Why WP CBO Went Down...and is STILL Down.

Okay, CBOers. Here is the lowdown on why Word Press CBO was "suspended" (again).  We were getting so many hits that WP could not handle the numbers (WHAAAAT??!!!):

"Unfortunately, we were forced to suspend comicbitsonline as it was causing high loading issues on the server. Due to this affecting all of the other accounts on the system, we had to take immediate action for the health of the server."


With the hits so high on this site I think everything needs to move from the old site.  Why offer blogs if you cannot support a lot of activity/hits?


Go figure.

CBO WordPress Down........AGAIN!

I'm hoping that some of you who visit the first CBO blog are popping by here.  Why? Well, CBO at Word Press is down again.  Possibly due to external interference.

Sadly, Blogger does not have the translation buttons the WP CBO has nor the category block. However, as I am unable to change or alter anything on WP (DO NOT ask why -I get very very angry) I may just start posting everything here BEFORE the WP site.

CBO takes a lot of hard work and to come up against this problem repeatedly is a joke gone sour.

So keep this page bookmarked!

MyExcess: How To Draw Pin Up Girls by David Gordon

This book is highly recommended!

David Gordon
MyExcess
Comic Album format ( 20.98 wide x 29.69 cms)
Black & white
100 pages
£9.99

David Gordon has rightly been called “the British Manara”!  He is a veteran of pin-up art and has worked for Eros Comic (Maeve) and the future release Darke Child.  Dave mainly concentrates on his own line of books under the MyExcess imprint.

In this book Dave discusses the type of drawing implements he uses to get “the look” that is associated with his work as well as a few guidelines.  Now, Dave draws attractive looking women and to many young artists the female form is difficult to draw and I know more than a few who have asked me over the years how to get faces right on their female characters.  Well, I’m 54 this year and I’ve been studying faces and figures for about 40+ years. Not a lot of newbies want to wait that long!

In this book Dave looks at how to draw the female face as well as figure.  This includes how to draw women wearing various types of shoe –a lot of inexperienced artists make BIG mistakes by putting female characters in very high heels but positioning the feet wrongly.  Another thing that creates a few problems are hands. Most artists have a kind of “abbreviated” way of drawing these which works if you are drawing a comic strip, however, if you want to draw Good Girl or pin-up art you need to get this right.

Body shape, various stages in drawing a pin up and much more is covered in this book and to show what he does, Dave has included a gallery of black and white pin ups which, again, newbies can learn from.

Obviously, this is a book you need to be over 16 to buy –but I just cannot understand why line illustrations of naked females have to be categorised as “mature” especially if it involves a guide on how to draw them: maybe that’s why some comic artists today are lousy when it comes to drawing female characters (some of which look like women’s heads placed on men’s bodies!

You can order the book via Dave’s MyExcess online store and I do recommend it.
http://www.lulu.com/shop/dave-gordon/how-to-draw-pin-up-girls/paperback/product-20107136.html
And see more of his art (colour and b&w) on his DeviantArt page:
http://filthyweedog.deviantart.com/gallery/
Yes, he DOES take commissions!

Cinebook Newsletter 53 - May 2012

Zine funding, documentary making and a London show transfer

		29 May 2012
	Hello Terry !

We hope you’re enjoying the sunshine – we are! And to get your week off to an even better start, we’ve got some smashing new opportunities on IdeasTap for the young creative folk you know.

		The Anthology We’re looking for a collective to make an online magazine – they’ll win £2,000 and support too. It could be a poetry anthology, an illustration zine – anything! Check out the film collective Brain Wash’s winning work from the last round.
		BFI Doc Next Lab Our partners at the BFI are offering free workshops, tutoring and £1,500 funding to help documentary makers aged 16-25 get their skills up. Apply by 4 June.
		The IdeasTap Photographic Award Through our partnership with Magnum Photos, we’re offering emerging photographers cash, industry mentoring and showcasing. Apply by 15 June.
		NSDF Edinburgh Competition Know some students who are taking a new show to the Edinburgh Fringe? Win £1,000 and a transfer to Pleasance London through the National Student Drama Festival. Apply by 16 July.