Finished coloring this guy earlier tonight. Not sure what's got him spooked, but it was fun to create the expression on his face.

And here's the original pencil sketch before adding digital color.

New Work

A couple of my newest digital pieces.  I draw the sketch with pencil in my sketchbook, scan the image into the computer, and color them in Photoshop.  Stay tuned for more images like these!

Digital Color

Coloring one of my sketches in Photoshop.

New work...

Part Fox, Part Squirrel...

This little guy is an update on the small critter that I've been toying with for some time now.  He's sort of a cross between a fox and a squirrel.  I really like this version better - definitely more personality.  Will post more of him soon!

Jack and the Beanstalk -- a work in progress...

I've been working pretty diligently on my next project, which is my interpretation of the classic Jack and the Beanstalk. So far, I've completed a pretty thorough character study of Jack, as well as a full scene focusing on Jack climbing the beanstalk.


Here's the line drawing...


And here's a color study I've been fiddling with in Photoshop...


As soon as I feel confident about the final composition and color scheme, I'll start painting the piece with watercolors. Stay tuned for more!

Inspired by "The Book of Three"

Here are a few sketches I've created based on Lloyd Alexander's The Book of Three. It's the first of the Chronicles of Prydain, a must-read for fans of Lord of the Rings, Narnia, and other fantasy adventure tales.

Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!

I know, I know. It's been waaayyyyy too long since I've updated the ol' blog here. But as it goes for most folks, the holidays were an incredibly busy time for me -- running around, spending time with family, celebrating birthdays (including my own), shopping with Santa's help, and ringing in the new year.

But here's what's been going on:
My lovely wife bought me a new laptop for Christmas (thanks Wifey!), so I'm still in the process of transferring all my data.
I'm gearing up for the 2010 SCBWI Southern Breeze Springmingle coming up in February. Gotta get the portfolio looking spot-on.
I'm still working with watercolors and really enjoying it.
And I'm working on updating my website as well.

It's a full plate, but I enjoy all of it!

Check back soon to see some of my newest work!

Wishing all of ya the best in 2010!

Alexander Steffensmeier

As I was searching through the shelves at the library where I work to find some good examples of illustrators who work in watercolors, I came across a couple of really great books by an author/illustrator named Alexander Steffensmeier. The books are called Millie in the Snow and Millie Waits for the Mail, and they're all about the adventures of a cow named Millie who loves the mail. The stories and illustrations are absolutely amazing. I highly recommend you check them out to see for yourself!

And on top of it all, the author/illustrator is German - wie ausgezeichnet ist das? Die zwei Buecher wuerde eigentlich auf Deutsch geschrieben, und sie heissen Lieselotte lauert und Lieselotte im Schnee. Wen sie Deutsch lesen koenntest, vieleicht koennen Sie diese Buecher in einer zweiten Sprache geniessen!

Und hier ist die Website fuer Alexander Steffensmeier - www.alexandersteffensmeier.de

Altar Boys

Creative expression definitely runs throughout my family.

My brother is an actor/dancer/model who just finished touring as part of the hilarious production of Altar Boys. The fam' drove down to Louisiana last weekend to see him perform, and it was absolutely amazing! For those unfamiliar with the show, the concept revolves around the last concert performance of the Altar Boys - a Christian boy band out to save the lost souls of America through their pop music and awesome dance moves. If you get the chance to see the show, I guarantee it'll be a great time. And be sure to check out my brother Joshua David on Youtube!

(Josh - aka "Matthew"- is the one in the middle!)

New Work, New Media...

I've been working lately with watercolors and ink pens, two media very different from my usual choice of acrylics. And I have to say, I'm really liking the results...

Here's one of my favorite characters - Ralph S. Mouse from The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary.



And from Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher by Bruce Coville, a portrait of the dragon Tiamat.

3rd Place!!!

I just got the news... I won third place in the SCBWI Southern Breeze 2009 Illustration Contest!!! I can't believe it! Holy cow! I'll post more about this later, but I had to go ahead and share the news!

Woohooooo!!!!

Update on Jeremy Thatcher...

Although I did have to put the project on the back burner for a while, I've been able to start up work on my Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher illustration again. To bring everybody up to speed, I've decided to scrap the initial design concept and my first attempt at the painting.

Using my new favorite "sketch" tool Photoshop, I've gone back in and reworked the original sketch of Jeremy, changing the position of his hands. I'm still tinkering with the background details. But here's a quick watercolor sketch I finished tonight just to feel out the colors:

Just a fun halloween experiment with watercolor...

I love this time of year!

The Illustrator's Quest...

For those who've waited patiently to see final piece for the SCBWI Southern Breeze Illustrators Workshop, here it is! I have to say, I'm quite proud of it, and I got lots of great feedback from my fellow conference attendees, too!

Variation on a sketch

Just a variation on yesterday's sketch - the little guy's looking more skyward now, into the future (which is full of possibilities!).

Another sketch...

Here's another sketch for the Illustrators Workshop - I've combined aspects from a couple of earlier sketches...

Southern Breeze Illustrators Workshop sketches

These are some of the concept sketches I've created for the Southern Breeze Illustrators Workshop based on the theme "It's All About YOU!" My concept is a kind of metaphorical self-portrait idea: I've really been feeling lately that my experience of pursuing a career as an illustrator is like an epic quest. I'm on this journey, and I'm carrying with me the "tools of the trade" and the artistic and literary influences that have made such an impact on me.

Busy, busy, busy...

Good grief! There's so much going on right now, and I haven't had a solid block of time to comment on any of it lately here on the ol' blog. So here's quick look at the latest:

• I've been painting steadily on my Jeremy Thatcher mock book cover. There's a lot going on in the composition, and it'll take some time to finish. Plus, I'm really attached to the piece, so I want to do the best I can!
• I've started working on my ideas for the Southern Breeze Illustrators Workshop piece based on the workshop theme, "It's All About YOU!". The experience so far has been great - challenging, but great. The first 25 of us to sign up for the workshop were given the opportunity to have one-on-one consultation with illustrator Mark Braught throughout the process of creating the illustration. Read more about the workshop here.
• And finally, last weekend was the Decatur Book Festival - holy cow, what an event!!! Lots more to report about that when I've got more time.

Hope this is just enough to keep ya satisfied till I can give more details!

Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher

My absolute favorite kids' book of all time is Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher by the incredibly talented Bruce Coville. If you've never read it before, I highly recommend that you take some time and read this great story. I love it for several reasons: the creative storyline and general concept, of course; the fantasy element; the illustrations; and the personal connection I have with the main character (a boy named Jeremy who loves to draw).

There have been several cover designs created for the book since its first publication in 1991 (I was 10 years old then!). This is the original I remember buying at a Scholastic book fair...


Then there's Tony Diterlizzi's interpretation (and a very good one, I have to say)...


So when I was trying to decide on my next illustration project, I figured what better to do than to create my own jacket cover design. I can definitely say I've been really happy working on ideas for this one. This book has a special place in my life, and I really wanna do it justice! Here's the basic inked design...

Jeremy's there in the middle holding the dragon egg. Hyacinth Priest is shelving books on the left, and on the right, Mr. Elives is looking down from behind the counter in his magic shop. Tiamat soars overhead by moonlight. Stay tuned for the final painting in color!