Sketchbook December '12

Princess Leia and the Seven Ewoks

One of the latest Avalanche blog topics is celebrating our company's acquiring of Star Wars!  Seriously, how cool is that?  So I thought I'd mix Disney's latest princess (kinda) with it's first (actually it was my wife's idea, thanks Heather).

The Reason for the Season

An illustration for the Friend magazine depicting a live nativity.  I hope everyone out there has a wonderful Christmas!

Handbook for Dragon Slayers - Book Cover

I love it when I get paid to paint something that I probably would have done on my own anyway.  This was definitely one of those cases.  The book is by Merrie Haskell and comes out in May next year from HarperCollins, you can check it out here.

Halloween 2012

Sadly, my Halloween art this year was crippled by actual work I had to do, but I managed to carve a pumpkin and enter another contest.  This was a Pyramid Head/Silent Hill related one at aintitcool.com, the winners get a stuffed Robbie the Rabbit which I don't expect anyone other than die hard Silent Hill fans, like myself, to know what that is.  I was inspired by the classic Forbidden Planet poster(I just replaced Robby the Robot with PH and Altaira with Mary from SH2). Hopefully this appeals to their geeky sensibility; it certainly does mine.

Shadow of Mirkwood

This is my entry into the Hobbit Design Contest.  The Hobbit is one of my favorite books and I wanted to take the opportunity to do some fan art before the movie came out anyway so this gave me a good excuse.  Do me a favor and follow this link to rate it on their site, thanks!

Blains!

Just a quick and dirty one for my nephew's birthday.

Update: My sister made her kid's birthday cake based off this, check it:

August '12 Sketchbook

Playing catch up with the sketchbook...

All Star Brother

Another Friend illustration.

On a side note, yes I'm still alive, I've just had a few projects keeping me very busy.  I hope to start regularly updating my blog again soon.

July 2012 Friend Cover

They actually let me do the cover this time!

Influence Map

I have only just been introduced to these though they seem really popular.  The idea is to fill the space with various things that have influenced your art style.  The more space they take up the greater the influence.  There's a number of ways to interpret this, and influences are constantly shifting.  I tried to get a good mix of those artists and things that influenced me at a younger more developmental stage and ones that are influencing me now.  In a few cases it's more about the specific image than the artist.  In others it's really broad, like a movie or company.  I cheated a little too when it comes to my dad.  He's an artist, and my dad, easily my biggest influence growing up, but I'd feel weird making him the biggest thing since obviously parents are a huge influence regardless, but I couldn't leave him off completely.  This was a fun thing to think about, to realize how the things influencing my art have changed over the years, dramatically in some cases, not at all in others.  I'd totally suggest doing this if you're at all interested, and let me know when you do so I can check it out, it's really fun to see what makes a persons creativity tick.

FIRE!

An illustration for the Friend magazine.

Lady Gorn

If the Gorn had been a female, Kirk would have tamed her heart in no time.  But then we'd have been robbed of one of the greatest fight scenes ever.

"Brains, Good Sir, Braaains..."

Gentleman Zombie - 18x24, oil on canvas

 For some reason I find the idea of a traditional portrait, but of a zombie appearing as if he actually posed for it, really funny.  I kept laughing to myself as I was painting it, maybe it's just me.  I decided to use Sargent's portrait of Coventry Patmore as a guide and follow a sketch I did (which itself was a progression from this drawing I did years ago).  I'd hoped to get this idea out of my head but I had so much fun with it, I'm already planning a companion piece of a sophisticated Lady Zombie.

Stones, Arrows, and Snowballs

 

Another illustration for The Friend.

January '12 Sketchbook

Avery

Portraits of children are hard.  At least they are for me, they often look a little off and awkward.  I'm always apprehensive when I try to do one but I think I was fairly successful here.  I've also reached the point where I would much rather be painting something with oils than the computer.  If only I could figure out how to photograph the finished paintings better.  This is Oil paint on an 8x10 canvas.

Leia the Slaya!

This is my 200th post!  And it's the first of the year so I wanted to do something cool.  I've been wanting to do a Frazetta inspired Princess Leia for a while and thought it a good way to kick off 2012.

My kid has really gotten into Star Wars lately but I've only let him watch the good ones (episodes 4,5, and 6).  He has no idea the other three even exist.  As a parent, what do I do?  Let him find out on his own someday?  Will he feel like I lied to him?  Is it better to expose him to them at an early age?  What if he actually likes them?  Can I deal with that as a parent?  I'll love him no matter what but how can I let him know they're wrong, without being too controlling?  The things you don't consider when becoming a parent...