NEW PIECE: COLOR COMP

This is a new piece I am about to start on. It was born out of many of doodles done at preschool board meetings where I serve as the health and safety chair. Let's just say they can run a little long. Anyway, I have been pushing this idea around in my head for a while--even from about four years ago when I did an illustration of a little bot looking at an ant. I don't know why, but I am fascinated by the story possibilities involving tiny robots and insects.

My plan is to render the final image in guache/watercolors. We'll see what happens. Currently, it is way too bleedin' cold to even be in my studio so I am moving the whole painting operation inside. It's funny, I think I have been crutching on digital software to create these images lately. Why? Because it's 1. Faster 2. Easier to make changes. 3. Cheaper 4. Easier to publish. Still, I have seen some illustrators get some fantastic results from combining wet media and digital media. Again, we'll see. I am interested to see the results myself.

CHRISTMAS CARD

Happy Happy Holidays everyone!!! I have lots of things on the horizon for after the holidays so please do stay tuned! Til then, have a happy and safe holiday!

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY: ENTANGLED

Just whipped up this render of a sketch that I had posted previously... I think it suits the topic.

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY: MUSIC

This is a style of illustration that I love to do--simple pen and ink (well, digitally simulated pen and ink anyway). Some of my favorite illustrators of all time have been masters of this media and, strangely, many of them were most prolific during the late 19th and early 20th century. Heirich Kley, A.B. Frost, Charles Dana Gibson, Thomas Nast, Arthur Rackham, John Tenniel... These are all masters of the line and their influence has crept into the very fabric of our popular culture.

This illustration was done to test some of my brush settings in Corel Painter. I am trying to get the look of a hard crowquill nib--one that doesn't give a lot of variation in the line but is still fluid and loose. I yanked this sketch out of the sketchbook and went to work... Anyway, please let me know what you think!

KRISMISS CARD SKETCHES

These are some sketches for this year's Christmas card... I have been struggling with ideas this go-round but still managed the get some pretty good sketches from the sketchbook. I think I am leaning towards the dog and kitty.

I have started working with wet media again. It's been a little bit tough, but I really do like the look of wet media--watercolor and guache being my media of choice for renderings. As I knock this together, I'll be posting some images soon.

SKETCHBOOK DROPPING OF THE WEEK

Just wanted to share the latest bit of insanity from my sketchbook... I am going through an "octopus" phanse right now. They're kinda fun to draw. Anyway, this just struck me as hilarious--of course I am probably the only one who will think so. Still, if I can't amuse myself, what's the use of being an artist?

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY: FAST

From the sketchbook... Thought it was perfect. Working on something for Halloween.

BOOYAH...

Back on the blogosphere people after a wee break. I have been getting out the old sketchbook and have been doing a wee bit of drawering here lately. Lot's of pencil work and keeping the chops nice and frosty. I have a few nice gigs coming up--a piece in Highlights magazine and a series of illustrations for ETV for a summer production. Yes, that's right Wavy Davey and I will be back at it--bringing everyone some more historical-themed "visualizations" for everyone. This production deals with SC colonial figure Charles Pinckney. Pinckney was a signatory to the Constitution and a former Governor of South Carolina. It should be a hoot since the colonial period is my favorite period in US history. Anyway, I'll holler when she's set to pop. In the meantime, I apologize for my absence and hope folks will stick around to see what I am up to! Cheers...

FOR LEO: THE KING IN SPACE

A while back Leo and I were playing in his room in a small tent which was serving both as a castle AND as a spaceship. I kept asking why it was a spaceship AND a castle. Without missing a step Leo said, "Because the king is in space Daddy..." Too right. The king IS in space. Never underestimate the imagination of a three-and-a-half year old!

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY: TANGO

Just jumping out early on IF this week. Lots going on...

ALIEN ORCHESTRA

Here is another piece for my "Alien Orchestra" series. I love creating characters more than anything. I always have. I just pulled these guys out of the sketchbook and painted them up in Corel Painter.

These are part of a larger portfolio of wok I am hoping to show to children's book publishers. Creating the work is easy... Self promotion. That's the hard part. Stay tuned.

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY: HOLLOW

Well, the drum is hollow right? This is a taste of a larger portfolio I am working on. Getting ready to make a big push to get my portfolio/website/marketing materials together. I hope to have everything up off the ground by September-ish (my birthday). Anyway, I will post more updates on this effort soon...

This particular piece is part a series I'm calling, "Alien Steam Punk Orchestra" along with a few other alien, steam punk-inspired pieces. These are fun to draw and paint and I can do them all day long (who wants to stop when you're having fun, right?). He started as a pencil sketch which was then imported into Corel Painter where he was finally rendered. I'm going to post more of these lovelies as I get them done. Thanks for looking!

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY:CRAVING

For all the smokers and FORMER smokers out there...

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY: ADAPT

BRACE FOR IMPACT! ALL HANDS! This image is a tribute to all the incredibly STUPID things I did as a youngster. I had an old beater of a bike that I took off of any manner of ramps and jumps--most of which went horribly wrong resulting usually in very sore bits "down there." I never tried the wings admittedly, but I thought about it. This piece obviously depicts a much older dude, possibly a shell-shocked former fighter pilot who is feeling an urge to take to the skies once again but is lacking the necessary "vehicle."

DEALING WITH BLOCKAGE

Creative blockage is a real nasty hang. It can eat at you and before you know it, you find yourself completely paralyzed and afraid to put pencil to paper. Well, for those of you who suffer from occasional blockage, here is a great blog entry by Dani Jones from the blog Danidraws.com. There are a list of projects that an illustrator can do to hone his/her chops and create some nice pieces for the portfolio...

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY:CONTAGIOUS

This is too obvious I know... But, what the hell... It's been a busy week.

MORE MOVIE SCREEN PAINTS

Two quick movie scene sketches. A scene from Time Bandits and one from Brazil--two of my favorite Terry Gilliam movies in terms of aesthetics. I love the lighting, the colors, the use of skewed camera angles. Terry Gilliam is a master.

Anyway, I do this from time to time to help me work out some kinks in my rendering abilities. I am pretty confident in my drawing--given that I have had the most practice in that area. Working with color and rendering, however, require me to use a whole different part of my brain. So, every once in a while, I will do this quick color sketches of screen grabs from some of my favorite movies. I try to pick scenes that I like or that present some particular challenge for me. These two were just two very different types of scenes--very different in terms of set-up and color... It's a great learning tool actually.

SUP FOOL

I just though this was funny.

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY: THEATER

I had this sketch of Cyrano for a while so I thought I would just do a quick color-up for IF.

THE LION AND THE MOUSE

Just finished this last night... It's from Aesop's fable, the Lion and the Mouse. Still working some of the kins out of my style... I am trying some new things and am hoping that something will click! Let me know what you think!