One of my favorite TV shows is Monk, a dramedy about an obsessive-compulsive detective (Adrian Monk) played brilliantly by Emmy-winner Tony Shalhoub. Imagine if Sherlock Holmes had been wracked with anxieties and phobias, and you've got the essence of the character. His over-the-top attention to detail makes him an excellent detective but also an enormous frustration to the people around...
A book I illustrated earlier this year has just been published. Day of the Field Trip Zombies was a project I did for Stone Arch Books. It's a 32-page graphic novel designed to help elementary-aged boys improve their reading skills. It's got everything a boy could want: action, humor, and zombie penguins! I've illustrated seven children's books, but until now the...
From the Archives...
I love being self-employed. Freelancing has worked out for me (going on eleven years now), and I'm extremely grateful. I wish the same success and happiness to anyone else preparing to venture out on their own. However, it isn't always a bed of roses. If you are considering a career in freelance, the last thing you want to do is go...
One of my all-time favorite living illustrators is Dennis Jones. His work is phenomenal. His characters are cartoony and fun, his drawing skills are solid, and he is a skilled painter who knows what he is doing with color. He balances fine-art painting techniques with appealing cartoon doodles for a stunning effect. Jones already has a website/blog (which he shares with...
As mentioned before, I'm taking a character design class online from Stephen Silver over at schoolism.com. It's great curriculum and I'm learning a lot. This week's lesson was on clean-up and inking. Our assignment was to choose one design from our "Jeckyll and Hyde" work and ink it up. Inking is not my strong point, especially digital inking on the...
