In
February, Robert DeJesus made Katsucon fans happy with his hand-colored "Katsucon
9.1" badges whipped up during the snowstorm that stopped the world around
the Virginia convention. In March, DeJesus and wife Emily were making more
fans happy at the inaugural Tekkoshocon. Those fans wanted to learn how to
improve their art, and DeJesus was happy to show them. They offered help
with some of the details that drive artists crazy: hands and feet.
DeJesus
said that some artists have such a hard time with hands that they manage
to hide their characters' arms when they draw. "That one's hands look like
a turtle," DeJesus joked. His approach to arms starts with a fan-shaped object;
the fingers project from the top of the fan and the thumb extends from the
side. Feet look a little like hooves when DeJesus starts out, but he manages
to get the proportions correct. Much of the trick is to get proportions correct,
and arms can be as tough as feet and hands. DeJesus said he's seen many cases
where arms are different lengths and thicknesses for the same character when
posed at an angle.
Aspiring
artists ask DeJesus how they can advance their career, and he tells them
to practice - and not to give up their day jobs. He's a freelancer who does
most of his work at home, but that sort of life isn't as enjoyable as it
seems. Working at home means an artist has to generate his own schedule and
discipline, and there are lots of distractions for the self-employed, especially
if the artist enjoys video games. Many artists still keep day jobs, just
in case, DeJesus said.
In
February, Robert DeJesus made Katsucon fans happy with his hand-colored "Katsucon
9.1" badges whipped up during the snowstorm that stopped the world around
the Virginia convention. In March, DeJesus and wife Emily were making more
fans happy at the inaugural Tekkoshocon. Those fans wanted to learn how to
improve their art, and DeJesus was happy to show them. They offered help
with some of the details that drive artists crazy: hands and feet.
DeJesus
said that some artists have such a hard time with hands that they manage
to hide their characters' arms when they draw. "That one's hands look like
a turtle," DeJesus joked. His approach to arms starts with a fan-shaped object;
the fingers project from the top of the fan and the thumb extends from the
side. Feet look a little like hooves when DeJesus starts out, but he manages
to get the proportions correct. Much of the trick is to get proportions correct,
and arms can be as tough as feet and hands. DeJesus said he's seen many cases
where arms are different lengths and thicknesses for the same character when
posed at an angle.
Aspiring
artists ask DeJesus how they can advance their career, and he tells them
to practice - and not to give up their day jobs. He's a freelancer who does
most of his work at home, but that sort of life isn't as enjoyable as it
seems. Working at home means an artist has to generate his own schedule and
discipline, and there are lots of distractions for the self-employed, especially
if the artist enjoys video games. Many artists still keep day jobs, just
in case, DeJesus said.
