Publishing news: Off the Page, ebooks for special needs students

This caught my eye, I think it's worth mentioning:

Two New Zealand special education specialists write and self-publish a series of ebooks to teach special needs college students to read, to cover a serious gap in the market: ‘Off the Page’s 30 ebooks covered topics including surfing, getting a haircut, and cutting down a tree.’

For more info, visit their website: http://www.offthepage.co.nz/.

Notes on the go and on the going ons

I’m proud of my new logo. I think it reflects the spirit of Titi Sketches better than the previous one. Also, it was fun to draw and design.

Right now I’m trying a new working schedule and hatching new projects, guided by the fragrances and sounds of a downtown coffee shop.

I’d swear that big tree right outside the place has been looking at me funny. Maybe it’s just me, but trees nowadays seem too cheeky. Am I getting old?

Anyway, yeah. That.

Publishing news: Jack Davis retires at 90

Maybe you’ve heard: graphic virtuoso ‪‎Jack Davis has decided to retire at the young age of ninety, after an impressive career as an illustrator. He created comics and covers for EC Comics and MAD Magazine, was a cover artist for the TV Guide, TIME Magazine, Playboy, Esquire and Newsweek, and a poster artist for the film and music industries, among other things. Much of his work has recently been beautifully collected by Fantagraphics Books.

The master had some health problems in recent years, but didn’t stop doing what he loves. He can still draw better than you and me. It's simply that, as he told the Wire yesterday, “I’m not satisfied with the work. I can still draw, but I just can’t draw like I used to.”

I find it quite inspirational.

New drawing on the go

Hey!

I just drew another sketch on the go during my morning walk. You can watch the speed sketching video on my Tumblr, same as with the previous one.

I hope you like it, I’m having fun making them.

Drawing on the go

Little early morning doodling I’ve just done on my phone:

It felt like a good way of welcoming the day.

I drew it on my phone using my fingers, with the free app PaintJoy for Android: it is light, easy to use, and fun, because it allows you to watch a video of your drawing process at any moment.


[Note: I captured the video from my phone and shared it as a speed sketching video on my Tumblr. Feel free to watch it. Hope you enjoy it.]

Drawing software: Krita Studio

Trying the free software Krita Studio:

Yes, this was done digitally from start to finish. It felt like working on paper all the way.
Good software!

Recommended: Bill Watterson on Pearls Before Swine

Bill Watterson, who hasn’t published any comics since he ended “Calvin and Hobbes” in 1995, has drawn a few strips for Stephan Pastis’ “Pearls Before Swine” to help raise money for the Team Cul de Sac, to fight Parkinson’s disease.

And they are HILARIOUS.

Read all about it, and the strips themselves, in this article.

Recommended: Contract creator

Hey!

This looks like a useful tool to help freelancers create their own contracts.

Check it out!

Rescued work: caricatures of A

A good friend reminded me of a few caricatures I drew of her some time ago, and I dug them out of my archive. She has encouraged me to share them here.

So there you go, in chronological order:

Thanks, A!

This is what I did today

This is what I saw today, walking around in downtown Madrid:

“A good book is one that is opened with expectations

and closed with increased profit and knowledge.”

——Louisa May Alcott.

Recommended: Why Microsoft Word must Die

Hey! I just came across this article and thought it was worth sharing it here.

Don’t let the aggressive title put you off, it is a quite enlightening review of the evolution of word processors over the years.

The comment thread afterward is worth reading too, it adds many facts and nuances to the conversation.

Go read it, I hope it will inspire you!

Momma troll is looking for you

Sketched on Moleskine acid-free paper,

 using a 0.2 mm Staedtler pigment liner,

a Derwent Graphitint pencil and

a Letraset Tria water brush.

This is what I did today

You can learn more about it here: http://www.madrid.es/imprentamunicipal.

A troll pondering

Sketched on Moleskine acid-free paper,

using a 0.2 mm Staedtler pigment liner.

On Enthusiasm

“I began to realize how important it was to be an enthusiast in life. He taught me that if you are interested in something, no matter what it is, go at it at full speed ahead. Embrace it with both arms, hug it, love it and above all become passionate about it. Lukewarm is no good. Hot is no good either. White hot and passionate is the only thing to be.”

— Roald Dahl's Uncle Oswald

Sketch 111 — Don Pugliese, Part II

Howdy, boys and girls! Do you remember this fellow?

Yeah, it's Don Pugliese, a serious businessdog and an old client of mine. He's rendered a bit differently this time: last time I drew a realistic portrait that he commissioned to hang in his study. This drawing is part of a new project that I'm developing, that you will be able to read here at Titi Sketches soon, for free.

By the way, I've just opened a Pinterest account where you can see my favorite sketches in gallery form, in case you fancy looking at them from time to time (I sure do). The link will be accessible in the Contact section of this site whenever you need it, with the other means for contacting me.

Well, hugs and have a good one!

A Great Lesson On Asking and Sharing

This is a fantastic twelve-minute TED Talk by the musician Amanda Palmer: entertaining, witty, heart-warming and, above all, quite inspiring. I'd advise you to give it a try.

Apparently it went viral as soon as it was released, just a week ago. I only found about it today, when reading Neil Gaiman's blog (which I also recommend if you are interested in his writings, or in the business of writing), so I've decided to share it with you guys as surely there will be one or two more people like me out there who had missed it, and its message is, in my opinion, quite important.

Oh, and after you are done here you might want to visit Palmer's website, to learn more about her or to listen to her music for free (though I think it's well worth paying for).

New logo and postcard for Impronta Films

Hey, guys. Sorry for the few months without posting, life has been quite hectic. I'm going to try and remedy it from now on.

A while ago I explained how I revamped a logo for my friends at Impronta Films, a group of outstanding people who have in their hearts the passion for telling good stories.

Well, I just helped them redesign their whole website, stationery and logo as a holidays present (go there and check it out, if you wish). I also designed a little Holidays postcard for them to send to their friends, families and clients. Nothing too fancy, just a simple reminder to end the year (but not the world, as you have probably noticed) with good feelings.

I asked for their permission to share it with you, as I feel that they are a bit like a family to me, and so are you. They said yes, so here it goes (click on it to expand it):

As we are bilingual, so is the card. So, anyway, as the card says, I also wish all of you happy holidays and a prosperous new year of sketches 2013. Cheers!

Sketch 110 — Kids and kites

I drew a bunch of these a few years ago. This is one of my favorites:

Old sketch from 2009, mixed technique.

Donde — 010

Donde camino, 5