I wanted her to have a "back off" kinda attitude, but also just be a really cool indie chick with a heart of gold. She is definitely the smartest of the characters. The way things are going she may play a vital role in the stories to come.

Say Hello to Annie!

2010-12-11T14:51:00.000-08:00

In an attempt to add a little estrogen to Forever Freshman we are introducing some female characters. This is Annie, a flute playing red head who has all the boys drooling. Don't let her appearance fool you though, she's a tough cookie who is always in control of the situation and won't hesitate to give any boy a roundhouse kick to the head.

Now Available at GEEKS COMICS!

2010-12-04T20:41:00.000-08:00

Good news!! Forever Freshman is now available at GEEKS COMICS. Geeks is a great little comic shop in uptown whittier (our old stopping grounds), we are honored to be among other great local indie comics and good people who have a passion for what they do. Stop by and pick up a copy and support your local comic store. We hope to participate in some events there in 2011 which include signings, art shows, and GEEK CON.

GEEKS

12907 E. Philadelphia St.

Whittier, CA 90601

(562) 696-9300

Open Mon-Sat 11am-9pm; Sun 12am-5pm

If you are not in the area you can now order books from our new online store.

Things are starting to happen. We have a table at 2011 San Diego Comic Con, which we are very grateful and excited about. Currently, we are working on the next comic book which will be bigger, better, stronger…ok this is starting to sound like a daft punk song, but really it will be good! You have all been so supportive and we want to give you the best comic we can. So get ready for the return of your favorite band nerds, along with new characters and wacky adventures that will turn the funny dial all the way to 11!

BAND GEEKS HOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!

Thanksgiving!!!

2010-11-24T17:05:00.001-08:00

Here is a fun little holiday illustration for all you folks. Have a great thanksgiving!

Long Beach Comic Con Review

2010-11-01T21:33:00.000-07:00

Long Beach Comic Con was quite an experience. It was our first large scale event and really gave us a swift kick in the collective asses. I gotta say it was nice having badges and entering through the back door ( insert perverted joke here ).

We got there early Friday morning. Wide eyed and full of glee, we walked through the floor, taking in all the sights and sounds of the pre-comic con hustle and bustle. When we arrived at Artist Alley the tables were not numbered and we had to rely on a tiny printout of the floor plan to figure out where are table was. Luckily we read the floor plan correctly and found our spot. We then became the information booth for all other artists coming after us wondering where the hell their table was located. After setting up Neil had to drive down to Torrance to pick up the stickers he had ordered 3 weeks ago in a rush to get back in time for the grand opening. He arrived back just in time with a bag of McDonalds and a scorn for the parking attendant who made him pay the parking fee again because they do not allow reentry once you leave. Ray had already gotten to know the neighbors and just like out of the comic introduced Neil as the guy he had been telling them about. We were very lucky to have a wonderful, funny, exciting, energetic, magical, crazy group of people around us.

As the doors opened we sat in anticipation wondering what the reaction would be to our little homemade comic and if anyone would even buy it. The day started off slow, but picked up later in the day as people got out of school and work. We made our first sale sometime in afternoon, and were over the moon about it! Trying to keep our cool, we signed the comic and thanked the buyer for his support. Our first sale.

As the day went on the sales continued and things were looking good, really good. When Neil's wife Joanna showed up, Ray and Neil took a much needed break. When they returned Joanna had sold 4 more comics! Needless to say she worked the booth the rest of the day.

Saturday was a great day, we more then doubled our sales and received some very positive feedback. Our friends Ramon and Tiffany joined us at the booth and did a little street team work, passing out stickers and postcards on the floor.

Sunday was laid back. We were feeling more confident about talking to people and although we did not do as good as we did on Saturday, we still past up fridays sales. All in all it was a great learning experience.

We asked a few neighboring artists to do a sketch for our comic. Here are their amazing works:

We couldn't have asked for a better table mate than Sheika Lugtu. She does as online semi-daily diary comic. She struggled a little the at first with sales, mostly because she didn't have anything to sell. At one point she started to do these little card sized drawings out of boredom. Soon after that people were flocking to her table to get these precious works of art. All we could do was watch in amazement as people bought her art as fast as she could pump them out. What a talent.

Check her out at http://omgcow.blogspot.com/

Shane and Chris Houghton (aka The Dales) have a fun, cowboy western comic called Reed Gunther. We learned a lot from them, these 2 brothers really got there act together. We are so glad to have met them and thankful for all their advise.

Check out there comic at http://reedgunther.com/

We met Chris Waterman and were just blown away by his passion for illustration and comic creating. He was telling us about his latest character METULHED. We can't wait to see what he does with this. We know it's gonna be good.

Check him out at http://www.radixrising.deviantart.com/

Robert Quill is a true convention pro. With a slight of his hand and the smoothest of lines he draws people to his booth with copperfield like magic. Even when distracted by us trying to learn the ways of the force, he still manages to be effective. We can learn a lot from him.

Find his work at http://www.robertquill.com/

We sat across from John Narcomey Jr. at the San Gabriel Valley Comic Book Festival and it was a pleasure to be by him for this comic con. John is another comic con pro busting out drawings with lighting speed. I picked up his Cholo Libre comic.

See his work at http://www.drawhard.com/

I bumped into an old work colleagues Lord Mesa who does amazing 3-D art

http://lordmesa.deviantart.com/

Ray and I could not resist buying one of Nhu Diep's amazing prints

http://www.nhudiep.daportfolio.com/

Trigger men. We really enjoyed this comic.

http://www.TriptychBooks.com/

This is just a cool picture. Angus Oblong, creator of the Oblongs, eating a Forever Freshman sticker!

We got a great response from people. They are already asking when the next issue is coming out. We are ready to start the next story, and should have that out early next year. After that it's on to a full length 32-pager. We are more motivated than ever to take this to the next level. So, keep checking back for updates.

Forever Freshman Premier Comic is Here!

2010-10-27T19:43:00.001-07:00

For less than a cup of coffee you can help 2 struggling comic creators…

After a long month of nonstop work our first comic is finally complete. I worked super hard to get this done in time for the Long Beach Comic Con and I can honestly say I am very pleased with the outcome. A big thanks to everyone who was so patient while we figured this whole thing out. So, now that the comic is done we gotta promote it, and thats where we really need your help. We will obviously be selling it at the comic con, but if you can't make it out there we will be setting up an online store where you can purchase it and we'll mail it out to you, or just ask for a copy and we will gladly get one to you. We also hope to get these out at some local venues. The book is only $2.50. We are not looking to get rich off this, just want to get the word out and break even so we can start on the next book. So if you have the extra cash ( you know you do), and your willing to help us out it will be greatly appreciated. Thank you all again sooo much for your support!

Long Beach Comic Con info

We will be at Booth 2011A

Friday 10.29 - Opening Ceremony at 12:45 PM with the show floor open from 1:00-8:00 PM

Saturday 10.30 - 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM

Sunday 10.31 - 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Go here for tickets:

http://shop.longbeachcomiccon.com/

Here is a sneak peak at the first 3 pages.

Long Beach Comic Con Oct. 29-31

2010-10-03T19:30:00.000-07:00

Happy October everybody! We are hard at work creating our very first comic book, which will make it's public debut at the Long Beach Comic Con Oct. 29-31. So here is the low down on the con, tickets are $25 per day if you buy them on-line and $30 at the door. The event is located in downtown long beach so there is a ton of places to eat, drink and be scary, after all it will be halloween weekend and after parties will be in full effect. So, come by and make a day/night of it.

In other news, you can hear Ray's interview from the San Gabriel Valley Comic Book Festival on the cartoonista radio. Hear him speak so elegantly about Forever Freshman.

Thanks again to everyone for supporting us, as we continue to grow and make a name for ourselves. There is still a long road ahead.

San Gabriel Valley Comic Book Festival

2010-09-20T23:22:00.000-07:00

We had an awesome time at SGVCBF (Although the name is super long). This was our first time showing our work in public, outside a digital realm. The reaction was very positive for the small amount of stuff we had, just some postcards, stickers and printed artwork. Everybody was super supportive and friendly, they made us feel very welcomed.

A special thanks to Grasiela Rodriguez who organized the entire event and with whom we were lucky enough to share a table with. She was promoting her first comic "Lunatic Fringe". It was nice being next to someone who is just starting out like us.

We saw a lot of familiar faces including my recent DIY comic instructor Javier Hernandez creator of El Muerto. He had some awesome sketch dolls of his character and others. I was lucky enough to pick up one of the first at geek con. I am looking forward to hearing his latest Podcast "Javiland"!

I was able to talk to Sherm Cohen a character designer I only recently discovered and now greatly admire. He showed me his sketch book that was filled with the most beautiful character drawings. I also hit up Jim Lujan and talked to him about Ghettomation. I scored an awesome freekdaddy poster, which is one of my favorite animations by Jim. There were so many others, some I met before, others I met for the first time. It's really great being in a community of like minded creatives.

Art Lopez finished off the event with a great live painting of his sculpture.

I can't wait for next year. It was a good start for us. Now it's time to get ready for the Long Beach Comic Con!

Comic Book Festival

2010-09-11T19:33:00.000-07:00

Next Sunday September 19th we will be at the San Gabriel Valley Comic Book Festival. This is a free event for the whole family to enjoy. Neil and Ray will be there to talk about forever freshman and dance like monkeys for spare change. We hope to see you there!

Check this link for more info
http://www.sgvcomicbookfestival.com/

DIY Comic Workshop

2010-08-14T14:54:00.000-07:00

Geeks comics held a DIY Comic Workshop with Javier Hernandez creator of El Muerto. I had a great time talking to fellow artists woking on their first comic book. Javier went over the process of creating, promoting and selling a self published comic. We all shared our individual projects and exchanged networking info. It was a very eclectic group with everyone taking a unique approach to creating their comic. Javier only got a few words in before we bombarded him with questions. I guess being super excited and new to the whole process we got impatient, but it lead to some good conversation and understanding of all the hard work that is involved with creating your own comic. Luckily he made a handbook with all the info in it so we can always go back and read that. Over all I was very happy with the workshop and enjoyed sharing my enthusiasm with my peers and mentor. I highly recommend attending one of Javier's workshops.

Freshman Muppets

2010-08-12T22:29:00.000-07:00

A tribute to those wacky muppets.

I'm still working out the whole Forever Freshman concept and really starting to think about where I want to take it, and the best way to go about it. This is still very new and I'll be working out the kinks for a while. Now that we have a rough website I'm thinking about going the web comic route for now. We'll be improving the site and making it the command center. I've been listening to other artists and their ideas about marketing, so the wheels are turning. My goal is to build a following and find our audience. I want to start doing a consistent bi-weekly web comic. We're are still planning on doing a print comic, but it may take a little longer then expected. If you are following this it all begins here. Who knows where it will end up.

Thanks

-Neil

FOREVER FICTION

2010-08-03T23:26:00.001-07:00

Did a sketch during lunch of Ray and I in a Pulp Fiction Posse. Thought I'd make a little poster out of it.

BAND GEEKS!

2010-07-17T17:20:00.000-07:00

Awww band, so many memories. Let's get this party started!

Quick sketch of Ramone

2010-07-16T20:32:00.000-07:00

What is Forever Freshman? / New Logo

2010-07-12T22:19:00.000-07:00

Forever freshman is a celebration of the underdogs, freaks, geeks, nerds, misfits and outcasts. Which is pretty much everybody! We've all been in awkward situations, picked on, rejected or humiliated (or all of the above). These experiences help define who we are and shape our lives. For every new situation, challenge and endeavor we become freshman all over again. Figuring things out and making mistakes along the way, but hopefully learning and becoming better people.

That's all nice and good, but I still don't know what the hell it is!?!?

We are telling our story through a comic book/comic strips roughly based on the lives of an adolescent Neil Segura and Ray Mendivil. It takes place in a working class suburb of LA in which we grew up and includes many equally peculiar friends. The comic strips will be posted online at www.foreverfreshman.com (Coming Soon) and we will be printing out a full length comic book as well. Aside from the comics we plan on creating other outlets such as, music, stickers, shirts, art, podcasts and animation just to name a few. All based on the characters from Forever Freshman. Our hope is to create a brand for everyone and anyone brave enough to embrace a grassroots/do it yourself culture. It's about choosing your own path and being an individual.

So, I spent all weekend drawing and designing this logo. One of the biggest challenges was designing the text in an unfamiliar style. I wanted it to be kinda graffitish, fun, cartoony look. I wasn't getting what I wanted using any type font so I decided to draw it out myself, which wasn't the easiest thing for me to do but after many failures I got something I was happy with. I decided to add some other design elements to better communicate what Forever Freshman is all about, but tried to keep the title treatment as the main focus. The other stuff is more for embelishment, but still designed to compliment the logo.

Green Eggs & Spam

2010-07-04T09:14:00.000-07:00

Comic Strip #1

2010-06-27T00:29:00.000-07:00

Block Printing

2010-06-13T23:09:00.000-07:00

So I bought a block printing starter kit and spent the weekend carving and printing. It was pretty great! I haven't made a block print since high school, so it took a little time getting into the groove. I used a very soft material which was extremely easy to cut and made two prints of characters from my comic. Until now I have only had sketches and computer renderings so to have some tangible artwork feels good. My hope is to make a series of these prints to coincide with the comic. Since they are small and easy to reproduce I'm gonna try to sell them for relatively cheap, but for this first round I'll most likely give away for promotion. If you are interested in these let me know.

P.S. I have to give thanks to my wonderful wife who took pictures of the process for all to enjoy.

JUDO CHOP!!

2010-06-11T11:11:00.000-07:00

Ray and I have had our share of mental and physical abuse from friends who happened to be girls. From Ray getting his glasses broken to me being judo chopped in the middle of my Junior english class. We have endured. I wish I could say these acts of violence were out of affection, but it was more that we were huge pussy's with kick me signs on our backs.

I sketched out this scene last night and just started messing with it in photoshop. While I was coloring I decided to shift the colors and make it look like an offset silkscreen. That's the wonderful thing about photoshop, you can mimic pretty much any style quickly and cheap. The artificial look is cool but it just makes me want to do the real thing. I guess the fine artist inside me still has trouble accepting digital art as "ART". So this is my sorta tribute to retro comics.

Taking it to the streets

2010-06-08T17:59:00.000-07:00

Inspired by a recent documentary I saw i'm taking our characters to a new place, THE STREETS BIATCH! Actually its a very familiar place, and with street art going main stream it seems appropriate to jump on the band wagon. It may be kinda cool to do some guerilla advertising, but a hell of a lot of work and not to mention the legal consequences. Soon they will have designated places to put up your non threatening street art, which will save time, effort and sleep without sacrificing the cool and edgy factor. We'll at least to those who don't know any better.

So here we are in the experimental phase. Having fun with it and kinda procrastinating from the real work that has to be done. I do know at some point I'm gonna have to jump in head first. I gave myself till the end of this year to complete the first draft of the comic. I still have a ways to go.

Til next time

KEEPS IT REALS YA'LL!

A few of our favorite things

2010-06-06T18:55:00.000-07:00

Slowly but surely I continue to work on this comic venture. I have been concentrating on the look of the two main characters. I feel I am happy with the way they are (for now), but I still want to draw them in different styles. This is a more commercial, cleaner look. I may try doing something more graphic or even an expressive drawing/painting, maybe even silkscreen? The problem is there are to many options. I want to explore a few more options before I commit. The story kinda jumps around in time, so I was thinking about changing the style depending on where the characters are, past, present or future. In any case it feels great to be doing something creative. So, I'll just keep exploring these characters and see where they take me.

Comic Character Sketches

2010-01-10T21:42:00.000-08:00

Its a new year and time to get back on track. Here are some sketches for 2 comic characters I am developing. These characters have gone through many versions and I think I may finally have a clear idea of what I want. They still need some work. The biggest challenge for me is consistency in my drawings. I want to get a solid style guide done and start putting together some short comic strips before moving on to the full length comic.

The last few months have been pretty hectic with my new job and all. I had to put this comic on the back burner. I am determined to get the comic completed by the end of the year, then look into getting it published. For now look out for Forever Freshman comic strips coming to a blog near you.

Happy New year

-Neil

Forever Freshman?

2009-08-16T23:54:00.001-07:00

Hello everybody this is the first of what will hopefully be many blog postings about my new comic book venture. My good friend and partner in crime Ray Mendivel and I are in the process of creating a comic book, based on our high school years in unincorporated Whittier. The story takes place in the mid 90's during the summer before starting high school. The Characters interests include rocking out, girls, and tacos. Unfortunately they lack the skills and money to achieve any of these goals. It's sorta Tenacious D meets the Peanuts.

The working title right now is "Forever Freshmen", which may or may not change. We have the script pretty much done, I will be working on the art for the next couple months and I if all goes well I would like to have it self published by next summer. For now you can subscribe to this blog for regular updates.

Thanks for reading.
See you soon.

Gig Flyer

2009-07-03T10:48:00.000-07:00

A flyer I did for an upcoming show at the rhythm lounge in downtown long beach

Life Drawings

2009-03-05T14:48:00.000-08:00

Some recent life drawings using pen and ink and some watercolors. Freshening up on my drawing skills.

More Caricatures and Profiles

2009-02-17T10:06:00.000-08:00

Another Caricature

2009-02-10T15:57:00.000-08:00

My friend Jennie and her fiance Pedro. I'm doing a few of these for Valentines day, if you'd like one for yourself let me know.

Wedding Caricature

2009-02-04T08:45:00.000-08:00

In My Room

2009-01-30T12:32:00.000-08:00

This Illustration was inspired by my favorite beach boys song.
As a child my room was my sanctuary, it wasn't very big but it was mine. Weather I was writing crappy songs, drawing or watching movies it was a judge free zone. I think everyone can relate to that, we all had our private place. Rivers Cuomo had his garage, Brian Wilson and I had our rooms.

Horror Show

2009-01-24T14:48:00.000-08:00

Did some dark drawings last night. Just using shapes, white on black.

Barack the Builder

2009-01-22T01:24:00.001-08:00

After watching Obama's inauguration I was inspired. For the first time in a long time I felt proud to be an American. His speech set the bar super high, and I admire his ambition. This illustration is my America under construction sign. Because I feel we all need to step back and take a good look at the state of our country and do some major reconstruction. Time to get to work.

FOTC

2009-01-20T19:50:00.000-08:00

This illustration was inspired by the show Flight of the Conchords on HBO. A very funny show with two talented musicians from new zealand (Jermain and Bret). This is a design for their new poster.

Who You Gonna Call?

2009-01-13T10:35:00.001-08:00

I wanted to do a car illustration, but I'm not really into that kinda stuff. Then I came across a list on the top 10 movie cars, and I knew what I must do.

Top 10 signs you may be charging too little

2009-01-05T16:02:00.000-08:00

As a freelancer I had to find this out the hard way.

Number 10: Your client mistakes your daily rate for an hourly one.

Number 9: You’ve won every job you’ve ever pitched for.

Number 8: Even though you work 80 hour weeks your income level qualifies you for welfare payments.

Number 7: New clients are always asking what “the catch” is.

Number 6: Clients pay your invoices in cash from their wallet.

Number 5: Other freelancers regularly send you hatemail.

Number 4: Your old clients don’t even bother asking you how much something is going to cost.

Number 3: You never run out of work, yet you are subsisting on baked beans and 2 minute noodles.

Number 2: Your 12 year old brother earns more spending cash than you flipping burgers.

…. And the number one sign you may be charging too little 

Companies have been calling from India wanting to outsource their work to you.

That's Life

2009-01-02T10:37:00.000-08:00

A few things I work on in 08. I have been messing with this character for years which is based on a younger version of me. Sporting a fro and his acoustic guitar, he is an insecure, chubby little mexican kid. Who, with the company of his equally awkward, long haired, glasses wearing friend, find themselves in all kinds of wacky shinanigans. Uh oh, what will these two think of next! I know painfully cheesy. Ha ha.

All I can say about 08 is that it was a hectic year. I'm hoping I learned something from it and will better decisions next time around. The year ended fantastically with my wedding and honeymoon to hawaii. But, artistically it was a pretty bum year. I did not manage to do much creatively, I was so caught up in work and the wedding that I let this whole year just fly by. Now that its over and I have time to reflect Im starting to realize I'm going to have to take charge of my career in order to be where I want. This year has put a lot of uncertainty and doubt in my head, as far as job security and if I can ever feel secure, while working for someone else. I am optimistic about the future though. I got some experience under my belt and feel I have grown as a multi-tasking designer/illustrator/production artist thingy, and I am going into 09 swinging!

Palatinate Beard Club

2007-12-13T17:18:00.001-08:00

I found a picture of this amazing beard/mustache, the guy was from a beard club in Palatinate Germany. I wanted to dedicate a design to his awesomeness.

Life Drawings!

2007-12-03T00:02:00.000-08:00

Ive finally got around to doing some life drawing. Its been a while so I'm a little rusty. Using pen and ink, trying to stay loose. I'm going to try and attend thursday nights at the drawing club and sundays at CSULB.

Postcard

2007-05-29T21:21:00.002-07:00

This is somthing I did as a promo piece. I'll be passing these out everywhere I go so if you see me expect to get one.

Logo Designs

2007-04-15T10:25:00.000-07:00

Here are two designs I did for a Landscape company. They wanted a tropical theme. The first one I tried to create a tropical scene, but still simple enough to be rcognizable when small. The second design is more conservative. I wanted to give them the option of being an uptight, corporate, professional looking company.

Sumo Wrestler

2007-04-10T15:25:00.000-07:00

Fast Freddies

2007-03-29T11:55:00.000-07:00

This is a liquor store around the corner from where I grew up, there was also a sex shop a few stores down. I was interested in the clutter of the signs and windows. It's a dirty run down place with patches of different colored paint covering up graphitti. I'm still not sure of the look I want for this series. I like the fact that this painting is more of a scene and I think I'll keep the sky as blank and let the grey paper show. I'll do a few more and try to work it out.

Pico / Whittier

2007-03-27T14:20:00.000-07:00

Two of my favorite places in pico rivera. Nachos and a haircut.

Sam Adams

2006-12-13T23:53:00.000-08:00

I've been wanting to do a beer label for some time now, and when I saw this one I had to do it. So, in the spirit of the season I give you Sam Adams Holiday Porter. Enjoy and Merry Christmas.

The Pointer

2006-10-23T22:01:00.000-07:00

Another guy I started at work and changed a lot when I started working on it at home. I saw this guy while eating sushi in Pasadena.

What'd you say 'bout my momma

2006-10-19T20:27:00.000-07:00

I don't know why, but I can't stop drawing cowboys. ??? Anyways, I did this drawing during lunch on the wacom tablet. I got home and colored it. I tried the graphic shape in the background, to do somthing different. Well, different for me.

Everyone knows this guy

2006-10-17T23:59:00.000-07:00

I don't know where he came from. He just kinda popped up. Like I said before, I've been inspired by cartooning, which is a style I've avioded for a long time. I feel very free just playing around with shapes and letting them become what they may. Right know I'm just having fun, we'll see whatelse develops. So, stay tuned!! HA HA. Hmmmm, I think I'll put him on a greeting card.

How 'bout a beer

2006-10-13T00:00:00.000-07:00

I've become more and more interested in cartooning. I've been inspired latley by Steven Silver and Jasen Strong. Here is an attempt at a cartoon character based on some older guys on my block who just stand outside their houses and drink. I want to do some more characters like this and put them all in one scene. We'll see if that really happens.

The Information cover art

2006-10-10T18:35:00.000-07:00

This is my custom Beck cover. The album comes with stickers and a blank cd book, so you can create your own album art. Super cool! I had a little too much fun, but I lost my sketchbook so this makes me feel better. I recomend the album not just for the cover, the music is great!!

Hello Blogger World!!

2006-09-24T22:33:00.000-07:00

Well, everyone else has a blog. So, i want one too. This is some character stuff I did. Colored in photoshop. That is all.