Barista Powers: Old School pt.7

I haven't been working on the comic for a while now, but I still fire off the occasional sketch at work, just like the old days.  This week I'll share my work doodles; don't expect much of a narrative.

Today: I just wanted to practice drawing Lori's new look, as she no longer wears bandannas or glasses.  She enjoys soup. 

Barista Powers: Old School pt.6

I haven't been working on the comic for a while now, but I still fire off the occasional sketch at work, just like the old days.  This week I'll share my work doodles; don't expect much of a narrative.

Today: Don't Bring Me Down by ELO

Barista Powers: Old School pt.5

I haven't been working on the comic for a while now, but I still fire off the occasional sketch at work, just like the old days.  This week I'll share my work doodles; don't expect much of a narrative.

Today: This is a first panel I made while on register.  I might still finish this one into a comic. 

Barista Powers: Old School pt.4

I haven't been working on the comic for a while now, but I still fire off the occasional sketch at work, just like the old days.  This week I'll share my work doodles; don't expect much of a narrative.

Today: Just listening to Spotify while working, and drawing whatever comes to mind between customers. 

Barista Powers: Old School pt.3

I haven't been working on the comic for a while now, but I still fire off the occasional sketch at work, just like the old days.  This week I'll share my work doodles; don't expect much of a narrative.

Today: We were listening to disco.  That is all.

Barista Powers: Old School pt.2

I haven't been working on the comic for a while now, but I still fire off the occasional sketch at work, just like the old days.  This week I'll share my work doodles; don't expect much of a narrative.

Today: I used Lucy Bellwood's demon to make an In & Out joke.

Barista Powers: Old School pt.1

I haven't been working on the comic for a while now, but I still fire off the occasional sketch at work, just like the old days.  This week I'll share my work doodles; don't expect much of a narrative.

Today: A coworker said I looked unusually unkempt. 

Postcards: Well, s**t.

Typography is hard.

Postcards: Canoeing the Apocalypse

Postcards: Church of the Eye

Postcards: Studying

I continue be inspired by, or even, dare I admit, envious of other artists, but I often fail to review my inspirations.  I don't immerse myself in art the way that I should.  Before working on this card, I took a quick minute to browse the work of Nick Bantock and Dave McKean.  I've yet to ever achieve their depth, but it's good to keep in the back of my mind.

I started with the map of Madison.  I liked the way the locations on the map came across as stars, so I cut away the lakes.  For contrast, I glued down a page of The Farmer's Almanac about The Great Lakes weather region, and then layered the isthmus over it.

The glossy saturated map over the cheap newsprint created too much contrast for receiving a foreground;  I attempted to reduce the contrast by gluing tracing paper over the whole image.

Throw in some nautical stamps, and you've got yourself a postcard.  It doesn't have that haunted aura that I'm looking for, but it's closer than I normally get.

Postcards: Bits from Nat Geo

Friends shared a Craig's List ad for National Geographics free from the roadside.  By the time I investigated, there were only six left.  They were from the mid-60s, source to many entertaining ads.  Once I saw this Western Electric ad, I knew I had to make a card for Ross.

I was inspired to make a Hitchcock / Kubrick poster influenced design.  Maybe that only makes sense to me, but it's where my brain headed.  I needed more ominous words.

Put it all together, and you have an advertisement for The Mind-Manglers.

Postcards: The Lizeruas Beast

My first Lizeruas Beast fan art.  The Lizeruas Beast is an evil lizard monster courtesy of Ben.

Postcards: Sunset Over Madison

Just another sunset over downtown, but in the winter the steam towers produce a billowing canvas of warm colors against the cool sky.

Postcards: 1930's Video Phone

Learn to draw with Rob.  

First sketch out some shapes.

Lay down some foundational color.

Begin filling the colors.

Continue to develop the shadows.

Add the final details.

Postcards: Leaves on the Bricks

Normally I wait to share a card until after it has been received, but my production exceeds my exports lately.  This is probably my best documented watercolor to date.  I had been meaning to make this image as a print, but I instead adapted it to a paint for practice.

I started by making the stones different colors, just help keep them from blending all together.

Then I started layering brown over all the bricks to really bring the saturation down, and adding colors to the leaves.

Then I finished with filling in the grout.