This is the start of an illustration that IF I get it done in time I may submit for some annuals this year. It is based upon the legend of the Phizzel Goblin that I heard on Hometown Tales.com. A favorite podcast of mine. I have a Looooooooooooooong way to go on this before it is complete. We shall see what becomes of it. But so far, I am happy with the outcome.

playing with faux techniques. Only the head and the outline was completed and it was done with a brush marker. The image was scanned and the rest was drawn on a channel in photoshop. Add some dust and scratches to it to make it look printed. After that, it was a quick scan of some paper, adding the image, choose a color and woodcut. The reason for working on channels vs layers is that I can work black and white and hit the X key to instantly erase what I don't want. Verses a layer where I have to erase, delete, change opacity, it is just too time consuming. Channels are just like scratch board. Black and white. Ahhhh, somethings ARE still black and white if you just put tight enough blinders on. Happy Holidays.

Drawergeeks: last of 07'. Elves. What a year. Little sleep, some good work produced, some not so good. Some areas to explore in the scratchboard area, flesh out and see where that takes me. Yeah, I know... It ain't digital, well... poop on that. It makes me happy. That is what this was all supposed to be about way back when we started out as kids... right? To make US happy. Not to match somebody's sofa colors, not to jump through some Art Director's hoops of fire, but to make US happy. I need to remember that more often.

Friends, if I don't post any more this season, hug someone dear to you and tell them what they mean in your life. It makes a difference.

second option for star belly... this was the original concept that I saw in my head... some sort of mermaid like person. But the original concept drawings were far too stiff, lifeless, realistic... I don't do realistic fantasy stuff... never could. So this fell out of my head yesterday morning... much more satisfying. We shall see if either get done by friday.

option 1 for star belly: the only stipulation is that NO sneetches are allowed. All other boundaries are open. This is a redesign of a very very old drawing from the early 90s. Then, I had a fair concept but poor technique. Maybe this is my chance to set it right... the jury is still out.

I feel as though I have lost a family member. My very first and last
Reds Games that I heard  were called by Joe. I listened while mowing
the lawn, baking the donuts, working on artwork trying to build a
portfolio, staying up when I should have been sleeping, or outside
shoveling snow while listening to the Hot Stove League. Joe Nuxall
was a part of my growing up, a voice that I recognized as quickly as
I did my closest friends and family. Sometimes, the only good part
of the entire day was hearing the Reds games, listening to the
rain delays from the banana-phone. He made me smile when it
appeared damn near impossible to do so.

I will miss you Joe Nuxhall, May peace be with you. 

my beloved had hand surgery this morning... so while I waited in the outpatient waiting room... all went well. I did a lot of pacing and doodling to keep my nervousness to a minimum.

day late... but it's done. ready to ship for the next house cleaning on Drawergeeks.

unfinished drawergeeks drawing for design your own Sith from starwars. oh well, it was fun while it lasted... now back to the salt mines.

drawergeeks sith preliminary: scratchboard.

page from the sketchbook... bad tv, wonder how much it will fall when the writer's strike takes ahold. It stinks now. Oh well, just get up stairs and doodle. More fun with the brown sketchbook paper.

sketch for drawergeeks: create your own Sith. REJECT. Taking from Ivan Reitman and Mr. Staypuft... who would be the perfect good, wholesome, always safe being that never wavers from the side of Good and Righteous? To take a character like that and turn it upside down is such a hoot. (Plus it's just so much fun to say Darth Pooh.) He could try to turn Christopher Robin to the dark side... getting Christopher Robin's hand caught in a honey pot for all eternity. The introduction of Darth Piglet, who looks quite a bit like a miniature Darth Maul. Oh, and don't forget that all evil character versions need the goatee for easy identification... it's in the rules.

since i tanked the mummy when I did the color on it... I am working on the new assignment for drawergeeks to see if I can redeem myself... create your own SITH... from Star Wars. So, who is the leader of the "Evil Empire"? George Steinbrenner. Well, I betch'a he's in ca-hoots with the Sith. Probably paid extra to have the deathstar shaped like a baseball. So rather than just take parts of things and create some evil space ninja... I thought it would be good to take someone and see what it would be like to turn them to the dark side. (well, with the Yankees it isn't really turning as much as exposing). It will be interesting to see what comes about in the next couple of weeks.

Color completed. I am happy. Always things that I have learned to apply next time. That is what makes it so much fun, when it works. I guess even when it doesn't work, I have learned never to try that again.
PS. It has been a year since I have started all of this exploration. Drawergeeks, getting back into drawing, all that. Interesting that the 100th post is the 1 year anniversary of my first Drawergeeks submission. Lee Ann, Bryan, Greg, Lacey, Meech, Dale, Nicole, Jake, Carol, Everybody... thanks so much for the encouragement and the kick in the pants to "get on with it".

Scratchboard. I am looking at using color on the final. This came out as I saw it in my head. So, I am planning to add color tomorrow or Wednesday to see what transpires.

preliminary sketch for Drawergeeks due this week. For Halloween: The Universal Studios Famous Monsters. I chose The Mummy. sketch in black ball point.

Clown Scratchboard: Hokey smokes it's finally done... what a job. I am happy it turned out as I hoped. But I don't know how the champions of the pen in the last century did this and made a profit. Sheesh. My eyes my eyes. I need colors to see.

page from the sketchbook: couldn't sleep... work from the drawing club's recent model.

the something borrowed illustration... the orange paper for the portrait was a birthday gift. The origami papers were bogarted from my wife. The concept came from my friend Bryan (Breadwig.com) and his flower scan technique with a tip of the hat from a more deco feel.

trying to work up a larger scale to see what would happen. Also working on a piece or two for competition in the upcoming weeks. We shall see. As always, if there are folks out there who would like to provide comments, you are welcome to do so.

more pages from a drawing book. Kraft paper is the finest. I just love it. So soft and yet hearty enough to stand up to repeated erasing. Simply forgiving. Pulled from photos of a drawing session from the drawing club. I really need to find a Saturday morning figure class. It is the perfect time for me to draw.

I am working from a tablet of pastel papers and kraft papers without binding. It is freeing in some respects (being left handed). I love not being chewed by spiral binding. But I miss not having a collected stash for my drawings other than a box. Well, it is in a folder and well protected until some solution can be found. But until the paper is used, this is quite an experiment.

pages from a drawing book
right now i don't have a sketch/drawing book (bound) of any sorts. I got a gracious gift from a friend at work of pastel papers and acid free kraft papers. But I have been lax at scanning any of the drawings. so I will do so here and try to keep up the scanning so as to not bog down the 'puter for the rest of the family.

Working through phobias can have benefits on an occasion such as a creative outlet. Drawergeeks for next week is ... clowns. So, have 2 irons in the fire right now. This is the first sketch. Possibly to take to a digital finish. The second is much less horrific, more subtle. Hopefully it will show up prior to the beginning of the week. We shall see. The idea of "killer clowns, evil clowns" didn't seem to really fit my mood. But instead of having the clown as predator, perhaps have clown as prey? Hmmmm, now that has possibilities. So, I title this piece "In one ear and out the other".

pen and ink on white clayboard then scratched away sections. This was really fun to do.

a paranoid delusion into the not to distant future, where technology simplification leads to worse case scenarios. Maybe Invasion of the Body Snatchers started out something like this. Instead of pod people taking over the world with duplicates, tubers, bulbs, and root vegetables just let technology unlock the door to corporate and governmental takeovers without a single raise of an eyebrow. Nobody knew until it was too late.

Hot Dog Stand for Drawergeeks. I, um, let's just pretend this turned out better shall we?

page from the sketchbook... a friend from work (thanks Patti) gave me some acid free kraft paper for my birthday a while back. I did this drawing back in June and just never had the time to scan.

Final linework is done. This one was trouble from the start. I had a definite visual in my head but could not replicate it through my hands. I tried ink washes, markers, various toned papers with blacks and gray prismacolors. I could not make anything work. This was my last ditch effort... and I started over 3 times on it. Good old clayboard... the indestructable surface. Takes repeated sandings. I am happy. I may try to add color... If it turns out with color, then I will repost and that will be the submission to drawergeeks... if it tanks, then black and white it is.

sketch proposal this week: Henchmen, my solution: Jaws from the Bond films. We shall see how the final comes out.

Got a pad of acid free Craft paper... what fun. Playing with umber ink and brush. Brush? No undo? And I have to clean it after I am done??? What method of madness is this? Well, on the bright side, it does turn my tongue a really funky shade of brown black. Hmmmm, "Do not ingest. Do not induce vomiting." Kids, read the warning labels. That's what they are there for. *Safety tip of the week.

Opening night was this evening. Had a nice turn out. Met the Artists, what a talented group. Lacey is just an incredible painter. But hoo-wee it was hot in there. But I'm circumferentially challenged, and I was in a suit. I had a really good time. But I need a long sleep.

The submission for Drawergeeks: Alien, I created a tequila label. A friend was doing some research on wine labels. This started an itch within me to design some kind of spirits label. What fun.

I have been blessed by having two pieces selected as part of a figurative group show at the Hilliard Gallery. The show is scheduled to open Friday July 6th and run through July 28th 2007. The two pieces above were selected. Bass Player, and James. I am delighted and quite honored. http://www.hilliardgallery.com/index.php

Old Man Winter:

yes, it is June. But that is the beauty of a winter scene, it can cool you off.

witch sketch from vacation book.

bored in the airport... bought a muscle magazine for drawing. Don't know why. No reasons, just mindless foolishness.

Vacation sketchbook June 07

Vacation Sketchbook -virtual pose

more vacation sketchbook work... virtual pose.

prismacolor on kraft paper

Cinderella for Drawergeeks. This had to be quick if it was to be at all. Several irons in the fire at once and juggling is not my best ability. Originally it had just the girl, but felt it was just not finished. Don't know if it is now or not. But at least the attempt was made. Off to work.

when nothing else works... go back and review the old sketch books. I have been adapting sketches from a jazz show last year into new drawings. Quite fun.

I just felt I needed to paint the character doing what he was created to do ... kill things in a not very pretty manner. He may be a glorified superhero, he may be fun to draw, but he is still a surgically engineered butcher. The man has knives that shoot out of his hands that cut through anything... what was the government going to use him for? Peeling potatoes REALLY fast?... no.

my original plan was to back out of this. just to not submit. Last time the comic book theme was presented, I fell flat on my face... with 2 submissions yet. Too much anxiety... too much pressure... too much spicy food too late at night. So, I was going to let the much more experienced bunch take a stab (heh) at Wolverine. But insomnia and a clean piece of scratch board added up to a sketch that may show promise. Dunno. We shall see. I will do some tuning and see what happens. A very wise person stated that people take 20 minutes or so to create a drawing and then spend hours or days slowly wrecking what they could have just left alone.

the start of a rather large horizontal graphite rendering of a clover patch. Final drawing will be about 14" x 26". This is the beginning of an involved process.

not feeling really swell. worked out of the sketchbook to see what would come up and to keep focused on other things.