Mark Simmons
@toysdream.bsky.social
Bugs, robots, comics. Falsus in uno, falsus in omnibus. He/him.
The ultimatemark.com website finally gets a facelift (and content updates)! This format should enable me to update the graphics whenever I have new stuff to show off.
November 19, 2025 at 9:05 AM
The ultimatemark.com website finally gets a facelift (and content updates)! This format should enable me to update the graphics whenever I have new stuff to show off.
Cry your space tears, star child!
November 18, 2025 at 8:27 PM
Cry your space tears, star child!
I've been dragging my feet, but it's time to update the portfolio website. Somehow I never got around to putting this 2019 SF Zoo poster on there...
November 14, 2025 at 9:31 PM
I've been dragging my feet, but it's time to update the portfolio website. Somehow I never got around to putting this 2019 SF Zoo poster on there...
Figure drawing notes, page 3. Introducing the outline-centric approach I tend to use for quick sketching from life, and some of the things I'm thinking about in terms of capturing shapes. (3/3)
November 12, 2025 at 7:56 PM
Figure drawing notes, page 3. Introducing the outline-centric approach I tend to use for quick sketching from life, and some of the things I'm thinking about in terms of capturing shapes. (3/3)
Figure drawing notes continued. Stick figures, the "line of action," and constructing imaginary figures with body masses. (2/3)
November 12, 2025 at 7:54 PM
Figure drawing notes continued. Stick figures, the "line of action," and constructing imaginary figures with body masses. (2/3)
I wanted to do some little tip sheets on quick-sketching people from life. So here you go! First, an introduction to my outline-centric approach -- I'll get into technique points later. (1/3)
November 12, 2025 at 7:51 PM
I wanted to do some little tip sheets on quick-sketching people from life. So here you go! First, an introduction to my outline-centric approach -- I'll get into technique points later. (1/3)
Added a couple more poses. Now it's time to clean up the model sheet...
November 8, 2025 at 1:05 AM
Added a couple more poses. Now it's time to clean up the model sheet...
And here's a rough character model sheet from the comic project. Not necessarily a major character, but she's in a lot of the initial pages.
November 7, 2025 at 10:55 AM
And here's a rough character model sheet from the comic project. Not necessarily a major character, but she's in a lot of the initial pages.
So! I've been working on an original comic project, and it occurred to me that I can repurpose the character and mecha poses from the page layouts to make some model sheets. Since these roughs are based on comic panels, they're pretty perspective-y. Now to refine!
November 7, 2025 at 3:34 AM
So! I've been working on an original comic project, and it occurred to me that I can repurpose the character and mecha poses from the page layouts to make some model sheets. Since these roughs are based on comic panels, they're pretty perspective-y. Now to refine!
Not to mention the original mobile suit variants that Kunio Okawara created for Kodansha's tie-in books, which later evolved into the "MSV" series.
November 4, 2025 at 11:10 PM
Not to mention the original mobile suit variants that Kunio Okawara created for Kodansha's tie-in books, which later evolved into the "MSV" series.
...and an appreciation of the lovely new background art that art director Mitsuki Nakamura painted for "Gundam II."
November 4, 2025 at 11:08 PM
...and an appreciation of the lovely new background art that art director Mitsuki Nakamura painted for "Gundam II."
I've included various promotional posters by the character and mecha designers...
November 4, 2025 at 11:04 PM
I've included various promotional posters by the character and mecha designers...
This covers things like the production process for the new movie animation, where animation director Yoshikazu Yasuhiko would do rough "first key animation" and then different artists would clean it up.
November 4, 2025 at 11:01 PM
This covers things like the production process for the new movie animation, where animation director Yoshikazu Yasuhiko would do rough "first key animation" and then different artists would clean it up.
Birthday bugs, hosted by Stephanie "BeetleLady" Dole and featuring a cast of dozens of two- and six-legged friends.
November 3, 2025 at 10:55 PM
Birthday bugs, hosted by Stephanie "BeetleLady" Dole and featuring a cast of dozens of two- and six-legged friends.
From this month's rent cover letter, a little seasonal greeting from me and Julie. Hope it was spooky for you!
November 1, 2025 at 6:43 AM
From this month's rent cover letter, a little seasonal greeting from me and Julie. Hope it was spooky for you!
Haven't been able to devote proper attention to Halloween this year, but if we're posting favorite vampires, here are a couple that spring to mind. Delighted to see folkloric shroud-chewing depicted onscreen at last.
October 31, 2025 at 12:09 AM
Haven't been able to devote proper attention to Halloween this year, but if we're posting favorite vampires, here are a couple that spring to mind. Delighted to see folkloric shroud-chewing depicted onscreen at last.
Finally, we turn onto McAllister and make our way to Civic Center, at which point it kind of morphs into a big sunny lawn picnic. Well done, fellow San Franciscans! (3/3)
October 19, 2025 at 9:13 AM
Finally, we turn onto McAllister and make our way to Civic Center, at which point it kind of morphs into a big sunny lawn picnic. Well done, fellow San Franciscans! (3/3)
And off we go down Market Street. It was hard to tell how big the crowd was since it's all level ground, but apparently there were about 50,000 of us. (2/3)
October 19, 2025 at 9:10 AM
And off we go down Market Street. It was hard to tell how big the crowd was since it's all level ground, but apparently there were about 50,000 of us. (2/3)
"No Kings" march sketch time! There are a few pages of these, so I'll share them two at a time. The first thing I saw when I showed up in downtown SF was a pair of inflatable dinosaurs, which seemed like a good omen. (1/3)
October 19, 2025 at 9:08 AM
"No Kings" march sketch time! There are a few pages of these, so I'll share them two at a time. The first thing I saw when I showed up in downtown SF was a pair of inflatable dinosaurs, which seemed like a good omen. (1/3)
Page four, with some parting advice on facial features which create likeness and show expressions. Eyebrows, uniquely, do both and are therefore the highest-value facial detail.
October 17, 2025 at 8:15 PM
Page four, with some parting advice on facial features which create likeness and show expressions. Eyebrows, uniquely, do both and are therefore the highest-value facial detail.
Completing the stick-person powerup, and now looking at the other end of the continuum. I always love creating gratuitous foreshortening on Zoom calls.
October 17, 2025 at 8:13 PM
Completing the stick-person powerup, and now looking at the other end of the continuum. I always love creating gratuitous foreshortening on Zoom calls.
Page two: From stick figure to noodle dude to balloon person. (There's also an interim one-and-a-half dimension option, Stick Figure with Box Body.)
October 17, 2025 at 8:11 PM
Page two: From stick figure to noodle dude to balloon person. (There's also an interim one-and-a-half dimension option, Stick Figure with Box Body.)
So I've been idly pondering how I'd go about teaching people-sketching nowadays, and I remembered doing a tutorial a few years back about powering up your stick figures. I just figured where I put it! Let's break this out page by page. (1/4)
October 17, 2025 at 8:09 PM
So I've been idly pondering how I'd go about teaching people-sketching nowadays, and I remembered doing a tutorial a few years back about powering up your stick figures. I just figured where I put it! Let's break this out page by page. (1/4)
I want to be mindful of people's privacy and safety with these, so in addition to drawing people mostly from behind, this time I think I'll arbitrarily change all the clothing colors to further anonymize them.
October 17, 2025 at 6:15 PM
I want to be mindful of people's privacy and safety with these, so in addition to drawing people mostly from behind, this time I think I'll arbitrarily change all the clothing colors to further anonymize them.