character (sketch)book in the making

[MichaelMotion]

Hi all,

Lately, I've been ask numerous times, if I will make/draw a book, displaying my characters. I'm busy with it, as I write this down. Always a big questionmark is, will this book sell, will there be customers for such a thing? So, I'd like to ask you guys?

Do you find such a book interesting and will you buy such a book? If not, could you tell me your thoughts on this matter? Any thoughts are more then welcome. Let me know what you think, k?

Ofcourse there will be some characters in full color, and a tutorial on how I work. Here's an example:


http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l184/_MVDB_/characters_001bA4.jpg http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l184/_MVDB_/characters_001A4.jpg

[MichaelMotion]

Hi, here's a kitten's head I did in about 30 minutes..

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l184/_MVDB_/kittensHead.jpg

[MichaelMotion]

Sketch I did this morning:

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l184/_MVDB_/characters_001cA4.jpg

[MichaelMotion]

Another quicky, around 30 minutes..

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l184/_MVDB_/Freak_v01.jpg

[ChillPill]

great start... love the characters, they have lots of... well character in em'.
lines look clean and tidy. can't think of anything to crit

[MichaelMotion]

Hey thanx ChillPill! Appreciate the feedback..

These are two videos of me sketchin'..
Both from scratch and without ref. Just start a cirkel and start drawing.. Enjoy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WS3xAhk80cI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eltYH3VOtxI

[Beelow]

Hey, Micheal. Glad to see you have started a sketchbook dude. Great stuff so far. Keep posting!XD

[MichaelMotion]

Hi Beelow, thanx buddy! How's everything? Also waiting for next chall I guess? Bet I'll see ya there!

Here's a sketch I did yesterday for the 'Cow':

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l184/_MVDB_/UYB_v01.jpg

These sketches go way back, but since I opened this thread I thought wouldn't hurt to show it..

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l184/_MVDB_/pamelaA.jpg
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l184/_MVDB_/Usher.jpg
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l184/_MVDB_/dickInRubber.jpg
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l184/_MVDB_/guyBigDick.jpg

[MichaelMotion]

Just finished my COW_084: Under Your Bed..

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l184/_MVDB_/COW084_UYB.jpg

[madhatter106]

The caricatures are great, as is the rest of this book...some of the cartoon faces remind me a bit of Sergio Aragones (I read a lot of GROO THE WANDERER when I was a kid)...and the two, errr, "adult" drawings in your later post remind me of something R. Crumb might do...

That quickie 30 minute painting reminds me of something like a Bigfoot or Sasquatch or Yeti...looks like he's either roaring or singing...

I do wish you had included the bed in your colored COW entry - the rough drawing had it and I laughed when I saw it, but somehow the egg isn't as dramatic or interesting to me...

Would love to see some more realistic stuff - life and figure drawing, etc., as I think you would probably be good at that too...all the best!

[MichaelMotion]

Hi madhatter106,
thanx, yes, well I had to be a bit different from the rest, because almost everybody was drawing a bed, so I gave it another look by placing a bed of straw.. Cheers mate!

here's one I did a couple of months back, called: "Miss Air":

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l184/_MVDB_/MissAir.jpg

[Rudeone]

Hiya Michael, it's been a while, what's up!
Good to see you started a SB overhere, very nice work all around, especially 'miss air' and the c.o.w entry :)

My 2 cents about your question wether a book featuring your work would sell or not:
I think it kinda depents on what type of book it's going to be and who your target audience is.
If it's for example a picturebook with a story targeted at a young audience, then with the right PR it would defenitely sell I think.
If it's supposed to be a book dedicated to your art only then it might be hard.
I would probably buy it if I spotted it in a bookstore because I'm familiar with your work and I like it very much, but would it sell to a much bigger audience who isn't familiar with your work (yet)?
I think one of the important elements that makes artists books sell is that the artist is very well known and much appreciated by a wide audience through his/her work.
Often he/she reached some sort of icon status and is seen as someone to look up to by a lot of fellow artists, I think that might be something to keep in mind.
On the other hand, 'how to' books usually sell pretty good I think, I can imagine a book like yours might be very appealing to for example (young) cartoonists and (web)comic artists.
Then again, I really don't have any experience or knowledge about this kinda thing, it's just something that came to mind.
Maybe you could ask some advice from Bobby Chiu (http://www.imaginismstudios.com/), I know he had some books out featuring his work.
Anyways, I wish you goodluck if you're going through with it, it would be awesome if you'd pull it off and that it hits the bookstores.
Other than that, keep posting and see you around :)

[Konstruktion]

Haha awesome stuff man. Dig the caricatures and the pages filled with faces. The COW is sweet too. I'd want one of them under my bed. The kitten is cool too!

[MichaelMotion]

Hey Rudeone! thanx for the input. You talk no trash and hit a lot of good points. I indeed did contact Bobby and he gave me some good advice also, pretty similar to yours..
It indeed has been a while.. you are havin' some fun with your SB too, I can tell.. Your work keeps getting better and better! See you at the next challenge, heh?..

Hi Sarcophagus! Thank you! appreciate it!

Here's a sketch for the next COW called: 'silvertooth'
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l184/_MVDB_/silverToothWIP.jpg

[Chris Noeth]

Very cool sketchbook!

Post more please! ;)

Best,

Chris

[ItalianHorsey]

Awesome stuff! That penis was...interesting haha. Keep it up. Not sure whether a book like that would sell good or not..But I think Rudeone answered it.

[Chate Noire]

All the heads are fantastic =) Great character with so few lines. I also like the "under your bed" COW, although the background makes me a little dizzy =)

[BANNED_For_POOPY_PANTS]

Dude, you're a genius. Bookmarked!

[mcunha98]

Greate work !
Please, more !!!