Recent Tearsheets

2010 Postcards: What To Do?

One thing I really struggle with is designing self-promo postcards. More specifically, I struggle with what images to put on these postcards. About this time each year, I start working on my postcard design for January 2010. Here are 2 designs I'm working on:

#1 - This is a postcard showing my digital style. I wanted to show a lot of different stuff on this one. I've been much more aggressive with promoting my digital work in recent years than my painterly stuff. Digital style has been much more popular with getting new clients. I still get work for my painterly stuff, but mainly from already established clients.

#2 - Here is something I've always wanted to do - a dual style postcard, showing both styles on the postcard, like on my website. Not sure if it's a positive or a negative to show both styles on the same card.

Typicially, most clients have a specific style in mind when calling me. Sometimes they don't have a preference or are flexible but usually not.

Pacific Sun's Annual Death Issue 2009

Cover illustration along with roughs and final drawing. Happy Halloween!

Clint Eastwood Illustration Series

After doing my 'Gran Torino' illustration of Clint, I thought it would be cool to use that same illustration as a basis to depict him in 'The Good, Bad & the Ugly." I also had the intention of doing more of his movies - In the Line of Fire, Dirty Harry, etc, but quickly got kinda bored with that idea.....

Late Night Wars

I sketched this idea out when it was announced Leno would stay on NBC and still come on before Conan. I finally drew it up and colored it real quick. I'm definitely a Conan guy, although I love the 'Headlines' segment on Leno.

Painting for the Chronicle Review

Illustration for the Chronicle Review/Chron. of Higher Education for an article called "A Culture of Entitlement is Bankrupting Higher Education" Thanks to Scott for this one.

Also finished up a full pager for Stocks & Commodities and a cover for Pacific Sun. Will post those once published.

Barack Obama: 2009 Nobel Peace Prize Winner

Perfect time to post this Obama illo I did a while ago.

David Letterman Scandal

With all the Letterman stuff going on, I thought I'd pull an old painting out of the vault. I painted this 7 years and think it holds up fairly well to my current painterly stuff.

Government Executive - Telecom Readiness

Here's an illustration along with roughs for the October 2009 issue of Government Executive. Its about how most agencies aren't ready for to transition to a new massive governmentwide telecommunications contract. I'm glad they picked this rough. And it was the first digital piece I'd done for the magazine. I had done painted illustrations for them previously but the AD and I both agreed this topic might work better in vector. Thanks Kelly!

Also, still waiting to post my LA Times piece but the article still hasn't been published. They assure me the article's not killed but will run at some point. Currently working on a painted cover for Pacific Sun, digital full page for Stocks & Commodities and website illustrations for the Chronicle of Higher Education.

Office Thief!

Thought I'd post this old piece. It's a rejected sketch I finished up from an old cover story I did about office theft. The background is really loose and not really finished but this is probably as final as it's going to be.

Been busy with vacation, getting my new postcard mailer out and new work for Government Executive and LA Times. I'll post those pieces once they've been published.

'Covered' Comic Book Batman Contribution

I did this illustration for the Covered blog. Lots of cool 'tributes' over there.

MMA Illustration (In progress)

I wanted to do a humorous illustration about MMA. About how they're fighting to become one of the major sports. I don't get to do too many sports illustrations, so this was fun. I'll finish this one up at some point but wanted to post the linework.

Los Angeles Times Assignment

Finished up an assignment for the LA Times last week. It was supposed to run this past Sunday, but got pushed back until late August. I'll post the final once it's printed, but here is a preview. Thanks, Joey!

I think the biggest thrill for me is working for a newspaper. You can usually count on seeing it on newsstands within a few days of delivering the final art. Looks like I'll have to wait a few more weeks for this one....

Brock Lesnar - Anger Management Issues

UFC champ Brock Lesnar went a little crazy after his last fight at UFC 100, spouting out all kinds of nonsense at the post fight interview, upsetting a lot of people at the UFC (and their sponsors).

Peggy Olson From Mad Men (Finished)

Here is my finished Peggy Olson. I wasn't feeling the blue color I had on the initial drawing. I think this pink helps with the "little girl" feeling I was going for. Definitely the Season 1 Peggy.

Blackjack / Money Management for Stock & Commodities magazine

Illustration for the August issue of Technical Analysis of Stocks & Commodities. Included my roughs and my drawings. For this piece I drew it in 3 different pieces, streamlined them separately and combined them on different layers in Adobe Illustrator. I do this for the more complicated pieces, so I can control the layout better. Thanks Christine!

Recent Tearsheet

Peggy Olson of Mad Men (unfinished)

Been watching Mad Men on DVD, trying to catch up before the third season starts. Great show. Here was my attempt at Peggy Olson from the show. Not sure if I like it enough to finish it, but here it is anyway.

Peepaw

Portrait of my father-in-law. The funny thing is, he is the last person that would ever want a portrait of himself. He's just got the type of face I like to paint, beard with angular nose.

Chronicle.com Illustrations

Chronicle.com launched their website redesign today and it includes some illustrations I did for their advice section. I'll have about 25 different illustrations that will appear regularly in the Advice & Job sections. Here are 2 of them. The site looks great!