Sketchblog
things I say about things I draw.
On The Oatmeal, and Getting More Facebook Likes
07 May 2012
I was quite taken by The Oatmeal's article "How To Get More Facebook Likes" for its thought-provoking assessment of modern social media marketing strategy.
So taken, in fact, that I was inspired to take up pencil and tablet and create a tribute illustration. As per my usual, we've got all the staples of good graphic design here: cage-fighting nuns, Terminators, astronomical observations, proper dishwasher technique set to music, romance, and of course the first president of our great nation astride a bald eagle (not to be confused with my recent Crying Glitter Eagle for Regretsy.)
Slightly larger version can be found in my gallery.
If you're a stickler for context, though, you'll really want to head over to The Oatmeal to have things clarified in a more winsome and entertaining manner than I myself am able to provide.
Regretsy NYC Meetup/Petjapalooza Posters
05 May 2012
I'm a huge fan of Regretsy, self-appointed whistleblowers for terrible arts & craft sales on the internet. So I'm thrilled to announce that our names will be forever linked via my poster illustration for Regretsy's upcoming New York City Meetup/Petjapalooza.
Eagle-eyed Regretsy fans will recognize a number of recurring themes in the image; but Regretsy's own blurb sums the image up nicely:
Artwork shows Petja manning the helm of the Crying Glitter Eagle boat, chauffering the Hellephant, Level 4 Cat and Helen Killer to the pits of hell, or maybe Brooklyn.
If you're wondering how you can plaster your own home, office, or prison cell with such a marvel, you're in luck - a limited edition run of the 18x24" posters are currently in stock at Regretsy's online store for $20; you can also acquire one along with various other Regretsy paraphernalia as part of the Petja-Pack.
Postcards of the image are also available as sets of 5, 10, or single cards in my Etsy shop.
This was one of those projects so ridiculously fun that it makes people assume that "illustrator" isn't real job; the outpouring of kind words, poster purchases, and traffic to my portfolio from the Regretsy community has thoroughly warmed the cockles of my heart. Many thanks to you, Regretsy, and may your crafts always be whim[sic]le.
Full view of the illustration in my gallery.
03 May 2012
I guess that my last tiger-based piece didn't get tigers out of my system, because here are even more of them. I wanted to try designing a repeating pattern - something that could be used on fabric, stationery, extremely loud wallpaper, etc. The repeat isn't absolutely perfect, but turned out better than I expected for my hand-drawn first attempt.
The lower tiger is based in part on my sketches for Paper Tiger. I thought oranges would coordinate nicely with the color of the tigers, whilst ensuring their adequate intake of vitamin C.
You Can Cut Your Own Mats (I Promise)
27 Apr 2012
Having recently registered a few illustrations in the upcoming Bangor Art Society juried show, I found myself in need of 20x24" mats and frames for two 16x20" images.
This should have been the easiest thing in the world, since that's a standard frame size, but unfortunately I live in the wilds of Bangor, Maine and a day-long search through every craft and home dec store in the area turned up nothing. One or two larger frame sizes were available, but mats for anything larger than 11x14 were simply not to be had.
I'd never tried cutting my own mats before, mainly because I'd always heard what a difficult process it was, the thousand things that could go wrong, and how the only people who would attempt such a feat were the sort of rugged mad-survivalist types who build underground bunkers in which to stockpile canned food and live "off the grid."
From the Sketchbook: Mohawk Boy
25 Apr 2012
An illustration without a story: some guy in a hoodie.
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