Ink Wash Lily Monochromatic Painting

 It has been a while since I've touched this piece. In fact, I hadn't touched it since last July! So, I figured, with a little extra time on my hands, that it was about time I fixed that.

I had already done a gray wash on the background of this piece using both brush and the top of one of my ink stoppers to create the "Kirby dots." So this week I tackled the figure and added some gray wash tones to her figure before I lay down a layer of transparent watercolor.

Because I liked the stark grays of this phase I scanned it into the computer and messed around with it a bit in Photoshop. I laid over the original black and white line and added a layer of color over the whole piece. I really like the way it turned into a nice monochromatic painting.

I am tempted to stop here and let the piece stand as is but I know I'd still really like to go back and add some colors onto the piece to see where it will go from here.

Hopefully it won't take me another six months to get to the next phase. I can't make any promises but we'll see how it goes. For now enjoy the piece as it looks and I hope you all have a great weekend!

OCD 3D Henry Sculpt

Thanks to 3D artist Robert Bowen I now have my very own little sculpture of Henry, the bass playing ape from OilCan Drive.

Using ZBrush and 3DS Max Robert sculpted Henry in the computer while I looked over his shoulder and offered tweaks and suggestions. After a few meetings Henry was done and Robert uploaded the file to Shapeways. A few days later and a little Henry arrived in my mailbox.

There is also a bass guitar sculpt that Robert did and that should show up any day now. It was delayed due to a complication in some of the tuning pegs on the headstock but we've fixed those, resubmitted the file, and the bass is now on it's way to me in the mail.

All I have to do now is build a base structure for Henry and we'll have something new and cool to show off at the next convention we do to promote OilCan Drive.

Thanks go out to Robert for doing such a great job on something I would find almost impossible to do myself. He did a great job and, rumor has it, he'll be working on a Lily sculpt next. With how great Henry looks I can't wait to see how a 3D Lily will look.

Enjoy the sculpt and I'll be sure to post a few more pictures once the bass arrives and we get the base done.

Have a great day. See you all soon!

What If?

After getting the new computer and recording rig last fall I've been doing my best to learn the new programs, figure out the new plug-ins, and finally make some music again.

My friend Lou is always more than happy to help by coming over and recording one of his songs for free when I have a little bit of spare time. So, over the last few weeks, we tracked a new song and finally got it all finished up this last week. The song is called "What If" and, if you listen really closely on the final verse, you can almost hear me singing some back up vocals.

 The video was quickly put together with a few clips Lou had recorded at home and brought over with him while we were finishing up the song. It's a bit odd but Lou is sure it will "blow people's minds!"

While our video making may not be quite good enough to get us on TV yet, I feel like I am finally getting a little bit more of this music production stuff figured out.

Also, if you like the new song and want to throw less than a dollar Lou's way you can head on over to CDBaby and buy the track HERE.

Enjoy the new song. And let me know if the video "blows your mind!"

Sports Illustrated Kids - January/February

 Alright, it's that time of the month again where I find myself starting the next round of illustrations for the "What's The Call" article for Sports Illustrated Kids magazine. So, I thought now would be the perfect time to show off the pieces I did for the January/February issue a few months ago. I'm sure if you run out to the book store or the closest magazine rack you can find the actual issue itself!

This month featured stories about basketball, football, and golf.

As always, it's a pleasure to do this job and I always look forward to it every month. I never know what kind of scenarios they are going to throw at me so each month it feels like a kid opening up a big present on Christmas morning. I know that may sound odd, thinking of work assignments like presents, but I always have. They are always challenging and fun and really make me work better at doing something I love so much.

I'm just lucky that SIK is such a great gifter! LOL

Alright, I am off to start on the next round of sports drawings. I hope you all have a great week and I'll talk to you soon!

OilCan Drive Cover - Inks!

After a long day I got the inking done for the newest OilCan Drive cover. Now, I just need to scan it into the computer, touch it up a bit, and get started on the color.

Cover inks done! One more thing to check off the list! It's only onward and upward from here!

OilCan Drive Cover - Pencil Sketch

Hello everybody!

Here is the pencil sketch for the newest OilCan Drive cover which should be seeing print this summer and its way to the web around the same time. In the newest book the band finally makes its way into the Wasteland to find Lily and seek their fortune on the west coast.

I definitely wanted to give the cover a "fish out of water" feel as the band makes its way into the unknown. And, because I've been spending almost every one of my Tuesdays for the last few months watching marathon reruns of Beverly Hills 90210, I decided to base my cover off the very first TV Guide ad I found for one of my favorite old shows.

Now, I don't know how many people will pick up on the homage. If you're one of the few people who read my little blog with behind the scenes information on the creation of OilCan Drive you're already way ahead of the curve. So, let's keep it our little secret. It's funnier that way.

Shhhhh....and have a great day!

Finally!

Alright, February is officially finally here on the blog!

I finished up the newest piece of Nicole last night and popped it into the blog header as quick as I could. Sorry it took so long but I hope you enjoy the new piece.

I did a little bit of calculating last night with the schedule I've set up for myself to get some new OilCan Drive stuff done for the upcoming Denver Comic Con at the end of May. I figured out, if I do one thing on the list every day, I should be okay. But, I also know how some days can get away from you so I'm a little nervous about what's going to happen. But, I can only do my best and see what happens.

And, worse case scenario and everything falls apart, I'll still definitely have a second book in print for my favorite cartoon band. I really just want to go for it an have not only two books done, but three. And, fingers crossed and everything works out, some new music as well.

I just hope someone cares.

Okay, back to it. Happy February! Enjoy the next three weeks!

More Inks!

 I took some time today to work on a few more inked pieces for the OilCan Drive project. Now these, along with the others I did earlier this week, just need to be erased, filled in with black ink in certain spots, touched up with white out, scanned into the computer, and colored.

As usual with the work I do, the only thing left to do is everything.

So, I'll try and get these pieces at least finished up enough this weekend to scan into the computer. Or, who knows, I may just start inking an entirely new piece. We'll have to see what happens.

And there are still dinosaur bone pieces to work on, toys to design, and it's almost time to start the next round of Sports Illustrated Kids. But, not to worry, I always find time somewhere in the middle of my day to do a bit of OilCan Drive work.

See you all soon!

Dinosaur Bones!

I had to take a quick left turn yesterday and work on something completely different from OilCan Drive. But, not to worry, I've scheduled some time this afternoon to get some more inks done on your favorite cartoon band.

For now, enjoy a shot from my desk of a work in progress piece. It's Sue, the famous T-Rex from Chicago. But, what is it for? I'll let you all know soon enough.

Have a great day and I'll see you all soon!

Inks!

 I spent most of the day getting concepts and thumbnails and ideas together for a handful of client jobs that are on the horizon but I also found (or made) the time to get a few of the OilCan Drive pieces inked.

It felt good, after a month, to break out the brush and ink and pens again and finally get a few pieces closer to being finished.

I've left both of these Nicole pieces to dry overnight before I start erasing the pencils and finishing them up but I'm really looking forward to getting them cleaned up and scanned into the computer for color.

We'll see where it goes from here but, in my opinion, they are looking great so far!

See you soon!

Wait...What??

 How did it become February all of a sudden? Here I was, just penciling away on the newest OilCan Drive book, and the next thing I know a whole new month has rolled around and snuck up on me.

I've actually been so busy penciling that I haven't done any OilCan Drive finished work all month. I'll have to fix that this week and ink and color a few pieces so I can get a new piece up on the blog header.

Here are a few new pencil sketches of Nicole that I did for the third OilCan Drive book. The top portrait style piece will go on the "This Book Belongs To" page while the dancing Nicole will go on the double spread title page. I think both of these would make really great headers so I'll break out the brush and ink later today and get working on them. Don't worry. A new header will be up before you know it.

But...wow...February...already....geez!

See you all very soon. Have a great one!