I am excited by an upcoming project, Chopper Zombie. I enjoy working on comics very much, and this will be a web comic first and then printed in a Graphic Novel form sometime before spring. This gives me the chance to work with people I like and to flex my creative muscles. If I have a direction I would like to go, all I have to do is demonstrate how something will work and they give me a blank check on most design decisions. More to come as the production nears completion.
When working on projects for various folks, I am sometimes surprised by their intended level of involvement. Some clients, who control every aspect of their day-to-day business are more hands-off than I could imagine. In fewer cases the opposite is true, a more laid back type of manager with an absolute Jones for the nitty-gritty design. (more…)
These are just a few of my illustrations that I have permission to show or personal pieces that I feel are finished and show-worthy. I feel that a few of these are strong enough on concept to make them better than more interesting images that have little or no concept behind them. You be the judge, and if you notice a lot of diversity, that is because I am constantly reinventing my style searching for something distinctly me.
I have been interested in typography for a very long time. This interest stems from my unusually bad handwriting, which in turn comes from no patience or practice. I started looking for nice typefaces to set schoolwork in at computer shows and other places but this was the age of rampant piracy. (more…)
There are probably lots of ways to use the Illustrator Brush Engine to make life easier, I just wanted to point out 10. I would like to credit Veerle and her post about Brushes which indirectly prompted me to think about this.
The swirly curls from Veerle, could be accomplished with a single curl and the application of a brush like this. Note the simple variations that yield impressive results.
I love the Art Brush Setting, but what I love even more is the Pattern setting. Use it too make a Celtic/Greek Key pattern like this. Not that simple, but super powerful. If you want the corner and end pieces, you need to add the object to the swatch palette.
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This should be an archive of Identity work that I created for people, it turns out it is more like a index of logos that aren’t in use save 3. This is unfortunate, and hints at a larger issue with the state and it’s economic growth. Setting that aside for a more personal post, there are a few identity pieces that I really like that never got to really see the light of day. Logo design is a primary job of the modern sign maker, and most businesses are more willing to set with someone who is making their sign that the person in charge of their stationary. Something about the physical location demarcated with a graphic appeals to people, and letterhead is for bills. (more…)
This was a fantastically fun job and a chance to work on a very stylish comic. I had the opportunity to put together a flash trailer for The Faceless: A Terry Sharp Story, and really liked the work of Adrian Salmon and writing by Robert Tinnell. It is very much like a 60’s spy/detective story with fantastic color and biting wit. When Bob approached me about an online comic, I was excited. When he mentioned that he would like it to be flash-animated and initially hosted on Fangoria.com, I freaked. We set some guidelines as far as how animated it would be, and tried to be by-the-panel to maintain the comic feel. I also set about lettering the frames and bringing them in as semi-transparent .pngs. As the strips go on, I was progressively more ambitious about the animated sequences. This reached near critical mass when I pulled a truck out of a panel and animated it (Day 20, 21 & 22). (more…)
