Monday, January 20, 2014

My First Hidden Picture: The Wisest Bird


The Wisest Bird, Digitally Colored Drawing

The Wisest Bird, Detail 1

 The Wisest Bird, Detail 2 



Find it in the latest issue of Highlights High Five magazine (Jan 2014).
 

Oil Paint, Ahhh

Murky Waters, Oil on Canvas

Murky Waters, Detail

Murky Waters; Underpainting 


It has been too long since I have done anything in oil paint.  Working on this piece for a local fundraising event was like visiting and old friend.  

Enjoy.


Sunday, March 10, 2013

Spider Cover Illustration: Feb. 2013

Digitally Colored Drawing, 2013
(the full image without cropping)

     I couldn't be happier about my cover for the February issue of Spider magazine.  The color and contrast quality along with that wonderful glossy luster had me beaming for a week.  They did a fabulous job with this illustration and matched my colors as well as (if not better than) anything I've had printed before.


 Spider Magazine, February 2013

Here are some of the layers that go into creating the final image.

  
 Shadow Layer

Local Colors

Optical Layer 
(glowing flowers, sparkles, etc.)

Highlights Layer



Saturday, January 19, 2013

The Latest Three Little Worms for High Five Magazine

I'm a little late in posting this but here is the Latest story about the Three Little Worms by David L. Roper.  Enjoy.













Sunday, September 30, 2012

The Old Man of Dumbree, Ladybug Magazine

     Well Carus publishing did it again.  They blew me out of the water with the handling of a recent illustration.  The Old Man of Dumbree looks great and I hope the photos that I took give you all a sense of how well the printing looks.

The Old Man of Dumbree, Digitally Colored Drawing


     I had a lot of fun interpreting the text of this poem.  I thought the tension between the mischievous mice and the owls sense of propriety would make for a humorous scene.

     Good luck to those mice should the Old Man of Dumbree ever have to excuse himself to the bathroom.


The Old Man of Dumbree
by Edward Lear

There was an old man of Dumbree,
Who taught little owls to drink tea;
For he said, "To eat mice, is not proper or nice,"
That amiable man of Dumbree

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

My First Hidden Pictures: The Patient Turtle

 I love getting hidden pictures assignments.  Especially when I'm given the freedom to interpret the text.  You can see The Patient Turtle, in the August issue of High Five Magazine.
Enjoy!

The Patient Turtle
A big turtle sat
On the end of a log,
Watching a tadpole
Turn into a frog.

Published Version:


















My Portfolio Version (includes two scruffy flies):


















 Original Sketch: