2010: The Year in Pictures

Zombies. Elves. Witches. Cowboys. And a Yankee Doodle Dandy.

Just another year of in the life of an illustrator. And even though I may occasionally complain about deadlines or eye strain or my sore back, I do appreciate the fact I get paid to draw stuff.

A Merry Christmas Card

Merry Christmas and the happiest of holidays to all!

My agent, Bernadette Szost at Portfolio Solutions, asked all of us illustrators to draw a mouse with a wreath for the agency's holiday promo. Each artist gave the assignment their own unique twist. I considered several ideas (a mouse riding a frog through a burning wreath, a la Evil Knievel, was one) but settled on this concept-- inspired by a childhood craft project (macaroni art) and Stephen Soundheim's musical, Sunday in the Park with George.

My "Illustrious" Past

Oh, dear.

My mom recently found this ancient newspaper clipping. That's the back of my head along with a fine example of my early artistic stylings.

At the time, I was a lowly dairy clerk. I probably volunteered to draw on the chalkboard–and the management was happy to "take advantage" of my talent.

I was just happy to take a break from stocking shelves.

I had mischievous fun with many chalkboards. I recall a spaceship blowing up the store with a death ray. A dinosaur devouring the meat department manager. And Bill Clinton looking for a date on Valentine's Day. That last one received complaints, but my boss took the heat and spared the eraser.

It wasn't the best art gig I've ever had, but it was fun to have an audience. I would often get a crowd watching me draw. And I did develop a following of sorts – heck, the local paper even did a story about me!

And to those vandals who occasionally besmirched my work – HOW COULD YOU?!

I hope you are haunted by remorse.

Don't Think – Draw.

Signing my books is nerve-wracking. I always want to include a drawing. And I want that drawing to be AWESOME! But it's a bit like walking a highwire without a net. There's no chance to revise. No opportunity to rip the page out, throw it against the wall, scream, and start over.

That's probably why I have a stack of books in my studio, collecting dust, waiting to be signed.

Tonight, I tackled some dinosaur books. I opened "Introducing Dinosaurs: Triceratops" and started scratching tentative, wispy lines. I was planning to draw a straightforward dino but then this whimsical Triceratops came out of nowhere.

Generally, I'm a pretty methodical artist. These sketches are more spontaneous and a reminder that I can (occasionally) trust my instincts.

School Buses: Crunchy on the Outside, Soft on the Inside

A couple years ago I illustrated a series of educational children's books about dinosaurs; it was a great project! I got paid to draw Tyrannosaurus Rex, Spinosaurus and my long-time favorite, Stegosaurus (among others).

This Allosaurus never made it out of sketch phase. Everyone involved decided that a child running for its life was not exactly appropriate for the target age.

Rotten Teeth, Hairy Moles and Knobbly Knuckles

I had a blast illustrating "The Truth About Witches", a book slated to be published January 2011 (according to Amazon.com). Drawing wicked and ugly came very naturally to me. Don't get me wrong–I enjoy cute and cuddly as much as the next guy–but sometimes I want to draw rotten teeth, hairy moles and knobbly knuckles.

Below is a peek at my process from sketch to final digital illustration. I'm looking forward to the book being published so I can share more of my witchy work!

How Doth the Little Crocodile

I have an illustration in the December issue of Highlights magazine.

ON NEWSSTANDS NOW!

Yeah. That's still fun to say.

Back in June, the folks at Highlights asked me to illustrate the Lewis Carroll poem "How Doth the Little Crocodile." I couldn't say YES! fast enough; there's no one more iconic in children's literature than Lewis Carroll and having the opportunity to illustrate his words was a real kick.

I'd say it was a brush with greatness–but I work digitally (and I'm not a fan of puns).

And I'm always thrilled to work with Highlights. My wife and I have had the good fortune to visit their Honesdale, PA offices and meet many of the talented and passionate people that bring the magazine to life. This reminds me – the Holidays are fast approaching and a great gift for 6-12 year old kids is a subscription to Highlights! And for younger kids, check out High Five. Fun With Purpose – without corporate product placement.

Below are some of the sketches I created on the way to the final illustration. First, the final sketch which I submitted for approval:

And below are some of the early "thumbnail" sketches. Here you can see me experimenting with different compositions.

And one last thing – the poem!

How doth the little crocodile

Improve his shining tail,

And pour the waters of the Nile

On every golden scale!

How cheerfully he seems to grin,

How neatly spreads his claws,

And welcomes little fishes in

With gently smiling jaws!

By Lewis Carroll

Art by ME!