This is this months art give away.

The collector, the evil – red rock troll that captures our hero the bean.

One lucky person at the $20 level or higher will get this piece. If you want to be in the running- Just change your reward level and you will have an opportunity. Remember you can cap your pledge! I am not offended or hurt either if you cap your pledge. That is understandable. You can set your pledge for only one update and still be eligible to win the art.

Thanks again for your support- You guys are making it possible for the bean to one day be released in Full Color.

Keep Creating trav

Hello my friends- there is a lot going on right now. It has been 10 weeks since I found myself completely on my own as a professional illustrator. I have found that this has really been a test of faith, a test of skill, and a test of discipline.  To see what I am involved with and working on. I have several shows that will finish off the year, I might add one or two if I find the right ones. I am also running an incredible patreon campaign to color the bean comic. It is truly an epic undertaking and the support is growing.

Also my commissions are in full gear. I am always open to helping others follow their dreams. I want people to dream big, to see their dreams become reality and to enjoy the grand adventure. If I can help them create their books, design their characters and worlds, or just do art for them, than I too am accomplishing things.

Well keep creating and dreaming big.

Webcomics: Color or Black & White and Observations.

First off I love comics and webcomics in color, I also love comics in B/W and eventually I am planning on doing the Bean in Full Color. Nor do I want to discourage anyone from creating a webcomic …. so before we unleash the hounds on me due to this article, I just wanted to put that out there and maybe help future creators be a little more prepared for what the future might bring.

Webcomics are growing. Growing like never before and they are getting better and better and better. Yet many of the really good ones, in full color, are struggling. They are struggling to update regularly, many have reduced their posting time due to a wide variety of issues and some them have stopped altogether. Some of which I plan to explore a little.

I’ve been asked quite a bit lately, why the Bean is not in full color right now. Why leave it in Black and White?

I hope that as you read this, you will get a better understanding on why I am waiting to color and how that helps me keep things going. I always wanted the Bean in color. I tailor my inks to fit color and it is in my long term goals in the scheme of things. I have even had a colorist complete a few pages, yet I have learned coloring to some degree can kill a project if you are not prepared for it.

So lets talk about it.

First off: Webcomics are usually a labor of love. It is a way for us to tell the stories we want to tell. Depending on the illustrator or illustrators, they are usually a one person show. The creator must be the story writer, the penciler, the inker, letterer, hopefully not editor, the colorist at times, the web guru, the store owner, the marketer, the publisher, and the list goes on. Plus most carry on a day job as well. Some of us have families and other obligations . We are the independents of the future, especially as the game of distribution is literally changing before our very eyes. The time involved is pretty taxing and many times the first thing to go when life gets rough is the webcomic.

Example- It take about 30 min to and hour and a half to pencil a Bean page. Inking takes another 2 to 3 hours, add scanning, layout and editing and that is another hour. I update bean 3 times a week. So I must do at least 3 pages a week. This does not include all the other work that needs to get done and family time. I spend a lot of long nights on art. To color a page, you need to add about 2 to 3 hours more to a page. So now it takes about 6.5 hours on average to produce a page instead of about 3.5 to 4 hours average. That’s if you are quick.  I know colorist that take between 6 to 8 hours a page.

I am not complaining and I completely understood what I was getting into. I am just breaking it done to show you what goes into the process. I actually, in a sick way, enjoy it. I know I am also not alone.

Now, most of us started posting our webcomics with a direct schedule in mind. A lot of my friends that do color comics decided 1 day a week others can do 2. A few are every 2 weeks. They look fantastic, but the wait period is rough. Even once a week can cause people to forget you are there. The b/w artist are a little more consistent ranging from 1 a week to 5 times a week, I am in the middle. Once you start a schedule, you should stick to it. Here’s the problem that usually happens…. life.

I talk a lot about having a good buffer. It’s really important, without it you’ll kill your story pretty quickly. Bean’s buffer is 3 months and that gets eaten away fast. So I have to make sure I do 3 pages a week to satisfy the buffer I set up. Yet when life gets in the way I am pretty prepared for it. So when life happens, I can still update.

So Why Not Find A Colorist….

Easier said than done. Since webcomics are usually a labor of love, most creators are not making much money on their creations. That’s why a few of us print our webcomics (a whole other subject) and still hold full time or part time jobs. Yet when you bring someone into your project, there are some things to be considered.

1. Will they be married to your webcomic like you are? Meaning they put as much effort as you do into the work. Pushing off their own projects. Do they have the patience to last out the long haul…especially for you epic creators.

2. Since you work for free, you naturally want them to work for free or promised future royaltees. That doesn’t always work, they need to eat too and I know how much I charge to color work. Paying gigs also will take priority over non-paying gigs.

3. Can they do the level of quality you expect for your work. You need an colorist that you can depend on, that you can work with and that you are happy with their work. A poor colorist can really ruin a project.

So it comes down to it’s easier for the poor webcomic creator to do it themselves. Which brings me to why I don’t color Bean right now.

It’s All About Priorities And Patience…

My first goal is to tell a story. It is one that has been in my head for a very long time. I want to tell it my way, how I envisioned it and in a form that was easily accessible. I also wanted to tell an epic story, which means that I am going to be at this for a long, long time.

My second goal was to be consistent and reliable with my updates. I promised my readership that they would get an update 3 times a week. I know that it is because I am reliable in these updates that people keep coming back. If I had the time to do 4 or 5 times a week I would… there is just no time.

To be consistent, I had to let something go….that was color. I can’t afford a colorist and I am not expecting someone to jump in and save me, I’ll just color it later.  It does not mean I stopped coloring altogether, I just save it for prints, commissions and other projects. For me to produce 3 times a week, I just cannot color the book. If I did my updates would be once a week and with a serial epic story that kills the flow. So I designed it to be colored in the future and when I do it’s gonna look even better.

I realized that by waiting to color it I would be following the same pattern as Jeff Smith of Bone and Windi and Richard Pini of Elfquest. They told their stories first and then when they bound their books for the last time they colored them. It worked for them very well…. I think it works in the webcomic model as well.

Now, I am not knocking color in anyway. It’s an awesome addition to webcomics. I would love to see Bean in color one day, it is just not an option. It works if you have the time, money and means to put it into it. If you can update several times a week … bravo. Yet the odds are stacked and some really awesome comics, a few are in my wanderings, have gone on hiatus, because of the demand of life that makes it difficult. Does this mean they have to stop…oh no and I hope not. It just means if they switch mid game, its gonna be really hard to keep the ball rolling.

So that is why I am keeping  black and white. I want to finish it and have it not finish me. I made a commitment to tell a story once the story is done and proves successful I will color it and you will really get to see the vision. Yet for now, it’s important to just tell the story.

If you are planning to do a webcomic, take this into consideration. Take a look at who has been around for a bit, who stopped midway and who quit before they could even get started. Some are in color and some are not…. You don’t have to copy their works, but I would copy their work ethic. If you are willing to do this, than no matter what you do in this world of adventure, you will succeed.

Keep creating and show me you want it…. I will be looking for you on the web and hopefully one day in print-

Trav

When I first started putting together my Art Book for my Kickstarter project I thought it would be rather easy because I had a large selection of prints. Yet since they were all over the map in sense of style, story and feeling I struggled with a way on how to connect them. I really didn’t know how, until as I watched my kids play, I realized that even though I was following my own dream I still needed to include them and leave them a note to remember how important it is to follow a dream.

So I started to write and pretty soon my art book “Adventures for a Lazy Afternoon” became an open letter to them and any other dreamer out there. I wanted it to be personal and something special for their own kids. When this became my focus, writing the prose for the book became more personal.  I started to think if I was not around what message could I leave for them. What way could I talk to them from afar, when life brings us apart. It was through the book. Mind you I am not going anywhere – but you never know when you will be called on another adventure… so what message do you leave to those around you.

For me it was the gift of following a dream. It is the magic of adventuring, playing and the great power of imagination. That is part of my legacy – that they would be allowed to dream big.  There are other messages I want to leave them, but right now this is the most powerful, that they control their destinies – not I. I am just an old guide, giving them a little council to find a path, whatever it might be.

So what is your legacy? Your message? Do you have one? I hope so. I hope you take the time to create a message, using the talents that are hidden inside you waiting to be discovered. They are powerful gifts. Be willing to share them. Follow your dreams and look for the adventures life can offer and not dwell on the negative. It is up to you and you might be surprised at what your open letter to the world might be.  I am.

Everyone has something to offer – Everyone has a gift. Just people choose not to look for those gifts by using the phrase “I am not talented” or “I am too old” or “I don’t have time”.  You choose your path and if you start looking a little… gifts appear, talents become realized and the incredible power of those gifts become a message to someone else. You can and you should look to find ways to inspire other do something amazing.

Now that my project is done, the books shipped and things are settling down, I’ve realized my message has not changed. My open letter to my family is stronger than ever, and evolving a little. That makes me excited. There are many more stories to tell, many more adventures to follow and many more dreams to be realized. I hope they see that message as well and find ways to make their dreams powerful realities.

Keep creating. Keep finding ways to make things happen and never give up.

trav-

The other day I was asked by a young creator on what they should exhibit at their first comic con. Should they focus on Pop Culture Icons and Lic properties (of designs they do not own or have not paid the fees for) or should they try and establish themselves as their own artist?

To me pop culture icons and lic properties items (prints, toys, etc…) are nothing more that a fast easy buck from an established audience of that property. It is an audience focused on the next big thing and not the creator.

To those that have gone through in obtaining the lic rights and fees to sell pop culture icons, i tip my hat off to you. You are doing it right. You understand the importance of honoring those that hold the rights. To those that just do it and don’t care about lic rights and fees i would hope you reevaluate that and set your self up right to sell lic material.  In the end it will be better for you. Especially as some of these companies are beginning to crack down on un-licensed merchandise. So get your license and you will do fine.

For me I found it more important to establish myself as an artist rather than a pop culture creator. I want people to remember my work and who created it. That is really important to me. Yet that road is a lot harder. As a creator you find yourself as a tiny island in a huge sea of current glorious pop-culture. It’s a daunting task at times to create your own tribe.   Yet in the end it is worth it and far more rewarding.

When I started 15 years ago, I was a very lost fantasy artist. I did not have direction, connections, or a skill level that was marketable at the time. What I did have was drive and that I was willing to learn and listen when advice and council was given to me. I still have drive, I am still learning and listening and I now have direction. The skill level is always growing and the connections… well they are building. Yet, I decided at the beginning, while I was looking for my direction, that I wanted to create my own works, do my own thing and tell my own stories. It has been the best and one of the hardest decisions I have ever made.

What I learned as I went to shows was that people remembered my art and that they remembered me. While fan art and pop cultured pieces got put away, my pieces still remained on their walls. It was shared with friends. Conversations at shows were no longer who are you, but so what’s the next adventure you are working on.  Which to me is pretty awesome. I love the relationships I have built up over the years with fans. Who love pop culture, like me, but are also looking for artists that are willing to do their own thing and make the experience enjoyable.

The next thing is learn to be marketable. Doing your own thing is fine, but you should learn the audience you are going for. Even zombie babies can be mass marketed if done right. There are boundaries though and some creators as they begin to establish their style end up pigeon holing themselves, because they refuse to see the bigger picture. Bloody, mutant, scary clowns have a limited audience, it’s hard to make that audience grow due to how specialized the work is.

I found that audience for Bean is limited. I understand that and I am very cool with that. Bean is a B/W fantasy comic. It has an old school feel to it. Because it’s not in color the audience, which is strong, is still very very concentrated. My color work and prints, which have nothing to do with Bean but just the randomness of what is in my head created a much bigger audience that is growing rather quickly. It’s like planting seeds and if you nurture the plants it grows and grows strong.  I realized how important it is not to limit yourself to one group, yet I keep the same standards I set for all my works.

When establishing yourself with your works and ideas, time management becomes essential. If I spent all my time on pop culture icons, I would never get my own work out. My ideas would always be on the back burner because I would be in the trap of trying to figure out what’s the hottest pop culture items out there and how I could earn a fast buck or two.  Now being contracted for a job is something else. Your being paid for it by the company that owns the right so that is ok. I am more than willing to draw for big name companies and work on their properties. Yet my down time is devoted to establishing my own name and my own stories.

Don’t be afraid to start small, but always have something new on a regular basis. One of the biggest traps for new creators is they produce a book and then thats it. Nothing new comes out. Each year goes by and they still have the same book on the table, by itself. Your fans will notice this and once they realize you are not producing anything else, they look for something else. Always try to have something new out. It is super important. Sketch book, prints, or most importantly if you are producing books have NEW books. The key to being successful as an artist is to always be creating, always adding to your works. Give people a reason to return and visit your worlds. With all the crowdfunding going on there is no reason, if you are willing to put the effort in to making it look good, to have a new book each year.

The drive. Yup you got to have the drive. You need to remember this is not a hobby, it is an actual job. Make it your business and learn it. What are you willing, of your luxuries and social life, to give up? The poorest excuse is I don’t have time. You need to create time. I don’t have time means

it is not important, especially when you are willing to talk about all the movies and tv shows you watch. Make the time. Pull the sketchbook out and start doodling.

As for creating something new all the time, remember you will hit lows. These are temporary. Creativity is a powerful mental force not understood. It is an adrenaline rush that has a low after it. Learn to recognize and prepare for it. Durning my lows I switch gears and work on other projects to keep me going. I also keep a quote from an old creator who said, “It’s when i am tired and don’t want to draw, that I need to push myself to keep going” (he was a daily strip cartoonist).  I believe that-Drawing for me is important. Don’t get me wrong I love doing gigs and commissions. I love drawing fan art (though i would never make prints of my fan art). I love drawing pop-culture icons as well… but in the end it is more important for me to establish my style and my stories. It’s a building process that is growing at an incredible rate and it’s based of my works and not someone else.

Your original work competing against your pop culture work. Not many people think of this. I have friends who do both fan based pop culture and original works. They say that their original works and ideas don’t sell that well at shows but their pop culture works sell out. It’s because they are competing against themselves. They have built an audience that, even though some of them enjoy their original works, it is just just an audience that mainly enjoys somebody else’s proprieties that you just happened to draw. That’s what they expect and when you do that it is really easy to stop believing in your own ideas because you have to rely on someone else to make a buck at a show. Then when you want to focus solely on your own work you can’t because you are not drawing what the masses have expected you to draw.

I cant tell you what to do or what direction you should take. Only you can do that. Yet you need to decide what you want to be in the end. It might take some soul searching and such, but it comes down to you. For me, even though the road has been long and hard, it has been worth it. I am my own artist now. I have sooo much fun playing in my imagination and I know many others that have gone down the same road as I. They say the same thing…. they draw their own stories and their own ideas and they feel free doing it. The road is universally tough for all of them, but they are making it and they are examples to others trying to do the same thing, proving that it is possible to be an indy and be your own artist.

So go produce a book, than produce another, and do your own prints and build a strong following… just be aware the road is a rougher, a little longer, but far more rewarding.

Keep Creating

Trav!

as we hit the goal, I found that in my heart the true stretch goal needed to be about the number of books that were to be sent out. It’s the message I want people to experience. That message that the gift of imagination is one of the most precious gifts we have. I want people to realize that, and then revisit it. That’s it ok for adults to enjoy the magic they once knew and use it for their benefit.

So my goal is to be able to draw in a 1000 books when this all over. That means a 1000 people on the list, we are at 307 adventurers.  I think if that happens well hit the coloring book goal without a problem.

All I am asking is to spread the word- to share the dream and help others either rekindle the magic or just reinforce the magic. Come find the dreamers, the lovers, and come hang out with me….

If you want to get an artbook- come pledge and secure your spot by clicking here!

here are some images from inside the book

The Tinkers Shop 11×14

Coming home after a long day of shopping for groceries and toys for the lab. I am also finally working on a special project, a long time coming really. It’s an artbook. More info to come soon-

trav

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Elf Hunting 11×14

Is it elf hunting troll or troll hunting elf.

One of my newer prints.

Keep creating

trav

The Explorers 11×14

Sometimes the only thing we needed growing up was a couple of card board boxes. Those boxes could take us anywhere and many times those adventures were pretty dang fantastic. I know there is a little of me in here, especially with the need to have a realistic working cockpit. It was adventures like these that allowed our imaginations to soar. It’s our imaginations that let us explore new places, solve complex problems and even bring  a little peace in a very mixed up world. So remember don’t be afraid to play a little and keep creating.

trav-

As promised I am trying really hard to bring a little more love to my site here. Give you art while we wait for comic page updates. Hopefully there will be something everyday here to take you away.

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The Journal 17×22

In the last 50 years the art of journals has all but disappeared. Our children will never know our histories or our mistakes. We need to correct that and take a moment in our “busy” lives and write down what was important to us and what did in life. So others might realize that they are not so alone.

Anyways- keep creating

trav

Well I now have 8 pages to add to book 3.  I am looking forward to it. I am really excited. Our next stretch goal will be a new book- though i am thinking of adding one at the 15,000 mark.

Thanks again for helping get the word out and supporting this tale. The more support means the more I can do with it.

Also It’s good to see bean again. I tell you the book format is soooo much better to enjoy. Updates dont seem as long.

Time is running out on the kickstarter project!

Island Watching 17×22

Just needed a peaceful moment of island watching…. especially with your best friends.

Also we are 1500 shy of the 10000 mark- which means 8 more pages to the book.

Keep creating.