The eyes have it...

One thing I've been meaning to do lately is to take some time to learn to animate a GIF.  It actually was quite easy and I'm bummed I didn't do it earlier.

Book ideas...

I'm not really sure how the next few months will play out.  I could be working on a TV show, or I could still be doing my books.

I get many ideas for books.  Some are good, some are lousy.  Some get all figured out, some don't make it past a notion.  This year, I am going to try to make covers for some of the ideas, just so that I can have a record of them, and I can try out new techniques.

"If You Met a Guy from Outer Space" is a little picture book idea I've been thinking about the last few weeks. I can't really say what it's about because I have a few, very different concepts for it.  However, last night I had some time and put this together.

I liked the design, but didn't like the characters.  The kid was way too bland, and no different than how I have been drawing kids for ages.  This afternoon, I took a bit of time and re-drew the characters, and I think they're much more appealing.

Sketches...

Here are two very different sketches from the last few months.  I added the digital color a few weeks ago. I'm still trying to figure out how to combine line and textures, with a minimal palette.  I'm getting there. The monster drawing was only about an inch wide, and was blown up quite a bit so that the quality of the line would change.

Happy New Year!

I had an entire other New Year's post ready to go, and then as I pulled up this piece of art, it occurred to me that I didn't actually draw it.  This is a promo piece for the Fangbone! pilot which will be done soon.  This year is a huge roll of the dice and I must admit that I am very nervous.  The show could get picked up which would be amazing and a life-long dream to be working in TV/Film.  (Before I took my illustration career seriously I studied Film at SVA.)

Or, knock on wood, the show doesn't get picked up, then...well, then I have to make peace with that somehow.

But here's the thing...I'm proud of the work I've done on the show.  I'm thrilled that the producers have treated me with such respect and have kept my so involved. I'm over-the-moon happy with the work that the writers and animators have put into it.  It's really, really good and I can't wait for it to be seen.  It's taken years to learn this, but at the end of the day, I must be content with knowing that I did my best.  Whether people like my books, or my art, or the show, well, I can't control that.

Here's to 2014 and doing my best!