The Cuckoo County Fair

I like to try to make something out of even little ideas and doodles. Something like this only takes a couple of hours but it was fun and now it is out of my head so I can move on!
 

Food Sketches for Daycare Mural

Here are some food character sketches for a daycare mural proposal. 

Cuckoo County Fair: Style Update

I've decided to illustrate Cuckoo County Fair as an 11 year-old boy named "me". Using pencils, crayons, and markers turns out to be creatively refreshing. This book will come together fast.

For Sale Friday #5: Digital Copy of 8: A Kid's Book Anthology for $2.99!

Dani Jones, creator of My Sister the Freak , Frosty the Gourdman, and other awesome stuff, has recently launched one of the coolest shops around.  TheIllustratedSection.com is the marketplace for independent creators to sell their books, comics, and other creations as affordable digital PDF versions.

Print on demand services have made it easier than ever to self publish our books.  The downside, however, is it is still an expensive process. A digital version is much more affordable and can be read on an iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Kindle, Nook, Blackberry, or on any computer using Adobe Acrobat Reader (free).

So here's our awesome anthology for only $2.99!  8: A Kid's Anthology I recommend shopping around at TheIllustratedSection.com. There are tons of great books available (some are even FREE!)

Stack Illustration: Sneak Peak of Page 3!

I have had some creative light bulbs flashing overhead. Lot's of fun and cool stuff planned for 2011. I'm ready! I am on track to have the pages from "Stack" done this year, and printed early next year.  Stay tuned for ordering information.  Here's a peak of page 3:

The Arrival

Here is an early sketch for one of next year's short stories.  It will be a 1950's style sci-fi romp with a Twilight Zonesque twist.  Ughh! I've been reading too many badly written reviews lately.  

Turkey, Pilgrims, and Zombies!

We had a great Thanksgiving. I am so thankful for the wonderful people in my life.  I am especially thankful for my wife, who puts up with my cuckoo crazy mind and tries to understand my urgent need to empty it.

I am the proud father of probably the coolest 5 year old in the whole world.  She knows who Cthulhu is.  She likes the 1931 Frankenstein.  And the subject she chose for our Thanksgiving sketch was Zombies.  Here are our drawings:

 

This is mine.

This is my nephew's. I especially like how the leg rotted off.

And this is my daughter's.  A pretty dynamic pose for a 5 year old.

My niece made a funny save the turkey sign. No zombie turkeys, though. She is writing and illustrating a book. Here are some of her character designs:



She is starting to learn about digital coloring.  I think she will have a finished book in 2011! Very cool.



An Illustration from 'Stack'

Here is an illustration from 'Stack'.  I've decided to use a loose and energetic style for the final artwork.  I liked the clean vector-style character tests, but I think this story works better if the reader can see the "hand" behind the illustrations.

I have been reading  a lot of "Art of..." books lately.  (some of my favorites are "The Art of The Lion King", "The Art of How to Train Your Dragon", and Chris Ayers' "The Daily Zoo")  The concept art for the character, set, and prop designs are totally fascinating to me.  I love seeing the sketchy lines, media experimentation, and style tests.  I love how alive concept art and storyboards feel.  I hope to bring this loose and experimental style to "Stack", while keeping a purposeful feel and professional quality to the book's design.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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?