Wednesday, December 30, 2015

happy holidays

[listening to "the christmas song" by michael buble']

 

just wanted to wish everyone a happy holidays and a fabulous new year!

this is my contribution to a little holiday anthology called Santa's Favorite Tales. they gave me total freedom of what to draw, as long as it was holiday themed. so instead of going for a santa drawing, i did a little tribute to the Nutcracker - "Clara's Gift". you can get your copy of the anthology - digital or physical or both! - by visiting this link http://www.drivethrucomics.com/product/141875/Santas-Favorite-Tales-Holiday-Comics-for-Grownup-Kids. most of those that participated in my latest Holiday Sketch Sale received a print of this with their sketches. just wanted to spread a little Christmas cheer in my own way. =)

thank you for making 2015 such an amazing year for me in my artistic career. everyone has been so supportive and encouraging and i'm striving each day to be worthy of it all. 2016 is gonna be a good year, i just know it. being a full-time artist is no easy job, and don't let anyone tell u otherwise. but if it were, everyone would be doing it. so if ur one of those aspiring artists, remember that if u wanna fly, u can't be afraid to fall out of the sky.

see u all in 2016!!!

Monday, December 7, 2015

holiday sketch sale

[listening to "last christmas" by ariana grande]

sample sketch - 6x8 waist-up color sketch for $20!

FOR ONE WEEK ONLY! GET A COLOR SKETCH FOR JUST $20!

i only run commission sales a couple of times throughout the year and i'm in the holiday spirit! so, only from TODAY till DEC. 15TH, you can get a color waist-up sketch from me for ONLY $20 plus $8 shipping anywhere in the US. see details below:
  • Price - $20 each! i know the holidays are tough on our pockets as we try to get all of our loved ones a little something that says we love em. so i wanted to give you guys a way to get someone a little something OR a buncha folks a buncha little somethings. (the price is per character so if you decide to get 2 on a single illustration, it's still $40.)
  • Payment - for this sale, i only accept PayPal payments. if you don't have a PayPal account, i can send you an invoice via PayPal and you can pay with the link.
  • What you get - each sketch is drawn on 6x8 in. (easy to frame) Strathmore vellum paper. i use colored pencils, copic markers, and ink pens. you can ask for any character OR a cartoon version of your loved one. (it will not be a portrait. i'm sorry.)
  • Why only till the 15th? this is so that i can make sure you receive your sketch(es) in time for Christmas. get a gift for yourself or your friends, i'll make sure you get it in time. 
  • Shipping - it's a flat rate of $8 to ship anywhere in the US. i'll be shipping all pieces via USPS Priority Shipping with tracking. so whether you get 1 sketch or a bunch, it's just $8 as long as they're all going to the same address. 
  • Live outside the US? - unfortunately i can't guarantee that you'll be able to receive your sketch in time for Christmas. however, if you'd still like to get one, the shipping cost will depend on the country so just let me know. 
  • Want one?? - shoot me an email at penelope@identitycomics.com! we'll make it happen!
hope everyone is having a great holiday season so far. i hope i can draw a little something for you!

Sunday, December 6, 2015

sea creature

[listening to "something about december" by christina perri]


well, CTNX did not disappoint and after the show i took a much needed week to deflate and spend much-needed family time for Thanksgiving. after that i've been playing catch up and i'm pretty sure i'm still fairly behind. but the Christmas season is very distracting for me. cuz all i wanna do is listen to christmas music, drink eggnog latte, and enjoy christmas movies. none of which has WORK incorporated in it.

since i don't really have a clever lead in to the art i just posted, umm ARTWORK! =D so i worked super hard right up to CTNX and i drew more than i think i've ever drawn in such a short amount of time. as a result, i got all these things i haven't been able to post! i drew new stuff for my latest mini artbook - DAYDREAMS Book 2. the biggest is this pinup, that i used as the cover, of my little sea creature Pi and her pet octopus Ink. i did some exploratory sketches of each of them too, something that has never really been part of my book. i really wanted the vast majority of stuff in the book to be more about the ART and not so much about the FAN art. it was really weird doing that for the book because i've never done it before, but i think it turned out pretty good. i think it was pretty well-received considering i only have 1 copy left for myself. NBD. kakaka

the colors for the pinup were all done in photoshop. i'm really starting to enjoy these brushes on photoshop too. and apparently i'm pretty good at coloring cuz pretty much everyone that came up to my table at CTNX said as much. that's a relief! the responses at CTNX are so hugely different from any comic con i've ever set up at. folks at ctn talk about the art techniques, folks at comic cons talk about the subject matter. it's like night and day - both great in their own unique ways.

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

CTNX time

[listening to christmas music]


before i pass out from sleepiness, i just wanted to post that i'll be out in Burbank, CA for CTNX this weekend! this time, i'm gonna be an exhibitor! no pressure. =[ i'll have a brand new mini artbook - DAYDREAMS Book 2 with me, along with completely brand new prints! if ur not going to be there, don't fret. i'll bring my book & prints around to comic cons next yr too. if you are planning on attending, come on by! i'll be splitting the table with the hubs Jerry Gaylord - HALL B, TABLE T211! here's a handy map below so u can find us. see u on the west coast guys!

Sunday, November 15, 2015

schoolism class

[listening to "christmas time is here" by sarah mclachlan]

so the hubby bought me one of those amazing Schoolism Subscriptions for my birthday last month so i can take some online classes about stuff i care about. i've only had time to do a couple of lessons of the first class i'm taking, which is Fundamentals of Character Design. i'm loving every moment that i can do it and it's already teaching me so much more stuff than i could've learned on my own. higher education in information that i actually want to learn has always been missing for me, even when i went to college. so i'm taking it as seriously as i can. if i could offer any young person any real-deal advice, i would tell them to skip college if they're not sure what they wanna pursue. cuz it'll just be a huge waste of money and time. sometimes we need a little extra time to figure out what we wanna do with our lives. some of us don't have it all figured out when we graduate high school, and that's ok.

i could go on and on about the pitfalls of college, but i won't! i just wanted to share with you guys my first assignment for the class i'm taking. we were supposed to design a character based on a few specific details, and his name is Walter Chipwitther. there are a couple of sketches i did before i got to the one i really liked. then i colored it up in photoshop. next assignment is to create Dr Jekyl/Mr Hyde characters. if i had any time right now, i'd have already done it. but prep for CTNX has me crazed, so it'll have to be after Thanksgiving. wish me luck!

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

after party

[listening to "hello" by lionel richie (bet u weren't expecting that one!)]

 

as i try to get myself somewhat ready for CTN in the next couple of weeks, i'm doing my best to keep my head from spinning off my shoulders. i did, however, manage to gather and post all the pics from this past New York Comic Con! here are some of my favorite commissions from the weekend. you can see ALL the pics from the weekend on our IDSTUDIOS Facebook Page or follow this link - https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.498289373663921.1073741865.113793732113489&type=1&l=c9e2a20c82

if i didn't mention it before, it was the best year at NYCC that we've ever had. i had a table all to myself, which is a first for this con, and it was just amazing to see the reactions i got from people. i've never felt so much appreciation for my work before and it just makes it all feel like i'm doing this art thing for all the right reasons. it has certainly given me the confidence to do what i wanna do for CTN but also makes me hella nervous. it can't be a fluke, right?!? anyways, i really wanna thank each & every person that came to my table and supported my work. it's a difficult feeling to express but it's a level of pride and appreciation that only artists experience.

[left to right] Bryan "Flash" Turner, JG Quintel (creator of The Regular Show), Jerry "TheFranchize" Gaylord, ME!
we were also invited to the exclusive Cartoon Network premier of The Regular Show The Movie and this super nice after-party while we were out there. i think i really wanna be part of this industry, now more than ever! just wait guys, i'm gonna do what i can to keep it interesting.

Monday, October 26, 2015

i've recovered

[listening to christmas music. yes, already.]



so either i'm getting old or new york comic con was just more hype than ever before this year. today i finally feel like i've recovered from that awesomeness that was NYCC. i've caught up to a bunch of stuff that was looming over and i'm ready to take on new tasks, despite this cold that i just got yesterday. no worries, it's not the con flu so i'll get over it soon.

i've finally gotten all the pics from both Baltimore Con and NYCC off my phone and working to post them online. so without further delay, i'm sharing a few of my favorite commissions from this past Baltimore Con. these were all done with a combination of colored pencils, copic markers & pens, and sometimes a brush pen.

this was the first time i've ever had my very own table at a con and i was really nervous to see if i do well without my studiomates. add that to the fact that, because we decided to attend the show so late, my table was far from the hubby - i was a nervous wreck. BUT i was so pleasantly surprised at how well people responded to my work. there's no greater feeling than to hear people appreciate your work for what it is. i wish i could show everyone just how much i appreciate the support, but it's difficult to describe. just know that i really really really appreciate it guys. i will not disappoint you, i'll try to keep things interesting. =D

if you want to see ALL the pics from this con, head over to the ID STUDIOS FACEBOOK PAGE and give us a LIKE while ur there. OR u can follow this link -
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.496318183861040.1073741864.113793732113489&type=1&l=cded338242

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

nycc 15

[listening to "faint" by linkin park]


it's been quite the 2 weeks since Baltimore Con. i turned 35 (!!!), i've barely had time to participate in #Inktober, and the hubby bought me a subscription to Schoolism that i haven't even been able to get into yet! then i turn around and New York Comic Con is basically tomorrow. still, i managed to squeeze in one new premium print and got my Star Wars limited-edition lithograph of Princess Leia from Acme Archives Direct called "Imprisoned." come and find me at TABLE N15! my hubby Jerry "theFranchize" Gaylord will be at TABLE N14 and my other studiomate Bryan "Flash" Turner will be at TABLE N13! it's gonna be a great row.

Supers Coffee Break
all available premium prints

the premium prints did better than i expected at Baltimore so i'm super excited to bring them to NYCC. my newest print - Supers Coffee Break - is a digitally colored version of the drawing i'm donating to the NYCC Charity Auction. my premium prints are just $5 more than my regular prints but they're on heavier textured paper and they make my work look kinda dope if i do say so mahself.  they are all 11x17, just like my other large prints.

my Star Wars lithos arrived just today and Leia looks so sensational all printed up! the lithos are 16x20 and comes with a certificate of authenticity to prove that it is, indeed, an officially licensed product. i will sign each one sold. i only have 9 of these available so be sure to come by the table and snag yours. after these are gone, i will have no more at all. you can also get them online if you're unable to come to any cons that i'll be in. just go to DarkInkArt.com or follow this link - http://www.darkinkart.com/star-wars/imprisoned-penelope-gaylord.html. my first official Star Wars print - squeeee!

Thursday, September 24, 2015

baltimore con 2015

[listening to "can't feel my face" by the weeknd]

this weekend, find me at TABLE A300 in the artist alley of Baltimore Comic-Con! and my hubby Jerry Gaylord will be at TABLE A154! we missed the con last year so we're excited to be back.


this con, i'm introducing a new set of Premium Art Prints. they're $5 more than the other prints but they're on heavier textured paper so they look nicer (to me). i only have these 3 available premium prints. all of my other prints will still be on that same smooth heavy stock. i'll see how they do at Baltimore and New York Comic Con, then i'll decide if i should continue to make more.
(i originally thought i wouldn't be able to get the Ariel printed for this weekend but i work with one of the best printers on the east coast - Indigo Ink. they never disappoint!)

ALSO - my tshirt design for Third Eye Comics Fall Shirts are now available for purchase at their store. if you wear it to Baltimore Con this weekend , stop by the Third Eye booth and they'll give u some cool FREE stuff! and if u come by my table, i'll give ya a FREE mini print! i'll just ask to take a picture with ya. =)

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

little busy

[listening to "outstanding" by the gap band]

i just wanted to share a couple of things that i've finished up lately. since i'm a little busy trying to finish this LEGO project while getting ready for Baltimore Con, i don't really have time to do any new art for myself. this one is a sketch cover for HERO INITIATIVE's Adventure Time 100 project. once they receive it, it'll be graded by the CGC and put up on ebay. if ur not familiar with Hero Initiative, visit their website and see all the great things they're able to do for comic artists in need.
i really love marceline's song about how her daddy ate her fries so i went with that for the cover. i used copic markers for the most part, the derwent inktense colored pencils for the lines, and a light brush of acrylic paint for the wall shadows.


this one is a commissioned piece that's supposed to be a wedding gift for a couple of Disney-heads. anytime i can draw something with Disney flair, i'm all ears! (i'm terrible at puns.) the idea is that they're drawn like animated versions and Tink is using her magic to fill them with color. if that doesn't seem super apparent, then i'm a horrible artist. =(
this was drawn traditionally then colored digitally.

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

my ariel

[listening to "mine" by beyonce ft. drake]


i finally drew an Ariel of my very own! it's a weird thing i have, and it probably isn't unique to me either. but every character that i truly truly love, i am very afraid to draw them because i'm afraid it won't look as good as i want it to. that's why i don't have many finished illustrations of Wonder Woman or Ariel or Ranma/Akane. but lately, i've been a lot more confident so i finally finished this Ariel. she turned out pretty much how i wanted her to. and as i learn more things i'm hoping i can revisit this again & maybe do a new one.

anyways, i originally submitted her to Acme Archives but they passed so i did it for myself. i have the original pencils for it but i'm getting a bit more comfortable coloring without finished lines these days. i've been working towards this point for a while now. i still have much to learn but the more i do it the better i feel about it. i don't have much in the way of process shots. secretly tho, that random shape of underwater bg right behind her butt is my "I Lava You" volcano. shhh, don't tell anyone. i'll have Ariel as a brand new print for New York Comic Con this year. hope everyone likes it as much as i do!

and here's a stark contrast to my first attempt at Ariel, back in 2008. this was on some old bookmarks we tried to sell. i think it was the first year we ever did Megacon. don't laugh. well, not too much anyways.
 

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

charity auction

[listening to "good for you" by selena gomez ft. a$ap rocky]


even supers need a coffee break! and even though Superman doesn't need to eat, i think he'd enjoy himself a piece of pie every once in a while. i'm sure his mama fed him some yummy homemade pies when he was younger.

i've had this image in my head for a while now and i figured i'd draw it out for the New York Comic Con charity auction this year. hopefully people will like it enough to bid on it. i hope it's a nice change of pace from the usual racy/sexualized stuff that most artists draw. not that i have a problem with sexy art, mind u. it's just a personal feeling of mine that it seems somewhat inappropriate for me to auction off sexy art for a children's hospital. maybe i'm a prude now, whatevs.

so i've pulled together all the tricks i have in my bag for this one. used copics still, cuz that's still my most comfortable medium that's not digital. used my purple derwent inktense pencils for the lines cuz i don't like inking it anymore. then used my brush pen for the eyes and the table/chairs lines. white gel pen and paint pen for the white parts. then a light acrylic wash for the BG/floor. one day i'm gonna learn how to paint (with gouache). just u wait and see! the piece measures 11x14. so if ur going to NYCC, please consider participating in the charity auction. help kids AND get cool art! everyone wins!

Monday, September 7, 2015

imprisoned litho

[listening to "natural blues" by moby]


i found out last week that my latest piece for Acme Archives Direct was released! it's my 1st officially licensed piece of Star Wars artwork. does this mean i drew a Disney thing?? cuz whoa! they named it IMPRISONED - so badass! here are the process images of it.

you can get your own limited-edition lithograph on their sister site Dark Ink Art. or follow this link - http://www.darkinkart.com/star-wars/imprisoned-penelope-gaylord.html

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

HERoes interview

[listening to "breakdown" by mariah carey ft. krayzie bone & wishbone]

who has 2 thumbs and is featured on Comicosity.com? this chick! can't believe i'm up there with the coolest lady artists in the industry right now like Babs Tarr. i'm so grateful for their continued support and i hope i don't let em down.


follow the link and read the interview!
"We get a chance to have a pressure free conversation about comics with women who are  creators in the comics community. Their creativity is inspiring to people throughout the comic fandom who enjoy their work. They are our HERoes."

Friday, August 28, 2015

exploratory sketches

[listening to "addiction" by ryan leslie ft. cassie & fabolous]



just wanted to share stuff that's currently on my art table. since these sketches are all for personal projects, i can actually post them without any worries that i'm breaking some rule or something. i'm trying to work on character designs for my portfolio so i can have something to put together for CTN in November. i can't believe that last year was my 1st time ever going to that show and this year we might have a table already! it's cray!!!

so these are some exploratory sketches for some personal characters. i really wanna draw more stuff with the Sea Nymph creature & her octopus. i drew the 1st one back in 2013 but i never revisted her again. now seems like the perfect time.
the wolf dude is a little something for my own take on Little Red Riding Hood. it always looks better in my head. i'm working through it tho.

my daily: study - sketch - study - sketch - study