Brom Bones. This is just an initial idea and will most likely evolve over time.  I need to throw down more variations so I can see what else might be possible.

I'm really enjoying the craft paper sketchbook and my Cotman Compact Box. The off-white paper makes it possible to add highlights with guache or pencil, giving sketches a nice added pop. 

Talk to you soon!

I set everything up to test out the video feed and the audio. So far Ustream Producer has been functioning the way they promise. I did a short test broadcast this evening and I even had an audience to help me with audio issues. Thanks, Manola and Casey!

What started out as a random, throwaway sketch done for the sole purpose of testing the feed turned into a fun little character design. I kind like how she came out.

In the past, I've used other online printing services that allow you to buy extremely small quantities for absurdly low prices. I won't name them, but you know who they are. THe quality was always less than stellar and I'd get the occasional badly trimmed or shifted print results. On top of that, if you didn't pay attention to your order, you would end up with the company's logo on the back side of your postcards.

This is the first time I used the services of GotPrint for my printing needs and I'm impressed. The pricing is nice, the color is on the mark and the card stock is nice. I decided to try out their rounded-corner option.

 I placed my order on the evening of Saturday, July 10 and I received an email on July 15 letting me know that my order had been shipped. So basically, it took them less than 3 business days to process, prep and ship my order. Not too shabby. However, since I didn't splurge on shipping, I didn't receive my postcards until Wednesday, July 22. Still, not bad.

Overall, I'm very impresses with the quality and I'll definitely be using GotPrint in the future.

Off to the post office!

2.5 hours of work condensed to 7 minutes. Please forgive the hideous sky color at the top of the video. You can see the final piece here.

I'm open to suggestions on how to improve the quality of YouTube uploads...

One of the hardest things for me to draw is animals. I always struggle to get the hair or feathers to look right. I rarely include much detail in the line work of my animals because most of the texture and definition will be added in the color phase. The dog in the picture is Scout, our Border Collie, and he's got tons of wispy hair on his ears and along his legs. The drawing makes him look a bit scrawny but hopefully I can fill him out later on.

So after learning a thing or two about a thing or two, I got busy trying to implement my new-found tips regarding research. I began work on a few more pieces, one of which was from 'The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.' At some point, everyone draws something from C.S. Lewis. It's just a given. Such wonderful imagery is impossible to resist. Anyway, below was my attempt at the time...

There are tons of things wrong with this piece but overall I'm still rather happy with it as an reminder of the past. I did my best to incorporate the suggestions I received from my fan-boy critique. As you might be able to guess, I went nuts looking up examples of actual English lampposts from the era. Whereas before I may have simply drawn the scarf and coat with little detail, I added added details to give a bit more character. The trees are another matter... ugh.

Anyway, below is a quick crit of the piece after all these years. Like I said, still tons of things wrong with it.

I've never been very good at this sort of thing for myself. When I worked as a designer, it wasn't a problem coming up with designs for other people. But I'm my own worst critic so I second-guess everything.

Now I need to get busy on my mailing list.

I've been doing so much digital drawing these last several months that I've neglected my analog skills. Need to get back in the groove again. I just bought a craft paper sketchbook and I'm loving the medium color of the paper, making it easy to add shadows and highlights without much fuss. The hand isn't one of my best.