Autumn~ Finished Drawing

11.75 x 16", red pencil on Arches Hot Press

I mentioned before that The Autumn Society is having a series of themed projects and our current one is Seasons. I chose autumn, and posted a very rough sketch of this piece earlier. After dealing with more commissions and design work I finally was able to settle down and draw out my finished drawing. I'm really pleased with the outcome and hopefully I can finish this piece within the week, because soon enough I'm starting a major project and my time for personal work will all but disappear.

Cathartic

~4x5", graphite and watercolor

Seasons~ Autumn Sketch

This is a rough sketch for an upcoming project for the Autumn Society. They're tackling the theme Seasons, and mainly because it's my favorite time of year, I chose Autumn.

It took me a much longer time to think of an idea than I'm used to- due in no small part to some personal questioning. This type of image is one that I'm really enamored with and it boils down a lot of what I like to draw and paint. The real question was whether of not to settle, in a way, with this or to try and stretch out as an artist. It's something that I always come to when formulating a sketch, and on one hand I want to be honest and revel in what I love, but also to grow. Each project is a blend of those two concerns and the balance always tips one way or the other. I don't think I'm alone in being concerned about these things, and maybe I get too cerebral about this type of thing, but in the end I really just need to make as good an image as I can.

For all that's worth, I am anxious to get started because now that I've settled, I think it can be a good piece.

Sendak, le fin

Here's the final for another private commission. The sketch is below, but to reiterate, the idea we came up with was two children discovering an old mural of a scene from Where the Wild Things are. There's a lot of elements that were really successful from this piece and again, I feel like there were some chances I took that worked out well. Hopefully the client agrees, though I'm pretty sure he will..

Crop of my favorite section

Sendak Commission~ Drawing

20x16", red pencil on arches 140lb hot press

This is the final drawing for another private commission. I posted the sketch earlier, and the drawing itself was a bit of an experiment. I don't often work this large, just because I prefer smaller pieces for convenience and the more intimate nature of it. The client wanted a larger piece and so the drawing kicked up appropriately. It was an interesting experiment and with another Autumn Society theme brewing, I might work that large again to see if indeed it will work out. Scanning is another issue..

Print Shop!

Hello all. Just announcing that I just set up an Etsy account to streamline print sales. I am now hip. Check out the storefront!

Branded

Quick post, and it's not work related I have to say, but recently I got a tattoo. It's a linear swirl on my wrist. Simple, one line, there you go. One of the illustrators I work with made the comment that it looks like the S from the Society of Illustrators, backwards, and I thought, "Hey ya, it does."

Yesterday, I burned my wrist on a pan cooking dinner so now I have a nice red line- right next to my tattoo...like the I from the Society logo.


I think it's a sign. That I need to be more careful when I cook.

Little Nemo

Red pencil and digital, 10 x 14.75"

Here's the final for a private commission, the subject being Little Nemo from the Winsor McCay comic strip from the early 20th century. Obviously, I hope the client likes the piece, but moreover it's something to think about because I tried to do some different things in this piece that I suppose I wouldn't normally do. Drastically colored lines, color a little crazier, and some digital effects I don't use often. We'l see how it goes over..

Little Nemo

Here's one of those commissions I mentioned. Pretty much, the gentleman asked for "Little Nemo with animals." Nice and open. Lots of my sketches involved a lot of action, craziness, and a jumble of figures, animals, and dreamscapes but they felt a bit predictable and disingenuous. The Winsor McCay comics were a lot about those characters and scenes that were zaney and wild but I was more intrigued by the storyline involving the boy who was picked to be the playmate of princess of Slumberland, and it was a journey to find her before she disappeared. This is a quiet scene in a dreamfield, Nemo stops to enjoy the beauty of this world that is so different from his own, while journeying to find that girl. Above are the final drawing and rough sketch.

Zina on Palin

Really, you should just go see them.

Zina Saunders, New York illustrator, is creating a growing series about Sarah Palin. It's intensely bold, unapologetic, and as direct as a political illustration can be. And- they're totally hilarious. The best part is that those faces get more and more intense as the series grows! Who knows what will come next. Zina's amazing palette and ability to capture and twist a likeness has been utilized to new heights, so I'm looking forward to an artist top herself again and again.