Theater Poster Sketches: Click Clack Moo

Easily one of the things I love most about working with theaters is the chance to offer my interpretation of my favorite stories. I've done many of the classic public domain stories, but I love being able to have a go at more contemporary books. I love, love(!) Betsy Lewin's illustrations for Click Clack Moo, but still had a blast giving Doreen Cronin's story my own take. Here are the rough sketches for the theater poster.

Theater Poster: The Boy Who Cried Wolf

Theater Poster: Bunnicula

Bunnicula was one of my favorite books from when I was eight. I got the opportunity to create my version for a theater poster.

Sheep Lessons Part 2

Part 2 of "Sheep Lessons".
Our heroine has a nightmare

Sheep Lessons Part 1

Did this project for Spider Magazine that was published a couple months ago. I enjoy working for magazines (especially Spider) because the art direction is fairly light and I can try out different techniques. I was happy with how this series of illustrations turned out. I'll post my favorite three over the next few days.

When Animals Act Oddly

I've never fully trusted squirrels.
Sure they're small, cute, and look adorable when they munch frantically away on a nut, but still . . .

Doodles

I've been creating watercolor textures to use for various projects and as I look at some of them characters start to emerge. Here's a couple of little monsters that were hanging out on my desk yesterday.

Wooden Jigsaw Puzzle

I've been playing around with new ways to use my images (They're not just for books 'ya know!)
And spent the last couple weeks trying them out as wooden jigsaw puzzles. The cool kind, that were popular in the 1920's. This is one of the early efforts. Pretty happy with how it turned out. This is a 48 piece puzzle. Going to go for a 100 piece one next!!

Travel Sketch: Maui

Went on a vacation to Maui recently and did some snorkeling and sketching at a place called Black Rock. The name just appealed to the Pirates of the Caribbean fan in me. But it was the visiting sea turtles that really made my day!

New Books: The Imagination Station Series

For the last year I have been working on a series of books "The Imagination Station" with Focus on the Family and Tyndale House Publishers. I've recently received my advance copies of the first two books in the series and wanted to show off the covers. Click the horizontal images for all the wraparound cover art goodness.

 

Turkey Transport

Recent Sketch: Animals

A zoo sketch -- taken a little further.

Jim: Part 4

This is the most recent in the six part ongoing series of "Jim: Who ran away from his nurse and was eaten by a lion". You can check out my website for parts 1 to 3.

Recent Sketch

Welcome to a new year everybody! This amazing skeleton is on display at the Natural History museum in London. Possibly one of the coolest places I visited on my last trip there.

Recent Sketch

I have a great book of Fantastic and Mythological Creatures. These are just some of my interpretations.

Travel Sketch: London

While I definitely liked the V&A museum, what I REALLY liked was the Natural History Museum right next door. Call it the 8-year-old in me, but big skeletons of dead animals are just cool to look at.

Travel Sketches: England

Stopped here for lunch one day. It was an elevated park with absolutely no grass. Just a lot of marble and granite. Very pretty and -- since it was sunny that day -- very squinty.

Recent Sketch

Recent observations on paper. The location I did this page in was so dark these almost qualify as blind contour drawings. I would like to note that the faux-hawk girl and the guitar guy are rendered from careful observation -- you can't make this stuff up.

Recent Sketch: Inkjet Transfer

Tried out a little inkjet transfer technique.
Surprisingly easy (if a little messy)

- Simply print out a photo/sketch/whatever onto a piece of paper from your inkjet printer.
- Lay it inkside down onto a piece of watercolor paper.
- Spray both sheets with water.
- Burnish the print to transfer the ink.
- Discard inkjet print and keep playing with the image!

Recent Sketch