Illustration Friday- Homage

Here we have a Chickenpants drawn in the Kochalka style. Why?
Because the third artist that popped into my head was James Kochalka. (Warhol? No screenprinting stuff. Picasso? Nah...Kochalka? Yes!)I admire his drawing style and tiny paintings, sure. But there's something about his daily American Elf comics that really strikes a chord in me. It no doubt has something to do with the voyeuristic pleasure one gets from going through another person's sketchbooks, or getting to see such a personal glimpse of how they live their lives. He lives in a wonderfully unconventional way. It's great to see snippets of other artist's lives- the good, the bad, the odd... Makes me feel less strange.
So although I don't think his drawing style really influences me, his drawings absolutely do. They make me want to draw every day. They nudge me closer to making my own little comics.
So, thank you, Mr. Kochalka!
-Claire

Ape

Ape, copycat: someone who copies the words or behavior of another

sfg: ape

SFG: Ape

The SFG challenge this week is Ape, so I felt this illustration might be appropriate.

I did this a few years ago, as cover art of the Chico News & Review, an alternative weekly in Northern California. CNR was featuring an annual writing contest and wanted their cover image to play off the "Infinite Monkey Theorem." This theorem states that a monkey (or in this case, apes) hitting keys at random on a typewriter for an infinite amount of time will almost surely type the complete works of William Shakespeare.

Sound far-fetched? It may be. However, there are folks that claim they've worked it out mathematically. Who am I to argue, I was never good at math.

I wondered why the folks at CNR wanted so many chimps in their illustration. Perhaps it was because of an offshoot of the theorem "An infinite amount of monkeys typing on an infinite amount of typewriters..." or perhaps they mixed the theorem with the "100 Monkey Story." Another interesting idea.

Well, at any rate, it made for a fun project and gave me something to post for the challenge.

Sketched Out

Cover

Maggie Summers

SFG: ape

The challenge on sugarfrostedgoodness.com this week is "ape".

In 1841, Edgar Allan Poe published "The Murders in the Rue Morgue". It is considered to be the first detective story, preadating the first Sherlock Holmes story by forty-six years and Agatha Christie's birth by fifty-nine years. Poe referred to it as one of his tales of ratiocination, meaning process of reasoning.
The story is told by an unnamed narrator and friend of the main character, C. Auguste Dupin. As the first true fictiion detective, Poe's Dupin is a man in Paris who decides to solve the mysterious brutal murder of two women in that city after a suspect has been arrested. Numerous witnesses are quoted in the newspaper as having heard a suspect, though the witnesses each think it was a different language. At the murder scene, Dupin finds a suspicious hair that does not appear to be human. He places an advertisement in the newspaper asking if anyone has lost an "Ourang-Outang". When he visits the sailor that answers the ad, he explains how he determined that the animal is the actual murderer in the Rue Morgue.
The Dupin character established many literary devices which would be used in future fictional detectives including Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot. Many later characters, for example, follow Poe's model of the brilliant detective, his personal friend who serves as narrator, and the final revelation being presented before the reasoning that leads up to it. Dupin himself reappears in two more Poe stories, "The Mystery of Marie Roget" and "The Purloined Letter".
The word "detective" did not exist at the time Poe wrote "The Murders in the Rue Morgue." The story establishes an urban theme which was reused several times in Poe's fiction, likely inspired by Poe's time living in Philadelphia. His plot twist of "orangutan as murderer" was likely inspired by the crowd reaction to an orangutan on display at the Masonic Hall in Philadelphia in July 1839.

Barack

The cover of the new issue of "Fast Company" got me...pretty sure this won't be the last I do of him too!

spring

Hi guys! Been awhile. Here's my latest art called "spring". Hope y'all digg!

Squid girl...

Algo que me salio del corazón el viernes por noche...espero y les guste.

Somethig straight from the heart on a friday night,..hope you like it.

New Promo Card for April!

This is the front and back sides of my NEW promotional postcard that I'll be sending out for the month of April.

NEW art

Hows everyone doin?? Its been a while since I posted on SFG. Ive got some new stuff up over on my Digital Bones blog... also you gotta go check out my "Monsta's" over on my LUNA ROCA blog too! Im tryin to do one new monster a day. Go check it out!!! Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Hows everyone doin?? Its been a while since I posted on SFG. Ive got some new stuff up over on my Digital Bones blog... also you gotta go check out my "Monsta's" over on my LUNA ROCA blog too! Im tryin to do one new monster a day. Go check it out!!! Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Battlestar page

I don't watch alot of tv. It takes alot for a show to grab my attention, much less keep it for a whole season. But, Battlestar Galactica is waaaay different..And is some of the best sci-fi television to ever hit the screen. It's a fantastic show and if you've missed it be sure to check it out on dvd. So needless to say it was alot of fun researching and designing this "all about Battlestar" page. More to see at: www.siskart.com!

--Clay

This is your chance!

Hello SFG'ers!

As some of you may already be aware I'm in the middle of redesigning and updating the SFG site in an effort to move forward in the SFG evolution. One thing I'm planning to do is convert the site to a Wordpress site and host it myself.

This is your chance to leave me feedback concerning the site and what you'd like to see in the update. Give me your likes, dislikes and special requests. I'll take everything you say under careful advisement.

And to make it even easier, just leave a comment on this thread! :)

Also one last thing, I'm currently offering a special advertising rate to all SFG members for advertising space on SFG, e-mail me for more info on that at jeff at sugarfrostedgoodness dot com.

Have a great weekend everyone and thanks!

-Jeff

The first PAC Giveaway!

Hey folks,

Long time no see! I've been working on a lot of things, much of which has been posted on my blog, but recently I just finished up a new screenprint that is up for sale on my etsy site Pogonip!

Anyway, today we've decided to start up a fun new tradition. You see this print?



Well, every new print I make, I'm going to make an extra and post it as a giveaway. The rules are simple: just email pogonip@meghunt.com with your first name in the email and PAC Giveaway in the title by next Friday (April 4th), and I'll draw names on Saturday and then mail out the print on Monday probably. For now, North American entrants only though. I'll later include other people, so don't worry-- but if you are dying for one, there's a bunch up at my etsy shop!

In addition, the lucky winner will receive a mini-print of the emblem of the PAC.
What is the PAC? It's the Pogonip Appreciation Consortium. For now only giveaway winners will get one-- but I may make a color variant for other people if they want one. I'll post that image next week.

Tell your friends! Tell your enemies! Tell someone!

Tug

Spent a bit of time wandering by the river a few days ago...

www.lepenquotidien.com

...and one for the weekly challenge...

Some new bits

Hey all, been a week or so since my last post.
Here's a new illo, for an opinion piece about racial tension on campus:




Have a great weekend!


Some messy ink doodles on my blog.

Upcoming podcast featuring me!

I'm pleased as punch to announce that the great folks at Usedwigs.com somehow thought that I was cool enough to be a special guest on one of their upcoming podcasts. It was an interesting experience. I've never really been interviewed before. I'm not a very articulate person. I tend to communicate in grunts and squeaks, so I was a little nervous at first. The topics were a whole lot of fun so it was all good. We talked about illustration, of course, my new website and other cool stuff like old amusement parks, ghosts, etc. You can check out the pre-podcast blog over at the UsedWigs blog. I hope I don't sound like a total idiot. We'll soon find out! ;)

Seamour Sheep Radioactive Edition

Prepare yourself for a shameless plug ... :)

Following the success of the Seamour Sheep Illuminative Edition, Crazy Label and Sevensheaven are proud to announce the soon to be available Seamour Sheep Radioactive Edition! In the very near future you've got a new chance to get yourself a Seamour Sheep comic figure in the shape of a limited edition USB-powered lamp, this time featuring atmospheric green LED lighting, a cool radioactivity warning sign on his side and last but not least: motion sensor controlled power switching...!


The Seamour Sheep Radioactive Edition will feature a cool motion sensor that detects when you turn Seamour on his side, turning Seamour's light off. To turn on the light, simply put Seamour back on his feet again. No more plugging and unplugging of power cables, and no ugly visible power switch!

Keep an eye on the Sheep Shop for more info as soon as the product is available!

APE-MAN

The Danish Primeminister are without a doubt an ape

Acrylic on illustrationboard

SFG: Ape

This week's theme: Ape


The SFG Challenge (typically) runs Thursday to Thursday, and was created to offer every member an opportunity to stretch their creative muscles, venture outside of their artistic boundaries and post their interpretations each week on a specific theme. This is a completely voluntary challenge!

Be sure to label your illustrations with the appropriate labels as well. Label your entries with your name and the challenge label, in this case SFG: Ape

We seem to be having problems with getting the challenge posts labeled correctly. Just so you know, I create the label every time I post a Challenge update every week. You don't have to create a new label, just find the one I've already made in the drop down menu and apply. It's really that simple.

The next challenge begins Thursday, April 3rd, 2008.

Thanks everyone!

Renewal

Renewal

Why you should always read the label.

New commissioned deck.

1st Byte Printers Online Virtual Tour

Just launched, this interactive online virtual tour for digital printers 1st Byte, a collaboration between Rod Hunt & design company Strange Corp

Windy voyage

This illustration is the result of me playing with a new kind of oil pastels I just came across. Pretty fun! They look like rouge make-up containers, and have make-up utensils within the same box: little smear sponges. Love those paints! And I kind of love the illustration too, I wonder what story it has behind it?

These are my first steps in children illustration, feedback welcome!


"make-up oil pastels", pencil, color pencil, on cardboard

Some sketches...

it is been a while but i am back. Here are some stuff that i am working on for some self promotinal pourpuses...bets to all you sugarfrosketeers,,,LOL!

SFG: Renewal

Let My Spirit Soar


I thought it appropriate for this time of year to represent the resurrection of Jesus Christ through the use of a dove and to also remind us of the miracles of renewal we see all around us in everyday life.

Medium: rough draft ink jet print, colored pencil, photoshop treatments.

Mass murder

War is only started by fools, when does the bloodshed stop?

Renewal

It's been a while since my last post so I'll use this as my attempt at a renewal. I've been busy and I'm not complaining. I just need to find a way of getting more hours into a day. I probably should have been a scientist....I'm pretty sure that's the only way to do it....with SCIENCE!

Oh, and thanks to everyone who checked out my animated short "The Nuclear Family." Turns out, we won the contest! Now we're plugging away working on a new one for the next contest...who needs sleep anyway!
www.SoundsLikeBlue.com

A First

This is the first country I've been to that there was no McDonalds, Starbucks or KFC. Amazing. I didn't think that was possible but apparently these guys have done it. I pray they are never allowed into this place. That was destroy it instantly. I can't picture passing a beautiful old spice souk and then spotting a 7eleven. The one thing they do have is tons of dentists. There are signs on like every street. The only thing is everyone has bad teeth or teeth missing. Are the dentists really fronts for something else? Are they just bad dentists. They are everywhere though. I have to figure that mystery out the next time I go.

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE... sort of.

Happy Easter everyone. I know its a bit late, but both my wife and I are currently sick, which is only compounded by the mere fact that it is a toasty 94 degrees outside.

Being sick on such a gloriously gorgeous day is a pet peeve of my wife. Enjoy.

SFG: Renewal

This week's theme: Renewal

Sorry this is late folks! I've been down with the flu since last week. I'm hoping that you'll forgive me and attack this theme with a "renewed" gusto! Groaaan! We'll get back on schedule this Thursday...enjoy yourselves!


The SFG Challenge (typically) runs Thursday to Thursday, and was created to offer every member an opportunity to stretch their creative muscles, venture outside of their artistic boundaries and post their interpretations each week on a specific theme. This is a completely voluntary challenge!

Be sure to label your illustrations with the appropriate labels as well. Label your entries with your name and the challenge label, in this case SFG: Renewal

We seem to be having problems with getting the challenge posts labeled correctly. Just so you know, I create the label every time I post a Challenge update every week. You don't have to create a new label, just find the one I've already made in the drop down menu and apply. It's really that simple.

The next challenge begins Thursday, March 27th, 2008.

Thanks everyone!

Family tree

A commission piece I'm working on at the moment, color to follow..

innocent

I'm way too late, but this is actually a personal easter posting; The One innocent, became guilty and than took the penalty, so that all the guilty ones could go free.

Omar

When we were in Marrakesh, Yun wanted to buy some rugs. She found out about a place that was a cooperative. It was run by a guy named Omar. He spoke just about every language in the world. He constantly praised us. He told Yun how beautiful her eyes were over and over. He did everything in such a funny way. We were always hysterical laughing with the guy. He was priceless and he knew it. He memorized every detail about each rug, which Berber family in the mountains had made which rug. Each one was hand made and took a few months. He told us what each symbol meant. It was his standard speil but it was no less genius each time he spoke. He would make a brilliant actor. He sold us three rugs and we were happy to do business with him. Yun bartered away and I stayed out of it because I am a push over. Omar loved every second. The most amazing thing was when Yun and I arrived home a few days later, the rugs were already at our apartment. For such a backwards country, they sure do know about shipping. DHL.

Illustrations for a short story

A short story written for children, written by Stefan Boonen, published by Averbode.
Curious to see the other 3 illustrations? Visit Flickr!

More Caricatures of People You Don't Know

A while back I did a batch of caricatures in a new style for my boss's 20-man golf outing. Here is another batch done in the same style, this one featuring my co-workers from my day job. There are actually a couple of repeats from my earlier work. By the way, that's me, bottom row, second from the left.

My first innocent post

This is my first contribution to SFG so hello.

I've been stopping by SFG for my daily dose of inspiration for some time now as a spectator but on invitation I took on the challenge and created an image inspired by the word 'innocent'.
I'm a bit late on this one as I've been pretty busy but I thought I'd try and sneak this one under the fence.

neM are goDs

Here's a follow-up to my last post - the illo that was finally used...




Some new doodles over at my blog

Padlock Pete

New work! Enjoy!

More work at www.jessicafortner.com

Can you dig it?

Went out in the early-spring sunshine to draw buildings today but found more gaping holes and machinery than anything else...

www.lepenquotidien.com

The Billy Mays Effect!

'Billy Mays Full-Color Art.'

You've seen him pushing his goods like "Samurai Shark", "OxiClean", "Hercules Hooks", "Handy Switch" or his newest shout out "Mighty Putty." Like me you've probably watched his no frill commercials as he confidently pitches the latest and greatest joe consumer product all the while being hypnotized by his impeccably groomed beard.

Billy's ever present smile, energy and high volume reassure you that what he's offering is a must have. After all he just showed you how it worked and gave it a thumbs up! Lets face it Billy Mays has selling power!

As designers we all struggle with selling our ideas, pitching them to the powers that be, so I though what would help in this pursuit? Billy Mays of course!


'PDF Download.'

Just download the Billy Mays PDF files (Provided in Color and B&W) print them out and apply mask directly to face for your next presentation. With the iconic image of Billy Mays on your side, all you have to do is talk loud, grow out your forearm hair, give a thumbs up to your own design presentations and "Ka-Boom", your audience will buy into your ideas in no time!

What are you waiting for? The power of Billy Mays is just a click away.

Get your "Billy Mays Power Mask" here: Download PDF Template