The Caffeine Power Nap!

This is a real method I use all the time for the countless allnighters I have to pull for my overloaded work schedule and to take care of our baby who also never sleeps. Might not work for everyone, but it works for me. Obviously sleep is important for health and I'm not encouraging anyone to deprive themselves or anything like that (don't sue me if we all find out not sleeping kills you, it was your choice to try it), but being overloaded is a reality in everyone's lives and if you just can't help but miss sleep, you might give this a shot. I feel much better after!

"The Caffeine Nap is simple: you drink a cup of coffee and immediately take a 15-20 minute nap. Researchers found coffee helps clear your system of adenosine, a chemical which makes you sleepy. The combination of a cup of coffee with an immediate nap chaser provided the most alertness for the longest period of time in tests. The recommendation was to nap only 15 minutes, no more or less and you must sleep immediately after the coffee." - via http://www.sleepdex.org/caffeine-nap.htm

I'd like to add that for best results, stay hydrated. REALLY hydrated (which also helps keep you awake) and JUMP out of that bed/chair/floor/computer keyboard. If you jump up and get moving, get that blood going, your body and mind will feel much better much faster.

Let me know if it works for you! Good luck with your deadlines!! If we keep at it, we'll reach success and get away from the sleepless nights!

~Ray

RayDillon.com | Twitter | Facebook | MySpace | DeviantArt

Books on Visual Storytelling

What is Visual Storytelling?

Telling a story visually, that's what! And it's a very important and difficult thing to learn. Most books you see on "How to Draw Comics" talk about anatomy, perspective, and composition and touch on some of the smaller points of storytelling, but leave out all the really unique parts that really make an artist a powerful storyteller and a book a success!

Pace and Mood are two of the most powerful tools a comic book artist can master. The size of the panels, distance between them, the way you represent passing time, dramatic lighting, how the angle and placement of the 'camera' can make your reader feel (bird's eye = safe, worm's eye = down in the action), to the way a silohuette and the choice of not using dialogue can take a characters mournful posture from sad to distraught, depressed, hopeless.

I've picked some of my favorite books that look outside of the normal grids and action shots of how to draw muscular superheroes and delve into the intricacies of the art and craft, Visual Storytelling.




Please let me know what you think and if you have any favorites of your own. If I haven't read them yet I would LOVE to!

~Ray

RayDillon.com | Twitter | Facebook | MySpace | DeviantArt

[VIDEO] Business of Art Vol. 1 by Massive Black

This is the trailer for a downloadable video series that will be very important to the art community. Business is never covered to any length or in such a direct way as this appears to be. Getting the entertainment business advice directly from an entertainment lawyer is fantastic! So, check out the trailer and got to http://www.ConceptArt.org and keep an eye out on the Downloads section for this to be released!



~Ray

RayDillon.com | Twitter | Facebook | MySpace | DeviantArt

"S.E.A." Graphic Novel & Movie

Project I'm painting & lettering.


ABOUT "S.E.A.": A bio-weapons scientist driven underground by NATO violently reemerges to take back his stolen research even at the cost of relinquishing his last connection to humanity - the crudely bio-enhanced soldier made from his dead brother. http://www.NegativeImages.com




Some of the cast of characters:


"Betrayal is the birthplace of revenge."

Sketch to Paint


Tools: Photoshop CS5 & Axiotron Modbook Apple Tablet Computer

~Ray

RayDillon.com | Twitter | Facebook | MySpace | DeviantArt

Paranormal / Ghost Book I'm Illustrating

Don't think I can tell you much more about this project yet, but there is lot more to come. Hope you enjoy!

Pencils, Inks, Colors, & Letters by Me. Tools: Photoshop CS5 & Axiotron Modbook Apple Tablet Computer

~Ray

RayDillon.com | Twitter | Facebook | MySpace | DeviantArt

Zombie Ray Play Kickball!!

Here in Portland Maine, they have an annual Zombie Kickball game where everyone dresses up like Zombies and... play Kickball!! Just a reason to dress up, be silly, and get in the Halloween spirit! This was my first time and it was so much fun!

Makeup by my wife Renae De Liz - she's incredible at anything she tries! Both me and my son were done in an hour and it was her first time ever trying!
Our son, Tycen (7) even got into the action:
Our baby boy, Drake, was just a light snack between innings. :o)





See my photo stream of the day here: http://plixi.com/raydillon Click the arrow to the left to continue in order. Some really flattering pics of me in there. :o)

For more on Portland Zombie Kickball follow these links:

Official Facebook Page
YouTube Search for Portland Zombie Kickball
John A. Macy Photography

Thanks for looking!

~Ray

RayDillon.com | Twitter | Facebook | MySpace | DeviantArt

Island Tales!

Island Tales is a comic anthology based on folklore and mythology from the Pacific. Some stories are adapted from traditional stories while others are modern retellings of the classics.

Created by our great friend Stephen Smirl. He's a genius and one of the nicest guys in the universe!

This first story I'm illustrating for them is based on the old poem "The Battle Between Two Chiefs" and the legendary Chief Gadao.

Pencils, Inks, Colors, & Letters by ME.
Written by Jeremy Fiest

FOLLOW ISLAND TALES!!
http://www.twitter.com/islandtales
http://www.facebook.com/islandtales (Almost 15,000 fans!)
http://www.islandtales.com



I pencil, ink, color, and letter digitally in Photoshop CS5 with an Axiotron Modbook (Apple Tablet Computer)

You can also see Island Tales work by my wife, Renae, and I. She pencils 'Pono Loa' and I ink and color.

I will be doing a ton of work for Island Tales, so stay tuned for more! And please spread the word! Let your comic shop know, share it on your social networks. Help us make this something special! Thank you!!

Thanks for looking!

~Ray

RayDillon.com | Twitter | Facebook | MySpace | DeviantArt

15 Influential Artists & 15 Minutes

The Rules: Don't take too long to think about it. Fifteen Artists who've influenced you and that will ALWAYS STICK WITH YOU. List the first fifteen you can recall in no more than fifteen minutes. Post YOUR list in the comments! I'd love to see it.

1. Renae De Liz (Also my wife! I'm awesome!)
2. Norman Rockwell
3. Bob Ross
4. Justin Sweet
5. Marko Djurdjevic
6. Ryan Ottley (not just saying that, dude!)
7. Todd McFarlane
8. Greg Capullo
9. Rob Liefeld!
10. Joe Maduriera
11. Joe Kubert
12. Kerry Gammil
13. Bernie Wrightson
14. Frank Frazetta (how did I almost leave HIM off?!)
15. Tony Diterlizzi

Did the list in about 1 minute so I might be forgetting some. Seems good, tho.

RayDillon.com | Twitter | Facebook | MySpace | DeviantArt

Will Smith Wisdom

One of my favorite inspirational/motivational videos ever. Such great advice!



QUOTES:

"Being realistic is the most commonly traveled road to mediocrity."

"Its unrealistic to flip a switch and a light comes on. Fortunately Edison didn't believe that. Its unrealistic to make a hollow metal tube and fly people over the ocean in it. The Wright brothers didn't think so."

"We grew up with the sense that where we were almost didn't matter, because we were becoming something greater."

Hey, you can even follow Will Smith Wisdom on Twitter! http://twitter.com/willswisdom

MAKE YOUR LIFE HAPPEN!

RayDillon.com | Twitter | Facebook | MySpace | DeviantArt

Back to Writing - Not in Kansas Anymore!

Well, I'm slowly getting back into writing. For any of you who've been following for a few years back, you probably remember this blog being mostly about writing. Back in the early 2000's I was barely in my 20's, living with my dad, and I was doing a lot of writing every day. Wrote a few novels, graphic novels, and short stories. And art was almost secondary for a while.

THEN A WHOLE LOTTA LIFE HAPPENED!

I met my future wife Renae De Liz, got a step-son, Tycen (now 7), moved a couple of times, traveled all over the country, got married at San Diego Comic-Con, moved again (this time to Cape Elizabeth, Maine), had a baby boy, and all sorts of other crazy adventures.

And during that time I had to focus solely on my art to make money to take care of our family. It's still a huge struggle, but it seems things are settled a bit more than they have been and I can't keep off the writing bug any longer.

SO... I'M BACK AT IT!

Finishing my last novel that has been sitting for 4-5 years without an end (at least one I liked), adapting it into graphic novel, started a new novel, and I'm co-writing a few comics and graphic novel projects. These things will take quite a bit of time to develop, because I'm still a full-time (over-time... all the time) artist, but they'll happen. Little by little and piece by piece.

"A page a day is a book a year." ~ Richard Rhodes

And the other cool epiphany I've had: I've been living life!! I don't live in Kansas with my dad any more, trapped in my room (of own free, hermity will). Over the last 5-6 years I've really gone all over the place and experienced all sorts of things. This adds so much to my ability to write about life and the thing I'm most excited about, it allows me to explore new areas in my writing. Always before my stories would take place in small-town Kansas, because that was what I knew. And any traveling outside of that felt forced and clunky.

NOT IN KANSAS ANYMORE, TOTO!
From...

...to...

Now I've spent enough time in places like New York, Chicago, San Diego, San Francisco, Oregon, North Carolina, and now Maine that I can actually set stories in these places. Can't write about them like the back of my hand, but I can certainly expand my writing horizons.

So, you probably won't see much from me right now, but it'll start to trickle in.

And if anyone would be interested in reading my latest novel, a Beta read, and giving me your honest opinion, I'd love to have it. Just email me at rayd@goldengoatstudios.com

Here are sneaky, vague images to preview my two novels / graphic novels in progress:

PROJECT ONE





PROJECT TWO




Thanks for reading!

RayDillon.com | Twitter | Facebook | MySpace | DeviantArt

[VIDEO] 2009 Digital Sketchbook

View on my channel: http://www.YouTube.com/raydillon



There are a few marker/paint pieces, but mostly Photoshop and an Axiotron Modbook Apple Tablet Computer.

RayDillon.com | Twitter | Facebook | MySpace | DeviantArt

Marvel's X-Men vs Agents of Atlas samples

Doing some sample sequential pages for Marvel in between my normal work. Going slow at it because I'm super-busy, but having fun. Kinda wish I could just abandon the pencils and do my normal approach, sketch/ink/color/letter or paint/letter. Feels more natural and that's what I want to do for them eventually anyway, but have to prove myself as a penciler first. Hard to break in as a full-production artist right off the bat.



Oh, and these are "real" pencils, they're penciled digitally using Photoshop and the Axiotron Modbook Apple Tablet Computer.

Thank you for looking! Love to hear your thoughts!

~Ray

[VIDEO] Monster Speed Paintings

Around 15 minutes each:

FRANKENSTEIN



MONSTER FACE



And here are the finished pieces:

FRANKENSTEIN



MONSTER FACE

Sonic the Hedgehog #215-216 colors by ME!

I'm coloring a Silver the Hedgehog back story appearing in issue #215-216 of SONIC THE HEDGEHOG! Check it out and let me know what you think! Sonic fans, especially, I would love to hear your thoughts!!

I will also be coloring some more monthly full-issue books for Archie in the coming months. So, if you like that story, stay tuned for more!

New THE LAST UNICORN covers!

Pencils by my wife Renae De Liz, inks & colors by Me for IDW Publishing!

THE LAST UNICORN #6
THE LAST UNICORN #5

THE LAST UNICORN #3

2010 Ongoing Sketchbook : 5-15 Minute Sketch Paintings

You can view a bunch more here: 2010 Ongoing Sketchbook







Tools: Photoshop CS5 & an Axiotron Modbook Apple Tablet Computer

You can view a bunch more here: 2010 Ongoing Sketchbook

TURTLES: Dawn of the Ninja | Graphic Novel Ch.2 Pg1!

Here it finally is! Page 1, painted by me for the fan-based graphic novel TURTLES: DAWN OF THE NINJA, a gritty, realistic approach to TMNT.



Follow for more! And visit the DOTN website: http://www.DawnoftheNinja.com

TURTLES: Dawn of the Ninja - Graphic Novel PAGE 1!

Here it finally is! Page 1, painted by me for the fan-based graphic novel TURTLES: DAWN OF THE NINJA, a gritty, realistic approach to TMNT.



Here is the original layout sketch for page 1:


And here is the layout sketch for page 2, coming as soon as I can:


Follow for more! And visit the DOTN website: http://www.DawnoftheNinja.com

Drake REALLY wants to talk - Part Duex! HE... MEANS... BUSINESS!!

Okay, this one has a lot more talking in it. Until, once again, he sees the camera and becomes a Frown-enstein!



Starring Drake Asher Dillon (He's da baby; gotta love him!)
Co-Starring Renae De Liz (Da Momma)
Directed by Ray Dillon (NOT da Momma)

Baby Drake REALLY wants to talk!

Baby Drake Asher Dillon REALLY wants to talk, but then realizes he's being filmed. Usually talks a lot more, but never let's me catch him like that. :o)



Starring Drake Asher Dillon (He's da baby; gotta love him!)
Co-Starring Renae De Liz (Da Momma)
Directed by Ray Dillon (NOT da Momma)