Mark Burrier http://www.markburrier.com Illustrator, Cartoonist Mon, 17 Jun 2013 19:54:19 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 New Artwork for Show at Pitcrew http://www.markburrier.com/blog/new-artwork-for-show-at-pitcrew/ http://www.markburrier.com/blog/new-artwork-for-show-at-pitcrew/#comments Mon, 17 Jun 2013 19:49:43 +0000 Mark http://www.markburrier.com/?p=1344 Pitcrew show
Sneak peek! I’m penciling new illustrations for an art show at Pitcrew on July 6. These still need inked and colored, but they will be a series of skate-inspired images. The show is to coordinate with a very cool product launch which I also did the art for. More details will be announced soon.]]> Pitcrew show
Sneak peek! I'm penciling new illustrations for an art show at Pitcrew on July 6. These still need inked and colored, but they will be a series of skate-inspired images. The show is to coordinate with a very cool product launch which I also did the art for. More details will be announced soon. Pitcrew show]]> http://www.markburrier.com/blog/new-artwork-for-show-at-pitcrew/feed/ 0 The End of the World That Wasn’t http://www.markburrier.com/blog/the-end-of-the-world-that-wasnt/ http://www.markburrier.com/blog/the-end-of-the-world-that-wasnt/#comments Tue, 01 Jan 2013 19:52:57 +0000 Mark http://www.markburrier.com/?p=1333 The End of the World That Wasn't
Flying Dog Brewery asked me to illustrate their “Flying Dog’s Top 10 Things To Do Before You Die That Guarantee Fulfillment and Triumph Before Humankind Is Vaporized on December 21” list. Get a face tattoo of Mike Tyson. Go streaking up to the quad and into the gymnasium. Do a number two off of a hot [...]]]> The End of the World That Wasn't
Flying Dog Brewery asked me to illustrate their “Flying Dog’s Top 10 Things To Do Before You Die That Guarantee Fulfillment and Triumph Before Humankind Is Vaporized on December 21” list. endoftheworld
  1. Get a face tattoo of Mike Tyson.
  2. Go streaking up to the quad and into the gymnasium.
  3. Do a number two off of a hot air balloon.
  4. Ride a mechanical bull naked.
  5. Walk 500 miles. Then walk 500 more.
  6. Go scrunchie shopping with Steven Seagal.
  7. Sing “We Didn’t Start the Fire” on karaoke night.
  8. Be involved in a high speed chase.
  9. Make and eat a turkducken.
  10. Kill Nicolas Cage.
With the carrot of drawing Nicolas Cage, Steven Seagal, and Mike Tyson in the same assignment AND with our impending doom approaching, I got to work. They posted each bucket list item every hour for 10 hours straight on their Facebook page leading up to our oblivion. {insert images}]]> http://www.markburrier.com/blog/the-end-of-the-world-that-wasnt/feed/ 0 New: Rare Words Volume 2 and At Odds http://www.markburrier.com/blog/new-rare-words-volume-2-and-at-odds/ http://www.markburrier.com/blog/new-rare-words-volume-2-and-at-odds/#comments Sat, 25 Aug 2012 19:27:01 +0000 Mark http://www.markburrier.com/?p=1270 Rare Words Volume 2 and At Odds
Two new projects are now available for sale in the store. Rare Words Volume 2 View item » In April of 2012, Flying Dog Brewery and I sent out a call for submissions to my drawing blog, Rare Words. Two months later, Flying Dog hosted an exhibition of watercolor illustrations inspired by those words. This collection [...]]]> Rare Words Volume 2 and At Odds
Two new projects are now available for sale in the store. Rare Words Volume 2

Rare Words Volume 2

View item » In April of 2012, Flying Dog Brewery and I sent out a call for submissions to my drawing blog, Rare Words. Two months later, Flying Dog hosted an exhibition of watercolor illustrations inspired by those words. This collection contains 20 full color illustrations from that exhibition as individual, frameable prints. Edition of 500 8″ x 10″ 20 loose prints Full color offset printed on uncoated paper At Odds

At Odds

View item » This 24 page book collects 6 comic stories that have appeared in various publications in recent years including The Drama, Nashville Review, and Vice. At Odds shows a diversity in visual style while Burrier’s dark humor tone remains consistent throughout. Edition of 100 4.25″ x 5.5″ Full color cover on uncoated paper Black and white interiors]]> http://www.markburrier.com/blog/new-rare-words-volume-2-and-at-odds/feed/ 0 Recap: Rare Words Opening Party at Flying Dog Brewery http://www.markburrier.com/blog/recap-rare-words-opening-party-at-flying-dog-brewery/ http://www.markburrier.com/blog/recap-rare-words-opening-party-at-flying-dog-brewery/#comments Thu, 07 Jun 2012 15:03:22 +0000 Mark http://www.markburrier.com/?p=1089 Flying Dog outside
The Rare Words Exhibition at Flying Dog Brewery opened on Saturday, June 2. Were you there?! It was a party! Photo by Jared Smith   Photo by Jared Smith All 40+ of the new Rare Words illustrations were strung throughout the room. As pieces sold, people could take them home with them which gave the [...]]]> Flying Dog outside
The Rare Words Exhibition at Flying Dog Brewery opened on Saturday, June 2. Were you there?! It was a party! Flying Dog outside Photo by Jared Smith   Rare Words Exhibition clothesline Photo by Jared Smith All 40+ of the new Rare Words illustrations were strung throughout the room. As pieces sold, people could take them home with them which gave the space a sort of pillaged look at the end of the night.   httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLXzoT7swCc Old Indian played a great set and had the crowd entranced. I love these guys. Video by Peter Hassett Thanks to everyone who submitted. It was great to meet the people behind some of the words and see their reactions to the drawings. And a big thanks to Flying Dog Brewery who take their "Support Local Creativity" mission to heart. Great folks. The show is on display at the brewery through the month of June.]]> http://www.markburrier.com/blog/recap-rare-words-opening-party-at-flying-dog-brewery/feed/ 0 Rare Words Video: Exhibition Opening Party June 2 http://www.markburrier.com/blog/rare-words-video-exhibition-opening-party-june-2/ http://www.markburrier.com/blog/rare-words-video-exhibition-opening-party-june-2/#comments Thu, 24 May 2012 12:13:02 +0000 Mark http://www.markburrier.com/?p=1067 httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XX1O22-MSBw Directed by Tim Martin, Music by Ben Hirsch Come to the opening party at Flying Dog on Saturday, June 2 from 7-10 pm to see all of the finished artwork with live music by Old Indian. Maybe your words made the cut!]]> http://www.markburrier.com/blog/rare-words-video-exhibition-opening-party-june-2/feed/ 0 Rare Words Exhibition at Flying Dog Brewery http://www.markburrier.com/blog/rare-words-exhibition-at-flying-dog-brewery/ http://www.markburrier.com/blog/rare-words-exhibition-at-flying-dog-brewery/#comments Mon, 16 Apr 2012 18:14:21 +0000 Mark http://www.markburrier.com/?p=1043 Rare Words Exhibition at Flying Dog Brewery
Flying Dog Brewery is hosting an exhibition of brand new Rare Words illustrations in June 2012 at their HQ in Frederick, Maryland (directions). How to Submit Because this is a Rare Words project, I need your help! Go to rarewords.org and fill out the form to submit your words with your name. (One submission per [...]]]> Rare Words Exhibition at Flying Dog Brewery
Flying Dog Brewery is hosting an exhibition of brand new Rare Words illustrations in June 2012 at their HQ in Frederick, Maryland (directions). Rare Words Exhibition at Flying Dog Brewery

How to Submit

Because this is a Rare Words project, I need your help! Go to rarewords.org and fill out the form to submit your words with your name. (One submission per person, please.) I'm going to be drawing my little heart out from now until June to do as many of them as possible.

Opening Party

Come to the opening party at Flying Dog on Saturday, June 2 from 7-10 pm to see all of the finished artwork with live music by Old Indian. Maybe your words made the cut!

Art Sales

All artwork from the show will be on sale starting June 2 at 7 pm. There won't be any previews or pre-sales and unlike most galleries, if you buy a piece that night, you can take it with you. If you don't want someone to buy your word, show up at 7!

About Rare Words

Rare Words is a collaborative drawing blog (rarewords.org) and book. It began as a project to inspire collaboration with between the artist and the viewer. Readers are an integral part of the creative process by providing the spark for each work. Each illustration is an interpretation of the submitted words. Read More]]> http://www.markburrier.com/blog/rare-words-exhibition-at-flying-dog-brewery/feed/ 5 Tools http://www.markburrier.com/blog/tools/ http://www.markburrier.com/blog/tools/#comments Sat, 10 Mar 2012 21:14:08 +0000 Mark http://www.markburrier.com/?p=1010 Tools
My recent experience searching for an elusive sketchbook made me realize how little artists disclose about what tools they have found success using. There’s really no reason to keep this information a secret. Is it better to not tell anyone about the perfect, hard-to-find pen only to have that manufacturer discontinue it because no one [...]]]> Tools
My recent experience searching for an elusive sketchbook made me realize how little artists disclose about what tools they have found success using. There's really no reason to keep this information a secret. Is it better to not tell anyone about the perfect, hard-to-find pen only to have that manufacturer discontinue it because no one bought it (except you, of course)? Let's collectively share what we've toiled long hours and lots of money  finding so that the good products rise to the top. The follow is a list of art supplies that I have come to love. I hope this helps others in their searching. Staedtler Lumograph Drawing and Sketching Pencils 2H  I pencil comics and illustrations with the 2H. It's only slightly less dark than the HB, erases easily, and doesn't smudge when you brush your hand over it on bristol board. Overall, I have to say that I'm not too particular when it comes to pencils. For the longest time, I penciled my comics with standard school-grade #2's (the 2B equivalent) and never had complaints. The 2H just leaves behind less evidence of graphite when I know I'm going to ink a drawing.
Uni-Ball Vision Pen Fine Tip Black I carry this with me wherever I go. I buy them in multi-packs because 1) I inevitably lose them, and 2) I love drawing with them. It's a pretty popular brand and you can find them at any office supply store. The ink is waterproof, jet black, and flows easily. I see no reason for owning an expensive Rapidograph-style pen when these are available. They can leak if you take them on a plane so bring more than one on a trip.
Sakura Pigma Micron Pens .03, .05, .08 These are pretty popular as well. I've always used them for lettering, word balloons, and inking panel boarders. They are easy to find in most art stores. I use the .08 for lettering and sketching, the .05 to sketch, and .03 whenever I need to write tiny. The tips will dry out if you don't put the cap back on.
Pentel Pocket Brush Pen This is a convenient way to have a portable brush. The ink is not waterproof so I don't use it for any finished artwork, but I sketch with it all of the time. I recently switched to this over using the more expensive Kuretake Brush Pen because the ink flows more freely with the Pentel. You can buy replacement ink cartridges, but the tip is connected with the pen so once that frays, you need to buy a new pen. I keep a frayed one for dry brush and spotting large areas of black and a fresh one for line work.
Windsor Newton Series 7 Kolinsky Sable Brush #1, #2 This is the brush I ink all of my "nice" work with. If you take care of it and clean it well after every use, it will last you a long time. I ink primarily with the #1 and use the #2 to fill in large areas of black or do dry brush. A brush is one of those things that if you buy the cheaper model, you will notice a difference in quality. Just take care of it and your investment will last.
Speedball Super Black Waterproof India Ink In a bottle of ink, all you need it to be is: jet black, waterproof, and won't become watery over time. In some cheaper inks, the pigment begins to separate and settle to the bottom like sand. Others will get a molasses consistency to them which leaves blobs of ink on your art and makes your brush harder to clean. I've used a number of decent brands over the years, but Speedball is what I've been using of late.
Windsor & Newton Cotman Watercolor Pan Set I love these portable watercolor sets. The pans are easily replaceable so the tray will last you a very long time. I use this tiny, pocket-size model and have a larger one with 24 colors in my studio. The quality of the watercolor is nice. Don't skimp on cheap watercolor pans. Remember those terrible dried out cakes of color from school? You need ones that actually produce paint when you add water!
Strathmore 400 Series Bristol Board Smooth Pads I use the 14 x 17 size for comic pages. This is just great, bright white paper that takes ink well, handles erasing nicely, and has just never failed me. I've used the same brand for 10 years.
Hand•Book Trav•e•logue Sketchbooks These 5.5 x 8.5 sketchbooks are hardcover with a linen cover and come with a bookmark and elastic band. The paper is an ivory color (brighter than Moleskine paper) and has a slight tooth to it. It takes the Uni-Ball, Micron, and watercolors really well. I personally think these are WAY better than Moleskines. Plus, the don't come with a phony back story! Larger sizes of the books are in production and should be available this year.
Like everything, your art tools are all based on personal preference and what type of work you like doing. These happen to work for me. Post what supplies you've found success using.]]> http://www.markburrier.com/blog/tools/feed/ 4 The Search for the Perfect Sketchbook http://www.markburrier.com/blog/the-search-for-the-perfect-sketchbook/ http://www.markburrier.com/blog/the-search-for-the-perfect-sketchbook/#comments Fri, 02 Mar 2012 22:03:03 +0000 Mark http://www.markburrier.com/?p=1004 The Search for the Perfect Sketchbook
About a month ago, I came across a video of French cartoonist Joann Sfar cut into four parts (one, two, three, four). Here’s Part Two (Sorry, no subtitles.) In the video, Sfar is shown sketching with pencil, ink, and watercolor. I’m immediately impressed with the paper quality of his sketchbook to accept those mediums so freely. [...]]]> The Search for the Perfect Sketchbook
About a month ago, I came across a video of French cartoonist Joann Sfar cut into four parts (one, two, three, four). Here's Part Two (Sorry, no subtitles.) In the video, Sfar is shown sketching with pencil, ink, and watercolor. I'm immediately impressed with the paper quality of his sketchbook to accept those mediums so freely. Any artist who uses sketchbooks (and are slightly particular about them) will tell you that finding a book that has great paper is a rare thing. Let's rewind many years ago when I was first starting to draw and the search for the perfect sketchbook began. I fell like I've tried every brand on the market. I settled on a few over the years (mostly the 5.5" x 8.5" Watson-Guptill books recommended to me by Jeffrey Brown), but they still had room for improvement. Moleskine has a (fake) story which makes them a glamourous choice, but paper is the most important part of a sketchbook. I watched the video again to get details about this book.
  • It's a hardcover that seems to be wrapped in a gray linen cloth.
  • The corners are squared and it's on the thinner side so it probably has about 60 sheets.
  • There's no bookmark or elastic band around the book.
  • It comes in a large portrait format and a landscape size.
  • It's probably made in France because Sfar lives in Paris.
Drumroll... Let the internet search begin! Over the next few days, I Google all of the U.S. online art stores only to come up empty handed. Then I get more sneaky and start searching in French and Italian. That returns different results, but still no matches. I email Sfar through his website, but as of this writing haven't heard back. The guy probably gets lots of mail. I discovered art supply review video blogs where they put pens and paper to the test on film and contacted them to see if they have come across these books, but still no luck. After 2 weeks of daily searches—I'm like a dog on a bone with this stuff—I'm forced to concede ask for help. I reached out to my friends and colleagues who I know would be familiar with Sfar and/or European art supplies. Matt Madden let me know that cartoonist Sarah Glidden was in Angouleme, France in a residency as we speak and I should reach out to her. I had only met Sarah once, briefly, in 2008 when I introduced the "Promising New Talent" category at the Ignatz Awards at SPX. That night she won for her then mini comic "How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less" which later turned into a book. Here's Sarah winning big: I email Sarah. She's 6 hours away in another country, but I get a quick reply—she's willing to help! Serendipitously, she's even heading to Paris the very next day and was planning on visiting an art store there anyway. I'm hopeful, because for the first time in 3 weeks, I have my first lead. To my surprise, the next day I get an email:
"So I think I found your sketchbook! A friend in Angouleme had recommended this super old and amazing art supply store so I went there to look around for inks and things and there in the sketchbook section were what I think are the sketchbooks Sfar uses."
The book is made by the Sennelier art store in Paris. I ordered one to give it a try. (Insert foot tapping and anxious waiting until the package arrived.) I promptly tore it open to find, what I'm 99% sure is, the exact book I was looking for. The sewn binding and cloth cover are really nice. The book has that wonderful broken in feel so the pages lay flat right away. I don't know how it escalated to this ridiculous thrill-of-the-hunt, globe-trekking level, but it did! Ironically, during this process I found a new U.S.-made sketchbook made by Global Art Materials called the Hand•Book Trav•e•logue. It's a quality book whose pages have a slight tooth, but takes pen (Uni-ball and Micron), brush, and watercolors well so I would recommend trying it. After seeing the Sennelier book, the paper used in the Hand•Book is very close to it in color, tooth, and weight. I'm just waiting for them to make it in a larger size. So what lessons were learned in all of this? Surely, I have to be a more enriched human being as a result of this wild goose chase.
  • Artists need to write and share more about their experiences with the tools they use.
  • Sketchbook manufacturers are cheapening their materials using thinner papers and weaker construction.
  • Online shopping in Europe is difficult.
  • When in doubt, ask your friends for help.
  • If I'm ever in a similar situation (á la Sarah's place in this story), I want to be able to return the favor for someone else.
]]> http://www.markburrier.com/blog/the-search-for-the-perfect-sketchbook/feed/ 8 Washington City Paper Interview http://www.markburrier.com/blog/washington-city-paper-interview/ http://www.markburrier.com/blog/washington-city-paper-interview/#comments Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:42:51 +0000 Mark http://www.markburrier.com/?p=987 comics blogger Mike Rhode interviewed me for the Washington City Paper. We chat about influences, writer's block, Dischord Records and where I see things are headed. Excerpt:
Mark Burrier is an illustrator, cartoonist, and skateboard painter whose illustration work appears in the Washington Post’s editorial pages. His cartoon works are mostly minicomics, which he often self-publishes, and at least one's been nominated for an award at the Small Press Expo. He also does advertising work using comics. Burrier had a table at the Baltimore Comic Con this year and answered the usual questions.
Read the full article.]]> http://www.markburrier.com/blog/washington-city-paper-interview/feed/ 0 Process: Drawing a One Page Comic for Big Planet Comics http://www.markburrier.com/blog/process-drawing-a-one-page-comic-for-big-planet-comics/ http://www.markburrier.com/blog/process-drawing-a-one-page-comic-for-big-planet-comics/#comments Sun, 08 Jan 2012 18:51:33 +0000 Mark http://www.markburrier.com/?p=975 Color
Big Planet Comics, for those unfamiliar, is a fantastic group of comic book stores in the Washington, DC area. Jared Smith, owner of the Vienna, VA location, contacted me about drawing a comic for them to use in an ad. I always love to see process posts about how a colorized page made its way [...]]]> Color
Big Planet Comics, for those unfamiliar, is a fantastic group of comic book stores in the Washington, DC area. Jared Smith, owner of the Vienna, VA location, contacted me about drawing a comic for them to use in an ad. I always love to see process posts about how a colorized page made its way from doodles to finality so here goes my attempt. First, Jared emailed his script which included who the characters were, what was to appear in each panel, and full dialogue. The concept of the strip is that a guy notices an attractive girl in a comic book store. He imagines them together in different comic book motifs and in the end is embarrassed when she is reading a book that he has never heard of. This meant I got to draw in different styles. Panel 2 is Archie. Panel 3 is Batman-like. Panel 4 is Sgt. Rock. Panel 5 is crime noir.

Thumbnails

thumbnails I began with thumbnailing the story in pencil on cheap, 8.5 x 11 copy paper. I always use this method. It's completely disposable and I don't have to worry about "ruining" a sketchbook or having to balance an open sketchbook on my drawing table when it comes time to do final pencils. I did a second set of thumbnails (shown above) before scanning and sending off to Jared for approval. Approved! I can start penciling on bristol board. I use a 2H pencil because it erases easy and my pencils are usually pretty loose so I don't need a dark lead. I rule out lines with a T-square and my Ames Lettering Guide to put the lettering on first and then draw the characters in the remaining space. Once the page is penciled, onto the inks.

Inking

For this strip, I did the panel borders, lettering, and certain aspects of the artwork with 0.7, 0.5, and 0.3 technical pens. I typically used a Windsor-Newton Series 7 brush and india ink to ink my comics, but on my recent work at Rare Words, I've been using a brush pen and have enjoyed the quickness it brings to the process. Once inks are done and dried, I erase the pencils. inked Notice that changed my mind in panel 3 of how I wanted the composition. In the thumbnails, the superheroes were set back so I brought them closer and positioned them side-by-side to mimic replicate the Archie and Sgt. Rock panels.

Coloring

Now, we leave my studio and go downstairs to the scanner. Once the page is scanned, I work in Photoshop to add colors. Full disclosure: I hate coloring! I don't know why, but I do. If I ever do a story that calls for full color and is more than 6 pages, I'm hiring someone! A few hours later, the page is finished. The last panel is left blank for Big Planet to include an ad there. Color Big thanks to Jared for the opportunity. I'm happy to be able to give back to a store that I believe in and has always supported my work through the years. If you find yourself in the Washington, DC area, be sure to look up the closest Big Planet Comics location.]]> http://www.markburrier.com/blog/process-drawing-a-one-page-comic-for-big-planet-comics/feed/ 4