An Apple A Day

Fairy Tales in Taipei

2012-01-12T02:00:00.001-08:00

I've been on vacation in Asia for the last week or so. I had the chance to visit the ever bustling Hong Kong and now I'm in Taipei, Taiwan. On the plan ride over to Taipei, I read an ad in the in-flight magazine on an exhibit at a nearby museum on the Art of Disney. The first free moment I got, I went out there and checked it out.

At the National Museum of History in Taipei, from now until mid March, you can go see some of the behind the scenes, sketches, designs, notes, and all other kinds of fun little bits of information on some of Disney's most famous fairy tales. Ranging from Snow White all the way to Tangled, you can get a really unique perspective of these films. I'm a sucker for sketches and notes on designs of animations and films so I had a really good time. No pictures inside the exhibit though...:(

-G

Bad Boys, Bad Boys

2011-12-17T00:46:00.000-08:00

Whatcha gonna do when they come for you?

-G

Two Faced

2011-12-09T22:54:00.001-08:00

Cool Alter-Ego designs by Danny Haas. Check out his gallery here.

-G

Just Around The Corner

2011-12-07T21:01:00.000-08:00

Christmas Trees are everywhere! To each their own :)

-G

The Art of Waiting...

2011-12-01T15:36:00.000-08:00

Warm up doodle.

-G

A Villains Gallery

2011-11-26T10:38:00.000-08:00

If you've spent any amount of time in the geek world, then you'll unavoidably become familiar with some of cartoon's and comic's most famous Good vs Evil relationships. Many of us know the villains just as well as our heroes. Spider-Man had his Green Goblin, Batman his Joker, the Ninja Turtles their Shredder and The X-Men their Magneto. Despite the main villain holding their own in terms of characterization, a lot of times, what most people will agree on is that the reason many of these heroes have become so popular is due to their gallery of villains. Not only was there the Joker for Batman, but he also had an extremely large gallery of foes. As interesting as your heros are, a large cast of interesting, unique and different villains will bring so much more out of the hero than by themselves. Each villain should provide a new facet of challenge that will continue to round out the hero.

With that in mind, I've spent the last few months brainstorming and doodling ideas and potential characters just so I have a large gallery to choose from. Even if some of these are never used, its still really fun to just make up the character and backgrounds of potential bad guys. Above is a design for a band of villains that may find themselves showing up soon.

Its the "bad" in our lives that sometimes enhances and reveals, often times beautifully, the "good" that we have.

-G

Brave

2011-11-16T17:03:00.000-08:00

Disney and Pixar have released their new trailer for their upcoming film Brave. Check it out here.

-G

Round 2

2011-10-30T09:08:00.001-07:00

There's a method in there somewhere to the madness above. The itch is back. Volume II, lets get it going.

-G

Pioneers

2011-10-13T09:04:00.000-07:00

"Leaders are visionaries with a poorly developed sense of fear and no concept of the odds against them."

- Robert Jarvik

Here is an interesting Charlie Rose interview with John Lasseter and Steve Jobs, both visionary pioneers, back in 1995 as they discuss the computer generated animation process and their company, Pixar. I'm not a huge Apple person, but there is no denying the impact Steve Jobs has made in this world. Check out the video below.

-G

Thank You Mr. Jones

2011-09-18T12:06:00.000-07:00

I was pleasantly surprised when I found out that downtown San Diego has a great art gallery of original sketches, paintings and other works of the legendary Looney Tunes animator and creator of Bugs Bunny, Chuck Jones. Drove down this past weekend for a short inspiring visit to this gallery and loved it. Its always great to see these works up close, you get to see each pencil stroke and every shade of color. The man lead an incredible career and kept the most creative company. Dr. Seuss is a known close friend of Chuck Jones, and some original Dr. Seuss art can be seen here as well. I highly recommend a visit.Chuck Jones Galleries

232 Fifth Avenue

San Diego, CA 92101

-G

My City

2011-09-16T21:44:00.000-07:00

The San Diego Skyline: What if I told you that my city was the best?

This is probably as close to architectural art as I'll ever get. I've never been a fan of the preciseness of architecture, but this was actually kind of fun. Did this piece for the upcoming new Tailwind website.

-G

What's In A Face

2011-09-02T15:29:00.000-07:00

When we look at and recognize faces, we will often take for granted just how specific and unique each face is. The slightest change can completely alter what we naturally register as the face of someone we know. Most of the time, we won't be able to identify what that change is, but we just know, "something isn't right."

When drawing these portraits of my friends for their website, I was surprised how little it takes to make a face "not right." Of course, unless you know these guys, you probably wouldn't be able to tell me whether I did a good job or not, but whether or not I was accurate in capturing their faces, I walked away from this drawing appreciating the uniqueness of each person's face.

Be happy and proud of your face, it is special and uniquely YOU!

These guys are my friends, but I think I've stared at their faces longer than I ever want to again...

If you need any form of web development, give these guys a visit: Tailwind Web Design.

-G

Do The 180

2011-08-25T23:56:00.000-07:00

-G

Buddies

2011-08-17T22:01:00.000-07:00

Cherish your buddies...especially if you only have one.

-G

Blue Smile

2011-08-15T21:49:00.001-07:00

Been wanting to draw this image in my head for quite some time now. I think its brutally true that art can be heavily tied with emotions. After procrastinating for so long, I guess all I needed was a long hard work day, a glass of Old Fashioned, and I cranked this out in no time. Here's to happier smiles in the future.

-G

Better Days and Plaid Oranges

2011-08-09T10:50:00.001-07:00

I really love the idea of this website. It's a great example of art and photography mixing together wonderfully.The lighting effects also enhance that nostalgic feeling we all enjoy. Mix that together with colorful and happy characters and you have a very creative and emotional project.

To see more, visit: Plaid Oranges

-G

The Sound of Laughter

2011-07-28T14:49:00.000-07:00

Why do I always fall for your type?

-G

Captain Apple

2011-07-19T21:34:00.000-07:00

Captain Apple: Please don't sue me...

You can catch Captain America: The First Avenger on July 22nd.

-G

Master Potato

2011-07-17T23:39:00.001-07:00

Because this is what I thought of when I saw a potato. Any more questions?

-G

Step By Step: The Moldlings

2011-07-13T21:52:00.000-07:00

Most of the time an idea will pop into my head randomly at the most inconvenient times. Usually I try my best to doodle out the idea as soon as I can on whatever I can. This, more often than not, means I'm roughly sketching out a quick doodle on whatever scratch paper I can grab. From there, I'll fold and shove that sketch into my pocket so that I can scan it in electronically at a later time. Then the fun part comes where I'll clean up and refine the sketch as well as add color.

The finished design then goes into my bank of characters to use at a later time. How much later? Uh...let's just say I like designing characters more than telling stories.

-G

The Monster Engine

2011-07-11T15:01:00.000-07:00

I stumbled upon Monster Engine awhile back and have continually found it fascinating. The idea of the site is simple: take the incredible creativity and imagination of a child and refine it with the skill, craft and talent of a grown-up artist.

What the artist, Dave Devries, does is he takes the drawings and sketches of children, and then "fleshes" them out with his own painting and art skills. The results are really fun to look at and continue to solidify the thought that children really do have the most amazing imaginations.

If only we could always keep and retain that sense of wonder and imagination, I think life would be a lot more interesting. Oh well, at least we can try :)

For more, be sure to check out the site. Go Monsters!

-G

Still Going Strong

2011-06-28T23:49:00.000-07:00

I have a special fondness for Pixar and their movies just like the majority of the public, but I have to admit, the idea of Cars 2 did not sparkle with magic the way all of Pixar's previous works did. Although, due to their history of amazing films, I think the critics, deservedly so, had extremely high expectations for Cars 2. And because this extremely high expectation wasn't met, the critics were extra harsh in their critique and rating of the movie.

Despite this, I think Pixar has proven its record in the past and will continue to do so. If you even have the slightest doubt that Pixar still has it, which you shouldn't, check out the new teaser of their next film, Brave.

Amazing...

-G

Dare to Creep

2011-06-26T11:01:00.000-07:00

I was privileged enough to visit the Tim Burton Exhibit at LACMA this past weekend! I wasn't too sure what to expect from seeing his body of work since his style is a lot more dark and creepy then I'm used to but, I actually learned quite a bit. It was pretty cool seeing his progress and development from his early high school days to his present masterpieces. I got to see what art looks like when the artist is completely confident in his style. Burton definitely defies all rules of traditional shape and looks and that's what makes his stuff so unique. If I was to draw a head, it would be circular, but Burton would probably draw an upside down trapezoid shape. One could learn the mentality that artists have the freedom to define their own rules.

The Nightmare Before Christmas is still my all-time favorite Burton film :)

Inspiring and provoking. I wish I could've taken some pictures of the exhibit though...

The exhibit runs through October 31st

-G

Scan In Style

2011-06-25T22:48:00.000-07:00

Saw this article and thought it was a beautiful blending of design and business. Art sometimes is criticized as not having practicality and purpose. I think it all comes down to what your definition of practicality or purpose is. A little design and creativity never hurt anyone, right? I thought this was a great implementation of art in everyday life. I especially like the beer belly design on the right.

-G

Fruits Of My Labor

2011-06-22T23:38:00.001-07:00

I fulfilled a life dream last semester by taking my very first official art class at a local college. Although my interests lie in more computer generated art and design, this fundamental art and composition course was really something I needed to start off with. It wasn't always what I wanted to learn or draw, but it opened my eyes to a lot of new mediums and styles. I also doubled my knowledge of art supplies. I spent my fair share of time walking up and down Michael's, trying to figure out what a tortillion was. Below are some of the fruits of the last semester for Art 102 Drawing and Composition I.

Bora Bora: Oil Pastel

Taipei Night Market: Prisma Color Pencils

James Dean Portrait: Pencil

Paul Newman Portrait: Charcoal

Facial Study: Pencil

-G

All In The Family

2011-05-31T23:13:00.000-07:00

These were made by graphic designer Joe Stone. You can check out his blog here.

These designs embody everything I like.

Simple, Creative, Nerdy.

-G

Redefining Ugly

2011-05-26T20:38:00.000-07:00

Ugly Dolls have been around since 2001, and I've always loved their simplicity and design. The colors and shapes along with the creative back stories of these plush characters make them extremely marketable and fun to collect. Their popularity is definitely an awesome dream story and really inspirational to folks like myself.

There was awesome news today that Ugly Dolls just got the green light for their very own animated movie and it lead me to reread an awesome interview of David Horvath, who along with his wife were the creators of Ugly Dolls. The story of the creation of Ugly Dolls is also a wonderfully sweet story as well. Nothing beats the beauty that comes from the harmony of creativity and story. You can check out the interview here.

-G

Get Animated

2011-05-21T15:21:00.000-07:00

They're really rough first attempts at flash animation from a few years back, but I had a lot of fun with them. Seeing these again on an old computer folder got me looking at flash animation again. Hopefully I'll be able to show some improvements in the near future.

Appleman Landing Test

Fake Orchard Heroes Opening Sequence

-G

Closing A Chapter

2011-05-08T21:40:00.002-07:00

The Nosco Project begun as a response to a point in my life where I was seeking a challenge both as a means to break me out of a creative valley and as an interest in seeing how far I could go. I wanted to see the result of my creativity if it had been pushed to different limits and forced out of comfort zones. I invited friends and friends of friends who found this project interesting in order to have some company in this pursuit of challenge. Although short-lived, the project brought out responses from me that surprised me at times, which is sometimes pretty cool. I had a lot of fun working on the themes and actually came up with some work I'm pretty proud of.

A heart-felt thank you to all those who participated and I hope you all had fun. This chapter has now closed as has The Nosco Project, but it only serves to mark the beginning of the next!

Below are the rest of the pieces that I never got a chance to post. For more visit www.TheNoscoProject.com.

-G

Garden

Balloon

Coffee

Smile

Poker/Playing Cards

Shadows

Ice Cream

Fish

Reflection

Fountain

Three Little Pigs

Baking Made Easy

2011-05-05T23:57:00.000-07:00

Contrary to popular opinion, I do not survive by feeding off of cereal and frozen dinners for three courses a day. I actually enjoy cooking. My mom is a great cook, so I may have developed a slight interest from her. I also love trying new recipes and experimenting with new ingredients and flavours. But one thing I have yet to figure out is baking. I don't really have an interest in it, and I suck at it too.

A friend of mine is in the early stages of brainstorming and dreaming about what it would be like to make a business out of her baking abilities. I thought I'd help encourage that thought process with some brainstorming of my own of some designs that she might find useful.

Baking is just this easy right? Follow the formula and POOF! Delicious pastries and baked goods!

If she ever does start her business, I hope to use my doodles and sketches to pay for these tasty products that I've yet to figure out how to pronounce.

-G

For Old Time's Sake

2011-04-04T15:37:00.000-07:00

I have a love/hate relationship with seeing my old art. Hate, because I see all the little imperfections and areas for improvements as well as being flat out embarrassed with what I did before. And Love, because there is something very emotionally satisfying with seeing what you might have been thinking of, or feeling at the time old work was created as well as seeing improvements.

Orchard Heroes hasn't updated in over 2 years and I'm not sure if I will ever return to it again, but that doesn't mean a lot of the ideas and plans that I had for it didn't exist. I did this piece for fun just so I could get some of the ideas to come out. No, I wasn't interested in really writing Volume II, but I was curious to see how I would've drawn the characters if I were to restart the series.

The whole Volume II crew is below. The Orchard Heroes, Moldman and his Mold Army, as well as for their first public appearance, The Fungus Five, The Grape Tribe, Mildew Man, Cherry Girl, and Green Apple.

"Coming Soon" is relative...

-G

Back At It

2011-03-12T21:22:00.000-08:00

Inspiration comes in so many forms and methods. I never know when something is going to inspire me or when my creativity is going to be sparked. I kind of like it that way. Whenever I do get inspired, I've learned over the years to run with it right there and then. It can up and leave just as randomly as it comes, and all you're left with is what you managed to create during that time. Even if its not great or something I'm extremely proud of, just creating something always pays off even if its just a small sketch. I've come to the point where some of my old sketches and doodles inspire me now, you just never know.

Here's a quick design I did after chatting with my friends about creating game apps for smart phones. After reading about crazy success stories about the guys behind Angry Birds, we started brainstorming just for fun. Even if this may never bloom into something real, I still had fun with it. That's probably the best part about it all.

-G

Adventure Time!

2010-03-22T14:25:00.001-07:00

Adventure Time with Finn and Jake!

Cartoon Network is releasing their newest cartoon in about a month or so and the commercials and marketing technique has caught my attention. The commercials feature a real life kid running around dressed up like Finn in the cartoon yelling, "What time is it?" The commercials got me looking into the cartoon a bit more and theres something about it that clicks with me.

I've always wanted to see more stuff in the cartoon world with a more epic feel to it. Adventure Time appears to have that epic feel yet stay true to the cartoon nature of things. It doesn't really look serious, but maintains that balance of humor and adventure. I'm pretty eager to see how the cartoon is and look forward to enjoying the quirky storylines. If anything the art is very unique and fun. We'll see!

-G

Catch Up

2010-03-20T08:54:00.001-07:00

Life sometimes throws you on a traumatizing roller coaster ride where you find yourself in gut wrenching descensions and temporary highs. I find that these often draw out emotions that definitely affect my art and creative energy. Especially with my preferred style and themes, I feel like I have to be in a content or joyful state in order to "create." But I've been pushing myself to express my creative energy even in times where there may be no joy, and the results have been interesting.

With The Nosco Project, I have had a slight motivation to draw due to the publishing dates and below are a few months worth of catch up. May we always find the strength and courage to stand up and do what we are blessed to do regardless of the snakes and tangles that strive to make us fall.

For more visit www.TheNoscoProject.com

The Nutcracker

Sushi

Rain

Chinese New Year: Year of the Tiger

Humpty Dumpty

-G

It Only Takes 12

2010-01-27T09:12:00.000-08:00

Following the previous post, here is an even better example of what it means to capture the bare essence of things. Of course this makes the assumption that these superheroes are well known.

Looks like all it takes are 12 colored pixels for many of us to recognize superheroes.

Try it out.

12 Pixel Heroes

-GH

Simply Simple

2010-01-26T23:34:00.000-08:00

One of the more challenging, but satisfying things that I like doing is capturing the simple. In everything, whether it be a design, a face, an object or location, there is always an "essence" that makes up the core qualities. This "essence" is absolutely necessary in making this design, face, or object what it is. Sometimes in art, I find those that are able to capture this in their art are able to cut away all the useless details and waste in their work. Its amazing how much can be conveyed with just a few strokes, or choice colors. Once this "essence" is determined or captured, everything else becomes unnecessary.

If all this makes no sense, I completely understand. I barely understand myself most of the time. Below is an example of how using the same block shape for icons, the artist was able to capture the key qualities and colors that make up the character despite the limitations of shape. They probably could've simplified it even more, but this is cool regardless.

-GH

Goliath

2010-01-21T12:47:00.001-08:00

The first theme for The Nosco Project was Goliath. Not too sure how I came up with that, but it turned out to be a fun theme to start with. When doing these theme pieces, I usually go with my first impression of the theme. The first image, or first idea that pops in my head, I like to stick with and kind of play around with it.

When I started to work on Goliath, I just kept imagining an image from Hercules, the Disney version. So I went with that. Also I always like incorporating a new style so that it just forces me to improve on my use of the programs I draw with and also to challenge my creativity a bit. For this piece I tried out the style of using non-black borders for the shaping.

And here is the finished product...

For more awesome interpretations of Goliath...come and get to know TheNoscoProject!

-GH

To Get To Know

2010-01-10T00:32:00.000-08:00

After years of admiring the Drawergeeks website, I've decided to start up my own project. Working with some close friends and going by an invite only system, hopefully this will be fun for those involved as it will be for me.

The goal is simple. To inspire, improve, encourage, and enjoy.

Looking forward to seeing how this project develops and grows!

Welcome to TheNoscoProject..

-GH

Religious Vegetables

2009-12-30T00:09:00.001-08:00

Helped out a friend with his website by drawing a quick icon for his logo. Its an awesome and creative idea for a website. A great place to share prayer requests and to pray for each other as well. For more information or to join in on this great idea, check it out here.

Went through a few drafts and attempts before settling on this piece. Its a pretty interesting challenge when you're trying to make a head of lettuce look fun and hip.

-GH

Lemonhead and Co

2009-12-25T08:59:00.000-08:00

I was on the freeway when I saw a truck drive by with some interesting characters on the side of its carrier. I actually pulled closer and mentally jotted down what I saw. I got home and looked these guys up. As a kid I only remember the Lemonhead character, but I guess now they have a whole team of them. Thought these guys were pretty cool. Once again, I'm intrigued by anthropomorphic characters, and this time, they're even fruit.

Pretty cool. At least I think so!

-GH

Orbital Lonliness

2009-12-13T00:45:00.000-08:00

Did a piece of Fan Art for my friend Johnny's webcomic, Orbit. Go check it out, its very unique and entertaining. Great writing and a great set of characters.

My piece is a lot more depressing than the comic actually is, but I just kept imagining the lonely cold existence of a planet in space. Yeah, I think I need to go listen to some happy Christmas music...

-GH

Game Changers

2009-12-10T15:32:00.000-08:00

Got some new fan art...and boy is it awesome.

After my "retirement" from the Orchard Heroes series, I've kind of put a pause on drawing overall. I was in a slump for awhile and didn't really have the creative energy to draw again. But its stuff like this that really wakes me up and sparks that interest back up.

Thanks to the little homie Andy for bringing me back again. This is great stuff.

You can check out more from Andy here: http://deathchain.deviantart.com/gallery/.

-GH

She's Out Of This World

2009-12-09T19:56:00.000-08:00

Theme: Space Girl

And here is another piece as I desperately try to catch up in DrawerGeeks.

Got my inspiration from the Esurance commercials. An interesting practice on borderless shapes.

For hotter space girls...check out:

-GH

An Average Come Back

2009-12-07T18:49:00.000-08:00

Hey,

I think I'm back. Got a lot of lost time to make up. So here we go...

The subject off of DrawerGeeks that I left off on was Troll. So thats where we will start off.

Its good to be back =)

More Trolls? Check em out here!

-GH

Mold(Clay)man

2009-05-03T09:43:00.000-07:00

Here are some shots of a clay piece I did of Moldman. I've been reading up on working with polymer clay and its been really interesting to me. I used to love working with regular modeling clay, and I found some of the stuff in my room so I just started playing with it. Maybe later I'll actually get some polymer clay and bake my sculptures. For now this just sits on my shelf unbaked.

-GH

Sweetness

2009-04-14T19:55:00.001-07:00

DrawerGeeks! has put up its next subject: Candyland.

My piece is below. Decided to do the whole thing in Illustrator this time and had a fun time doing it. I wouldn't mind having a gummy bear tree.

Click this link to check out what the professionals did.

-GH

The Business of Bugs

2009-04-11T15:44:00.000-07:00

I'm constantly impressed by great ideas that utilize great creativity. I especially admire them if they're able to develop into a business that is both profitable and growing. Giant Microbes is a business that's been around for awhile now and I remember them garnering my interest in the past, but I've only just recently truly looked into the website and seen their whole catalog.

Giant Microbes are just giant microbial organisms turned into cute plush toys. The idea is simple and extremely creative. The market meets both the novelty crowd as well as the scientific community. I personally work in a science background so I can see how these soft cute microorganisms sell to the scientists and science teachers alike.

A co-worker of mine purchased himself nice set of E.coli that came brilliantly packaged in a cool "petri dish" case. The catalog is constantly expanding with the never ending amount of microorganisms that exist and that, I believe, is one of the strengths of this business. Looking to give someone the Flu? How about an Earache? Or why not some Bad Breath and a Pimple?

-GH

Geeks Who Draw!

2009-03-29T21:30:00.001-07:00

What I love about art is that there is no right or wrong in it. What's beautiful for someone can be hideous for another and they're both right at the same time. Interpretation is as varied as each individual mind and every one's an expert.

Drawer Geeks! is a website in which a group of professional artists who, by invitation, offer works of art based on a single subject that is posted every two weeks. The artists are professional comic book artists, illustrators, designers, and animators. There are almost no rules or guidelines and artists are free to interpret the subject as they please. As the site states, they can spend 10 hours or 10 seconds on it, its all art! You can check out the site below.

I find the whole concept inspiring and would love to take part in it, but as I said, its by invitation only. In my own way of participating in such an awesome concept, every time a new subject is posted up on the site, I'm going to post my own artistic interpretation of it here. Its a fun exercise and hopefully it'll keep me sharp and inspired.

So the first post by yours truly is below.

Subject: Dragon
A quick sketch to get things started!

-GH

Where The Wild Things Are

2009-03-25T21:44:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I get accused of not growing up and holding onto my childhood past too much. With all the stress and troubles of being an adult, its no wonder why many of us look to the joys and innocence of when we were young.

I've been following this movie for awhile and saw this trailer tonight and couldn't be more happy and pleased with what I've seen so far. Spike Jonze is the director and I think he's brought a beloved and classic childhood story back into life. I couldn't help but be reminded of happier and simpler times when I saw the trailer. Looking forward to it on October 16, 2009.

View the trailer below.

-GH

Smile!

2009-03-08T12:26:00.000-07:00

The first group photos of the complete Orchard Heroes. It took a little whlie to get Lemonman onto the team, but I insisted that I get the whole team introduced by the first volume. I haven't shown them all together so here are two shots of the team in its entirety.

Smiling pose...

And COOL pose!

-GH

Name Tag

2009-03-07T11:54:00.000-08:00

I got carried away writing my name on a name tag during a presentation. Granted, I don't remember much about the presentation or the content. But loook! Creepy Sun and Moon!

I find old weathered faces fascinating. The creases, wrinkles and that leathery look on older folks adds a lot of character to where they've been and what they've seen. This was done in pencil on cardstock.

-GH

Imitation

2009-02-05T19:38:00.000-08:00

One of my greatest supporters with Orchard Heroes is my friend Hai. He's created some work over the years and one of my favorites is his nod at the genre of detective noir. He's only written one story for the character of Eytan Stone, but its a good one. I've tried to nudge him to write more, but what can I say...he spends his time drawing fan art for those crazy super hero fruits instead. In my response to that, I've drawn a piece of my own fan art for his webcomic. It was fun drawing humans again. Check out Eytan Stone in Pushing Up Daises...its a page turner.
-GH

Interpretation

2009-01-24T21:51:00.000-08:00

A couple more pieces of fan art to post up. The one by The Haip was done back in the day, but Lemonman hadn't been out in the comics yet, so I didn't put it up then. Notice the initial color of the Professor's costume. I'm glad I went blue on that one. The other piece is done by my little brother, he's got a unique...interesting take on Appleman.

-GH

A Master of Toast

2009-01-23T20:22:00.000-08:00

For those who don't know, Toastmaster clubs are these things where people get together to practice and learn how to improve public speaking. I had a meeting this week at work about bringing a Toastmaster club to my site and an image just kept flashing through my head during the meeting. On my train ride home, I let my mind wander and doodled up that image on my laptop.
Hey, it was Friday afternoon, I was tired ok?! Its funny right? A yelling peice of toast?? Come On!

-GH

Entrance Notifications

2009-01-15T23:06:00.000-08:00

In the potential event in which you may be important enough to warrant notifications on the door of your chambers as to your current status, I provide you with the designs of state of the art Orchard Heroes Doorknob Hangers.

I'll be uploading the correct sized graphics on the website soon. Find them in the Crafts section under Fun Stuff. Cut 'em out, tape 'em together, hang 'em up.
-GH

**Update** Doorknob Hangers are up!

-GH

Issue 30: Lemonman

2009-01-11T17:35:00.000-08:00

Ah I've made it!

Finally here is the last issue of this volume. Issue 30: Lemonman is available. I'm both excited and anxious about how the next volume is going to turn out. I have lots of ideas and characters to play around with so hopefully this upcoming break will allow me to organize a bit. Thanks to the readers and the fan artists for this volume's run. It was a great learning and fun experience and I'm looking forward to another volume in the near future!

Keep checking this blog for new ideas and drawings I might update readers with.
Thanks!
-GH

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T02:33:00.001-08:00

-GH

Issue 29: In The Doctor's Care

2008-12-31T02:16:00.000-08:00

Squeezing in before year's end is Issue 29: In The Doctor's Care. Feeling quite accomplished with this one. I got a chance to throw in some drawings that relate to my real job in this issue. This one definitely was one of the funner ones to draw.

Here's wishing everyone a Happy New Year! Looking forward to 2009 and its possibilities!
-GH

Crazy Good!

2008-12-27T23:58:00.000-08:00

Nothing pumps your blood full of sugary goodness like Pop-Tarts in the morning. I'm a fan of the stuff, but I've cut back considerably since my younger days. The recent commercials I've been seeing for Pop-Tarts has caught my eye though. The animation has a quirky quality to it that reminds me a lot of the Don Hertzfeld animation that used to consume my study times.

The folks over at Head Gear Animation are responsible for these cool little random clips. Check out the site and enjoy a Pop-Tart. Then go run a mile to work it off!

-GH

Issue 28: Back to Headquarters

2008-12-17T08:38:00.000-08:00

And here...we...go...

I've planned to divide the Orchard Heroes issues into 30 issue volumes.

Why 30?

Because I'm taking a short vacation and it just happened to work out to 30 issues. It'll be nice to kind of refresh and have some time to work on this stuff so that my updates won't be so...delayed.

So much thanks to those who have browsed through my amateur attempt at comics as we round out the first volume. All the comments and fan art really make this kind of stuff fun and worth doing.
2 more issues to go!

Oh yea, here's Issue 28: Back to Headquarters!
-GH

A Birthday and a Symbiote

2008-12-16T21:23:00.000-08:00

I got a few more pieces of awesome art to add to the Fan Art section. I think its kind of cool how when the same character is drawn by another person, the character almost takes on a different personality and feel. The hand-drawn birthday card was sent to me by my friend Annie, and the inspiring Symbiote piece was done by my friend Johnny. I must say, seeing the small changes and adjustments people make to my original design really opens up new story ideas...

Thanks guys!

-GH

Up!

2008-11-07T11:19:00.000-08:00

The trailer to Pixar's upcoming film "Up" is now available. When I first heard about the premise, it intrigued me and just seeing this trailer now has given me that good ol' Pixar feeling again. Click on the image to see it! "Up" hits theaters May 29, 2009.
-GH

A Shirt Fit For A Hero

2008-10-27T19:48:00.000-07:00

Got a nice gift in the mail the other day from my college buddy.

Presenting the first and only Orchard Heroes t-shirt!

There's a certain awesome factor in seeing something you created being printed on anything. Its too cool to wear, so I'll be putting it up on my wall to stare at with PRIDE!

Thanks Milpool.
-GH

Button Pins?

2008-10-09T22:40:00.001-07:00

When considering different items to paste your characters or designs on, usually you'll come up with clothing like t-shirts or plush and vinyl toys. Along those lines, usually you'll find the ever impressive button pin. Not too sure when or if I'll even do anything with these, but I did the designs just to see what they'd look like.

Who wouldn't want six brightly colorful super hero fruit button pins on their favorite item of clothing? That's stylish right? No? Alright, fine.

-GH

Chloroville

2008-09-28T19:55:00.001-07:00

Interested in more walking fruits and vegetables?

Check out this really clean and well drawn webcomic Chloroville. I like posting art and creations by other artists, and this was something that really caught my eyes. Webcomics of talking fruits and vegetables are rare, (to my knowledge), so I find it entertaining to see how other people take this on.

Good job Mr. Victor Wong! Keep up the cool work!

-GH

Audacious

2008-09-28T16:49:00.000-07:00

A new piece of fan art by MLin. The title is awesome.

Presenting to you...Audacious by MLin.

-GH

Issue 27: A Diversion

2008-09-21T18:27:00.000-07:00

Issue 27: A Diversion has just been uploaded. It's been really hard lately to work on the comics, but slowly but surely, they're slowly getting finished. Apologies for the delays!
-GH

Orangeman Beyond the Lines!

2008-09-09T17:41:00.000-07:00

Here's Orangeman without lines. Perhaps the cape is a bit long, but I think it looks pretty cool.
-GH

Bookmarks!!!

2008-08-18T20:17:00.000-07:00

Introducing the first ever Orchard Heroes Bookmarks! Two designs are available for multiple characters. Just visit the site or click here.

The bookmarks are just one of the crafts that I'll be making available for free. Just a simple download onto cardstock and then cut them out.
-GH

Tributes

2008-08-17T10:44:00.000-07:00

When I first started to brainstorm the whole Orchard Heroes idea, the first person I bounced a lot of these ideas off of was my old college roommate. I'm not sure how we did it but we somehow were able to create a bunch of comics, draw multiple pieces of art, and even write and animate movie trailers and STILL graduate college. Anyway, I figured if HE hated it, I'd just toss the idea. Turns out he kind of liked it and even created some of the first Fan Art for Orchard Heroes. Below is a piece of his work he did in tribute to the Action Comics #1 cover by Joe Shuster. You can check out his other work at http://www.freewebs.com/roninpro/. Cool stuff.

Sometimes you just have to bounce your ideas off of a friend, just to to see if those ideas come back...I don't really know what that meant. Maybe, if your friend didn't like them, I guess he wouldn't throw them back? Anyway, enjoy.

-GH

Issue 26: Kiwi's Got a Plan

2008-08-16T17:12:00.000-07:00

Issue 26: Kiwi's Got a Plan is up on the site. I tried to play around with perspectives a bit on this one, showing different angles of viewing the scenes. Hopefully after reading this issue, you get an idea of how musty, damp and...moldy the Mold Forest is. I also tried to use a "focusing" effect in that scene where Moldman stares at the "special" vial, an inspiration from movies.
Anyway, enjoy!
-GH

Free!

2008-08-15T12:02:00.000-07:00

Been brainstorming a few ideas on what I could put on the "Fun Stuff" section of the site that would be fun and ...free. I kind of would like that section to be a place where fans could pretty much print out activities, or crafts and have cool little products. I worked out a few ideas and have been busy designing them so that the activities and crafts are both easy to do and create.

So look forward to seeing Orchard Heroes bookmarks, facemasks, coloring pages, and other crap!

I'll post some designs as well as rejected ideas here soon.
-GH

Reading Material

2008-08-07T21:09:00.000-07:00

Just read "How To Write For Animation," by Jeffrey Scott, and I have to say it was a really enjoyable read. I bought this book for some insight on how dialogue is written and how character is developed, and I really learned quite a bit. The author writes in a casual tone that makes the more technical aspects of the business more understanding. I'll be trying to apply the things I've learned into future issues of Orchard Heroes and hopefully it'll be noticeable. Even though its written more for those writing scripts for cartoons, a lot of the things discussed are totally applicable to me.

If you need something to read, check it out.

-GH

Drawing Beyond Lines

2008-08-04T21:07:00.000-07:00

Below is the first of many graphics of the Orchard Heroes that I've been working on. Sometimes, what's considered basic knowledge to most artists can be like an awakening to someone like me with no artistic background or training. I've recently discovered how great things look without the restricting black outlines after I started playing around on Illustrator. I felt like I had discovered something awesome until I started to realize that a lot of art out there avoid black outlines. Either way, I'm kind of eager to see how other designs turn out with this new discovery.
-GH

Issue 25: Another Way

2008-07-31T21:58:00.000-07:00

Issue 25: Another Way has just been posted. Click on the link to check it out. A few other updates on the Character Page as well.

Had fun drawing them underground. Anytime I get a chance to change up the scenery and the background, I find it a nice break from the usual forest setting. Also guest appearances from members from the Orchard community are always fun to draw. I underestimated how hard it was to draw an earthworm and not make it look like a snake...I need to practice more...
-GH

The Princess and the Frog

2008-07-30T08:30:00.000-07:00

Disney's much anticipated return to 2D animation begins with the 2009 release of The Princess and the Frog. I'm extremely excited to see Disney return to traditional animation especially if John Lasseter is in charge. He's now the Chief Creative Officer of not only Pixar, but Disney as well.

Those who don't know, John Lasseter was one of the founding members of Pixar and director of some of your favorite Pixar films.

Check out the trailer at the website linked above. Its looking good so far.

-GH

Anpanman

2008-07-29T20:49:00.001-07:00

One of my biggest inspirations and influences are the stories from Anpanman by Takashi Yanase. I was 11 or so and my dad bought me an English translation collection of Anpanman comics and I remember I couldn't put it down. The art was so simple and colorful and the stories were childish, but it was awesome to me.

If you're not familiar with Anpanman, its an extremely popular Japanese comic for children. The main character, Anpanman, has a head that is basically a red-bean filled pastry. Anpanman's creator, Uncle Jam will often replace his head when it becomes damaged when fighting his arch nemesis, Baikinman, a germ. Weird enough? Gotta check it out, its great. Below are paintings that can be found at Anpanman World in Yokohama, Japan.

-GH

Development

2008-07-28T10:41:00.000-07:00

I was cleaning out the email boxes and found some designs I had created with MS Paint. Orchard Heroes was officially created only a year or so ago, but I had been chewing on the idea for some time. Along with the idea chewing comes random sketches and drawings that I tend to do. The designs below were made back in 2005 and it surprised me how much the designs had changed. I wonder if artists often look back at initial designs of their characters and find them amusing. I usually keep all my sketches and designs, but for some reason, I had totally forgotten about these.

Anyway below are what the Orchard Heroes COULD HAVE looked like...don't ask me about why Appleman looks like he wears his pants up so high...he just did.

-GH

Applying Knowledge!

2008-07-27T09:21:00.000-07:00

I had the privilege of attending Comic Con 2008 this year thanks to a co-worker who couldn't make it at the last minute. Being that I live in San Diego, I almost had to go. So my buddy Felipe came down from LA and we headed to downtown SD bright and early on Friday. I had a great time, the whole event was inspiring. Mainly I wanted to learn all the different mediums that are possible when doing anything related to comics. Took lots of pictures and took notes on all the different marketing and merchandising strategies...you never know right?

I also attended a really cool panel on webcomics made up of a really entertaining group of web comic artists. Through all the jokes and stuff, they actually gave a lot of really really awesome advice and tips. Hence this blog!

I got pretty excited after seeing all the other work that people are doing out there. Check out the awesome Mr. Toast, by Dan Goodsell. Pretty cool stuff on that site. Seeing work like this inspires me!

I think the main thing I took away from all of this was to "have fun." With 18 thousand webcomics out there, you've got to go into this thing with an attitude of fun and enjoyment. I end this post with a great piece of advice that just stood out to me, "Don't quit your day job." Yes sir.
-GH

Greetings!

2008-07-26T11:48:00.000-07:00

Hello there! First post and first time blogging here. I'm going to use this blog to share more of the process and thoughts that go into creating the Orchard Heroes webcomic. I'll also be sharing bits of art or designs that I'm working on and also all other things that I find cool and interesting. Things that... tickle my fancy. Was that creepy? Sorry.

That's it for now, just kind of wanted to post the first post so I can see how it looks on the blog.
-GH