Dragged Under... In an antique diving suit

Here's another quick dealio for the More tentacles blog. Antique diving suits are funny. Really funny.
Of all the ways to die... I think being dragged down to a watery depth would be horrifying. Probably less painful than some other options like if there was an alligator involved, but definitely horrible. Water deaths and I don't get along. Anyway... the More Tentacles blog is open to anybody... amateur or professional. All submissions are welcome!

... I thought I had something else to type here... but i didn't. Though, I guess the fact that I just typed all this proves that wrong. Kind of like saying "I have nothing to say here".

Is it true?

Is it false?

Does anybody read this blog?

I Only Have Eye For Ewe

First off, I am so, so, so sorry for the horrible pun of a post title... but I couldn't resist it.

Anyway... I decided to finally do an illustration Friday... the theme was wool.

So yeah... more coming soon.

Not a Dalmation... it's a Squid-Alien in a Robot Suit

for my one-hundred and one-th post I really should have drawn some form of Dalmation... but I didn't. Call me Cruel...a (or not, she was pretty obsessed by them).

Anyway... this is a sad Squid-Alien in a Robot-Suit... I don't know why he's sad... you tell me.

I did this for the More Tentacles art blog... go check it out... it's weird like me.

100th Post! the Alligator process

wooooooot! it's my 100th post! and to celebrate I am going to post the steps of the Gator Memoirs piece.

Step 1 - First I came up with some ridiculous idea, like two rosters playing space chess (ooooo, now I'll have to do that one later.) or in this case an alligator typing his memoirs. then I did a sketch using Faber Castell brush pens and a white pastel pencil on Bogus Recycled Sketch Paper (that is really what it is called) and took a cruddy picture of it. My main concern was value and composition at this point.

Step 2 - I took it into Photshop and refined the drawing (lines). Using my secret technique of tracing...

Step 3 - Using a few layers in photoshop, I put down blocks of color. I mostly used the value of the original sketch and just laid down solid colors under a Vivid Light layer (that process changes a lot depending on the project)

Step 4 - Next I added shadows with a multiply layer. Yep... pretty straight forward.

Step 5 - I like to think of this step as the atmosphere and mood stage. Using multiply layers, levels, saturation, and other digital hocus-pocus, I create the mood I'm going for.

Final Step - To finish it off I went in and added little details (things like cup stains on the table) and extra highlights. This is the "cherry-on-top" step.

Anyways... happy 100th to me! and to you if you are reading this. I enjoyed this little piece and hope you enjoyed seeing the process. I'm thinking i'll put up prints for sale. Anywho... my process tends to vary from project to project but a lot of the same steps and methods are used...

And with this I bid thee farewell.

Troll Close Up

Right now I'm working on a somewhat larger piece, and loving it. So, anyways, here is a close up of a section of the in progress illustration.

I'll keep you updated as it gets closer to being finished.

If you have any questions about freelance work or would like a quote send me an email.

Alien Abduction... of salt shaker

Yeah... this is weird. But my brain felt it was on a roll. That little guy gives me the gibblies.

On a side note... go check out the tentacle blog for regular updates of some sweet, sweet tentacle art.