Highlights Magazine, August Issue: Ben and the Paper Trail

Ben and the Paper Trail, Digitally Colored Drawing, Illus. 1


Ben and the Paper Trail, Digitally Colored Drawing, Illus. 2


Ben and the Paper Trail, Digitally Colored Drawing, Illus. 3

Highlights, July Issue: Lightning Bugs

Lightning Bugs Final Art, Digitally Colored Drawing


Lightning Bugs: Color Layout

Lightning Bugs: Layout Sketch

The Banishment

The Banishment, 12.75" x 20", Digitally altered
drawing combined with digital photography and
digital painting, 2010



Drawn components before digital treatment


Drawn Components


Digitally Painted Components

Levi's Sculpture

My brother Levi just sent these photos to me. It's a bust of his oldest daughter Sandrina. Great work Levi... it's beautiful. I'll get back later with medium and scale.






Levi's Sculpture

The Toy Inspector

I'm a little late in posting this. It's an illustration that I created as a holiday gift for family members.


Digitally Colored Drawing

Some of the reactions to the work reminded me of the importance of understanding your audience. As an artist I did not see it coming, but some of my hatch marks were a little too aggressive. Many people read the hatch work on the younger elves arms, as hair. "Look at her hairy arms", was not one of the reactions I was hoping for when I created this piece.

Highlights Cover

I received a nice little treat in the mail the other day. It was my illustrator's copies of the February issue of Highlights magazine... with my illustration on the cover.
I try very hard to keep a healthy detachment from my work once it's published, but I have to admit that it is very satisfying to see my work on the cover of such a prominent magazine. Thanks so much Cindy, it looks great.

I've posted two versions of the illustration; the published version, and an alternate version that I created for my portfolio. Enjoy.


Published Version, Digitally Colored Drawing


Alternate Version with Dog , Digitally Colored Drawing



Here I am with my boys at Barnes and Noble.

The Three Little Worms Spell it Out

This is the third story to feature the Three Little Worms (it's the second to feature Bucky Bug) and I'm told there are more stories to come. I absolutely love illustrating these characters. You can read the full story and see the rest of the illustrations in the current issue of High Five Magazine (January 2010).

Here's a sample of the final sketches (p. 3 & 4) that were approved by Highlights High Five Magazine, along with the final art for the same images... enjoy.




In order to get the child-like look for Bucky's drawing I created a separate work of art using oil crayons on charcoal paper. I scanned the image and then warped it in Photoshop, according to the perspective of each scene. Take a look.