How did you get into drawing sketch cards?
About 5 years ago I was contacted by Steven Frank and he was doing a fund raising event for the March of Dimes. His idea was to have artists do sketches on these 4 x 6 cards that were imprinted by the March of Dimes. He asked me to do a couple, which I was more than happy to do. The fund raiser was very successful I guess. From there I got a few more inquiries from other organizations to do sketch cards on the standard 2.5 x 3.5 format. Then Steve started 5finity and asked me to participate in a couple of their projects. Since then I have always been doing something with sketch cards. Even if it’s creating my own, and selling them on eBay.
What is your favorite subject to draw?
Superheroes. But I don’t get asked all that often to draw a sketch card of them. Somehow most requests for sketch cards are for boobs and butts! LOL. And can I really complain that I get to draw those?
What is your favorite character to draw?
Whatever someone has asked me to do next. HA! There are so many. Probably towards the top of the list are Power Girl, Supergirl, The Hulk.
Do you prefer black & white sketches or color sketches?
Color. As an Artist, I feel you can convey so much more depth and emotion using color. Black and white can be effective when used here and there. But for me when it comes to sketch cards, color is better.
What kind of materials do you prefer to work with?
Right now I am using any and all markers that will get the job done for a specific image. I use Prismacolor and Copic markers. I also have a couple Faber-Castell brush markers I will pull out every now and then too. Finishing touches could be Faber-Castell colored pencils and white gouache.
Who is your favorite sketch card artist?
Wow. There are so many of them. I know I am going to leave someone off this list and piss them off (If that is you, please accept my humble apologies!). How about Jim Kyle, Meghan Hetrick, Bill McKay, Axebone, Amy Clarke. The list goes on and on.
What are you currently working on?
I just completed cards for 5finity Bill Tucci’s Shi collection. I am currently working on Ken Galan’s Contemporary Pin-ups. And after that is a project for Bad Axe studios next card collection.
Has your career as an artist benefited from doing sketch card work?
Sure. One sketch card project can lead to another. Which is wonderful. I am always so grateful to be approached to participate on a sketch card project. But if you are asking do sketch cards lead to other type of artistic work? Then the answer is not really. When someone sees one of my sketch cards, it leads them to ask about doing more cards. It never leads to asking about doing full comic pages or a large commission piece. They are just very different disciplines and I am finding out they are like parallel universes and rarely do they collide into one another.
Do you collect trading cards for yourself?
Nope.
Do you have a website / blog / online presence where readers can find more information about you?
My website is www.artofm2.com
My deviantArt page is http://mmunshaw.deviantart.com
And I am on Twitter at @mmunshaw
From Versicolor Productions:
We would like to announce that Versicolor Productions will be releasing Bettie Page Box 2 at the end of this year! We have a great lineup of sketch artists from the original set plus many new ones that are just fantastic. Plus, we’ll have some great surprises to be announced in the coming months involving the set. Below is a list of participating sketch artists to this second installment of Bettie Page.
Richard Pace
Kristin Allen
Jessica Hickman
Sara Richard
Craig Yeung
Tim Shay
Leah Mangue
Chris Hoffman
Dan Bergren
Danielle Soloud
Frank Kadar
Goony Toons
Chris Henderson
Bill Bronson
Charles Hall
Scott Blair
Scott Rorie
Jeremy Treece
John Haun
Alex Alderete
Richard Cox
Ted Dastick Jr.
Steve Oatney
Axebone
Veronica O’Connell
Newton Barbosa
Gary Kezele
Elaine Perna
Trev Murphy
Peng Peng
Eisu
Jerome Dabos
Remi Dousset
Nestor Celario
Heather Cromwell
Uko Smith
Angel Palacios
Julius Abrera
Babis Kourtis
MAX!
Jack Redd
Rob Baker
Wu Wei
Shane McCormack
Edward Cherniga
Eli Rutten
Judit Tondora
M. Jason Reed
BOO
David Desbois
Mark McHaley
Gabby Untermayerova
Tim Proctor
David Coalburn
Paul Ballard
Lee Kohse
Mick & Matt Glebe
Kevin West
Andrew Robinson
Russell Walks
If you enjoyed off-beat, culturally inspiring games and software applications like Pokemon Safari, Venture Artic or Wild Earth, then you’ll probably get a kick out of NukoToy’s upcoming iOS apps that enable you take trading cards and scan the contents right into the iOS device.
Animal Planet Nuko and Monsterology Nuko allows iOS owners (i.e., iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad) to press NukoToys trading cards up to the screen and have the contents of the card appear in the app. It’s kind of neat, a little like Monster Rancher meets Eye of Judgment. The technology isn’t necessarily ground breaking and it arrives a few years after the EyeToy was already doing this kind of stuff back in 2008. However, the fact that this kind of technology works on mobile platforms so gamers of all ages can experience the Animal Planet or mythical creatures in Monsterology while on-the-go is quite impressive.
The products themselves operate a lot like Nintendo’s NintenDogs for the Nintendo DS, enabling users to pet, play with, and observe animals and monsters in the respective apps. What’s more is that multiple cards can be used in the apps, so you can toss in lions, tigers and bears if you so desire…all at the same time.
If you wanted a more diverse version of NintenDogs that caters to a broad range of animals with information and media available for each and every animal, then Animal Planet Nuko would be a nice little app to have on hand. If you want some mythical monsters and creatures to play around with on your mobile device then Monsterology Nuko would definitely be the way to go.
Both the apps and the official trading cards will be available for consumers beginning this March.
Author: William Usher
Source: Gaming Blend
This is some unuseual stuff I bumped into. Super Awesome Trading Cards…
Yeah, those Mork & Mindy cards you have in a shoebox at your mom’s house are pretty awesome, but they’re nothing compared to these. You see, these trading cards aren’t just awesome, they’re SUPER AWESOME! They’re so awesome that words just fail to describe their pure awesomnessity (see?). Each 2-1/2” x 3-1/2” pack contains ten different cards featuring various things that are SUPER AWESOME! From Abe Lincoln to Zombies, collect all fifty cards in the set!
You can buy these cards at McPhee’s over here: http://www.mcphee.com/shop/products/Super-Awesome-Trading-Cards-.html
Also, check out this video:
How did you get into drawing sketch cards?
I have been a freelance illustrator since the late 90’s, working for pretty much every different type of client you can imagine - from the very big corporations to very small independent publishers, in nearly every genre and style. In May of 2010 and was suddenly laid off from my full time staff illustrator position for a local children’s book publisher, and the situation was looking grim for a while. So I decided to get back to basics, and started drawing for the pure fun of it - drawing things that I WANTED to draw, for a change. So I began to spend a lot of time down at my local comic shop- Comic Connection Oakville - just drawing comic book characters for fun. A great bunch of guys work there, and they really liked my work. My wife had picked up a pack of blank art cards for me to try out, so I started to drawing on them for fun. The guys at the comic shop suggested that I submit my stuff to some of the different nonsport card companies, and my work was met with a good response. Before I knew it, I was working again.
What is your favorite subject to draw?
I love drawing comic book and fantasy stuff. Monsters are my first love, dating back to my childhood, so I find all of that kind of stuff really fun to draw. Dragons, werewolves, giants, that sort of thing.
What is your favorite character to draw?
That’s a tough one, there are so many. The Thing is amy all time favorite character, but I don’t feel like I ever get him quite ‘right’ when I draw him, so he remains my eternal challenge, my white whale. I guess the character I have drawn the most is Iron Fist. He is great fun- simple, striking costume and he’s fun draw in any pose, really dynamic guy. I could also draw Conan or Usagi Yojimbo all day long and never get bored.
Do you prefer black & white sketches or color sketches?
I much prefer to work in black and white, with washes of grey, but most card companies prefer color work, so that is what they get from me.
What kind of materials do you prefer to work with?
I usually pencil lightly with a 2H pencil first, then get out my brushes and work in India ink and wash, water color, and sometimes markers (Pitt, Chartpak, COPIC) to get really intense pure colors.
Who is your favorite sketch card artist?
There are so many great ones out there it is hard to pick. Cat Staggs is brilliant. I also like Jim Kyle’s work.
What are you currently working on?
A bazillion things. I have a couple of top secret comic book projects in the works, a pile of private commissions on my desk, some pinups to do for some of my favorite comic books, and I’m working away at a big mural for a local Japanese restaurant. Heh, I’m also a part time custodian.
Has your career as an artist benefited from doing sketch card work?
I believe so, yes. Working with such limited dimensions forces me to get creative in how I use that space, and really tightens up my small brushwork skills. The internet exposure after a new sketch card set launches is also pretty cool, and usually gathers me a bit more work.
Do you collect trading cards for yourself?
I wish I could, but my available funds are quite limited, and any extra I have left after bills and whatnot goes towards buying the few comics books I read each month. I’d love to collect some sketch cards though- so many great artists out there.
Do you have a website / blog / online presence where readers can find more information about you?
I have a web gallery displaying my sketchcards/sketch covers, illustrations and commissions- www.mikerooth.com
I will have a blog (one day!) but until then anyone interested in learning more about me or checking out my artwork can follow me on twitter, where I post my sketches and any new artwork I’m doing nearly every day.
https://twitter.com/#!/uncouthRooth
Press Pass is proud to announce the limited edition release of the most upscale Elvis trading card set to date, Essential Elvis. This 35-card base set is printed on premium quality silver foil board and honors The King of Rock ‘n Roll on the 35th anniversary of his passing.
Each 7-card box will contain THREE HITS PER BOX, including at least one autograph!
The first dual, triple and quad relic cards of The King!
Essential Materials - relic cards featuring the most expansive lineup ever of Elvis-worn clothing
Look for “King Size” over-sized pieces!
Essential Signatures - the most comprehensive list to date. Includes the first ever autograph cards from the legendary Mary Tyler Moore!
Historic Cuts - Elvis Cut Signatures, plus a dual cut with his father, Vernon Presley!
JUST ADDED! Elvis Cut Signature + Relic card!
Look for Essential Sketches - hand-drawn sketch cards from renowned artist, Joe Petrucio, each numbered to 20 or less!
Released on February 1, 2012
Source: Press Pass
OK, political junkies. Get ready to start trading cards featuring President Obama and some of the Republicans who want to deny him a second term.
Upper Deck will insert cards from its “World of Politics” set into its sports packs starting Feb. 21. The company says one out of every 40 packs will include a “super rare” card featuring Obama or one of the current, former or would-be Republican presidential candidates such as Mitt Romney.
“We thought it was only fitting to produce a set of cards that would help pay tribute to all the highs and lows of this presidential race by capturing the top candidates on cardboard,” said Jason Masherah, Upper Deck’s vice president of marketing and business development.
The GOP trading cards include the remaining four presidential contenders (Romney, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul and Rick Santorum). Plus, three candidates who are long gone from the White House race — Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Rep. Michele Bachmann and Herman Cain — are also now collectibles, as is former Alaska governor Sarah Palin.
Obama has been featured on an Upper Deck card before. His caricature was on the company’s 2008 “presidential victor” card.
Source: USA Today
Do you live in the US and do you like FREE cards? Of course you do. Head on over to scifihobby.com and claim your Star Trek: The Complete TNG Series 2 and Marvel 2012 Greatest Heroes Promo Cards!
Star Trek: The Complete TNG Series 2 P1
Marvel 2012 Greatest Heroes P1
Celebrate 50 years of James Bons with this new card release by Rittenhouse Archives!
Autograph Signers include Pierce Brosnan, Jill St. John, Lois Chiles, Carey Lowell, Nadja Regin, Clifton James, Andreas Wisniewski, Edward De Souza, Nancy Sinatra, Eunice Gayson, Martine Beswicke, Mollie Peters, David Yip, and many more first-time signers!
3 Autograph cards in every box
At least 1 autograph card from each of the 22 classic James Bond films
Goil Foil Base Card Set
Images from all 22 classic James Bond films, from Dr. No to Quantum of Solace
Dr. No Commemorative Bonus Card Set
108-Card “Throwback” Style Set, including never before published photo’s.
James Bond 3D Shadowbox Bonus Cards
