Down For The Count

Continuing the theme of posting things I entirely forgot about, here's a print I produced for the Creepshow event at Gallery 160. I've sported many a wrestling mask at drawing events around town, so I jump at any chance I have to draw some luchadores, which doesn't happen nearly enough. This was born out of a shot down concept for another project, and I'm a huge fan of garbage picking my sketchbook for stuff. 

Purple Variant

This is also the first time I produced a color variant of the print, which you'll see more from me in the future. Gives you folks an option, and allows me to be indecisive. They're both still available here, and probably would look cool in your house.

Original Recipe 

Your Pal, 

Randy Crider

Tim was "Drawn and Quartered" (but he got better)

Last weekend, five Cleveland area sketch groups gathered to test their mettle against each other in the sixth annual "Drawn & Quartered" sketch competition.

I drew on the "Long Pose" team, for team "Dr. Sketchy Cleveland", my results are posted above. 

"Karmin" up there was drawn in Blue Ballpoint pen and whiteout, on a 12 x18 inch piece of grey toned paper. She took around 2.5 hours (plus "beverage breaks") to finish.

Oh yeah... team Sketchy won this year. 

-Tim

Go Home! You Can't Stay Here

While framing this print for the Drawn And Quartered gallery show this weekend, I realized that I never shared it with my rusty buddies.  I hope you guys never go home, stay as long as you like!  It was originally drawn for Cleveland Exotic Dance's winter soiree last year, which I could pretend is the reason I drew a giant naked lady, but you'd never believe that. 

Your Pal,

Randy Crider

Birthday Ben

Today is Rust Belt Monster Ben Hale's Birthday. What a lucky girl am I to have him in my life!
Ben is hilarious, talented, intelligent, and has great taste in music but above all, he is kind. If the world was filled with Ben Hales it would be a much better place, but celebrating his birthday wouldn't be quite as special. Hope you had a great one, buddy.

Happy Ben Day!

Ce n'est pas Erin Schechtman

Nope!  It's our very own, ever lovin' Ben Hale who is one year older today!!  I don't even know how long I've known this fancy Gent but since maybe day two of my time with Mr. Ben Hale he has been an instant old friend.  You Sir are a dynamo of awesomesauce with a dash of Cetera, may you have many more birthdays for us to become even older friends than we are now.  Happy Birthday!

A little about the style.  After I did Randy's portrait, in a style I am comfortable in I got the idea that I should do these portraits in a style fitting the person I was drawing. Next year's Randy will get some hatching, Jim's is in a variety of inks and Erin's and Tim's are a secret that you will see soon enough!  SO this Ben portrait I did kinda in a Bruce Timm, Batman the Animated Series (or I should say Superman the Animated Series) style.  One of the first things we geeked out about is our love of this style so it seemed only fitting to give it a shot.

Tim: Don't scream Ripley, something will hear you.

So last week I was planning to just draw a quick sketch of Ripley, then  H.R. Giger passed away, and I figured a more in depth piece was needed.

Tune in next week (actually this Thursday) for, when i'll have a drawing of 'Spider-woman'.

-Tim

HANK!

This is not nor will it ever be Erin (that portrait is on the way).  It's the every-lovin' Beast from the X-Men!  A little post Free Comic Book Day commission from a friend who couldn't make it to the festivities.  More fun with my ink brush and watercolor combo.  More to come!

Ben: Happy Birthday, Erin!!!

Today is fellow monster, Erin Schechtman's, birthday! Impossibly young, incredibly talented, and a true friend.  It's always a pleasure to paint next to you and I have treasured the short time that I've known you.  Have a wonderful birthday!

-Ben
www.NeedYourDisease.com
Twitter: NeedYourDisease

Tess And The Dragon

More sketchbook nonsense.

 I facilitate a regular life drawing session in town, and at some point I decided to start finishing the drawings from those sessions. Of course, "finishing" means adding dragons and monsters to the poses.  Be on the look out for a lot more of these, as it's a regular session. The life drawing, and the monster adding. 

Your Pal,

Randy Crider

It's on like Qui Gon!!!

I see your Deadman.....

..and Boba Fett, 

and raise you a BRAK!!!

I've been playing around with a brush pen a lot lately and love it so you will be seeing more here soon.  The thing I always love about working with ink is it teaches you when you are done and how much you need and how much you don't need.

Ben: Escape The Sarlacc Pit!

Finally got around to finishing my Boba Fett for the blog.  I got the sketch, inks, and flats done pretty quickly and then got super busy.  I'm really glad I came back to this one.

Head over to my personal blog for my Work In Progress shots.

-Ben
www.NeedYourDisease.com
Twitter: NeedYourDisease

Happy Mothers Day....

Greetings and salutations,

Tis me...Reverand Jim, doing my best to keep posting when I can. This sketch was something started at Drink'N Draw on Wednesday in my sketch book...and it felt like something that needed finished. I'd like to do a final piece for this...work out the the details of the hands and weapons in the foreground....the breast feeding infant...
Anyways at Drink 'N Draw we had asked, for those that wanted to participate, to do your best strong female character. Instead of the obvious..( Wonder Woman, Power Girl...Supergirl...etc.,.) I had this vision in my head of a mother trying to breast feed her child.....and then rouge Ronin...lowlife thugs happening upon her, thinking they would have their way with her. A bad mistake...Sword drawn and still performing her motherly duty, she waits ready to cleave the first man dumb enough to come within distance of her katana. I'm a huge fan of Koike & Kojimas Lone Wolf and Cub. And this kind of just fell into place...and on my sketchbook...see you soon. Stay frosty.
J~

Poor Lil' Guy

Hi all my buddies!  Here's something that's been floating around my studio for months. This fella started as a doodle in the cartooning class that I teach, and after weeks of making tiny lines in my free time, he's the crosshatched monstrosity that stands before you.  I'm pretty fond of him, especially since I based his hair on the "hairstyle" my newborn daughter had at the time. Good chance you'll see more of him, or in the very least some of his crosshatched brothers and sisters. 

Your pal, 

Randy Crider 

Ben: I see your Deadman and raise you Deadman!

Tim isn't the only one drinking and drawing last night.  In fact, we all were.  A little bird told me he was drawing Deadman, and never being one to back down to a nonexistant challenge, I drew one myself.  Your move, Switalski.

-Ben

www.NeedYourDisease.com

@NeedYourDisease

Tim's 2 hour(ish) 'Deadman'!

Hey there lil' Belters', For this week's mini-challenge, I drew 'Deadman' from DC Comics!

Drawn in marker at "Drink & Draw Cleveland" last night (what?! You missed D&D CLE last night? Well...that sucks, it was awesome, you should've been there!), it took me a little over 2 hours to finish.

Next Week: Ellen Ripley! (Sigourney Weaver from the movie 'Alien')

Ben's Free Comic Book Day Art Extravaganza

My Dr. Doom for the Mural. Modak by Craig Worrell and Silver Surfer by Erin Schechtman.

What an amazing time Free Comic Book Day was this year.  Not sure what changed, but there were next to no nerves going in.  The crowd was great and I got to meet a lot of really cool people.  Some from as far as London.  See, people from around the world come to Cleveland.  I thought I would post a collection of some of the art I did AT and FOR the event.  

Sketchcards for the event. Raphael, Hellboy, and Hulk

More sketch cards. Joker and Superman

Sketch at Free Comic Book Day: Michelangelo

Sketch at Free Comic Book Day: Pirate Joker and Batman

Sketch at Free Comic Book Day: Huntress

Sketch at Free Comic Book Day: Classic 1960's Batgirl

Sketch at Free Comic Book Day: Winter Soldier

Sketch at Free Comic Book Day: Raphael

Free Comic Book Day Mural!

The Rust Belt Monsters could not have had more fun this weekend and Carol and John's Comic shop in Cleveland, Ohio.  Tasked with creating a mural depicting the Marvel universe in the 1970's, we dove in head first and never looked back.  A big thank you to John Dudas for bringing us into the fold and we really can't wait for next year.

Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Beholder

Hey pals, Randy here with a recent spot illustration. I think we've all been here before, making what seems like a good decision at the time.  At least I hope so, I can't be the only one. 

Tim's 120 minute Boba Fett

So, do you guys remember the 'challenges' that we used to do here? Well I've been missing drawing them, so i'm going to do my best to bring them back! This week...Boba Fett!

Next Week: DC Comics Deadman!