Believe when I say I'm no better than you, except when I rap, so I guess it aint true.

Here's a new piece I recently worked up for the ol' portfolio. Looking at it now, I see some things I'm going to change, but those will be minor tweaks. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I'm really starting to enjoy working this way, using a variety of textures (although in this piece not a very wide variety), no lines to speak of, bright yet somehow muddy colors. The whole thing is unabashedly digital while decidedly tactile. (Forgive me for that last bit, the phrase popped into my head and I couldn't help myself. I'm not really that pompous.)

I may be transitioning into a new style, or at least giving myself another working option when getting started on a piece.

In case you're wondering, the lined paper on the right side of the image does have a purpose. This image is meant to accompany a short poem I wrote, so the poem will occupy that area. I didn't put it on there right now because I didn't want y'all to get jealous of the ryhme or the ryhme routine.

Or maybe it's because I'm still working on it. It's the kind of thing you'd find in a Highlights type magazine, and I'd like to get it published at some point so I want to work out all the kinks before I send it off to various children's magazine editors.

But for real, it's tight son, it's tight.

Kids!

Just some things I've been working on.

New Work

Here's a new soon-to-be published piece I finished over the weekend. I'm rather happy with it. In the final printed version, the flag is different, because the weird skull flag didn't fit the story but I like it better with the skull.

Some work-related work I did at work.

Actually I did 90% of it at home, but I really had a need to fit the word "work" in the title three times.

In our loverly Rocktober issue we have a Best of Northeast Ohio feature, and I was asked to do this illustration as the "cover" to the section. I think the fact that I see dogs driving around on scooters everywhere that I go is actually the very best thing about Northeast Ohio. And also black squirrels. I love those little guys.

I have been neglecting the blog again a little bit, but I wanna get more stuff up here, so feel free to check back soon. Maybe even tomorrow.

P.S. I did not design the cool Best of NEO logo, that was our creative director Ricki Urban, who is a wicked designer and a really great boss.

And the silver medal goes to....

Me!

This image was posted waaaay back in December when it was completed and today I received a little, framed award thing for it. It won a second place Ohio Excellence in Journalism award in the category of "Print Visuals Single Illustration, All Other Publications," (which is a mouthful). It's pretty cool to be recognized in that way.

Our magazine also won first place in the category of "General Photo, Multiple Images," for a story from May 2006. Also very cool.

Awwww nuts...

Here's my latest illustration for work. It accompanies an essay about a stay-at-home dad (the writer) whose wife discovers a giant black bra in his diaper bag. Hilarity ensues.

I'm happy how this turned out, though this is the second version. I did a watercolor version first to change things up a bit and get away from the clean, digital stuff. I really loved it too, until I scanned it and placed the file on the page and it looked awful with the story. My scan was really bad, and no matter how many times I scanned it (different settings each time) it still turned out crappy. So I did a clean, digital version and It looks alright.

I'm also happy that I'm able to do this once in a while for the magazine. It helps keep things interesting. If you wanna see it in print, with the text all wrapped around it and awesome, look for the July issue of Northern Ohio Live on stands...now I think. I just got a copy today, so I think it'll be out today, or maybe Monday.

P.S. If you need a t-shirt click on the cool Bountee flash thing over there in the sidebar. I'm working on new designs all the time.

Illustration Friday: Cars

Or only one car, in the case of this image. This is an old one, from a Disney Adventures job a few years ago. It accompanied a little sidebar about an old-timey race care driver who had a pet money be drove around with. I think the Monkey's name was Jocko Flocko.

I made this.

Here's a little job I did for work. It's my first illustrated cover for the magazine, and I'm really happy with how it printed. I was a little worried that the colors wouldn't print so well, but they turned out great. Our magazine rarely has illustrations, especially on the cover, so this was a special treat for me.

The concept was that it should have the feel of a cover to an old detective novel or pulp magazine without depicting the imminent demise of some "saucy dame". Of course, said dame still needed to appear on the cover, and we still needed the tension of those old books, so this is what I sketched up. I think it's pretty successful.

So, if you live in the Northern Ohio area, pick up a copy of Northern Ohio Live, on the stands now, and support my children. Come on, it's only 350¢!

Brain Maze

Here's another illustration for the magazine I work for. This is my first real digital painting. I did it in PhotoShop based on a sketch I had drawn on paper. I'm glad I finally had the chance to put my Wacom tablet to good use. Stylistically it's a big departure for me since it isn't cartoonish at all. It really couldn't be since it will be accompanying a pretty heavy article about a teen struggling with mental illness.

I can't say that it's a really great piece or anything, and I have a lot of problems with it, but overall I feel like it's a success. I'm kind of amazed I'm saying that since I suffered about three anxiety attacks while trying to complete it. You know, typical stuff, "why did I agree to do this, I totally suck, there's no point in trying, maybe I should get a job at the fish hatchery..."

So if you live in Ohio and wanna see how this sucker looks in print, chack out the May issue of Northern Ohio Live magazine, on the stands... sometime shortly after we get the thing done.

Been A While

I know it's been a little while since I posted anything, but I've been pretty busy. I just haven't been busy drawing. Mostly I've been writing scripts for some comics projects, which has been pretty fun. I did get a chance over the past few weeks to draw these 4 guys. I work as a designer for a local magazine here in the cleveland area and from time to time I get the chance to do some illustrations for it. These hearts will accompany a short story about cardiac health in the April issue. I'm pretty happy with how they turned out, especially the running and smoking hearts. They're my favorites.