sketches

I’m new to the world of trading card collectors but I’m trying to stay ahead of the learning curve.  If you happen to be a collector, then you’re no doubt familiar with Topps Redemptions, a program wherein a lucky collector can pull a “winning” card and redeem it for various prizes, including autographed memorabilia and artists’ sketch cards.  That’s where I come in.

I recently lent a hand, helping Topps to fulfill some of their 2009 Baseball Series 1 redemptions (I guess they’re a bit behind schedule).  Below are the 25 cards that I completed on commission.  In addition I was allowed to keep 5 cards for myself (though I’ve yet to tackle those puppies) – I’ll probably execute those five in full color and sell them off right here on the site, so stay tuned.  Until then… Scans below.

this character made a prior appearance in an illustration i did.  welcome back, kotter.

Click to enlarge.

This sketch is about 3-4 years old, but I only just rediscovered it. If I remember correctly, it was inspired by a magazine cover of Rachel Weisz, though damned if I can find it now. I remember, in the absence of any art supplies (I was staying with my mother at the time), it seemed a fine idea to raid the fridge and see what I could achieve with ketchup and mustard.  I believe white-out was employed for the highlights and I upped the saturation in Photoshop afterwards.  The whole thing made for a funky afternoon.

Click to enlarge.

Not sure if I have many “regular” visitors on the site, but if you’ve stopped in before, you may notice that I’ve tweaked the design around here a bit, specifically the way I categorize my portfolio.  Thus with my sketches freshly sorted, I thought I’d add a few more.

The below sketch is one I drew during Obama’s DNC speech.  I later finished the drawing in a cartoony sort of style that I was never entirely happy with, and still later painted it with some finer rendering that I’m more pleased with.  The original sketch might still be my favorite.

Click to enlarge.

This next sketch was part of a t-shirt design that was never used.  It’s still a gnarly drawing however.

Click to enlarge.

Lastly, you might recognize this sketch from one of my finished illustrations.  It’s a portrait of Orcus Uskbaatar, the Viscount of Wormwell, a character from a fantasy story that I’m writing.  As you can see, I’ll frequently sketch elements separately and construct the final composition in Photoshop.

Click to enlarge.

Much excitement in Jeffville today.  Just a short two months after my brush with Neil Gaiman, I was able to get another of my portraits signed by the subject, in this instance, Mets third baseman David Wright.  No, I didn’t get to meet David myself, but my wife was able to take part in a meet & greet this afternoon and Mr. Wright was kind enough to sign a new painting I whipped up for the occasion.  I’m pretty pumped and can’t wait for her to get home so I can scan it and post it.  In the meanwhile, here’s the portrait.

Click to enlarge.

And here are the original sketches, pre-photoshop-paint-job. Click to enlarge.

Sketch of my grandpa. It’s not a perfect likeness… but that’s why they call them sketches. When I have some time, I might paint this.

Click to enlarge.

I’m an artist who never gets it right the first time.  Or the second for that matter.  When I was a kid, I used to tear through my paper with my eraser.  That’s why I love Photoshop.  Mouth too big?  Nose too small?  No worries, I’ll Fix It In Post!  Death to erasers!

For instance, here’s an example of the evolution of a sketch of my beautiful wife.

Click to enlarge.