I've been away at some festivals, but now I'm on vacation in Ohio until next week. I brought pads and pencils along in hopes of drawing on the road, so we'll see how that goes.
Until next time, auf wiedersehen.
26 July 2006
11 July 2006
Gone for the rest of the week...
...as I'll be off drawing caricatures (AND ROCKIN' IT OUT, CLASSIC STYLE) at Moondance Jam up in Walker, MN. I'll be away through Sunday. Here's hoping for some good crowds and some great music to draw to.
Really lookin' forward to Alice Cooper and The Nuge!
Sorry for lack of updates - it's been quiet here for a while because I've been sick! Summer flu, cold, West Nile... SOMETHING got me good. Today is the first time in nearly 9 days that I actually feel OK.
Until then... check out the new 'temporary' logo I made for my new venture (along with Jim Hungaski and Joe Williams) - WeDrawFaces.com:
Later!
Really lookin' forward to Alice Cooper and The Nuge!
Sorry for lack of updates - it's been quiet here for a while because I've been sick! Summer flu, cold, West Nile... SOMETHING got me good. Today is the first time in nearly 9 days that I actually feel OK.
Until then... check out the new 'temporary' logo I made for my new venture (along with Jim Hungaski and Joe Williams) - WeDrawFaces.com:
Later!
02 July 2006
Collegiate sports art
Anyone who knows me will tell you I'm not a huge sports guy. I don't even know if I'd call myself a casual sports guy. I do watch baseball regularly, but other than that, I really don't care about sports at all.
But if sports involves getting paid commissions, oh, you know I'm there!!! So here are two Homecoming themes that I've done for the North Dakota State College of Science football team. The first one is last year's (2005) and the second is for this autumn's '06 Homecoming. They're the Wildcats.
But if sports involves getting paid commissions, oh, you know I'm there!!! So here are two Homecoming themes that I've done for the North Dakota State College of Science football team. The first one is last year's (2005) and the second is for this autumn's '06 Homecoming. They're the Wildcats.
2005:
2006:
As you can see there is a 'theme' they have each year - which was also part of our job to come up with. Willie Wildcat is the mascot, so we had to include him in the graphic. Their team colors are also red & black. They stay white in the background because they go on shirts, cups, publications, and whatever else.
For last year, the 'Devour' theme gave us the idea of Willie eating the eagles like chicken, hence the big juicy leg he's holding. If you look closely, some of the crippled eagles only have one leg left. Oh, violence in the name of football!
One axed idea for '05 included, 'Pluck The Golden Eagles,' where it would show Willie ripping feathers off an eagle... but the NDSCS staff said "pluck" sounded too much like the word that rhymes with it. At least we still included an eagle with all his feathers GONE! For this year, we thought 'Neuter The Wolves' would be good too, but OH WELL!!!
Speaking of this year's upcoming game, 'Whip' was the first word that came to mind, and stuck with us throughout brainstorming other ideas. 'Neuter' woulda still been funny, right? And the graphic to go with it? Kidding, kidding...
...or am I?
ANYWAY, when we found out the Wildcats were facing a team called the Wolves this year, there was no doubt that the wolf would be done Tex Avery style! YES! So if you're seeing blatant Frederick Avery ripoff in the graphic above, why yes, it is! More like a tribute. Besides, how many zillions of teams named the Bulldogs stole their logos/mascots from Preston Blair? I thought so!
I wish I had these logos to compare with previous years' themes. But they aren't anywhere online, and I can't find printouts. But whoever did them before wasn't very creative. All you need to know is that the guy was photoshop filter crazy, loved to use his gradients, and pasted the 'official' Willie logo on top of clipart football player bodies. Oh, and here are the official Willie logos below, past and present:
For last year, the 'Devour' theme gave us the idea of Willie eating the eagles like chicken, hence the big juicy leg he's holding. If you look closely, some of the crippled eagles only have one leg left. Oh, violence in the name of football!
One axed idea for '05 included, 'Pluck The Golden Eagles,' where it would show Willie ripping feathers off an eagle... but the NDSCS staff said "pluck" sounded too much like the word that rhymes with it. At least we still included an eagle with all his feathers GONE! For this year, we thought 'Neuter The Wolves' would be good too, but OH WELL!!!
Speaking of this year's upcoming game, 'Whip' was the first word that came to mind, and stuck with us throughout brainstorming other ideas. 'Neuter' woulda still been funny, right? And the graphic to go with it? Kidding, kidding...
...or am I?
ANYWAY, when we found out the Wildcats were facing a team called the Wolves this year, there was no doubt that the wolf would be done Tex Avery style! YES! So if you're seeing blatant Frederick Avery ripoff in the graphic above, why yes, it is! More like a tribute. Besides, how many zillions of teams named the Bulldogs stole their logos/mascots from Preston Blair? I thought so!
I wish I had these logos to compare with previous years' themes. But they aren't anywhere online, and I can't find printouts. But whoever did them before wasn't very creative. All you need to know is that the guy was photoshop filter crazy, loved to use his gradients, and pasted the 'official' Willie logo on top of clipart football player bodies. Oh, and here are the official Willie logos below, past and present:
The cool OLD one that I knew as a kid:
The modern one that bores me:
What is it about all those modern collegiate/professional team logos that stick to that same style? Iconic? Yes. Lifeless? Also yes. When designing MY version of Willie (refer back above), I wanted to make sure his look was little more cartoonish. Last year's was still pretty stiff, but this year's was a natural evolution. When I look at Willie's head alone (in the '06 graphic), I picture that as its own great logo. Jef and I were discussing possibly putting that face on shirts for school events. We'll see how that goes.
When we were watching the Homecoming 2005 parade last year, we saw various floats that utilized our theme. Several floats included students with KFC buckets. But the FUNNIEST float was one featuring a bastardized version of our graphic! It was a piece of tagboard with the logo traced on from a projector, but the lines were thin and the coloring was minimal (with what looked like Crayola markers)... it was a riot.
And the football team won last year... I like to believe that our theme attributed towards that victory. Hope the same applies this year! But if they lose, eh, just remember that I'm not a huge sports fan in the first place.
What is it about all those modern collegiate/professional team logos that stick to that same style? Iconic? Yes. Lifeless? Also yes. When designing MY version of Willie (refer back above), I wanted to make sure his look was little more cartoonish. Last year's was still pretty stiff, but this year's was a natural evolution. When I look at Willie's head alone (in the '06 graphic), I picture that as its own great logo. Jef and I were discussing possibly putting that face on shirts for school events. We'll see how that goes.When we were watching the Homecoming 2005 parade last year, we saw various floats that utilized our theme. Several floats included students with KFC buckets. But the FUNNIEST float was one featuring a bastardized version of our graphic! It was a piece of tagboard with the logo traced on from a projector, but the lines were thin and the coloring was minimal (with what looked like Crayola markers)... it was a riot.
And the football team won last year... I like to believe that our theme attributed towards that victory. Hope the same applies this year! But if they lose, eh, just remember that I'm not a huge sports fan in the first place.
25 June 2006
Yogi and Cindy: 'Costume Capers' comic! (1962)
(this afternoon's doodle - airbrush black, white Prismacolor)IT'S JELLYSTONE JOLLIES TIME!
I've been looking at this comic below for more Hanna-Barbera inspiration lately (you'll FINALLY see more drawings in upcoming posts). It's one I had to buy when I came across it a few years ago in a fine shop in Vandalia, OH - isn't that cover incredible? The back cover is the same image, noted as 'Yogi Bear pin-up No. 1.' The comic reeks of smelly old newsprint (Issue #10 from October 1962), but inside is a goldmine of classic H-B fun. Yogi, Auggie, Snaggle, Quick Draw, even some Hokey. It's 80 pages long, but I'm only posting one story.
The early Cindy Bear reminds me of Yogi in drag. That is one homely she-bear! Then again, the modern Cindy isn't much better - cute, thinner, NOT BLUE! She's SUPPOSED to be blue! Although in '99, Spumco made her juuust right in Boo Boo Runs Wild (and yes, she was BLUE!).
Click to enlarge. Enjoy!
22 June 2006
13 June 2006
MMM-MMM!!!
Before I go any further, I PROMISE (for real this time) I will start posting more artwork here! That's the whole reason I signed up for the BLOOOGGER in the first place! Moving on...
OK this is another non-art post, but I just gotta share with you, a GREAT tasty beverage I discovered today. I just drank it a few minutes ago, and I'm still twirling around in delightful bliss.
I am a soda/pop (whatever you prefer) connoisseur of sorts, and am also a regular green tea drinker. Tonight, two of my favorite forms of drink were combined in a sleek glass bottle, then cascaded like a dreamland brook across eager taste buds, down my throat and sploshed to the gut. And instantaneously, in that first unforgettable gulp, I fell in love with a new flavored liquid.
I've never even SEEN the stuff before today! So I know, some of you out there are probably sitting there at your computers right now, empty Zota bottles all over the place, perhaps swigging a cold one right now, and going, "Yeah, so? What's all the excitement about? *drink* *glup* *swig* *b-r-r-a-appp!!!*"
An instant 5/5 stars in my book.
ZOTA SODA - never go away!!! I love thee to bits.
I also picked up Zota Lemon and Lime flavors. But I am destined to taste them all.
And go here to see more flavors. And no, I'm not on a Zota street team, or whoring their crap...
...yet...
OK this is another non-art post, but I just gotta share with you, a GREAT tasty beverage I discovered today. I just drank it a few minutes ago, and I'm still twirling around in delightful bliss.
LOOK! ZOTA SODA GREEN TEA COLA!!!!!!
I am a soda/pop (whatever you prefer) connoisseur of sorts, and am also a regular green tea drinker. Tonight, two of my favorite forms of drink were combined in a sleek glass bottle, then cascaded like a dreamland brook across eager taste buds, down my throat and sploshed to the gut. And instantaneously, in that first unforgettable gulp, I fell in love with a new flavored liquid.
I've never even SEEN the stuff before today! So I know, some of you out there are probably sitting there at your computers right now, empty Zota bottles all over the place, perhaps swigging a cold one right now, and going, "Yeah, so? What's all the excitement about? *drink* *glup* *swig* *b-r-r-a-appp!!!*"
An instant 5/5 stars in my book.
ZOTA SODA - never go away!!! I love thee to bits.
I also picked up Zota Lemon and Lime flavors. But I am destined to taste them all.
And go here to see more flavors. And no, I'm not on a Zota street team, or whoring their crap...
...yet...
06 June 2006
The End (Has No End)
So I found out this past Saturday from Jim (owner) that my caricature job at the mall will be no more as of June 30th. It kind of came as a surprise, but at the same time, not really.
We've just fallen so behind on keeping up with rent, that it wasn't financially feasible anymore. I can't even count how many days I worked where I didn't make any sales (how many people want caricatures at a shopping mall in Fargo on, say, a Tuesday morning?). Plus, my commute is about 50 miles, one way, so that was a lot of gas to be guzzling for those days with $0.00 take-home. I mean it was costing me at least $10.00 a day for gas alone.
The other owner, Joe, also has a stand at Mall of America in the Twin Cities, which gets better business than here in Fargo. And I know he's kind of bummed that we're shutting it down, but happy that he can focus on other upcoming projects. In addition, Tom Richmond has a stand at the Mall of America (in the park formerly known as Camp Snoopy) as well as Valleyfair, so I know I have some guaranteed jobs around there.
But am I worried at the moment? Not at all! That's because we've got a whole bunch of fairs and festivals taking up a good chunk of the summer. I'm jacked. And festivals mean BIG BUCK$ for us drawin' folks. Thousands of potential customers. Jim, Joe, and I will be out and about and literally rolling in money!
Furthermore, we're gonna set up a caricature website, which was originally going to be an extension of the stand in the Fargo mall. It'll feature myself, along with Joe and Jim, and the caricature services we can offer! You'll definitely see a link posted here when it's up and running.
So I'll still be doing caricatures regularly, no doubt. It's a valuable skill that I've learned as an artist (even though I still suck at it), and it's been my main source of income for the past year. I should feel blessed and fortunate that I am able to make a living doing something that I absolutely love (even IF it's not all that much money at the moment). It's a bittersweet closing of our beloved caricature stand in Fargo, but we're moving on to better things.
I won't miss that commute, that's for sure.
We've just fallen so behind on keeping up with rent, that it wasn't financially feasible anymore. I can't even count how many days I worked where I didn't make any sales (how many people want caricatures at a shopping mall in Fargo on, say, a Tuesday morning?). Plus, my commute is about 50 miles, one way, so that was a lot of gas to be guzzling for those days with $0.00 take-home. I mean it was costing me at least $10.00 a day for gas alone.
The other owner, Joe, also has a stand at Mall of America in the Twin Cities, which gets better business than here in Fargo. And I know he's kind of bummed that we're shutting it down, but happy that he can focus on other upcoming projects. In addition, Tom Richmond has a stand at the Mall of America (in the park formerly known as Camp Snoopy) as well as Valleyfair, so I know I have some guaranteed jobs around there.
But am I worried at the moment? Not at all! That's because we've got a whole bunch of fairs and festivals taking up a good chunk of the summer. I'm jacked. And festivals mean BIG BUCK$ for us drawin' folks. Thousands of potential customers. Jim, Joe, and I will be out and about and literally rolling in money!
Furthermore, we're gonna set up a caricature website, which was originally going to be an extension of the stand in the Fargo mall. It'll feature myself, along with Joe and Jim, and the caricature services we can offer! You'll definitely see a link posted here when it's up and running.
So I'll still be doing caricatures regularly, no doubt. It's a valuable skill that I've learned as an artist (even though I still suck at it), and it's been my main source of income for the past year. I should feel blessed and fortunate that I am able to make a living doing something that I absolutely love (even IF it's not all that much money at the moment). It's a bittersweet closing of our beloved caricature stand in Fargo, but we're moving on to better things.
I won't miss that commute, that's for sure.
28 May 2006
08 May 2006
Tablet PC Experimentin'
I was in the process of setting up my Dad's Tablet PC for wireless access tonight, and was instantly diverted into playing around with its actual 'tablet' functionalities.
Doing so took me on a trip back in time. Ya see, back when I was but a young frosh in high school, in the mid-Nineties, I happened to save up my hard-earned summer job money to purchase an Apple Newton - the MessagePad 100. I thought I was the friggin' king! From then on I'd take notes on my NEWTON, and also draw things! Screw paper! Every classmate would envy my tech savviness. Of course, looking back now... holy crap, what a GEEK I must have been back then! To think of myself as a geek nowadays...
(What? Is that my wife actually telling me some things never change? Nonsense. Um... moving on!)
Man, that Newton. Note-taking ended up being a very tedious task. Half the time, it didn't even recognize my handwriting (and I consider my handwriting very legible!). As for drawing on it, it was fun (in 1995 at least), but any time the batteries went dead, I'd lose every doodle saved on its whopping 640 KB memory.
I still have the thing, by the way! I should fire it up and play some good ol' Lunar Lander.
ANYWAY, this whole reminiscing of my Newton is probably boring you to sleep (unless you're an Apple nerd and enjoy this sort of thing). What I'm getting at is, I've never owned a Palm, so this was my first real interactivity with digital scribbling since the Newton (not counting my Wacom tablet, or retailers and their POS electronic signature doohickeys). And it just reminded me so much of those days back in the classroom when it got so boring that I'd start drawing cartoony stuff on my monster-sized $500 hunk o' electronic.
So I had a few fun minutes drawing stuff around me, including a Furby and Mr. Potato Head. I saved the pic to share with you, audience! Sorry, I didn't know that when it exported, it would save in black & white, so you can't see the different colored pens I used! Whatever... hopefully you can make 'em out. You'll want to click on it to see it full-size, now!
(That's my signature in the upper right corner, by the way!)
I will seriously consider a Tablet PC when it comes time to get a laptop. Think of how much fun Painter would be on there! Digital painting in the airport! Digital paintin' on a stump in the woods! Digital art, totally on the go! It's the future. And the future is now. Except my future's pockets are empty and full of lint, and its wallet just had a tumbleweed blow out of it. Huh?
Doing so took me on a trip back in time. Ya see, back when I was but a young frosh in high school, in the mid-Nineties, I happened to save up my hard-earned summer job money to purchase an Apple Newton - the MessagePad 100. I thought I was the friggin' king! From then on I'd take notes on my NEWTON, and also draw things! Screw paper! Every classmate would envy my tech savviness. Of course, looking back now... holy crap, what a GEEK I must have been back then! To think of myself as a geek nowadays...
(What? Is that my wife actually telling me some things never change? Nonsense. Um... moving on!)
Man, that Newton. Note-taking ended up being a very tedious task. Half the time, it didn't even recognize my handwriting (and I consider my handwriting very legible!). As for drawing on it, it was fun (in 1995 at least), but any time the batteries went dead, I'd lose every doodle saved on its whopping 640 KB memory.
I still have the thing, by the way! I should fire it up and play some good ol' Lunar Lander.
ANYWAY, this whole reminiscing of my Newton is probably boring you to sleep (unless you're an Apple nerd and enjoy this sort of thing). What I'm getting at is, I've never owned a Palm, so this was my first real interactivity with digital scribbling since the Newton (not counting my Wacom tablet, or retailers and their POS electronic signature doohickeys). And it just reminded me so much of those days back in the classroom when it got so boring that I'd start drawing cartoony stuff on my monster-sized $500 hunk o' electronic.
So I had a few fun minutes drawing stuff around me, including a Furby and Mr. Potato Head. I saved the pic to share with you, audience! Sorry, I didn't know that when it exported, it would save in black & white, so you can't see the different colored pens I used! Whatever... hopefully you can make 'em out. You'll want to click on it to see it full-size, now!
(That's my signature in the upper right corner, by the way!)I will seriously consider a Tablet PC when it comes time to get a laptop. Think of how much fun Painter would be on there! Digital painting in the airport! Digital paintin' on a stump in the woods! Digital art, totally on the go! It's the future. And the future is now. Except my future's pockets are empty and full of lint, and its wallet just had a tumbleweed blow out of it. Huh?
06 May 2006
Caricature Stand Scribbles #1
Since I keep saying I'm gonna post more stuff on here, I better start doing that, I suppose.
I've got some actual project elements that I'll post on here soon, but as you read in an earlier post, I'm very protective of my artful creations. So I'm careful with what I choose to post on here.
But I figured since I spend lots of time at my caricature stand, I'd do something. I get VERY bored on slow days and start doodling whatever. So I thought I'd start a regular series of CARICATURE STAND SCRIBBLES on this here blogggggggggg. Many of them may be reject caricatures, messed up caricatures, or just random crap. So we'll see how this goes. And so begins Edition #1. Here's something from tonight, a very quiet Friday evening at the mall:
I've got some actual project elements that I'll post on here soon, but as you read in an earlier post, I'm very protective of my artful creations. So I'm careful with what I choose to post on here.
But I figured since I spend lots of time at my caricature stand, I'd do something. I get VERY bored on slow days and start doodling whatever. So I thought I'd start a regular series of CARICATURE STAND SCRIBBLES on this here blogggggggggg. Many of them may be reject caricatures, messed up caricatures, or just random crap. So we'll see how this goes. And so begins Edition #1. Here's something from tonight, a very quiet Friday evening at the mall:
04 May 2006
Free Comic Book Day
As a comic fan, I feel it is my duty to spread the word of FREE COMIC BOOK DAY!
It's happening this Saturday, May 6th, so please visit your local comic shop for PLENTY of free titles. CLICK HERE for a gallery of the free comics being offered! As you can see, there is something for everyone. My local shop is running some special deals on regular items as well, and I'm sure YOUR local shop is doing the same! Plus, many comic creators in the biz will be making appearances and signing stuff too - if you go here you can see who's appearing where this weekend.
I can't wait!
27 April 2006
John K. & Rubber Hose animation
Today, I thought I'd post a link over to John K.'s magnificent blog - right now he's posting some of his own insight on the 'rubber hose' era of animation in the '20s/30s. Lots of stills and YouTube shorts posted, including a good number of contributed comments and links and from fellow readers. So far he's got two posts on the subject:
This is one of my absolute favorite periods in animation history. Even if a short wasn't really that good, it was still a blast to watch. Characters, animals, inanimate objects, and whatever else would all interact together in harmony in a surreal, happy almost-utopian universe. The character designs are simple, yet masterful works of art.
This is one of my absolute favorite periods in animation history. Even if a short wasn't really that good, it was still a blast to watch. Characters, animals, inanimate objects, and whatever else would all interact together in harmony in a surreal, happy almost-utopian universe. The character designs are simple, yet masterful works of art.
05 April 2006
A non-cartoon piece
Sorry I've been so busy these past few weeks - I haven't even had time to scan any of my random sketches - I've been working at the caricature booth more than anything else! More stuff is on the way though.
You know, I should really be in bed, but I want to put this up. It's not a cartoon... it's something I don't do enough of - FINE ART!
Last year I decided to begin a little side job doing pet portraits. Not caricature or cartoon types (although those types are welcomed!!!), but realistic portraits done in whatever medium a client may desire. When I think of doing fine art, I always think of animals. They just seem more fun to me than people, buildings, or cars, etc. Although I want to try painting people portraits in the future, when I get more comfortable.
Well, right after Thanksgiving, I made some of those flyers with the little pull-tab things with my e-mail and phone #, and hung them up at various spots in Fargo and Breckenridge. My intent was to get at least a few jobs for the holiday season, to make a little extra cash. Well, I didn't get ONE reply. I was in a local drugstore a little over a month ago and noticed my ad was still hanging there on their bulletin board - and a few of the tabs were gone! But alas, still nothing.
But several weeks ago, a lady in the area happened to call, knowing I was an artist - she was on a mission to get a painting made of her dog who passed away a few months ago, and wanted to know if I knew any painters that could help her out. I said I didn't know any local artists personally, but then I told her I was trying to start up my own gig, doing exactly what she was looking for! Huzzah!
So I told her I was new to this 'pet art' venture, not having any customers yet, but I said I would be glad to paint her dog! Of course, I've never actually painted an entire portrait before (I didn't tell her that). I've dabbled in acrylics and watercolors, but that's it! DABBLED is the key word here. She dropped off some photos a couple of days later, and I was set. And nervous. I don't even know pricing right now, but I charged $100 for a 9x12 acrylic on canvas. That seems pretty reasonable, doesn't it?
Anyway, she's coming to get it tomorrow, so I finally finished up the rest of it tonight, and scanned it for myself. Here!
I think you can click on it to see more detail. Anyway, for being my FIRST EVER acrylic painting, I'm amazed even at myself how well it turned out. Dude, I know NOTHING about painting! I know how to hold a brush, I know how to mix colors somewhat, the basics of layering... but that's about it! The colors actually turned out very close to the dog. I know she was a mutt - a beagle/lab/spaniel type mix, I recall the lady telling me. But obviously it's a bit sloppy in spots... she was originally supposed to be lying in grass, but since I'm a beginner I didn't want to go nuts trying to paint believeable grass. So I gave it a nice solid background and tried to mimic a littlegrass around the feet. I was worried this thing was gonna turn out to resemble a cheap paint-by-number painting, but as I added more detail, I got less worried. I'm satisfied with it!
When I was buying supplies, I didn't know what brushes to get, what kind of canvas to get, what PAINTS to get. Well, I know more now than I did a month ago. Note to self - never buy the low-priced 'student' paints ever again. Now I know why professional-grade 'artist' paints cost more - BECAUSE THEY'RE BETTER QUALITY.
The lady told me that if she likes this one (and I really hope she does!), she has 6 other dogs that she would like to have painted. All I can say is... CHA-CHING!!! Well, not only that, but then I can start building a portfolio of pet potraits. I'm gonna do one of my cat, and my dog who died over a year ago... those should be fun. And my friend's jack-russell - that dog's a riot!
You know, I should really be in bed, but I want to put this up. It's not a cartoon... it's something I don't do enough of - FINE ART!
Last year I decided to begin a little side job doing pet portraits. Not caricature or cartoon types (although those types are welcomed!!!), but realistic portraits done in whatever medium a client may desire. When I think of doing fine art, I always think of animals. They just seem more fun to me than people, buildings, or cars, etc. Although I want to try painting people portraits in the future, when I get more comfortable.
Well, right after Thanksgiving, I made some of those flyers with the little pull-tab things with my e-mail and phone #, and hung them up at various spots in Fargo and Breckenridge. My intent was to get at least a few jobs for the holiday season, to make a little extra cash. Well, I didn't get ONE reply. I was in a local drugstore a little over a month ago and noticed my ad was still hanging there on their bulletin board - and a few of the tabs were gone! But alas, still nothing.
But several weeks ago, a lady in the area happened to call, knowing I was an artist - she was on a mission to get a painting made of her dog who passed away a few months ago, and wanted to know if I knew any painters that could help her out. I said I didn't know any local artists personally, but then I told her I was trying to start up my own gig, doing exactly what she was looking for! Huzzah!
So I told her I was new to this 'pet art' venture, not having any customers yet, but I said I would be glad to paint her dog! Of course, I've never actually painted an entire portrait before (I didn't tell her that). I've dabbled in acrylics and watercolors, but that's it! DABBLED is the key word here. She dropped off some photos a couple of days later, and I was set. And nervous. I don't even know pricing right now, but I charged $100 for a 9x12 acrylic on canvas. That seems pretty reasonable, doesn't it?
Anyway, she's coming to get it tomorrow, so I finally finished up the rest of it tonight, and scanned it for myself. Here!
I think you can click on it to see more detail. Anyway, for being my FIRST EVER acrylic painting, I'm amazed even at myself how well it turned out. Dude, I know NOTHING about painting! I know how to hold a brush, I know how to mix colors somewhat, the basics of layering... but that's about it! The colors actually turned out very close to the dog. I know she was a mutt - a beagle/lab/spaniel type mix, I recall the lady telling me. But obviously it's a bit sloppy in spots... she was originally supposed to be lying in grass, but since I'm a beginner I didn't want to go nuts trying to paint believeable grass. So I gave it a nice solid background and tried to mimic a littlegrass around the feet. I was worried this thing was gonna turn out to resemble a cheap paint-by-number painting, but as I added more detail, I got less worried. I'm satisfied with it!
When I was buying supplies, I didn't know what brushes to get, what kind of canvas to get, what PAINTS to get. Well, I know more now than I did a month ago. Note to self - never buy the low-priced 'student' paints ever again. Now I know why professional-grade 'artist' paints cost more - BECAUSE THEY'RE BETTER QUALITY.
The lady told me that if she likes this one (and I really hope she does!), she has 6 other dogs that she would like to have painted. All I can say is... CHA-CHING!!! Well, not only that, but then I can start building a portfolio of pet potraits. I'm gonna do one of my cat, and my dog who died over a year ago... those should be fun. And my friend's jack-russell - that dog's a riot!
10 March 2006
Work pix
I had the camera with me today so I figured I'd take a few photos of my office space. The funny part here is, IT'S NOT REALLY AN OFFICE!!! HA!!! I just use that as a metaphor to indicate my primary work location! See how that works?!? Got you, didn't I? So, on we go. This is Caricatures at West Acres, at the West Acres Shopping Center in Fargo, North Dakota, USA.
(The front)
(The back side)
(The table I use 85% of the time - we have 3 tables total)
(The front)
(The back side)
(The table I use 85% of the time - we have 3 tables total)08 March 2006
In lighter news this evening...
I thought I'd post an example of what I currently do for a job.
I work at a caricature stand and draw funny pictures of people. They usually take 5 minutes per face... anyway I thought I'd post a caricature of my own face. Self-portrait. Why not? I see it every day in the mirror, so I've got it memorized for the most part. I did this tonight at work (trying to divert myself from the incident of earlier today... see previous post), on a whim. I'm still not good at filling in hair.
8 months ago, I knew ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about drawing caricatures. That is until I stopped in one day last summer and talked to the owner, Jim, and got hired soon thereafter. Of course, I still knew NADA. But Jim taught me the basics of observation, picking out distinguishable features, getting likenesses, etc. I'm still not all that good, but I know I've improved over time. I should find my first caricatures I ever drew, and post them up here. Atrocious!!!
We basically draw up the quick caricatures with graphite and then color them with airbrush. AIRBRUSH - I never even touched one before I started working there either. I should ALSO try to find my first airbrush tests and scan them for you guys to see. They're pretty gruesome. I'm pretty comfortable with it now, but still have a bit of frustration with the tight spots.
Caricatures - it's a great skill to have if you can draw. I've seen plenty of other blogs with caricature examples, and some of them are extremely good, others... embarrassing. But it takes practice, like anything else. I mean, I make freakin' money by drawing people! That's pretty good, right? Of course those slow days with ZERO customers can be a bummer, but busy weekends usually make up for that!
When I finally get some DECENT celebrity examples made up, I'll certainly post them here.
I work at a caricature stand and draw funny pictures of people. They usually take 5 minutes per face... anyway I thought I'd post a caricature of my own face. Self-portrait. Why not? I see it every day in the mirror, so I've got it memorized for the most part. I did this tonight at work (trying to divert myself from the incident of earlier today... see previous post), on a whim. I'm still not good at filling in hair.
8 months ago, I knew ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about drawing caricatures. That is until I stopped in one day last summer and talked to the owner, Jim, and got hired soon thereafter. Of course, I still knew NADA. But Jim taught me the basics of observation, picking out distinguishable features, getting likenesses, etc. I'm still not all that good, but I know I've improved over time. I should find my first caricatures I ever drew, and post them up here. Atrocious!!!
We basically draw up the quick caricatures with graphite and then color them with airbrush. AIRBRUSH - I never even touched one before I started working there either. I should ALSO try to find my first airbrush tests and scan them for you guys to see. They're pretty gruesome. I'm pretty comfortable with it now, but still have a bit of frustration with the tight spots.
Caricatures - it's a great skill to have if you can draw. I've seen plenty of other blogs with caricature examples, and some of them are extremely good, others... embarrassing. But it takes practice, like anything else. I mean, I make freakin' money by drawing people! That's pretty good, right? Of course those slow days with ZERO customers can be a bummer, but busy weekends usually make up for that!
When I finally get some DECENT celebrity examples made up, I'll certainly post them here.
This isn't cartoon related...
...but this morning, I ended up flipping the car upside down into the snowy ditch on the highway.
Go see my wife's post w/pictures to read more.
Basically, I thank God that I'm still alive, and that I walked away from that crash. I came out of the situation without a scrape or bruise on my entire body. But deep down inside, I can feel plenty of 'em.
I got in touch with my own mortality today. LIFE: IT'S A FRAGILE THING. Please, anybody who is reading this, DON'T TAKE YOUR LIFE FOR GRANTED. Do something with your days on this great place we call earth. Tell those around you that you love them. Make the most of your talents. Because at any given time, you face the chance of leaving this place prematurely. All within one rapid moment. BAM! You're gone.
I'm not really afraid of dying. I know where I'm going afterwards. What I am afraid of, though, is not leaving a legacy behind me. I have things to accomplish before I visit the great beyond. LOTS of things. And I'm afraid of being taken away from my loving wife --- I always want to be there for her. To imagine what she was thinking today when I told her what happened.
In closing, here are some lyrics to a song I listened to 3 times in a row tonight on my way home from work tonight (yeah, I still managed to go to work). I've always known the story behind this song, but it sure hits home now...
Title: August 30th
By: Delirious? (Written by Martin Smith/Stuart Garrard ©1997 Curious? Music UK)
Thank you for the chance to live again
I will run always for you
Clouds had gathered all around my head
But these hands they lifted me
And I'll tell of this love that saved me
Thank you for the chance to live again
I will run always for you
Walking closer you are all I have in this world only you
And I'll tell of this love that saved me
And I'll wait for this light to break
I'll come to you, yes I'll run to you
And I'll wait for this light to break
I'll run to you, yes I'll come to you
I'll be one with you
Go see my wife's post w/pictures to read more.
Basically, I thank God that I'm still alive, and that I walked away from that crash. I came out of the situation without a scrape or bruise on my entire body. But deep down inside, I can feel plenty of 'em.
I got in touch with my own mortality today. LIFE: IT'S A FRAGILE THING. Please, anybody who is reading this, DON'T TAKE YOUR LIFE FOR GRANTED. Do something with your days on this great place we call earth. Tell those around you that you love them. Make the most of your talents. Because at any given time, you face the chance of leaving this place prematurely. All within one rapid moment. BAM! You're gone.
I'm not really afraid of dying. I know where I'm going afterwards. What I am afraid of, though, is not leaving a legacy behind me. I have things to accomplish before I visit the great beyond. LOTS of things. And I'm afraid of being taken away from my loving wife --- I always want to be there for her. To imagine what she was thinking today when I told her what happened.
In closing, here are some lyrics to a song I listened to 3 times in a row tonight on my way home from work tonight (yeah, I still managed to go to work). I've always known the story behind this song, but it sure hits home now...
Title: August 30th
By: Delirious? (Written by Martin Smith/Stuart Garrard ©1997 Curious? Music UK)
Thank you for the chance to live again
I will run always for you
Clouds had gathered all around my head
But these hands they lifted me
And I'll tell of this love that saved me
Thank you for the chance to live again
I will run always for you
Walking closer you are all I have in this world only you
And I'll tell of this love that saved me
And I'll wait for this light to break
I'll come to you, yes I'll run to you
And I'll wait for this light to break
I'll run to you, yes I'll come to you
I'll be one with you
02 March 2006
Improvement
One of my biggest weaknesses in drawing is... life drawing. The human figure. I've only had ONE life drawing session in my life, and that was what, 5 years ago already? One of my drawing classes at art school included a day where a nude model came in and we drew her in various poses for a couple hours. I remember alternating between pencil, charcoal, and ink drawings. I think my charcoal ones turned out best because of the ease to shade. We also took a trip to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts for a class one day too, and had to draw a Rodin sculpture, which you can see below. Keep in mind, this is from FIVE years ago, and I don't think I'd show much improvement if I tried drawing something like that again today.
(my Rodin study, circa November 2000)
I know, I could be drawing fully-clothed people on any given day (AND I SHOULD BE DOING THIS), but for some reason I never do! That needs to change. I need to get back into the figure drawing BIGTIME.
It's sort of ironic because I draw caricatures as my primary job right now, which has helped me become very familiar with the human face, even if I draw them in a cartoony fashion. But even with caricatures, I rarely draw full bodies - most of the time it's shoulders and upper chests. Is it because part of me is nervous to draw full bodies? Why yes, it is! I mean, if I HAVE to draw a body, I CAN, and it's not CRAP or anything, but it never looks magnificent either.
Even with cartoon characters, I've ONLY begun concentrating more on their entire bodies rather than just their heads. I've always been able to draw the head fine, but I start getting confused and VERY frustrated when an arm or hand, leg or foot looks very incorrect! And trust me, this occurs REGULARLY. I hate it.
I see they have plenty of life-drawing references online, and you can even download hi-res images of nude models in virtually any pose you want... so maybe I'll try those. But I'd REALLY like to be in the classroom doing this instead. It's live, as you have the benefit of a living, breathing human being, rather than just a photograph to work off of. It's just better that way, isn't it? So we'll see. I live in a small town, but if I could find out about some classes in Fargo or even Minneapolis, I'd be willing to enroll.
I know it's practice, practice, practice. And observation. And all that other stuff that I've learned as an artist all these years. I will say that I AM drawing more stuff NOW than I ever was while at art school (not even counting the work I do with caricatures), because I've become more motivated as of late. So if I keep up the motivation and stay inspired, I'm sure I'll see the results. After all, my boss/mentor James Hungaski (check out his stuff!), who is a brilliant artist and caricaturist in his own right (and who has also worked with MAD Magazine's Tom Richmond), has seen my improvements as an artist since I started doing caricatures last summer. And that's been a huge motivation right there. Now let's hope I can see some good results with my upcoming comic book!
Yes, and I also promise to post some of my caricatures on here eventually!
(my Rodin study, circa November 2000)I know, I could be drawing fully-clothed people on any given day (AND I SHOULD BE DOING THIS), but for some reason I never do! That needs to change. I need to get back into the figure drawing BIGTIME.
It's sort of ironic because I draw caricatures as my primary job right now, which has helped me become very familiar with the human face, even if I draw them in a cartoony fashion. But even with caricatures, I rarely draw full bodies - most of the time it's shoulders and upper chests. Is it because part of me is nervous to draw full bodies? Why yes, it is! I mean, if I HAVE to draw a body, I CAN, and it's not CRAP or anything, but it never looks magnificent either.
Even with cartoon characters, I've ONLY begun concentrating more on their entire bodies rather than just their heads. I've always been able to draw the head fine, but I start getting confused and VERY frustrated when an arm or hand, leg or foot looks very incorrect! And trust me, this occurs REGULARLY. I hate it.
I see they have plenty of life-drawing references online, and you can even download hi-res images of nude models in virtually any pose you want... so maybe I'll try those. But I'd REALLY like to be in the classroom doing this instead. It's live, as you have the benefit of a living, breathing human being, rather than just a photograph to work off of. It's just better that way, isn't it? So we'll see. I live in a small town, but if I could find out about some classes in Fargo or even Minneapolis, I'd be willing to enroll.
I know it's practice, practice, practice. And observation. And all that other stuff that I've learned as an artist all these years. I will say that I AM drawing more stuff NOW than I ever was while at art school (not even counting the work I do with caricatures), because I've become more motivated as of late. So if I keep up the motivation and stay inspired, I'm sure I'll see the results. After all, my boss/mentor James Hungaski (check out his stuff!), who is a brilliant artist and caricaturist in his own right (and who has also worked with MAD Magazine's Tom Richmond), has seen my improvements as an artist since I started doing caricatures last summer. And that's been a huge motivation right there. Now let's hope I can see some good results with my upcoming comic book!
Yes, and I also promise to post some of my caricatures on here eventually!
01 March 2006
Semi-giraffe
So I wouldn't be able to draw an anatomically accurate giraffe off the top of my head (even in cartoony form) if I was being held at knifepoint... but here's an attempt I made yesterday. After comparing it with an ACTUAL giraffe photograph, I see I made his ears a bit too rabbity. Oh well, I promise I'll get some better stuff posted on here sooner or later!
27 February 2006
Givin' it all away?
So we're making this new comic, but unfortunately for you, reader, I refuse to share any details at this time.
I see loads of BLOGS out there (I emphasize that because I still think it's a dumb word) where artists literally post EVERY SINGLE STEP of their progress on a certain project. You see production blogs that give away everything - techniques, secrets, all that behind-the-scenes crap. And to those out there who do that, good for you and thanks for sharing! I still thoroughly enjoy reading up on the process of your creations.
I, on the other hand, wish to keep certain work TOP SECRET until completion. So you won't be seeing much of that stuff. If you go to my studio's site, you'll see that we have next to nothing about our animated short... with the exception of some tiny cropped pictures in the gallery section. Sure, we could post storyboards, various sketches of characters, animation tests, backgrounds, concepts and plots, etc. Then what? There's no mystery left!
With this attitude you may call me a stickler, miser, whatever... BUT THIS IS OUR PRIDE AND JOY. We can keep it all to ourselves if we want, until it's all done. Just because the Internet allows people to share things instantaneously across the globe, doesn't mean they HAVE to. It's overload sometimes, you know? I'd like to keep some of the magic. A guy doesn't always need to have a step-by-step analysis of my character development, or something of that nature. At least not right now. Wait until AFTER I'm done with a cartoon, then maybe I'll share SOME of my tricks. Not all, some!
I'm still going to post plenty of funny pictures and drawings for all to see... things I PREFER to share with everyone out there! That's different. But for my very own productions that take months and months of hard work, you'll just have to wait. Take that cake out of the oven too early, and you'll end up with a big pile of German chocolate MUSH!!! Is that a good analogy? IT IS FOR ME, CAKEY!!!
I see loads of BLOGS out there (I emphasize that because I still think it's a dumb word) where artists literally post EVERY SINGLE STEP of their progress on a certain project. You see production blogs that give away everything - techniques, secrets, all that behind-the-scenes crap. And to those out there who do that, good for you and thanks for sharing! I still thoroughly enjoy reading up on the process of your creations.
I, on the other hand, wish to keep certain work TOP SECRET until completion. So you won't be seeing much of that stuff. If you go to my studio's site, you'll see that we have next to nothing about our animated short... with the exception of some tiny cropped pictures in the gallery section. Sure, we could post storyboards, various sketches of characters, animation tests, backgrounds, concepts and plots, etc. Then what? There's no mystery left!
With this attitude you may call me a stickler, miser, whatever... BUT THIS IS OUR PRIDE AND JOY. We can keep it all to ourselves if we want, until it's all done. Just because the Internet allows people to share things instantaneously across the globe, doesn't mean they HAVE to. It's overload sometimes, you know? I'd like to keep some of the magic. A guy doesn't always need to have a step-by-step analysis of my character development, or something of that nature. At least not right now. Wait until AFTER I'm done with a cartoon, then maybe I'll share SOME of my tricks. Not all, some!
I'm still going to post plenty of funny pictures and drawings for all to see... things I PREFER to share with everyone out there! That's different. But for my very own productions that take months and months of hard work, you'll just have to wait. Take that cake out of the oven too early, and you'll end up with a big pile of German chocolate MUSH!!! Is that a good analogy? IT IS FOR ME, CAKEY!!!
Hanna-Barbera, part 2
Well, I just doodled this up in a few minutes, just using a ballpoint pen... nothing fancy! I just wabted to try out some Yogi Bear this time, and analyze. Again, I've NEVER drawn Hanna-Barbera characters before so this is all new. I'd like to do a big assortment before all is said and done!
I noticed some things right away with Yogi - a) his eyes go in FRONT of his hat a lot of the time, and b) when drawn in profile, there are definite straight lines on the top and back of his head (then again, a lot of H-B characters have this feature). I think about how awesome that is - watching Yogi Bear cartoons as a kid, and always wondering why Boo Boo's head suddenly turned oval (as opposed to square) when he faced straight ahead to the viewer.
Anybody else notice how much Adult Swim has been playing Boo Boo Runs Wild lately? I think a lot of kiddies on the Adult Swim messageboards are getting pretty mad that they keep playing it week after week! WHICH SIGNIFIES ONE THING - those freakin' kids can't even recognize BRILLIANT animation when they see it. Give me 200 consecutive Boo Boo Runs Wild's over 1 episode of Aqua Teen Hunger Force ANY day!!!
I noticed some things right away with Yogi - a) his eyes go in FRONT of his hat a lot of the time, and b) when drawn in profile, there are definite straight lines on the top and back of his head (then again, a lot of H-B characters have this feature). I think about how awesome that is - watching Yogi Bear cartoons as a kid, and always wondering why Boo Boo's head suddenly turned oval (as opposed to square) when he faced straight ahead to the viewer.
Anybody else notice how much Adult Swim has been playing Boo Boo Runs Wild lately? I think a lot of kiddies on the Adult Swim messageboards are getting pretty mad that they keep playing it week after week! WHICH SIGNIFIES ONE THING - those freakin' kids can't even recognize BRILLIANT animation when they see it. Give me 200 consecutive Boo Boo Runs Wild's over 1 episode of Aqua Teen Hunger Force ANY day!!!
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