Gobble Gobble!

Hope every ones thanksgiving went well! And now it's time for Christmas! I already gave myself a Christmas present last week when I went up to the Bike Doctor of Waldorf (very good selection and customer service there!), and I bought a new road bike. The weather has been beautiful outside so I have been riding like a fiend!

My bike is a different color...White, Silver, and Gold.

Although I have spent a lot of time outside I have however made an effort to get my butt in gear to paint! I did get inspired to paint a Skunk, there was a dead one on the side of the road as I biked.  Sorry that is a little morbid but, hey I got inspired to make this cute little guy!

It may be a tad simlar to Flower from Bambi. But what skunk doesn't remind you of him?

Some Halloween Fun!

My niece Kendal came over on Saturday and we had a bunch a fun painting pumpkins for Halloween!  It was her first time using paint pens and she is such girly girl she hates being messy.  Every time she got paint on her had we had wipe if off she would stop using her hand until is was clean. 

I went ahead and painted one of my own pumpkins, at first I just did your general run of the mill Frankenstein.

Then I couldn't think what to paint next so I asked Kendal "What should I paint?" She replied "I don't know, Mickey Mouse."

I got a little nostalgic on Mickey, I think that's 1930's Mickey? Needed another character and Kendal wanted one of her favorites Elmo.

Elmo was in the middle of Trick or Treating and lost his treats from being scared of Frankenstein.  I had one more space on the pumpkin and Kendal wanted a Yo Gabba Gabba character, and she is obsessed with Yo Gabba Gabba right now.  It is a very interesting show to say the least. The last space left on the pumpkin was behind the Frankenstein.  So of course I would make Flex the Robot a part of the angry mob trying to save his friends from the Frankenstein.

It was a fun day, HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!

cliff hanger

How far would you go to save your kitty? Apparently far if he climbed up a cliff.

I'm getting antsy!

Wow, I'm rather disappointed in myself.  I have not painted anything in two weeks! For me that is quite a long time, but I have been venturing into some of my other artistic abilities working on graphics at my day job and doing some tattoos for friends and family.  It's interesting jumping to and from various forms of art, it's a strange feeling going from paper to skin or from skin to paper.  Drawing/tattooing on skin you have to design to the contours of the body. On paper your trying to emulate those shapes and curves to give the illusion your drawing a body.  It reminds me of Rene Magritte's "This is not a pipe".

I'm not actually ever making something real, although I do get rather caught up in my characters sometimes. A tattoo I did recently on my friend Dan, I and my very talented and good friend Rob collaborated on.  Dan got a tattoo of his "son", I place that in quotations marks because it's not really his son it is just a image placed on his skin.  It was a fun design that I can't wait to finish! His little boy is sitting beside a rocketship (Rob's handy work!) looking into space (Rob's planets!) with thoughts of big hopes and dreams that I'm sure his wonderful father will help him to fulfill. Tattoo's like this remind me of what is real in this life even if on paper or skin you add a little make believe.

It's going to look so good finished! :)

A Character Study

I feel as though I need to work on the different facal expression of one particular character more than what I have been lately. To show that I can draw a single character consistently in different scenes and with different moods. Hopefully some more drawings like this can show my versatility as an illustrator and prove to a Publisher or an Art Director that I could create their vision for a children's book and have characters look consistent throughout an entire story.

He looks like a Chuck to me. Or maybe just stick with Charlie?

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mischievous porcupines

Porcupines just like to get a cheap laugh once in a while.

Final Product.

Line Drawing.

drive responsibly

Scooters and motorcycles seem like a fun way to get from place to place, however, some scooter and motorcycle drivers that I have seen on my way to and from work are ridiculous.  One piece of advice, do not drive your scooter or motorcycle as though your asking to get hit!  Don't cut someone off, don't drive in between two cars, the dotted line is not a lane for you.  It is to divided the road into two lanes, stay in one of those lanes.  Most people seem to worry about me and my own interest in getting a motorcycle one day.  So scared of people driving big cars and trucks around me, those who might not be paying close attention.  As a driver myself I pay close attention but many times I feel like motocycle and scooter drivers drive recklessly because they take advantage of those of us who do pay closer attention.  Yes, I do pay attention so I don't hit and injure you or worse kill you, but that doesn't give you license to drive your motorcycle or scooter like an idiot!!!  Drive responsibly please!

Step One: Line Work...Rolling Hills, Mountain and City Scape.

Step Two:  Color!  Vibrant Greens and a Ruby Red Scooter.