Bedroom Eyes

One crouched in a tenebrous corner of the bedroom. The thing's arms and legs were too long and it wrapped them around its scrawny body. Its bulbous head was covered in tiny bumps and valleys. It was the color, texture, and smell of rotten cauliflower. Two glossy black marble eyes were fixed on the end of fleshy stalks that protruded from each side of the head.  Four more beady eyes glared forward into the darkness.  A huge gaping mouth filled with needle teeth stretched across the whole lower half of the foot wide head.  It was tangled mess on the verge of pouncing.

 And it cackled. 

Slug Love or Slime Time

Aww. Two slugs found love! This is going to be gross.

I have a really cool promotional project that I'm excited to get started. First, I have to finish 'Stack'. I need some little elves that come out at night and finish my projects for me.  What makes shoemakers so special?

The Gargoyle Goblin

The Gargoyle Goblin is a character from Morgan MonsterHunter & the Crypto Kid.  In this story,  he threatens to devour Morgan's pet mouse, Fuzzbutt.  In the end, Morgan tricks the Gargoyle Goblin into a eating a zhu zhu pet, leaving Fuzzbutt safe and happy.  

Yes,  much of this plot came from a 5-year old's head.

Swamp Eatin'

Dude, seriously.

I've been told that I say "Dude, seriously..." a lot.  I want to finish about 12 stories before the end of 2010, but dude, seriously - that ain't happening.  "Stack / Stuck" will be finished this year...but not by my original goal of Nov.1.  The early stages of a project are so fun and full creativity, that I sometimes forget how much time and work is required to actually finish the project.  Head to paper is ...S...L...O...W...!   My realistic goal for "Stack" is to have the pencils done by Nov. 1 and the colors done by Dec. 1.  Ok?  Ok.  Dude, seriously, get back to work.

Morgan's Dream...or is it?

Story-time's ready! Y'all come and get it! 8: A Kid's Book Anthology is AVAILABLE NOW!

You can check out the website that I made to promote the book here:  8: A Kid's Book Anthology

There you will find:

• 
  
   pages from each of the stories
• 
  
   artist interviews
• 
  
   links and contact information for all of the contributors
• 
  
   the link to the Indy Planet page where you can purchase your copy of  "8"
• 
  
   the link to Illopond.com where you can join us on upcoming collaborations

Style Test for 'Stack'

I am thinking of switching the art style of "Stack".  I love the vector look from previous posts, but I can be much more efficient with my time if I use a technique that I'm more comfortable with.  I want to produce a steady flow of books...I am already anxious to get started on the next one.  I will use that vector style in a book someday, but for now I'm leaning pretty heavily towards the sketchy / digital watercolor style above. 

Aim High!

You may recognize the little hamster on the right from a previous post: Designing a New Character   He is the main character from "Stack".  His little friend on the left is the main character from "Stuck".  You'll see.

I'm thinking of having these printed up as bookmarks for the finished book.

Coffee

My almost two year old son MUST smell the bag of coffee after we grind it at the store and when we pour it into the coffee maker at home.  I understand...sometimes you just have to stop and smell the coffee.

The Porcupine

I have had little to no time to work on personal projects for a looong time. Frustrating.  I still want to finish "Stack" by Nov.1st...but I've lost about 3 or 4 weeks of production.  It is important for me to take this deadline seriously, though...or why even bother giving myself one.

The porcupine is another character from "Stack".  Here's a promo poster from his band: The Porcupines. (They're not very good.)

8: A Kid's Book Anthology

Off to the printer! The kid's book anthology that I have a story in should be available by November.  It is being printed by Ka-Blam and distributed through Indy Planet .  I will post information on how YOU can get your very own copy of this SUPER HIGH QUALITY book when a definitive release date is confirmed.

I am so proud to be included in this anthology.  The artwork and storytelling is outstanding.  This book is more than just stories, though.  It is an example of  independent spirit and collaborative motivation coming together in a productive way.  We all worked very hard on this project and we have an awesome book to show for that effort.  It is my belief that the future of creative art and storytelling will be largely independent and collaborative. 

If you are interested in taking that next step in your creative life, I urge you to get involved in creative communities.  Ben Powis, who's story "Hoot!"appears in the anthology, created  Illopond .  This is the forum we used to organize and communicate during the production of "8".   We have opened that project thread to the public, so you can see our process and development and hopefully join up and/or start a collaborative project of your own.  I think it would be totally awesome for the illopond to be the meeting place for dozens of independent collaborative projects every year!  (There is already talk for Anthology 2.)

I want give a HUGE "Thank you!" to Christpher Tupa for organizing this project and inviting me to take part.   I will post some more in-depth information about Christopher and the rest of the contributors in the near future.  In the meantime, check out their websites to see some of their awesome work!

Mark Harmon
Sam Kirkman
Michelle Kondrich
Craig Pirrall
Ben Powis
Christopher Tupa
Lee Wiley

The Anteater

Another character from "Stack". The anteater.

Winner of the 39th Annual Armadillo Toss

It was great to see so many of you come out and support this year's toss.  As you know, we have struggled to keep the tradition of "armadill-throw" alive ever since the moose tug was moved up to Nah 'DilloWeekend.  It hasn't been easy, especially after 2007's tragic mooser vs. diller fracas, but we had a great turn-out this year with minimal moose vs. armadillo related violence.  Congratulations to this year's winner, Cindy Hemmelman!

Ohhh! Because it's bill is kind of shaped like a spoon.

Another character from "Stack".  The Spoonbill.

Doing What You Should

My brother is opening his own pizza restaurant in October.  I imagine he will be a busy, busy man for a long time.  When you trust in your ability, have faith in your dreams, and work hard towards your goals, being busy is the reward.  Good Luck, Spoink!

His restaurant is a part of a local franchise.  By all accounts the food is fantastic; but I have to admit, I'm not loving their current logo:

 I am helping him out with menus, signs, and a small mural.  I re-designed the logo, even though we may not be able to use it.  I kept the same basic layout and elements, but tried to make it more friendly and appealing:

The Monitor

Here is another character for my current story "Stack". 

I will have the story ready for print by NOV.1, 2010. I've stated before the importance of self-imposed deadlines. NOV.1!  NOV.1!  NOV.1!  I better get busy.

e' Letrick Warbabyz

I am updating a logo for a friend's band.  Here is their youtube channel: e'Letrick Warbabyz.

Here is their current logo:

It is a good concept, but the execution is not great. Crisper lines and a cohesive word / image relationship, will be beneficial in T-shirt, poster, banner, and any other printed productions.

Here is the direction I'm going:

I still have a lot of clean-up and tweaking to do, but I am liking it so far.

  

When it comes to illustrating and designing with vector graphics, Von Glitschka is one of my favorite artists.  He has a super cool and fun website where he updates "ugly" logos called The Federal Bureau of Illustration. 

On a side note:  I was telling my daughter a Morgan MonsterHunter & The Crypto Kid story a few nights ago.  The villain in this particular story was horrible, brutish, un-dead viking.  As I was telling the story, the name that popped into my head for this monstrosity was Von Glitschka.  It just sounded right.  So, whenever my daughter hears Von Glitschka she will think horrible, brutish, un-dead viking. 

LOOK LOOK LOOK

I updated this gouche piece with a more graphic look.

I'm looking for ideas for this blog.  Any suggestions on topics, direction, and other content will be appreciated.  

Eyes are Important! - Designing a Character for a New Story

I am starting some concept work for a new story.  This is my favorite part of the creative process (I have strong suspicions that this is the favorite part for most creators.)  It is easy to get lost in world building, character design, and style concepts.  It is possible to stay at this stage indefinitely -  refining, adding, and style-jumping to "get it just right".  This is why there are millions of unfinished projects out there.  I have a few dozen myself.

It is important to take the time to plan out a good story and work on the art style, but I have also started giving myself deadlines.  (See my previous post on the importance of finishing personal projects here.)  I am in the early stages of writing and concepting my new story called "Stacks".  I will have it finished this year (hopefully in time for the holiday season so you can buy a copy for your favorite rugrat).

There are a ton of details to play with at this stage.  I've posted some pictures of the hamster character from "Stacks".  All six pictures are exactly the same, except for the size, color, and placement of the eyes.  Here are some questions that I am asking myself.

• Do I use a consistent eye style for all of the characters in the book?
• Do the eyes change style to show emotion or reaction?
• Do the pupils move, or does the whole head move when the character is looking at something?

Not sure what the answers are, but  I do know that I'm leaning towards #3, #5, or #6 for this character.

You can click on the image for a larger view.  Any opinions?

Another Page and Website Update

Here is another page for the children's story anthology.  I'm almost finished and ready to start a new story.   It's about a dude named Sam.   He tries to convince this other dude to try green eggs and ham.  But this other dude is convinced that he doesn't like green eggs and ham.  Well, in the end, he does try them and he likes them!  Funny, huh?     I'll put in some cool illustrations and I have a great rhyme for the story.  Also I'm thinking about becoming a doctor.  We'll see what happens.

I've put up my new website.  I have a lot of stuff that I want to add to it over time, but  I wanted something out there now.  If you check it out, you can let me know if you find any broken links or other problems.  My biggest concern is how it displays on different screen ratios. How's it look on yours? I'll update as I make the site bigger and better!denverwagner.com

Who likes web page buttons?

I do. I do.  Ok, setting up my new website may take a little longer than I expected.  It will be up next week..   In the meantime, here are the buttons that I designed for the portfolio section of the site.

What's cooking, D?

I'm close to finishing my illustrations for the kid's anthology book.  Here is another sneak peek:

I'll have more information as a release date is determined.  Then you will buy it because it is full of awesome stories and fantastic artwork!  It has been fun to work on, but it was more time consuming than I expected.  I've been told that when you start a project, you should double the amount of time you estimate it will take.   That seems about right.

I'm excited for the upcoming months.  I have four projects that I want to focus on for the rest of 2010.

1. Finish writing and illustrating my story named "Stacks".  I have a simpler line style for these illustrations that I think will work really well with the story.
2.  Focus on concept art, character designs , and storylines for "Morgan Monster Hunter and the Crypto Kid".    This will be an ongoing story,  I want to get some Morgan stuff out in 2011.
3. I need to get more comfortable with Photoshop and Illustrator so I will work on 2 or 3 portfolio pieces in each program.  
4. Rework a bunch of canvases. I want some actual physical pieces to display and sell.  I have a pretty cool theme in mind, which could turn into the illustrations for a story that I am still developing.  Must...get ...more..use...out  of each...piece.

And of course, I must stay focused on finding clients and marketing myself.  Not easy, my friends.

 Last but not least, I have a NEW WEBSITE in the works!  It will be waaaaaaaay cooler than my current portfolio site.  Hopefully, I'll have it up within the next week or so.  Stay tooned!

Hey, Teenage Girls. Enough with all the mummies.

Smile

Here is an updated smiley face design.  Those round yellow ones are not gloomy enough for the modern moper.

If I am not working towards my goals, I am working against them.

Armadillo Pillows are supernatural creatures that breath dreams.  They live in the bedrooms of children throughout the world, where they magically disguise themselves as pillows.   They are muses, inspiring creativity, contentment, and a drive to fulfill dreams.  They are also protectors, doing their best to guard against the nightmares caused by the dreaded Dreks.

"You have to put in many, many, many tiny efforts that nobody sees or appreciates before you achieve anything worthwhile."

-Brian Tracy

I am a story-teller and an artist.  In the past year of my life, I have taken a serious attitude towards being a successful story-teller and artist.  This blog is nearing it's one year mark (July 27th).  It has been helpful in my exploration and education of the online and digital world that is a necessary reality for modern success in any creative endeavor.  It has also been a fun and motivational tool to keep me focused on my creative goals.

I have set up an online portfolio: denverwagner.com.  I designed and printed my business cards and postcards.  I invested in a new computer (my 1st Mac!! Yeah!), new software (CS5!! Yeah!),  art supplies, and dozens of books.  I am involved in online artist communities. (Lot's of really cool people out there!)

I have studied, read, and researched the business, marketing, and sales side of creativity.  This is not always fun or interesting- but I have been surprised by how often it actually is.  Business skills, like artistic skills, are always evolving and expanding, but now I have a decent base to stand on.

"To infinity and beyond!"

-Buzz Lightyear

In the months and years ahead, I will focus on building a reliable client list.  My style leans towards illustrating children's products, media, books, and educational materials.  I intend to focus on earning more clients in these industries.  Along with more client work, I hope to grow a significant library of personal projects.

In 2010 (and beyond), I believe having several finished or in production personal projects is just as important as having a strong portfolio.   The economy is bad and the competition is awesome.  Ideas are a dime a dozen.  Having finished projects shows the world (including potential clients) that I have good ideas and the discipline to make something out of those ideas.

Hindsight is 20/20.  I wish I had started down this path years ago, but I can't complain.  In the past 10 years, I played in some really awesome bands, married the woman of my dreams, and had two amazing children who changed my whole outlook on life. 

Now being successful with my work is not about me anymore.  I am a story-teller and an artist.  This is the best way I can provide for my family.  I am a lazer beam focused on an intense production schedule.  I will finish 1 or 2 large projects every year.  I will finish a dozen or more smaller projects every year.  I have a dozen projects in development right now and three in production with two to be finished in 2010.  (And an idea list 100 items deep.)

When I find myself in the right place at the right time,  I will have something to show.

Being lucky is hard work.

Good Grief!

Sir Seal Breath

Here is the pencil sketch of old Seal Breath.  I scanned it into my computer and darkened the line.  I vectorized the sketch so that it was a separate editable shape.  Then I filled in the blacks and whites.

Next, I pulled up an old abstract acrylic painting that I already had in my digital library (I have over 100 to choose from).  I like to use these as backgrounds, textures, and fills. I placed the whale on the abstract and then cropped it as a background.  I adjusted the colors and used a digital air brush to drop in a shadow.  I added a couple of outlines as a frame (this is an easy step that gives a piece a nice finished look.)

Ladies and Gentlemen, Here to sing his hauntingly beautiful rendition of "Ave Maria", I present Sir Seal Breath.

Twenty-Three

In a small quiet house, in a small quiet town

A boy found the body of old lady Brown

The people had called the woman a witch

And they said her soul was as black as pitch

But she couldn't cast spells - she knew no magic

Her secrets were more sinister, more evil,  more tragic

She knew a great deal about science and medicine

And poison and hallucinogens to make your head spin

Twenty-three husbands in twenty-three years

Every single one had mysteriously disappeared

And, can you guess what they found in the basement dirt?

That's right, some jars, a pipe, and an old flannel shirt

Oh yeah, and twenty-three skulls

My Exclusive Interview with Bigfoot

I received a phone call during dinner last night.  I assumed the caller must have been one of my favorite cryptids:  the legendary Sasquatch!  I took the opportunity to ask the big guy a few questions and try to get a sense of what it must be like to walk in those giant shoes.

Given the shrinking area of natural places on earth and the encroachment of more and more humans into your habitat, How have you remained so elusive?

Bigfoot:  Mr. Wagner, we're calling with important information that could save you over 10 percent on..

Just answer the question.

Bigfoot:  ...sorry?  I am calling with an opportunity to save up to 10 percent on your landscaping and...

How do you avoid being photographed in a world where everyone has a camera in their phone, and satellites are constantly mapping out every nook and cranny of our planet?

Bigfoot:  You should know that we specialize in both weed and pest control and have a customer satisfaction rating of...


Are you related to the Yeti of the Himalayan Mountains?

Bigfoot:  We also have some great new products...

How about Nessie from Loch Ness? 

Bigfoot: ...huh?

Ha ha...Just kidding.  So I just have one more question.  Do you prefer Bigfoot or Sasquatch?
Hello? ...Hello?

The Real Rock

When I need a boost of positive energy, 1950's rock and roll is at the top of the list. 

 Ready Teddy

One of Those Days

Our basement flooded last night.  Luckily, I didn't have anything better to do with my time.

Closet Sloth.

I have a shipment of three-toed sloths arriving this weekend. They will stay in our closets...for now.


I'm not being lazy...just busy.  I'll post something cool on this blog someday.  That's my promise to you.  

A Sneak Peak

A couple months ago, I was invited to take part in a very cool story anthology for kids.  The contributors are an amazing and talented group with diverse and imaginative story-telling styles.  I've been able to watch their stories develop and the illustrations "come to life" in our creators forum.  I am truly honored to be part of the group.  We are self-publishing the book through Ka-Blam, which is a print-on-demand / distribution service.  The book will be released this fall and I will be posting a lot of cool stuff about the stories, creators, processes, and other information as the release date gets closer.

In the meantime, here is a page from my story, "A Roar and a Squeak".  I am still cleaning up and tweaking the illustration, but you can get the overall idea of what I'm trying for.

 

Here is the text:

There is a place that is green and sticky and wild. 

It is a forgotten place where monkards swing from the branches above, and the air sizzles and pops as a crackle cat chases down a stingrat. 

The forest is bursting with a whirling flurry of life.   Until...

Fish