Ratchet & Clank: Issue 6

It’s tough to believe how quick the last six months have flown by. As you guys know, Greg and I have been cranking along on the Ratchet & Clank comic covers – and here’s the finale! We had a blast, and the group at Wildstorm was a pure pleasure to work with.

Sadly, the colorist on the book, Jonny Rench, passed away suddenly in October. Issue 3, which was released this week, was his last comic work. He was a great talent and did a wonderful job – he will be sorely missed throughout the industry and our condolences go out to his family and friends.

As the year wraps up, Greg and I can see some vacation time peaking around the horizon. This will certainly be a welcomed break from all the hustle, but we’re also looking forward to spending some quality time with the ‘Box! More to come!

Camping

Just a quick note to wish everyone a particularly scary Halloween! Life continues to be busier than ever but we’re making it work for the most part. I’ve been exploring some new brushes lately so here’s a look at one of the experiments. Still a long way to go but I guess that’s all part of the adventure. Go grab lots of candy people!

In the Hunt

Howdy folks! Yeah, it’s been a little while but hopefully you’re all still hanging with us. I keep trying to convince Greg to just sleep every other day, but he’s not buying it.

I just returned from an awesome visit to my parent’s secret lair in Rhode Island. We did some fishing, hit the beach, and toured some amazing galleries. We were finally able to check out Norman Rockwell’s studio which was a lot like going to church. Also, if you’re ever in the Newport area, be sure to hit the National Museum of American Illustration. The place took us completely by surprise with a remarkable collection of Leyendecker, Rockwell, and Parish to name a few. It was truly an inspirational kick in the pants.

I’ve really been missing working traditionally lately so for this week’s post I stuck with a brush pen for the inking. I almost abandoned the image a couple times while painting (with a few rants for good measure) but I figured all the trouble was a good sign that I needed to work it out. More to come soon!

Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One

Well folks, the cat (and his motley crew of friends) have been let out of the bag! At Gamescon in Germany last week, Insomniac Games announced two new projects: Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One and Resistance 3. It was great to finally get the news out there.

Greg and I have been extremely fortunate to be working along side an awesome team for the new Ratchet title. It was a big move for many of us leaving Los Angeles but the highly neurotic family we’ve formed has been well worth it. If you’re looking for more info about the games, check out the links below!

Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One Trailer
A41 Press Conference Playthrough
IGN’s A41 First Look
Resistance 3 Trailer

In other news, Greg and I have been crawling through some pretty deep trenches. Hopefully we’ll see some daylight one of these days! Thanks for hanging with us – we look forward to showing a few things we’ve been up to in the coming weeks. Ok, enough yapping, back to the Cintiq!

Sketchbook Diving

Spending years staring at computer screens for 10+ hours a day can do all sorts of things to you. Aside from gently frying your eyeballs, you may also develop a hankering to get back to the traditional side of drawing. Digital can be great for all sorts of stuff, but lately I’ve really missed pens and pencils. As a result I’ve been trying to make a point to stay active with the sketchbook and tend to bring it around with me. It can be a bit awkward at times, especially during those romantic times with my wife, but I’m gradually learning to adapt.

For sketching I tend to go for the tools that feel right at the time: Ballpoint, Pitt pens, brush pens, col-erase pencils, etc. I’m going to try and put a post together that covers some of the madness pretty soon. I’m always up for new tools, so if you guys are using anything fun, hit me up!

Ratchet and Clank: Cover 2

Greg and I are still cranking away on the Ratchet and Clank covers – which puts us in a comic state of mind – which makes us miss the San Diego Comic-Con even more! We’re having a great time with the images and the creative team putting together the interiors are doing a wonderful job. If you’re curious, you can check out some samples over at IGN and the Playstation Blog. The whole shooting match starts up in September! Tell your comic shops folks!