Textbook Cover for Element

Ok, so here is a sketch for an english language text book for Element - the idea is that by learning english you become more free to pursue whatever you want - that doors are open to english speakers. My client wanted some of the buildings in the shape of letters to further the language angle.

I was asked to paint the background separate from the foreground so they can use it for other covers that we are currently working on.

This is a challenge because as I'm painting it's hard to control values and colors but here they are combined.

This is the final with the cover graphics

My New Look

I got myself a new look for the holidays - my wife saw it and let me have it for the rest of the day! Now I don't look like this anymore.

So my 9 year old said my art is for babies - so I wanted to see if I could still conjure something from my junior high days of drawing sculls in the margins of my tests. Yup - still got it. I did this doodle out in the car while my wife shopped for those last minute Christmas gifts. I showed it to 9 year old - he thought it was "bad" meaning good of course - score one for the old guy. Oh - and I fooled around with it in photoshop to add some mood.

California Teachers Association

My new friend Steve Gray, (a GREAT illustrator) introduced me to Sheri Miyamoto who works for the California Teachers Association to help her with the packet art for their conferences. It was really fun painting snowmen just in time for Christmas - and here are a few images from the project. The cool thing is that I will get to go to their conferences to meet and greet and sign books.

Blowfish

Just finished this fish for Pk Press for a greeting card. It's acrylic over inkjet print on watercolor paper.
This is how my paintings start now. I scan my sketch and paint flat color on it in photoshop. Then I print it on watercolor paper, add texture gel and paint acrylics on top.

Passing Out

95% of my blog is going to be dedicated to illustration but when I saw my son passed out last night I couldn't resist taking a picture and posting it. Passing out on the kitchen floor when your 9 years old - cute....passing out on the kitchen floor when your an adult - usually involves some sort of addiction problem. Sleep well little buddy some day in your future it will be hard to fall asleep in a soft comfy bed.

SOLD OUT!!!

YAY! Just found out last week that my book The Frog with the Big Mouth (written by Teresa Bateman) sold out in two months! New books to arrive at a store near you towards the end of December. This was a really fun book to work on and it was the first time I used photoshop to paint the backgrounds.

Brand New Book!

I just got advance copies of my new book The Three Little Gators by Helen Ketteman in the mail today! This book is scheduled to release sometime in early 09 and I'm sooo excited for it as I feel it's my best work to date. I really have high hopes for this book!

Art Auction

This is an image I did for a fund raiser for Reagan Academy School in Springville Utah last month. Stephen Pratt, the school art teacher suggested I call it "Neighbor's Cat", so I did and it auctioned for $300. It was a lot of fun to meet some of the other artists and catch up with friends.

My First Blog Post

They said it couldn't be done. They said I'd never do it. They said a lot of things - some of which I can't repeat. Yes - I'm finally blogging. If you've been tired of going to my website and seeing the same tierd images, this blog's for you. You know how some guys leave the christmas lights up all year? Never wash their car? and might have a brand new un-opened tub of sour cream that has become way more sour than cream in the fridge? Yup that's me. So I'm thinkin that the blog just might be the answer for me to sort of change my ways and get some new stuff out there. ....Like the creepy guy above - painted it as a demo in my UVU class this Thursday and thought, "hmmm, It would be kinda nice for people to be able to see this"....a blog...THAT'S IT!!! - so here it is - Mr. Creepers is a character out of a new book I'm working on. Hope to have it out next year.