The Blog of Artist Joe Bluhm

watch MORRIS LESSMORE free

2012-01-25T10:21:00.006-05:00

For a limited time, we have put Academy Award Nominated animated short film, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore on Vimeo and iTunes for FREE. You know how to find it on iTunes (to download, keep), but if you want to dive in for 15 minutes RIGHT NOW, here you go... and please share with a friend. We also have that cool iPad story app available, as well.

Thanks!

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore from Moonbot Studios on Vimeo.

Oscar Nominated

2012-01-24T11:28:00.003-05:00

This morning is a "pinch me" moment...

THE NUMBERLYS

2012-01-11T10:57:00.002-05:00

We are super-stoked that the App is out! Lots of games, lots of story, lots of film, lots of animation, lots of art, and lots of fun. I hope you try it and share it with a friend.

Download THE NUMBERLYS, TODAY!

The NUMBERLYS

2012-01-10T19:18:00.003-05:00

Have an iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad?

We've been cooking up something new here at Moonbot Studios, and it's available starting tomorrow (1-11-12) on the App Store...

www.NUMBERLYS.com

A sketch from 4 years ago

2012-01-07T14:44:00.002-05:00

I lived in New York when I did this little marker sketch. Seems relevant. Looking forward to hearing from the good people of New Hampshire, and other places.

App of the Year

2011-12-29T17:37:00.001-05:00

I can't help but be extremely proud... maybe that's not even the right word. Abashedly jubilant and calmly confident in instincts? Maybe that's it...

Moonbot Studios put out an App this year, called THE FANTASTIC FLYING BOOKS OF MR. MORRIS LESSMORE (modeled/titled after the short film, completed in tandem). I was fortunate to be trusted to creatively lead and design, as well as take on sole management responsibility for this App. That's not to go without saying we have an AMAZING creative team, and we couldn't have done this without EVERY Moonbot.

Another team we could not have done this without is the stellar TWIN ENGINE LABS, also of Shreveport, LA. Keith & Ken (owners/wizards), Nolan, Jacob, and the rest of the team were integral in programming my specific, demanding needs, and are all-stars.

But here's why I'm overly proud: the first UI, App, Storybook, Managed project, creative lead role... has been awarded App of the Year:

http://www.imagine-publishing.co.uk/news/251/apps_magazine_selects_fantastic_flying_books_as_app_of_the_year

Moonbot is amazing! Happy end-of-2011, everyone!

Sketch Tuesday 12.20.11

2011-12-20T10:11:00.001-05:00

(click to enlarge)
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RISE of the GUARDIANS

2011-12-17T16:21:00.005-05:00

I work at Moonbot Studios for William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg. They have been collaborating on a project for years, which Bill (Joyce) had brewing and stewing for nearly two decades. As you probably know, Bill will be releasing over a dozen of the GUARDIANS series books over the next 4 years, and that's not all...

DreamWorks is the wonderful messenger of this epic tale, in its big-screen side of things. I've been lucky enough to be around for Bill's sketching on much of this, before Moonbot was fully formed, and to see an article and new poster is bliss.

(click to enlarge)

HERE is a great review of the movie, series, and story. It is a HitFix.com exclusive, and I can't wait!

Another Fellow Artist

2011-12-02T19:37:00.003-05:00

A few days ago I talked about a former co-worker here at Moonbot Studios.

I mentioned being a "former-caricaturist" and I got some flack for saying that (rightly so). I consider, and always will consider, myself a caricaturist. It is not my primary focus over the last several years, however it is something you don't just STOP doing, after investing so many years passionately pursuing it. So yes, I am still a caricaturist.

Here is a guy who is also passionately pursuing his craft, the art of ANIMATION and storytelling; MIKE KLIM.

This guy is as talented as any I've seen in this field, and I am very grateful to have worked near him for a year and a half. He will go far, and I hope we work together again soon. Mike is missed here at Moonbot and missed by myself. He is on the west coast doing (surely) great work. This is the card we gave him on his last day:

See you at The Village, Mike.

GREAT NEWS

2011-12-01T17:25:00.003-05:00

I work as the Art and Story dept. lead at Moonbot Studios. From 2009 to early 2011, I worked with an amazing team on a short film (and led design on a subsequent iPad App!) called The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore. I was fortunate to be in a perfect environment for me, doing story, storyboards, concept art, environment design, character design, color scripting, miniature fabrication, maquette making, 2d animation and 2d character painting, texturing, background painting, and art directing.

(click that link!)

We just saw 1 of 3 hopeful pieces of news. 1 down, 2 to go... Hopefully I'll have a good blog post on January 24... fingers crossed!

Fellow Artists

2011-11-29T00:15:00.001-05:00

Working with fellow craftsman is exhilarating, refreshing, motivating, and inspiring. I'm fortunate to currently be in an environment where a lot of young and fresh talent is around me and hungry.

Too many names to call them all out, but today I'll share one. Every time a valiant member of our Moonbot team moves on, we have a tradition of caricaturing them. Being a former caricaturist, this falls upon my hands. It is always bittersweet.

Today I'm merely sharing one of these sketches with you. Animator Dominic Pallotta. A stand-up, talented man.

Post-It and NUMBERLIES

2011-11-07T17:13:00.005-05:00

We are swinging full on a big production here at Moonbot Studios, as well as painting a fully-illustrated picture book. With all this 'big' art being done, it's fun to take breaks to do 'small' art in my spare time. I've been doodling with a ball-point pen on Post-It notes during meetings and lunches.

Sunni Brown gave a wonderfully inspiring and fun TED talk on doodling and how it benefits the workplace/school. It's really great, and only 5 minutes long, so you should watch it!

Here is a snapshot of one of our story meetings last week:

(click image to enlarge)

Oh yeah...

and here's a teaser trailer to our next project.

.

Morris Lessmore DODOcase

2011-11-06T21:11:00.003-05:00

It was really fun illustrating and designing the DODO case sticker for the Morris Lessmore iPad case. If you've got an iPad, pick one up!

Get your iPad protected in Morris Lessmore fashion!

Morris Lessmore DODOcase for iPad

2011-10-20T13:24:00.002-04:00

It's pretty cool when a film we worked on and created from scratch is loved so much by book-binding fools who love technology (a perfect fit for us!), and even cooler when they are inspired to create an iPad case which looks just like Morris' personal book, in our movie.

Now for sale: The Morris Lessmore iPad DODOcase!

more sketching

2011-10-18T15:47:00.005-04:00

(click image for a closer look)

Here are a couple hipsters, drawn to warm up this morning, and for "Sketch Tuesday" at our Moonbot Studios blog.

new sketches!

2011-10-03T23:53:00.007-04:00

Hot off the press, drawn tonight, just for ye.

(click image for larger version)

BIRDS - you can't make this stuff up. AMAZING and ridiculous looking creatures, I am fascinated with them. There are a few subjects that I can't draw enough of, with various looks, personalities, shapes... one of them is definitely birds.

So. Blog silence. Yeah, I'm sorry. It's been so busy here in MOONBOT land. I've been traveling all over the globe for presentations, festivals and research. We've been cultivating our next batch of stories to tell the world, and we're really excited, so forgive me for the intermittent absence.

One last note: the iPad App of which I was lead developer and designer, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, is up for an ADOBE MAX Award! You have until 5pm EASTERN time to vote for us, so click here, scroll down to DIGITAL PUBLISHING and click on Morris! We really appreciate it.

more MAKING OF!

2011-09-01T10:59:00.000-04:00

The Making Of Morris: Part 6 (Full Circle Of Exploration) from Moonbot Studios on Vimeo.

MAKING OF morris lessmore

2011-08-02T16:10:00.003-04:00

We are putting out a 9 part series of the making-of "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" , one clip at a time on our website, blog, and Vimeo. Here is part 5:

The Making Of Morris: Part 5 (Lived In Look) from Moonbot Studios on Vimeo.

Part 5 of a 9 part series of " The Making Of The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore. " Expect Part 6 September 1, 2011.

COMIC CON

2011-07-16T19:38:00.003-04:00

I'll be at San Diego Comic Con, once again this year. You can find me at table I-03 where I will be selling books, doing commissions and caricatures, and selling other little goodies.

How do you find me? Simply enter the hall, go back and to the right (towards the 700s), and look between the snack area and the bathrooms (a couple aisles away from the bathrooms).

I'm currently scrambling to get some resin toys ready (similar to last year), but I can't promise they will be ready in time, as I'm not a chemist... but I'm trying. I'm also looking to have a little ashcan sketchbook that I think a lot of people will be both surprises and happy with. More on that soon.

Lastly, you can scout me out to find out more about Moonbot Studios, my home for a couple years now, what we're up to, what we're about, our first iPad App (#1 on iTunes) and short film, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore. I was lead creative designer and developer on this project, so I know the ins and outs, will have the App with me, and ready to share with all.

Comic Con is super fun, and if you have a chance to stop by and say hi, or email me and tell me what table/booth you may be at, I'd love to check things out, visit, get a drink, and have fun with you. I may also be doing a signing at Udon's booth for their MEGA MAN TRIBUTE book (I was selected for that thing), so check that out as well.

MORE SOON!

review by THE NEW YORK TIMES

2011-06-30T12:00:00.003-04:00

ALA, Film Festivals, Comic Con

2011-06-23T11:48:00.005-04:00

This weekend is big for Moonbot Studios, William Joyce, Morris Lessmore, and thusly -- BOOKS.

The American Library Association (ALA) Conference is being held in New Orleans and the Keynote Speaker is my boss and buddy, writer/director/illustrator, William Joyce. Bill will be touting his new robust books series with Simon & Schuster, The Guardians of Childhood, as well as mentioning our short film and iPad App, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore.

We are quite proud of all this hard work, and it is not often that you get to look at a one-page of what a film is doing and how an independent, small project gets noticed... but in sending out our film poster for festivals, I had a moment of "wow":

I can't help but be proud to be a part of that.

In other news/update-landia, Danielle and I will be at San Diego Comic Con again this year! We will be in a slightly cooler section (closer to my buddies David Colman, Alberto Ruiz, Stephen Silver, Bobby Chiu...), and we will have new statues! We are in the sculpting phase of making casts and molds of some new resin toys. Hopefully Binkus will have a friend this year.

We will also be offering the usual:

...
Commissons
Caricatures
Original paintings
Statues
Exclusive sketchbooks (new!)
Hardbound books
...

I'm also going to be doing commissions BEFORE the show, by request only. You can contact me (email, twitter) and request a sketch. They will be $50 and you can easily pay via PayPal, then pick them up at the show. This is something I've been considering for a while... The time and demand of drawing caricatures at the show is big, and when fans want commissions or other sketches, I don't want to shortcut them (especially if they seek me out). So let me know if you'd like any specific request or drawing (other than live caricature) and I can put some good time into it before the show, then bring for you to pick up in San Diego.

(samples below - final 'look' and style can vary)

busy busy busy busy...

2011-06-14T01:10:00.003-04:00

Hey all-

I apologize for the lack of posts -- I've been painting, sculpting, designing, drawing, traveling, planning, writing, boarding... GAH. It's been amazing, but very busy. I'll have more art very soon and more stories to tell.

Very soon, I promise!

In the meantime, here is some inspiration that I use to get myself warmed up...

Florida Film Fest Q & A

2011-05-28T16:27:00.002-04:00

Just a little (mildly embarrassing) interview Brandon, Adam and I conducted alongside Bill Plympton at the Florida International Film Festival. Thanks to a big fan, supporter and indie filmmaker Jennifer Vargas:

...and there's more

2011-05-26T12:08:00.001-04:00

iPad App

Short Film

:-)

.

DOWNLOAD and WATCH Morris Lessmore!

2011-05-25T20:38:00.007-04:00

It's finally here...

You can now download our short film, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore! This project is very near and dear to me -- taking up nearly two years of my life and an amazing team at my new home, Moonbot Studios in Shreveport, LA... and you can finally see it!

CLICK HERE to get the film, and be sure to share the link and the film with others. I know you will enjoy this. And get ready for the App, as well (coming very soon...)

our film at STARBUCKS

2011-05-23T18:10:00.005-04:00

UPDATE:

NOT ALL stores will have this feature with their WiFi... The only locations that won’t have Starbucks WiFi service are licensee stores (stores owned by Target, Barnes & Noble, Airports, etc.). Please be sure to share these specific details with whomever would like to watch Morris Lessmore at Starbucks on May 27^th – 30^th.

If you have any questions about if a Starbucks is corporately owned or a licensee store, please call Starbucks Customer Service @ 1-800-23-LATTE. Their customer service is outstanding and very willing to help.

The Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) and Starbucks Coffee are teaming up to screen seven films, nationwide, during the upcoming 2011 festival, and we are among that small field selected!

So from Friday, May 27 to Monday May 30, you can pop into ANY Starbucks in the United States, log into their free wifi, and watch our short film, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, as well as a short behind-the-scenes making-of segment.

Make sure you grab your friends, grab a latte, bring your laptop, iPhone, iPad, Android, or any wifi device and watch the film!

Apple likes us!

2011-05-16T12:03:00.004-04:00

With the release of our new Interactive Storybook App getting near, Apple is excitedly sharing it with others at trade and promotional events as one of the top new innovative Apps utilizing the power of the iPad 2. Our App is set to release later this month, but for now you can read some kind words about it HERE, on the Silicon Valley Mercury News.

Here is an excerpt:

The other day at the Apple Store in San Francisco, team members offered this newspaper a sneak peek at some of the latest and coolest apps to come down the pike, including a few not yet released to the general public. Here are our favorite five: ... The problem with apps is that they increasingly defy description. Take this creation of Louisiana-based Moonbot Studios for example ... this app deftly weaves together the tactile with the emotional, leaving the user mesmerized by the journey.

Needless to say, we are super-excited and can't wait to share this new App with you. We will share when it is available on the App Store, so you can experience this new interactive experience! I am proud to say that I was the lead developer and designer on this App, and to have it being promoted by Apple before it's available is an incredible honor, and I'm sure you will LOVE it.

Making of Morris Lessmore

2011-05-09T22:18:00.004-04:00

For the next 8 months, we will showcase a portion of the MAKING OF our short film, "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" at the beginning of the month. You can check in at Moonbot's Website, or just come here. Once they are all online, we'll show the entire cut!

Here are the first two videos:

The Making Of Morris: Part 1 (The Power of Story) from Moonbot Studios on Vimeo.

The Making Of Morris: Part 2 (Animation We Cherish) from Moonbot Studios on Vimeo.

Heading to Florida

2011-03-28T15:58:00.002-04:00

Our short film, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore is showing at the 20th annual Florida International Film Festival in Orlando, FL.

You can RSVP to the Facebook Event, or check out the schedule and buy tickets on the FIFF website. There are two screenings, and you will get the rare opportunity to be part of a Q&A with a few of the filmmakers (myself, included!) back in my hometown.

Make sure you get tickets -- there are limited spaces, and you will have a GREAT time.

Royal Bangs

2011-03-07T18:04:00.003-05:00

Another quick musical break here on the art blog:

ROYAL BANGS are a band from the musically ripe town of Knoxville, TN - they have a great eclectic, video-game/indie-rock/metal/garage/dance sound that is rare, and wonderful.

They are currently touring and are great, live. Their third album FLUX OUTSIDE will be available March 29 and is promising to be great, based on the first track released, Grass Helmet:

Grass Helmet by Glassnotemusic

They are playing at SXSW in Austin, TX next week, and unfortunately I will have left Austin before they play (damn that work scheduling!) -- but you should NOT miss them! And if you live outside of Austin or cannot make the festival, they are playing LOTS OF SHOWS this year, so see their tour schedule and more over at their MySpace page.

...and no, they did not pay me to say any of this. They just rock.

More sketching!

2011-03-04T16:50:00.003-05:00

I've had some fresh influences lately. Just having fun and trying to get better.

Morris Lessmore unused art

2011-02-21T16:42:00.002-05:00

Here are just a few doodles in search of some answers on our short film, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore. These concepts (among many others) were NOT used, but helped us get to where we were going. Here's a little peek behind the scenes:

I'll show more of this type of stuff very soon.

FESTIVALS!

2011-02-16T10:58:00.005-05:00

Here is a link to the CINEQUEST film festival, one of the more exclusive film festivals, for animation. It takes place March 3rd and March 6th for animation, and it's cheap to get in. It takes place in San Jose, CA and should be fun. If you are in the area, support animation and check out Morris Lessmore!

A quick tour of MOONBOT Studios

2011-02-10T00:16:00.003-05:00

Here's where I've been camping for the last 5 months. I've been working at Moonbot and with Bill, Brandon and others for nearly two years, but our new studio has been complete for less than a half year, and it's an exciting place, every day:

MOONBOT studios Office Tour from Moonbot Studios on Vimeo.

SKETCHES!

2011-02-08T10:29:00.003-05:00

Here are some more sketches from this week. Just warm-ups and having fun.

We also started a Sketch Tuesday a while back, over at the Moonbot Blog - check it out each week!

Old caricature scan

2011-02-05T17:01:00.009-05:00

I promised a few artists in 2009 at the ISCA Caricature Convention that I'd put this sketch up for anyone interested, at a print resolution. I was cleaning my studio the other day, and found it!

If you are one of those pals who wanted it (or even if you aren't), here you go!

Click the image for hi-res.

Musical Break

2011-02-03T10:55:00.003-05:00

If you haven't heard of MONSTERS OF FOLK, they are Jim James from My Morning Jacket, Conor Oberst and Mike Mogus from Bright Eyes, and M. Ward from She and Him. Their new album is pretty killer, and here's a video music break:

TEDDY GETAWAY!

2011-01-31T23:52:00.002-05:00

Here is a cropped preview of a painting I recently finished for SPECTRUM submission. It is inspired in a way by one of our newest projects here at Moonbot. I'll post the entire painting soon... But I may want to tweak it a little bit and get it right. :)

More exciting stuff going on here at work, and I'll share it with you when I can.

WORLD PREMIERE of Morris Lessmore!

2011-01-24T11:52:00.002-05:00

I'm so stoked to announce that our first film at Moonbot Studios, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, is having its world premiere at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, in just a couple weeks!

You can check out the schedule on the SBIFF.org site and see all the cool contending films this year. We are in the "animation 2" qualifying category, and we hope you get to the festival and check it out!

Sketching

2011-01-06T10:29:00.006-05:00

Here are more recent sketching pages. Relaxing and brushing up on old man faces:

(click image for larger view)

and setting a goal with drawing ability for graphic novels, sequential art, illustration and storyboards...

Task 1= hands:

(click image for larger view)

These are all done with a light Copic marker then inked with a Pentel Pocket brush pen.

I'll post more Morris Lessmore design work and production art soon, as well as some other little things we're working on here at Moonbot.

Just on a random fun note, I watched Pixar's UP again last night... once again, brilliant.

2011

2010-12-23T08:00:00.003-05:00

I hope everyone has no regrets, looks forward with optimism, and has a great new year.

I feel as ready as this little new baby Moonbot!:

Sketchbook!

2010-12-20T18:58:00.003-05:00

Here's another little comp from a few pages in a new sketchbook. I'm just having fun and getting inspired by a few artists I'm currently checking out. Hope you enjoy (click to enlarge):

Morris Lessmore production art

2010-12-06T10:50:00.012-05:00

Even with a film as short as 12 or 15 minutes (long for a 'short film', I know) takes a LOT of creative people and a LOT of design and artwork.

At Moonbot Studios, we are fortunate to have the approach of hiring multi-talented artists who are willing and ready to wear many hats and tackle many challenges. I am lucky enough that I was hired as a storyboard artists, doing a majority of the boarding for this film, but also moved directly onto character design, production design, color scripting, concept art for environments and miniature sets, prop design, then textures, and even 2d animation.

This was an amazing chance to experience nearly every facet of the 'art department' of an animated production. I enjoyed all of it, and have a lot of artwork to share with everyone, but it would be far too much for one post here, so I'll parcel it out over the next few months, along with some tastes of what we are producing "after Morris".

I hope you dig... here's a first look:

This is the first quick 'paint' I did of Morris Lessmore. It was based on Bill Joyce's first pencil illustrations of Morris, but with a bit more cartooning and flow to it. This was sketched and painted in Photoshop.

Here is the sketch that influenced the final direction of Morris Lessmore's character design. We were going a much different route where he was meek, chubby and small-eyed, however Bill wanted me to get some more Buster Keaton in the movement and poses. So I sketched from DVDs for a few hours and this is the one that everyone latched on to enough to redesign him. This sketch is done with pencil and a Pentel Pocket brush pen and is no more than 4" tall.

These pencil sketches are concepts for layout and shots, done during the storyboard process. Bill had some specific shots he wanted and some he had sketched, some he had described. These are nothing special or sacred, just 2" wide each done with blue pencil in a sketchbook, scanned later for reference. It is nice to look back on these looser and 'smaller' sketches and see what it informed and what it did not. Either way, the small sketches are just as valuable to production.

I ended up doing a LOTTTT of prop design and the following orthographic drawings for the modelers and CG production team. I found that I have a specific eye for detail, and am very critical, so it came into play here naturally. These 'turnarounds' are essential, and while they are rigid, they are also fun to do. These chairs in particular, were actually not used in the film, but at one point, we had a place for them. Integrating these "William Joyce details" into each object, giving it unique character to this world, is really fun.

(click to view full size)

These are just a few panels from the color script. A few artists worked on the color script, and we all really enjoyed it!

Texturing characters and objects is essential. The color and surface of an object must be created by putting an image on it, that essentially is a 'wrapper' of color and surface properties. Here is just one of the many textures I created. This is part of the cover of the Humpty Dumpty nursery rhyme book character. You will really enjoy his part in this film.

This is part of Morris' design and breakout pages. Giving the animators a reference of poses and personality of movement is helpful, especially when we are specifically referencing Buster Keaton in certain ways. These are silhouettes of some of the poses drawn for Morris, and below (click to enlarge) is one of the full pose sheets:

I hope you enjoy seeing this artwork. There is a LOT more and I'll continue to share it with you very soon! In the meantime, check out the film trailer here.

Morris Lessmore trailer

2010-11-26T12:15:00.003-05:00

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr Morris Lessmore from Moonbot Studios on Vimeo.

MorrisLessmore.com

2010-11-12T11:00:00.004-05:00

With today's preview in Shreveport (tonight!!! make sure you come see it), we are launching MorrisLessmore.com! I designed this site earlier this year, with direction from co-Director of the film, Brandon Oldenburg, as well as the talented web developer Austin Meyers. It is ready for you to take in, see, love, and watch for updates on the film, clips, and appearances/screenings!

!!!

Morris Lessmore ART SHOW and PREVIEW!

2010-11-04T22:22:00.004-04:00

I am SUPER DUPER stoked to announce:

This coming Friday (one week away) we will be hosting a PREVIEW of (our) Moonbot's first short animated film, "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" here in Shreveport.

There will be a "making of" art show at ArtSpace, and when you get your ticket, that's also good for one of the five preview screenings at the Robinson Film center.

Last, this, and next week we are taking our time and attention putting together a beautiful show which will put you behind the scenes, share the process, and show you the art and work it takes to put together a 15 minute "CGiature" (cg animation + miniatures... I know, sort of a goofy coined term).

We will all be there, there will be food, art, miniatures, drinks, video, film, friends, and my parents! (blush) -- get info and tickets here, and come enjoy the evening. This team has worked so hard and the talent is immense. It is beyond a privilege to be working with William Joyce, Brandon Oldenburg, and many other craftsmen and storytellers. The talent is high, the result is fun, beautiful, magical, and I really feel this is the start of something big. I hope some of you can make it, and I'll see you there!

Watercolor Sketching

2010-10-12T18:21:00.001-04:00

Last week I had the fortune of helping start design on a new project, and I was using watercolor to create silhouettes. At the end of the day, I had the urge to sketch some animals, just for fun. These are just a couple of them. They were quick, but it really felt great to go at something with no agenda, no reserve, no client, no deadline... just sketching for an hour.

I'll have more sketches in the future, between projects, and I'll share what I can, when I can, what we are working on here at Moonbot. Talk soon!

The Anthology Project V2

2010-10-08T10:08:00.003-04:00

Hey ye all. If you have not yet seen this, check it out... it's called the ANTHOLOGY PROJECT:

Some hella-talented illustrators, designers and sequential artists put this together as a personal project. As you know, when it's a labor of love, it always ends up being among your best work-- this is no exception.

The Anthology Project is a beautifully designed, lush collection of comics from some very talented artists: Joy Ang, Nick Thornborrow, Connor Willumsen, Jeffrey Thompson, Kim Smoth, Christopher Ryzebel, Tom Rhodes, Matt Rhodes, Darren Rawlings, Chris Makris, Ed Kwong, Casper Konefal, Ben Huen, Christine Choi, & Sam Bradley.

The art is original, bright, diverse, incredibly tight, inspiring, and fun. Also, having published books myself, I can tell you that they went all out on the quality and design of this simple and wonderful little book (here's me with my copy!):

Anyway, check out this link -- they are looking to do Volume 2 via KickStarter -- you can pledge a little or a lot, and it helps fund this project. They are also being ultimo-cool about it, too, and offering copies of the book and other goodies to those who pledge. And if they don't get the moolah they need for the project, you don't owe anything at all. I think it's a win-win, so click here and at least watch the vid (for me)!

A SketchSnack

2010-09-22T10:54:00.005-04:00

I know I say it too often, but this past year-and-a-half, it's been true... I've been just too busy to remember to blog. I really need to make a habit of it, and it's my promise to you to I will soon get back to a podcast or two and some art updates.

The production of our first animated short film here at Moonbot Studios (yes, I'm still in Shreveport, LA) is going great and flying full-speed ahead. I can't wait for us to share this with the world, and share the art I created as my parts in this film production.

BUT FOR NOW - here's a little snack. I'll do this from time to time to keep this blog alive- sketches or paintings that I've done for fun, work, other projects, etc.

THIS first one is a pitch for a Bridgestone commercial earlier in the year. Quick warmup doodles of Fred Couples and Lee Trevino. The final was to be a caricature puppet commercial, but Bridgestone apparently got cold feet. That happens a lot. ;)

Talk soon!

SUPER Binkus

2010-09-09T20:48:00.002-04:00

It's been a while, sorry, we're in full swing at the studio. I'll do my best to keep up the bloggo. But for now, here's a look at SUPER Binkus!

For those of you who haven't heard, writer/director/actor James Gunn has enlisted Rainn Wilson, Ellen Paige, Liv Tyler, Kevin Bacon, Nathan Fillion, Michael Rooker and more for his new movie SUPER premiering tomorrow at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF)! If you can see it, go go GO see it, this one will be a gem.

Our little Binkus is painted to look like The Crimson Bolt, the main character of the movie. Danielle and I worked on the film, briefly, and it was a blast, so we sent this little guy as a present for James Gunn. This film is funny, twisted, and surely great, so if you have the chance, check it out.

BINKUS!

2010-07-19T14:29:00.004-04:00

So as I promised, here is a look at our new friend, Binkus :

Binkus will be available exclusively at San Diego Comic Con, later this week! It is a limited run (less than 30!), and this hand-painted, each-one-unique, poly-resin, 4" statue is going to be available at the Art Squared Publishing table (E-09). Less than 20 will be painted, and around 10 statues will be unpainted for you crazy artists who like to DIY or just be different (believe me, I understand).

Designer Danielle Griffith and fabricator Joe Bluhm (myself) will be there to sign, talk, BS, etc. Hope to see you there!

(a few process pics)

San Diego Comic Con Exclusive

2010-07-15T12:17:00.005-04:00

This is a little something I've been working on with artist and designer Danielle Griffith. Danielle designed this little critter and was kind enough to allow me to have a go at sculpting him.

His name is Binkus and you can meet him at table E-09 if you are in San Diego next week for the big show. Binkus is an exclusive, hand-made buddy who will only be found at Comic Con, at the Art Squared Publishing table, where you will find myself and Danielle.

We are currently pouring Poly Resin copies for you and your friends... we will keep updating with more shots of the process and the fun...

...hand sculpted, one-at-a-time molds, hand-painted... this is very limited and each one is receiving unique attention. We are considering selling blanks as well, so you can build your own friendship by painting and customizing Binkus. Let us know if that appeals to you.

Anyway, check back in a few days to see more finished pics of Binkus, as well as shots of the unique fabrication process.

My old art is on the Huffington Post???!!

2010-06-17T01:17:00.001-04:00

Haha!

*click, see first image

Why Shreveport doesn't suck

2010-05-28T11:21:00.003-04:00

Critters, UNITE!

2010-05-19T14:34:00.005-04:00

We are playing around with sketches and ideas for a local mural that will be born this summer, and it (of course) has spawned into new ideas, new characters, and a fun sketch. This is a collaboration between the studio (moonbot), ideas of Brandon Oldenburg, Bill Joyce, sketched by myself and painted by Adam Volker. This is not the actual mural image, but a part of the brainstorming process that may end up in it somewhere...

I can't wait to see where this goes...

RIP

2010-05-11T12:10:00.001-04:00

Missing TCAF

2010-05-05T15:05:00.004-04:00

Hey all-

If you haven't heard of it, and are looking for a great art/comics weekend, check out the Toronto Comic Arts Festival (TCAF) at the Toronto Public Library this weekend. It is the most sincere and incredible art and comics convention I've seen.

I have attended the first two and had a blast. Unfortunately a dear friend has lost a family member and I must stay to support them in any way they may need. So I will not be able to make the show, and I sincerely apologize. For those of you who are in Toronto, have a beer and a maple donut for me, and check out some cool stuff while you're there.

I'll see you next year, if not sooner.

Sometimes I like watching helpful videos from Experts online. These are helpful in helping me be a good artist, and may help you too

2010-04-22T12:02:00.003-04:00

Sesame Street contest

2010-04-10T21:16:00.004-04:00

My buddy Brian Haimes posted this on Aniboom.com - check it out and take a second to register and rate his video. It's REALLY catchy and perfect for Sesame Street!

CHECK IT OUT!

WOW...

2010-03-24T14:55:00.001-04:00

LIFE Drawing!

2010-03-02T01:44:00.004-05:00

The first figure drawing session at ArtSpace, here in Shreveport, LA, went GREAT. Here are some of my sketches from last week (click to enlarge):

STAY TOONED!

2010-02-25T12:55:00.003-05:00

Comic enthusiast and artist John Read has come out with issue 5 of his great publication, STAY TOONED! Magazine. The publication is clean, professional, and pays attention to cartoonists and comic artists. This time through, I'm honored to be a part of the issue and considered worthy of being printed on pages of such great cartoonists. John does a great job, and he does it ALL himself for the love of the art, so support him by subscribing to this truly unique publication.

My buddy Tom Richmond has been profiled, featured on the cover with his incredible illustration, and does a better job of running down what STAY TOONED! offers through past blog posts here.

Cartoonist Survey

2010-02-19T12:54:00.003-05:00

Over at David's blog, you can read a quick survey he conducted on myself and many other cartoonists. He's really building up a BIG list, some friends, some artists I admire, and others I'm just now learning about. Very cool idea.

Shreveportians For Drawing!

2010-02-16T10:40:00.002-05:00

YESSSSS.

Come one, Come all, Louisiana locals who care about your craft (or like to drink):

Doodlin'

2010-02-05T15:43:00.004-05:00

I haven't been drawing much since we ended our shoot schedule for the short film (catching up on emails, etc) but I'll be drawing a bunch this weekend and also doing a painting for some dear friends. In the meantime, here are a few doodles/sketches that I grabbed from my sketchbook, from December (click to enlarge):

What's keeping me busy:

2010-02-02T17:35:00.001-05:00

I know I've been absent here, but thanks for checking in. I'll be back to sharing what I'm doing and more, but for now what's keeping me crazy-busy is constructing and fabricating a miniature movie set with my cohorts here at Moonbot. It's fun, exhausting and educational... BRB...

MOONBOT PROGRESS!!!

2010-01-12T23:58:00.002-05:00

Check out test shoot footage of our miniatures over at the Moonbot Blog! This is what's keeping me working around the clock. :)

RIP David Levine (1926-2009) One of the rare Legends.

2009-12-30T10:36:00.002-05:00

NPR Story of a true Master.

Still working away!

2009-12-28T19:06:00.001-05:00

My Holiday break was great - saw lots of family, ate lots of food. But now is time to keep working hard on the first short film at MOONBOT Studios, so I'll be pecking away and blogging a little less in the next couple weeks. I'll post what I can, and say hi as much as possible... but for now, it's back to work!

Louisiana Happiness?

2009-12-18T10:59:00.004-05:00

I moved from New York to Louisiana, indefinitely, over 4 months ago. I was working freelance for about 4 months here, temporarily before that (puts me at about 8-9 months in this sunny state). Now if you know me, you know that I quickly and unexpectedly fell in love with New York city. I lived in New York for 3 years and it really feels like my true home. But why am I more productive here? Why am I being told that I seem happier with my work and my time here? Why do I have a more positive outlook here? There are surely a LOT of factors involved, and I have some theories... but apparently a big fancy-pants scientific, economic, and psychological study has revealed that I moved from this year's most UNHAPPY state to the MOST happy state:

Southern States Are the Happiest

6 of the Top 10 States in a Happiness Study Are in the South

Dec. 17, 2009 -- There may be something to be said for southern hospitality and sunshine. A new study shows that Southern states are the happiest while coastal rivals New York and California are at the bottom of the list.

Researchers ranked the happiest states (plus the District of Columbia) on self-reported measures of happiness as well as objective measures like sunshine, congestion, and housing affordability and found six out of the top 10 happiest states were in the South.

Louisiana topped the list, followed by Hawaii, Florida, Tennessee, and Arizona rounding out the top five.

New York ranked dead last at number 51 and California fared only slightly better at number 46.

"We have been asked a lot whether we expected that states like New York and California would do so badly in the happiness ranking," says researcher Andrew Oswald of the University of Warwick in Coventry, England, in a news release. "Many people think these states would be marvellous places to live in. The problem is that if too many individuals think that way, they move into those states, and the resulting congestion and house prices make it a non-fulfilling prophecy."

In the study, published in Science, researchers took a different approach in ranking the happiest states. Rather than relying solely on surveys that ask people how happy they are or economists' measures of quality-of-life data, researchers decided to combine the two and compare how the states measured up.

They used information from a 2005-2008 nationwide life satisfaction survey of 1.3 million Americans and a 2003 study with objective happiness indicators for each state, such as how much rain and sunshine each state received, number of hazardous waste sites, commuting time, violent crime, air quality, spending on education and highways, and cost of living.

When they compared the tables side by side, they found a very close correlation between how happy people said they were and objective quality-of-life measures.

"We wanted to study whether people's feelings of satisfaction with their own lives are reliable, that is, whether they match up to reality -- of sunshine hours, congestion, air quality, etc -- in their own state. And they do match," says Oswald. "When human beings give you an answer on a numerical scale about how satisfied they are with their lives, it is best to pay attention. Their answers are reliable. This suggests that life-satisfaction survey data might be very useful for governments to use in the design of economic and social policies."

==========

I know, I know... "poo on that, Joe... Us bitter awesome and badass New Yorkers can take on anything, especially those Republican redneck southerners, so whatever... we LIKE misery!" Hey... I FEEL you. I'm there. It's a bit of a surprise to me as well, but it comes at a time when I can understand and sympathize with these results. It is more of a personal (and frankly, coincidental) situation that makes me feel this way, but nonetheless I can't help but point it towards some other issues that are bothering me...

more (continued) on my LiveJournal blog...

New Year, NPR interview

2009-12-14T11:46:00.006-05:00

Here's a little peek at an illustration for our Moonbot company holidays card... I'll reveal the entire image once the card is out.

We were also interviewed by Red River Radio NPR correspondent and reporter Alexander Kent! Here is our local NPR interview, from last week...

Salvador Dali warmup sketch

2009-12-01T13:04:00.004-05:00

This was about 45 minutes this morning in Photoshop.

I was contemplating his mustache and decided to omit it from this sketch. I like the mystery of it... the humanity, rather than a 'character' that he always put on. He was so eccentric and character-like, and a large part of that was his 'costume', props, poses, expressions and his trademark mustache. I liked the idea of showing the human. Not hiding the expression though. He's so pensive, surely, while painting, I didn't want it to be mistaken for an 'artist' pose. This is somewhere in between, and I enjoy the simplicity of taking away his mustache.

This could almost be a death mask.

detail:

Sketch hour

2009-11-30T17:52:00.004-05:00

I've been working hard on an animated short film lately, handling character and prop design, so in between work and life I try to still give myself at least a couple hours a week to just sketch for fun and practice. This is my time to relax, watch television and just let my brain wander... sort of stretching my sketch-muscles.

Here a sketchbook page from one such session a couple weeks ago:

(these are Prismacolor markers and Prismacolor colored pencils on paper)

Mural COMPLETE!

2009-11-23T11:54:00.006-05:00

A local friend of MOONBOT is opening a new bar soon, which is promising to be a good time, and something artsy and new for the city... called CITY BAR. The design was consulted by my boss, my friend/coworker Adam and I. Adam and I designed and painted the mural at roughly 13' x 5', designed specifically for this space.

After a couple months and dozens of sessions pushing and pulling the colors, we are happy to say it is finished! You can check it out (if you're in the Shreveport area) this week, when CITY BAR opens its doors.

Also, drop in soon on a Wednesday night when they will be hosting an INDIE-NITE, with good indie rock and alt rock to dance to.

Sketchbooking

2009-11-18T12:56:00.003-05:00

Here are some recent sketches from my sketchy von bookus. I am enjoying the errant line of the pen and how charming it can be on its own. Sometimes small areas are nice in their simplicity:

details:

MOONBOT!

2009-11-13T11:25:00.004-05:00

Here is a new blog! More to come soon...

30 minute cool-down sketch

2009-11-11T19:53:00.003-05:00

I didn't get a chance to do a warmup sketch this morning, so after work (before heading home) I decided to paint the birthday sketch subject over at the ISCA members forum, Neil Young.

This is a 30 minute digital sketch. Again, trying to get loose with brushes, edges, and color:

Illustratioin Friday: blur

2009-11-10T12:41:00.005-05:00

The I.F. word this week is "blur" and that reminded me of softer edges, blurry edges, so I tried to spruce up my textures, edges and soft lights here with Photoshop in this 30 min. warmup painting.

You could also say that this is someone who moves in a blur... or at least he thinks he does.

ISCA convention

2009-11-09T12:03:00.005-05:00

Every year I forget what an amazing group of people this is, and what an inspiring event the convention is... and then I go and am reminded in a big way. So many friends and so much inspiration. It's an injection that lasts 10 months, and this past week in Sandusky, OH was no exception. Over 250 people gathering, drawing thousands of caricatures and paintings, sculptures and other art. I cannot recommend this group gathering enough to an artist even remotely interested in art of the figure and face.

Here are a few of the pieces I completed over the course of 3 days. I don't have good photos of all the drawings, but I am most interested in painting, and these were sort of a milestone for me. The photos aren't all that great, and I'll get more of them soon:

(detail)

This is a cool cat Canadian who makes this face all the time (10"x10", acrylic).

Illustrator Ed Steckley is one of my best friends... and he wears these boots (10"x10", acrylic).

Friends Andy and Nate on one canvas

Marlo Meekins. Those that know her... well, I hope you see it (24"x18", acrylic).

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Skinny Jeans

2009-10-30T11:36:00.002-04:00

I've been a bit slacky on Illustration Friday's assignments. Great practice group, and very inspiring while being challenging. Even if I'm reviving a sketch or old illustration that is fitting, it makes me think about how I can better sell that concept.

This week's word is "skinny" - I pulled a recent sketch from my sketchbook and refined it. This is called "skinny jeans". Coming from New York City, you see a lot of this fashion, and most likely will for years. Hope you dig.

Draw Sam Sellers

2009-10-27T12:51:00.003-04:00

That was the note in my "to do" list for quite some time, and finally it's done. Sam is a very talented artist, and I plan on drawing him again, just for good measure and practice, but here's what I came up with for now (11x14", Markette marker, Prismacolor Art Stixx):

This also got me quite excited for the ISCA caricature convention coming up next week. It will be a blast of art and fun, hope you will be there! It's not too late to buy tickets and show up!

Halloweeeeen busy

2009-10-23T10:00:00.002-04:00

I'd love to share more of what I've been working on for the last 7 months, but that will come in time, when it is appropriate. It's safe to say that it is exciting and you will enjoy it and the art it took to produce it.

In the meantime, I'll be sharing what art I can: sketchbook pages, caricatures, doodles, warm-up pieces, etc... but it's been so busy with so many different things that I'm just trying to keep caught up-- there is an art auction at the local gallery here in Shreveport, engulfed by a ZOMBIE PROM tonight, and we have been working on decorating skeletons for that. There is a new bar opening soon that should be pretty hip, and we've been painting a 13' mural there on and off, and we're also working on getting a new fun figure drawing session going at a good central Shreveport Location for all the students, artists and creative minglers here. On top of that, there are no 8 hr work days here, so we're keeping ourselves busy.

In the "news" department, I will be attending the ISCA caricature convention in Sandusky in a couple weeks. Thanks to all of those who donated, you have no idea how much it means to me. If you wrote me a note attached to your donation, I will reply soon, and if you have commissioned a caricature from me in the last year (or two, for some of you), I promise I will get to it very soon.

Another Moleskine scan

2009-10-20T08:30:00.001-04:00

Here are some sketches from a popular reference book for fun clothing and outfits, called "FRUITS", containing photos of Japanese fashionistas in the streets. It's really fun to look at simple gestures and poses with interesting fabrics and try to capture some of it.

Details:

PS, Thanks to those who have tossed a few dollars my way to help me get to the ISCA convention. I can't express how grateful I am.

another Moleskine scan

2009-10-15T15:12:00.018-04:00

Here's another sketchbook scan:

Busy busy, fun fun

2009-10-13T23:05:00.002-04:00

We've been burning the midnight oil, between work and outside projects, and it's very exciting. I'll be posting more soon, but for now here's a shot of the 1/5 finished mural we're doing at this great new bar about to open, called CITY BAR. Shreveport has some great gems, and we'll be sharing more here soon as we discover it (by 'we' I mean a great community I'm finding here where we are all excited about arts and exploring the great unique places here in town).

Next, check out my buddy's new blog -- Brian Haimes is a great fabricator, puppeteer, modeler, sculptor, animator, birdwatcher, handyman and amazing at nearly anything else he tries. His blog showcases mostly his personal projects and interests, and his work is jaw-dropping and cool.

Here's a cute pic of the talented Volkertron, taking a break late one night in between designing books and storyboarding, with my guitar and little baby amp:

More Sketchbook scans

2009-10-09T17:04:00.003-04:00

If you dig these, feed the monkey and grab my cheap-yet-top-quality sketchbook collection, HERE.

UPDATE: I also hope my buddy Dan doesn't mind, but he is REALLY GOOD, so I had to share this:

New Sketchbook

2009-10-08T10:22:00.001-04:00

Busy Boarding

2009-09-21T17:15:00.004-04:00

I've been a bit absent at my blogs and LiveJournal, due to a heavy workload and a lot going on. The studio, MOONBOT, is moving in a great direction and more and more pieces fall into place every day. Shreveport, LA isn't that bad, and we keep ourselves busy by storyboarding like mad men (also the title of a fave show which I have yet to catch this season, due to the schedule here, but will utilize a friend's DVR very soon...).

Artists Adam Volker, Brandon Oldenberg, William Joyce and myself are storyboarding and working out an animatic with editor Eva Contis, and we are more excited every day. It's coming together, and I'll surely find time soon to do more podcasts and sketching. 'Til then...

Caricature from Comic Con

2009-08-20T18:59:00.002-04:00

You can see more caricatures done at the San Diego Comic Con on my Facebook album, but here's one of a nice chap and artist named Nate:

Sketch Site

2009-08-17T18:40:00.004-04:00

This is a cool site where you sketch RIGHT in the browser and it records it... some nice brushes, too. Odosketch.

(note: to play video again, refresh your browser)
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Free book & sketching

2009-08-16T14:11:00.005-04:00

First, just a reminder that Art Squared is having a book giveaway through Monday. All you have to do is TWEET about the Moving Sale with a link (if you don't use Twitter, this may be french to you), send a link to your tweet along with your shipping address via email, through the contact page at Art2Books.com - and you get a FREE hardcover art book... for real. So go do that, you only have 'til Monday night. The Moving Sale goes through this week, so check that out as well-- free books and discounts.

...Next, here's a warmup drawing I did, to get inspired for a potential new project here at work. I'm very excited about the possibilities on this one, but we'll have to see if it fleshes out. Just having fun with pose and line:

warmups 2

2009-08-12T12:33:00.003-04:00

Here's today's 30 minute, no reference warmup digital sketch. The topic is "X-Men"...l earning a lot, feeling good:

(detail:)

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warmups

2009-08-11T18:29:00.003-04:00

Comic Con and Siggraph post to come, I promise...

But for now, here's a 20 minute warmup sketch done at the studio today. Adam and I are forcing ourselves to do more practice and warmup drills, so we stay fresh. Today's theme was from a buddy's doodle blog: '60s FBI agent.

I was trying hard to employ some methods and styles pulled from Adam and the world he's into, and I think this will help me grow in my process and style as an artist... lots to think about there, lately.

Comic Con, Book Sale

2009-08-07T16:04:00.002-04:00

I'll post more about the recent (and amazingly crazy) Comic Con in San Diego, very soon -- but for now, there's a sweet sale going on for a couple weeks over at Art2Books.com. They are apparently moving storage location and see an opportunity to unload some books at a great price:

Anyway, it appears you can get a FREE hardcover art book... check it out.
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Flattery will get you Everywhere

2009-07-28T19:42:00.006-04:00

I received a 'love letter' yesterday, in the form of a blog comment:

I guess I will be the one to state the obvious.. this blog is dead. R.I.P. joe's blog. Lets all try to remember the great times we had.. the laughs we share.. seems like just yesterday we were watching a tom cruise podcast.. where has the time gone. Frankily, I blame michael jackson's doctors for the death.. apparently joe's blog had a little known drug problem that all started when traffic first began to slow on the blog.. Lets all just try to remember the good times and pray that its gone to a better place.. and maybe one day a podcast will pop up or a new post and we will all just smile and think about what could have been.

amen.

This is motivating, aggrevating, flattering, annoying, and caring... all at once. I think I get the cute intention here, but every joke has honesty, and I think there's more honesty here than anything.

First off, it looks like I've been posting drawings and such here, several times each month... seems needy to want more. But that's not the point. So what is the point? Lemme tell ya.

For the last 7+ years I've been focusing primarily on caricature and caricature illustration. Hm. it's fun, yes? Yes. But after a while the mind races and moves to other things. I gained interest in character design and animation. I've been painting more and yet not painting enough for my own desires. I've launched a small art book publishing company and had an increasing desire to edit and direct almost anything I touch. And most time-consuming of all, I've been working in animation and am completing (among several comic/art/animation conventions) a strenuous life-changing move to another part of the Country.

My brain tells me to try new things. My talents are behind my critical mind, so I am practicing different techniques and still trying to find even time to sketch, between work and obligations.

I have a little freelance work that takes up my time, and I even owe a distant friend a caricature from over a year ago! Time is tight and my ambitions are changing. I want to paint. I want to direct. I am doing new work that is exciting and very time-consuming. I am finding my place in a new town in a new state, and am helping my girlfriend find solace in this new little journey. I am making new inspiring friends and am meeting new people who change my interests and shape my tastes... as well as old friends who are opening my eyes to their methods and practices, ever-enlightening my own perspective.

This all takes time. I love updating a blog and I know that from time to time I like to say "I'll update here every month/day/week/minute" with all sincerity, but I (and you) know that it's not realistic. My favorite bloggers will update daily and sometimes yearly...

...and I understand.

So hey, I'm not mad about this comment, I'm actually motivated.

I'm still in San Diego, unwinding from the International Comic Con. Some of the most encouraging comments were those from fans wanting more podcasts, tutorials, online classes, and even just new sketches on the blog(s). It has energized me to do more of this and focus harder in my free time. I will perhaps work on some new books (mine and others), paintings, art exhibitions, blogs, classes and podcasts, websites, styles of art and illustration, and maybe even some bigger projects.

But this takes time. I will share what is on my mind here, in the art rhealm. I will share sketches and paintings and illustration. I will also let you know what's going on in my professional life, as much as I can. However, if you need a personality fix, I've got a new online journal for ranting, rating and commenting on life, movies, events, and people in general.

And life is important, outside of art. I like to think that it's the top-dog in my mind, but sometimes relationships become more important. Old and new... fitness is important as I get older, and I take more time to care about eating right and exercising... I care more about my family and my girlfriend... I care about other forms of art, as I was getting at earlier, and sometimes actually drawing caricatures becomes less interesting to me, so I can use that time to explore other techniques, styles, subjects and materials (DON'T FRET, I'll keep doing caricatures at conventions, parties and in my spare time... that's one stain I can't wash off, and I don't mind it... it's a part of me).

Well, this post may be more appropriate for my LiveJournal blog... or maybe it's fitting here, I don't really care. I just hope that everyone who reads this is understanding and patient. I think it's SO DAMN COOL that you actually check out what I'm up to, and I'm flattered. But I'm also humbled on a daily basis by what I see online and what I'm around in real life.

So there are times when we work and need to explore, and if you see a pause here for a week or a month... consider it that. I'm not going anywhere, even if I move around the country or around the world. I'll update on my travels, my work, my opinions, and my art.

I hope you can dig.

More Sketching

2009-07-13T11:09:00.003-04:00

Thanks for the great responses to the new post, and my sketches. If you like these at all, then my new book is something you will love. It's much more than a sketchbook, it's advice and inspiration from MANY artists that I respect. You can check it out here.

Here's a sketch done of two guys playing chess (cheezy '70s/'80s collage layout) in the local Shreveport, LA Barnes & Noble cafe. I originally observed this two months ago, but was inspired to resurrect and share it after I bumped into the [lower] guy at a coffee shop reading a really sexually driven poem during an open-mic night. Egad!

Sketching with the Hanzo

2009-07-09T17:54:00.003-04:00

Once again, using the Pentel Pocket brush pen. It's a nice simple tool for exercises in contrast, ink, decisions, etc. This is just a colorized version of a study while at dinner with my buddy Adam. Nothing special, but it was scanned with some other sketches for work, and I was mildly charmed by it. :)

Superdrag break...

2009-07-04T15:14:00.004-04:00

I've been storyboarding and working my ass off lately, and I'm really happy with this project and where I'm currently at. The downside to having a salaried or 'full-time' art job is that I can't share as much with you through the process, but it's great and you'll soon see what we're cooking! I'll also make an effort to take on personal projects and try new things, which I'll share with you all here.

For now, here's something that's been exciting me lately:

This band has been on break for a while and they've finally regrouped and released their new album, "Industry Giants" You can get it and other Superdrag albums HERE.

I've been a huge fan of these guys since the late '90s and to put it simply (quoting a music critic), "If you don't like Superdrag, you don't like ROCK." I couldn't agree more. There's something for everyone there and you should check it out. I recommend Last Call for Vitriol, Head Trip in Every Key, Regretfully Yours and In the Valley of Dying Stars. They're all amazing in their own right and all very rocking with some lighter ballads and anthems.

Here is a way for you to get up to speed and see how they are now. Click the link halfway down the page to watch Superdrag interview, backstage...

Here's their latest video release, Aspartame:

Karma & William Joyce

2009-06-09T23:07:00.003-04:00

William Joyce is a seasoned illustrator, writer, director, producer, and designer who lives in Shreveport, Louisiana. Joyce has done a ton of work which you may have heard of, like Rolie Polie Olie, Meet the Robinsons, Robots, George Shrinks, Dinosaur Bob, and the upcoming Dreamworks film, The Guardians of Childhood. I found this little video series on a great website promoting illustrators and writers called Reading Rockets. Joyce has a great outlook and puts out good karma, and I think he sees great returns because of his fun attitude and open way of imparting knowledge and technique.

You can catch the entire series of videos (well worth your time) by clicking HERE.

SYNCOPATED

2009-05-31T20:34:00.005-04:00

My good buddy Brendan is having a release party for his new edition to the SYNCOPATED anthology comic line. His and other artists' work and stories are included in this very cool collection, which he will have available this coming weekend for MoCCA. I'll be in NY for the festival (see two posts below), so I'll definitely be congratulating my buddy with a free beer... for me. Come join us!