Little bumper I did for a client

I learned something new this past year, and it's super simple to do in After Effects, but don't judge me cause I don't know the program that well. It's a little bumper I made for some kind of art gallery show... I don't know. The guy paid cash and I don't ask questions! I should, but I don't! Ignorance is bliss.

The top video is the first draft which I thought came out pretty good, but it turns out was too realistic for what he wanted.

(Also the eye and globe are stock images so don't go thinking I painted them or anything.)

The second one is the final version. It's okay, the client was happy with it so that's good enough for me.

"Gazpacho soup!"

Karma Card designs

Hey everyone,

So one of the companies I freelance for, Karma Incarnate, is switching to plastic cards to pay out to their employees (it's actually a little more complicated than that, but not the point of this post) and so I thought it might be neat to show some of the designs that weren't selected. You may ask why I would like to show off work that didn't make the cut and the answer is simple. I think they're all pretty great, and while only one could be selected, it's the one I can't share for obvious reasons. So take a look at these.

The point of this project was to have a card that will get people talking about the company when used. 

     So this is card number one based off the rough concept that my boss gave me. It's mirrors the website well, and of course it has the official colors and branding and stuff. Ultimately, this design was rejected because it looked too much like a personal (customized) credit card and it's a bit too busy.

This is the second and my personal favorite. To me, this one says 'Karma' really well in the form of what looks like an old leatherbound book (or technically, card...) We went back and fourth with this one, trying out all different colors of leather and variations on silver accents.

This is the third, and the one closest to the one we're actually using. The logo is the focus here, though it's more design than straight branding which makes the whole thing look a little more modern. The background is carbon fiber...we went through SO many different background types, but nothing else gave it a subtle enough pattern without being boring. Also, the carbon fiber adds to the more modern look which is really what this one is all about. The name of the card is also highly visible which makes it a good talking point. Interestingly enough, the first pass at these, this was the least popular design.

So there you go. When the cards are done, I'll post a photo of the finished design so you can see how they ended up against these designs.

"I'll tell you what -just buy me a couple pairs of short-pants and we'll call it even."
-Bobby Hill

FEATURE: The making of a comic page (Part 1)

Greetings visitors!

So, here I am just a month out of college and in what I consider to be my first professional art job. True, I've had other jobs in the past but this one is unique to me for reasons that are vague and mysterious. As I've been adjusting to my new life, I thought to myself that the way I do things might be worth some interest on my blog. It also serves to keep readers abreast of what I am doing as well as gives me an excuse to post artwork that isn't pony related.

That said, I am going to run a small series of posts (when I have the time to update) about my process for this project.

But what is the project? Anyone who is familiar with my work history knows that I have spent a lot of time working on various comics; Newscast, Nightheart, and a project for Packrell Studios which I am very excited about, and that too is what this is, a motion comic. The project itself is unfinished, but as soon as it's done, I'll of course give you an official link to it.

So in this post, we're going to look briefly at my character design for the main character 'Sammy'. Unlike the majority of the work I have done in the past, I was not involved with the conception and original scripting for the project. This one has also had a much tighter deadline than I usually work in. That meant that the character design for my version of 'Sammy' had to be based off what I knew of the story, a vague description and it had to be done fast.

The included images are just a few of the dozen or so pages that went into Sammy's development. Since I was the only artist working on this section, I had free reign to design Sammy how I liked, as long as he met a few specifications.

This process is usually quick, with just a few seconds per drawing, sometimes a little more when I get closer to a design I like. I play with expressions, shapes, and facial features. This -I know- is a little different than what most artists do, but it is a method that has worked well for me so far.


This is the character sheet I designed for Sammy. This one is more of a color guide, and basic reference picture. Again, since the deadline was so tight, I didn't spend as much time working on a full character turnaround sheet for everyone. As a matter of fact, in this case, only Sammy and Tony (covered later) got full character sheets with color swatches.

In this case, it wasn't too much of an issue, because I am the only artist working on this section, and the way I prepare the pages for inking (again, covered later) means that I can usually stay on model without too much deviation.

For future pages though, I'll be sticking with the full 360 rotation model, just for it's simplicity.


Well, thats all for now folks. My next post will cover Tony's design as well as my process for working on a page from sketching to completion. I know this is all something thats been discussed before by artists far more capable than myself but of course, I myself am still learning. And cataloging one's approach to work is an important step in reviewing what we do and grow from it.

Also, I needed to post. Deal.

"They didn't even know why he was called T-Bone!"
>"Why was he called T-Bone, Coach?"
"I don't know, I was hoping they could tell me!"
-Coach and Dianne