the edge

Another 'user guide' cartoon

This is another 'advertoonial' for a copier/printer User Guide.   

tree castle sketch

Tree Castle

This 'tree castle' will be completed in watercolors, about 9" X 12".  I will post again in progress.

Wreath for the 3rd Day of Christmas

Publish Post

Merry Christmas

Best Wishes for a Happy & Safe Christmas Holiday.

Christmas mouse

Best Wishes for a stress-free 'week before Christmas'.

Scorpion Solutions logo

Logo design & art

This logo design for a new tech company was one of the most stress free jobs ever. The client really just wanted 'something cool'. 

Mike Chimienti part 3

Mikey & friends

Here is the 'completed' caricature of Mike ( I will still do a few touch ups, no doubt).  A number of new 'tricks' I picked up over the course of doing this job will definitely change how I work on this sort of project in the future. Presenting everything in three stages has just made me think about process more than usual.  I have a similar piece on the go right now which I'll post soon.

Mikey Chimienti part 2

Caricature in Progress...

The caricature of Mike is now well underway. Drawing and coloring can be done very efficiently on the Wacom tablet, especially using multiple transparent layers. It is a very forgiving medium. Working this way, however, I do sometimes lament the non-existence of a piece of original art.  I still occasionally do caricatures like this one as large format watercolour paintings. 

Mike Chimienti

Mike Chimienti

Mike Chimienti is a fellow Toronto commercial artist. This caricature, which will be completed in full colour, is for an upcoming live event. I have until Friday to finish the artwork so I will post in progress throughout the week.

Mac Gargan sketch

Mac Gargan as the Scorpion

Mac Gargan was a private investigator who, recruited by J. Jonah Jameson, became the Scorpion, and later, an incarnation of the extraterrestrial 'symbiote', Venom...  two of Spider-Man's nastier enemies. ~The Scorpion was designed by Steve Ditko, the creator (along with Stan Lee) of Spider-Man himself. Ditko was responsible for many of the Marvel heroes and villains of the sixties.  ~This sketch was done with HB pencils, scanned, then digital shading and colour were added.  I will post again when completed.

SugarCubes

The average American email user receives 42 messages per day...   ~World wide, total received email messages currently number 947 billion...  per day.  According to a study by Gartner Inc., which surveyed 
corporate email users, 53 percent of users check their mail six or more 
times a day. 34 percent check constantly throughout the day. 42% 
check while on vacation and 23 percent over the weekends. The average 
user spends 49 minutes per day managing email.

Mephisto sketch

Wolverine confronts Mephisto

Here is a sketch in progress for another piece for my upcoming Marvel fan art page. I don't think Wolverine's claws will do much against Mephisto's sorcery but his silhouette seems to work well with this composition. ~Mephisto first appeared in Silver Surfer no.3 way back in December, 1968. He was created by Stan Lee and John Buscema to torment the Surfer as well as Thor and was the Demon to whom Johnny Blaze sold his soul, becoming Ghost Rider. 

DareDevil sketch 2

Daredevil with Elektra

Here's another DareDevil sketch. Since I can't seem to get off this Marvel fan art kick, I will most likely set up a category for them on my main site at some point.

DareDevil sketch

The Man without Fear

Here's another one of my habitual Marvel sketches. Dare Devil, the Man without Fear,  first appeared in April, 1964 (the same month the Beatles occupied all of the top five positions on the Billboard singles chart in the United States).

elf studies

Elf personalities

Just practicing my 'elf types' for an upcoming Christmas project. I will get some tone and colour on this and post again.

character sketches

These are initial pencil sketches of a magician character for another project in development.

dance!

animated dance crew

This is part of a rough storyboard for an independent producer who is making a 'dancercise' fitness video. It hasn't been determined if the dancers will be animated or live action.

St. Nick

Santa sticks with his reliable land line at the North Pole.

I have just begun artwork for a few Christmas cards, like this one. Christmas is now about one month away! 

stones

The Rolling Stoes formed in 1962. Almost 50 years ago!

Here's a sketch in progress for an upcoming 'Seniors' (yikes!) newsletter.
I will post again when completed.

Conan sketch

Conan prepares to Conquer

This is a new sword and sorcery portfolio piece in progress, inspired by a lot of the digital concept art I've been admiring lately.  I'll post again when completed.

Class Action

This cartoon ended up being rejected by a medical trade journal for reasons described only as editorial policy...  oh, well.

Advertoonials

'Advertoonials' for a photocopier User Guide

I did a series of these drawings for one of the copier companies recently. 
They're really just 'copy warmers' designed to lighten up some otherwise fairly dry subject matter. Very much fun!  Drawn with pencil and felt pens. 

Ninja Bee

 Ninja Bee character studies

 Here are some sketches in progress for a very empowered little bee character. Both ninjas and bees seem to defy many of the laws of physics. I'll make sure this little guy uses his mystical skills for good, not evil. Drawn in pencil with digital colour added.

ookpik

Arctic Owl rendered with the Bamboo Pen & Touch

This original stone sculpture by Glenn McEvoy proved an irresistible subject
while sketching in the Ottawa Valley on a long weekend break.

Claude Hyder

Drawn with black and red ballpoint pens on graph paper

Claude Hyder, Master Disguiser is a new kid's book project which has been in development with author, Alma Fullerton, for a while.  There are three collections of sketches from the ongoing collaboration on the Future Attractions page on my main site.  I am in the process of revisiting Claude very soon.  

SugarCubes

Click on the image to enlarge.

Just a little tribute
to frustration...

Ayn Rand

Ayn Rand championed Individualism and Objectivism

This sketch of Ayn Rand for the 2011 Slater & O'Connor calendar is still in a concept stage and may change entirely before publication. This process is always worth going through as a design evolves.  The Russian born author who emigrated to the States in 1926 became world renowned for her two huge novels, Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead.  She was equally provocative in her essays and criticisms.

Joni Mitchell

Joni Mitchell won nine Grammy Awards

This is a tonal watercolour sketch in progress of Canadian singer~songwriter, Joni Mitchell, which will be in the new 2011 calendar for Slater & O'Connor.  I'll post again when completed.

SugarCubes

Me too...  Entertainment lawyers specialize in all legal matters pertaining
to the music and film industries. They draw up and negotiate contracts between artists, writers, producers, directors, agents, studios and record companies. The top entertainment or 'transactional' lawyers make from $500,000 to $5,000,000 a year!  An excellent career choice.

What If? sketch

A fantasy Marvel Comics cover

This is a totally fictitious Marvel comic book cover sketch, I rendered strictly for my own amusement and a bit of drawing practice.  Wolverine first guest starred in The Incredible Hulk, way back in September 1974.  Freddy Krueger 'gloved up' for the first A Nightmare on Elm Street ten years later.

Ghost Rider sketch

Johnny Blaze, in the presence of evil

This is my last piece of Marvel 'fan art' for a while.  I really love these characters. I grew up drawing them for fun and habitually sketch them to this day.  Ghost Rider first appeared in August 1972.

Elektra sketch

Elektra prepares to dispense a little justice

I have started doing some more Marvel sketches, inspired by the recent Avengers Movie news.  Elektra is truly an anti-hero. With no real powers beyond lifelong training and intense self discipline, much like Batman or most of the Watchmen. She first appeared as a supporting character in Dare Devil in January 1981.

Marvel sketch

Marvel Heroes, responding to a breach of the peace

I am adding some colour to the Marvel sketch posted a while ago.
These characters are always great fun to draw. And colour! The Silver Surfer, the 'newest' of the Marvel heroes depicted here, first appeared
in March 1966!!

Isaac Asimov

This is a very preliminary rough sketch for the Isaac Asimov illustration which will be featured on the January page in the new Bio~Calendar for Slater & O'Connor. The final drawing will have more stars and more books. And more robots.

Nikki Sixx

This drawing in progress of Nikki Sixx (of Motley Crue and 'The Heroin Diaries' fame) is for an upcoming Bio-Calendar. It was rendered with the BAMBOO Pen & Touch.  The direct digital drawing system is making the entire illustration process much more efficient. I'll keep posting drawings from the calendar as it nears completion.

pencil frames

A storyboard sequence from Virginia Class

Here is another example (from the Virginia Class project) of how a tint layer can make quick pencil storyboard frames appear much more balanced and substantial.

the Ice Cream Kingdom

Prince finally says "had enough!"

 This is a sketch for the page in the Ice Cream Kingdom where Prince finally decides that the only way he can really help his best friend is to 'give him some space'...  a decision based on very poor communication on Lionel's part which will only make everyone's situations much worse before they get better. 

SugarCubes

I hate it when that happens...  Falls are among the most common workplace injuries. On average anyone hurt as the result of a fall misses one week of work.  In a 1942 paper, physiologist, Hugh De Haven wrote of eight subjects who had survived falls of up to 150 feet on dry land, many with only minor injuries. The common denominator was something to break their fall or soften the impact, such as loose dirt or the hood of a car. Or in one astonishing but verified case: an iron bar, then metal screening, then a skylight and finally a metal-lath ceiling.  

the Ice Cream Kingdom

Two more pages for the Ice Cream Kingdom

As young Lionel's journey continues in the Ice Cream Kingdom, we will discover that Royal Ripple Ice Cream has made him a very wealthy little boy.  But, even surrounded by all of his riches, his family and his best friend, Lionel manages to have an identity crisis. When completed, the two page spread above, will convey Lionel's state of mind prior to his loyal dog, Prince, finally leaving for less neurotic pastures.

the Ice Cream Kingdom

A double page spread for the Ice Cream Kingdom

In the Ice Cream Kingdom, although the details aren't finalized yet, 
Prince and Lionel will definitely go through a 'trial separation' of sorts. Prince's departure, depicted in a surreal moment, above, will torment his master's dreams. And Lionel, who didn't exactly get where
he  is by having a normal childhood, will learn that life can indeed be 
lonely at the top. 

Pen & Touch

Basic shapes & primary colours

I have finally gotten myself a pen & touch tablet which is going to dramatically change how I work. This was my first attempt at a sketch.
The whole process felt surprisingly natural.

the Ice Cream Kingdom

Poster design for Lionel 2

Here's a comprehensive layout for a poster I'm doing for 
the Ice Cream Kingdom which is the sequel to my second 
kid's book, the Ice Cream King.  I'll be completing the final 
artwork for this new book over the winter.

the Nature Trial

Cover design for The Nature Trial

Here is a preliminary cover design for a story I've been
working on for a while. It was inspired by my dad's encounters
with a lodge of beavers in their natural habitat, during his creation
of a nature trail on his property in the Ottawa Valley.  In this fantasy
version of a true story, a very wise and ghostly Great Grey Owl
will preside over a midnight hearing; a Nature Trial, between a
frustrated woodsman and the animals of the forest, to determine
once and or all ~ who really owns the land.

SugarCubes

Does Miss B really have to answer that question? Not in the
U.S.of A, she doesn't.  Among the freedoms guaranteed by the
fifth ammendment to the American constitution (including
protection from double jeopardy) is the right to refuse to answer
questions during a legal proceeding if the response could provide
self-incriminating evidence.  Betty Boop can 'plead the fifth'.

Maxfield sequence

After receiving another, particularly traumatizing message
(not yet posted), and just before the sign attack, Maxfield will
experience a brief period of good behavior, which I'll probably
lay out as a comic book sequence for a more efficient read.

ROXYfm

Here is another rough production drawing for my ROXY animation
project. After becoming self aware, the wolfman will look out over the
roof tops of the city, focusing on the radio tower in the distance.

SugarCubes

Who wouldn't be?... Each year, the U.S.federal government 
grants over 150,000 patents. Only about 3 percent ever become 
commercially viable products. And legal fees are estimated to 
begin at $2,500 - $3,000.

Maxfield's art class

In one of my previous kids books,  The Ice Cream King,
a classroom scene featured some recognizable 'young monarchs'
for readers to identify. I am now working on this Maxfield spread in
which I will try to incorporate a selection of 'famous artist kids' in
a similar way. 

ROXY.FM characters

Wolfman and DJ model sheet

 I find that model sheets like this one can really help develop
characters. I think these guys need to interact more now, on
a humorous level.

SugarCubes

Don't be alarmed! The (daily) odds of by being crushed by
a falling object are one in one hundred & thirty two million, two
hundred & seventy thousand, six hundred & fifty!  Just remain vigilant...