I just realized I hadn't posted three of my recent figure drawings, all from references by models that are part of the Exquisite Corpse Collective. Orange one is @mara.lifemodelamuse, one with orange stars is @jenniferfabos and the male figure is @lartencorps.bsky.social #figuredrawing #5amstudio

The following is REAL footage from Portland, 2025. Viewer discretion is advised.

Scenes from the 5 A.M. Studio: Finished up this drawing from a reference by Emily Metalskin in the Exquisite Corpse Collective. Great set of references for October and I'm looking forward to drawing others. #5amstudio #drawing #figuredrawing #exquisitecorpsecollective #emilymetalskin #inkdrawing

Scenes from the 5 A.M. Studio: That makes seven. I've got seven mystery/thriller roughs and now seven horror themed ones. Really looking forward to drawing the full sized version of this one. #5amstudio #horror #graveyard #obsesssion #illustration #roughs #wip #thumbnail #femmefatale #creepy

Scenes from the 5 A.M. Studio: I haven't posted the last few roughs, all horror themed. But, I think I need to up the creepy factor. Still have work to do. #5amstudio #PulpFiction #thumbnails #roughs #planning #horror #creepy #illustration #drawing #ink #InkOnPaper #ArkansasArt

Scenes from the 5 A.M. Studio: Start with a demo for students, then turn it into something else. (Big thanks to @trueref.bsky.social that puts amazing figure references out) #5amstudio #drawing #figuredrawing #trueref #ink #inkonpaper #femalefigure #femalemodel #actionline #teaching #arkansasart

Scenes from the 5 A.M. Studio: This one should be super fun to draw the full sized piece - or it will be completely frustrating. Maybe both. #5amstudio #PulpFiction #SouthernNoir #FemmeFatale #illustration #roughs #thumbnails #ink #sketch #planning #prep #PromiseOfNight #ArkansasArt

Scenes from the 5 A.M. Studio: Big jump from the thumbnail to this rough but all it did was let me know I need to keep working this idea. Better though. I used a Day of the Dead reference photo but I don't like those designs for her face so I'll have to change that. #5amstudio #horror #sketch

Scenes from the 5 A.M. Studio: I love creepy horror images but I think I'm not there yet with this one. Need to find a more creative interpretation of the drifter and move away from the generic interpretation. #5amstudio #pulpfiction #horror #illustration #thumbnails #roughs #drawing

Scenes from the 5 A.M. Studio: Almost have enough roughs to start the next stage - scheduling models. Really looking forward to working on the final pieces of these images. #5amstudio #illustration #PulpFiction #roughs #thumbnails #checkmate #planning #sketchbook #ArkansasArt #ArkansasArtist

Scenes from the 5 A.M. Studio: Here's one from the horror pulps I'm working on. I think I need to keep working this idea though, it can be stronger. #5amstudio #pulpfiction #illustration #drawing #thumbnails #roughs #damned #coverart #planning #edits #skeleton #arkansasart

Scenes from the 5 A.M. Studio: So. Much. Fun. Drawing these roughs. #5amstudio #illustration #PulpFiction #drawing #roughs #planning #edits #ink #roots #arkansasart

Scenes from the 5 A.M. Studio: Took me 4 tries this morning to get this rough to look right. Some days are harder than others. #5amstudio #PulpFiction #BadMen #BrokenHearts #drawing #illustration #thumbnails #roughs #planning #editing #sketch #ink #arkansasart #arkansadartist

Scenes from the 5 A.M. Studio: This one didn't go as well as yesterday's effort but it still has some good things going for it. I'll need to keep working on this one a bit. #5amstudio #pulpfiction #rough #thumbnail #drawing #sketch #sketchbook #planning #editing #devoured #arkansasart

Scenes from the 5 A.M. Studio: Sometimes the rough turns out nice all on it's own. #5amstudio #pulpfiction #speakeasy #rough #planning #editing #thumbnail #sketch #inksketch #sketchbook #drawing #arkansasart #arkansasartist

Scenes from the 5 A.M. Studio: Step 1 to Step 2 - thumbnails to very rough roughs. The roughs show me things the thumbnail can't, new problems to solve. Lots of edits and notes at this stage. #5amstudio #thumbnails #edits #drawing #sketchbook #roughs #planning #pulpfiction #arkansasart

Scenes from the 5 A.M. Studio: Finally finished this one! I really do enjoy these ink drawings from the references provided by the @exquisite.corpse.collective2 . The model for this was @floorlengthfrankie - also check out the @corpse.gallery on IG #5amstudio #drawing #figuredrawing #lifedrawing

Scenes from the 5 A.M. Studio: I love the planning stage. Always so many possibilities. #5amstudio #illustration #pulpfiction #thumbnails #sketchbook #planning #ideas #stageone #somethingnew #drawing #arkansasart

Scenes from the 5 A.M. Studio: You think it's done but it ain't done. Looks like I've got some work to do on the digital side of things. I always print a copy to check. Lots of mark-ups. #5amstudio #notlikeyou #24beats #editing #digitalproduction #layouts #process #makethosechanges #notdoneyet

Scenes from the 5 A.M. Studio: Switching gears to another project - coming up with pulp fiction style illustrations. So this morning was research time and developing story titles. It was really hard work let me tell you. #5amstudio #pulpfiction #illustration #storytelling #visualnarrative #loveit

Scenes from the 5 A.M. Studio: Value is important. It can also take forever to create, especially with graphite. I hope to be done with this page today but no such luck. #5amstudio #comicart #comics #24beats #graphicnovel #shading #wip #illustration #storytelling #narrative #drawing #notlikeyou

Scenes from the 5 A.M. Studio: Almost done with the last page of this story! Whew! #5amstudio #notlikeyou #24beats #comics #comicart #graphicnovel #anthology #illustration #drawing #story #storytelling #visualnarrative #sequentialart #wip #arkansasart #arkansasartist #almostdone #comicsofblusky

Scenes from the 5 A.M. Studio: May not seem like much, but I've been fighting a cold all weekend, so this is getting back to work as little as it is. Took me all of one week with students to catch my first cold of the school year. #5amstudio #backtoschool #backtowork #summercold #illness

Yay! Secret project reveal! The ACANSA Arts Festival asked me to be their poster design artist this year! The original is 30" x 22" and I put it together using PITT Artist Pens. Get tickets! Enjoy the festival! #5amstudio #illustration #poster #ACANSA #artfestival #art #PittArtistPen #ink

Scenes from the 5 A.M. Studio: Finally back working on the graphic novel! I'll share the secret project as soon as I can. #5amstudio #comics #comicart #graphicnovel #24beats #notlikeyou #storytelling #illustration #wip #arkansasart #arkansasartist

Current project is secret for now (taking a break from the graphic novel for a commission), so I'm sharing some of my best reads of 2025 so far (more tomorrow). #5amstudio #read #bestreads #summerreading #novels #greatreads #favoritereads #books #ilovetoread #story #storytelling #neverstopreading

Page 9 in the works. Parts are coming along easy, others are fighting me. Easy come easy go, I guess. #5amstudio #comics #comicart #comicbookart #graphicnovel #24beats #notlikeyou #drawing #illustration #wip #layout #arkansasart #arkansasartist

Page 8 complete. 2 more to go to finish the story. #5amstudio #comicart #graphicnovel #storytelling #comicbooks #drawing #illustration #notlikeyou #24beats #arkansasart #arkansasartist

Inking progress. #5amstudio #24beats #comicart #illustration #drawing #wip #graphicnovel #inking #layouts #comicbook #storytelling #visualnarrative #sequentialart #arkansasart #arkansadartist

I report back to the classroom in two weeks, my girlfriend reports back today. So I'm using today as the day to get back into the routine of posting by 6 am my time every day. Just happened to finish this penciled page by 6 today. Timing! #5amstudio #comicart #graphicnovel #wip #pencilling #drawing

7 out of 10 pages complete on my story Not Like You. Not sure I'll get them all done before school starts back on August 4, especially with a new commission to also finish by then. Work work work! #5amstudio #comicart #graphicnovel #24beats #illustration #drawing #notlikeyou #backtoschool #wip

Wrapped another 2 page spread. Having so much fun with these pages, even though they demand a lot of time investment. On to the next page! #5amstudio #drawing #comics #comicart #graphicnovel #notlijeyou #24beats #storytelling #illustration #wip #arkansasart #arkansasartist #keepgoing

Took me a while past 5 am to wrap this page up, but it's finally done. now let's see if I can finish the other 5 before school starts back in August. #5amstudio #notlikeyou #24beats #comics #comicart #graphicnovel #illustration #wip #storytelling #stainedglass #arkansasart #arkansasartist #drawing

Wrapped up this two page spread this morning. Really enjoying the direction these pages are going. #5amstudio #wip #notlikeyou #24beats #comics #comicart #graphicnovel #drawing #illustration #storytelling #onthedrawingboard #arkansadart #arkansasartist

I know the design is overly complex, but WHY WHY WHY DID I PUT THAT PATTERN ON HER DRESS??? UGH IT'S KILLING ME TO GET IT RIGHT. #5amstudio #notlikeyou #24beats #comicart #comics #graphicnovel #wip #illustration #drawing #pattern #storytelling #arkansasart #arkansasartist

Progress despite the new glasses with progressive lenses. They are killing me and making everything uncertain. Any artists that have them please explain how you still make with them. #5amstudio #notlikeyou #24beats #wip #graphicnovels #comics #illustration #bifocals #myeyeshurt

Yep. Going much faster now. New page has about an hour and a half in it so far. #5amstudio #notlikeyou #24beats #comics #graphicnovels #wip #drawing #illustration #storytelling #arkansasart #arkansasartist

Finally finished this page, minus scanning it and putting in the text. Took a while. The next 7 pages go faster. #5amstudio #24beats #notlikeyou #graphicnovel #comics #drawing #illustration #wip #onthedraftingboard #arkansasaet #arkansasartist #storytelling

Scenes from the 5 A.M. Studio: Things are coming together on the drafting table. #5amstudio #24beats #comics #graphicnovels #drawing #illustration #notlikeyou #wip #arkansasart #arkansasartist

Scenes from the 5 A.M. Studio: On to the real thing now. Progress. #5amstudio #24beats #comics #graphicnovels #drawing #illustration #storytelling #wip #onthedrawingboard #arkansasart #arkansasartist

Scenes from the 5 A.M. Studio: I bought these for research. Not just because I wanted them. reeeesearch #5amstudio #24beats #comics #graphicnovels #conwaycomics #dollarbin #research #justification #ilovecomics #drawing #getbacktowork #arkansasart #arkansasartist

Scenes from the 5 A.M. Studio: FINALLY working on my graphic novel again. Didn't think it would be the end of June to get here, but I'm here. Thanks Gout for being a dick to start the summer. #5amstudio #graphicnovel #24beats #layout #illustration #gout #goutsucks

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This is pretty much how I feel by the time I get to Saturday. "The Brain", Posca Marker on Board, 11" x 3.25", $25 (DM to purchase) #5amstudio #trashmonsters #horror #brain #straightjacket #horrorillustration #horrormovie #saturdayvibe #drawing #arkansasartist #arkansasart

Scenes from the 5 A.M. Studio: Vampires were one of the only monsters I did more than once in my Trash Monsters series. Here's "Velvet". #5amstudio #trashmonsters #velvet #vampire #horror #horrorillustration #whiteroses #drawing #arkansasart #arkansasartist

Scenes from the 5 A.M. Studio: Still writing, so here's another Trash Monster. "Like Honey", Posca on Board, 11" x 3.25", $25 (DM to purchase) #5amstudio #trashmonsters #honey #bees #beeman #drawing #horror #horrorillustration #illustration #arkansasart #arkansasartist

Scenes from the 5 A.M. Studio: I'll be posting Trash Monsters on here over the next few weeks, ones I haven't shared yet, because I'm back at work on my graphic novel, but doing the writing part - which isn't easy to share on social media. #5amstudio #trashmonsters #writing #wordsmithing #drawing

Scenes from the 5 A.M. Studio: This fall I'm bringing sketchbooks into the classroom. So I'm starting a new sketchbook this summer to help plan my graphic novel and to have a good example for students. #5amstudio #sketchbook #drawing #ideation #planning #teaching #illustration #ink #graphicnovel

Scenes from the 5 A.M. Studio: Made a sign this morning for my booth/table at tonight's 2nd Friday Art Night. Come see my Trash Monsters at the CALS Rock-it! Lab from 5 to 8 pm. #5amstudio #trashmonsters #horror #drawing #illustration #2fan #arkansasart #arkansadartist

Scenes from the 5 A.M. Studio: Progress. Managed to get this one done in about an hour and a half, not three hours like yesterday. Gout sucks. Come see the Trash Monsters tomorrow night at the CALS Rock-it! Lab from 5 to 8 pm for 2FAN. #5amstudio #trashmonsters #drawing #horrorillustration