Sunday, December 13, 2015

Let's Create a Superhero Together!


What's up comic book pals!  So this next little project is us banding together and creating the next big thing in superhero comics.  Well, maybe not the next big thing but who knows.  Anything could happen, right?  I like to think positive when creating characters. :)  So this video series on my Youtube channel is to show the process of creating a superhero but also allowing you the viewer to contribute and be part of that process.  By commenting on the video you are arming me with lots of ideas to work with.  Then it is up to me as the artist to put them all together into a smorgasbord of superhero-ness!  Sounds like fun to me.  So be sure to jump on the video and leave your two cents.  Also take the time to read some of the other comments and if you see something you like then well...then.....like it with the thumbs up!  It lets me know what ideas are valid and makes my job a bit easier to put this character together.  Hopefully this little idea is fun and informative for everyone that wants to know a little bit more about creating their very own superhero!

Thanks for watching and talk to you soon!

Robert A. Marzullo
Ram Studios Comics

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Manga Studio 5 EX Vs. Sketchbook Pro 7 - Review


I was asked to do a comparison between these two immensely powerful programs.  I have done plenty of videos on each of these and their usefulness to creating comics.  But now it is time to put them head to head and figure out which software will reign supreme in the ever changing apocalyptic    world of digital art!  Was that too intense?  Yeah, I think it was.  Let me take it down a notch or two. ;)

I think both of these programs are amazing in their own areas.  I actually feel like a wouldn't want to part with either one of them.  I love the fluidity of sketching in Sketchbook Pro 7.  It feels as if my digital pen has wings.  Gliding through the drawing process as if angels were guiding my every move.  Alright maybe not that nice but it works really well.  And the perspective tool in Sketchbook Pro 7 is pretty amazing.  It allows you to draw perspective in a more interactive way but does lack in the area of being able to change your perspective rulers from one to another.  You get the one and simply have to move it around.  Come on guys, you can do better than that.  Then the only other thing that Sketchbook Pro really needs is the ability to add separate windows to its interface.  As an artist that is very important to have and this program simply does not have it.  Other than those couple of things it is an awesome program.  It has the most streamline interface that allows you to get into the drawing process and stay there.  Your not busy trying to figure out complex software architecture.  You can simply create! ( Kudos! )

As far as Manga Studio 5 EX is concerned, it is loaded with everything and the kitchen sink.  No seriously, I think there is a kitchen sink in there somewhere.  It is probably in the 3D models portion of the program.  That program does more than I will probably ever find out but I will have lots of fun trying to learn it all.  Every time I turnaround I learn something new that it can do.  It is basically like if Photoshop and Sketchbook Pro got drunk one night and had a baby.  That baby would be Manga Studio 5 EX.  Sorry for the bad metaphor but its all I got. ;)
Manga Studio has a lot of the image editing capabilities that Photoshop has along with the drawing, inking, and perspective rulers that make for a great comic book creation software.  And lets not forget the ability to save out a single PDF file for an easy upload of your digital comic. ( Thanks Guys! )

So both of these programs have a lot of possibilities and to tell you the truth I need them both.  There are just certain aspects of each that won't allow me to kick the other one out of bed.  Not just yet anyways.  We will have to see what the updates bring us in the future.

If you are thinking about getting Manga Studio 5 here is my Amazon affiliate link....


If you are thinking about getting Sketchbook Pro 7 here is my Amazon affiliate link....

To watch me review some of these features you can watch the video here......

As always, thanks for your time and keep drawing, keep having fun!

And for my Tutorials and Custom Brushes please visit my Gumroad Store here -

Robert A. Marzullo
Ram Studios Comics




Monday, December 7, 2015

How to Draw Shadows on Comic Book Faces by Robert A. Marzullo


Hello fellow comic artist.  Just wanted to share my latest work with you.  Practicing shadows once again.  Never can get enough of this.  I have always struggled with adding the right amount of shadows to my work.  Especially in the faces.  So easy to either do it incorrectly or just add way too much on a certain area.  So its practice, practice, and more practice.  One day I will get there.  I hope!  And if I do not at least I am having fun trying to get there.  It is all about the journey!

You can watch the video here and be sure to let me know what you think and what you would like to see in the future!


To support this channel and the Blackstone comic please visit my Patreon Page at :

Monday, November 30, 2015

How to Make a Comic Inking Brush in Photoshop


This video covers how to create a custom comic book inking brush inside of Adobe Photoshop CC.  This tutorial will give you a better understanding of how I create my brushes and what settings I adjust in the Wacom tablet properties to help my brushes feel more accurate to traditional tools.  You have to know both to get a brush that works well, mainly because we all have very different drawing styles so tweaking the sensitivity of the devices along with the software makes a big difference.  I upload new brushes every now and then when I have time to create them.  You can download my brushes in the link below and if you have any questions about this process then please leave a comment on my video and I will respond when I can.

Thanks for watching and I hope you find this helpful with creating your comics!

Robert A. Marzullo

You can download my brushes here :

Friday, November 27, 2015

Tips on Focal Points and Composition in Comics - Narrated


Hello comic book fiends.....er.....I mean....Friends! I hope all is well on your side of the rock.  Todays video is on creating Focal Points and Composition.  This is something that I struggle with from time to time as I am sure we all do, so here is my take on the matter.  I go over some quick ideas you can try to simplify your scenes to better direct your viewer to where they need to be.  After all, in comics we are directors, set coordinators, camera men, lighting specialist, prop designers, and the list goes on and on.  Where you really think about it....we are sorely underpaid for all the hats we must wear to create comics. I think I might just give myself a raise! Ah, if only it were that easy. Then everyone would make comics for a living.  Me personally, I just have to settle for living to make comics! Wouldn't have it any other way.

So dig into this video and be sure to let me know what you think.  Always remember to share the content as it helps me to keep bringing you new videos each week.  I also do video request when I can so be sure to add that as well.

More on the way real soon so thank you for watching!

Robert A. Marzullo
Ram Studios Comics

To support this channel and the Blackstone comic please visit my Patreon Page at :




Monday, November 16, 2015

How to Draw Faster and Meet Deadlines - Narrated by Robert Marzullo


This video is about how to study your  art work and the time it takes to produce it.  Before I started working professionally in Storyboards I had the wrong idea about producing my art.  I often times didn't care how much a certain piece took to create because I wanted it to be my very best.  Unfortunately that doesn't cut it in the work of commercial art.  Speed is everything.  Deadlines are tight and you must combine quality with quick production if you want to remain in that game.  So this is just a quick run through of some exercises you can try to speed up your work.  It is mainly a mental conditioning.  You will naturally get faster over time from practice but you may not acknowledge that some areas in your work are taking too much time when they can be simplified.  

Good luck with your art and I hope you find this video helpful.  Feel free to share and reblog!

Thanks for watching!

Robert A. Marzullo
Ram Studios Comics

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

How to Draw Spiderman - Step by Step - Tutorial - Narrated



In this video I show you step by step on how to draw the Amazing Spider-man!  I tried to make this one easy to follow and cover a lot of the basic understanding when sketching and refining a character like this.  A lot of the videos I have studied just show the process and don't get into the details of explaining it.  For a character like this I think you have to really draw attention the smaller concepts while creating him.  He has a lot of tiny details in the suit that can be drawn wrong very easily.  I know, I have drawn Spiderman hundreds of times by now and I still struggle with the suit from time to time. 

I hope you enjoy this video and if you do, please share it and re-blog it.  It helps me to get the channel out there and keep producing new videos. ( Which I love to do by the way! :)

More on the way real soon and keep drawing and keep having fun!!

Robert A. Marzullo

Saturday, October 31, 2015

How to Draw a City in a 2 Point Perspective Using Sketchbook Pro 7



Here is a video I should have done a while ago but better late than never, right?  This one is on how to draw a city in a two point perspective.  I used Sketchbook Pro 7 and its pretty awesome perspective rulers to complete the task but you should be able to do this with traditional methods as well.  Of course you could use Manga Studio 5 which also has some pretty cool perspective rulers.  So what's up with the Adobe guys???  Hurry up and add some perspective tools already! 

 So if you have every struggled drawing a city then hopefully this one will help you.  I tried to keep it basic and easy to follow.  Let me know what you think of it and if you have any questions, then I am all ears.  I will try to do some more variations of this type of video.  Worms eye view of a city or a 3 Point Perspective might be fun to do as well.  Futuristic city scape on an alien world.  Now that sounds like fun!! ( Man, I am such a nerd..... :>/ )

So at any rate, I hope you enjoy this video and more on the way very soon.  

You can watch it here.......https://youtu.be/SUsH8DBIlro

Good luck with your art!! 

Robert A. Marzullo
Ram Studios Comics



And for my Tutorials and Custom Brushes Please Visit my Gumroad Store here -
www.gumroad.com/robertmarzullo

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Crosshatching in Manga Studio by Robert A. Marzullo


This is a basic cross hatching exercise that I like to do.  It doesn't have much of the fancy line work that you see in hyper detailed comics but it still teaches you a lot about how cross hatching can work. You can be extremely messy with it and it will still show value in your study.  I picked this character to draw because age gives you lots of nice shadows and shapes to work with and can be a bit tricky to get right.  It is a lot easier to shade a character in grey tones or paint than it is to do with cross hatching. ( At least for me anyways! :) So I find this sort of exercise helpful and educational.

If you would like to see this in a step by step fashion, just visit the link below.  This was a video request so be sure to get yours in if there is a certain topic you would like to see covered on my channel.

This video here : https://youtu.be/Eexarvsd_08

Thanks for stopping by!

Robert A. Marzullo
Ram Studios Comics

Thursday, October 22, 2015

How to Create a Pencil Brush In Photoshop CC - Tutorial - Narrated



Here is a quick tutorial and demonstration of how to create a pencil brush inside of Adobe Photoshop. The brushes interface can be confusing but once you figure it out the possibilities are endless.  You can also download my brushes used in this video from my Devinatart site for free.  I use them everyday to create my art so I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.  So let me know what you think of the video and if you find it helpful please share it.  

Thanks for stopping by and talk to you soon!

Robert A. Marzullo
Ram Studios Comics

You can get my Pencil Brush here ..........

You can get my Full Brush Set here .........

Monday, October 12, 2015

Drawing a Female at 3 Different Ages by Robert Marzullo

This was a fun video to create.  In this one I do my best to explain how to go from the younger girl on the left to the older woman on the right.  It really isn't the easiest thing to do.  ( At least it wasn't easy for me anyways. :) But I am happy to admit that.  I am actually pretty pleased to find out when I have a weakness in my art game.  Because once I find that weakness I strive to overcome it and become a better artist.  I once heard a saying that said, "Do not spend too much time working on your weaker points because you will end up with a bunch of strong weak points."  And although that sounds very intelligent, I don't feel it applies to art.  I may be wrong.  In fact it wouldn't be the first time.  But here are my reasons for what I believe.  I think that when you work past your hardships in art that it opens up your mind and allows you to walk through barriers.  You may draw amazing hair the very first time to tried. ( Not likely )  But say that you did, you will never strive to become better at that particular part of your art.  You will just think you are already the hair master!  Why spend any more time improving in that area?  But when you struggle with hair.  You fight day and night with your ability to see the errors in your work.  You stress over the thought of the way some others can draw perfect hair and yours resembles a birds nest.  And then finally one perfect moment happens and you draw awesome hair!  You will not only never forget the misery it took you to get there, it will also apply to other things that give you those same nightmares.  It seems like as soon as you figure out one hard thing about your art, a bunch of other things start to make sense.  I remember when I just could not draw a hand pointing towards camera but as soon as I figured that out, it applied to all types of other things pointing at camera.  Is is all about the struggle.  And overcoming that struggle will open up the mental barriers that allow you to draw whatever your imagination can come up with.  

Anyways, thanks for reading this and I hope this video helps you in some way.  Have fun with your art and enjoy the journey!

More on the way real soon!!

Oh yeah, here is the video........ :)


Robert A. Marzullo
Ram Studios Comics

Sunday, October 4, 2015

How to Draw Comics - Angry Man's Face - Art Tutorial - Video



In this video I show you how to sketch out an angry man's face.  More expressions are on the way so please stay tuned!! 

Robert A. Marzullo
Ram Studios Comics
www.robertmarzullo.com

Thursday, October 1, 2015

How to Draw Comics - Tips and Tricks 002 - Better Thumbnails


Here are a couple quick tips and tricks for creating better comics.  Mainly for creating better thumbnails which leads to better overall renderings.  By keeping your rough sketches loose you avoid cramping your creative process.  Remember to get the ideas down fast and avoid detailing at this stage.  I show you in this video how I make the workspace very small to avoid tightening up too soon on the artwork.  I also recommend drawing 10 to 20 thumbnails before going to the next stage of your art piece.

If you have any questions about this process then feel free to comment on my Youtube channel.  I do my best to answer each and every question.  I also take video requests when I can.

Thanks for watching and more on the way very soon!

Robert A. Marzullo
Ram Studios Comics

Monday, September 21, 2015

How to Draw Foreshortening for Comics - Video Narrated by Robert Marzullo



This video goes over the complex understanding of foreshortening.  Well, maybe it's not that complex but it sure does seem hard to draw at times.  Hopefully this helps other artist like me that constantly battle this behemoth of a task.  Just remember to keep your sketch nice and loose and get the idea down first, then come back and add all your fancy lines!

Good luck to you and thanks for watching!

Robert A. Marzullo
Ram Studios Comics

Saturday, September 12, 2015

Digital Painting Tutorial - Adobe Photoshop - Hard Edge Technique - Narr...



This weeks video is on some basic digital painting techniques.  This is to show you how to quickly create your art by first defining your shape and working with that by locking the transparency in Photoshop.  It is a handy lesson for quickly painting your objects in a scene.

If you have any questions then feel free and I will do my best to answer them for you.  I also take video requests so be sure to get yours in if you have one!

Thanks for watching and more on the way real soon!

Robert A. Marzullo

Sunday, August 30, 2015

How to Draw Forearm Muscles - In Sketchbook Pro - Narrated by Robert Mar...


This weeks video is on the forearm muscles.  This is always a tricky part of the body to draw so I am happy to try and help some of my fellow artist with this topic.  The muscles in this part of the body change shape pretty dramatically based upon the position of the hand and the flexing of the muscles.  Hopefully this video is explained well enough to give you some insight into how I approach drawing this part of the body.  I also want to stress that to really get good at this type of drawing, repetition is key!  You just have to put in lots of time and draw every imaginable angle you can think of and just when you start to get the hang of it, do it all again and again and again.  That is how you become a great artist.  Don't get me wrong, I still have a long ways to go to become great but I have studied enough of the greats to know what they did to get there.

If you have any questions then feel free to ask and I will answer them if I can.

Thanks for watching and more on the way very soon!


To support this channel and the Blackstone comic please visit my Patreon Page at :




Friday, August 21, 2015

Drawing Dynamic Comic Book Poses - Sketchbook Pro 7 - Narrated





Here is another video on drawing various dynamic poses for comics.  These are important to do and I can never get enough of them.  They not only help you draw a better story I feel like they improve all aspects of your drawing.  Mainly because you are forced to envision characters in so many different ways that it transposes to the rest of your art in the same way.  You need to always think outside of the box when trying to draw everything under the sun.  It is very easy to get stuck drawing in one specific way and not growing as an artist.  Exercises like these help to brake that mental road block.  To me, these are like doing pushups.  The more you do, the stronger you will get.



So at any rate, I hope this helps you and like, share, and subscribe if it does.  And give me ideas for the next videos you would like to see or anything else you would like to see me draw.



Thanks for stopping by!



Robert A. Marzullo

Ram Studios Comics

www.robertmarzullo.com

www.patreon.com/robertmarzullo

Thursday, August 20, 2015

Deadpool Sketch by Robert Marzullo...


Here is a sketch I did a couple of years back at a comic con.  Figured I would share this one here and let everyone know I am going to start doing more traditional art again.  Don't get me wrong, I love digital for my production work but every now and then I get pulled back to traditional art.  Not only because it is where I started and it will always have a special place in my heart and soul but because it gives me something tangible and immediately brings me back to a certain moment in time.  All art does that for me in some sort of fashion but nothing as strong as an actual piece that you can pick up and hold in your hands.

It is always fun to sketch these drawings on site at shows and have an audience watching and commenting.  It is actually pretty exciting.  I am trying to find time and finances to start attending more shows.  It is a great way to stay focused on art and to expand your overall perspective on the subject.  You always comes back from a good show with tons of ideas and lots of energy.  Something about the collaboration with other artist is most invaluable.  I not only recommend it,  I swear by it.  If you feel yourself getting stuck in a rut then attend a show or at the very least go to your local comic shop and get some geek talk in.  You'll be glad that you did.

So be on the lookout for more scribbles by yours truly and let me know what characters you would like to see and I will try to squeeze them in here and there.  I mainly enjoy drawing Marvel and some DC but anything goes except demons and people who punch puppies.  That I simply cannot allow! :)

Thanks for watching!

To support the Blackstone comic please visit my Patreon Page at :



Robert A. Marzullo



Monday, August 17, 2015

How to Draw Comic Book Style Capes - Narrated by Robert Marzullo





This video is on drawing capes.  This was a video request that I am answering.  I know how tough drawing different fabrics can be so here it is.  There are many different ways to accomplish this type of drawing but here is my take on the subject.  You really just have to practice this stuff over and over again until you find your own style of doing it but this should help you get started.



Now back to work on the Blackstone comic book.  I should have a few more pages uploaded to my Patreon this week so be on the look out and support if you can!



Thanks for watching and more on the way real soon. ;)



To support this channel and the Blackstone comic please visit my Patreon Page at :











Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Inking A Character From My Comic Book - Manga Studio 5 EX - Narrated





This video is on digital inking.  I show you the process of using Manga Studio 5 EX to ink a portion of a comic book panel from my comic.  I do most of the Blackstone book in this program and it works very well.  It is a powerful tool if you are trying to illustrate comics digitally.



If you have any questions for me on this process feel free to comment on the video and I will do my best to answer in a timely fashion.  Now for me to get back on the book and get this beast done!



Book #1 is available at http://RamStudiosComics.indyplanet.com/



To support this channel and the Blackstone comic please visit my Patreon Page at :


More on the way real soon!

Robert A. Marzullo
Ram Studios Comics

Sunday, August 9, 2015

How to Draw Landscapes 001 - Jungle Scene - Using Sketchbook Pro 7







Here is a video of How to Draw Landscapes.  This style of video has been requested a few times so here it is.  I hope this sheds some light on the topic.  At least from my perspective anyways.  You should study many different artist to really look into their methods of creating backgrounds.  There are so many different style choices and possibilities when it comes to drawing good backgrounds.



My next video in this series will be on a city scape and then a rocky terrain with mountains and wild life unless some other idea pops up first.  Also, let me know what type of landscapes you might like to see in future demonstrations and I will add them to the list. You can also download this image from my DeviantArt page at : www.ramstudios1.deviantart.com



Good luck with your art and thanks for watching!



To support this channel and the Blackstone comic please visit my Patreon Page at :





Robert A. Marzullo

Ram Studios Comics

www.robertmarzullo.com

www.youtube.com/user/mrramstudios1

Friday, August 7, 2015

Inking a Character In Sketchbook Pro - Demonstration Video





Here is another video from yours truly.  This one is a time lapse with me ranting over

top of it about my process when inking something like this.  This is done in Sketchbook Pro 7 with a Wacom Cintiq. ( In case your wondering. )  This is my character Blackstone if you haven't already figured that out.  I created the most difficult character to ink...or at least the one that takes the most ink from your ink well.  Thank God for digital! ;)



If you have any questions I am all ears so please let me know.  And if you would like to help support the production of the Blackstone comic then please visit my Patreon.  Every little bit helps and you get High Resolution downloads of all the comic book art from the Patreon feed.



Patreon for the Blackstone Comic : http://www.patreon.com/robertmarzullo



As always, thanks for watching and/or reading!



Robert A. Marzullo

www.robertmarzullo.com


Thursday, July 30, 2015

Star Wars - Jedi Master Yoda - Digital Painting by Robert Marzullo


Here is the finished digital painting that I created of Master Yoda.  The greatest Jedi knight ever!  I haven't done much Star Wars stuff since my illustrious art career began but I have always been a huge fan.  I honestly didn't feel confident enough because there is such a defined look and feeling of the characters and I was much better suited for an overly styled comic book creation.  And now with digital painting I can do more in depth studies of characters like this one and come a lot closer to their overall look.

I plan on doing a lot more Star Wars characters.  Both from the old and new versions.  I am not one of the fans that swear by one or the other.  I am pretty happy to see anything Star Wars.  Shoot, I was even happy to see them on Happy Meals! ( I am pretty easily pleased. :)  I am most impressed with the earlier movies because of what they accomplished with so little technology.  The models, makeup, and effects were ground breaking.  They still hold up to this day in my opinion.  So awesome job Sir George Lucus!  You made the imagination of millions of children expand even further.  Possibly even billions at this point.  And the new movies still have a great spin on them.  The new effects are fun to watch and I enjoyed the new characters even though a lot of fans said they didn't, I am sure they still watched the movies over and over again.

So I hope you enjoy this piece.  It was fun to do and more are on the way.  I plan on doing a large collage of all the characters when I have them completed.  It is a great way to expand my abilities as an artist and show my love for a concept that further pushed me into the world of imagination and creation.

Thanks for watching and you can get a higher resolution download of this on my DeviantArt page at the link below.

May the force be with you! ;)

Robert A. Marzullo
http://www.robertmarzullo.com
http://www.ramstudios1.deviantart.com



Saturday, July 25, 2015

Digital Painting - Creatures And Aliens - Concept Art from the Blackston...





In this video I show you the process I use to create new characters for my Blackstone comic book.  I take the time to create the characters in Photoshop and add some digital painting.  Even though the book is in black and white, it gives me a better mental picture to work from in future renderings.  I narrate over the time lapse of this work.  What took me 6 hours, you get to view in 18 minutes.



These characters will each play a part in the upcoming issues of Blackstone Eternal.  I love to draw new characters and see what I can come up with for their back story and their worlds.  It is a fun thing to do when creating a science fiction book.



So please watch the video and let me know what you think.  More on the way very soon!



To support this channel and the Blackstone comic please visit my Patreon Page at :





Monday, July 20, 2015

How to Apply Shadows to Comic Book Forms - Tutorial by Robert Marzullo





In this one I explain how to add shadows to your comic book anatomy.  I show you some basic examples of how I do this within my comics.  I get a lot of questions on this topic so I hope this videos helps those that are trying to figure it out.  I still have a long ways to go myself in the study of light and dark but no better way to practice than sharing the process.



In this video I am using Manga Studios 5 EX with a Wacom Cintiq to create the artwork.



Thanks for watching! Keep drawing and keep having fun!



Robert A. Marzullo

Ram Studios Comics

www.robertmarzullo.com

Saturday, July 18, 2015

Yoda Speed Painting - Star Wars Character - by Robert Marzullo





Here is one I just finished of Master Yoda.  Everyone's favorite little cute Jedi knight with an attitude.  And why not, he can back it up.  He is the only Jedi that dies from natural causes so he must be the best.  Most Jedi's get light sabered to pieces but not Yoda.  He dies peacefully in his bed at 900 years old.

He may not be much of a looker but he knows how to use the force!  Well, I guess Luke Skywalker lived too but his career sure took a dive.  ( Just kidding Mark Hamill, you rock! ) Yoda reprised his role a few more times in 3D so I guess he wins.



Hope you enjoy the video and more like this one the way.  I love Star Wars.  It is the longest running favorite I can think of in my book....besides the Smurfs of course! ;)



Robert A. Marzullo

Ram Studios Comics
http://www.robertmarzullo.com  
http://ramstudios1.deviantart.com 
http://ramstudioscomics.blogspot.com 
http://www.facebook.com/RamStudiosComics 



Monday, July 6, 2015

Drawing A Character In Sketchbook Pro - Demonstration Video





In this video I explain my process once again. This is a time lapse with me narrating
over top.  The main focus of this video is how to work with your lines and keep moving
forward through the sketching process.  Often times we as artist will give up on a sketch
if we feel it going to the dark side of the force. :)  Sometimes you just have to persevere through
the rough patches and you will be glad that you did.  Other times you will not but hey, you got
to risk it to get the biscuit home skillet. lol

I will be doing a part 2 and 3 of this particular drawing.  I will show the inks and then the colors.  Please let me know what  you think of it and if you have any questions, I am all ears!

Thanks for watching!


Robert A. Marzullo
Ram Studios Comics
www.youtube.com/user/mrramstudios1



To support the production of the Blackstone comic please become a Patron at :
http://www.patreon.com/robertmarzullo




Sunday, June 21, 2015

How to Draw Rock Textures Tutorial - Narrated by Robert Marzullo





In this video I explain how I go about drawing rock textures and formations. I show you some of my techniques using Manga Studio 5 EX and a Wacom Cintiq to create comic book style rocks and mountains. This is an easy to understand process and you can apply this to digital or traditional drawing.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask and I will do my best to respond in a timely fashion. I thank you for your support in watching this channel.


You can also support this channel and the production of the Blackstone comic book by visiting my Patreon page here at :


http://www.patreon.com/robertmarzullo

Thanks for watching and please subscribe for new videos each week!

Robert A. Marzullo
Ram Studios Comics
http://www.robertmarzullo.com
http://ramstudioscomics.blogspot.com
http://www.youtube.com/user/mrramstud...
http://www.facebook.com/RamStudiosComics

Friday, June 19, 2015

Patreon Launch for the Blackstone Comic is here!!







So I finally did it.  I joined the band wagon and started a Patreon page for the Blackstone Comic Book.  Not sure how this will go but after my failure with the paid channel on Youtube, I figured I would give it a shot.  Nothing ventured, nothing gained!  So here is the plan.  This Patreon page is in place to help further the production of the Blackstone comic book.  It will help me.....no, it will force me to work on the book!  By being accountable to all the fans and supporters out there and having some financial backing, I will no longer be able to put Blackstone on the back burner of my work load.  So I am pretty excited to see what comes of it.  Either way, the books are getting done.  This will just speed things up a bit and possibly open some new doors.  Maybe.......color?  Wow, wouldn't that be neat.  I am getting pretty fast at digital painting these days so who knows.  Anything is possible.



So I just wanted to give anyone that follows my plight the latest update.  Join in if you can and don't feel bad if you cannot.  That isn't the purpose of this page.  It is merely a way for fans to help launch this character from the back of my tainted mind to the forefront of reality.....sorta.



Thanks for reading and more on the way real soon!



Robert A. Marzullo

Ram Studios Comics

http://www.patreon.com/robertmarzullo




Thursday, June 18, 2015

Ram Studios Comic's Paid Youtube Channel is Now Gone....... :(





Well, that was a short lived business idea.  The Ram Studios Comics paid channel took its last breath today.  I couldn't stand to see it not going anywhere so I ended it.  I brought my three videos over to my main channel so that they would be used and shared and seen.  I couldn't bare to watch them sit there and rake in one or two views a day.  I usually do not give up on something so quickly but I also felt that a lot of people really enjoy one perfect thing about Youtube. FREE VIDEOS!! ( Minus the ads of course! ) And I am guilty of this naughty pleasure myself.  Being able to tune in to whatever floats the proverbial boat while entering into a near vegetative state is what Youtube is all about.  It made me also thing about television.  I cannot stand most television but I occasionally watch it because it is free.  I have become so accustomed to big box office smash hits with large deep pocket special effects that I cannot seem to watch basic TV for very long.  And by comparison my channel is an even more basic TV so why would I charge?  Well, I offer knowledge......right?  Not good enough, Mr. Rogers offered more knowledge than I can ever share and it was all FREE!  And to this day that mind blowing song is stuck in my head.  What sorcery is this?!?!  So now to the point. ( If I ever really had one in the first place. )  Since I don't have a big budget to make fancy special effects, wouldn't it be better to at least share my work and hopefully gain more viewers and in turn maybe grow my career a bit more while helping my fellow artist.  Sure that sounds nice!  So that is what I came to the conclusion of.  Maybe I don't make much with my Youtube channel but the one thing it does very, very well is get my work out there.  Since I have been on Youtube I have sold more commissions than ever and been paid to do tutorials for various companies.  Even though the money from Youtube is almost a smack in the face, the exposure in invaluable.  So there it is folks.  Sorry I didn't stick to my guns and keep the channel pressing forward but it wasn't feeling right.



Besides it will allowing me to focus on this channel which seems to be growing pretty nicely and I am happy with that!  Thanks for your continued support and talk at you soon!



And remember....."It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood!" :)



Robert A. Marzullo

Ram Studios Comics
http://www.robertmarzullo.com
http://ramstudioscomics.blogspot.com
http://www.youtube.com/user/mrramstudios1
http://www.facebook.com/RamStudiosComics

Sunday, June 7, 2015

My Custom Brush Set for Digital Painting in Photoshop



In this video I show the brush set I use for digital painting and then share some of the techniques I use to work with these brushes.  I have condensed my brush set down to the bare minimal and by doing so it saves me a lot of time from searching through some large list of brushes.  And it forces me to focus more on painting techniques versus brushes to create the effects for me.

Let me know what you think of the video and you can follow the link below to download my brush set for free.  I hope you enjoy them!

Thanks for watching and more on the way real soon!

Rob's Digital Painting Brush Set :
http://ramstudios1.deviantart.com/art/Robs-Digital-Painting-Brush-Set-Photoshop-CC-538122251

Robert A. Marzullo
Ram Studios Comics
http://www.robertmarzullo.com
http://ramstudioscomics.blogspot.com
http://www.youtube.com/user/mrramstudios1
http://www.facebook.com/RamStudiosComics




And for my Tutorials and Custom Brushes Please Visit my Gumroad Store here -

Saturday, May 16, 2015

Creating Comic Book Panels In Sketchbook Pro - Narrated by Robert Marzullo





This video explains how to use the tools within Sketchbook Pro to easily create your comic book panels.  I also briefly cover some of the margins and safe areas when drawing your comic book art onto the page.



This is a basic understanding of the page layout process and easy to follow.  For any questions just comment on the channel and I will do my best to answer you back.



Thank you for watching!

And for my Tutorials and Custom Brushes Please Visit my Gumroad Store here -



Robert A. Marzullo

Ram Studios Comics

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Fan Art.....Right or Wrong???


Hello fellow nerds!  Here is my latest fan art for fun piece.  A character by the name of Silver Surfer and his arch nemesis Thanos!  On of my favorite characters as a child and rightfully so.  He was magnificiently powerful and righteously noble.  So this piece brings back a thought to my mind.  Silver Surfer is so noble of a character, what would he think of Fan Art?  Would his nobility get in the way of this often loved but otherwise despised activity.  Now Fan Art by itself is not evil.  It is only when you transact an amount of money that it becomes wrong, right?  So it is okay to draw these characters and showcase ones ability to draw these fantastic super heroes but not to be paid for the work.  You then tread on copyright laws and are stealing from the intellectual properties that these companies hold.

That part I agree is wrong.......somewhat!  Here is why I don't entirely agree with this matter.  Now to anyone from Sony, or Marvel, or Disney or whomever owns this character, this piece is only for display purposes and there is no sale taking place.  So please put your lawyers back into your pockets, thank you!   The reason I feel that this is wrong to tell artist they cannot create their art and showcase a character that is owned by someone else, stifles creativity and places a burden on an already struggling artist.  As an artist you can drawn an apple tree in a landscape and sell it without a hitch.  Edgar Allen Appleseed doesn't come knocking at your door wanting his piece of the apple pie, does he?  You can draw a portrait of a famous person from history and his great, great, great, grandson doesn't ask for his cut, does he?  You as an artist are giving you interpretation of the subject matter.  The way that I draw The Silver Surfer will be much different than  the way another artist would draw the same character.  I should be well within my rights to sell my origianl art, no matter the subject.  It is after all, my version of that subject.  I would agree that it is wrong to create copies and then sell those copies without distribution rights that are paid to the owner of that intellectual property.  That makes sense but to tell an artist not to create his fan favorites for profit is wrong.  It is hard enough for young artist to make a living and breaking into the industry is next to impossible, so why make it harder.  And to prove my honesty on this matter.  I have a comic book hero called Blackstone.  You can see him at the top of this page.  Feel free to draw him and sell the original art.  I encourage it!  To me, you are only promoting my product and your art.  I wouldn't like it if you were to create a video game with my character and not include myself.  But other than that, knock yourself out!  Now I admit, my character isn't known so the art probably will not sell like a picture of Spider-Man or Batman  would.  The main point is that the few sales that would help a young aspiring artist to feel good about his/her progression is mere fractional cents to the huge multimillion corporations that own the rights.

So that is my perspective on this subject.  Take it as you will.  I really didn't know it was considered wrong till a few years back when someone got mad at me for drawing fan art.  I thought they were joking at first.  Had they not ever been to a comic book art show where almost everyone in artist alley was doing sketches for cashola?  So then I began to research it and realized that it is actually illegal to  do without a contract with the rights holder.  And one last thing!  Does it really make sense to hold people back from truly dedicating to the development of more art of a specific character?  Don't you want fans to absolutely immerse themselves into that world?  How long can one do that and not pay the bills?  Not too long in my opinion.  So let people create and let them earn some coin to keep creating!

Anyhow, that is my two cents.  I don't claim to be an expert on this subject and I create fan art because I love to draw comics.  Since I haven't been magically inducted into the secret club of comic book magicians, I create my own for fun!  But either way, draw your comics and love every minute of it.  If you have to make money then have someone pay you to show them how to draw their favorite character and then give them the artwork as homework.  See how that works?  You didn't sell them the fan art.  You gave them an assignment to color it.  :)  Just kidding.  I don't want to encourage anyone to do anything illegal so do what feels right to you.

Thanks for reading and more on the way real soon!

Robert A. Marzullo
Ram Studios Comics
http://www.robertmarzullo.com
http://ramstudioscomics.blogspot.com
http://www.youtube.com/user/mrramstudios1
http://www.facebook.com/RamStudiosComics


Tuesday, April 28, 2015

My first Course on Tuts+ by Robert A. Marzullo....

http://design.tutsplus.com/courses/getting-started-in-sketchbook-pro


Here it is folks. My first course brought to you by Tutsplus.com.  I have completed this course, "Getting Started in Sketchbook Pro." It was a huge difference from the "How to Videos" I produce on Youtube each week but it was exciting to do.  They have a good structure to the way they produce their content and I learned a lot from this process.  When I do my Youtube videos I just hit record and whatever happens, happens.  But here, there is a planning stage, lessons are detailed, and editing is involved.  So hopefully this course will show the hard work that was put into it and be beneficial to any new Sketchbook Pro users.

I was really happy to hear that my lessons are working and that some people are taking notice.  I hope to do more of these in the future.  Only time will tell.  Until then you will see more on my channel so stay tuned and who knows maybe more lessons on Tuts+!

Thanks for watching!

Robert A. Marzullo
Ram Studios Comics
www.robertmarzullo.com
Youtube : MrRamstudios1

How to Draw Comics - The Quick Read - Manga Studio - Tutorial by Robert ...




In this how to draw comics lesson I go over the "Quick Read". The quick read is when you draw something in a basic and easy to understand sketch. So many artist go right for the fun stuff and try to over render their art to doll up the illustration. It is best if you first practice the fundamentals of the sketching process. In this video I go over some of these techniques in laying out a scene but then also how to not over detail areas that may not need it.

By creating a strong thumbnail or basic quick read sketch, your fancy rendering and line work will truly stand tall. It is in this part of the process you also figure out the composition of your piece. Something that is very important to creating a successful drawing. 

I hope you enjoy this video and please let me know what you would like to see in the future with this channel. I upload a new video each week!

This art was created using Manga Studio 5 EX and a Wacom Cintiq.

Thanks for watching and please subscribe!!

Robert A. Marzullo
Ram Studios Comics
http://www.robertmarzullo.com
http://ramstudioscomics.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/RamStudiosComics
http://ramstudios1.deviantart.com

Sunday, April 19, 2015

How to Make a Hair and Fur Brush in Photoshop - Tutorial narrated by Rob...





http://www.youtube/user/mrramstudios1 - In this video I explain how to create a very simple brush that makes a nice effect for creating hair, fur, and grass. It is quick and easy to do and I show you step by step on how to complete this task. For more digital painting techniques please subscribe to this channel and share the videos when you can.

If you have any questions or video request, please comment below and I will add them to the list. I do my best to answer all comments in a timely fashion.


This channel is supported by Fan Funding and helps me to keep creating new content.


Thanks for watching and new videos each week!


Robert A. Marzullo
Ram Studios Comics
http://www.robertmarzullo.com
http://ramstudioscomics.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/RamStudiosComics
http://ramstudios1.deviantart.com

I also have a paid Youtube channel for comic book tutorials at :
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbFC5...

Saturday, April 18, 2015

Applying color to your comic book art in Sketchbook Pro 7 by Robert Marzullo...



In this video I show you how I take Sketchbook Pro 7 and apply color to my comic book art. This drawing was penciled and inked in Sketchbook Pro. I then use layers set to Multiply to add color behind the line art. It is a quick and easy way to color and also very fun. I will admit, I still do most of my coloring in Photoshop but Sketchbook Pro is becoming so versatile that I use it more and more.

If you have any questions about the process or ideas for videos that you would like to see on my channels then please let me know in the comments section. I will do my best to address your thoughts.

Thanks for watching and more on the way ver soon!

Robert A. Marzullo
Ram Studios Comics
http://www.robertmarzullo.com
http://www.youtube.com/user/mrramstudios1
http://www.facebook.com/RamStudiosComics

For more content you can also check out my tutorials on my paid channel at Ram Studios Comics :


http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbFC5Lhdw0eCkhP5oG1CWxQ

Sunday, April 12, 2015

Ram Studios Comics Launches a new Youtube Channel...

I launched a new Youtube channel today. It is still in the beginning stage at this point but soon it should be a good resource for artist looking to gain more knowledge from in depth tutorials. It is a paid channel but I will be keeping the cost very low so that younger students can still afford it. And the main channel will still be in place for free content.

I will be posting one video a week for the primary channel where the content is free of charge. ( Still will have ads of course. )

Then the new channel will be longer more specific tutorials that you can either rent or pay a monthly amount and have access to all the videos I will be creating. ( Ad free. ) I will be doing two larger videos  per month on that channel. Along with some smaller vids in the tips and tricks section that I am creating.

I hope this will be a great resource for those that want it and also allow me to spend more time creating content and comics!

Thanks for your support and have a great day!

Robert A. Marzullo
Ram Studios Comics

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbFC5Lhdw0eCkhP5oG1CWxQ

Saturday, April 11, 2015

How To Draw Attractive Women - Comic Book Style - Narrated by Robert Mar...





In this video I explain how to use Sketchbook Pro 7 to first lay out the basic line work and

then refine the lines to get an attractive female face in a comic book style. This is the approach I

use to draw most of my comic book work.



If you have any questions about this process, feel free to ask. Please follow the channel if you like

to draw or are a comic book fan that enjoys to watch.



Thanks for stopping by and I hope you like the video.



This art was created in Sketchbook Pro 7 using a Wacom Cintiq.



Robert A. Marzullo

Ram Studios Comics
http://www.robertmarzullo.com
http://ramstudios1.deviantart.com
http://twitter.com/RobertMarzullo
http://ramstudioscomics.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/RamStudiosComics

Sunday, April 5, 2015

How to Draw Comics - Head Proportions and Features - Video Tutorial





In this video I explain how to draw a comic book style head and how to measure out where you facial features go. It is a simple and easy to follow system that I have used for years to draw all of my characters. After a while you will feel like you don't need to do this but when you drawings begin to suffer you can always go back to the basics. If you have any questions feel free to ask and I always do my best to respond.



Good luck to you with your art and thanks for stopping by!



Robert A. Marzullo

Ram Studios Comics
http://www.robertmarzullo.com
http://ramstudios1.deviantart.com
http://twitter.com/RobertMarzullo
http://ramstudioscomics.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/RamStudiosComics