Story Book

Some recent sketch work concerning kids books and more kid friendly ideas. The picture directly above turned out to be our Christmas card this year. The others are just ideas waiting for the right moment.

Goatmen

A recent doodle page - no clue where this one is going just yet but I feel and idea with a faun in the woods coming on - need to keep drawing - find the picture.

Scout Sketch

This is the sketch that sparked an idea for a painting I called Scout. However when it came time to paint the final I slimmed down the arms on the troll and took the face guard off his helmet. I still like the troll design in this drawing though but I remember thinking at the time that I had no idea how to paint those arms as I had drawn them. Maybe there is still something I can do with him.

Critters

The badger was going to be a Christmas card a year or two back but as I recall I was too busy when the time came to paint it. The mouse was from a story pitch I was working on a couple of years back. It never came to anything of course but it was a fun little exercise in painting fast - over the weekend I believe was the way this one went.

Robin Hood

Some doodles from the Robin Hood dvd - the 1938 version with Errol Flynn. I love this old classic - very fun with lots of great drawing moments.

More Random Sketchbook 3

Trolls, faeries and lost maidens - more scattered leaves from the haunted forest.

More Random Sketchbook 2

A few more scattered pages from the dusty files.

More Random Sketchbook

These sketches are both recent and not so recent - just playing around with ideas - thinking concepting :)

In the Weeds

I'm still working this idea. Being knee deep in client work, it's very important to me that I don't lose touch with my own concepts. Even small doodles and quick roughs are enough to keep me grounded. It's a good way to start the work day - jot down a few quick scribbles to myself.

Random Sketchbook

Some recent and random sketch pages.

Rejected Nasties.

These are some early concepts for the bad guys in the story I'm working on at the moment. They weren't right for the story and were therefore rejected, as well they should have been, but I still kind of like them and may find a use for these guys later on. Their obvious charm and good looks will be required at some point I'm sure.

Dancing Nymphs and Faerie Twins

Another project I have going at the moment is Teeney O'Feeney King of the Leprechauns. This is a long term project which I've now been on for just over a year and hope to finish up this summer. It has been full of terrific things to draw like trolls and demons and of course leprechauns. These are some of my preliminary designs for the Faerie Twins and the Dancing Nymphs.

Hands

What could be more difficult than drawings hands ? Hands are always giving me trouble and so this tends to send me off on hand drawing stints. I'll draw my own hands (in a mirror or straight on) as shown above or I will draw from reference. If there is a secret to drawing hands, I'm still looking for it.

Magic Cards

I feel as though I should really post something a little more finished since it's been a while since I did. The problem is that I can't post any of the work I'm doing at the moment. So in the meantime here are a couple of Magic Cards from last year that I felt turned out rather well - not all of them did by any means but I don't mind these two. That goblin at the top has just raided a kitchen and is wearing some improvised armour. The door is a magic portal to another dimension - hence the light exploding out of the cracks - fun ! Both of these are watercolour and gouache with coloured pencil.

Doodle Night

This past Friday we went visiting and had a doodle night with some friends. The idea was to have a get together and sit around drawing and talking and snacking - fun !
These were my pages, created amid the din of music and robust conversation. It was good to get out of the studio but I'm back and have a lot to do.