Flying Ace

Babypack

Just an average carrot

Pug!

The Thing That Should Have a Better Name

Here's another entry for my very slowly evolving superhero series. I'm not a big Fantastic Four fan, but for pure doodling fun, it's hard to beat The Thing. But that name lacks the usual Marvel directness. It's as if Stan Lee was late for an appointment that day. "Let's see...Human Torch, check...Invisible Girl, check...and....uh...whatever...The Thing. Oh, and stretchy guy...beats me...how about Mr. Fantastic?" It's not that I think he should be called Rock Man or something, but The Thing just seems too vague and insulting. Mr. Pebbles? The Human Quarry?

The nudge

Washington

One of the picture books I'm working on this year is "Big George" by Anne Rockwell (Harcourt). Anne has done an amazing job of portraying Washington as an actual human being (from childhood to death) without any of the mythic elements one might expect (no false teeth, no cherry tree). Right now I'm in the research and sketching phase, which is one of my favorite stages in illustration. I'll post more about this one later.

Breakfast sketch

Happy New Year

Post #100!

Well, this wraps up my first year of blogging on a nice round number (is it round? is it an integer?). I did manage my goal of doing something new for each of the 52 weeks of Illustration Friday. (Whew)

Next year I plan to change the blog a bit. There'll be fewer IF drawings but more sketches from my upcoming book projects, such as these three drawings. These were part of a four page mini-comic "trailer" that I created in order to present my graphic novel idea to interested publishers. More on the graphic novel and other books in the coming year.

Thanks to everyone who stopped to have a look at the site...especially the folks who left such nice comments.

Illustration Friday: Phoenix

Phoenix from the match...

Red

Merry Christmas!

Illustration Friday: Peace

Illustration Friday: Help

I read a story in the news a couple of years ago about a young African girl who was chased and cornered by a gang of men. She was saved by some lions who came out of the jungle, surrounded her, and scared off the men. The girl was not harmed.

Ike

Illustration Friday: Mask

Three Strangers

Illustration Friday: Might

Kid