Tornado sketchbook

**Tornado Joe** · 11-29-2007 04:22 PM

Sketchbook 2007

Well, I got myself a new sketchbook this last summer in hopes it would inspire me with ideas and to draw more often. It's helped some, but I'm still slackin' a bit.

I thought I'd share some excerpts from it, though, as some of these sketches are likely to end up as final paintings... someday.

kinbaku / shibari ideas

Trybe princess or something. Introducing some cloth and a veil.

This I'll probably make into a full painting. I'm calling it the "PainTintTree" (I need to add the other characters for that to make more sense).

Tattoo tailor.

I wanted to make this one look like she's either climbing on or getting off of a flat surface (like a table). But I'm not sure how successful I was with that. Then I added the other character in the back and it looks like he's sniffing her - LOL! So I think I'm calling this one "Passion Scent".

**Alban** · 11-29-2007 04:25 PM

Your style is very unique Tornado and I like it. Gives me dirty thoughts tho

**Vex Kitten** · 11-29-2007 10:16 PM

Ah, nice stuff.
Especially the binding.
Inspiring.
That last one does look like he's sniffing the spot where the girl was sitting.

**Oneironaut Zero** · 11-29-2007 10:21 PM

You already know I love your style, Joe.

Great stuff. Keep 'em comin.

**Burns** · 11-29-2007 11:25 PM

Yeah me too, I love your unique style. Great work, as always

I loved seeing that step-by-step completion of your last one (with the two girls). It's so interesting seeing everything come together and to see your perception of your art versus other people's perception of it. Like some things you notice, no one would notice, and vice versa. Cool stuff!

**bro** · 11-29-2007 11:37 PM

Very well done TJ..honestly that's some very nice work in your own style..

as everyone else said..hope to see some more of this. You certainly have talent

**Tornado Joe** · 11-30-2007 12:54 AM

Hey thanks all!

Developing a "style" is something that I've struggled with since way back in the comic book days (circa 6th grade). It wasn't untill I started this series that something finally clicked, almost seems by accident because I was totally not even trying. So having so many people able to identify this "Tornado Joe-ish" thing is great.

I just hope I don't fuck it up, since I tend to nit-pick and fiddle around a lot with my work with my constant quest towards improvement (I trust you'll all let me know if I get sidetracked)

Originally Posted by Kitten

That last one does look like he's sniffing the spot where the girl was sitting.

LOL - what a perv! Although, that would work too. I mean, it's definitely very 'primitive' behavior.

**Oneironaut Zero** · 11-30-2007 01:09 AM

Originally Posted by Tornado Joe

Hey thanks all!

Developing a "style" is something that I've struggled with since way back in the comic book days (circa 6th grade). It wasn't untill I started this series that something finally clicked, almost seems by accident because I was totally not even trying. So having so many people able to identify this "Tornado Joe-ish" thing is great.

I just hope I don't fuck it up, since I tend to nit-pick and fiddle around a lot with my work with my constant quest towards improvement (I trust you'll all let me know if I get sidetracked)

Oh, we'll definitely let you know.

But yeah, that's one thing I've always been really impressed with, when it comes to your work. It seems like so much art that I see is so derivative. There is usually not too much of a sense of originality in it (unless it's straight up still-life, in which I usually see a lot of originality in the technique, rather than the content). But, with your tribal style, each piece is something that I can honestly say that I've never seen before. Not only that, but it's beautiful and interesting. Keep it up, man. It's all "Hang-In-Your-Living-Room-Worthy", if you ask me.

(Well...the finished pieces, anyway. lol)

**Tornado Joe** · 03-11-2008 02:42 PM

Didn't want you all to think I've been slacking on sketching (just slacking on posting

).

Sketch used in my photoshop tutorial.

Pencil sketches, incorporating rope/suspension.

Working with ball-point pen. I've always liked the feel of it while doodling during meetings at work. Figured I'd try using it as a regular drawing tool.

**rojozeke** · 03-13-2008 11:26 PM

awesome work tornado

**Oneironaut Zero** · 03-13-2008 11:30 PM

So where did you get your anatomy skills, TJ? Do you use references for any of these, or is it all just straight out of your head?

**Tornado Joe** · 03-14-2008 03:41 AM

Thanks rojo!

The anatomy? Well actually that's something I've recently decided to revisit. All are without reference, however, because of this it usually takes a lot longer for me to get a nice final down.
There's a couple different ways it all comes together:

I'll either go through many sketches, then start refining,
OR
I'll get lucky on the first try (usually happens if I hook on to something that feels right in the first few strokes).

The pen sketch I mostly got lucky the first time. You can see the parts which I went over a few times. Since I couldn't erase I had to be more careful.

I'd like it to be more consistent, like comicbook artists probably are. Right now it's just hit or miss. I'm pretty comfortable doing gestures, but because I'm impatient I always try to get the parts down right as I'm drawing (like getting all the muscle tone, etc).

What I mean by "revisiting" is that I've decided to give myself an anatomy refresher course. I'm going to pull out them old books I bought in school and take the body one section at a time. I feel a lot of what I do is actually faked - there are only certain parts of the body I know from skin to bone. The rest I just kind of "fill in the blank" and hope it looks right.