Baby New Year 2023

Getting ready to kick in the New Year! 🎉

I've been doing variations of this image every couple of years. Each time, a slightly different look.

Kickin in the new year!!!

UPDATE C-BOT: The Smart Bot (supporting Picture Book character)

UPDATE: Color! (Originally published on Saturday, January 26, 2019)

It's been quite a long time since I stepped foot in this blog. 
Not only was the pandemic affecting everything, but this year has also been one family emergency after another. We are seeing some light at the end of the tunnel, but still have a way to go.

Anyway, this is my attempt to slowly get back into this blog.

Inktober is approaching, I hope I can do some sketches during the month, but I'm not expecting to have much spare time.

The digitally colored version of the C-Bot, redrawn on an iPad Pro using Procreate

Today's quick sketch warm up. Possible support character for a fun picture book with robots. You can see the protagonist to the story here.

Original Inked Sketch of C-Bot using a Tombow brush pen

UPDATE: Fantasy Reading Scene (for SCBWI)

UPDATE

I was working on this illustration a while back, but I had no spare time and had to put it aside. The composition was too busy, but now I think it looks a little better. I made a few major changes, like:

• Made adjustments to light sources
• Created bolder outlines
• Got rid of the Knight reading over the dragon's shoulder

The updated version of the submitted SCBWI illustration sans the reading Knight

Originally Posted on 2/2/19
Work in progress: One of several spot images I plan to submit for consideration with the SCBWI quarterly, Bulletin magazine. 
Testing out the grays, shading, and highlights. No color since all images need to be submitted in grayscale. I still need adjustments to the tones and values. (Also, note to self . . . Make better use of the negative spacing, especially around the knight area.)

Greyscale image, still in the works

Digital pencil lines are drawn over the scan of the original pencil sketch on a separate layer

Adding some green tones on a layer under the digital pencil lines

Giant Ham/Cheese Sandwich vs. Battle Ballerina!

This image was initially done sometime around Sept 2018.
I'm only getting around to posting it here on the blog today . . . 

My sister-in-law called me on the phone while playing Giant Sandwich VS Princess Ballerina with my (then) 3-year-old niece, (who I assumed was the Princess Ballerina.) From what I could hear over the phone, my niece was using a "flying fist punch" to devastate the evil "Giant Sammich," (which was later described as ham and swiss on white with flimsy leaves of lettuce.)

After that call, I imagined what that fight looked like and put it down on paper.

Final color image, which I toned to an overall warmer pink-purple hue

The first color version

The original pencil sketch

The inked image with text; adding details to the foreground, mid, and background.

Grayscale version - testing out the tone values of the image

Happy Batman Valentine!

Throwback Thursday:
A Valentine sketch I did for my wife several years ago. They say a picture paints a thousand words. Nuff said.

Valentine for my cutie-patootie of a wife! (That's right, I said that publicly!)

Slingblade Banjo Pig! 🐖

This image was inspired by a blog by two of my favorite online illustrators, Guy Francis and Stacy Curtis. Their blog is called: Dueling Banjo Pigs! Check it out. Anyone can join in on the fun! 🐖

Grumpy ol' Slingblade pig -- uhh' hmmmm.

See the other banjo pig I sent years ago here.

Happy Chinese New Year! 2019: The Year of the Pig!

I created this image based on my New Year Baby image from last month. This one goes out to all my friends and co-workers on the other side of the world. Happy Chinese New Year! 🎉🐖 

Lady Bug: Gnat Skiing

Ever wonder what ladybugs do during their winter vacation?

Quick ink and watercolor warmup from this morning.

Inking Alien Bully (and little Meep-Moop)

A poor little Meep-Moop is being picked on by one of those alien-bully Skarggs.
Someone should do something about this . . .

These aliens were developed for the sequel to my picture book, Bobby's Biggest Bubble.
The sequel answers what happened to that meteor, as Bobby's deals with 1,000,000 pounds of Jolly Belly Jelly. Here's to hoping I'll get to reprint the original book with a real publisher and finally get to tell the entire trilogy written so long ago.

Inked with a Pilot brush pen on Canson marker paper

The original pencil sketch rough

A new year! ACK!

This image pretty much explains all the feelings I have now that the holiday break is over, and a new year has begun.

Christmas Card 2018

This will probably only make sense to people who buy toilet paper. If you don't get the joke, go out and buy toilet paper soon.

Christmas Card concept for 2018

Ruth Vader Ginsburg

Some time ago my sister-in-law, Steph, asked me to do this image. She never mentioned why, but I had fun creating it. So now I'm sharin' . . .

Pencil sketched, then inked with a Pentel brush pen and colored
with Copic markers (on Canson marker paper.)

Inktober 2018 - Day31 Slice

Inktober 2018 - Day31 Slice
Well, time to say goodbye to Inktober. It's been fun, at times exhausting, and seeing others' line work has been truly inspiring. Thanks to all kind comments, emails, and likes; it really does mean a lot to me. Until next October . . . keep inking!

This image was inked with a Pilot brush pen on Strathmore toned tan paper,
using a Signo white pen for highlights.

Inktober 2018 - Day29 Double

Inktober 2018 - Day29 Double
As the image states, to this day, I still get the creeps from this scene in the Shining. In my college years, I was utterly blown away by Stanley Kubrick's work. I started collecting all DVDs of his movies, watching them over and over again. The man could truly capture a mood and is in my opinion, the most celebrated director of placement, framing, and composition.

He did take many liberties and altered Steven King's original story, but he definitely created something unique, horrific, and timeless.

Brush pen inked with digital coloring

Inktober 2018 - Day27 Thunder

Inktober 2018 - Day27 Thunder
Every once in a while, I really enjoy inking on toned tan paper. Something about that neutral tone that makes the black lines and white highlights pop. Mitch has inspired me to write the first draft for his own picture book story.

Inked with a brush pen on Strathmore toned tan paper;
using a Signo white pen for highlights, and adding some shading tones with cool grey Copic markers

Inktober 2018 - Day 25 Prickly

Inktober 2018 - Day 25 Prickly
I'm starting to think Todd's not going to survive Inktober.

Inktober 2018 - Day24 Chop

Inktober 2018 - Day24 Chop
Initially, I was going to use this character (Arnie Geddon) for all the Inktober images. But life and work have priorities, (especially when having to start planning product development for 2019 Halloween products this week.)

I've had this image for a while and waited for this day to post it. I thought this would be a good concept for a morbidly cute alphabet picture book -- but it would be a tough sell. But . . . I could see it as a novelty picture book for adults and possibly offer it up as a Kickstarter project to fund the printing.

This image was inked with a Pilot brush pen on Strathmore toned tan paper; using a Signo white pen for highlights.

The original artwork scan without digital text and enhancing contrast

See the original sketch of this character here.

Inktober 2018 - Day23 Muddy

Inktober 2018 - Day23 Muddy

Pen brush inked and then digitally colored

Inktober 2018 - Day 21 Drain

Inktober 2018 - Day 21 Drain
Todd! Only a little more than a week to go!

Poor Todd was inked with a brush pen and then digitally colored in Photoshop

Inktober 2018 - Day17 Swallon

Inktober 2018 - Day17 Swallon
Ah, good ol' Phorlp, from the hypochondriac planet of Bleh. 👽

Brushpen inked and digitally colored with Photoshop