Artemus Fowl fan

Drew these in a meeting that was really boring...Holly Shore is a commando fairy!  Very tough!

2nd Grade Fun

Did a little sketch inspired by my son's 2nd grade teacher.  The EVB is a villain that visits the classroom.  A lot of fun.

Some poster prep for this years Art Parent ....

Each month has a theme ...I need to work out each session....wish me luck ....this is for 2nd grade and kindergarten classes....:)

Did a quick color overlay with my mouse instead of a more refined version ...just no time lately.  I am feeling bad not getting more work up on the blog lately.  Work has been keeping me away from the blog.  Hope you like.

Cheeta run page 2

Lorene's Birthday...and I am sketching...sorry but I will keep it quick!  Here is a quick second page...I need to redo the text and Cheetah is also spelled Cheeta (I think)...more revisions to come ...maybe even ...color!!!

Bedtime Cheeta story

At Grandma's this week, stayed the night and put the kids to bed in Jim and Bob's room. On the wall was a African painting of a cheeta.  So this story is the result....It is a two part ...the next page will come later. I had fun with the images and threw in the text as an afterthought so I will reword and try for something better....anyway time for bed....

 This is the original sketch from my notebook....

more fuzzy

Lorene says my mice look like rats or possum...so still working on the right look for these little guys.  Worried about this taking way to long but I am just working to slow...This little guys looks cute today..will see if he looks good tomorrow.  Used a marker base with a new fur bristle brush and my smudge tool for the blending ....overlays for color...I like the front leg.

pencil anxiety

The pencil was much to large for the little mouse to use...so he had to get creative...
(another test page...I enlarge these and am working at double scale...they look good until reduced and on the blog..then I see the value and shape issues at a smaller scale...need to work on this)

three colored mice

Study of different furry textures and coloring...

Rough sketches

Here is a test with a furry little mouse.  "Rough" (or "Mousey" as Ethan and Natalie call him) is just starting to tell his story of searching for his lost friend (Tumble) in the city of Plymouth, Michigan.  More test renders to come...color is off and I need to look at the details...but having fun so far.

Color mice

Trying to figure out the rendering style of the mice.  Thinking I would render the mice more realistic in contrast to the loose sketches....not sure about this yet.  I need to do a lot more sketching....Used a photoshop with a good filler brush for the base....a stippled blender with scatter on for the fir effect...and a color layer overlay to bring out the oranges, warms and cools....added a little torn page effect because a mouse traveler may get hungry and nibble on his own work :)  Not sure if I like this...time for bed about 2 hours ago..the little guy looks worried!

A mouse's tail

I am starting a new project looking into digital books and publication...here are a few images of what I hope to be releasing soon.  More to come and wish me luck...

Visualize Ideas

An offsite ....normally I would not put any work stuff up here (blog) but this was fun and shows the power of visuals to influence and explain ideas....as our groups worked in separate rooms I took advantage of dry board painted walls.  In an hour I cover the main ideas with quick sketches ...very fun and I think, helps people see ideas.....I should do this in the kids classroom....

Mouse Tales (get it...)

Here my mouse....(Ethan calls him Scamper) begins to use his tail to tell his tale.  Speaking in pictures,  he tells of looking for his dear friend, Mousey (Natalie named that one).  The drop of ink hangs from his neck and using tail and claw he will hopefully create something interesting for the kids to search for....

More Mice Studies

Looking at different types of inking tools and techniques...from felt pens and brush tipped markers to big fat black sharpies....having fun ....hoping the mice can change the world....


Fine tip and Brush marker....got to respect the butt!!!! This mouse can dance!!!!!

 Felt tip and Brush pen markers

 Big Fat Sharpie Markers

Mouse sketches

I could tell the mouse was trying to communicate...trying to tell me a message...so I gave him a pencil..
a mouse tail....

Mice on the mind

Looking at doing a coloring book for the kids and though about starting off with Mice....

Some possible looks...

Magic Box

Did a story last night about a "Magic Box" hidden below the town High River's cathedral for 700 years.  Once every 100 years the box is raised and opened letting out all the magic hidden within.  The legend goes that the box must be left alone unopened for 100 years between openings or a curse will fall upon the town.  Jack the Black enters the town preaching to the people that, in fact, the box is filled with dark secrets and must not be trusted.  Convinced the hidden box would only bring evil, the towns people ignore tradition.   They create a deceitful plan to send the box to a neighboring village, claiming it as a valuable gift of friendship.  Letting the small village of Low River suffer the terrible fate, while satisfying the curiosity of the townspeople.  In the end,  Jack the Black ushers the box to his home town, Low River, tricking the people of High River out of their most prized possession.

The panels are out of sequence a bit...and the trickster Jack looks more evil than he should...but I had fun with this and it was done in one sitting...I may clean and revisit some day...

mice can't be trusted!!!

 Planet of the mice...they are small and have a plan....this was a fun little sketch just started as a doodle. I used photoshop brushes to get a ink line that I liked.  Looking at more of a graphic black and white and simulated brush work on this.  The brush made some of the eyebrow and fur gestures look nice...Tried to use less line and more negative shape....

 

This is the original sketch from my sketchbook

P

Crosswords

Its hard to get her to sit still, let alone hold for a sketch.  I have to get her when she is focused and not looking.  Natalie was doing a crossword puzzle and cutting out puzzle pieces from a workbook.

Ethan's robots

Ethan and I have been dreaming up robots to do all sorts of things.  Here are a few of our creations:

Doodles

Just some doodles because its been a while.  Went to the "Kids Read Comics" weekend event in Chelsea MI.  It was fun and got me interested in comics again!

Edera again

 After multiple tries I will post this one...used filler brush added detail in hair...with highlights.  Struggled with eyes and and nose, in detail she looks good, hope she holds up after 3 days...

Sara

This was another Art Deviant reference image....Sara   I liked the framing and the eyes.  I used my new version of Photoshop CS5.  Same brushes as the past CS2...used a hard flat pallet knife airbrush...for most of the work...this is an elaborate pencil sketch....still need to work on color and blending gave me fits...skin tones suck but the focus was on the forms and proportions at this point...Where to stay sketchy and where to add detail...still like "girl on train best"   see if this passes the 3 day test....time for bed its 1:37 in the am and the music has looped to many times to count.

little face

just a quick couple ....got to get to bed....:(

Girl on Train

I was on the "Art Deviant" site and saw this photograph...Photo and thought it was a great little study.

Natalie is up with a fever and sore throat so I couldn't sleep.  Came back down to finish this and I really like it so far.  I hope I like it in 3 days, that seems to be the test.  If it still looks ok in 3 days, I did some things right...(I look back at previous posts and they don't meet this low standard...the posts stay up anyway...not like anyone reads this...)   I used some cross hatching for transitions with texture, even added a few freckles...kept the hair very loose and focused on the lighting....I think it is showing some progress.....time for a nap before morning...

Tiger stripes

Quick, very quick interior study...time for bed

 

Hiking

Here one of 6 postcards for kids to send home to parents.  A fun project for Ethan's school...Check out the rest on the Wonderkids Postcard Page

Cowboy

This is a post card I made for Ethan's class...they are doing a weeks worth of camp activities.  One day is "Cowboy" day and this is intended to be the postcard they write home on.  I used a standard fill bush in grays first. Then an overlay layer for color tone and multiply for darks...I posterized the image in photoshop and it gave me a watercolor effect I really like....

I have 5 more to follow ....I hope the kids like them...I will set up a page under school projects...
I learned a lot on these from a painting stand point ....hope you like

Thor Again

Tried to get a little more refined with my brush work...threw in a FX lightning custom brush for effect...
The movie comes out next week and I am looking forward to a fun, good guy, action film. I think this may call for a studio offsite meeting!

Thor

I was telling the kids about Thor and Norse mythology...my take on the God of Thunder...spent an hour on a color detail that failed completely and in frustration started this 10 min visual rant...It turned out much more successful than the previous hour, threw everything and the kitchen sink at this...I like the lower beard and the eyebrow..still lost in the storm of brushstroke with little control...but not boring...

 the original sketch  ...still trying to keep figure this out...

My Favorite

Still working on the script, but the illustration tells the whole story!!!!

The queen

Here is a quick doodle in photoshop.  I used some textured brushes and some standard fills...I like the belt and skirt, and the right side dark background...

Space Race

Ethan had an idea for the wheelless car in a race....so we are working a new painting to come soon....I've got one guy on top and one on bottom working...one on a ladder on the side and a motion blurred couple of racers on top....stands are in the background for the spectators...I really liked the little robot on the right ....really, time for bed now!!!!

The Wrestler

I need to work on characters for the next few days.  Here is a bruiser with a serious look on his face.  I started with a doodle and it led to this.  Mixing charcoal fill brush with the thin sketch brush.  I really like his right arm, and some of his hair and beard and the right foot.....time for bed again....more later.

 Started as a doodle.....

Just another pretty face

Looking at tutorials on painting and I am still struggling.  I started with the sketch below that I like.  It was quick and gestural, the line quality and dynamic makes it interesting...I think ...but ...

 The color versions lost a lot in translation!  Still plastic looking and a much more "Vacant" look in her eyes...elements are getting out of proportion  , I need to finish the eyes lips and hair details ( not much left if you leave that out eh?) ...getting very late time for bed ...better luck tomorrow ....