Sketchbook April '13

Only one sketch worth posting this month, but I really like this one.

Sketchbook March '13

So I've heard artists say a sketchbook should be full of really rough sketches and it's not a place to include more finished works, which you could accuse me of doing with mine.  I draw the way I draw and that's how I've always done it.  I try to be more loose and disposable with concepts and I admire those that are, but I simply can't do it.   I don't know why, I'm just slow and deliberate, I draw it in my head first.  I marvel at those that can think on the paper and quickly whittle an idea down to it's ideal form through quick, physical iterations.  Maybe I just need to force myself to do that more often...I don't know, any insight out there?

Happy Easter!

An illustration I did for the April edition of the Friend magazine.

Blue Ocean Bob

Last summer I spent many late nights illustrating a book that has just been released called "The Adventures of Blue Ocean Bob: A Journey Begins."  It was a lot of work but I'm happy with the results.  The following are a few of my personal favorites, but the book itself has over 40 pictures.  You can find out more here, or buy it here.

Sketchbook February '13

I found a little time to sketch last month, but not much.  We've been working hard to finish Disney Infinity:

3D Dino

My sketch on the left, Shane's model on the right.

How cool is this?!  My friend and Zbrush extraordinaire, Shane Olson did a digital sculpt based on my dino sketch from the previous post and it turned out crazy awesome!  Check out this post from his blog to watch a time lapse video of him building it.

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.