Websites That Make Me Smile Part 2
Starting off on the wrong foot this week? Here are a couple of websites that I visit daily that really lift my spirits!
First off Deviant Art, a fantastic community of artists from around the globe who post some incredible work. I could spend hours surfing though the pages of anime, sculptures, paintings and my favorite of course, the cartoons. Not only are there ‘unknown’ artists work, but there are some of the industries best of the best (J. Scott Campbell), you just have to search for them!
You can create your own account for FREE! Once you start uploading your artwork, pictures, etc. you can choose whether or not you want to sell them as prints and Deviant Art takes care of the rest (for a fee). But there’s so much more to just surfing the vast library of artwork, you can; collect other artists work (click&drag), buy prints, enter contests and so much more! You can even check out yours truly on Deviant Art by following this link!
I’ve always loved the concept of the ‘Anti-Hero’, which brings me to my next website Spawn! Todd McFarlane was really on to something when he created the first anti-hero ‘Spawn’, aka Al Simmons. Ever since the very first toys were released in the 1990’s, I’ve been blowing my hard earned paychecks on his action figures! If you’re into Spawn and collecting wicked, cool action figures, become a Collectors Club Member. It’s the only way to get first dibs on their ‘New Releases’ and ‘Exclusive Figures’ before they get bought up and dumped on eBay for outrageous prices. I got tired of looking for ‘repaints’ or ‘Deluxe Boxed Figures’ online that I became a member (membership is free of course).
The McFarlane Toys Collector’s Club is simple to join. Just go to the Store at www.spawn.com and make a purchase. You don’t need to be a Club member to purchase your first exclusive, but you will be asked to create a ‘Login Name’ and password during the checkout process. That’s all there is to it and you’re automatically enrolled in the Club during the checkout process and all your information will be stored for future visits. So do it already!
The last site I’ll cover today is Scott R. Kurtz website Player vs. Player! A fantastic webcomic and blog, with witty humor and great stories that everyone can enjoy! Scott really inspired me to launch my own webcomic, seeing as how most artists are using the WordPress application as a ‘tool of the trade’ I figured I’d better jump on the band-wagon and start blogging already! But where to start…well if you’re looking to start your own webcomic, you better pick up this book ‘How To Make Webcomics’. Written by some of the industry’s great artists: Dave Kellet (Sheldon), Scott Kurtz (PvP), Brad Guigar (Evil Inc.) and Kris Straub (Starslip Crisis), ‘How To Make Webcomics’ is a must own for anyone seriously interested in creating their own webcomic.
This is a very straightforward read, with tons of factual content that’s pretty ‘up-to-date’ on the current applications used in the industry to produce webcomics (Photoshop, Comicpress, WordPress). From the initial concept skills, writing, storyboarding, to publishing, this book is a great starter/referral for any artist interested in creating their own webcomic. I still continue to refer to this book for tips and image preparation for my own webcomic! Thank God someone wrote a decent book on webcomics, without all the technological gibberish!
Hope your Monday is a little brighter!
🙂