I figured it was time to break out the Sharpies and get back to the drawing board. Thanks to Mr. Jake Parker and his InkTober drawing challenge, I’ll be inking for the next 30 days.
Categories
Category: illustration
Categories
Drawing on Reading
Author Jim Karn and I visited with Northridge Elementary fourth graders today about the process of writing and illustrating books. I had the opportunity to illustrate Karn’s book, Little Jimmy’s Life on the Farm Stories, and lately he’s been very active about sharing and promoting it. I’ve been fortunate to attend a few readings with […]
Categories
Assembly Required
If I see another schematic on how to assemble something, it will be too soon. I spent most of today assembling patio furniture and installing new door knobs in the house. Most would assume that those projects wouldn’t take all day, but then they’ve never thoroughly consulted the manufacturer’s assembly instructions. I think the individual […]
Categories
Utility
Pencils and pens are like tools to me, so I get pretty particular about which ones I use. Most artists utilize a range of specialized drawing pencils with varying grades of lead from hard (2H) to soft (B) and each is used to execute certain tasks in pencil illustration. But consider the common pencil. You […]
Categories
The Pen Was a Weapon
The old saying ‘the pen is mightier than the sword’ had more literal meaning to the graphic designer 25 years ago. The Mac computer was new on the scene so analog tools like the technical pen (T-pen) were standard issue. Maintaining this integral piece of equipment was a high priority, so it didn’t take long […]
Categories
A “Mean” Santa?
It’s surprising that not everyone’s childhood recollection of Santa Claus is that of a jovial plump elf. Apparently some remember the patron saint of Christmas to be an old curmudgeonly prig who teased the children with bags of stockpiled goodies. If a child reached for a bagful of the sweet temptations, Santa would sting the […]
Categories
‘Tis better to give…
We’ve heard the saying a trillion times and we know what it means, but the emphasis today seems to be more about receiving – not giving. For the past several years we’ve really tried to stress the importance of giving at Christmas-time to our boys. There are so many that have far less than we […]
Categories
Shopping
I’m not a huge fan of shopping (not even for myself), so needless to say Christmas shopping is a bit of a task for me. I don’t like the crowds, lines or nagging doubts that what you’re going out for will even be found or, if found, appreciated. At the same time, I’d rather make […]
Categories
Yep, it’s Monday
It’s not like I don’t usually greet the morning alarm with pleasant thoughts, but for some reason today came a little too early. We don’t believe in the “snooze” button either. I never understood the reason for prolonging that torturous transition from “slumber” to “awake” in nine minute increments. Ready or not, day, here I […]
Categories
Sharing the Joy
Advent is in full swing and many of us are going through the annual rituals to prepare for Christmas. I hope everyone has the opportunity to take the time this year to really focus on what Christmas is about and the joy it brings. Share that joy with others this year and you just might […]