Find out more about buying a print here.

Without actually reading the entire book, Catherine gave me snippets of descriptions from the manuscript, picture inspiration, lots of detailed descriptions. Since she is an artist herself she was able to sketch out basically what she was thinking as well. Through collaboration and a few revisions we were able to nail it to get something we were both happy with. Here are a few process images to simply show that these covers take work and dedication, especially when it’s something that does not exist. It’s for a 6″ x 9″ book with a .6″ spine. Thumbnails done with pencil and paper with a little digital clean up. Final completed using Photoshop CS5  mainly with various pastel tip brushes. Had some help with Poser for the people, Illustrator for the map and foreground water farm on the back. I really like the way it turned out and want to do more. So please let me know if you need anything done. I’m happy to help.

Comments are welcome!

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta commissioned an original painting as gift for a retiring executive. He had a big part in creating their One is Not Zero program.

I hand delivered it yesterday to a very happy client.
11″ x 8.5″, acrylic on watercolor paper, no digital tweaks.

I was inspired by this Adobe Illustrator tutorial and did my own version in about 30 min. Completely created in Illustrator.

It was a challenge coming up with generic icons for various government officials. Most of the rendering was done in Illustrator and texture was added in Photoshop. Please buy the paper so I can continue to get editorial jobs like this.

I had no real reason for doing so except that it was a cool and freaky creature.

Last night I saw Captain America and I noticed the emblem on the Red Skull villain was a skull with tentacles.

It only has 6 tentacles so it’s not a true octopus. It’s the Hydra emblem. Despite the name’s capitalization per Marvel’s official spelling the name is not an acronym but rather a reference to the mythical Lernaean Hydra. The organization’s motto references the myth of the Hydra, proclaiming that “if a head is cut off, two more will take its place” proclaiming their resilience and growing strength in the face of resistance. Reference from Wikipedia.

Well I got inspired and did some color adjustments and came up with this version and made up my own backstory.

Beware of the Skulloctopus of the small Coral Islands in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. This vile creature guards the Cosmic Cube of the Red Skull! No one can has found or gotten past this vile creature. This is only a rendition of what it would look like.

I love typography whether it’s illustrated or a font. Laying out a page, picking photos, organizing chaos all appeal to me. Design and illustration go hand and hand. Both use the same principles of composition, line, weight, value, concept, color theory and more. It’s tough being good at both but some can actually pull it off. I’d like to know from you if I CAN pull it off. There are art schools and industry professionals that have differing opinions on if you should strictly specialize being an illustrator with a distinct style and be really great at that specialization and others say it’s OK to be a Graphic Designer that can draw and do illustrations for their designs. I have made a career out of being an Illustrator that can design. Being versatile and flexible with what ever the client needs has been my success. That includes illustration style and being able to design a cover or website with my art or even someone else’s work. Some use the word Illustrative Designer or Designutration or the more generic Graphic Artist. Call me what you want, but it’s what I can provide that makes the difference. It’s actions not words.

Most of you might know me as an Illustrator and I have been specializing in that for many years. However, I get requests and jobs to do Design based on my Illustration work. For example: Since I do both I get asked all the time to do illustrative logos. It’s a great marrying of the two disciplines and it’s fun for me. I have also designed, produced and maintained over 20 websites in my career. Some are shown in my portfolio. I know HTML, CSS, Dreamweaver and WordPress, UI design. I design book covers, packaging, sales sheets, brochures, marketing materials, corporate identity and much more. I have done a bit of Flash work as well. I’m not proficient in it yet, but currently I’m watching a TON of videos about Flash on Lynda.com and messing around in Flash CS5.

So here is a NEW GRAPHIC DESIGN PORTFOLIO that I just created. You will see my Illustrations incorporated into some of it, but that’s part of design. It can’t be just a bunch on color shapes and text. You gotta have images whether it’s photography or illustration.  If you can do a specialized task well and fit the design/concept, a company would rather keep all illustration and photography in-house or go with a full service design firm. I’m not boosting that I’m a full service design firm, but I can do a little bit of everything quite well and if I need an expert I know when to call one in.

Honestly, I am looking for that right freelance gig, part-time or even full-time job that can take advantage of my years of experience in both Illustration and Graphic Design. I do have a degree in Graphic Design and what I would consider a Masters in Illustration. Most jobs descriptions in my field I see want you to be able to do it all; design, illustration, photography, print, web, Flash, programing, etc. I know a lot about all of it. Why wouldn’t you hire me?

I would love to know what you think about all this and my Graphic Design portfolio. Be honest!

The reason I post this now is the new show with these backgrounds are showing this Sunday night at 11:45 P.M. EST on Adult Swim. See if you can spot my work and let me know what you think. Most of the work was done in Adobe Illustrator then texture and touch ups were done in Photoshop.

Last Summer did the this School Intersection for The Intervention episode.

The rest are new backgrounds airing this Sunday, July 24th at 11:45 P.M. for the show “Last Dance for Napkin Lad”

I imagine the backgrounds will be shown for mere seconds so don’t blink while watching. You might miss them!

This is the flat version I gave them with all the buildings on separate layers. Then they animated it.

Make sure to check out the first airing of the show with these new backgrounds this Sunday, July 24th at 11:45 P.M. EST on Adult Swim.

If not, search for “Last Dance for Napkin Lad” on Adult Swim’s website.

All of it started in Adobe Illustrator and some ended up in Photoshop.

It’s not something to enter award shows with or hang on your wall, but it’s practical in many ways.

I think I excel at work like this. Making the complex communicate simply. Please contact me for any of your technical illustration projects.

My entry for the keyword “Swept” for this weeks Illustration Friday. It’s a book cover I did last year for Crispin and the Great Tree. Here is the cover I designed for it as well.

Earlier this year I won a Certificate of Merit for Crispin and the Great Tree cover art from the Society of Illustrator’s in Los Angeles, California, (SILA).

It was on display at Gallery Nucleus in Alhambra, CA from Jan 21-31st.

For the entry fee, hanging fee, print, frame and shipping it was over $303. To get it shipped back to me the Gallery said it would cost about $70. They put it up for sale for $150 and I could not stand to take another loss. Don’t get me wrong, I love this piece. It was just printed and framed to sell. Apparently, I’m not the only one in this same predicament. Ever since SILA has been accepting framed prints for gallery shows they get left with several “orphan works” from many different illustrators. This is of course not the same as the orphan works bill that was in Congress last year they are all just art that needs a home. The other day I talked with Alyce Heath, the Associations Manager of SILA. For the first time ever she offered me that she would keep the painting there and let everyone I know know about this framed piece that’s available at the Gallery Nucleus. So please make room in your home for this eye catching cover art. It would be a lovely addition to any boys bedroom or conversation piece for the living room.

The 12″ x 12″ hand signed, Artist Proof, double matted in a 18″ x 18″ frame is for sale for only $150 plus tax and shipping. Let me know if your interested. Contact me or the Gallery Nucleus for details. Shipping might be cheaper for you depending on where you live.