City of Exeter

I did this for a contest on They Draw and Travel for a contest they are holding for their new book. Basically, the terms of the contest were to illustrate a map of your favorite city. I chose Exeter as my favorite city because it truly is a wonderful place. I attended the MA program at the University there and can easily say it was the best year of my life. The city is full of history and natural beauty. Everywhere I went I found something new or interesting. The city had a life that I just couldn't get enough of, and when I had to leave after a year, it was too soon.

So here it is, Exeter as I remember it. Most of these places were places that I frequented quite often or passed by often. It's real selective in what is represented as I only put things that I personally experienced and loved. So really, its my interpretation of Exeter. There is so much more there and I found I wanted to put so much more on the map. Much like my short lived time there, there is much in Exeter that is not represented. Perhaps I will have to do a more indepth map in the future.

Kudlak Comic Book Pages

Right, well this only took me four months to do. I started looking for comic book writers looking for artists during this spurt of pro-activity I had in late March. This is the same spurt of pro-activity that resulted in me being in Japan. Overall, a pretty successful spurt now that I think about it. But yeah, I averaged about a page a month on this one. I decided to do it larger than actual comic book sizes so I could have more space for details and such, so that took time. Plus, inking and various extras as well. It was a pretty involved process and I think I want to do much different next time around. I suppose that's what these things are for.

The story is about two guys hanging in a meat locker, having both been previously captured by these gremlin vampire creatures. They have a discussion about various things such as their employers and facing up to troublesome supernatural creatures. Eventually, the young one saves himself with a coin knife and donates a magic toothpick to his friend. The story ends just prior their confrontation with the Kudlak (little creepy vampires).

Octopuses and other things.

Three little pieces I've been working on amongst other things. The first is Monsieur O. Un Agent de la Résistance Français. He's a little creation of mine... but in the story he's a creation of the Nazis intended for use in the war... but, unexpectedly, Herr Krake falls in love with Paris and the French and rejects the Nazi scheme for world domination. And then some other stuff happens... i need to figure that out.

The next are two character portraits of characters for a short comic I'm illustrating.

The last is a scene from Minority Report, by Philip Dick. I picked up an audio book collection of his stories and am loving every minute of it. I had no idea he'd written so many of my favorite scifi films... so I'm knee deep in his works right now. Expect some more drawings inspired by his work.

Taiwan

This was my first little foray into watercolor and ink mapping. Taiwan.

Tool Sober Diorama

I did this a while ago for a commission. i was a two piece diorama set based on the music video for Sober by Tool. Two two pieces could be separated and they were intended to be somewhat like bookends. The 'meat' in the pipe is movable using a hidden lever and where the hole is, there is a replaceable piece to the metal pipe. The second piece, with the guy pinned to the wall, has a sliding plexiglass door.

Overall, I did a lot of experimentation with this and it was a great learning project. I was quite happy with it in the end and was somewhat sad to see it go.

EDIT: I should probably add a link to the video as well...

A challange for those who go, a dream for those who stay behind.

Though I know virtually nothing about racing, this particular race has captured me with its glamor and prestige. It was founded by Thierry Sabine, who became inspired in the Libyan desert when he got lost in a 1977 race. Somewhere in his dream through the sands, he decided the race would be a great setting for a regular rally car race. Henceforth, the Paris-Dakar.

Originally this was going to be a submission for the monthly contest at the Cartographer's Guild, but I missed the deadline by about a month. Never-the-less, I finished it and here it is. Debuting, of all places, my sketchblog. I'd do a ton of things differently. Having never worked with watercolor until, well, this year, I'm still getting the hang of it. Ink though, I've got the hang of that. Maybe I should try a strictly ink map... hmm... stay tuned.

Blackbeard

I've just finished the book Republic of Pirates and what a fascinating history it was! Sigh... I wish I was a piratical lowlife, roaming the Bahamas with a pint of rum in my hand.

Blackbeard was the most fascinating of all the pirates for me. He'd act the maniac, lighting fuses beneath his hat and intimidating his prey with a fiery glow. He never killed any one though. Despite is savage appearance and wild eyes, he was rather a gentleman when compared to other pirates of the day, though he plundered like the best of them.

And so I gave him a little tribute. Just a head shot of what he might have looked like, at least in my mind.