Dave Armstrong presents: mildly enjoyable artwork

The Bat

2012-01-17T22:36:00.003-05:00

Fresh from this week's design challenge, the topic this time was "noises batman makes." This might make some people think of "Bam" or "Pow" instead of French. That's understandable.

Medusa

2012-01-15T23:54:00.002-05:00

A group of guys at work have started a weekly design challenge. Last week's topic was "Evil Woman." It was really close for me between this and a Toddlers in Tiaras mom. I might have made the wrong choice...

Sometimes I feel a little bad for Medusa. Other times I realize it's probably silly to feel bad for something that never actually existed.

Good Morning

2012-01-02T13:18:00.001-05:00

It's the first Monday of the new year, everyone!
Mornings are getting harder and harder...

White Elephant Sketch

2011-12-22T14:10:00.001-05:00

Think you got something nice for Christmas? Well here comes White Elephant to poop under your tree and replace your stocking stuffers with pre-sucked lemon wedges. HAPPY HOLIDAYS, EVERYONE!

Sketch: Science!

2011-11-16T10:22:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I wonder what life would be like if I had chose a different career. I think this is roughly where I would be if I were a scientist. I'm amazed how many careers seem to end with me smearing make up on a pig...

Sketch: Taco Man

2011-11-13T12:14:00.001-05:00

If taco bell had a face, this is what it would look like. I'm pretty sure he has a flask of stool softener in his back pocket.

Can't Stop. Won't Stop.

2011-10-09T22:53:00.002-04:00

GO! GO! GO!

Hipster Vampire

2011-09-02T09:36:00.000-04:00

Tah Daaaaah!

"A Boy Named Sue" Revisited

2011-08-29T21:48:00.002-04:00

"My name is Sue. How do you do? NOW YOU GONNA DIE!"

This is the second old piece to get a facelift and is based on the Johnny Cash song of the same name. As a side note, I just learned the other day that the song was written for Cash by Shel Silverstein. Am I the only one amazed by that?

You can check out the old version of the piece HERE

Dabblin' in the Dribbbles

2011-08-23T09:25:00.002-04:00

I recently started an account on Dribbble that you can check out HERE. It seems to be a really welcoming community with some freakishly talented people, so I'm really excited to be a part of it.

I'm probably going to use it more for works-in-progress and keep the blog for final pieces and bits of sketchy nonsense. Which means, if you want to stay on top of what I'm falling behind on, that would be the place to do it.

It's also fun if you like to type a whole bunch of "b's" into your address bar.

"Luck of the Cricket" Revisited

2011-08-19T11:15:00.002-04:00

I recently decided to touch up some old portfolio pieces (and destroy some others) and the first one to get a fresh coat of paint is the "Luck of the Cricket." I've always liked the layout and color scheme of it but recently, I realized how horrible the actual painting is. You can check out the old version HERE and have a nice laugh.

In short, the piece is based off of the superstition that a cricket on the mantel is good luck.

Hopefully, I'll have some time to touch up some more of these and maybe even do some new, original art. I may also bench press a car. Ya never know.

Time

2011-07-28T15:15:00.003-04:00

Bigfoot Funk Shirt

2011-07-22T10:42:00.002-04:00

A new shirt is in the shop! Based on an illustration I did a while back, this shirt allows you to flaunt your love of sasquatches, bass guitars and covering your nipples. You can customize one of your own HERE!

Note to Self

2011-07-20T14:28:00.003-04:00

Sometimes, I think my memory might be fading. A few years back, I never needed to write down anything, but now it seems like I'm constantly jotting down assignments, song titles and countless other reminders. Give it a few more years and I'm sure this will be an accurate depiction of my work space.

Anyway, this is one of the first time's I've done a piece entirely in on the computer. Even sketching was done on the ol wacom tablet, which is something I'm trying to get into the practice of doing. I think it helped me loosen up with shaping (it's so hard to stiffen up and prematurely commit to designs when undos flow like cheap box-wine).

Oh and some new tee designs are on their way. Probably ones that aren't as disturbing as the banana one....probably. If you have any suggestions or requests, feel free to let me know.

Bananaman Shirt

2011-07-15T18:47:00.002-04:00

So I doodled this a few months ago during a meeting and John Olson pressured me into slapping it on a t shirt. Now you, your children and everyone you've ever loved can enjoy the results of peer pressure by going to my skreened shop and picking up one of these classy numbers. Just pick your shirt style, color and size and be prepared to be mauled by a fleet of whatever you find attractive. Don't be surprised if people mistake you for a model.

Fozzie Bear

2011-06-20T18:43:00.004-04:00

Threadless is currently running a Muppet design contest and it inspired me to make this guy. I didn't submit it, because it has absolutely nothing to do with the subject of "friendship"(which is the theme of the challenge) and I'm not about to start bending the rules of the internet. They're the only things that separate us from e-monkeys.

If you're enthusiastic about the Henson's felty freaks, I suggest you stop by the submissions section and give a few some votes. C'mon. You'll make friends, be part of a community and have an excuse to double click your mouse a few dozen times. WHAT FUN!

They're doing an Adventure Time contest too, so hopefully I'll come up with something for that...

Spa-Winkols!

2011-06-14T22:10:00.004-04:00

A few weeks ago, a guy at work had a birthday and when you work with me, this is the type of nonsense I clutter your desk with as I scream "Happy Birthday" and coat your face with spittle and cake crumbs. It's clearly a glamorous life.

Fun Fact: my coworker also has the same mustache as the cupcake. Woooo!

Skateboarding Ogre

2011-05-26T19:45:00.003-04:00

This started out as a morning warm-up, but it sorta got away from me.

In case you're interested in what all those band stickers on the skateboard say, they include classics like, "Your Band Sux," "Dead Ape Pit," "Uncle Lupus," "The Hypocrotches," and "Baby on Board." Also, I think half his tattoos are just items from Legend of Zelda.

Raton Laveur 2

2011-05-18T07:50:00.001-04:00

Now we've got the leader and the brains, so all we need is the muscle.

Raton Laveur

2011-05-10T21:02:00.003-04:00

In the sewers of France, a certain aged raccoon will get you anything you need for the right price.

This might turn into a series...

Sketch: Apeture Science

2011-04-19T21:45:00.003-04:00

A sketch to celebrate the release of Portal 2...and celebrate science...you monster.

"Science isn't about why, it's about why not. You ask: Why is so much of our science dangerous? I say: Why not marry safe science if you love it so much. In fact, why not invent a special safety door that won't hit you in the butt on the way out, because you are fired."
-Cave Johnson, CEO Apeture Science

Sketch: Comfortably Numb

2011-04-06T07:41:00.003-04:00

I doodled this fella while doing some freelance work last night. I think my iPod's shuffle can be blamed for it.

He looks a little like the love child of Iggy Pop and John Lennon...

Sketch: Shi-Zow

2011-04-05T08:14:00.001-04:00

At some age, magic becomes really, really annoying.

Sketch: BBQ Pork

2011-03-30T22:16:00.002-04:00

Pig with a flamethrower. You can't beat the classics.

So I've fallen behind on these daily sketches because I just started a new job at Clutch Interactive in Columbus which means I spent the last week or so packing and moving and dealing with car issues and about 50 other things that push sketches down on the list of importance.

Hopefully, I get back into the swing of these...

Sketch: Codec

2011-03-24T14:46:00.003-04:00

See, THIS is why texting is dangerous.

I've heard a lot of people with the Codec sound from Metal Gear Solid as their cell phone ringer lately and that's probably why I drew this. Also, the Codec was just a crappy flip phone from the late 90's right? Because that's what I drew...for some reason.

Sketch: Jock Rage

2011-03-23T23:33:00.004-04:00

When athletes catch the scent of un-wedgied nerds or dweeb scalps in need of swirlies, they fly into a fit specialists call JOCK RAGE.

Sketch: Frog Launcher

2011-03-22T14:05:00.003-04:00

This was originally two separate sketches on the same piece of paper that merged into one big chunk of nonsense.

On an unrelated note, I've had "Lido Shuffle" by Boz Scaggs stuck in my head for about a week now. Maybe that has something to do with why I drew this?

Pig Expressions

2011-03-21T14:36:00.004-04:00

At my old job, we did some concept work for a bar & grille's website. One of my favorite things to come from these concepts was an animated pig with a beer who would pop up at the bottom of the screen and tell you about special offers or upcoming events. These are some of the expressions I drew up for a rough animation.

Sketch: Flapjack

2011-03-19T01:16:00.003-04:00

After I did the Adventure Time sketch, Tyler Parkinson suggested I do a Flapjack one. Here you go, Tyler.

Originally, I was going to do a big 8 Arm Willy thing with a bunch of characters like Peppermint Larry and Lolly Poopdeck in his tentacles, but it looked too much like the sea monster one I did a few days ago. Maybe simple is better...

I'm taking the weekend off from these sketch a day things so I'll see you kids on monday!

Sketch: Saint Patrick's Day

2011-03-17T12:28:00.002-04:00

My goodness, my Guinness!

Sketch: Adventure Time!

2011-03-16T16:49:00.002-04:00

Finn and Jake taking on some business zombies.
I might be a little addicted to this show.

Sketch: Sea Monster

2011-03-15T13:08:00.004-04:00

This is why I don't go in hot tubs, anymore.

Pat Moore recently proposed a sketch-a-day challenge and this is my first day in. I'm pretty sure this was drawn after listening to "The Commander Thinks Aloud" by The Long Winters. I'm also pretty sure there is nothing about a sea monster in that song...

See you tomorrow.

Hawaii

2011-03-14T21:48:00.005-04:00

Nothing kills the winter blues quite like a week in a tropical paradise. Thankfully, my dad has a conference in Hawaii every few years and was nice enough to bring me along. I thought I'd share some photos to make up for the lackluster posting as of late.

What's a visit to Hawaii without some giant tikis?
Here, you are staring into the crater of a volcano in the Puna district of the big island of Hawai'i. To set the mood, imagine the thick smell of sulfur surrounding you because of......SULFUR FIELDS! These steaming vents spew all kinds of fun gasses. There's nothing quite like seeing the ground steam around you.

The picture above doesn't really do justice to this landscape. Practically no plant life as far as the eye can see is one of the strangest things I've ever seen. It looks like a different planet.
This is the view from inside a lava tube, which is a cave-like channel left when a lava flow hardens. Probably the coolest thing about this is that the outside of the tube is coated in plant life, and the roots work their way into the ceiling of the tube and hang down into the pathway. Everything is dripping.

What amazed me the most about the big island of Hawai'i, is the diversity the landscapes. If you drive from one side of the island to the other, you'll go through rain forest, grassland, cactus-coated desert and a barren land of lava rock.
Above is why Oahu is a little disappointing for me. If you're in downtown Honolulu, you essentially feel like you're in Miami or something. It's way too crowded and urbanized to really feel like Hawaii. Luckily, a little place called Puka Dogs totally makes up for it with freakishly delicious eatables.

Speaking of food, I should mention how amazing it is to have fresh fruits and fish being served all around you. Also super fresh coffee and Kona Brewing Company improved the trip considerably.
Also, it does have amazing beaches. I guess that counts for something.Pearl Harbor is one of the most interesting places I've ever been. It's chilling to watch a gas bubble slowly rise out of the Arizona and dissipate into the harbor.

Tomorrow, I should be back with some artwork. Pat Moore is trying to prod me into doing a sketch a day challenge, so we'll see if that happens...

Inspirations, Idols and Mortal Enemies

2011-03-09T15:23:00.005-05:00

Recently, I've had a surprising amount of people ask me what artists I like. I'm not sure I was ever really asked this question until about a month ago and now everyone seems interested (by everyone, I mean a whopping 5 people). So I figure I'll get the names out there so I have one less tidbit to discuss at the next cocktail party (that way I can cut right into the magic tricks).

Direct your eyes to the right side of the blog and you'll find a new list of artists titled, "Inspirations." It's exactly what it sounds like, so take a look through and see if you recognize some of your favorites and maybe you'll find some new goodies. After all, half the appeal of these art blogs is find new stuff to get your brain juices a-pumpin.

I've been meaning to do something like this for a while but I wasn't sure exactly how I wanted to do it. At first I was going to do a weekly or monthly post featuring an artist I like, but that just sounds like more effort for me and harder for you readers to find all the names. So now they're all in one tidy little listing on the side of the blog, just begging to be clicked on. Enjoy.

25 Reasons...

2011-03-08T21:06:00.003-05:00

Here are some early concepts for an illustration for a Great Lakes Life article, 25 Reasons We Love the Tri-State Region that didn't wind up getting used. I liked the ideas enough to post them...mostly just the tattoo one, though.

The numbers drinking beer also make me smile...

Seasonal Affective Disorder

2011-02-24T21:32:00.002-05:00

I'm pretty fed up with with Pennsylvania winters.

Not-So-Daily Sketch: Song Bird

2011-02-18T19:02:00.002-05:00

Who needs friends when you have a weird, old piano and a house full of ugly, singing birds?

Dude's just having a gooooooooood time.

Bolero Owls

2011-02-16T15:33:00.003-05:00

This was actually started around a year ago as a project for school and I've always hated the way the final looked. So when I had some free time, I decided to touch it up. Now I hate it substantially less.

As a side note, owls LOVE margaritas. Put one out in your yard and watch those feathery rats swarm all over it.

Mildly Romantic Valentines

2011-02-13T22:11:00.011-05:00

So, it's Valentine's Day. Did you remember to get that special someone a symbol of your affection? NO?!?! Well fear not, loyal blog enthusiast, because good ol' Dave has got your back. These cards are sure to get you some substantial smoochin' (or at least some hard-core hand holding). Trust me; I stood in front of a mirror and gave myself one of these and I think it's safe to say I'll be going home with me tonight.

For best results, I suggest giving these bad-boys over a nice, romantic dinner. May I suggest some 5 buck boxes from Taco Bell? Thank me later, folks.

Not-So-Daily Sketch: Coffee Truck

2011-02-11T17:44:00.003-05:00

I drew this at a Starbucks. I actually sat inside a coffee shop and sketched.
What the hell am I turning into?

When I started drawing this, I wasn't too sure how it would turn out. Now that it's sketched, I may refine it a bit, ink it and turn it into something nice.

Not-So-Daily Sketch: Brain

2011-02-10T20:03:00.005-05:00

There's one of these dudes at every party. Sometimes I fear it's me. Later, I realize I don't discuss Tolstoy fun-facts while drinking, so I'm probably safe.

Also, now that I look at this image, I realize the type of girl that wears turtlenecks and khakis probably doesn't attend keggers.

Not-So-Daily Sketch: Howdy

2011-02-07T23:04:00.002-05:00

One week until Valentine's Day. It's no time to get choosy.

Free Paper Toy: Desk Drunk

2011-02-02T15:26:00.004-05:00

If you’re at work and feel blue about your life choices, plop this little fella on your desk and you'll have a constant reminder that things could always be worse. At least you can feel your face and your breath doesn’t smell like low-grade jet fuel.

If you want your own printable pick-me-up for your desk, just click here for the PDF. Expect more downloadable paper toys in the future and maybe some contests where the winner gets a customized one. WHO KNOWS?!?!

Not-So-Daily Sketch: Rico

2011-01-30T20:20:00.004-05:00

Here are some sketches of Joe's fat dog, Rico

Joe Cottrell Photography 2

2011-01-27T21:46:00.003-05:00

This is the first image for Joe's blog. I'm happy to say this is hands-down the most serious of the ones we have planned. You know a series is good when an obese, anthropomorphic chihuahua named Rico in a beat-up car with a winking, bearded man who is slamming on a typewriter is the most serious of the images.

Also, I promise to stop making Joe winking in all of these. I don't think I've ever seen the man wink in real life. Winking is just fun to draw, I suppose.

Oh, and Joe has a fat dog named Rico in reality. I feel it's important to note that concept wasn't created just for this image. God, I wish I was that creative.

Joe Cottrell Photography

2011-01-25T21:49:00.003-05:00

So is the new blog layout tickling everyone's fancy? There are still some minor tweaks I want to play with, but for the most part, this is how it's staying.

If you've looked through the updated "mildly enjoyable people" sidebar, you'll notice a new name has been added. Joe Cottrell is a dude that I've known for a majority of my life and we worked together at Great Lakes Life. I strongly urge you all to check out his photography and if you like discussions about Burger King and bro-montanas, his blog is the place for you.

Joe recently decided to update his branding so he asked me to do an illustration of him for his new business cards. He liked it so much that I'm going to be doing some additional illustrations for his website and blog in the upcoming months. Here's the first image from his business cards. More goodness to come.

New Banner/Branding?

2011-01-18T22:41:00.004-05:00

Is anyone else sick of Mountain Dew colored smiley faces and punk-rock lettering?

I'm hoping to get some feedback on this rough idea for some new branding. I think this look fits me a bit better and looks a weeeeeee bit more professional.

Anyway, tear it apart with honesty and let me know what you think. Any input is GREATLY appreciated. If the blog winds up looking nice, I'm going to revamp the website and update all my branding. If it doesn't look nice, I'll do none of that and see how long it takes me to chug a box of Bugles.

George Romero

2011-01-13T14:38:00.004-05:00

I love that the godfather of zombie directors looks like a cross between Stan Lee and Colonel Sanders.

Known for Night of the Living Dead, The Crazies, Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead and a whole lot of other films with "Dead" in the title, Romero's is the last of the regional director images for GLL. This piece was a great break from the various political pieces I've been doing for the magazine lately. It turns out regional family magazines rarely want hordes of zombies. Who knew?

Below are some of the original concepts:

Vincent Gallo

2011-01-12T10:21:00.002-05:00

This is the second piece in the series of regional directors and it features Vincent Gallo. I don't really expect anyone who reads this blog to be familiar with any of his films, but he's known for The Brown Bunny and Buffalo '66 but probably better known hexing Roger Ebert and calling him a "fat pig with the physique of a slave trader."

The editor of GLL has a little thing for Gallo so exaggeration wasn't as encouraged with this portrait so it wound up being a lot more realistic than I typically enjoy. Hopefully the screen tone and crazy colors make it a little less dull.

Tune into tomorrow for Mr. Zombie himself, George Romero.

Jim Jarmusch

2011-01-11T14:06:00.005-05:00

Part of the upcoming January/February issue of Great Lakes Life Magazine is a feature called 25 Reasons We Love the Great Lakes Region. One of the reasons listed is that the region has given us some visionary directors and I was asked to illustrate them. This is the first one and features Jim Jarmusch (best known for Coffee and Cigarettes and Broken Flowers).

While researching Jarmusch, I found this really interesting quote on originality:
"Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable; originality is nonexistent. And don’t bother concealing your thievery — celebrate it if you feel like it. In any case, always remember what Jean-Luc Godard said: 'It’s not where you take things from — it’s where you take them to'.”
-Jim Jarmusch

Here are some of the original concepts:A few more of these guys are on the way. Stay tuned...

Not-So-Daily Sketch: New Year's Resolution

2011-01-05T21:00:00.003-05:00

My New Year's Resolution is to stop being such a glob of a human being.
Maybe a better resolution would be to stop posting so many strange drawings of fat things...

The Handsome Hammers

2010-12-21T21:54:00.002-05:00

This is line work for The Handsome Hammer's logo being made by Marissa Dinello. I would go into detail about what the group does, but it involves movie production, and my knowledge of technical terms and equipment is pretty limited, so I'll just say they move stuff and look good doing it.

It's also worth pointing out that it's the first official day of winter. So go out and enjoy it by laying face down in a snow drift!

Not-So-Daily Sketch: Mad Science

2010-12-18T22:11:00.004-05:00

Because nothing is more exciting than pouring test tubes into beakers while laughing like an idiot.

Out with the old, send in the elephants.

2010-12-13T21:16:00.004-05:00

If your job involves political illustrations, at some point, you're going to draw a donkey and an elephant. It's a fact of life. My job involves political illustrations and I thought I would make it past four issues of Great Lakes Life before I went to that old well, but here we are.

You've bested me again, beasts of burden.

This piece is about the house majority shift and is in the December issue of Great Lakes Life magazine. Go out, buy it and rave about it to strangers on the bus. I promise your life will improve greatly. You may even find a ten dollar bill in your jacket pocket.

Here are the original two concepts:

Can you dig it, Jive Turkey?

2010-11-30T20:59:00.002-05:00

I don't know what the flip side is, but I assume it looks like this.

This was a good excuse to mess around with some bolder colors.

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-24T23:35:00.002-05:00

Have you ever looked at the head of a turkey? I mean have you really taken a moment to examine the details of a turkey's face? Before drawing this piece, I took a look at some google images of turkeys and they look like some sort of Lovecraftian demon bird.
All the saggy nastiness probably isn't helping. Someone needs a plastic surgeon.

And a fun side note: I actually own that disgusting green button-up sweater in the picture. That's how Dave rolls. HAPPY THANKSGIVING, INTERNET!

Bigfoot Loves the Funk

2010-11-06T16:32:00.003-04:00

Sasquatches are naturally drawn to the Epiphone Jack Casady Bass. I'm not sure why. I'm not a bigfootologist.

Also, I'm just now realizing how much easier the photoshop line tool makes drawing a guitar. That's number 398 on the list of things you'd think I would have figured out by now.

Family Road Trip Survival Guide

2010-11-03T18:11:00.006-04:00

With the holidays just around the corner, lots of families will be loading into vans for loooooong rides to Grandma's house filled with I Spy, missed turn, fast food and the buildup of silent rage. Great Lakes Life Magazine ran a survival guide to help make the venture a little more...jolly. The first image (above) was the main image for the guide, the others are just sidebar illustrations.

Fun fact: the car they're driving is some strange mixture of a Honda Element, a VW Beetle and a PT Cruiser. It seems like the perfect combination of ugly cars.

The next image is a family who isn't having such a good time. I wanted to go very simple with the coloring of the sidebar illustrations. I find with very small illustrations, simple looks better (I also realize this isn't really ground-breaking information).
Another one of the sidebars talked about the greatest family road trip movies. Number one was obviously National Lampoon's Vacation so I did a lil drawing of Chevy Chase. I'm amazed how much more difficult it is to pull off a good likeness of someone when he have pants on his head. For some reason facial features take a backseat to the fact that there are pants up there.

One of the other movies mentioned was The Muppet Movie (yes we know the Muppets aren't technically a family) so I was originally going to have Kermit in the back seat of the car, but thanks to Conan O'Brien, I can no longer draw him without adding vomit. That sort of thing doesn't tend to fly.

The final sidebar deals with taking the kids to Chuck E. Cheese's (kids need to eat on the road, right?). I'm amazed how ridiculous I was allowed to go with this one. The only major change was the removal of three hanging children. The image got a little hard to read with so many little fellas coating the mouse.

Who Wants a Free T-Shirt?!?!

2010-11-02T12:36:00.004-04:00

Great Lakes Life Magazine (where I work) is teaming up with Last Exit to Nowhere to provide 5 people with free t-shirts of their choice. If you're not familiar with Last Exit to Nowhere, they make some of the coolest movie-reference shirts I've ever seen and I strongly encourage everyone to enter for a chance. If no one does, I'm just going to enter a bunch of fake names and try and win them for myself.

Visit HERE for your chance to win and if you aren't feeling lucky, there's a 15% off code that you can use on shirts.

Battle for Cuyahoga

2010-11-01T22:35:00.004-04:00

Ohio's Cuyahoga County has developed a reputation for political scandal and corruption. Hopefully, the upcoming election will solve all that with the restructuring of the county's government and the creation of the position of County Executive. This illustration was done for a Great Lakes Life article on the subject titled "The Battle for Cuyahoga."

Below are some concepts for the piece that didn't make the cut. Because the article went to print before the election, we couldn't feature the actual winner, so a faceless politician sounded like an interesting visual. Once I actually started to render it out, however, it took a creepy turn. I still like the concept, but it doesn't really fit the article. So instead we went with something flat and graphic with a lil Russian propaganda influence.

Anyone else find it odd when actual political subjects are raised on this blog? It gets oddly serious. Maybe the next post will have a fart joke...

Happy Halloween

2010-10-31T22:17:00.002-04:00

I hope everyone had a fun night of ghosts, goblins and supporting childhood obesity. I know I did.

Not-So-Daily Sketch: Wolfman

2010-10-26T22:56:00.003-04:00

Halloween fun fact: I've heard that the term "werewolf" comes from warg-wolf, which in Old Norse, translates roughly to Outlaw Wolf. I like this substantially more than werewolf because "outlaw wolf" sounds like:
1. a late 80's metal album
2. a terrible anime
3. A news story about a mutated wolf who has learned to use a firearm and has yet to be caught

*Note- When I use the word "heard," it often means "according to wikipedia." This would be one of those occasions. Also, you can expect my solo album Running with the Outlaw Wolf just in time for the holiday season. It will be hoooooooooorrible.

Not-So-Daily Sketch: Candy Apple

2010-10-24T18:01:00.001-04:00

Halloween is almost here! What's everyone going as?

Not-So-Daily Sketch: Grimace

2010-10-15T14:43:00.003-04:00

You know the Grimace from McDonalds? Well, years of stealing milkshakes and scarfing McChickens have caught up with him and now one of these bloated beasts resides at every McDonalds. They hide in the darkness of the basement and do quality control.

Also, I feel obligated to quote Clerks: The Animated Series: "Nothing can kill the Grimace!"

Fishing Derby Promo

2010-10-15T14:41:00.003-04:00

The Mechanical Contractors Association of Northwest Pennsylvania wanted a teaser image for their fishing derby. I showed them this version and a much cleaner, bluer version and the reaction I got was, "go with the dirty one. It looks like Lake Erie."

Kathy Dahlkemper

2010-10-03T21:05:00.006-04:00

The latest issue of Great Lakes Life was centered around power women and included an interview with House of Representatives member, Kathy Dahlkemper. One of the issues raised was the hostility toward Dahlkemper from tea partiers, which lead to the first illustration. Initial sketches had Kathy taking on Alice's role at the mad tea party with the March Hare and Mad Hatter, but with the fairly recent Burton movie, Alice in Wonderland references seem a bit overused.

The second illustration focuses on the duality of Dahlkemper. While she is a politician and partial company owner, she is also a mother (grandmother at this point) who stresses family values. The old phrase "bring home the bacon and fry it in the pan," came up and I've been wanting to play around with a split illustration like this for a while.

Here are some of the original concepts for the illustrations.

Polamalu

2010-09-30T23:20:00.006-04:00

Is everyone aware that Troy Polamalu's hair is insured for one million dollars? We all know this, right?

Anyway, this is an illustration of Polamalu for Great Lakes Life Magazine. This is my second month with the magazine and I'm slowly weaseling drawings into various sections of the publication. The print version of this image is only about 2 inches by 2 inches so details weren't the highest priority.

Be sure to check back soon, because the October issue just hit stands so I'll be releasing other images from it shortly. I'd post them now...but I'd much rather eat some eat some leftover pizza.

A Man's Drink

2010-09-27T23:22:00.004-04:00

The other day, I was at a steakhouse, seeing how much prime rib I can suck down before I actually start to sweat au jus, when I noticed two enormous bikers sitting at a table next to me. Typically, this wouldn't be a big deal. I expect to see bikers at a steakhouse. What was odd is that they were both drinking large, neon colored margaritas, complete with fruit spears.

I suppose it takes a big man to order a girly drink...and that's where this came from. Now who wants to nurse some lemon drops?

Not-So-Daily Sketch: Jelly

2010-09-26T23:05:00.004-04:00

Jellyfish on toast. Is this the most original or funny idea ever? Absolutely not. But back when I did the Devil Went Down To Georgia and Wolf in Sheep's Clothing sculptures, a really loose pen drawing of this jellyfish got scribbled down as a potential third 3-D piece. That project never took off but every time I flipped through my sketchbook, I would see the little doodle and something about it seemed appealing to me. So the line work got a face lift and I threw some color on it.

I think he's meant to remain two dimensional...but that could just be the laziness talking...

Not-So-Daily Sketch: Tricycle Cavalry

2010-09-17T12:48:00.004-04:00

Admittedly, "unicycle infantry" is a cooler name, but it's horribly inaccurate. And based on the drawing, you can clearly see I'm all about historical accuracy.

Drawing inspired by THIS

Not-So-Daily Sketch: Show Brah

2010-09-06T19:27:00.004-04:00

People like this are why I dislike going to concerts. Regardless of the music genre, at least four of these bro-dads seem to manifest and fill my body with hatred.

GLL Wine Cover

2010-08-28T11:13:00.006-04:00

Hello, all! Summer is winding down which means sleepless nights due to insane heat will soon be replaced by sleepless nights due to insane work. I hope you've all gotten your fill of beaches, hammocks and mojitos (but I think we can all agree, enough is never enough).

My summer as a tanned, jobless bum ended a few weeks ago when I was hired by the nice people at Great Lakes Life magazine. I do a lot of different tasks there, but by far the most enjoyable thing is illustration, and here is the first published image I've done for them (and their first illustrated cover, ever). This is the cover for their annual food and wine issue and I was asked to have a wine bottle and have something growing out of it, while having a psychedelic feel. Artists they gave as examples were Romero Britto and Peter Max. The only real guidelines I was forced to follow were image size and room needed to be left for headlines. The turnaround for this project was really short, and with that considered, I'm pretty happy with the piece. It's very different from the stuff I usually do.
So if you're in Ohio, Pennsylvania or New York, go out and pick up one of these bad-boys. If they sell enough, maybe I'll get to do this sort of thing again.

My original artwork before it was spruced up by the graphic designers:
Here are the original concepts for the piece:I've also got my hands in a few other cookie jars right now, but the projects are still "hush-hush" so it'll be a while before they turn up here. Now, go out and enjoy some sunshine.

Bang Pop 1

2010-08-22T12:33:00.004-04:00

My friend Joe hooked me up with some work, so to return the favor, I promised I'd do some doodles for his band "Bang Pop!" I'd try to explain what type of music they perform, but I feel like their official description does a better job than I ever could:

"It's exactly what most of us did when we were 16 years old, but now we're like 25 years old doing it.. So its way cooler? We create music from the sewage sounds of punk rock to RAP that will leave exit wounds all up in your dome.
Not gunna lie. Probably 95% of the lyrics are going to be written with booze. Because that's how the flow gets spit. ...I don't write the rules. We never make rules. ..But the booze stays.
We sing about the easy targets like Bro-Montanas and kids who do air dusters! But we also have a very large heart for the things that matter in life... Like eating good food for cheap and amateur strippers. Or both combined at a nicely priced $10.99 strip buffet that offers a fair range of morning fruit, to which would then play out as an adequate brunch if one chose to bring the family along as a last minute meal decision."

Not-So-Daily Sketch: Schnick Schnick

2010-08-21T14:31:00.004-04:00

Another Sketch-2-Death thing. I'm not sure why I drew him with such a small body...

Wolvie simply wishes he could be as cool as Gambit. Doesn't everyone?

Bigfoots...er...bigfeet?

2010-08-21T12:43:00.003-04:00

Here are some really early concepts for a Bigfoot image for a snow shovel company. Unfortunately, the project has since gone belly-up and now these lil blue guys serve as a silent reminder of what could have been.

Tiki Bean Bag Toss

2010-08-15T10:21:00.004-04:00

Some call it "Bean Bag Toss" while others call it "Cornhole," but the name really isn't important. What is important is that this is one of the few, oh-so-perfect sports that allows you to stand in one place and play while drinking a beer. It's almost as great as Bocce (which is clearly the greatest summer game, ever).

Anyway, a few months ago I dug these old toss boxes out of our shed and wanted to fix them up. I soon found out that my aunt and uncle were organizing a beach party for my little cousins, so I dressed these bad boys up like tiki heads and slapped them down on the shores of Lake Erie. With these, a limbo contest, hula hoops, box hockey, potted palm trees, tiki torches, fire roasted chicken with corn and one awesome sound system, I think it's pretty safe to say the party was a success.

Wolf in Sheep's Clothing Sculpture

2010-07-25T19:53:00.005-04:00

It's been freakishly hot lately. Not the sort of summer heat that can be solved with a cool beverage and a dip in the pool, but instead the humid, unrelenting type that doesn't allow you to eat or sleep or do anything but stew in your own juices.

The lack of posting as of late can be blamed on this heat, because it has taken my skull and turned it into a crock pot (which my brain isn't too fond of). So I've started about eight different personal projects, but shortly after they get started, they get pushed aside so that I can lay in front of a fan feel the life leak out of me.
On a lighter note, here is a sculpture I did a while back and some concept sketches to boot.

Also, those of you with a keen eye may have noticed that the blog got a major overhaul today. It seemed long overdue to knock out some spiderwebs and slap a fresh coat of paint on the place. I hope you enjoy it!

"Devil went down to Georgia" sculpture

2010-07-07T22:28:00.003-04:00

About a year ago, I did a sketch of the Charlie Daniels Band's song "The Devil Went Down to Georgia." For some reason, when staring into a big pile of sculpey, the sketch popped into my mind and this fella came into being.
There are some pretty clear changes between the two pieces. Johnny is now taking a more active role in the piece because the old pose, while funnier, was pretty boring. The smoke has become more stylized in shaping and color. Also, the shaping of the devil is a little different and the sombrero, vest and arm tattoos have gone by the wayside. The vest and hat were sculpted, but for some reason just looked goofy when worn. I blame it on this devil's less pointy head. At some point, I'd like to rig up some red lighting to come up through the smoke to shine on the devil's face.

I have another one of these sculptures that should be up pretty soon. So keep your peepers peeping.

Not-So-Daily Sketch: Samurai

2010-07-06T22:13:00.004-04:00

Pre-industrial Japan really knew a thing or two about snazzy head gear.

When you dream...

2010-06-06T21:17:00.004-04:00

...what do you dream about? Some people have told me the main character in this looks like a younger version of me, which is ridiculous. I don't wear flannel (ever), my hair always seems to have at least one cowlick, and I'm far less discrete about my day dreaming. I would have drooled all over my hand, causing my head to slip and slam on the desk by this point.

Here are some detail shots of the imaginary characters. I think they're enjoyable enough to warrant a close-up.

Bon Appetit

2010-06-03T21:06:00.004-04:00

Why not continue the food theme?
I've spent a majority of my summer sitting on my porch, sipping lemonade or coffee (depending on the time of day) and doodling around to keep my mind busy during the great job hunt. This image is a result of such doodling. If I were to ever write a cookbook for kids, this would be the cover.

Next time I have a picnic, I'm inviting an anteater. It just seems like good problem solving, and I'm sure they would enjoy the company.

Kiss the Chemist

2010-05-31T18:34:00.004-04:00

Sometimes traditions need to be broken. For years, my brother and I have given each other terrible DVDs as birthday gifts. Originally, the goal was to find a great movie for insanely cheap prices (Reservoir Dogs for $5), but as time went on, the goal switched to finding the most hilariously bad film available. Movies like Earth Girls Are Easy, The Super Mario Brothers Movie, The Godson, and Fern Gully now plague my DVD collection.

This past year, however, I decided to change things up and give my brother something homemade. He went to school to become a food chemist, and whenever people ask me what that is, I tell them he's a chef as an attempt to avoid explaining his real career. So for this birthday I designed an apron that took the typical "kiss the cook" idea and tailored it to his job title. Above you can see the finished artwork and below you can see the apron he received. As you can see, the multiple colors didn't make it on, which is due in large part to the fact that I have never silk screened in my life and after ruining a few aprons in sad color attempts, simple black lines seemed like a much simpler and safer way to go. Sorry, my brother refused to model the apron for the picture out of fear that he would develop a fleet of stalkers from this blog's RABID fan base.
Huge thanks to Rachel Dangerfield for guiding my through the process of silk screening. Without you, my brother would have simply received a box full of farts.

Maximilian P. Action: Alien Hunter

2010-05-19T19:24:00.005-04:00

Imagine the theme song to "Rawhide" played with a keytar and a saxaboom and then you have a soundtrack for this piece.

Here are some earlier concepts for the idea of "Space hunter."

Apt. B-1

2010-05-19T18:45:00.005-04:00

Let me start off by saying that this blog is not a sentimental nor emotional one. Never has been, and hopefully never will be. That being said, I'd like to take a moment to acknowledge a pretty big change in my life: I have graduated from college.
Now behind this door is where almost everything on this blog has been concepted and created. For the past three years it has served as my safe haven for painting, sleeping and drinking a disgusting amount of Mountain Dew. I'm now four hours away from that apartment and will never be inside it again.

It's an intensely confusing feeling...

I would just like to thank Columbus for being a fantastic city to wander around in, crazy homeless people for never mugging me (one of the most surprising aspects of college), CCAD for being an outstanding learning environment (I'm amazed what can be learned on essentially no sleep) and more specifically its teachers for being truly amazing human beings. Specifically, I want to thank Dave Groff (who, I'm pretty sure, will deny ever meeting me), Mike Boley (who, I'm positive, will deny meeting me), Mark Hazlerig (for being the only human to make a history class enjoyable), Steve McInturff (for pushing me to go weirder and weirder), Thom Glick (for having the balls to teach us as his first class and proving that there is no limit on how many elbows you can put on a human) and C.F. Payne (for driving two hours just to put up with our crap).

I would also like to draw your attention to the list of people on the right side of this blog. These are all freakishly talented people that I've graduated with and I cannot thank them enough for associating with me for the past 4 years. Especially Patrick Moore and Quinn Kellogg, without whom, I would have never returned to CCAD after freshman year's thanksgiving break. I never will properly thank you guys for being there (partially because I'm an emotionless weirdo but mostly because I'm sure I could never convey it properly). I couldn't have asked for better freshmen year roommates or better friends.

Thank you all for the memories, I hope that wasn't too gooey for you, and I promise the next post will have some actual art in it (since when are blogs for reading?)

Dear Lord, Internet. I've been found. Part 2

2010-05-08T22:58:00.002-04:00

I occasionally get bored enough to check the traffic on this blog, and when I do I have certain expectations. When the numbers jump drastically, I feel the need to do some snooping. Long story short, I found out that the always fun Super Punch blog mentioned my "Edward Sharkhands" piece in one of it's link lists. I mention this fact solely to give thanks to John Struan. Thanks John. So stop by his blog and show the man some love.

Now let's see what else I can slap shark-hands on.

Jumbo Size

2010-04-30T21:39:00.002-04:00

Fun Fact: The amount of food consumed by the average American in his/her lifetime is equal to the weight of six elephants.

This man is clearly living much more life than the rest of us...and apparently washing it down with a two-liter of wine.

James and the Giant Peach

2010-04-30T21:29:00.004-04:00

Giant fruit lands on skyscrapers while mutated, fully-clothed insects go on a grand adventure with a young, British boy. Sounds like another ho-hum day in New York City.
Oh and here are some concept sketches. There are actually far more bug sketches that are stashed away in some sketchbook because bugs turned out to be awfully fun to draw. Little boys? Not so much.

Not-So-Daily Sketch: NOM NOM

2010-04-29T17:37:00.003-04:00

It's been a while since the last post, but I have a fairly good reason: I only have one week of school left. So pretty soon there will be all kinds of finalized projects ripe for the postin'. Until then, I hope this sketch will hold you over.

Dhalsim

2010-04-11T23:45:00.003-04:00

This is another Sketch 2 Death deal. We're all doing Street Fighter characters and Dhalsim is my contribution. Check out the blog to see what everyone else comes up with.

So what are YOU doing tonight?

2010-04-09T18:33:00.004-04:00

Are you sitting at home being a giant loser with nothing to do on this lovely Friday night? Well, if you're in the Columbus area, I've got some last minute plans (the best kind of plans) for you! If you want to have some fun (and your idea of fun is standing in a room of awkward Illustration majors in collared shirts) you should come to the CCAD Art of Illustration show on the second floor of the Canzani Center. If you're not in Columbus or think you have something more important to do tonight, don't worry your delusional little head, the show will be up through April 17th. So come support some very talented artists and give your eyes something yummy to gawk at.
If you're a follower of the blog, you may recognize these two pieces from me...or maybe not...WHO KNOWS!

Winter Olympics 2

2010-04-06T23:41:00.004-04:00

This is part two of the series of illustrations I did about the 2010 Winter Olympics.
So who remembers the winter olympics? Anyone?
Well, I assure you that at one point, this was a pretty topical piece about the Pittsburgh Penguins being split up between different countries' hockey teams during the games. As a fun side note, if you attempt to put a human face on a penguin's body, it will haunt your dreams for months.

Donate!

2010-03-27T13:10:00.002-04:00

Let me just say that I STRONGLY encourage people to donate to worthy charities and help the less fortunate. I would also like to say that you should do research and know where your money is going, otherwise you could wind up supporting something like this...whatever this is.

On a side note, who just throws a perfectly good ice cream cone on the floor? Outrageous!

Afternoon Tea

2010-03-25T16:29:00.003-04:00

Not to be confused with high tea or morning tea...
clearly.

Billy Goats Gruff

2010-03-24T16:15:00.003-04:00

This is an illustration for one of my favorite folktales that was done sometime last semester. Something about an ogre and goat involved in life and death negotiations is just delightful.

Not-So-Daily Sketch: 'scuse me

2010-03-22T14:37:00.003-04:00

Another Sketch 2 Death deal. Some finished work should be headed blog-wards soon.

Winter Olympics 1

2010-03-15T21:33:00.003-04:00

I recently got an assignment to do two illustrations about the 2010 Winter Olympics and this is the first one. The concept was to show Shaun White in a way that would apply to a young crowd. So here he is (noodle limbs and all) showing up some wannabes in the Canadian mountains. Stay tuned for part two (IT HAS PENGUINS!)

Edward Sharkhands

2010-03-08T00:29:00.002-05:00

For some reason this makes me think about the episode of Seinfeld where Jerry cheats on his barber with his barber's nephew. "What are you gonna do on the toilet with sharks for hands?!?!"

Not-So-Daily Sketch: Giga-whazzit

2010-03-03T00:25:00.003-05:00

what the crap is a right click?

The Cap'n

2010-02-28T23:12:00.004-05:00

I have an oddly large amount of childhood memories of Captain Crunch cereal. I remember being sick with a fever and I couldn't sleep so I got to eat Peanut Butter Crunch in the middle of the night (which seemed so cool for some reason) and I remember going to my grandparents house around Christmas and my grandmother would make a special note to buy Christmas Crunch for my brother and me to eat when we woke up. Anyway, the point (I guess) is that there are few breakfast foods that I treasure more than the Cap'n (so close, Scrapple), so when I got a class assignment to design the back of a cereal box, it was an easy choice (suck it, Frankenberry).

Oh and the contest and online game mentioned on the box are made up so don't bother looking for them.

Something else I should probably note, it's been 20 days since my last post. I'm not happy about that. A large chunk of it is because my computer was in the shop, but most of it is because I've been lazy. So sometime in the near future I'm hoping to get back into the swing I was in over the summer and posting something new on here every other day (I'm not about to promise a sketch-a-day deal because I don't want to flat out lie to you...fib maybe, but not lie). So be on the lookout for that.

RODEO!

2010-02-08T23:43:00.002-05:00

Our first project for Thom Glick's Illustration Workshop class was to create a character based on the idea of "rodeo" and this was mine. You can check out what everyone else in the class came up with HERE.

We were later told that we will have to use this figures in a piece about the situation in Haiti...I'm so very, very screwed.