RIP Belle

My kids had a pet rat named Belle. She was dropped off at a local pet shop because the original owners couldn't care for her. Belle's cage was in my son Sebastian's room where they enjoyed each others company and became accustomed to each others noises. My wife made sure that Belle got out of her cage every night and had plenty of time to run around and get into mischief. Belle passed away not long ago and it was very hard for my wife and kids. Both of my kids have talked about a heaven for pets. I'm sure if there is a pet heaven, Belle went there directly, because she made a bunch of people happy.

Santa and my kids

This is the santa image I posted on my Facebook page for friends in 2009. Kind of a late posting for 2010, but merry (early) Christmas for the coming holiday.

Handyman Mascot

I was recently contacted to create a mascot for a restoration company. Essentially they would repair businesses after they have been damaged by water or chemicals. Unfortunately the owner of the company was unable to start his company even though his mascot was created. This design was doomed to sit on my hard drive for an eternity, so I figured I'd post it here. My client asked that the character look rugged and strong. He should look as if he can take care of damage and be reassuring. He also wanted him to have a uniform and look ready to work. This was the design he chose and seemed quite happy with it.

Green Dog Company Logo

Here is a recent logo I developed for a company that specializes in pet products. It was fun to develop and has received a great response. Please visit Green Dog for all of your dog accessory needs

Focused

I wasn't sure at first what to draw for this weeks Illustration friday topic focused. This idea popped into my head a little late in the game. I try my best not to be like Chuck(especially when my wife is around). But, some guys are just jerks.

Clumsy

Illustration friday post number two. My work schedule kept me from spending very much time on this illustration, but it was still fun to do. Pirates are fun to draw.

Wilderness

My first Illustration Friday post. This is always what I think is lurking in the woods when I go camping.

More Cartoon Illustration

Two more additions. The cartoon to the left was commissioned as a logo for a set of vocal training DVDs. The image to the right is the main character in a story titled - Dancin' Darin - A Pirate Story with Dancing.

Retail and Resort

Here are a few designs from the retail and resort apparel markets. The four designs to the left were created for resort apparel shops in southern markets. The two designs to the left were created for a large retail chain to be sold throughout north America.

Logos

Here are a handful of logos done for various companies and organizations. I enjoy the reseach that goes into creating logos. Generally I'll create a number of versions, after which finalists are chosen to develop.

Podcast Illustration

A digital illustration done for a hard rock and heavy metal podcast. The artwork documents the search for the elusive Axl Rose from Guns N' Roses. The in-jokes probably won't mean much to many, I'm showing this one primarily for art and composition.

Characters

I will get asked to do character concept art for various projects, everything from games to rock band icons. Here are just a few. These characters are in the "rough" conceptual stage, primarily to get the ball rolling with a project.

From The Archives

I recently dusted off a few images from the past, It's been a while since I've seen these, but I thought I'd share them here. The drawing of the pretty young girl surrounded with type is my sister. This one was drawn in Prisma colored pencil on gray board. This drawing was a scholarship winner from The Society Of Illustrators. The front of the truck is also a Prisma pencil study. Secret agent dog is a mascot I created for a now defunct online service. This image accompanied several other secret agent dog illustrations used for a trade show presentation. This one was also in Prisma pencil on textured paper. The final one is a digital illustration done in Painter. This image was created for a magazine article supporting the use of music on unborn kids.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame & Museum

I worked for a company recently where I had the opportunity to create some concepts for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I produced a bunch of designs, I thought these two were pretty fun. I believe the skull design was chosen for final production.

Fun With Design

Most of these designs had some distressing added to give the illusion of a "worn in" quality. Using a distress pattern should look natural, sometimes it is over used, but in this case the clients liked the effect. The faux beer label was presented to a major retailer, I don't recall if it was selected or not.

More Fun With Design

I've had the good fortune to be able to create designs for many different events, regions, markets etc. Here are a few pages containing a wide range of styles and topics. All requiring different types of research and technique. Part of the fun of creating design is the research, you never seem to stop learning.

One Color Characters

Here are nine out of approximately 100 Illustrations done for a youth screen print line. I was working for a company at the time that wanted simple one color illustrations to accompany fun sayings on brightly colored youth tshirts. This program was extremely successful and helped them sell a tremendous amount of shirts.

For The Kids

A few more screenprint designs for the kiddies. For a while it felt like I was only doing youth designs. These drawings combine some of the cleaner cartooning style with the "looser" sketchy approach. These days, I think I prefer the rougher style to the clean. Just personal preference.

Rough Lookin' Characters

These guys were all designed for the youth resort tshirt market. They were mostly sold to resort shops in the Caribbean and Florida. The illustration style is intentionally rough. The aim was to be fun and energetic without the crisp precision in the artwork.

What a Drag

This guy was done for a large retail chain for use on a youth screen printed tshirt. I was asked to make him look aggressive yet fun. I think it must have sold well, because when I checked the stores, I couldn't seem to find many left.