JIM SMITH CARTOONS

Study sketches

2012-01-28T15:34:00.001-08:00

Top is from Frazetta, middle is rough character study, and then some good old belly shakin'

Elvgreen

2012-01-27T22:31:00.001-08:00

Marker study of Elvgreen. Great color scheme.

The Cow's Lair

2012-01-27T22:24:00.000-08:00

Background painting of the villain's hideout, from the Cow episode of Mighty Mouse, 1987. I may have posted this before, but forgot. Still for sale - cheap.

Western Study

2012-01-27T22:21:00.000-08:00

This marker study of a famous painting was done a while back. Good exercise to pick up some knowledge.

New from Our Warehouse -More Old Sketchbooks

2011-11-23T14:10:00.000-08:00

Top of page are sample sketches and recent studies, maybe for another sketchbook in the Naked series.

The original sketchbook Lonely are the Naked will be available again soon. Stay tuned to this channel for more information.
!
Contact me at: jimsmithcartoons&yahoo.com.

Portraits and Caricatamatures

2011-11-15T18:06:00.000-08:00

Hey folks, for the perfect holiday gift, how about a cartoony image of your favorite friend or cousin? For your least favorite, you can get extra pimples or pockmarks. Just e-mail to jimsmithcartoons@yahoo.com and make somebody happy for Yak Shaving Day!

CTN Animation Expo

2011-11-07T14:12:00.000-08:00

Howdy friends, coming events include the CTN Animation Expo,
Friday Nov. 8th through the Sunday 20th.

Location: Marriott convention center near the Burbank airport. I will be there drawing and signing as well as selling some of my original animation art. Come on down and take your shoes and set a spell! For more info go to: www.ctnanimationexpo.com

Also a children's charity drawing at the Warner Bros Ranch on Hollywood Way, on Saturday Dec. 10th starting at 11:30 AM. Lots of fun and guest artists will be doing drawings for the charity plus other fun stuff. Bring the whole family!

Art Lessons for Cheap

2011-10-20T15:45:00.000-07:00

Hey friends, sorry but we had to cancel the class. It will be back later when we can get enough people to sign up. You can still get tutoring from me, if you are in the LA area.

Art Lessons for Cheap

2011-10-03T15:15:00.000-07:00

Hey friends and neighbors, here is another way to get to be a big time cartoonist. Stay tuned to this blog. Also you can still get tutoring from me on an individual basis if you are in the Los Angeles area. If I ever get a Skype thingie we can conduct classes over the picture phone, no matter where you are.
The website is: www.kineticsoa.com

Caricatures of Viborg

2011-09-20T12:46:00.000-07:00

Denmark

2011-09-20T11:25:00.000-07:00

Hey friends and neighbors just got back from Viborg in Denmark. They have a school for animators and cartoonists, really nice, located on an old Danish army base. I was there a few weeks to teach, really just to advise and guide. My fellow teachers did the real teaching such as assignments, lecturing, and such. I mainly gave tips and pointers on drawing characters, composing shots, and storyboard mechanics. The class was for 2nd year students. The class was assigned to make a 30 second animated trailer for a well known live-action movie, using Maya. When they are done, I will post some on the blog or send a link. When I figure out how to unzip the files I will post some photos and caricatures of the students and some more goodies.

Some crap from the sketchbook

2011-09-18T23:19:00.000-07:00

CHESTACLESE ART

2011-08-25T00:29:00.001-07:00

Caricature

2011-06-19T16:15:00.000-07:00

John Wayne in caricature, inked by John K. who is also a genius. Notice the thick and thin lines, and the sense of design. The pencil drawing had the elements but not as nicely arranged as in the inked version.
Try doing a cleanup or inking of someone's drawing, even a rough, and try to maintain the guts of the original. This is a good way to practice doing finished drawings.

Art for cheap

2011-06-15T16:32:00.000-07:00

These are 2 of the drawings still for sale, they were on display at the Hyaena gallery show. They are the last of my once plentiful collection. Go to jimsmithcartoons@yahoo.com for more.

Hyaena Photos

2011-05-30T12:49:00.000-07:00

Hyaena Art show

2011-05-23T16:06:00.000-07:00

Here are photos from Saturday night. More will be posted when I can get them. Thanks to Thomas for these.

Ali sketches

2011-05-19T17:44:00.000-07:00

Muhammad Ali
Some practice done from video and photos. This is good life drawing exercise when not doing live models.

Gallery show

2011-05-18T13:20:00.000-07:00

Hurry hurry! Step right up to the wild funny cartoon art show! If you didn't already know - it's this Saturday, folks. Food, beverages, and music, plus some surprises! (Psssst - Don't bring the kids ...)

Sketches

2011-04-26T00:50:00.000-07:00

Friends heads are always good subjects to sketch. I like using the brushtip markers and wide tip calligraphy pens.

Please Help Our Animation Collective Get Off The Ground!

2011-04-25T19:43:00.000-07:00

Check out the Kickstarter page and show the love!

Gallery Show

2011-04-23T20:37:00.001-07:00

Update: The art show at Hyaena Gallery will be on Saturday May 21, sorry for the misinfo.

Here's the flyer, done by the incomparable Miss Elana Pritchard - elanarpritchard@gmail.com She will do you're flyer.
Ya'll come to the show now, ya hear?

Stooge Treasure

2011-04-12T23:27:00.000-07:00

Front and back cover from a collection of Stooges comics from early "50s. Check out the contrast between realistic rendition or the artists and the cartoony style for the stories. Norman Mauer is the son in law of Moe. Beautiful stuff.

Gallery show

2011-04-04T12:23:00.000-07:00

Coming to the Hyaena gallery on Olive Ave in Burbank, Saturday May 14, the show will include original art from the Ren & Stimpy show. Official flyer will be sent out soon. Also music and refreshments on hand, so make a note!

MICA Art

2011-03-05T21:41:00.000-08:00

Great example of Military-Industrial complex art, which prefigures Jonny Quest and them.

Kitties Gone Wild

2011-03-02T19:55:00.000-08:00

My friend Elana brought her cat Panda over to visit George, and after some preliminary hissing and slapping, a little catnip mellowed them into the state of "Wow! Dude!

Ripping Friends drawings

2011-02-07T12:42:00.001-08:00

Charles Addams

2011-01-25T23:10:00.000-08:00

Charles Addams can draw and paint like nobody's business. I was looking at the title painting for the TV show - It looks like a fine old photo, just a nice looking picture. Was it done by Charles or just based on his style?
Fot you all that's hip to Addams I am slow to pick up on stuff.

Ralph sketches

2011-01-20T21:57:00.000-08:00

Ralph, Ren and Stimpy

2011-01-13T23:20:00.000-08:00

Ralph

2011-01-12T22:15:00.000-08:00

REN AND STIMPY SCREENSHOTS

2010-12-04T08:58:00.000-08:00

Top image is the storyboard sketch for the shot of Ren's eyes, from Space Madness.

Jimmy Comics

2010-10-31T00:34:00.000-07:00

Rough and finished pencil pages and one inked page (by Shane Glines), from "The Bug Collector" comic, a Spumco product from 1994.

RIPPING FRIENDS STORYBOARDS

2010-10-27T00:29:00.000-07:00

Top two pages are from the Stinky Butt episode and bottom page is from Pooper Man - a loving parody of Superman. Pooper Man's shorts turn evil and force him to commit crimes. Such vile, despicable evil.

Bernard Krigstein

2010-10-18T17:20:00.001-07:00

Some fine examples of composition for comics. Bernie is a hell of a painter as well.
Check out the color work by Marie Severin on the top images.

More Art from the potfolio

2010-10-16T15:47:00.000-07:00

Color images are frames from Episode 1 of the new Beany & Cecil. The big guy with Dishonest John are John K. layouts as well as the thumb close-up. The title card is by Bruce Timm I think.
B & W drawings are story sketches from "Pontiac online presents George Liquor"
And don't forget to order the color prints below, support your local artist.

Why I like Frank Frazetta

2010-10-16T12:23:00.001-07:00

Frazetta's art has had a huge influence on myself and many others. His paintings have a classic look as if done by Leonardo Da Vinci, but with a cartoony aspect. His mastery of anatomy is unmatched. The skin colors, and textures are natural and Frank always created a strong, eye-catching composition. There are bluish-green accents in the skin colors which do appear in real skin, and the figures always look as if they had been in the sun. Also note the subtle bit of cottage cheese on the hindquarters of the girl riding the centaur. Very convincing, and erotic. After first becoming aware of Frazetta's cover art for the Conan paperback books around 1973-74, (they originally appeared in the mid-sixties), I spent countless hours slavishly copying and studying every fold of skin, even trying to duplicate the colors with prismacolor pencils. I never aspired to paint but the drawing skill in Frank's work gave me a foundation for life-drawing, which brings up a related point: when drawing a live model, concentrate on drawing exactly what you see and resist the urge to get creative and caricature. The time you have with the model is limited so use it to study and draw what you see - later when there is no model, you can go hog wild, taking whatever liberties using the information implanted during the drawing of the real thing.
Recommended reading: Frank's work on Lil' Abner during the 1950s. They are available in hardcover compilations from Kitchen Sink. Frank was Al Capp's assistant for about nine years, and though Capp would redraw some of the faces to conform to his own style, the rest of the work was pure Frazetta.

A word from our sponsor

2010-10-15T22:50:00.000-07:00

Nothing mellows Kitty out like Catnip. George swears by it.

Prints are for sale

2010-10-12T14:28:00.000-07:00

$10 per print plus a free Jim Smith original cartoon drawing included if you buy both.

Lee and Kirby or Kirby and Lee

2010-10-08T10:35:00.000-07:00

Stan Lee and Jack Kirby are like the Beatles of comics, and there's only two of them!
This mighty Marvel team had a magic chemistry that is still unsurpassed. Lee's talent for melodrama and comedy was the perfect counterpoint to Kirby 's dynamic, heavy artwork. On his own, Kirby wrote stories loaded with excitement yet with little humor if any. Maybe he was trying to distance himself from the Marvel style, but there was a noticable lack of the humor and irreverence that Stan gave as relief to Jack's monumental seriousness and intensity of his solo work.
The top image is from Marvel's answer to Mad magazine, "Not Brand Echh!" (a shot at DC comics, Marvels archenemy in the golden years) where the zaniness was full tilt.
The years from 1966 to 1968 were, in my view the peak years, with Fantastic Four, Thor, Captain America, and my personal favorite - Sgt Fury and his Howling Commandos. Notice Fury talking smack to the Nazis as he beats the crap out of them.
The grey tone panels are from the super serious New Gods series, stories devoid of humor, perhaps for the better, as the subject matter is heavy, almost religious.
Especially enjoyable are the zany asides and editorial comments from Stan, sometimes right in the middle of some cataclysmic, earth-shattering Kirby action.They never seemed to distract, mainly because the art is so powerful and mesmerizing. I still love the way Stan wrote credits, giving wacky nicknames to the other writers and artists - as well as to himself - usually billed as Smilin' Stan, or Stan "The Man" Lee, with "Jolly" Jack or Jack "King" Kirby, Gil "Sugar Lips" Kane, and the rest. This fun-poking still gives me pleasure deep in the lonely nights, "'Nuff said!" Excelsior!

Samurai Jack storyboards

2010-10-01T18:11:00.000-07:00

From Samurai Jack, storyboards done in 2001. Sorry to repeat I am still learning to post in the proper order.

Samurai Jack storyboards

2010-10-01T18:03:00.000-07:00

More art from portfolio

2010-09-29T07:37:00.000-07:00

Storyboards from Samurai Jack, 2001.

Storyboards from the portfolio

2010-09-26T03:16:00.000-07:00

Storyboards from Weekend Pussy Hunt, directed by John K. 1995, one of the first web cartoon series.
George Liquor and Jimmy the Idiot Boy find a stray dog. After they leave, the story takes a strange, wonderful turn. We still hope to finish the cartoon. The final act was boarded but not animated due to the loss of the sponsor.

Storyboards from the portfolio

2010-09-24T07:19:00.000-07:00

More storyboards from the Spumco web cartoon "Weekend Pussy Hunt".

Storyboards from the portfolio

2010-09-23T17:18:00.000-07:00

Storyboards from Ripping Friends episode "Infernal Wedding", 1999.

CD release party

2010-09-22T02:25:00.000-07:00

Party for CD release from The Probe. Start times are: Amadans - 9:00 PM, Probe - 9:45
Carnage Asada - 10:40.
Movie times: 8:00 PM and 12 midnight. $10.00 includes CD and DVD.
I will be there promoting my art for the CD cover and being a masher.

Storyboards for Monsterd vs Aliens

2010-09-21T21:52:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the duplicate image. I still can't delete individual images without re-posting the whole thing. The boards should be read in reverse order starting at the bottom of the first post, (Another of my techno-faults.)

Art from portfolio

2010-09-21T20:30:00.000-07:00

Development and story art

2010-09-21T19:40:00.000-07:00

Viking images are story sketches and development art from a proposed cg movie.
Bg images are from a PBS TV series now showing. Ralph image is from Ren & Stimpy the lost episodes. Forest sketch is from Ren & Stimpy "Robin Hoek" season I.

Viking art

2010-09-15T17:11:00.000-07:00

Color presentation art and a rough sketch of Brunhilda like character from the cg proposal. Sorry but I accidentally deleted the other post with comments. Fell free to re-comment.

Famous caricatures

2010-09-15T14:15:00.000-07:00

Another Presidential caricature that sort of flatters.

Frank Frazetta

2010-09-08T23:27:00.000-07:00

This painting, among others by Frank, knocked me out and I couldn't take my eyes off of it. I stared and copied and stared, truly in awe of the mastery of oil paint and sheer drawing skill. More than any other artist he made me want to draw and make cartoons, and paint, and work out, and lust after girls, and draw some more.

Frank died in May this year, but I didn't hear about it until recently, I guess it wasn't big news. I salute you Frank Frazetta, damn you!

Another lost image

2010-09-02T20:58:00.000-07:00

This is an early shot of your old buddy. 1974

Amazon man-hater/warrior

2010-08-26T14:28:00.000-07:00

A sneak peek from the Chestaclese comic which will be finished, I swear before I go to the happy hunting ground.

Illustration for Girls and Corpses magazine

2010-08-17T14:44:00.000-07:00

This is another piece abusing beloved cartoon characters. Robert made me do it for food.

Charles Burchfield

2010-04-23T23:57:00.000-07:00

Painted in 1917 this is in the style of Kay Nielsen, and and Mary Blair. Printed in Harper's magazine.

Cartoon comission

2010-04-15T16:56:00.000-07:00

A sample of latest illustration job, head was done from a photo and surgically attached to another body.

Hey Guys! (Girls too)

2010-03-28T00:08:00.000-07:00

Let me turn you into a He-Man -- the easy way! No more hours sweating in the gym, no more swallowing buckets of steroids, or spending thousands of $ on home exercise equipment. Send me a photo of your head and I will draw the body you've always wanted. That's right, you can look like the manliest man in the world after I use the patented "DYNO-FLEX" Marker technique. Specify the body or body part (keep it clean, this is a Christian website) you want enhanced and just a few days later (maybe a week or 2, give or take) your new look will arrive in the mail. Get rid of those unsightly love handles without using exercise or magic.
Disclaimer: Not rsponsible for paternity suits or loss of credibility.

Ladies are welcome too!

$100 for black and white
$200 for full color

Layout treat

2010-03-18T19:34:00.000-07:00

Ren gives Kowalski a piggy-back and gets a reach-around in Fake Dad, second season.

Cel

2010-03-18T12:23:00.000-07:00

Jasper explains the "Big Sleep" in Big House Blues, 1990. The voice is Kirk Douglas done by Brian Chin, I believe.

Sketches

2010-03-17T16:17:00.000-07:00

This here sketch is a study for the bug eating scene with a rough layout , Untamed World, 1991.

cel

2010-03-17T15:56:00.000-07:00

From Big House Blues, this one is going to E-Bay as a buy now. I am going crazy with the heat!

cel

2010-03-17T15:50:00.000-07:00

Ren is carried home by his new master, from Big House Blues, 1990. I am running out of cels so if there are any takers, grab it before I Come to my senses. We're crazy Gideon and we're slashing prices!

Cels

2010-03-16T17:23:00.000-07:00

This is a 16 field cel from the animated titles sequence Troop Beverly Hills, 1988. It's the only cel I have from that, and I hate to sell it.

Model sheet

2010-03-03T17:24:00.000-08:00

This is the main model theory sheet for Kowalski,(see below). 1992
Notice the weight and strong construction, the forced perspective is noticeable in the head - we are looking up and in the feet we are looking down. Take note of the perspective in the eyes - the near eye is larger and also in the legs, near and far, all principles of construction and perspective.

Model sheet

2010-03-03T17:14:00.000-08:00

This turn-around sheet was for the Big Brother episode Ren & Stimpy, 1992. This is the last episode I worked on doing layout (and this model sheet, mostly drawn by John K.) The episode was finished by the other guys.

My Card

2010-03-02T22:19:00.000-08:00

I will design your business card for money or beer, maybe both, but not for sex.

Past glory

2010-03-02T16:03:00.000-08:00

Storyboard pages from The Ripping Friends episode, "The Infernal Wedding", 1999. Included is a page of thumbnails done on the back to work out drawing problems. You lucky people!

Spumco

2010-02-26T15:41:00.000-08:00

Presentation art from 1980s, including the Predator, which originally appeared as another character in a Beany & Cecil episode.

Ren & Stimpy art

2010-02-26T15:23:00.000-08:00

Layout study sketch from Big House Blues, Ren & Stimpy in prehistoric mode inspired by Frazetta, color pencil, 1990.

Weekend Pussy Hunt

2010-02-26T15:13:00.000-08:00

Storyboard page from the web cartoon, one of the first to use flash, 1994.

Weekend Pussy Hunt

2010-02-26T15:01:00.000-08:00

2 layouts and storyboard from the web cartoon, 1994.

Faces of beauty

2010-02-25T01:34:00.000-08:00

My friend Sheila from Minnesota, has a fantastic look for drawing. Sorry fellas, she's wedded.

Studies

2010-02-23T07:32:00.000-08:00

Copies of Disney sketches with a drawing of my cat, mid 1980s. Copy the masters and learn to draw the easy way.

Rare storyboard stuff

2010-02-21T22:10:00.001-08:00

Storyboard section from Jimmy's Impossible Accidents, never produced, 1994-95.

More Jimmy

2010-02-21T22:08:00.000-08:00

More Jimmy

2010-02-21T22:07:00.000-08:00

More Jimmy

2010-02-21T22:06:00.000-08:00

More Shameless Self-Promotion

2010-02-19T18:03:00.000-08:00

Recent freelance illustration for a cd cover. Marker on paper with cg sweetener.

More caricatures of famous celebrities

2010-02-18T17:55:00.000-08:00

Lee Marvin in Cat Ballou one of the funniest movies ever, and Don Knotts as Barney trying to remember the preamble to the Constitution, one of the funniest episodes.

Thumb to cel

2010-02-18T17:53:00.000-08:00

This what it should look like only clean.

Cel Set-Up

2010-02-17T18:53:00.000-08:00

The horse/walrus scene from Rubber Nipple Salesmen. My most prizes material possession.
I only wish I had the rest of it.

Super-Villain

2010-02-17T18:14:00.000-08:00

Color model for Citrasett, the Merciless, Stinky Butt episode from the Ripping Friends. John K. 1999.

BG color thumbnail

2010-02-16T17:22:00.000-08:00

Bg design from "Space Madness" 1991.

Background Design

2010-02-15T11:58:00.001-08:00

Bg painting from Troop Beverly Hills,1989. Artist - Apologies,I forgot. John K. knows maybe.
Big art on a small scanner.

Tech art

2010-02-14T15:13:00.000-08:00

Airbrush rendering done while working as a tech illustrator in Houston, 1983.

Poster art

2010-02-12T12:48:00.000-08:00

This was done for the Tommy Chong documentary, 2008.

Illustration

2010-02-12T12:42:00.000-08:00

Samples of technical illustration, in watercolor, 1983.

Shameless Self-Promotion

2010-02-12T12:21:00.000-08:00

Samples of freelance work. Will work cheap.

More Shameless Self-Promotion

2010-02-12T12:10:00.001-08:00

Forgive me for for turning the blog into a work search but the cat needs fresh litter.

More fom the Ren and Stimpy stack

2010-02-08T06:49:00.000-08:00

Ren Hoek in the early period style. Big House Blues, 1990.

Cartoon bliss

2010-02-08T06:44:00.000-08:00

Even the pigeons are badass in cartoon land. Rough layout, Big House Blues, 1990.

Art for Cheap

2010-02-08T06:37:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite images from Big House Blues, 1990.

Dog Pound Hop

2010-02-07T16:10:00.000-08:00

Layout from Big House Blues, 1990.

Art for Cheap

2010-02-07T12:39:00.001-08:00

More goodies to procure these are from Robin Hoek. Drawings 1 and 2 are rough with clean-up of George Liquor as Sheriff of Nottingham. #3 Stimpy flying, #4 is Ren as Robin Hoek, 1991.

Book illustration type Drawings

2010-02-05T10:14:00.000-08:00

Two versions of Titanic art for Jennifer's book about famous last meals. Drawing 2 is the final.

2010-02-04T13:51:00.001-08:00

This is a poster for a new movie done freelance.

David P. Smith Corner

2010-01-19T18:08:00.000-08:00

Howdy friends and neighbors, hope you had awful good holidays, by golly, and those crazy Houston Texans almost got to the playoffs.
Today's wisdom: "If'n I knew then what I knowed now -- I probably would not had as much fun!"

Remember, "Don't let your mouth overload your hardware." which simply means "Don't let your mouth write checks your ass can't cash." which translates to "The universe is entropy."

Storyboards

2010-01-12T15:54:00.000-08:00

Sample of boards for the movie- a bit dyslexic - should be Monsters vs Aliens.