Pirate Owl

Hey blog people!

I've been thinking a lot about pirate owls lately. I have another story kicking around in my head that includes this sort of character. At any rate here's a sketch that I did today in Sketchbook Pro on my iPad.

I've been trying to make better use of my iPad lately and have had a lot of fun sketching on it with the new Wacom Bamboo stylus. It's not completely intuitive but I'm getting better with it! I have lots of little scribbles and stuff that I could post but I figure no one really wants to see that mess.

But I would like to start creating a regular posting schedule. And I'm trying to hash out exactly what I want to do with my personal work. I'm really looking forward to seeing how things progress this year and have some interesting project ideas on the horizon!

Take care and thanks for checking in!

- Ryan

Heroes Call Icons

I haven't had as much time to sketch as one would really like but I'm hoping to dig in more in the next week. The major distraction (besides continuing to get settled in Chicago) is that I've decided to take on a bit of contract work on top of normal full time job. Since we've got a little one on the way and lots of new expenses coming up I figured it'd be nice to have a bit of extra cash on hand.

Recently Australian mobile developer, Defiant Development, approached me about doing some icons for their upcoming iOS and Android game, Heroes Call. It's a really cool looking App that looks like something I'd even be really interested in playing! The game is a fantasy action RPG and sort of has a dungeon crawler-y feel to it. I'm pretty picky about what sort of contact work I pick up on the side but this just seemed to be right up my alley.

I haven't worked on a fantasy video game for a couple years now and it's been even longer since I've designed icons for such a game. But the icons I did for Simutronic's now defunct MMORPG, Hero's Journey, have always sat in my portfolio for several years generating interest. If there's one thing I've learned during my career as a professional artist it's that if you can generate UI (user interface) assets, you will find that you have value to a company.

I get emails nearly weekly from people looking for me to create icons for them. I don't get nearly as many requested for illustrations or concept work. Unemployment doesn't scare me nearly as much as it used to because all of these people seem to need icons all the time! If you can do it then I'd strongly encourage you to put some interface work in your portfolio. Not all illustrators have the greatest design sense but if you're looking for a gig in the industry this skill set could be the thing that gives you the leg up on your competition.

So that's the reason I wanted to post those. I doubt many of you will care too much about the icon work I've done. It's not something I used to take much pride in but I've learned that my skills in this area is invaluable. And it's really been to my advantage to play to those strengths from time to time.

Anyway, hopefully next post will be more sketchy! I was just thinking about this subject as I was painting these little buggers and thought it might be something other artists might like to know!

One other thing before I bolt off into the night. I have ORIGINAL ART up for sale on my store now if you're interested! You can pick up a Ninja Turtle sketch, Samurai Frog sketch or even the pencils from my Legend of Zelda illustration! Head over to my shop by clicking here!

Thanks for stopping by and for supporting my work! Take care!

- Ryan

Things I LOVE right now:

St. Louis, MO: I'm heading back down to my hometown this weekend to visit with some family and friends!  Looking forward to some Imo's pizza during my visit! Ha!

Prometheus: Cannot wait for this movie. I'm so hyped for this thing.

Samurai Frog

Hey guys! I'm back with s'more postage! Can you believe it?!

Last week I started a new blog with some friends from work and we've trying to update it with doodles each week following a sort of story theme. This week was about a frog warrior type character seeking revenge fro his fallen brother. You can view more about it by checking out the blog. But I figured I'd post my process over here as well.

For my contribution this week I bring you... Samurai Frog!

I tried some new things with this image starting with the brush pen. I still feel like I botched it up a lot but I gave it a go. Might try to use it a bit more often in order to make myself draw faster. There's definitely no time to mess around when it comes to brush inks. And even the color work was a bit different that I usually like to work. But I was trying to get something roughed in very quickly. It's a bit saturated now that I'm looking at it again.

The results were kinda lackluster but I learned a bit for next time. That's what counts, eh? Hope you guys like 'em.

- Ryan

Things that I'm loving right now...

   - Wacom 24HD Cintiq: I REALLY WANT ONE. Can't stop thinking about how much it'll improve the ol' work flow.
   - Mass Effect 3: I haven't finished it yet but I'm enjoying it. The multiplayer is even pretty fun to kill some time.
   - Game of Thrones: I'm watching the series, listening to the audiobooks and just can't get enough! Also slowly getting hooked into Mad Men as well. TV eats my life away. :o/

I'm All Shook Up

Much like zombie Elvis up there, I'm hoping I can bring this blog back from the dead! Thanks for sticking with me! We're finally getting settled in Chicago and are wrapping up the unboxing process. I've just about got my work area ready to go! And then I should be back to sketching and posting more regularly. I have some things to post but haven't really had much time recently to do a full post. So you'll have to settle for another mini post until then!

This scribble I did in ballpoint pen in between file saves and lunch at work. I do a lot of crap like this. They're usually fat necked, gross looking dudes. I guess I relate to them. Ha! I don't post a lot of the scribbles like this but I guess I should. This one made me chuckle a bit as a drew him out. I didn't intend for him to be Elvis like at first but he just sort of ended up kinda like that.

Anyway, thanks for sticking around! I should be back to posting more often in the next week or so! The cross country move took a lot out of us. And we're just now starting to wrap our heads around the fact that we'll have a baby with us in the coming months! Lots of life changes. But I need to get my nose back in that sketchbook so stay tuned for more to come! Take care and I hope you're all well!

- Ryan

PS: Baseball season has arrived! Go Cards! ;o)

Takin' a Wee Break

Hey guys!

I wanted to apologize for the disappearing for the last month or so. I wasn't avoiding you intentionally. ;o) I had a few job related decisions come up and that sucked away most of my attention/energy. The sketching slowed down and my relations online just sort of came to a stand still while I deliberated and negotiated my options. BUT... a decision has been made. And by the end of March I should find my little family living in Chicago, IL as my job has transferred me to a new team at our corporate headquarters.

I'm super excited to be closer to my MidWestern homeland as my wife and I are expecting our first this summer. But there are going to be some things I'll really miss about my life on the west coast and Vegas. For starters the weather is freakin' amazing here. Not looking forward to snow returning to my life. California is pretty awesome and I'll miss going to Comic Con and all the awesome times we had over there. And of course I'm gonna miss all my new friends that I've made out here over the last few years. But I'll have to drown out my sorrows with deep dish pizza, baseball games and a city that actually has some culture! Looking forward to new faces and new experiences of living in a big city!

As for art updates, I'm going to try and find some to scribble in between packing and moving across the country. But my art blog updates probably won't be as frequent until I get settled. I imagine I'll probably keep the Twitter and my "Art of Ryan Bowlin" Facebook page updated more often as it's easy to snapshot stuff and post it via those sites. So if you're starving for updates you can check out those pages!

Until then... I'll see ya on the open road! At least, I hope it's open. I hear Chicago traffic is maddening. ;o) Take care and thanks for sticking with me through the month of no updates!

- Ryan

PS: That sketch up there is a sampling of a random scribble from my sketchbook. Probably should have mentioned that somewhere.

"The Penguin" Original Sketch Giveaway

Hey dudes and dudettes! Yea, sorry I said that already. :o/

I should be dropping hot art updates on here but I'm trying to build up more sketchbook pages before I hit you with that stuff. Until then I thought I'd do another original sketch giveaway to try and get more traffic directed to my Facebook page!

This time I'll be giving away the sketch I did of The Penguin that I did not so long ago. You can see a picture of the sketch below or click HERE to view the original post on the blog. How does one acquire said sketch? Well, I'm glad you asked!

EDIT: BREAKING NEWS! On top of the original sketch I'm also going to be giving away to the winner a copy of both of my latest prints! That's right, the winner will also be taking home a Hellboy and Legend of Zelda print!

Basically all you need to do is head on over to my Facebook page titled, "The Art of Ryan Bowlin" and LIKE the page and share the post about "The Penguin" sketch giveaway with your friends on Facebook. That way I can see who shared the post and do a random drawing to see who will win the sketch next weekend!

Sounds easy, right?! It is! Thanks for supporting and sharing my artwork! And good luck!

- Ryan

*Action Figures Not Included. ;o)

UPDATE: Congrats to Brandon Alderman of Las Vegas, NV! Our lucky winner! Don't worry, I'm sure I'll be doing more as time goes on so maybe you'll win next time! Thanks again for all the support! Results courtesy of random.org!

Weekend Scribblefest

I promised you guys more sketches and even though I didn't get much in during the work week I tried to destroy some pages this weekend. Most of the stuff is scribbles/studies from photos I randomly found on the internet. Trying to practice quick drawing figures and get a little more anatomy work in there. I really just want to focus on getting ideas down quickly and trying to waste less time noodling on stuff. I suffer from "reder-itis" a bit. Tried to be more hasty when laying this stuff in though. I hope you guys like 'em!

The unfinished dwarf and the troll with the Corgi puppy were obviously random imagination stuff. The troll sketch is who I like to imagine my dog hangs out with when we're away. ;o) Y'kno how animals sometimes seem to see things that we can't? I used to imagine they could see ghosts or something. Now I think there's an invisible troll that lives in my house and just loves my puppy to pieces. lol

I'm going to do my best to be more proactive in the days to come but I'll probably only update the blog a couple times a week. Not sure which days just yet. Perhaps Sundays and Wednesdays? Regardless, I'm getting back into sketchbook mode and am having a blast! Can't wait to generate more images! Keep checking back for more scribble mayhem! Take care!

- Ryan

PS: Lots of Zelda and Hellboy prints still available! Check out my store by clicking HERE!

Things I Love Right Now:

Money Ball - Just saw the movie tonight and really adored it. Man, do I love baseball. Can't wait for spring! Go Cards!

Moleskine Sketchbooks - They really do make the best notebooks, don't they? Something about 'em just makes me feel inspired when I pull one out to sketch.

Late 80's/Early 90's Cartoons - This week was a blast from the past. I've been feeding my eyeballs episodes of "Batman: The Animated Series", "The Real Ghostbusters" and "TMNT." I'm gonna hit the big 30 this year and it has me feeling nostalgic. Looking forward to more toons this week as well!

M83's "Hurry Up We're Dreaming" - This album has been on repeat all week. Incredible old school vibe. Love it. Check it out!