Traditional Dip Pen Art to Digital Art

I love my Dip Pens! Albeit some clients like them traditionally colored ( with markers ) or digitally colored. I have this one client that needs the drawings ( illustrations ) for box art, manual and cards. Thus I scan my Dip Pen drawing and color them in Photoshop. The Aliens piece here ( and the project for Labmasu ) are perfect examples of Traditional ART to Digital ART.



As I've blogged here, there are various advantages between traditional and digital art.

I do enjoy both. And my current process of drawing on paper, and coloring in Photoshop, makes me produce a traditional dip pen and Indian ink ART, and a Digitally enhanced version at the same time.



Much like anything else, ART is a process. You need to enjoy making ART from pencil to rendering. An artist is in his own world from penciling to Photoshop work. You cannot jump to details OR you cannot be effective in any part of the process, if you did not enjoy every step of the process. ART is unlike office work where the boss jumps at the end and critic your work without understanding the process. Enjoy it and it will reflect in your final piece.



I hope you find this post insightful at the very least. Thanks as always for dropping by! Until next post guys! CIAO!

The Grendel for LABMASU

I just finished this piece for LABMASU ( Italian Gaming Company ) today. Sketched the creature on paper using Staetdtler 4B pencil early yesterday. I got a couple of miniature model photos and a ton of description as guide. Me and the client went through the details and revisions of the sketch until I got the look of how he imagined the creature should look like. It was actually fun getting revisions online and showing the revisions right there and then.



Once the client has approved the pencil drawing ( much like all my other commissioned ART pieces ), I then scanned my drawing and colored it in Photoshop. Other than the fact that I am not too good with Photoshop ( old artist ), I really like that my pencil strokes show through the digitally colored piece.



The combination of my rough pencil strokes and the smooth transitions of digital painting, gives my piece a HYBRID Digital and traditional ART feel to it.



This will be a series of three ( 3 ) ART pieces for LABMASU. Next piece would be a Viking guy with a harpoon. Excited to produce the third piece, as it will be a battle between this creature and the Viking guy!



Anyways, thanks as always for dropping by! Until next post guys! CIAO!

Producing ART as Yourself is Most Fulfilling

Producing ART ( or anything craft or skill related ) as Yourself is Most Fulfilling.



As I've said before, I am average in both Digital and Traditional Art.  And like most artists, I do have a day job, to pay the bills. But I have been focused on my craft the past week. And have been producing ART for clients ( hopefully happy clients ) like a popcorn vendor.



I was known as DC23 when I used to do Gunpla, but have been using my real name as an artist for a while now. What makes me so happy today, is the feeling that everything you do and produce, is credited directly to your hard work and skills. And you get to spread your real name in the process.



Unlike the usual day job, where you learn to work as a team and  give everything you can for a company. Producing ART for people as YOURSELF is so much more fulfilling! People appreciate what you do and in return, they get to know you by your real or pseudo name ( unlike the day job where they just get to know the company or your team ).



I am pretty sure, any artist would relate to the fulfillment of doing what you love to do. And getting paid for it,  as a bonus!



Spreading your ART is the name of the game. Sharing your passion for any craft is the extreme fulfillment. And establishing yourself versus establishing others is the greatest reward!



I hope young aspiring artists get to read this short post. Get a day job if you need one, but continue to hone your craft and skills... coz NO ONE can take them away from you. People driven by their passion will always succeed. Always.



Thanks as always for dropping by! Until next post guys! CIAO!

DON SURATOS Digital Prints at Flicker

I could actually blog and will still do, every Digital Print that we will be releasing. But my partner in crime from the US, Devonian Maher, decided to put up a Flicker page of all the available Digital Prints at the moment. Most ( all atm ) of the available ART as of now are inspired from characters designed and produced by Privateer Press



Saw it initially in my phone in Flicker mobile mode, but then again I was overwhelmed when I saw it on my computer. I think I never had a Flicker account before. I really like seeing all my ART in one page. Awesome stuff. I should start printing my ART to put on my own wall soon! LOL



Anyways, the Flicker page is... DON SURATOS Digital Prints



Hope you check it out and snag a few copies for you or your friend. Each Digital Print would only be available in limited numbers ( 50 - 75 ), depending on the demand. Do contact the email below for further inquiries...

Cutthroatcure@gmail.com

Thanks as always for dropping by! Until next update guys! CIAO! 

LUCANT001 available as 8x10 prints

This Father Lucant ARTwork is now available as an 8x10 print ( Frame is optional ). I have partnered with Devonian Maher from the States in producing this piece into much affordable digital prints. The original line art will never be produced as digital prints tho.



NOT producing the line art ( below ) would ensure that the client who commissioned me this piece will own a one off. The line art will remain as a one and only ARTwork.

The digitally colored version will be available for a very limited run of 50 copies only. We are selling the 8x10 prints at 20 USD each. It will be numbered at the back and will be printed on thick card stock. A black picture frame is optional as an additional 10USD option.



Email me anytime for original line art pieces at donc0023@yahoo.com . However, ALL inquiries regarding orders for the digital prints should be emailed to Dev at...

Cutthroatcure@gmail.com

Appreciation for Traditional ART is very Good these Days!

I am currently working on a handful of commissioned ART at the moment. A few Warmachine Warlocks and a couple of Warhammers. So much ART to do in the next few weeks or months. I also just got commissioned to do 6 more Warmachine Warlocks ( check PrivateerPress.com ), so stay tuned guys!



Although I am a digital artist / visual effects artist at my day job, I do like the trend that the appreciation for traditional ART is pretty good. Both Traditional and Digital ART takes skills, talent and time to do, but a few people tend to dismiss Digital Art as mass produced art, done by computer operators. I obviously beg to disagree, but I would need another post for that.



Anyways, I am really enjoying producing these ARTworks for my clients. Albeit I do ride my "Artist Mood" whenever I do one. Thus It could take me a day to a few days to produce each ART. I hope this trend of Traditional ART appreciation continues, as I am looking forward to producing a ton more in years to come.



The hardest part of producing Traditional ART is shipping them to clients tho. Sometimes, much like anything that you spent hours in producing, ART is difficult to let go! LOL



Anyways, will share more ARTworks to you very soon! Hope you like this post and the photos of Father Lucant in progress. Should finish this piece soon! Thanks as always for dropping by! Until next post guys! CIAO!

Digital PRINTS will be on SALE soon!

I am currently partnering with a friend from the United States and we will be selling some Digital Prints of my artworks soon. We are still looking for ways to make it more cost efficient and finding better ways to deliver them to our potential clients. We hope to provide you the best prints possible as soon as we sort out the details.



Do hit me anytime at donc0023@yahoo.com for any further inquiries. Stay tuned as we post artworks available as Digital Prints, here, at Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.



As always, thanks a ton for dropping by! Until next post guys! CIAO!

Digital ART versus Traditional ART

I have been an artist since grade school. I am one of those little kids who rather draw than write in their notebooks, during classes. Have always been in the top 10 of my class tho, as my parents are teachers in the same school, and they will kill me if I have really bad grades.



My drawing skills could have been better tho. I took up Advertising back in College and have been doing Post Production ( Visual Effects, Color Grading and Compositing ) since after College. I should have sparingly focused on my drawing as that was 15 years of Post Production work.  My greatest regret in my adult life is NOT HAVING a SMALL SKETCHPAD during idle times. Well, It's not too late to do that, I guess.

Below is my scanned drawing. I used a Brush Pen and some Technical Pens on Paper.

Below is the sand drawing colored in Adobe Photoshop.

I am average in both, but let me share my thoughts on Digital Art and Traditional Art.



Younger artists these days are so darn good in digital drawing and painting. They have access to all sort of softwares and tools to produce their masterpieces. These young digital artists are so good with their craft, they treat their computer screens like paper!



Digital Art is very versatile and you could Command-Z ( undo ) many many times during work. It gives you so many options and you could produce a wide range of effects. Digital Art also could be easily reproduced.



NEVER ever call a Digital Artist a Computer Operator tho. Artists in general are too passionate with their craft and have taken years to master it. Calling them operators is like asking for a Death Sentence. It would be the dumbest thing to say if you ask me.



Traditional Art on the other hand is a tad bit limited to the paints and tools that you have. It takes longer to do and is a ton messier. There are no UNDOs in traditional art and you create unique one of a kind pieces. Traditional Art pieces usually have more value ( selling-wise ) than Digital Art.



However, I am more of a traditional artist when it comes to drawing, but would prefer to color my pieces digitally. I simply lack the digital drawing skills to create art in my computer, but would like to maintain a clean workspace. Basically, I draw my stuff on paper, scan them and color them. I do use markers and the occasional watercolors, whenever my clients want them fully colored but completely traditional.



Anyways, I would highly recommend younger artists to always carry a small sketchpad anywhere. Traditional pencil drawings in a sketchpad are always fun to flip around than having them in iPads. Besides, you could always scan them later to make them digital.



Hope you like this post. Do hit me at donc0023@yahoo.com for any inquiries. Until next post guys!

Some Pen and Ink Illustrations I recently finished

I started doing WarmaHordes Pen and Ink illustrations since last year. Will be working on a few more and have actually finished a handful the past month. I should finish a few within the week and will immediately post them here.



Posted here are Trollbloods illustrations and a few others. You can contact me at donc0023@yahoo.com for inquiries regarding my illustrations. Standard size would be 8x10 Ink paper and the ARTworks ship in plastic tubes.



Anyways, hope you like what I posted so far. Until next post guys! CIAO!

BORKA available in 8x10 Digital Prints

Hi people, just like to announce that the Borka drawing is now available to order as 8R ( 8 inches x 10 inches ) digital prints. The prints are available in Black and White ( BORKA BW 8R ) and Full Colored prints ( BORKA C 8R ).



ALL digital prints will be signed by yours truly with the number of the printed copy. Prints will be limited to 100 copies. Both digital prints will be printed in high quality matte or gloss photo paper and will be shipped and packed carefully. We accept payments thru paypal and we are starting to take orders now. All orders will be shipped by end of September. Digital prints costs 5usd each ( 10usd for shipping ).



Email us at donc0023@yahoo.com or PM us at Facebook. Thank You :)

Ink Drawings by Don Suratos from Pencil to Paypal

I have been drawing for the past few days and have been getting so many requests of different characters from different people all over. I am about to finish my 2nd commissioned artwork and will be shipping them by next week. I am excited to see my pieces on the walls of the homes of my clients very soon.



Pardon the huge watermarks on these photos as I will eventually offer digital scans of the images in their different drawing stages ( except the finished artwork ). There will be NO digital copies of the finished artwork to maintain the originality of the commissioned pieces. The original pieces drawn with Zig Kurecolor on 10x15 illustration board will be one of a kind art pieces. I highly recommend to clients that they should never produce digital copies of the artworks to maintain the value of each original piece.



People who follow me at Twitter, Instagram and Facebook will be updated with every drawing I produce during weekdays ( weekends remains dedicated for Gunpla and miniature commissioned works ). So if you like my drawing style, do follow me at Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. I am most active at Instagram ( @don_suratos ), then Facebook and Twitter. For commission work inquiries or reservations, pm me at facebook or email me at...

donc0023@yahoo.com