The Cool Surface Sketchbook! ***More ImagineFX***

[DavidCousens]

Cheers Killer!

Here's my latest commission for Computer Arts magazine (issue #140), it accompanies a column listing "the top 10 fun things to draw" which were:
1. Robots
2. Monkeys
3. Female Figures
4. Skulls/Skeletons
5. Monsters/mutants
6. the paranormal (eg aliens, angels demons)
7. Surrealism
8. Dogs
9. Human heads/faces
10. Birds

(This is wide, so it's probably going to mess up this pages format) Hope y'all like it!

[Cederix]

Great art! You always colour directly over your pencils?

[Bones Weep Tedium]

Wow.

I even spotted the 187

I am a great fan of your work, Dave. You make it look very easy.

[Steph Laberis]

Rawr! Hey Mr. Married-face, long time! I love the latest illo, I always enjoy whenever people make these sort of montages based on popularity. Ii remember seeing at one point the "perfect" American painting, which was created based on a survey of what people wanted to look at. It was some strange outdoor landscape with George Washington in it (people like famous people!) with a lot of blue, since blue was voted the favorite color.

Keep at it dude And stop falling off the face of the earth!

[DavidCousens]

Cederix: Thanks I didn't colour over the pencils, I locked the lines and coloured them individually. I think I did too good a job matching the colours though, as a few people thought I'd just been sloppy and let my airbrush spill over the lines.

Bones: Hehe, you could make detective! Glad you like my work, it's not as easy as it looks, I can guarantee that!

Steph: Cheers you. When are you going to reply to my email? I know I disappeared for a while, but getting married is a pretty good excuse. Loving your post-its!

New sketch now, here's a very quick something I knocked up for love to post.co.uk Markers on a postcard.

[DARAF]

Cool sketch, I like the computer arts commision. Rock on bro.

[Idiot Apathy]

RAWR.
That superwide one at the top is real nice, great use of temperature!

[DavidCousens]

Daraf: Cheers mate!
Tom: Coming from a colour expert as yourself, that's great praise, thanks man.

SPECIAL REPORT! You may have thought mushrooms are a rather uninteresting and benign species, but we have proof from Cool Surface.com photojournalists David and Sarah Cousens, that mushrooms are at the centre of a number of shocking events. We urge you to proceed with caution, dear reader, as some of these images are disturbing!

Mushroom spotted with former WWE Women's champion Trish Stratus!


Iron Man's true secret Identity revealed!


The Punisher's war on drugs continues! Magic no more!


And we have a further troubling report there may be a Mushroom militia on the rise and terrorising innocent Triceratops! "They're not in the trees, they ARE the trees!"







Be careful out there!
_________________

[Evxyza92]

Lol , man nice pictures with the mushroom.

[DavidCousens]

Thanks mate!

The latest issue of Digital Arts is out and features a tutorial on how I made this image, plus how to lay art out for your own badges! Take a look at the background for all of the monkey themed jokes...

[DavidCousens]

Cool news!
Congrats Imagus! This image just got printed in Digital Arts Magazine! (Remember I recommended that people who coloured my Rocketboots tutorial line art email their efforts to Digital Arts? It worked, they were really interested to see what people came up with, and they'd like to see more! If any of you want to send your colours of rocketboots, or the new "Walkies" lines in the colouring book thread, to Digital Arts they may well publish them! Email: [email protected] ) Good luck!

[Bones Weep Tedium]

the monkey illo is ace, but I can't spot any hidden messages, other than the DK (Donkey Kong?) barrel.

Where's the 187??

[DavidCousens]

Yup, you got the donkey Kong reference mate. The 187 is in there...

[Imagus]

the monkey illo is ace, but I can't spot any hidden messages, other than the DK (Donkey Kong?) barrel.

Where's the 187??

If you're "tired" of looking for it, take a break and "swing" by later to look again.

Girl's gear with "I (heart) NY" on it - King Kong
Barrel with "DK" on it - Donkey Kong
Banana peel - possibly also DK?

I'm sure there's more, but that's all I've got for now. Also, that has to be one of the best-hidden signatures I've seen in a while, DTO.

Congrats Imagus! This image just got printed in Digital Arts Magazine!

Thanks for the heads-up on the publication... very cool. I may try the "Walkies" pic if I get the chance, but I'm in the middle of a bunch of projects at the moment. Thanks again for posting the Air Traffic Control/Jetboots lines - it was a lot of fun working with them.

[DavidCousens]

Ed: Great catch on the signature! You're right on the other references too, well done!

Hey guys, my tutorial for digital arts magazine (for the "Walkies" lines above)has been posted here in case you're interested in some of my colouring methods. For some reason, the colours are slightly off on their screenshots, but the techniques are still sound. Hope they help!

[DavidCousens]

Apologies for not posting much recently, Sarah and I have almost finished our first book for Kingfisher/Macmillan, so that's taking up most of our time. I finally invested in a Cintiq the other day, I was really hoping that I could improve my workflow by pencilling straight into Photoshop, but was concerned that it may take some practice. I needn't have worried, drawing on it is a dream! This was my first test sketch which I thought I'd share with you...

[DavidCousens]

Just a li'l something for Christmas, hope you all have a great one!

[DavidCousens]

A quick image of me and the Mrs!

PS. I can't get this image to display properly, can anyone help me out here please?

[daveneale]

cool stuff...love the feel of the computer arts piece, kind of wish the lines were a little cleaner in it though.

To attach: once you've uploaded the pic use the paper clip option at the top of the box and place the attachment in the post. Keep up the good work

[Carbono]

I love the comic book feeling of your pieces, they look amazing!
The anatomy looks nice too!

And funny photos lol!

Keep it up!

[DavidCousens]

Phew, we've had a crazy couple of months finishing our second book for Macmillan, but now we're done it's time to start updating things before book 3 starts! Here's the coloured version of Sarah and I. Hope you all like it!



daveneale: thanks for the advice and the kind words mate. I know what you mean about the lines on that piece! I liked it at the time, but they bug me now, ah well, live and learn...

Carbono: Thanks for comment buddy!

More art tomorrow!

[DaPhat]

Love the infernal piece. Great values looks awsome.

[DavidCousens]

Next up: A quick study from reference , just for fun. Hope you all like it!


DaPhat: Thanks mate, that was fun to draw!

[DavidCousens]

A rough concept sketch for a tutorial I'm working on...

[DavidCousens]

Another quick ref study as a warm-up...

[DavidCousens]

Hi all,
Sarah and I made another tutorial for Digital Arts Magazine last month telling you how to create this image, they've now posted an online version here including the all files you need to make it, including some free custom brushes!



(Note: the colours are slightly off on their screengrab images but the techniques are still sound)

Hope someone finds it useful!
David and Sarah

[chuck18mp]

Very Nice and complete Sketchbook!
I really dig your style!!!
I hope you'll post soon!

[DavidCousens]

Thanks Chuck! Man, I've been so busy I've comp[letely forgotten about this sketchbook! Many apologies to all. Right. lets start updating regularly, starting with our tutorial image "Summer" published in Advanced Photoshop #45. It went a different direction from the sketch didn't it?

[DavidCousens]

Here's a limited promotional mini-print we designed. For lack of a better name, this is "shiny pink top"!

[DARAF]

Stuff's looking great dude. Keep it coming.