Lance Fry's Blog

Secret Project Revealed!

2012-01-25T12:52:00.000-08:00

So, the book covers that I have been working on are close to being printed so I have permission to post one of the covers.

This is the cover for the first in the Third Grade Detectives series of books. They're short reads and intended, I think, for first graders. Not a bad read as far as first grade material goes. I'm only redoing the covers of the books and the inside illustrations stay the same (drawn by a different illustrator, not me). The publishing company I've been working with is Simon & Schuster, and working with them has been great! They're kind, understanding and polite. It's been a great opportunity working with them and I'm glad I can finally share this piece (though I finished this cover a year or so ago).

Enjoy!

Trekking Along a Year Later

2012-01-15T19:02:00.000-08:00

So I've decided that this story of the goblins in the snow will merely be a drawing and inking exercise for me since I obviously don't have enough time and desire to get these out in any timely fashion. A year. It has taken me a year to post a second page to the story. At this rate, I should easily have ten pages by the time I'm 40. What a goal!

Enjoy the drawings (I know I did. I inked these initially quite a while ago, and when I came back to finish the last square I was actually pleased with most of the inking).

Praying with Friends

2011-11-05T14:05:00.000-07:00

This is another illustration I did for Friend magazine this year. I believe it was for September or October. It was a fun assignment as you can see. I typically enjoy drawing peoples eyes, but since this article was about praying all the kids had to have their eyes closed. I still think it turned out pretty good. I've also been busy in my free time illustrating 4 book covers for a young kids book series. Once they get printed, I'll be able to post a few as examples. Hopefully they print sometime before spring, if not sooner.

Marriage and Death

2011-08-18T17:47:00.000-07:00

So after 6 months I finally found time to ink the comic that was posted back in February as a work in progress. Adding color takes even more time so I just stopped after inking. Nothing really more to say other than I wish I could post more, but I'm either too lazy or too distracted to find time to draw/paint or otherwise create something cool to post online. Thanks to those few who patiently wait for new posts though.

Long time no write

2011-07-01T10:51:00.000-07:00

I think it's obvious to everyone that I'm not an avid blog updater. Sure, I could have posted lots of things in the past 6 months, but with Facebook taking up most of that energy, this blog doesn't get much attention.

This here is something I did for the Friend magazine earlier in the spring. Fun article, semi-fun illustrations. This one here is actually a combination of two illustrations that I thought would go well together as one. Want the whole story? Go buy your copy of the Friend in LDS bookstores.

Hopefully I can be posting more interesting things more often in the future. Thanks guys!

Work in Progress

2011-02-15T09:55:00.000-08:00

This past month or so I've been working on a book cover and with my other job I haven't had a lot of time to do comics like I sometimes do. I was thinking I'd be able to ink and finish the comic by the end of the week or so, but I couldn't really wait so I've decided to post a work in progress version of the latest comic. When I do eventually finish the comic, I'll most likely post it next to the work in progress one so those interested can compare any differences between my rough pencils and my finished inked line. I apologize to any avid and patient fans who have long awaited for another comic.

Overzealous

2010-12-09T10:55:00.000-08:00

So I talked the talk, but I most definitely could not walk the walk. I'm referring to my hopes of making an online web based comic strip, similar to an online graphic novel. I had planned out several characters, story lines and enough material for this supposed comic to go on for a long time, but with a full time job that already had me drawing and designing all day, a weekly full page comic was really not feasible to fit into my schedule. As much as I wanted it to happen, I don't think it will. If anything, I'll at least make a more dedicated website for my gag type comic strips that I already post on this blog. If I don't have time for a fully rendered and executed comic strip then I would at least make some sort of quick and simple comic just to get out the various ideas I have but never have time to do. Stay tuned for a slightly less zealous attempt at a weekly web comic sometime in the future...Or not.

Oh, and here is the first page of the graphic novel type of weekly web comic I started. Sucks to read an unfinished story, I know.

My Spin on Goblins

2010-09-22T12:26:00.000-07:00

Here is a neat little drawing I took from my sketch book, inked and colored. I recently bought some new ink and paper for inking comics and I'm must say I'm quite pleased with the results. This was more of an experiment to practice inking, but I think it turned out well. I should be posting more experiments soon. Also, this character will be one of the first in my up and coming web comic (though he'll play only a minor role).

At the Mercy of the Alarm Clock

2010-09-05T11:11:00.000-07:00

Have you ever woken up in the morning feeling so refreshed, so awake and so ready to conquer the world only to realize it's way to early to be thinking about those sort of things? I know I have. Sometimes we wake up with great ambitions and goals to accomplish a lot that morning, but when we never make it out of bed in time, we never accomplish much. Kudos to those who wake up at ridiculous hours of the morning to get things done.

On a side note, I haven't used a traditional alarm clock in over 2 years. My method of waking up now is my phone's alarm clock which is really just hearing the theme song from Smallville every morning. It may sound weird, but it works.

On the Drawing Board

2010-08-25T13:22:00.001-07:00

I don't sketch as much as I should, let alone post what I do to show my friends. I've had a few friends and lots of people I admire who have created and sustained a weekly web comic (some even daily). I think I'm done admiring and beginning to think I want to try my hand at it. Unfortunately a weekly web comic by me (in which I create any world and any situation) would not involve young single adults and their witty banter, even though I would still do those on occasion. I'll keep everyone posted, but for now enjoy these sketches which may or may not have anything to do with my new web comic idea.

Samurai Lion

2010-07-01T18:56:00.000-07:00

So a long time ago there was the theme of "brave" on Illustration Friday. Being my lazy self, I started this little sketch back then but never finished it. Two months later I finally sat down and finished it so that I could post it on this blog. And of course nothing says "brave" like a samurai lion. He's king of the jungle and of the katana. Boo-ya!

Vague Dating Speech

2010-06-20T08:09:00.000-07:00

Finally, after months and months of no comics I can finally post a new one. I really don't give myself enough times these days for comics and other random illustrations. When I'm not working my full time job, drawing and comics are sometimes the last things I want to come back to after a long day of designing. Usually when I'm done working I just want to play, run errands, hang with friends, or bake delicious goodies.

May Friend

2010-05-12T19:30:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I've posted anything of relevance. I was hoping to post a comic or some random illustration, but I'm too lazy and busy with regular work to accomplish that. Instead, I'm posting some illustrations I did that were published in the May issue of Friend magazine. The article is about how to prepare for a talk. As illustrated, you can see that studying the topic out in your mind and praying about it always helps. I'll try to post another illustration soon.

Not the Competitive Type

2010-02-20T08:33:00.000-08:00

It's always a good idea to get outside every once in a while for some exercise and fresh air. A lot of people like to play games like basketball, frisbee or even soccer for their source of exercise. Many may know that I am not a huge fan of competitive sports or sports in general (mainly because I suck and lack coordination). This comic came about while talking with a friend of mine about excuses people give (myself included) when they don't want to join in and play sports and games. And yes, you will most likely be called a poor sport or a wet blanket if you don't join in. Get use to it.

Face to Facebook

2010-02-08T14:29:00.000-08:00

Working from a computer all day long makes it easy to waste time on websites such as Facebook and YouTube. Because I frequent Facebook on occasion throughout the day, I've decided to post another comic featuring the popular social networking website (and time waster).

(Disclaimer: This comic relates to no one in particular and does not necessarily represent the views of Lance Fry. Any similarities to people in real life, either in print or in picture, are purely a coincidence. All characters featured are fictional. We also will not be held responsible for any person who becomes offended or blocked as a result of reading this comic).

Life at the Gym

2009-12-07T16:54:00.000-08:00

People have often told me I'm slightly more observant than the average person. People have also told me that I'm weird and conceded. All of these factors played a part in developing the idea for this comic. I've had a membership at Gold's Gym now for almost a year and have subsequently entered a whole new world. For those of you who have never been to a gym, you're missing out and I don't mean on just the health benefits and the attractive people you may see. I'm referring to the overall kind of people you find at the gym. I'm not saying they're weird, rude, cool or bad just a different kind of people and all very interesting. Oh, and a tip for other single guys out there, the married ladies don't wear their wedding rings when they work out so be cautious when approaching.

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

2009-10-21T06:47:00.000-07:00

As some of you may have noticed, most of my comics are filled with solely guy characters and have very few female appearances. I suppose that is because I'm a guy and feel inadequate to be speaking on behalf of women everywhere. I apologize to all the lady fans who have felt neglected with only male characters gracing the presence of my comics lately, but that is all about to change. From here on out I'll slowly introduce female characters and give them a more vital role to play in the comics and perhaps create some female characters that actually have reoccurring roles. I think it's important to have a balance of male and female characters for lots of reasons. It is true that I have shied away from using female characters because I didn't want people to think I was poking fun of girls (which I did a lot back in college). Just keep in mind that anything the characters in my comics say can be said of either girls or boys. With that being said, please enjoy the comic.

A "What if..." for Fast Sundays

2009-08-30T16:08:00.000-07:00

(Warning: Read the comic before reading the following text!!) This comic was made with Fast Sundays in mind, obviously. I'm not saying anyone should invent flavored envelopes, but I think it would be hilarious if someone did. Not only would you avoid getting that nasty glue breath on Fast Sundays, but you'd probably have tons of people lining up to pay their tithing just to lick the envelopes. If these envelopes existed, my favorite flavor would have to be spearmint. Yum! (Also, I've added the same technique to this comic as I did to the character illustrations I've posted previously).

Character #2: The Blacksmith

2009-08-27T17:14:00.000-07:00

Here is now my second attempt at drawing, inking and coloring yet another fantastical character. This time around I decided to go with a much more masculine character, the good ol' blacksmith. The type you go to when your armor and weapons are in need of repair, and the person who can fix the busted horseshoe from your horse. Decked out in studded leather and medieval steal-toed boots, nothing stands in the way of this determined blacksmith especially when he has an oversized hammer in his hands.

Character #1: The Priest, the Healer

2009-08-10T07:57:00.000-07:00

It is time to reveal more of my "nerd" side by showing fantasy type characters I've illustrated from my sketch book. I'm a big fan of the blogs that are able to post a new sketch or drawing every other day if not everyday. It's fun, fresh, and admirable to witness artists achieve this task. As much as I'd like, I can't produce any worthwhile sketches even close to that frequency so instead I'm just going to post drawings of characters in no particular timed fashion. This way I can practice creating characters, inking them and then coloring them in the computer. In a way it's an experiment so we'll see where it takes me. Don't worry though, I'll still be posting comics in the meantime. (I've now posted two versions of the same image. The one on the left has nothing special done to it. The one on the right has had some light texture and noise added to the colors plus the black line is more of a dark brown. What do you think?)

Facebook: Taking Over Our Lives One Friend at a Time

2009-07-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

I've been dying to do a comic that involves Facebook and hope to do more in the future. Cell Phones and social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter are slowly taking over our free time and integrating themselves into our everyday lives. TV shows and printed media, like comics, all use things like cell phones, internet, and other technologies in their content daily now. Remember watching those great shows like MacGyver where all you needed was duct tape and a pocket knife to solve your problems? Classic characters of the 80's never had need for things like cell phones and Twitter. Crazy how things change, eh?

Another "Friendly" Visit

2009-05-29T14:25:00.000-07:00

I was lucky to get another job from Friend magazine a few months ago. I really enjoy working with them. They're a wonderful organization and I love doing illustrations for kids. This time around I got to do about 7 illustrations to fill a double page spread. The illustrations were scenes of a little girl and her interactions with prophets from the scriptures. Really fun illustrations (at least for me they were)! Here are just a few (to see more check out the June 2009 Friend). Enjoy!

Cold Cookies

2009-04-14T11:31:00.001-07:00

Lately I have become excited again about cooking and more importantly cooking good things. One dessert I try to perfect when I cook is the iconic chocolate chip cookie. I've found a few good recipes, but continue to experiment and try new recipes and variations on each recipe. One thing I've discovered that makes my cookies taste extra special is keeping them stored in the refrigerator and eating them cold. I don't know the science behind this and I'm sure most people would think me weird, but don't doubt it until you've tried it. Fresh chocolate chip cookies stored and eaten while cold are delicious!

Go Team, Go!

2009-03-14T15:34:00.001-07:00

I've been meaning to post this illustration for some time. I was asked by a friend from my mission to help him and a friend of his with a new venture they're taking. They made a website called seatkarma.com, which helps pull all online ticket buying information into once place to make it easier in buying cheaper tickets for you favorite shows and events. It's a pretty novel idea and I wish them the best of luck. Anyways, they wanted some illustrations for the website and had me create this little guy. The style and such was by their request. It was something totally new for me to create something solely in Adobe Illustrator, but it was fun and a great learning experience. Plus, it's "March Madness" so anyone who follows that can appreciate a half naked man eating snacks and cheering for his favorite team.

"Eyes Up Here."

2009-02-14T17:31:00.000-08:00

Okay, this comic is based on a true experience that happened to me not long ago. A friend and I went to a late night show at a nearby theater, and as we were purchasing our tickets the girl at the register kept staring at my shirt rather distractingly. Finally she exclaimed something similar to the girl in the comic and had her friend come over to look at my shirt too. I felt like I was a walking billboard, and didn't know whether to hold still and let them keep looking or to move along and break the awkward moment that was developing between us. It was rather amusing though, because usually my friends are the only ones to comment on my weird shirts.

Mistaken Identity

2009-01-23T12:58:00.000-08:00

Nothing fancy to write today. The comic here is partially based on a true experience. I have a friend who claims to have had the same confusion as Brad in the comic does. It's hard to tell when he is joking or telling the truth about his ideas, but either way it makes for a great comic. I hear back in the day, people had the same confusion with Hayley Mills, who played in the original "The Parent Trap."

Unanswered Text Reminder

2009-01-10T13:06:00.000-08:00

Ever wonder why your supposedly best friend didn't respond to your text when you know they were doing nothing but sitting at home alone? Or perhaps you wish you could do something more to remind them of a received text than just a lame ring and a weak vibration from their phone? Well here is one idea I think would be ideal to "politely" remind your friends they still have an unanswered text that needs immediate attention.

Christmas Season Approaching

2008-12-14T20:55:00.000-08:00

I wish I had something witty to say to accompany this comic post, but alas, I do not. All I can think of is that Christmas is fast and soon approaching. I really enjoy the Christmas season, a time to spend with close family and friends and a time to think of others. Maybe if I get really ambitious I'll think of a clever Holiday comic to post in time for Christmas, but in reality probably not. Happy Holidays everyone!

A side not for the comic, I got tired of my sloppy large hand lettering so I'm experimenting with some new free fonts commonly used in web comics. Also, for this comic I used a brush for most of all the outside lines and a smaller pen nib for the thinner inside lines. I think it's a nice combo.

Are You Cut Out for Pumpkin Carving?

2008-11-01T13:29:00.000-07:00

Nothing really fancy to show lately in the way of illustration, but I did carve a pumpkin the other day. I've always wanted to learn how to carve fancy things on pumpkins like faces and other intricate images. Information on this technique was very lacking. After much searching on the internet though, I was able to glean enough information to finally try carving my very own face onto a pumpkin. I used a permanent marker that would bleed in order to transfer the image onto the pumpkin. I then used an exacto blade to trace the lines where I would cut so that when peeling back the skin it would have clean cut edges. I also used some cheap wood carving tools to help peel the skin off and carve into the pumpkin. Once all was more or less equally carved away I put a flash light into the pumpkin to know where to carve more away to create lighter spots. Most people at this point would carve all the way through to create the lighter spots on the face, but I was too nervous so only carved deeper than the surrounding areas. I think it turned out pretty good though in the end. I would suggest anyone try this technique if you can get a good lighted image. It took a long time, but was fun and makes for a great conversation piece.

Blue Shirts and Foreign Countries

2008-10-02T07:57:00.000-07:00

I won't comment much on this comic. I think its best left without any explanation on why I did it, partly because I forgot myself why I did it. So I officially changed the japanese character's name to Toshiro instead of Jo. I only had Jo because sometimes in school us lazy Americans won't put forth the effort to learn a foreign name like Toshiro. Instead we would replace their official name with something easier to pronounce like Steve, or Joe or David. I once had a friend in college who's name was Wey Yung. When I first met Wey Yung and asked him his name he promptly replied, "my name is Steve." I could tell right away he was not American and he definitely didn't not look like a Steve. Come to find out the school decided to call him Steve because they thought Wey Yung (pronounced "way young") was too hard to say.

On another note I leave for Croatia/Slovenia in a little over a day. Croatia is where I served my mission many many years ago. Unfortunately I didn't take many pictures so this trip I will be sure to take several pictures. It should be a great trip! I'm looking forward to it with much anticipation!

So...who wants to drive?

2008-08-19T21:05:00.001-07:00

We all want to take turns when driving each other to activities, right? What about that person who is always willing, yet who's car is always unavailable? Or the person who insists on driving by themselves unable to take extra passengers? Well this comic is for all you drivers out there who don't take their turns in driving the rest of us! But in all honesty I don't mind driving. It's nice to be able to leave an activity when you want.

Another Friendly Illustration

2008-08-07T06:51:00.000-07:00

This is the second illustration I did for the Friend magazine (August '08 issue). I really like this one as well as the ones I did for July's issue. It sorta ended up looking a little like japanese animation, but regardless, it was still a fun one. Don't get me wrong, I love a good anime cartoon here and there, but I think most Americans generally find japanese cartoons weird. Speaking of anime though, I've recently fallen into addiction with the series Naruto. It's a show with plenty of action, suspense and lots of awesome ninja-ness! "Believe it!"

My Friend the Friend

2008-07-06T16:25:00.000-07:00

Finally I can post about those mysterious illustrations I did not too long ago. They were for the Friend magazine. Here is a picture with me holding the magazine and below that are some of the actual illustrations themselves. Working with the Friend was really great. They're very professional and the assignment I did for them was a fun one so no complaints here, just praise. I hope sometime in the near future I'll be able to assist them once again. My friends Mike Laughead and Dani Jones have also had things published in the Friend as well. You can check out their blogs through the links on the right. My friend Brandon Dorman has also done stuff for them, but I see more of his stuff in the Ensign. All accomplished illustrators. Great work guys! And thanks to everyone who liked my stuff.

A month of Sundays...

2008-06-01T09:22:00.000-07:00

Two months between posts seems like a "month of Sundays has gone by." My mission President always liked to say that. It's a funny saying I suppose. The comics I do are really just reasons to post new images and talk a little bit about myself and my comings and goings. I'm still living large in Orem, Utah. It's an amazing place, I really do enjoy it here! The ward I'm in is amazing, the people I meet, my friends, are amazing and the work I do, my job, is super amazing! No complaints yet so far. Everything is pretty amazing all around. I've since moved out of my brother's place and found a place of my own. It's a one bedroom apartment, cozy, simple and yet sufficient for all my needs (except an oven, my oven needs won't be met). I continue to buy new things here and there for my apartment. I already got the basics though like a TV and Nintendo Wii. Other than that, it's hard to think what else my apartment "needs." As for the comic strip, this is an idea I've had in my sketch book for a long time actually. Since I wasn't getting any better ideas for anything new, I just went with an old idea and I think it turned out alright. On a side note, the mystery illustrations that I did for some companies down here should be in print at the end of the month, meaning I should have some sweet new posts later on.

The Bad Little Toaster T-Shirt

2008-04-08T06:56:00.000-07:00

Hey there people of the world! My t-shirt design for Threadless.com is finally in the running! What does this mean? It means you need to follow the link and vote on my shirt. I did one awhile back, but unfortunately it didn't win nor did it get printed. That's okay. That just means I keep trying out newer ideas and submissions. I really hope this one at least does better than the last one. Thanks for all those who helped critique it and for those who will vote! Help support the t-shirt industry!

On the Horizon

2008-03-24T14:52:00.000-07:00

A lot has happened this past month. I've moved to Utah, found a job and bought an iPhone. I'm not sure which one is cooler. The iPhone is pretty kicking. For all the tech geeks out there that have a hankering to see the newest in cool gadgets just go down to AT&T and check out they're interactive hands on demo versions of the iPhone. If playing on the demo version isn't enough, then just buy the real deal like I did. Apparently the iPhone is a status symbol for the wealthy (which I'm not so I've confused quite a few people). I've also done some pretty cool illustrations in my free time, but since they're not in print yet I can't post them just yet. So like always I'll just post a comic (which I hope everyone "gets") to fill in the gap between now and the next illustration post. Peace out (and Happy 50th Anniversary to the peace symbol)!

A Sad Confession

2008-02-29T10:12:00.001-08:00

For those of you who don't know me, I love to play video games. For the past year or so I've been playing the highly addictive MMORPG game, World of Warcraft (or WoW for short). I'm not going to promote the game here, just mentioning it to preface the posted comic. Blizzard, the producers of WoW, host monthly comic contests on their website. The comic must be somehow related to WoW. The posted comic here is my entry, that so far has not won. Since they probably won't ever post it I thought I'd at least post it here for my own enjoyment.
P.S. - For those of who don't play the game or know anything about it (which is probably everyone who reads this blog) I apologize for the foreign content.

YSA Comic #6, Phone Number Change

2008-02-15T10:34:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! I've just posted the latest comic I've been working on. This comic has nothing to do with my personal experiences whatsoever. I still have my original phone number way back from when I first got a cell phone. I've just often wondered why people would change their cell phone numbers.

My birthday was not too long ago and that was exciting. I'm 27 now (so old, I know). I did get a new pair of shoes and a new jacket though, so that was pretty sweet.

Phone Licker!

2008-01-22T20:35:00.000-08:00

YSA comic #5 here. This one was inspired by a good friend of mine who actually licks her phone to clean it (disgusting I know). But she isn't the only one with this habit. Apparently there are several people in the world today who use their tongues to clean their phones. Are you a phone licker?

Vector Crabs

2008-01-18T11:17:00.000-08:00

As a continuing project with the crabs, I was asked to make vector versions of some of the crabs to be put on a banner. So I went to work in Adobe Illustrator and produced these lovely little crabs. The lines for the crabs are converted ink lines I made using the program Inkscape. It's a fun program to mess around with. Check it out!

Crab Fest!

2008-01-08T21:36:00.000-08:00

At last, an illustration piece to post! This is from a project I did for a graphic designer friend of mine. It's going to go on a postcard inviting people to a Portuguese Crab Fest, hence the crabs. It was done in my normal style of ink and watercolor. Hadn't done this kind of thing in awhile so it was nice to ink and paint again. I had fun doing it, hopefully you all enjoy it.

YSA Comic#4

2008-01-02T14:45:00.001-08:00

I swear I'm doing other things than just comics, but the turn around time for a comic is so much faster than illustrations and such. I like coloring the comics in Photoshop now because its good practice. I have a few books with tips on how to color comics so doing these YSA comics is a good way for me to try out the skills. I hope someone out there is enjoying these. I'll post my other finished projects soon. Hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Years!

YSA Comic #3, in COLOR!!!

2007-12-18T11:18:00.000-08:00

I've actually been working on some paying illustration jobs, but until they're done I wanted to post another young single adult comic I did awhile back. I'm experimenting with line and coloring comics in the computer. Lately I've been using non photo blue pencil and then scanning the inked lines at 600 dpi in line drawing mode, and the blue lines don't even show up at all. It's a cool trick I discovered from my friends and from my tricky little scanner.

When a Lime Loves a Lemon...

2007-11-30T15:00:00.001-08:00

I've been messing with converting .jpgs into vector art using Inkscape. As a result, I came up with a vector art version of an illustration I did earlier in the year. Obviously there was some tweaking done. The design is now on a t-shirt to be voted on at threadless.com. Please follow this link and vote for my t-shirt. I could win cash and prizes people! Support my future, vote for this shirt!

Sibling Caricature #5

2007-11-09T11:14:00.000-08:00

At the beginning of the year, I decided that for all my siblings' birthdays I would make them a portrait caricature of themselves. Some of the ones I did didn't turn out like I would have waned, but this one seems okay. Normally, I don't post these pictures before I give the sibling the actual painting, but this brother saw the sketches and everything already so I don't think there is any harm in posting this image now.

YSA Comic #2

2007-10-30T09:26:00.000-07:00

I continue to try and flesh out ideas for great comics about young single adults. Of the ideas I had in my sketch book, I liked this one the most. In reality, I don't think it's even a bad idea for a calling. Think about all the people that would go to activities if they were texted the information on their cell phones every week. It's funny yet profound at the same time. I've also included the rough sketch that I made the comic from so you can see what I went from.

YSA Comic #1

2007-10-17T10:48:00.000-07:00

I'd like to mix up my work with illustrations and comics. For those dear friends of mine who actually read this blog, I'll let you in on a little dream of mine. I think it would be cool to illustrate a comic book aimed at Young Single Adults and their quirky yet exciting lives. Ya know,something you might see in Deseret Book Store. I could see it.

A Day in the Life of a Donut Man

2007-10-12T10:35:00.000-07:00

Ah, another final illustration after what seems like forever. It'd be neat to make a series out of this character and out of the ostrich cowboy characters. I left space for what could be type in the top right corner. Again I used 140 lb. watercolor paper, Sepia ink, and watercolor. I did a thin wash of an off-white, yellow kind of color to begin with so that things were sort of harmonized, and then went from there. I hope it looks good.

A long break and some sketches...

2007-09-18T08:14:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I know, it's been like forever since I've posted something. I've been busy working part time jobs and chasing women, which surprisingly takes up lots of time. Honestly though, I need to do more final pieces. I'll try to have some posted soon. On a separate note, I was in St. Louis on Sunday and that was fun! I got to see the Arch and a Rams tailgating party. Woo hoo!

Illustration Friday: Open

2007-07-18T10:11:00.000-07:00

Nothing says open like the open range! Of course, most people don't think of a wild hog farm being managed by ostrich cowboys when they think of the open range. I did this awhile back, in sepia ink and watercolor on 140 lb. arches watercolor paper. Enjoy the open range ya'll!

Oh, and don't forget to vote for me in the Forums for the competition!

Snail like progress

2007-07-11T13:54:00.000-07:00

Surely but slowly I progress on my painting. I've been sick the past week so I haven't moved much, let alone got up to paint. Here is the color comp I did today in preparation for my final painting. I hope I can make the painting as fresh as color comps and sketches....sigh.

On the Drawing Board

2007-07-03T08:04:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I've posted anything new. This is a near final sketch of something I have been working on. I'm still looking for work and making illustrations and this will hopefully be something that can aid me in that attempt. Enjoy!

The White Rabbit

2007-05-31T12:10:00.000-07:00

I'm a big fan of the book, Alice in Wonderland. For fun I've been recreating the illustrations in the book with my own style and this is the first one I did. Let me know what ya think!

Illustration Friday: Citrus Love

2007-05-16T20:05:00.000-07:00

This is a post for Illustration Friday and the weeks theme was "citrus." I didn't plan on doing anything for this theme but I had a funny idea about lemons and limes always coming together to make great tasting soda pop so I had to make this image. I hope it speaks for itself without me having to explain it. Enjoy it either way!

Batter's Up!

2007-05-15T10:28:00.000-07:00

I did this simple little illustration again for fun and for my website/portfolio. I appreciate the help and comments from friends who visit my blog. Keep the constructive criticism and helpful comments coming! Enjoy!

Just for fun

2007-05-07T18:15:00.000-07:00

I can never wait til I draw something big to post it, so I'm posting a little sketch I did today just for fun.

Look Ma, No Ink!!

2007-05-02T16:10:00.000-07:00

This image comes directly from my watercolor sketch book which sadly doesn't get much attention. I drew it with pencil and colored it with watercolor. The paper was also extra rough, hence the extra texture in the image. I usually use ink to draw my lines so it was nice for a change to try something different.
Oh and for those looking at this from Illustration Friday, "remember" those really cool stone lions from China? I don't, but I saw one once in a movie.

Illustration Friday: Fortune

2007-04-12T19:02:00.000-07:00

I actually had this posted for the evening of last Thursday for "Green" but since it was posted for so short a time, and it fits this weeks topic, I wanted to keep it posted for one more week. I executed this image mostly in watercolor, a little bit of colored pencil and some tweaks made in photoshop and it didn't take me more than a week to do it.

Illustration Friday: Ah...Snap!

2007-04-02T17:05:00.000-07:00

Nothing says "snap" like a bunch of polaroids!

Illustration Friday: I Spy...

2007-03-23T15:40:00.000-07:00

Because I can rarely make a new illustration within a week, I've decided to post another "old" illustration. Besides, I couldn't pass this one up with a topic like "I spy." Enjoy!

A little work

2007-03-14T16:00:00.000-07:00

This is an illustration I did for an international business who's headquarters are not far from where I live. I know one of the guys in charge and he tipped of some other people in the business about what I do. This little guy will serve as a kind of mascot for the companies newsletters. They also wanted a comic, but that idea didn't fly with the CEOs.

Illustration Friday: Hide!

2007-03-05T08:05:00.000-08:00

Another post for good ol' Illustration Friday here. This time I'm actually using something I've done before in the past. It's not even a digital piece, it's brush & ink with watercolor. For the extra ambitious, try to find the stuffed animal rabbit, the guinea pig, and the rabbit with a carrot. Enjoy!

Illustration Friday: Communication

2007-02-27T08:51:00.000-08:00

This has been part of a line of experiments trying to do things digitally. The composition isn't the best, but I like the characters. Enjoy!

Experiment #527

2007-02-26T12:28:00.000-08:00

Here's another version. Which is better?

Experiment #526

2007-02-26T10:20:00.000-08:00

Here is the latest in my experiments with different techniques using digital illustration. I traced this figure in illustrator, and then overlaid on some textured paper in Photoshop. I'm new to anything remotely associated with this kind of technique. Any art fans out there, please critique me. Thanks!

Illustration Friday: Gravity!

2007-02-19T16:34:00.000-08:00

Here is yet another attempt for Illustation Friday. Enjoy!

Illustration Friday: Sprout

2007-02-06T14:33:00.000-08:00

This is my first Illustration Friday submission. Its nothing really to brag about, but I couldn't wait any longer to post something for Illustration Friday.

Piece by Piece

2007-02-02T21:10:00.000-08:00

So here is the big illustration I have been working on for that last little while. The actual size is 27" by 17". Since my scanner is only 8 1/2" by 11", I had to piece together 8 separate scans. I didn't think I could do it, but I did. Since its watercolor, the colors never quite scan as good as I would like, but its still pretty good.

The $500 comic

2007-01-26T07:18:00.000-08:00

I mentioned earlier that I wan a national award for best comic in a college newspaper, or at least the best of those that were entered into the competition. At any rate, I got an award that I thought had a cash award with it. I got the award, but there was no money. I waited and waited and waited, but nothing came. So after a few months I gave up, thinking it must have been some sort of mistake, but alas, I received a check in the mail just yesterday for $500! There was money attached to the award! I was pretty excited to say the least. Since I'm not currently pursuing comics right now, I think it's funny that I actually won money for this comic. So I'm posting it just to show people that this comic is worth $500. And to think, when it first ran in the paper, most people didn't think it was that funny. Honestly, I don't blame them. Ha ha!

Just a sketch

2007-01-19T17:09:00.000-08:00

These lil' pictures here are just sketches. When I was trying to figure out what the people in Ancient China might look like I came up with these characters. I liked them enough that I'm posting them on the blog.

Dinosaurs!

2007-01-10T11:06:00.000-08:00

Here is the sketch of my latest project, or at least half of it. I have about this much inked in of the other half. I ran out of good ink brushes, so now I'm working on sketching anther scenario while I wait for the brushes. The other scenario that I'm working on is Ancient China. I'm pretty excited about that one. About this image though, don't try looking for Timmy yet. He's actually in the other half. But you can try to spot the "hiding" dodo birds. Its really hard to find these, isn't it? Not!

Portrait of a Sister

2007-01-04T10:27:00.000-08:00

Just for kicks and in case anyone actually reads these posts, here is a new image to look at. It's a cartoon of my sister and her two girls. Her husband is not in the image, because the picture was a Christmas gift for him. I think she intended for him to put the framed picture in his office so he can look at his wife and kids all day at work. It's a sweet idea, I know.

Did I mention the awards?

2006-12-28T09:08:00.000-08:00

Since I've graduated from college I've won a few awards from my work on Scroll, BYU-Idaho's school newspaper. The most recent and probably the most exciting was a first place prize for a comic strip I did last year. Somewhere on the website, it says that the first place winners are to win up to $1000 in prizes. Of course I didn't see a cent of it, but it was exciting for awhile thinking I might recieve something. I can't remember exactly what the other awards were for so check them out for yourself below:
Student Society of News Design
SPJ: Mark of Excellence Award
2006 ACP Cartooning Award

The Search Begins

2006-12-25T12:02:00.000-08:00

I'm posting a picture from my lame sketchbook. I mentioned ealier that I'm making illustrations for a "search & find" kind of book. I want a character that can stand out, but not too much. Anyways, so far I'm come up with this character who I call Timmy. I'd like the book to be called "Timmy in Time" or something to that affect. The first few pages I'm working on are Prehistoric people and dinosaurs. It will be awhile before I can post those illustrations. I'm working on finishing details for it and then I'll transfer it to some watercolor paper. I'll wait til I get a light box to transfer the image. I think I might get one for Christmas. The light box will make transferring images a lot easier. No more graphite transfers and no more mess!

Happy Holidays!

2006-12-18T11:58:00.000-08:00

In honor of the Christmas Season I'm posting a Christmas illustration that I recently fixed. Before, the background was lighter and there was no snow. It looked really weird. So now, I made the background darker and added snow. I hope you like it!

My Blogger Life Begins...

2006-12-18T10:56:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the small, small world of MeMyselfandI. I've been reluctant to start a blog because I really don't think that many people care to hear what I have to say. So in case there are a few that care what I have to say, this blog is for you. I don't have much to say right now. My summer job is over and I'm back in Ontario Oregon for kicks and giggles. Actually I'm working on illustrations that may or may not help me start a career. I'll write more later. This is just a taste.