L Is For Luke...

 

Let's end the year with a severed hand! Well, a moment before the severed hand, might be more appropriate for this image. 

L is for Luke

who lost his right hand.

This is from my unpublished Star Wars A-Z book that I was pitching around. Still do, occasionally. 

Happy New Year, everyone!

A Michigan To Texas Birthday Wish 2021

 

Happy Birthday to Sandra down in Texas who collects pics sent via the inter webs that started with a small group some years ago. Hopefully, the birthday pics are still heading your way!

This pic is from a hot day this past summer from the Sanilac Petroglyph State Park located in the 'thumb' area of Michigan. The Native American petroglyphs are some of the oldest in North America, carved some 1400 years ago. 

Happy Birthday, Sandra!

A Mesonauta Festivus (Flag Cichlid) Sketch

 

5x8

ink from sketchbook

This week's theme for #SundayFishSketch is one that involves fish with Christmas/Holiday names, such as the reindeer wrasse, for example. Last week, everyone pretty much did a yellow perch as the riddle for the theme was rather specific, but I wonder how many will go the Seinfeld route?

My choice is the mesonauta festivus, or the flag cichlid. All I could see when thinking about this fish was Frank Costanza yelling his head off. I think that this may be my favorite of the Sunday Fish Sketches that I've done.

Maybe one day I'll have to try doing a more scientifically accurate drawing of a fish. It may happen...

Happy Holidays 2021!

Whatever and however you celebrate, I hope that you have a blast!

 

A Perch Sketch

 

5x8

ink from sketchbook

For this week's #SundayFishSketch theme, it is another riddle. 

1. A fish found through north-central North America, from the Hudson Bay to South Carolina

2. Fished commercially in the Great Lakes, especially Lake Erie

3. Females spawn by laying eggs in long gelatinous strands

I sought out my expert at the Belle Isle Aquarium in Detroit and he said none other than the perch.

So, since it's also a part of the 25 Days of Fishmas, are those gelatinous strands of eggs or Christmas beads? 

Ecuadorian Dart Frog

 

The Illustration Dept. has a critique group, usually held on Thursday nights and for yesterday's session it was suggested to a few of us beforehand that it would be funny if we did a bunch of frog related drawings. It didn't go over as well as hoped, but it was a fun idea and fun to do.

I even made a little backstory for my frog. This is Aguirre Fugeroa, the prominent Ecuadorian sculptor of turtles. You see, I was hired by the government of Ecuador to illustrate all of the famous artists of the country and who better to start with than the poisonous dart frog, Aguirre. At least his demeanor isn't poisonous. I'd like to think that he was a friendly sort of chap. I mean, he likes turtles. 

White Sucker Sketch

 

8x5

ink in sketchbook

For the 25 Days of Fishmas and this week's theme for #SundayFishSketch, it was another riddle.

A fish found in central to north North America and the Great Lakes, mouth is downward facing for bottom feeding and its common name is in the title of a Bing Crosby song.

So, I present (and so did so many others...) the white sucker. I think that they do wear Santa hats this time of year. The scientists just might verify this.

K Is For Kenobi...

 

K is for Kenobi

who lived in the sand.

The letter 'K' from my unpublished Star Wars A-Z book. 

Monsters, Aliens & Witches

 

Now that I'm seeing my cards up on eBay, it's now safe to show the cards that I did for the Monsters, Aliens & Witches set recently released through TB Unique. These cards are truly unique in that the majority of them are thick cards that will have coins pressed into the centers of them, as you can see by the empty circles above. There are also pvc cards and covid unique cards that will have separate imagery on the backs to set them apart. I will post my Artist Proof cards soon.

Pumpkinseed Fish Sketch

 

This week's theme for #SundayFishSketch is fish that are native to the Great Lakes, but are invasive most everywhere else, have black ear flaps and the males make the nests. So, I do believe that the pumpkinseed, a sunfish, fits that description. I cheated a little on this one and consulted the aquarist at the Belle Isle Aquarium in Detroit. He was most helpful.

J Is For Jabba...

The next installment from my unpublished Star Wars A-Z book is the letter 'J.'

J is for Jabba who had

plenty of bounty hunters to buy.

 

Flier Fish Sketch

 

5x8

ink in sketchbook

So, today's #SundayFishSketch theme is one that may help out a young artist from the Twitterverse. He had a school project where the students needed to draw three objects that had the letters 'ie' and the sound of 'eye.' He wanted to include a fish for this assignment, but was having a hard time with it. It was harder to find fish that meet this criteria than I would have thought, but I went with a flier fish, which are a species of freshwater sunfish. Fun to draw.

I Is For IG-88

 

Ok, let's keep this Star Wars Friday illustration thing going. This piece is 'I is for IG-88 who had one big red eye,' from my unpublished SW A-Z book entitled Yoda is Small and Other Such Utterances. 

Death Race 2000

 

9x12

ink on bristol 

This is something that I began fooling around with awhile ago and finally finished. Just goofing around with this one, really, but who wouldn't want to see a Frankenstein from Death Race 2000? 

Recent Alien Sketch Card Commissions

A set of three Alien sketch cards that were a recent commission. 

 

Cleaner Shrimp And Moray Eel Sketch

 

5x8

ink in sketchbook

This week's #SundayFishSketch theme are fish that are in a symbiotic or parasitic relationship with another creature. This here is a sketch of a cleaner shrimp giving a moray eel a hand with its oral hygiene.

Bluewater International Comic-Con 2021

 

This Saturday I will be set up at the Bluewater International Comic-Con in Port Huron, MI. This is my second and probably last appearance for the year, so if you are in the area, come on by. I'll have books, sketch cards, original art and all that. 

Sketch Of A Marshall Fredericks Koi Sculpture

 

5x8 pencil sketch from sketchbook

I had missed the past couple of weeks of the #SundayFishSketch, so it is good to be back in the swing with this week. This week's theme are fish that are a model from a museum or exhibit. My sketch is from a photo I took of a Marshall Fredericks koi sculpture that I was assisting in the conservation/maintenance of at the Cranbrook Academy of Art a few years ago. 

H Is for Han...

 

So, now that all that Inktober stuff is done, I shall resume posting drawings (usually on a Friday) from my unpublished Star Wars A-Z book, Yoda is Small and Other Such Utterances. 

H is for Han who goes on

and on about his Kessel Run.

Of course, misspelled above.

Iron Man Commission

 

16x20

ink wash on illustration board

Recently, I did two commissions for a client, one that I cannot show at this time, because it is part of a bigger project. But, I can show this one. Robert Downey, Jr. as Iron Man. It had been some time since I last did an ink wash and after a brief moment of hesitation and awkwardness, I was back in the swing of things. This was a fun job, for sure.

A C4 Commission

 

9x12

ink on bristol

This is a commission from last weekend's Cherry Capital Comic Con. An original character of the client.

Final Inktober Dump

 

As I was up in Traverse City this weekend for the Cherry Capital Comic Con, which went very well, I fulfilled my Inktober pledge and finished the remaining three. And I was quite busy at my table, too!

So, we have 'Patch' for Friday, 'Slither' for Saturday and finally, 'Risk' for Sunday. 

And that concludes my participation in this year's Inktober. It was entertaining. 

Inktober 2021, Day 28: Crispy

 

Today's official word prompt is 'crispy.'

I will be out of town this weekend and although I will draw each day's Inktober sketches while I am there (unless of course I am so busy that that will be a problem...), I won't be able to post them until very late Sunday or on Monday. I'll post the last three at that time.

Inktober 2021, Day 27: Spark

 

Wasn't there a movie or a book some time ago called Arsonists in Love? I guess that this is something like that.

Today's official word prompt is 'spark.' So, this works on a couple of levels.

Cherry Capital Comic Con 2021

 

This Halloween weekend you can find me up in Traverse City (Acme), MI for the Cherry Capital Comic Con. It's been a year and eight months since I last did a show and safety protocols are in place, masks must be worn, so hopefully all will behave and it will go well. I look forward to seeing all of the people that I haven't seen in awhile and all the new ones, too!

I'll have books, original art and will be doing commissions, as well. So, if you are in the area and interested in such things stop on by booth #808 and say hello. 

Inktober 2021, Day 26: Connect

 

The official word prompt for the day is 'connect.'

No explanation necessary.

Inktober 2021, Day 25: Splat

 

That's a mighty big bug to make a splat like that.

Opah Sketch

 

5x8

watercolor in sketchbook

Today's #SundayFishSketch theme are Opah fish. These suckers are big!

Inktober 2021, Day 24: Extinct

 

For today's official Inktober word prompt of 'Extinct,' I had to base this inostrancevia fossil skull on Ruadhri Brennan's 3d printed sculpture of the same name. Ruadhri is based out of Ireland and does these incredible digital sculptures of dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals. I currently own a triceratops and can attest that these are rather awesome creations. You can check out his work at scaledbeast.com. He was also a prop maker on the new series Foundation.

The inostrancevia was a saber-tooth type therapsid and inhabited what is now Russia in the Late Permian period.

Inktober 2021, Day 23: Leak

 

My apologies. This one is a mess. But hey, a spilled gut isn't supposed to be squeaky clean now, is it?  So, try to look past the weird anatomy, the weird perspective, etc. Just focus on the weird, ok? 

It is a leak, so... winner winner, chicken dinner. I guess there's that.

Tomorrow's will be better. I promise.

Inktober 2021, Day 22: Open

 

This guy reads like an open book. 

Inktober 2021, Day 21: Fuzzy

 

Oliver Reed doesn't necessarily need to play the Wolfman in order to appear fuzzy. I think he was pretty much fuzzy in everything he did.

Inktober 2021, Day 20: Sprout

 

I'm cutting it close on this one, as I was out all day kayaking, which I didn't think I'd be able to do this late in the season. But, I was able to squeak this one in before the buzzer. 

EDIT: I should have drawn Professor Sprout and not a mandrake root, methinks. 

Inktober 2021, Day 19: Loop

I took the ouroboros snake circle thing and turned it into a loop. A snake loop.

 

Inktober 2021, Day 18: Moon

 

I thought to do something more of the 'mooning' action, but let's keep it Halloweeny, shall we?

The official Inktober word prompt of 'Moon.' 

Paedocypris Progenetica Sketch

 

5x8

ink in sketchbook

For this week's #SundayFishSketch theme of transparent fish, I give you a Paedocypris Progenetica. 

Inktober 2021, Day 17: Collide

 

I sure hope that he scored his bag of pot. It'd be a shame if he didn't. 

Inktober 2021, Day 16: Compass

 

What's the saying? All those who wander are not lost? Well, this October (or an October long since gone), this wanderer lost his way. 

The official Inktober word prompt for the day is: Compass.

Inktober 2021, Day 15: Helmet

 

Helmets protect, right? I guess it all depends on how hard the hit is and just what is doing the hitting.

The official Inktober word prompt for the day is 'Helmet.'

Inktober 2021, Day 14: Tick

 

I've met a lot of these in human form. Ghastly.

Inktober 2021, Day 13: Roof

 

Day 13 of Inktober brings us the official word prompt 'roof.' They don't make them like they used to.

Inktober 2021, Day 12: Stuck

 

Like many, I thought that quicksand would be a bigger factor in adult life. I keep expecting it, but it never delivers. I guess, I should be thankful. 

Official word prompt of the day is 'stuck.'

Inktober 2021, Day 11: Sour

 

I had recently re-watched Nosferatu (1922) and when I saw the official word prompt for today, it struck me as funny to think of the snaggletoothed one grimacing over a sour tasting victim. 

Sockeye Salmon Sketch

 

5x8

watercolor and ink in sketchbook

This week's #SundayFishSketch them are fish found in Canadian waters. A sockeye salmon.

Inktober 2021, Day 10: Pick

 

At first, I thought to do a skeleton picking its nose, in trying to keep with an October/Halloween type them going, but how can one resist the Sein?

There was no pick! No pick!

Inktober 2021, Day 9: Pressure

 

Under pressure. There's a lot of stress in avoiding big, clumsy oafs.