Phizzel Goblin in color. For a Fanatagraphic Books competition. One place open on their beasts book 2. Hopefully I will be able to submit this piece and a yet to be finished piece on the Goat-Man of St. Georges Bay.

Drawergeeks: this week is Galactus, with all apologizes to Jack Kirby.

James 3: The start of a new drawing. Probably won't have much time for a while to work on this. But I would like to have it done fairly quickly. American Artist is having a self portrait competition due May First 2008. I haven't done a self portrait in such a long time... a finished piece. Hmmmm could be fun. My father (James) is always fun to render. Such a familiar subject. Just seeing him two weekends ago made me get out the pastel paper and work on a new piece. Makes me miss him a little less.

airport sketches: found the sketchbook and forgot that some of the time in the airport was not spent sleeping or listening to cartalk... I did do some sketching. Most kept moving, but this fellow just kept standing there and listening to this lady in a wheel chair and smiling. He never moved, He may have been asleep... listening to cartalk.

Phizzel Goblin Scratchboard: whew! I am calling this one done. Phizzel Goblin is done, reworked and completed. I believe that I have learned quite a bit on this one. Hopefully it will aid me in my next attempt whenever that is. . I am going to submit this and the clown scratchboard (see october 16th 2007 posting)
as entries into a couple of illustration competition annuals this season to see what comes about. If nothing else... it was good learning and a whole lot of fun to do.

brought the tan sketchbook to the GAA conference. Didn't use it until the last night or two when I saw an article on Depp and Sweeney Todd. Made me twist back to Jacob Marley and Eboneezer Scrooge. It is good to be home.

topic for the first Drawergeeks of 2008... Rednecks. Being in the Midwest... the topic was far too vast for an actual depiction, so I chose a subculture. A past time if you will. That "Hey fella's watch this" sport of all sports... Noodling. For those who have not been exposed to such a grand display of artistry... a person, "the Noodler" goes into a river, lake, channel, into the water and sticks their hand in a hole in order to pull out a catfish. Also hopefully avoiding any alligator snapping turtles that may have decided to make their homes in an abandon catfish den by default. Ah, the fun of summer.

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.