Echoes from the Manger

This is a flyer from December 2009 for a Christmas event at RoyRed. It was an effort to get the transparency effect to look right on the printed flyers.

I have been busy creating graphics for Royal Redeemer Lutheran Church and School for the last twelve months or so and I will now attempt to play catch-up and start posting them. Thanks for browsing.

Postcard Blind Faith

New postcard, sent and received.

IF Intricate

There is nothing so intricate as all the tiny pieces of my broken heart. I did not post this on Illustration Friday but it was from their word for the week.

IF Breezy

This was a fun illo to do on the computer. Thanks to my good friend Mark for his continued support.

IF Poof

Finally finished an Illustration Friday in time to post.

A few more

Well, we made it through our home opener here in Cleveland. Last year our home opener was snowed out.

Catching up on postcards

I'm trying to catch up on my cards. Inking and mailing.

Postcard

Here is a new card from January that I'm just sending out today.

IF Tales and Legends "Cyclops"

Earlier in this blog you'll see the sketch for this painting.

A few more postcards

IF Plain

After many IF sketches that never made it to post, here's one that did.

Finger Puppet Postcard

This is a dark piece, but there is more contrast then the scan shows. All I did was take a thick, black Sharpie marker (love that smell) and color a piece of styrene to make the scratch board.

New postcard

I think that these are getting better. It sure feels good to do them and send them out.

With just a flick of my Bic...

I love to draw with a simple black ink, Bic pen. I think that I like the greyness of the ink the best because it feels more like I'm sketching with a pencil. This postcard is going to be hard to drop in the mail because I really lke the way it turnd out. Does anyone remember the commercial from the headline?

Brush and Ink Postcard

Here is the latest postcard I'm sending to my friend Mark. You can see his Illustration Friday work here.

A block print using PVC

This is a quick block print that I cut inbetween printing signs on a digital press at work. We print on Komatex or Sintra, which are PVC materials, so there are normally scrap pieces laying around. It was a little hard to cut but not too bad.

Whoops, I doodled again.

I like these a little better.

Doodles to You

Every so often I'll do a small sketch and send it as a postcard to my buddy Mark. This time I took cues from some great illustrators, Stefan Bucher and Von Glitschka.

Stephan plays Dr. Frankenstein as he gives life to an ink blot and they come to life as a Daily Monster. And as creations sometimes do, it took on a life of it's own.

Vonster just preaches to his blog readers and his students, Doodle, Doodle, Doodle! He even develops doodle pages that you can download if you need a place to start.

So I took some marker blots, doodled over them and mailed it to my buddy. It was fun.

New Sketch

Another Sketch.

Working large

I find that I feel much more restricted when I sketch in my sketch book. These sketches that I am currently posting are on sheets that are 22" x 16". I find that I have much more freedom and expression when I draw with whole arm and body then just with my fingers and my wrist resting on the sketch book.

Keep on sketching

This is it...again...I think. I'm trying to make a serious effort at becoming a professional illustrator. The more I read "The Education of an Illustrator" from Steven Heller and Marshall Arisman, the more I wish that I could go back to school and start over again. The course plans from the instructors are exciting, but the common denominator is sketching. Sketch, sketch, sketch. Hone your craft. Sketching is the practice you put in to play the game. I also have some other projects that I hope to develop, so stay tuned. It'll sure to be a bumpy ride, but here we go.

Another new sketch

Here is another sketch from the old sketch book.

New Sketch

Just a quick sketch that turned out pretty good. I've been putting in a lot of hours at work but still trying to find some time to draw.

Illustration Friday Rain

Quick and playful with Photoshop.

Sketches

Here are a few sketches that are in the process of having color added to them.

Stay Up Late with Michael Bierut

Stay Up Late is an article by Michael Bierut that was published on October 7, 2005, on the AIGA website. This article gives a great example of how extra effort and a passion for your work can reap you many rewards. Not much can replace sacrifice and hard work.

Illo Fri - Under The Sea

I've sketched a lot of Illustration Friday themes and rarely have I been able to illustrate them. So here is this weeks sketch. You may notice that it is done on the back of some very high quality bingo paper. I hope that you enjoy it.

Crying

Just a quick line drawing to start things off. Many times I'll see images in tiles or wood grains. In this case it was a scuff mark on a door that started this image. Reminds me a little of Brad Holland without the depth.