Here’s a warm-up doodle I inked on the Cintiq. Still trying to figure out the fastest, most comfortable, and most effective way to ink digitally.

And what’s with his nose anyway? No idea, it just came out of the pencil that way.

I just got back from a five-day trip, and I’ve got a huge pile of freelance work to get caught up on. Time to turn a mountain into a mole hill. I’ve currently got seven projects in various stages of completion for different clients, and unfortunately I can’t show you any of it! (yet.)

I’m committed to post something on this blog every weekday. Since I don’t have time to write much today, and I can’t show any recent artwork, here’s some sketches I did a few months ago from a book of old Life Magazine photos. I got the book at a thrift store. Thrift stores are great places to find cheap source material for sketching.

Here’s something to think about, from Challies.com:

Would we be as interested in these shows if they were merely about talent or about fascinating plots? I don’t think we would. I think we are attracted to them precisely because they humiliate other people. We are attracted to them, at least in part, because they give us the opportunity to feel better about ourselves at the expense of others. “I may not be a good singer, but at least I’m not as bad as him. I may not be able to carry a tune, but at least I’m not delusional enough to go and audition for the show!”

Read the entire article here.

I was feeling pretty rusty this morning, so I did this warmup sketch of my nephew playing the trumpet. As I mentioned in a recent post, I’ve been filling my sketchbook with too many faces and not enough full body poses. So, here you go…

Who are the people behind all that spam that floods your inbox? Why do they do it? How do they do it? Here’s a fascinating little article from Macworld about a former spammer who spills the beans about the one of the dark sides of the internet.

I can’t believe it. Today my blog is two years old.

Having a blog is great. Doing so much writing helps me sharpen my communication skills. Posting my artwork out there for the world to see pushes me to work harder and draw better. My blog has also turned into a wonderful networking tool.

I also love following the work of other artists on their blogs (some very talented ones are listed off to the right). Blogs have been nothing short of revolutionary for the art world. Thanks to blogs, I can now be inspired by incredible artists I otherwise would have never heard of. I’ve learned so much from other bloggers sharing their tips and stories, and its a pleasure to pass on that info whenever I can.

Thanks to all of you who have taken time to read my ramblings (currently over 100 people a day), and thanks especially to those of you who have left comments. I hope I’ve given back to you a small portion of what you’ve given me.