Hi, How Are You

[MikeKing]

Hi, how are you?

My name is Mike King. I enjoy making sketchbooks and filling them up. I figure I can see how posting the content here goes while I try to figure out how to afford to go back to school. A lot of the things I will post are straight copies of better artists. If it looks good, odds are it's not my image. If you have any advice or critiques I would love to hear it.

I am very interested in pen and ink drawing, traditional American tattooing, early manga, and Franco-Belgian comics. Cool.

[MikeKing]

Start of a fresh book. Copies from comics, doodles, and sketches for a horror book I would like to do someday. Just started seriously attempting to use a dip pen. I have been using brushes to ink for a while and I feel like I have been using the loose and natural quality of the line to cover up weak drawings.

Fun.

[MikeKing]

During breaks from actual projects today I am drawing Tintin, Sailor Jerry, and portraits from photographs. www.ThingsILike.com

[MikeKing]

More Sailor Jerry studies, Bridgman's studies, some original flash for a band, and some letter studies. I need a scanner.

[Mabelma]

You line work is amazing! So clean and sharp. Your typography is very nice too but the inking is incredible. Good work mate What tools are you using for the inks?

[MikeKing]

Mabelma- Hey, thanks. I feel like the low quality of the images may hide some of the jagged edges the lines have. The friction the pen has compared to a brush is really throwing me off. But it's a big mix of things. I seem to be getting the cleanest results with a Tachikawa G nib. I also switched to Deleter Black #4 from speedball super black for the Get Sad knife and snake skull page and felt like it made a huge difference as well.

I was really disappointed with how little I got done today since I have been sick and had to do Christmas stuff. But these are some Owen Jensen redraws, an unfinished panel copied from Upon A Star by Moebius, and a quick page I jotted off just now in a half sleep state. Meh.

[JakehC]

thanks for sharing your wonderful work! i love this!

[Kanda]

I'm loving how smooth your lines are and your typography is awesome

[MikeKing]

Thanks guys.

Some more vintage flash studies, a Popeye panel, and some sketches of promo material for some comic zine I am putting together. Stuff.

[AJM]

Could just be your style, but a lot of your cartoons look flat. Try drawing their head in 3D instead of only profile (snake, eagle, donkey, etc.).
I'm with Kanda on the smooth lines and typography, good stuff!

[MikeKing]

Hey AJM. The flat looking drawings are studies from early 1900's tattoo flash. I am actually trying to figure out how to get those "flatter" and more geometric like the origionals. haha

Here are some original stencils I am copying tonight by Owen Jensen to illustrate where I am coming from with those.

[MikeKing]

Some Popeye, more flash studies, some text, and a small study of an old business card for "China Sea Tattoo" the shop owned by Sailor Jerry in HI.

[MikeKing]

Three hours of cartoon head studies from Trondheim, Nate Powell, Tezuka, and Craig Thompson. My brain hurts.

[Etchpea]

your linework is gorgeously appealing! I'd love to see some color stuff from you.