The logo for my project!! I wanted to mirror a visual to actual deer velvet with the blood. For those of you not familiar, deer velvet is the fur over deer antlers of juveniles. When they mature, the furry flesh falls off revealing bloody antlers. The flesh can actually be pretty disconcerting. Its actually kinda gross but beautiful at the same time. Really matches the story feel! ). The font is for expressing feel of the sharpness of antlers. Pretty damn happy with this one!
#DeerVelvet #GraphicNovel #PassionProject
Reverse on some of the interiors of Josh's home. I turned them black & white so I can show a closer approximation of the feel of the story ( for more context, read the last post ). Again, the kitchen, Josh's bedroom and the living room but reverse angles.
Writing and conceptualization are just the first step here. As I work I am trying to get a feel for the tone of the story by playing with assets, searching for mood, making changes as I find more opportunities. Although this is a thriller ( action thrillers are my favorite ) and does some horror themes I don't want to forget a sense of adolescence. So, I think the black and white is needed. If I did this in color, I think it would lose the edge it really needs.
Anyone see "The Terror" or "Ripley"?
#DeerVelvet #GraphicNovel #PassioProject
The protagonist! At 13 to 14 years old, Josh Cathbad has just started high school and its bad. Bullies, a lost parent and a neglectful father. However, he can feel it in his bones, something far more sinister creeps in the shadows and there will be no escape.
* Please forgive the texture, its been run through Glaze & Nightshade. I am trying to protect my style and I'm still learning how it works and trying to balance protection with presentability. I'm getting closer!
#DeerVelvet #GraphicNovel #PassionProject #FuckAI
So, I'm working on a passion project I have been developing for a couple of years now!! I am VERY excited about it... It's called "Deer Velvet", a coming of age thriller set in the early 1990s. It'll be a graphic novel series 12ish chapters, European style with each chapter a 50-55 page hardcover graphic novel. Its deeply personal and I am really looking forward to sharing it. For the moment though I want to keep the extended details close to the chest. In the meantime, I am gonna document the production and share it with all of you!
Right now I'm developing all the sets in Sketchup. This gives me reference for all the backgrounds when I draw them in the final. These are the three relevant rooms to the script for the protagonist's home. The kitchen, the protagonists bedroom and the living room.
BIG NEWS from Valhalla Art Academy
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Still need guidance, feedback, or accountability? Sign up for a Creative Coaching Session before May 16th!
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For portfolios, in my experience every Director, Art Director & Producer looks at the hands first... followed by the FEET! There are many reasons why, but here are two of the most important ...
1. Feet sit the character in scenes. If you get them wrong it's VERY apparent to the audience. Directors, Art Directors & Producers don't want to nor have the time to fix them. They want to know that they only need to comment or give feedback on story telling and tone. Feet fixes are not something they want on their radar!
2. Same as the hands, hiding or avoiding the feet in your portfolios tells Directors, Art Directors & Producers that the artist does not want to invest in their own education and growth as an artist. In their mind they have to ask, "What else have they not addressed?!" Not a good question to have them ask themselves in the middle of a review.
My recommendation, make FEET the second thing out of everything that you master in your artistic career!
For portfolios, in my experience every Director, Art Director & Producer looks at the hands first ( and feet but that's for another post )! There are many reasons why, but here are two of the most important ...
1. Hands are an extremely expressive part of the body, and usually end up in almost every shot in animation. Hands will be drawn A LOT! They don't want to have to fix any of them, nor will they have the time.
2. Hiding or avoiding them in your portfolios tells Directors, Art Directors & Producers that the artist does not want to invest in their own education and growth as an artist. They'll be asking, "What else have they not addressed?!" Not a good question to ask themselves in the middle of a review.
My recommendation, make hands the FIRST THING out of everything that you master in your artistic career!
It was 1995 and I was attending a graphic design class at University. My teacher, an older man, who shall go nameless, had assigned an in-class project. We had a series of black elements and a white sheet of paper and we had to make an interesting composition out of those elements. Thin and thick, large and small bars, lines and letters. Basic graphic design elements.
Some of the students struggled while others took to it quickly. And I, was in the former. I could always draw pretty well, especially very technical things but wow did I struggle once I had to make something interesting. It never clicked. That’s when the teacher chimed in.
“If you can’t do it, you never will!” he said to the class. That stung, that REALLY stung! Do I just not have what it takes!? Am I a hack!? Am I … a wannabe?
Fast forward 3 years, still struggling. I signed up for Advanced Water Color class. Anders Bachman was the instructor. And he … was a teacher.
I’ll never forget something he said: “Everything is learnable.”
That single phrase changed everything. Anders showed me that art is a skill—one that can be learned, refined, and mastered with the right mindset and guidance. For the first time, things clicked. I had never worked harder in a class, and never grown faster.
Even now, all I can think about that first teacher is — “Then what did I pay you for?!” He wasn't a teacher. He was just collecting paychecks. Unfortunately, an all too common occurrence.
Both teachers left a lasting impact on me, but only one helped me grow. His mindset changed the trajectory of my life, proving that art isn’t about talent alone—it’s about learning, practice, and the right guidance.
That lesson became my mission.
When I started teaching, I made a promise: to build up artists, not break them down—to foster growth, not just collect checks.
And that’s the foundation of ValhallaArt.Academy.
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your skills at a professional level, we’re here to give you the tools, techniques, and mentorship to help you succeed. No gatekeeping, no empty theory—just real, actionable learning to take your art to the next level.
