Friday, December 19, 2008

Ahsoka Tano


My daughter's favorite Jedi, as well as something I put together for a friend. The spunky padawan Miss Ahsoka Tano...

I played with a different rendering method for colors this time. I did the flats, then copied that layer twice, set the original flats layer as the dark shadows, made the medium layer more of the local colors and left them at a medium value, then a light blue tinted layer from her force power. I intentionally didn't show and color casting from her lightsaber onto her to stay true to the movies! Hahaha. (really just lazy.)

The Ahsoka Tano character is trademarked and owned by Lucasfilm.

It's not a very Christmas-y image I know, but nonetheless, I wish you all a happy holiday season, and a Merry Christmas!

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Wonder Woman Day III


This year I was invited to participate in Wonder Woman Day! I was asked to donate some artwork for the auction event that would bring money to some Domestic Violence Shelters. You can read up on it and see other artist's work that also contributed here: Wonder Woman Day III
I contributed one piece to each event, one in Portland Oregon, and the other in Flemington New Jersey. I hope for the best with this great event! And if you live in either area, be sure to stop by and join the fun!

Friday, October 3, 2008

unnamed woman portrait


Another day, another sketch. The woman is no one in particular, I see a bit of my wife in her, a bit of Marcia Cross? Maybe it's Wonder Woman!? Who knows? Maybe you see someone you know in her too? It's just a sketch.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Yikes!


Ever feel like this when you wake up? Welcome to my reality every day. (kidding... Sorta.)

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Bad-ck Anatomy


Just a fast study on back anatomy... Not sure it's any good so get a look quick, who knows when a mood swing will hit me, and I'll come to my senses and take this one down. If anything, this sketch reminds me how much I need to keep at it. 10-20min. tops warm-up sketch.

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Tiger Sketch


Sorry I've been quiet lately. Thought I'd post a sketch or two in the next few days.
Tigers are always cool. Always wanted a pet tiger... Not practical with kids though I suppose.

Friday, August 8, 2008

Wildwood


Someday I'm going to paint up a Graphic Novel. It'll be written by the famous Val Staples of MVCreations. And published by Image Comics.

This is a teaser cover for the book... I can't tell you much of anything about it other than it's to be an all ages fantasy quest!

So consider yourself teased! Hey, if you're not teased... You're not loved. :)

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

A Great lord of Gothitropolis


Scarabus is this one's name. He actually is this year's FANtastic Exclusive winner, meaning the fans chose Scarabus out of many very cool Four Horsemen character/figure designs.
Again, you can see the whole process over at The Four Horsemen's FANtastic Exclusive website.

They asked again that I help with the packaging chores by providing an illustration.
Because let's face it... We love seeing cool illustrations of figures on the packaging vs. just a photo of the figure you've already got. Not to totally bag on photos, they absolutely have their place, and we need them. But sometimes I think an illustration puts us into another world a little easier, it gives a sense of a story, let's the imagination run a little faster.

Granted there's not much story here to tell with this illustration. You'll notice that both Scarabus and the Time Keeper look to be more of an old time portrait of the characters, there's a reason for that, and I'll leave that to the Four Horsemen to reveal on their own. One idea might be, whenever you go through an old spooky haunted looking house... It's always that portrait on the wall that makes you wonder who all is there, even if you think you're alone...

I look forward to seeing what Gothitropolis is all about, it sounds like a lot of fun, and Scarabus is, by the look of his character alone, something serious to be reckoned with... A lord of times present and times lost, I'm not revealing anything official there, that's just a thought. I know when I look at the Four Horsemen's work, my imagination starts to wander all over the place, I hope this packaging artwork does the figure and his variants justice.

This artwork was also shown at the San Diego Comic Convention that has now come to a close.
Please let me know what you think!

Thursday, July 24, 2008

The Time Keepers!


It's San Diego Comic Con time of year again!
And the convention is in full swing today!

I've been busy again working for the Four Horsemen. This time it's packaging and advertising artwork for their new FANtastic Exlusive born line: Gothitropolis!

Let me know what you think of this little creepy critter!

And if you are at San Diego right now, and can get into the convention, be sure to stop by the AFX booth and see the Four Horsemen, along with their beautiful work on both of their own lines, the Seventh Kingdom AND Gothitropolis, and pick up three of these little Time Keepers for just $25.00! (All three Time Keepers are different, both in head sculpts and in color schemes!)

I hope everyone is having a great summer, I know I am, even if I'm not at SDCC.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Davy Crockett!



More fun from my day job! I'm doing illustrations for a book on Davy Crockett.
It will be a mix of two styles... The story gives us facts from his life, which will be painted in this more realistic style, and then it tells of a few of his tall tales... Which will be illustrated in my more cartoony/comic book-ish style. I just started the book, and when I have the cartoony style pages done, I'll be sure to post one here.
This image and text belongs to Imagine Learning. The book is written by Shar Petersen.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Saratoga Springs, 5K race!

So as I'm working on some really cool things I can't and won't post... Here's something I can.
I did this for our City's 5K race they hold each summer. Yes we live in Utah, but even out here we have Pelicans! Especially around the wetlands that are near our home and around Utah Lake. Beautiful birds... Except when they run! (I figure this one is in the "stagger" category.)

This image is just to go on the t-shirts for the race. Thus it has a VERY simple and clean look compared to say... Xetheus or Ramathorr.

I'm not 100% sold on the font or the placement yet...



EDIT:
So it turns out... Our city bird isn't a Pelican as I had previously believed. It's a Heron! Funny thing is, the good people I was doing this for didn't catch it at first either, and if you ask folks in the street what our city bird is... Well for the most part you can imagine that nobody would really know unless you happened upon a city council member or someone that works for the city.
So funny story short, I changed the Pelican, into a Heron... All in all it also gave me a moment to better the text and having him break the circle shape behind him more proved a better design overall. Leave it to the birds... Funny thing is... had I gone to the city's website... I might have clued in earlier! (note the city logo in the upper left hand corner of the web page.) Hahaha!

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Xetheus of the 7th Kingdom!


The Four Horsemen asked me to do up a painting of Xetheus like I did with Ramathorr for their Seventh Kingdom line of collector's action figures. Of course I was happy to oblige. They wanted this painting to "connect" to the Ramathorr Painting. So as such, I had to adjust the Ramathorr painting to remove the Xetheus silhouette in the background as he now has his own painting with his fellow minotaur warriors to aid the great Animal kingdom in their fierce battle for the Seventh Kingdom! Confused? Bah! It's all great fun, and if you want to know more about the Seventh Kingdom, the Four Horsemen and this year's FANtastic Exclusive, just click the pretty blue links in this paragraph! So above is Xetheus, and here below is a little look at the two "connected".

If you went to the New York Comic Convention this year, and went to the Four Horsemen's booth with AFX, then you might have seen this banner there. ;)

Thursday, April 3, 2008

I did that?


You take the last 20-30 min. of the day and do a quick sketch. Say... a male portrait. And this is what I did?
It's always kinda nice to just let the image happen... With no one to please, no story in mind, just letting the brush madly go wherever it wants.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Zeus!


What's a Greek Myth without Zeus right?

And why is he swimming in gray cotton candy?

If you know the story of Phaethon... Then you know what's coming to him. If you don't know, then pick up a book and read! And if you want to see more of these pages from this re-telling... Then talk to your kid's school principal and ask them to buy imagine learning's product for their school! That's the only way you'll find out what happens in our telling of Phaethon's Ride. :)

Have a wonderful day!

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Phaethon's Ride...




Since I've not posted since before Christmas, I figure I'd better get something up.
These are pages to a book for my day job at Imagine Learning. I've been trying to do more animated or cartoony designs to my work. I love my job.
Feel free to leave any comments ya like, and have a WONDERFUL day. Pssst Valentines day is tomorrow... Don't forget your loved ones!
(Please respect too that these images belong to Imagine Learning.