Drawing Backgrounds in Clip Studio Paint - Freehand Method Over a Perspective Grid

Drawing Backgrounds in Clip Studio Paint - Freehand Method Over a Perspective Grid

Hello Fellow Artists!

I just wanted to share another video with you that I created.  In this one I show my process for starting with a very loose sketch and cleaning up the work with minimal use of the perspective guides.

Don’t get me wrong, I still use the perspective tools here and there as well as the straight line tool but by drawing as much freehand as possible we tend to get a more interesting and organic look.

I picked this concept up from the amazing talented David Finch.  He does his version with pencil and paper but then I started to emulate it with digital methods.  Clip Studio is my weapon of choice today but I also like to use Procreate as well.

So here is the breakdown of the drawing process -

1. Draw a rough sketch.  It’s good to have a concept first but some people like to drawn the perspective guides first. Try both ways to see what fits for you.

2. Drawn a perspective grid through the design on a new layer using the perspective ruler.  I personally like to add more lines where I need them and less where I don’t.  Another cool technique you can try here is making the lines different colors for each direction.  This is insanely easy in Clip Studio since you have layers to work with.

3. Now you can start inking and cleaning up the work.  I like to tighten up the work as I go rather than redraw it all again.  This takes practice but it can be a bit faster and help us to avoid over thinking all the details.  I’m a chronic over thinker.  Plus, since we are working digitally there are lots of ways to correct things as we go.  

4. Try drawing just a couple of thin lines in perspective but then draw over them and through them as you render your scene.  Too many straight lines can make everything look too clean.  This is a style choice but for this example I want a building that looks older and more weathered. 

I also feel like this approach lends to creative thinking since you are making decisions on the go and using the rough sketch as a blueprint.  Rough concepts are where the ideas and energy come from.  We tend to lose some of that as we over refine the work.

5. Just continue to clean things up but also keep adding imperfections along the way.  It really helps to tie it all together. I like to use black and white and flip between them by hitting “X” on the keyboard.  It’s like having unlimited whiteout as I ink.  You can always change the layer mode to “Multiply” later to color beneath it all.

You can watch the video here and see it all in real time with me blabbing on about my process of course! ;)

If you have any questions or requests for new video tutorials you can reach me through my website at https://www.ramstudioscomics.com on my contact page.

I also have some perspective tutorials on my main website like this one - Perspective Drawing Techniques - How to Mirror and Map Distance

More videos are on the way and thank you for viewing.  I am working on a cleaner line art version to show the comparison.  I know styles vary greatly and I enjoy experimenting anyways.  So more on the one soon.

I hope you found some value here!

-Robert

How to Draw Superheroes - Female Proportions and Suit Designs

How to Draw Superheroes - Female Proportions and Suit Designs

I just created a new Skillshare class to add to my next course on, "How to Draw Superheroes - Start to Finish!"  This will be just another part to the course that will be packed full of great information!

In this particular lesson we will cover basic proportions of the superhero female form. You will learn how I draw a turnaround of a character, then how to apply anatomy and a suit design. Breaking down the process can make it much easier to accomplish.

This can seem like a basic lesson but I assure it is a very important one to practice. Turning the character around on the page gives you a great sense on how they look from these basic angles. Then drawing them in more dynamic poses is easier to envision. Don't worry, we will get into all that advanced stuff later, I promise!

Get them on Skillshare!

If you want to give this class a look here is the link - https://skl.sh/2K8mb2w

You can also get my class on the male proportions version here -  https://skl.sh/2HCOOY2

Do you prefer Gumroad?

If you want to just buy this course you can get it on my Gumroad page here. Just please keep in mind that you pay for the full course now and get the lessons as they are completed. I will be adding new lessons each week until the course is completed. 

Get it here - https://gum.co/zgpix

By the end of this course we will cover all the various techniques I use to create comic book heroes. Things like proportions + distortions of the body, dynamic anatomy, suit designs, powers, rendering/crosshatching, shapes of shadows, action poses, foreshortening, and by the end of it we will complete a full scene creation to put all that knowledge to the test.

I hope you will join me for these lessons and I am here if you have any questions. As always keep drawing and keep having fun! :)

Robert A. Marzullo   

Ram Studios Comics

http://www.ramstudioscomics.com

How to Improve Your Creature Design Drawing - Step by Step - Now on Skillshare

Creature Design Course on Skillshare

_______________________________________________________________

How to Improve Your Creature Design Drawing - Step by Step

In this class you will learn how to draw a variety of creature concepts. I will walk you through all the techniques that I use to draw imaginative creatures every day. This class is good for traditional and digital artists.

You will learn how to draw various studies to improve your knowledge and gain inspiration. We will cover break downs of specific areas in the creature anatomy to better understand how their bodies work.

You will learn to draw and study the spine since it is the foundation of almost any creature you will draw. I will walk you through creating lots of different concepts in this class. 

Here is a break down of the Lessons that are currently available -

L1 - The Spine Says it All - In this lesson you will learn why studying the spine is so important and follow along with me as I illustrate a few examples.(Run Time - 13:09)

L2 - Thumbnailing the Concepts - In this lesson we will thumbnail 11 different concepts. This is an integral part of the design process. By keeping the ideas loose and the sketches quick ( 5-6 Minutes ) you can express a lot of concepts to work from.  (Run Time - 8:54)                                                                           

L3 - The Brain Box - In this lesson you will learn how to draw various heads for our creatures. We will talk about some of the differences that define predators and prey. (Run Time - 9:19)

L4 - Creating Variations in Your Concepts - In this lesson we will draw 6 creature designs but focus on making each one very different from the previous example. This can be a great way to stretch the imagination.     (Run Time - 12:00)

L5 - Animal Leg Studies - It is important to study various parts of animal anatomy to gain perspective on your creature designs. Here we will draw 3 examples from animals and adjust them slightly to look more imaginative.  (Run Time - 7:57)

L6 - Merging Concepts Together - In this lesson you will work with me as I draw 6 different creature limbs. Each will have at least 2 various traits mixed together to create the design.  (Run Time - 11:04)

L7 - Adjusting Proportions - In this lesson you will learn how to create a creature concept and then adjust the proportions to make a very different version of that same creature. This can be another very useful exercise in developing a unique creature design.  (Run Time - 11:03)

L8 - Project Ogre Thumbnails - In this lesson you will learn how to work from a script like a real pro does. This is a fun and important exercise to do so let's get to it. We will start by drawing out our thumbnails to this concept.  (Run Time - 17:02)

L9 - Cleaning up the Concept - In this lesson we will draw one more thumbnail and make our decision on what to keep and what to pitch. We will then start to clean up our sketch.   (Run Time - 17:08)

L10 - Refining the Drawing - Now the heavy lifting has been done and we will start to refine the line work and make it pretty for the client or our portfolio...or both!  (Run Time - 18:50)

_______________________________________________________________

To get started with this class just visit this link - http://skl.sh/2xbxSiD

More lessons are on the way and I am here if you have any questions or feedback for me. You also get access to all of these art files to study from.

Robert A. Marzullo

Ram Studios Comics

www.ramstudioscomics.com

Learn to Draw Action Heroes Book by Robert A. Marzullo

Learn to Draw Action Heroes!

My new book is now completed and off to the printer! Super excited to share this with everyone. I have been working on this for months and I had to keep it under my hat which is tough for someone like me that likes to blab a lot!

The book is "Learn to Draw Action Heroes!" It is a 144 page monster with all kinds of step by step examples. I did my best to break down all the parts that go into drawing dynamic action heroes.

It is being printed and distributed by Impact Books. It is also available for Pre-Order on Amazon. The actual book will be released on September 13th 2017. Get your copy here - http://amzn.to/2soW3Yp

I put a lot of work into this one and I would love to know what you think of it if you decide to get a copy. As with any of my products I am here to help if you have any questions. Feel free to leave an honest review so others will know what they are getting.

If you like you can also watch a video of this cover being inked and colored here on my Youtube channel -  https://youtu.be/ZDTw4_NzC8E

I will be sharing some samples pages real soon.

Thanks for tuning in and good luck with your art! ;)

Robert A. Marzullo

Ram Studios Comics

www.ramstudioscomics.com

Teaching a Comic Figure Drawing Class on Skillshare

Skillshare Comic Figure Drawing Class

I am now teaching a class on Skilshare. The current class if focused on Figure Drawing and Comic Character creation. I will be adding more lessons each week so let me know what you want to learn and I will make it happen! I want to teach some techniques for breaking down the poses and reconstructing them with confidence. My classes are more for aspiring comic book artists but they can be translated well for fine artists too. The same basic principles apply and a lot of what I will be teaching can apply to other things in your art.

I hope you find this content valuable and I am interested to hear what you think. There will be exercises to make sure you are learning what you need to. That is one of the things I find pretty neat about Skillshare. As well as the lessons being smaller bite size segments, unlike my larger courses on Udemy and my Gumroad.

Sign up for my Skilshare classes here and I look forward to helping you with your ART!! http://skl.sh/2nBoUec

Robert A. Marzullo

Ram Studios Comics

www.ramstudioscomics.com

Figure Drawing Foundations - Proportions

Figure Drawing Foundations - Proportions by Clayton Barton

Hello fellow comic art guys and gals. I have a pretty cool offer for you if you find yourself wanting to get better at drawing comic book hero proportions. We have all struggled in that department a time or two and it never hurts to work on that subject as much as possible. So here is just the thing to get those mental gears working on that topic.

Figure Drawing Foundations - Proportions by Clayton Barton. Clayton has done a stand up job at breaking down the barriers when it comes to understanding proportions. He goes into great detail on this subject and sheds light on this tricky topic. He also gives you a nice variety of tiers to choose from. Since one size doesn't fit all, you can choose from a few packages to suit your level of interest for this topic.

In the various packages you get video walkthroughs, PDF's, access to a virtual classroom, and lots of finely crafted lessons. I have been drawing a long time and I must admit that I am finding some great tips and tricks in here that I needed to learn. He has done an excellent job at covering all the bases to understanding body proportions and character designs. He breaks it down in an easy to follow manner which is so valuable when doing these types of studies.

So if you need that level up on your character work this is the course content to check out. And please share the work. Clayton is an amazing teacher and to keep him creating great content sharing the work is essential!

You can get his content here and good luck with your art!

click here - https://gumroad.com/a/941962355 

Robert A. Marzullo

Ram Studios Comics

www.ramstudioscomics.com

Can I Make a Living as an Artist?

Can I Make a Living as an Artist Image

So let me first say that I feel it has NEVER been a better time to be an artist or illustrator. Whether you create comics, clip art, video demonstrations, or you enjoy digital painting, the resources available to generate a living from your art have never been more accessible. You can create video courses, custom brushes, print on demand services, clip art sites, create game art, app designs, online mentorship, and the list goes on and on.

So this has been a question for us all at one time or another.  "Can I Make a Living as an Artist?" Often it is also a source of negative debate so I wanted to give my views on the matter. I have been a working artist for most of my life now. Sometimes as more of a designer and other times as more of a business man when I ran a small sign shop for 15 years. ( It was called Ram Studios Signs :)  Although I ventured out in the name of making money I was always and artist at heart. I probably would have never started a business if I have not listened to the negative comments from people telling my that I would struggle financially to be a comic book artist. It ultimately led me to think of other products and services that I could market to my local area. Which at the time was Flint, Michigan where I grew up.

I learned a lot from starting and running a business but nothing more important than what I came to the conclusion of. I need to create art on my own terms. Sounds selfish right? Maybe it is but I had spent years creating designs and projects for everyone else. I needed to get back to creating my own ideas, my own comics. To tell you the truth I probably would have kept going if I was at least drawing comics or storyboards but I couldn't bare doing graphics anymore. I was quickly coming to the realization that I compromised who I set out to be.

I had let the negative comments stick with me by thinking that I may not be able to make a good living if I didn't have my business. It was time to venture out again and start over. This time putting art in the front seat and money in the back seat. ( Notice money is still in the car though. ) We all have to pay the bills but money shouldn't be the driving factor. Money is a by product of a successful and happy lifestyle. If you spend your time doing something you love then you will have lots of opportunity to share that with the world and the money will follow. Besides, how many times have you heard about people making lots of money that are utterly miserable. The trick is to make a good living and be passionate about what you do. Then you will never get tired of putting in the time needed to be successful.

After putting in lots of years as a business owner I was ready to move on and finally just be an artist. So that question reared it's ugly head once again, "Can I Make a Living as an Artist?" The thing that was now different from when I started my business was that there were so many ways to share the journey of art with my fellow creators now. That is what gets you ahead in life in any profession, sharing knowledge. That has never been easier than now with social media, Youtube, blog posts, and digital downloads. As an artist you are in a unique and very powerful situation. You have the ability to create on a level that most cannot so it is extremely easy for you to share you message. Others have to hire someone like you to help create that visual display.

With today's means to quickly share you work and find an audience you can make a good living easier than ever. You can even take a very small niche and grow your audience very quickly if you work hard at sharing the work. You can grow that niche to a large scale because you are working off a global market now! Here is a run down of what has worked for me so far -

1. Help others learn what you know. They will appreciate you and help spread the word for you because of it. Create FREE content! Not everyone will share your paid promotional stuff but if you share what you learn, others will share it too. You help others like yourself and you get some free advertising in the process. ;)

2. Market yourself. You love your art, right? Quite worrying if someone else doesn't. Share your work and develop a thick skin. You cannot make it in a competitive industry like comics/illustration without taking criticism like a pro. Learn what it is to actually market your work. You can have amazing art but if you don't know how to sell it then you might as well just do it for fun. Here is the definition of Marketing, "Marketing is the promotion of an idea, good, or service that benefits individual and or organizational objectives." So the key word here is "BENEFIT." Learn who your work benefits and that is where you need to focus your energy on marketing.

3. Always have an empty cup! You ever hear the phrase, "Can't fill a cup that is already full." If you think you know it all, you have already failed and it is time to empty your cup. Only when you realize that you know nothing can you truly begin to grow. To be a successful artist you have to get better than the competition and there are lots of hungry amazing artists around the world that you now need to compete with. Luckily for us there are also a bunch of lazy artists that think they know it all already. Don't fall into that category.

4. It's a real job! Work hard at it if you want to succeed. Don't think you can create an amazing piece once a year and get the proverbial fat cash! We now live in a fast pace hi-technology age of information. So don't think people will wait around to see your amazing art next year. They have attention spans that can only be measured in nano seconds. You have to put out lots of content if you want to make it as an online artist or a production artist of an kind. Quality is king but speed is queen and you can't have one without the other.

So there are lots of things out there to think about when it comes to being an artist in todays world but I assure you that you can make an excellent living as an artist these days. If you are still wondering how to do this just study some of these sites and what they have done for lots of hard working artists.

Patreon - Kickstarter - Udemy - Gumroad - iStockPhoto - Amazon - Youtube - FineArtAmerica - Twitch - Etsy - RedBubble - Society6 - Envato - CreativeMarket - Skillshare - and so on....

There are tons of great resources out there for artists like never before and this is only going to grow. Just remember that as an artist you can create a visually impactful statement that transcends language barriers. That alone is extremely powerful and very marketable. If you work hard you can make a living at anything you do so why not choose something you love?

Good luck to you can keep up the good fight!

For my video where I talk about this topic, please visit here - https://youtu.be/qLqWP2sHvfY

Please leave your comment and share your thoughts on this as well. It helps other artists to grow and learn from each of our experiences.

Robert A. Marzullo

Ram Studios Comics

http://www.ramstudioscomics.com

Visit my Gumroad to see some of my digital products that I have created for artists that want to learn how to draw comics and digitally paint - http://www.gumroad.com/robertmarzullo

Comic Book Heroes Pose Pack - RAM

Comic Book Heroes Pose Pack

I started my first Comic Book Heroes Pose pack on my Gumroad. These will consist of all of my favorite poses that I have developed over the years and a bunch of new ideas that I am working out. There will be action poses such as fighting, lifting objects, throwing, kicking, power poses and so on. There will also be a lot of the overlooked stuff like basic social interactions. Even things like sitting around drinking a cup of coffee. You need all sorts of poses to tell a well rounded story. ( You are also welcome to make requests on a pose you would like to see. ) This is just the start of this pose pack so get it early and get access to all of these as they are created and uploaded. The price will increase when the pack gets larger but for now you can get your copy at the bargain price of $3. You will get all the future updates included if you purchase now. The other benefit to this pose pack is that they will be organized for easy access. So if you find yourself in a pinch when constructing that next panel of art you can quickly reference this pack. These will be in a mannequin style drawing so that you are not hindered in your own creative process. I will include some anatomy shots but they are merely for you to study. This is not meant to replace your own drawing process but act as an aid to it. You can still jump on my Ram Studios Comics newsletter and you will get lots of free poses to work along with but they will be more gesture and style based than this pose pack will be. Join the newsletter here - http://www.ramstudioscomics.com If you want to try it out here is my Gumroad link - https://gum.co/UJaJe As always, thank you for your support and good luck with your art! :) Robert A. Marzullo Ram Studios Comics

Comic Book Poses - My Sketches and Studies

Comic Book Poses by RAM

Working on some more comic book poses. I am going to compile them into a set on my Gumroad but I will be sharing some of them as a monthly newsletter. So if you are like me and you would love to have lots of various poses to work from head over to -

http://www.ramstudioscomics.com - and sign up for the list.

I will be doing all sorts of pose studies. Everything from couples sitting there having some coffee to hulking behemoths busting through walls.

This should be a great resource for all types of artist that need figure drawing but it will be primarily focused on comic book heroes. Male and female poses. 

It should also be a nice addition to my course content so if you decide to take those you will also get a copy of the PDF's.

Good luck with your art and more on the way real soon!

Robert A. Marcello

Ram Studios Comics

www.gumroad.com/robertmarzullo

#drawing #comics #poses #figuredrawing #reference #studies #sketches #superheroes #pose #comicstyle #artwork

Art Year in Review 2016 by Ram Studios Comics

Well another year in the books and it went by all too fast. Now it is time to reflect and make some well needed improvements to my art. I am decently happy with some of my creations of this year but I have also found some real chinks in my armor. I don't want to sound negative but I feel it is an integral part of growing one's art abilities to find our flaws. To fix something you must first acknowledge it's presence. And it is easy to look the other way when our work is less than perfect. A bad habit to get into if you want to improve.

So here are some of the things I will be working on this year and what I see wrong with my current work. First and foremost I will be focusing on my proportions. Exaggerating features is common in comics and science fiction illustrations but it must be kept in check or your art will border on the realm of amateurish. So to hone my skills and perception in that arena I will be doing lots of figure drawing studies. I don't think there is any better excercise for that problem.  Unless I can get my hands on one of those machines from the Matrix where you can just upload the data to your brain box.

The next thing I want to improve this year will be my knowledge in adding colors. I think a few of my pieces came out nice but my ability with the coloring process could be much better. I am confident with the application of the colors and digital painting but I need to know more about moods, color balances, color theory, and all that jazz. I have always enjoyed creating the line work the most but now it is time to grow past that.

And finally, I want to improve my backgrounds and compositions. Drawing cool characters is great but you can't bring them to life without amazing backgrounds. So I will be doing lots of studies where I break down the composition from all my favorite comic book panels. Don't worry, I won't steal any bodies work. I will just study the work and figure what my scenes are lacking.

There are lots of things I can complain about when it comes to getting better at my craft but I don't want you to think I am an unhappy camper. I am extremely grateful for where I am at with my skill set. I just really want to be the very best that I can. So I am excited to learn all that I can in 2017 and I will do my best to share that process along the way. So if you enjoy comics like I do, please stick around! We can learn together.  ;)

Robert A. Marzullo
Ram Studios Comics
http://www.ramstudioscomics.com

How to Draw Eyes - Male Vs Female - Step by Step

In this video I talk to you about how to draw eyes for both your male and female characters.

I show you a few of my techniques for sketching and refining the eye shapes. How to spot flaws in the symmetry and fix them and so on.  This lesson was in response to a request so be sure to let me know what video topics you would like to see covered in the future. 

I upload at least 2 to 3 times a week so be sure to subscribe to get notified about new videos as they are released.  I will be bringing my Live Streams back to Youtube as I wasn't too impressed with Twitch's platform. It seemed very glitchy and I think it better for gamers than art videos. IMO.

I believe it will be better to keep all my uploads on Youtube for now and sharing some premium content through my Patreon.

In this video I am using Sketchbook Pro 8 and a Wacom Cintiq to draw with.  I don't talk at all about the program in this one because I want it to be helpful for traditional artists as well.

Thanks for stopping by and good luck with your art! :)

Robert A. Marzullo

Ram Studios Comics

http://www.robertmarzullo.com

http://www.youtube.com/c/robertmarzullo

Follow me on Gumroad for Custom Brushes and Video Tutorials -

http://www.gumroad.com/robertmarzullo

Support my work on Patreon and get High Resolution Art Files and Videos exclusively for my Supporters -

http://www.patreon.com/robertmarzullo

#drawing #comics #howtodraw #eyes #video #art #artwork #lesson #learntodraw

My New Gumroad Page - Update - Brushes and Templates

New Gumroad Page - http://www.gumroad.com/ramstudioscomics

Quick update for everyone who might visit my Gumroad page.  I had to create a secondary page for my FREE products.  A few of these were getting downloaded so much my bill was increasing and I really can't afford it right now.  But this may work out better for everyone.  I can keep creating free items and sharing my content while still gaining tips or Pay What You Want type contributions.

So just to clarify - If you don't want to pay anything you simply hit 0 during the checkout process.  The + is jut there for people that want to help me keep making new content.  That is it!  Right now you can get my comic page template, my Procreate Brushes, my Basic Photoshop Paint Set, and my PS Patterns download.  There are more things I am working on now and you are always welcome to contribute ideas on what you would like to see in the future.

Keep in mind that my paid Gumroad is still in place for my students and supporters at
http://www.gumroad.com/robertmarzullo

I also lowered the price on some of the lessons to hopefully make it more accessible for everyone.

Thank you for taking the time to read this update and good luck with your art!

Robert A. Marzullo
Ram Studios Comics

Drawing Superhero Women - Various Poses - Comic Style

Here are some more poses to study.  This is one of my favorite things to practice.  I always learn from drawing various body poses from either other artists or from life and giving it my own spin.  I think this is one of the fastest ways to grow your knowledge and perspective as an artist.  It helps to draw a variety of these so that you don't just jump right to the same static poses you have drawn over and over again.  Plus, the female body is so tough to get right in my opinion.  Very easy to get proportions wrong and make things look overly robotic.  As you can see with these poses I still have a ways to go but we all do.  I think no matter where you are in your figure drawing, you can still improve.  And if you don't see that in your work, then the game is over.

So I hope you enjoy these poses and I will share more along the way as I create them.  Good luck with your own studies and enjoy your journey! ;)

Robert A. Marzullo

Ram Studios Comics

www.robertmarzullo.com

Follow me on Gumroad for Video Tutorials and Custom Brushes - 

http://www.gumroad.com/robertmarzullo

Become a Support of my work on my Patreon and get Bonus Content and High Resolution Art Files -

http://www.patreon.com/robertmarzullo

How to Improve Your Figure Drawing - Udemy Course Offer Code

Here you can watch a quick demo of my "How to Improve Your Figure Drawing Step by Step" course that is available on Udemy now.  

Get 50% Off this course with this offer code - https://www.udemy.com/how-to-improve-your-figure-drawing-step-by-step/?couponCode=50OFFNOW

This course has been doing very well on Udemy and you can read the reviews for yourself before purchasing.  This course is a step by step approach to drawing the human figure.  I walk you through breaking down the process and building the forms back up to help simplify the process and commit it to memory.

I hope you enjoy this course and you can also use this offer code to receive 50% Off my course on Drawing Comic Book Style Faces -

https://www.udemy.com/creating-comic-book-faces-in-sketchbook-pro-8/?couponCode=50OFFNOWOFFER

Thanks for watching and let me know if you have any questions.  I will be happy to help!

Robert A. Marzullo

Ram Studios Comics

www.robertmarzullo.com

Monster teeth - Step by Step - Drawing and Coloring

Here is another step by step Youtube Video. No commentary on this one, just drawing.  I will have to release quick ones like these when my deadlines get tough so I hope everyone understands. At least this way I can still keep sharing content along the way. This one is just me drawing and coloring some crazy monster teeth.  Because you never know when you might get asked to draw some crazy monster teeth, right?! ;)

This was drawn on the iPad Pro using Procreate and the Apple Pencil.

You can get the same type of device I used here with my Amazon Affiliate link -

iPad Pro 128 Gig - http://amzn.to/2cswFM1

Apple Pencil - http://amzn.to/2cPUOLt

 I hope you enjoy it and more on the way!

Robert A. Marzullo

My Gumroad -

http://www.gumroad.com/robertmarzullo

My Patreon - 

http://www.patreon.com/robertmarzullo

Drawing Batman on the iPad Pro using Procreate

Here is a fan art piece of Batman that I did entirely on the iPad Pro with the software Procreate.  And I must tell you it feels very natural to traditional drawing methods.  I am now hooked with this device.  It follows me everywhere.  With the Apple Pencil I can sketch on the go and they did a great job with the battery life for both the iPad Pro and Apple Pencil.

Plus Procreate is no slouch either.  It supports exporting to PSD's which keeps all your layers intact.  It has some of the best perspective drawing tools that I have found thus far.  And it even saves a time lapse video with every drawing that you create.  For an app it sure seems like a powerhouse of a program.

So now I am doing my best to create full comic pieces and I will even start drawing some of my panels to my Blackstone comic on here next.  I was really just looking for a way to do basic sketches on the go, but the more I use it the more I feel that it may be fully capable of completing finished works of art!

Probably the best thing about the entire process is that it is so responsive.  I don't feel any lag whatsoever and the Apple Pencil feels more natural than any other stylus I have tried.  It also feels like it is directly on the surface versus some tablets where the pen tip has a small gap from the drawing area because of the screen thickness.

All and all I must give this setup a 9 out of 10!  I would give it a perfect 10 but Procreate doesn't open PSD's yet and it doesn't have primitive shapes which I think is just a tiny bit silly.  You can create custom brushes to get around that issue or download them.  But I think it they add a few more features this will be a lot closer to a desktop experience on the go!

Thanks for reading and more on the way real soon!

Get Your iPad Pro here - http://amzn.to/2bFsSMK

Robert A. Marzullo

Ram Studios Comics

http://www.robertmarzullo.com

http://www.patreon.com/robertmarzullo

http://www.youtube.com/c/robertmarzullo

Udemy Discount Codes on my Drawing Courses

Here are some discount codes for my Udemy Courses.  For a limited time you can get access to my figure drawing course on the Udemy platform for 50% Off

This is a basic approach to Figure Drawing for comics. This entire tutorial is 3.5 hours. I share techniques that I have used over the years to create comic book illustrations and storyboards for television. You will learn how to systematically break down the various parts of the body into simpler shapes.  As I illustrate each area step by step you will follow along and learn from my studies. This will give you insight into how I create my artwork and create poses from the mind. I also share what techniques I use to improve my knowledge of the human form. Things like gesture drawings, timed studies of the pose, negative space drawing, foreshortening, perspective, organic versus angular lines, and much more. You will also be given a copy of the art files that I have created here so that you can work along and study from them. By the end of this course you should be more confident in constructing your figure drawings from the mind and have a better understanding of the human form. 

The tips and tricks from this course will make the process of drawing complex body poses much easier to accomplish. Good luck with your art!

Here is the offer code and I hope you enjoy the course!

https://www.udemy.com/how-to-improve-your-figure-drawing-step-by-step/?couponCode=50-PERCENT-OFF-NOW

This is  a comprehensive Video Tutorial on How to Draw Comic Book Faces in Sketchbook Pro 8. This video set is 1 hour and 20 minutes with Sketchbook Pro 8 layered files included.  You will also get a copy of my Ram Studios Comics page template.  I will show you and explain the process of how I start with basic forms and techniques to create my comic book characters in this easy to understand software.  We will create the line art, refine the lines, and apply color.  You will learn about various brushes, layers, and general drawing techniques for better comic book illustration.

This course is 6 Lessons that explain the entire drawing process of a Male and Female face from start to finish.  This artwork is created digitally but many of the techniques in this course will also apply to traditional art as well.

                                    Here is the offer code and I hope you enjoy the course!

https://www.udemy.com/creating-comic-book-faces-in-sketchbook-pro-8/?couponCode=50-PERCENT-OFF

More courses are in production now so if you enjoy these be on the lookout for a Part 2 on How to Improve your Figure Drawing - Characters in Action

And How to Draw the Head from Any Angle - Features and Expressions.

Both will be very in depth studies with lots of content!

Sign up to my newsletter for updates on these new courses.......

http://eepurl.com/b5lZwH

Drawing Harley Quinn - Video Demonstraton in Sketchbook Pro 8

You can get it here - https://gum.co/CKLGA

Here is my latest addition to the Gumroad page.  This is a real time video of what it took to draw this Harley Quinn fan art piece.  It is 4 hours long with the full Sketchbook Pro 8 Interface.  It also includes the 300dpi Layered Tiff and/or PSD document to look over and study from.

I know this is a long video but I have had request to show everyone my real time work flow so here it is.  Let me know what you think and also what you would like to see more of on my Gumroad and that is what I will deliver.

Thanks for your continued support and best of luck with your art!

NO AUDIO on this Video Set.

Robert A. Marzullo

Ram Studios Comics

Drawing Spider-man on the iPad Pro in Procreate

So here is my latest drawing of Spidey on the iPad Pro using the program Procreate.  I must say I am really enjoying this tablet.  And Procreate is making the drawing process feel very natural as well.  With some of the best perspective tools I have seen and even a handy "Quickline" feature that I have not seen anywhere else.  Not that keeps the same brush effect anyways.  So this drawing was created with the new setup and I am pretty happy with it.  It still isn't as finished of a piece as I would do on my Cintiq but it allows me to create on the move and still get to a close enough rendering where I can touch it up on my desktop if I have to.  But really I don't think I would need to.   I like the rough

pencil look I get on this program.  Looks more like drawing on paper in my opinion.

You can see a quick demonstration of the perspective tools of Procreate along with the Quick line feature here - https://youtu.be/gkKI4FHtVr8

More on the way real soon and be sure to let me know what characters you would like to see in future drawings!

For more of my Digital Content please visit my Gumroad at -

http://www.gumroad.com/robertmarzullo

To Support my Art and my Videos please visit my Patreon page at -

http://www.patreon.com/robertmarzullo

Thanks for stopping by!

Robert A. Marzullo

Ram Studios Comics

www.robertmarzullo.com

Drawing Comics on the iPad Pro by Robert A. Marzullo

Here is one of my first sketches on the iPad Pro and I must say I am hooked!  Right out of the box this sucker performs really well.  I immediately jumped on Procreate because I had used it a few times in the past on my iPad Air but felt it was still a bit too rough with the plain stylus or my finger.  But the new iPad Pro with the Apple Pencil makes all the difference in the world.  I truly see myself switching this this device for at least 50% of my work flow.  Let me explain why.  To start I want to first say that I was saving up to get a Cintiq Companion 2 because I am huge Wacom fan which you probably already know if you watch my Youtube channel.  I love their devices BUT after reading tons of reviews I was a bit skeptical on buying the Companion. ( Which you should never buy a companion. You should fall in love with someone and have a meaning relationship.....oh, sorry.  That is a different type of Companion. lol )  Anyways, I am sure they are still amazing devices that will run full sized applications like Photoshop, Zbrush, Manga Studio, etc but I really just wanted portability and speed which the iPad Pro delivers all the way!  

The other amazing thing about the iPad Pro is the long battery life.  I can draw all day on that device without charging.  You get a full 10 hours of battery life with a full charge and the Apple Pencil charges really fast!  If you plug it into the iPad Pro for 15 seconds it gives you an immediate 30 minutes of use.  How cool is that!?!  It also runs flawless with no lag.  None that I can find anyways and I work with pretty large files when I draw or paint.  The other nice feature is that it is so quick to jump in and start working.  No boot up times and no wait.  That is huge when you are multi tasking like I am.  And very important when you are drawing comics and what to quickly sketch an idea down so you don't lose it.

Now most professional artist will say, "That all sounds great but I need a full working system to do what I do."  And for the most part you are probably correct.  But think of it like this, if you have to lug around a full computer to do every aspect of your work then you may need to trim some fat.  Drawing and painting should be a fluid process.  You don't want all this other stuff in the way of your creativity and that is what the portable devices are all about.  Not to mention, Procreate does an amazing job at being as powerful as Photoshop in a lot of ways.  It even saves out your work in a time lapse video, so for someone like me who likes to share his work on Youtube almost daily that is a HUGE plus!

Another thing that they got right is the Apple pencil's feel.  It handles like a real pencil.  One of the things that I never fully enjoyed about the Wacom devices was the larger stylus.  They just feel too bulky for a natural drawing experience.  The Apple Pencil feels just about right.

So can I see myself drawing my comics on this device.  Yep!  The inking is even awesome on this device. ( That will be in an upcoming video so be sure to stop by the channel. )

I am already drawing panels from my comic on this beast and then transferring them over to my desktop to compile them in Manga Studio 5.

In closing - Will this tablet replace my Cintiq and desktop, probably not.  Does it add a huge dynamic and functionality to my work flow. Damn straight skippy!  If you are like me and you draw for 12 hours a day then you would love the idea of taking some of that show on the road.  And this device is perfect for that! ;)

This was my very first sketch on the iPad Pro with Procreate.  Just under 2 hours.

You can use my affiliate link here to check out the iPad Pro on Amazon -

http://amzn.to/29I4VjG

For Video Tutorials and My Custom Brushes please visit -

http://www.gumroad.com/robertmarzullo