Alexandra Nelson’s website for her comic books.
After LONG and CAREFUL consideration, I have decided to redesign the main characters for Space Grind. Here is what they what OFFICIALLY look like now!:
Aren’t they wayyyyyyy better than last time? 😀 Feel free to comment your thoughts about them. NO OBJECTIONS!! Also… Happy April Fools 2023! 😛
I am happy to say that I have gotten A LOT done for the month of March! Here is a list of things that got accomplished last month:
As you may have noticed on that list, there were multiple live-streams happening on Twitch! Unfortunately, I cannot continue the livestreams for a little bit. I will let you all know in a blog post when regular streams can happen again. For now, I have created a Discord server, so that people can temporarily watch me stream on there. As well as have a little community where readers can talk about upcoming comics and provide feedback on published works.
Here is the Discord invite for anyone interested in joining the Discord server: https://discord.gg/BSDQksHQ
Keep in mind that the invite link only lasts for 7 days. I will send new invite links, as well, when other ones expire.
I hope all of my blog readers have a splendid April! ❤
As usual, here is a snippet of what gone done last month! This time, in the form of a meme 🙂
This blog post will go into how my art skills have changed over the years. I will share some EMBARRASSING old art on the way, so buckle up!
Before Digital Art
I’ve been drawing on paper ever since I was very little. Like… “3-years-old little.” I remember scanning my paper drawings a lot before having my own laptop at age 15.
I had a lotta TV show ideas back then that I would work on. The example I share right here is a show idea I had called Cooper the Cat. Which was basically a purple, walking-talking cat (kinda a rip-off of the title character Chowder to be perfectly honest LOL).
Paintbrush for Mac
When I officially got my first laptop at age 15, I discovered an Apple Mac application called “Paintbrush,” which I used A TON!! I actually have a YouTube video of myself making a character using this bare-bones drawing program: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRmXKrv98K0
It was so bare-bones that there wasn’t even a LAYER FEATURE present! I made some many drawings using this program it’s not even funny. Then again, a part of me still looks back fondly on this program, since it was all I had for digital drawing at the time. I definitely made the most of it before I moved onto GIMP, a free digital art program that actually had some decent features. Keep in mind that I didn’t even have a drawing tablet at the time. Didn’t get one until I was 17 (big game-changer BTW).
This drawing of the character “Barsha” was made using “Paintbrush.” Looked good to me at the time LOL
GIMP
Eventually, I learned how to use GIMP thanks to one of my artist friends teaching me. The first time I used it, I didn’t realize it would’ve been way easier to use a drawing tablet. I actually made this drawing in GIMP using a trackpad.
For a little while, I would use GIMP to spice up the “Paintbrush” drawings. Yep! I used a combination of GIMP and Paintbrush to make my old digital art. In this link is a video I made of me doing this with one of my drawings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSgVY7Ba5_8&t=4s
Here is an example of me using both Paintbrush and GIMP to make something. I feel like things are starting to look more improved. GIMP allowed me to play around with shadowing and depth, while I used Paintbrush for line art.
High School Art Classes
I began using drawing tablets when I was a sophomore in high school. I eventually got the hang of it enough to do my own drawings on the school computers for fun. The drawing below was my first ever drawing using a tablet. The school I went to used Photoshop Elements at the time. Learned a lot of my Photoshop skills there.
My First Drawing Tablet and Photoshop
I got my first drawing tablet at Christmas when I was 17. It was a Wacom Intuos tablet, which I still have.
I remember this drawing being one of the first GIMP drawings I made using an actual tablet. And yes… that is a floating knife smoking a cigar.
Photoshop
For a little bit, I used Photoshop to make my drawings. In fact, the first ever Space Grind drawing was made using Photoshop.
In my opinion, my best Photoshop drawing.
The first ever drawings of the Space Grind characters. Their placeholder name was In Thrall.
Clip Studio Paint and Wacom Cintiq
Eventually, I bought Clip Studio Paint on a Black Friday deal, which I mainly use now! I even used it to make my comic book, which you can buy on Amazon. Also, when I was either 20 or 21, I bought a used Wacom Cintiq 21 (which I also still use) for $300 on the Facebook Marketplace. Traveled 3 hours to pick it up. SO WORTH IT!
Morticia Addams being used as an example of a Cintiq drawing.
I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS BLOG POST
Have a good day 🙂 Also, if you wanna see more my old art, here’s a link to my DeviantArt account where I posted SO MUCH ART: https://www.deviantart.com/esmereldaimagination
Here’s also the GateCity2015 art account, which has less art, but it’s more of the newer stuff: https://www.deviantart.com/gatecity2015
It’s been awhile since I’ve posted anything other than a progress report on my comic books, so I decided to share a little bit about a particular character named “RPL.” Her name “RPL” stands for “Robot Prim Lady.” She is a rival of RSL and belongs to the Trax’s rival Ozuha.
Ozuha and RPL
Like Trax with RSL, Ozuha converted a dancing robot into a fighting robot. While Trax did it purely to improve his robotics skills, Ozuha did this with RPL simply to compete with Trax’s abilities. Ozuha usually prefers to use his “manly” robots to impress others. He usually only uses RPL to give RSL and Trax a hard time.
RPL’s Rivalry With RSL
RSL and RPL often find themselves forced to interact with each other in a competitive way. Both their sassy demeanors often clash with one another. While RSL doesn’t usually enjoy these forced interactions, RPL seems to enjoy it herself. She takes pleasure in trash talking RSL and showing off.
RPL’s Dancing Style
While RSL’s dancing style is usually pole dancing, RPL’s dancing style is ballet. She is designed as a ballerina and program really well as a performer. She’s a bit of a diva about it, too. She loves to soak in the applause.
RPL’s Fighting Style
Like RSL, RPL is capable of combat. She has a bladed tutu and can hit hard (especially when she’s provoked).
RPL Cameo in Space Grind: House Havoc
RPL actually cameos in the first published comic book Space Grind: House Havoc in the comic titled “Corona is a Cabrona,” or “Corona Virus on Planet Zeyrion” (censored version). You can see her on page 24.
I Hope You Enjoyed The Post
If you read all of this, I would like to thank you for your support ❤ Please comment your thoughts on this character, based on what you’ve read so far 🙂
Didn’t get much done for the comic book this month. I was focusing heavily on my physical health. I don’t think I’ve really gone into that stuff on this blog, but I’ve been having severe dizziness episodes that prevent me from working regular jobs. Sometimes that gets in the way of the comic book progress, unfortunately. Thankfully, I’m getting help and support toward fixing that situation with physical therapy and such.
During the month of February, I got 3 pages done for the comic book. Here are the pages that got accomplished:
I’m officially in the double digits with the comic book page! I already began page 10 😀 I hope I can get this comic book done by maybe Summer time. Thank you all for following along with the progress I’ve been making with this comic series.
As always with these progress reports, here’s a sneak peek at the progress that got done this month ❤
Honestly not sure what to report this time. It’s mostly been a whole month of tweaking my comic book script, rather than drawing. Luckily, I am proud to say that the script for “Girls’ Night Out” is FINISHED!
WOOHOO!
I also made some drawings for a comic book focusing on Rachel the Vampire. I hope you look forward to getting to know these characters.
HAPPY NEW YEAR! It is now officially 2023!
Here is a list of the things that got accomplished for the next comic book last month:
That’s the gist of it! December got less busy during the Christmas and New Year weeks. I’ll be back to the grind this January. Myself and Crochet Radmu would like to wish you all many blessings in 2023!!
This post feels a little unorganized. Unlike the previous progress reports, I haven’t recorded all my progress with the next comic book. However, to give all who are looking forward to the next book some idea of my progress, I will do my best to give a comprehensive list of all that’s been accomplished so far.
I hope that progress report was good 🙂 I am looking forward to getting all done with the whole comic book. Have a lovely day!
Since today is Thanksgiving, I thought it would be nice to list 5 things I’m thankful for in a blog post.
#1: I’m Thankful For My Wacom Cintiq 21
Most of the comic book drawings were done with my Wacom Cintiq 21! I got it 3 years ago and drove three hours to get it. I got it from Facebook Marketplace, it was used, and costed me $300. It was SOOOOO worth it! I didn’t even know I’d make an entire comic book with it later on. I’m grateful to my mom who took me on a six-hour trip to get a Cintiq, which I wanted for YEARS.
#2: I’m Thankful For Living With Great People
I live with a couple named Libby and Steve. I met them at a church. Before moving in with them, I was in a terrible living situation with some very… “interesting” roommates. For the sake of their privacy, I will not go into the details. Just know that the living arrangements were BAD… I was one day venting to Libby and Steve on our way to church, and little did I know that they were discussing giving me the option to live in their spare bedroom.
They are AMAZING people! They have helped me more than just simply giving me an alternative place to live. They treat me like family and it makes me so thankful! ❤ They threw a celebration for my 24th birthday 😀
Libby and Steve both have a YouTube channel where they share how God restored their marriage and healed not just their hearts, but also Steve’s brain! If you are in a situation where your spouse has Autism Spectrum Disorder and/or Asperger Syndrome, and communication with each other is very difficult, please listen to their story ❤
Libby is also a fellow artist! If you’d like to see her work and even interested in a commission, I included the link to her business website below.
Link to Their YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@libsteve6971
Link to Libby’s Artist Website: http://www.momentmonuments.com
#3: I’m Thankful For My Comic Book Supporters
Even though I don’t have a big following right now, I am SO GRATEFUL for the followers I have now! I’ve even met some new people through publishing my comic book on Amazon 😀 I even got a wonderful fan email from someone named Greg H, who even has a BA in screenwriting! How cool is that!? I am also grateful to the people who helped me make the comic, whom I included in the “Special Thanks” section of my comic book Space Grind: House Havoc. Notice that on the page, I thanked my followers both present and future ^^
#4: I’m Thankful For Dunkin’ Donuts
It sounds funny, but I’m actually extremely thankful for Dunkin’ Donuts! I got SO MUCH of my comic book work done there. I even got the majority of the script for the next Space Grind comic at the local Dunkin’ that’s near me now. For the Dunkin’ near me in 2021, I was lucky to be within walking distance to a Dunkin’ that was open 24 hours! It was conjoined with a gas station, and they still served Dunkin’ food & coffee ALL night! 🙂 It was a perfect environment for me (except for the BLASTING AC Lol)
#5: I’m Thankful For Vision: Possible
Lastly, I am grateful to Vision: Possible! They gave me hope that my vision for Space Grind is POSSIBLE! It was at their first conference in Bolingbrook, IL that I got to meet Butch and Julieann Hartman, who are known for their Hollywood work. They gave me excellent advice while I was working on Space Grind! They are an amazing couple and I’m thankful for them ❤
That’s the end of this blog post, y’all!! I hope you have an amazing Thanksgiving this year ❤ 😀 🙂
I’ve decided now was a good time to reopen my AlexZenDraw Etsy shop! Instead of working with Printful (which I used last time), I will be working with Printify for merch. There is not many products in the shop at the moment, but there will be more in the future.
Link to Esty Shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/AlexZenDraw
Alex Zen Draw