Recent ink illustration taken from sketchbook, scanned, and digitally colored.
Illustration of Amy Ploss Samson, friend and talented Jacksonville based photographer of Ready Ame Shoot, from a day hanging out at the KĀV (the CoRK Arts District space made up of Karen Kurycki, Amy Ploss Samson, and Varick Rosete) where both Amy and myself were having a particularly bad fit of allergies rendering us both with generally unpleasant glares at best during a CoRK-wide open house.
Sharing more sketches. I really find it relaxing to pick a spot with a nice vantage point at the coffee shop and get some quick character sketches done from those around. It’s a good way to warm up before focusing on an illustration project. I also find it nice because there isn’t any thinking involved, just quick general strokes in an effort to capture likeness — you have to be quick, people are constantly moving, and you want to go unnoticed to get a more natural image of the person … that and it’s an awkward thing for someone to realize they are being drawn.
I tend to do these sessions on a Friday evening following work over a few beers at my favorite coffee shop, Bold Bean Coffee Roasters. It’s a great way to wind down after a work week.
While working on some random things for a sketch group I’m a part of, The SketchUp, I thought it might look pretty cool to take advantage of the natural shape of pencil shavings and create an “S” out of them. Seemed like a fun exercise and a change get a little image manipulation practice in. The bottom left thumb is original scan of the cut and taped up pencil shaving.
Two years ago, on this very date, I fully realized and admitted I was in “like” with Stephanie Soden. After a long fun night of dancing, burritos by the river, attempted trespassing a walk across the bridge, a little sharpie graffiti along the way, and a long pause before saying goodnight I blurted it out — “I like you.” To my luck, she felt the same way.
The comic above is kind of a late posting, actually, this was created, framed, and given to Steph last year on the anniversary of when we acknowledged there was something more than friendship sparked between us. This comic sits framed on our wall, along with another framed piece of that evening, the poster created for the Black and White Ball that year!
This poster itself has an interesting history, outlined in depth (including all five versions) on the AIGA Jacksonville Blog, where it was created by five of our friends serving on the board with us, round robin style. It was nice that our friends happened to create the poster because I was able to track it down more than a year later to print and frame for a Christmas present to Steph. This date is a special one for us, happy anniversary sweetheart!
Given the Black & White nature of this post, I’ve included the scanned ink version of the comic.
Sharing some of the random nonsense that comes out of my head when I get the urge to push ink on paper. More and more lately, I’ve found myself using free time doodling. It’s a great break to clear the mind or get the gears turning toward whatever it is currently being ignored or avoided, and coming back to it fresh.
Here’s a random one for you on this Friday afternoon!
After coming across Kendrick Kidd featured on Quipsologies, I tweeted a shout out his way. HalftoneDef Studios followed up with a RT, but added a hashtag that put an image in my head I just had to get out of there.
Immediately, I did a quick sketch-up of the the classic Carmen Sandiego logo mix-mashed with Kendrick’s avatar character, and took it digital.
Definitely check out Kendrick’s work. Him and his HalftoneDef partner, Levi (Tron Burgundy) are killer talents here in Jacksonville. I mean, just check out their business card!
