self portraits in honor of self portrait day.

I missed Self Portrait day (November 1).. I didn't know about it, so this weekend I did a couple of very small self portraits. Fun Stuff.

Holiday Card 2013... maybe

Starting to keep ahead of challenges... A proposal for this year's Holiday Card. This one is a collaboration of my concept and my late beloved wife Lee Ann's textile designs.  I hope that this would excite her... I am sure that she would have a lot to say Art Direction wise, and that would be more than welcomed.  -miss you my love... so much.

Monsters Nesting Dolls

I bought a set of nesting doll blanks. For almost a year I had no idea what to do with them until my dear friend Kevin Buntin suggested Classic Movie Monsters. Well.... I can't pass that idea up. So I spent the last month picking at these guys on and off. Just finished the last one on the last full week of August. I'm happy with them. I highly recommend doing something like this. It is well worth the effort.

Captive

Portfolio piece- worked this up as a wraparound design. I think it works quite nicely.

sketch dump 2013, the first in a long time

Crypticon 2, first night... an absolute heavenly opportunity for people watching and tiny little sketches/ doodles.

The Jersey Devil

A slight, ok a major over hall on the take of the Jersey Devil.

Zabu and Red Wing

Zabu and Red Wing from the Pet Avengers.

Frog of Thunder: variant color

so I started futzing with the color of the background... the frog pops a bit more, but I think I still like the first.... maybe.

Frog of Thunder: final color

it's done.

Frog Thor- Pet Avenger

So I just couldn't get the idea of the Frog of Thunder out of my head... so I stayed up way too late and worked this black and white version up. Coloring it will come this weekend, but I think he's cute as cute can be... with his mighty hammer 'meowmeow'.

Maximus

From the Inhumans Collection. Plate 2, Maximus the Mad, brother to BlackBolt and usurper of the Inhumans Royal Family.

lockjaw finished

Lockjaw- finished.

It was a fun piece to work up. Now the question is, do I finish the series as a Pet Avengers series, or an Inhumans series. hmmmmmm.... decisions, decisions.

scratchboard self portrait

Self Portrait...
found some small scratchboard pieces and some open time... so I did a lil' portrait. 5x7.

lockjaw wip

Starting a series of scratchboard comic book portraits. Characters that I think are visually interesting, or characteristically appealing. First one on the board... Lockjaw from the Inhumans.

Well, it's done... and done early. IMC 2013 assignment for the Graveyard Book is finished. Well, at least this one is. Now to see how far I can get with a second piece. The AD's approved of this one and I have gotten quite a bit of positive noise for this. Time to see if I can ride this wave.

IMC 2013 Assignment: linework for Graveyard Book done

The linework portion for my assignment: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaimen is done... Working on color palette treatments now. We shall see what the next day or so brings, but now, I am very happy.

Illustration Master Class 2013- thumbnails and sketch

Illustration Master Class 2013 is less than 72 hours away. I have my preliminary drawing complete, I have my thumbnail sketches done.  OH, and unlike last year... I have my driver's license renewed. I shall do my best to give a full report from the bunker like last year.
OH, this year's topic for me... Neil Gaiman's Graveyard Book. If you haven't read it, please do so. I loved it and have read it two and a half times. And I have only read a handful of books more than once that are not art books.

The Elizabeth Dane

The Elizabeth Dane:
John Carpenter's The Fog 
from wiki-  In 1880, six of the founders of Antonio Bay (including Malone's grandfather) deliberately sank and plundered a clipper ship named the Elizabeth Dane. The ship was owned by Blake, a wealthy man with leprosy who wanted to establish a colony near Antonio Bay. During a foggy night, the six conspirators lit a fire on the beach near treacherous rocks, and the crew of the ship, deceived by the false beacon, crashed into them. Everyone aboard the ship perished. The six conspirators were motivated both by greed and disgust at the notion of having a leper colony nearby. Antonio Bay and its church were then founded with the gold plundered from the ship.

Salem's Lot: The Marston House

Salem's Lot:  The Marston House.  The newest edition to the Illustration on the Dark side.

Danny at the window from Salem's Lot

Salem's Lot: Danny at the window
One of the first books I ever read without being forced to was Salem's Lot. I was way to young to read it and it gave me nightmares for months, but it left a fever within me for the macabre and the scary that exists to this day.  This piece is dedicated to Ron, Kevin, and my sister Barbara. You three kept feeding my love of what goes bump in the night. I thank you.

illustration for Business card: Eyes

Thinking of reworking my illustration business card... Since I have been building a Horror based portfolio for the last year, A leave behind that reflects what I do would probably be a good thing. So here is (at least for the time being) my solution... unless a better one presents itself.  Heck, I may have a couple of different images. One steampunk, one horror, one editorial cartoon. Hmmmmmm....

The Carriage Final

I finished it today. The Carriage is an image that I see as the start or the end of a story. That story, I don't have it as of yet. I may never have it... but I am happy with this image.

The Carriage; work in progress post 1/ session 3

session 3, or half way through session 3... or perhaps... And Welcome to session 3.5!!!!!
Size of the original piece is 14"x18".

Snow Day

After a day of 10" snowfall with another 6-10+ on the way... the snow kids are in abundance on any bump or hill.

The Nest

The Nest.  The latest in my series of dark illustrations, three sisters of the undead found by some poor person who with night vision on a camera or goggles has stumbled into the wrong place at the wrong time.

Mythbusters- TV's new odd couple

still on a cartoon kick... just planning on riding it out. The latest- Adam Savage and Jamie Heyneman... The Mythbusters.

Zeppelin- celebration day

I sat down and watched  Celebration Day. A Led Zeppelin concert that took place back in 2007. It was very interesting to see how these icons have aged over the years. They are looked upon as almost royalty by my generation. I was compelled to work this piece up.

moe-dok, larry-dok, curly-dok

A dear friend sparked an idea on an illustration featuring the Marvel Comics Character, MODOK... well like it or not, this is my solution.

Steam Punk Death Maiden- grays

The first version of the Steampunk Death Maiden. I think it shows off the linework a bit better than a color version, but that is just me.

Dead Anyway: the Graphic novel web page is live!!!

It's alive! IT'S A-LIVE!!! THE
http://www.deadanyway.com/
IS ALIVE!!! See artwork, get to know the creators, order, order, order! Thanks to Pete Mitchell and Bryan Ballinger for their drive, and native ability to heard creatives to a common goal. Gentlemen... I salute you.

cover artwork by Paul Conrad.

last can of who hash

working on an idea for an ornament and or candle holder. The last can of Who Hash.

Steam Punk Evening Post

This was a piece that I may use as a christmas card for the 2012 season. We shall see how things go.

The Strong Room Title Page

This is the title page for a collaborative project that I have been working on. It goes live tomorrow... Oct. 31st, HALLOWEEN!  More to come tomorrow, but until then, I tease you with this.

The New Pink Slip

First of all... NO,  this has nothing to do with real life. Nobody got canned. A group of us were sitting at lunch and the concept came about. It was such a grand visual that I just had to work up a cartoon for it... Thanks Tom for the inspiration.

New Shirt Design: The Walking Doug

http://www.mysoti.com/mysoti/designer/dugbuddy/product/1564366/dugbuddy--tshirt--The-Walking-Doug

Halloween Costumes

As the season of Trick or Treat comes nearer... some of us find that the holiday may be better suited for the "younger crowd". Enjoy your Halloween however you decide to celebrate it.

I heard he had a hook on his foot.

As fall starts to arrive, and campfires become more common place, I am reminded by the movie Meatballs, where (a very young) Bill Murrey tells a haunting tale about a man with a hook on his hand prowling the woods... a rather naive listener "Spaz" responds to the telling with... " I heard that story before, but I heard that they guy had a hook on his foot."  His friend then responds, "How could the guy have a hook on his foot?!?"  In my head since that first viewing has been this poor fellow, with a hook on his foot.

Look at you go, Lil' buddy!

Comic Panels...

some panels from a project i am working on... a short story for a comic anthology.

a couple of sketches from Crypticon KC

 attended the first KC Crypticon... a horror convention. Very small and intimate, but folks were able to converse with a few hollywood horror actors... and one or two pro make-up people.  Have to say that sometimes the attendees were more interesting than the paid guests. I hope it grows, it was way too pricy for what was delivered, but it was the first year... and I got spoiled by Spectrum Art Live earlier in the year.  Perhaps just a different set of tastes.

Black Aggie Color version 1 the warms.

color version 1, the warms.

Black Aggie- Scratchboard complete

The black and white is complete for Black Aggie. Color will be applied asap. I like this one.  The Story of Black Aggie; guardian of the graveyard, Black Aggie is the embodiment of the lost daughter of a sculpter who, in his sorrow created a bronze monument for her memory. Over time, the statue became associated with the angel of grief. It also became rumored to be the protector of the cemetery, keeping it tidy and also protecting it from vandals. It is said that anyone who goes into the cemetery at night had best be on their best behavior lest they suffer the rathe of Black Aggie.

London Olympic Opening Ceremonies

Summer Olympics Opening Ceremonies starts this Friday, London Town.

Black Aggie session 2 full image

This is where we are as of this posting. Some progress is starting to show, but still quite a bit to farther to go.

Black Aggie Stage 2 close up

new session, close up of what I have done so far. The post after this will be of the entire image to this point. As far as how I work, I usually block in bits that I know will be shadow or darker areas to be carved out, then tool them with either a rake tool or a single spade shaped tool following the motion of the cloth or how a leaf would grow from it's stem. Then I apply a highlight with a spade tool or apply shadow with an ink pen. Hope this helps. -db