Butcher'd Meats!

Cool Texture

My sister has been instructing me in the ways of cool textures as of late, and how to incorporate them into digital painting. As usually happens with anything she introduces me to, I was instantly hooked.

We walked the dogs today, and as usual they had to stop every few yards to investigate an interesting smell. I'm sure it got pretty annoying to Sarah when, in addition, I had to stop every few yards to take a picture of an interesting texture. But, we found some cool stuff, the kind you might normally pass by. This was the side of a decrepit mailbox we found

Donnie

Hi folks, here's a quick doodle from this afternoon. I was rather pleased with how it turned out, even though it's not my character

Breakfast Zombies: How do your eggs like YOU?

Goofy drawing prompt from this morning lol. Its fun when your sister is an artist too so you can do stuff like this over breakfast :)

Top: This guy was hardcore. He had a spiderweb tattoo on the back of his head, and a jolly roger beneath that. Not to mention an assortment of other tattoos and piercings. But he was actually a pretty nice guy.
He may make it into a story . . .

Bottom: Ironically Enough, I encountered this guy at the "Maverick" Gas Station. He had the coolest hat- a really interesting shape. I don't know that I quite caught it. He kind of reminds me of Kraven the Hunter from Spiderman.

Theses last two guys are characters from that comic I was talking about before. I'm still working out story kinks, but I'll keep posting concepts. The one on the left is a younger version of Jonathan Sykes, and the one on the right is the main character, a Detroit Gangster tentatively named "Shoes".

Doodle Doodle

Just a quick doodly self portrait lol

Hey, new post!

Hi folks, or folk, as the case may be, considering the likelihood that my '"fan base" has likely dwindled since I haven't posted since the Pleistocene. Whichever the case may be, I'm back, and hope to post a little more regularly from now on. Good gracious, was that a resolution?

In any case, I have recently begun work on a couple of comic books, one based on a story from the Book of Mormon, and the other related to my other great passion, the martial arts. Above is a sketch of one of the characters from the latter story, a fellow by the name of Jonathan Sykes. I don't know how much I want to reveal at this point about the story, but I just thought I'd post something to dispel rumors that I was in cryogenic stasis. Enjoy!

Delusions of Grandeur

This is a logo I designed for my new independent film/art "studio", which is pretty much on Youtube at the moment, hence the post title "delusions of grandeur" lol. It's only a dream and a logo at the moment, but we'll see where it goes.

A little under a year ago I returned from serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Spokane, Washington. For those of you who may not be familiar, a mission is an opportunity for 19-year-old LDS (Latter-Day Saint) young men to spend 2 years serving other people full time. It was the defining experience of my life. As you might expect, we taught people the gospel, but we also had the opportunity to serve in other ways. From shoveling snow off roofs and butchering deer in the country to working on sprinkler systems and cleaning up the aftermath of gang violence in the city, it was a full-time service experience. Through each of these experiences I grew closer in my relationship to the Savior.

At the beginning of my service, when I was a "greenie" (slang for new missionary), I was given a word of advice by David R. Clark, my mission president. He told me never to lose my "Greenie Fire". New "green" missionaries enter the field with a zest for life, a love of the people, and a passion for the work. Though inexperienced, they serve and bear their message powerfully from the heart. However, unfortunately there tends to be a metamorphosis over the course of a few short months. As much fun as it is to serve, not everyone appreciates it. A new missionary encounters rejection after doorstep rejection, and begins to doubt whether he/she is accomplishing anything. People swore at us, slammed doors in our faces, threw things at us, threatened to sic dogs on us, and once even put a rock through our car window. Under pressure, the "Greeny Fire" can soon begin to burn out. It's so easy to become jaded and lose that passion, that love, that will to serve. But that is what prayer is for, and that is why Jesus Christ is there. I was not a perfect missionary, but I set it as my goal never to lose that desire to serve, the "fire". Though flickering at times, with Heavenly Father's support, that flame managed to burn for the full course of that two years. I made mistakes, but I repented every day and did the best I could muster to love and serve every day. While some missionaries might take it as an insult, I took it as a compliment when even in my last months in the mission field new acquaintances would ask me if I was "Green".

Then came the last day. As a joke, the Day family, who I stayed with in my last area, served me a "greenie breakfast", complete with green waffles and juice (For those of you who are not up on Mormon culture, the greenie meal is a joking informal tradition normally reserved for new missionaries). It was done in jest, but it got me thinking about the advice from my mission president- "Don't lose that greenie fire". That night, I made a commitment to myself and concieved of the idea for what I hope will one day become a real production company, sketching a rough version of the logo on a piece of looseleaf. I determined never to lose that "greenie fire", to continue applying the lessons of the mission in my daily life. My goal is to create films and media that will fulfill the same purpose that I had knocking on doors as a missionary- to "Invite others to come unto Christ", and hopefully ignite in others that same fire for doing good President Clark taught us about.

"Nunchuck-Cam"

So yeah I got bored and taped a camera to a pair of chucks. Probably a crazy idea. Possibly an expensive idea. Most definitely a dumb idea. Hope you enjoy.

PS: Some of the moves shown in the normal shots I haven't attempted with the camera attached as yet- I just value my camera too much : ) Also, the "chuck-cam" shots have been edited to fit the "normal" shots, and chopped to be more beauteemous and less disorienting.

PPS: I am a bad example- don't try this at home. But if you do, at least post it on youtube lol

Camofrogs

I was just digging through my drive and I found this old picture from a family frog hunt in Wyoming. It blows me away how good frogs are at camouflage! Check this out- no photoshop, I promise:

You can tell a bit more in this version, which was prettied up a bit in photoshop. See if you can find all 11 (Click to zoom):

Light Eternal

Okay, an actual thought for a change. Maybe not deep, but it was encouraging to me.

I was just thinking today about how no matter what happens, and how dark it gets, if we trust in God and do our best things just turn out right. So I wrote a poem:

Darkness is a jealous creature
Fighting nightly for the skies
But even when it consumes the sun
Our hearts still burn inside
Day. Night. Eclipse. Light.
Amidst the blackness, take hope
For the sun still burns
Beneath night's starry cloak
And when it sinks below the horizon
We must trust it shall return
Fiery
Rolling upon the backs of the mountains

Deep lol

So this probably looks like a political statement or something deep like that, but it's really just the remains of the post-semester homework burning party that happened outside my dorm a few days ago. Still the image kind of struck me, so I took a picture and then did a little photoshop work. It actually seems deeper than it is if you start to read the paper (Click to zoom). If you can think of some profound meaning, feel free to post ; )

Helaman 5 Concept

This is a concept piece for a scene in a new film I am planning based on my favorite story in the Book of Mormon, Helaman chapters 3-5. Basically, in this scene, two prophets named Nephi and Lehi have been teaching in a foreign land, captured by an army, and thrown into prison. They are kept there many days without food, until it is decided that they should be executed. Just as they are about to be killed, a pillar of fire comes down from heaven and protects them from harm. Pretty sweet. It was probably much cooler than my drawing in real life, but hopefully this can work as an aid to the imagination.

22 . . . and still coloring with Crayons

Sketchbook, March 27 2010.

Digital Ribbon Cutting

"Snip"

Hi folks, my name is Josh Cotton, and I am new at this whole "blog" thing- but here goes.
I hope you enjoy my art, musings, and such- and if not, well, who needs you anyway ; ) Seriously though, I would appreciate any feedback.

If this page happens to strike your fancy, I am also at:

http://www.youtube.com/user/TheNunchuck

and

http://80s-ninja.deviantart.com

Enjoy!