Month: August 2011

Everything but the Squeal

Jukejoint Handmedowns, Self Promotion

Getting to be that time again, so I’m designing a new promo postcard to send out to potential clients. Since I’m also in the process of recording a cd for my band, I thought I’d get double duty out of these cards, and print the overrun with a blank back side, and then I can also use this postcard to mail out to music venues/record shops in the area to promote the cd. The image is one that I did earlier this summer as a cd cover for the music that we hadn’t yet begun recording (but we did have the title, and that was good enough for me).

Got a call from our mailing list vendor, and we had a discussion about different marketing tools, and one thing he suggested was to include something on the postcard that requires some sort of action on the part of the recipient, like entering a code on a website or offering some sort of % discount in exchange for a response. I’ve decided to offer a series of free gifts to the first 25 or 30 people to sign up in response to the card (I haven’t quite set up my website for this yet, but will work on it over the next few weeks). The gifts will probably be in the form of free copies of a recent paperdoll book that I got a LOT of complimentary samples from the publisher, plus a few items from my zazzle store. In exchange, I’ll likely design some sort of survey form that can be filled out and submitted online through my main website.

Everything But the Squeal

Self Promotion

Getting to be that time again, so I’m designing a new promo postcard to send out to potential clients. Since I’m also in the process of recording a cd for my band, I thought I’d get double duty out of these cards, and print the overrun with a blank back side, and then I can also use this postcard to mail out to music venues/record shops in the area to promote the cd. The image is one that I did earlier this summer as a cd cover for the music that we hadn’t yet begun recording (but we did have the title, and that was good enough for me).

Got a call from our mailing list vendor, and we had a discussion about different marketing tools, and one thing he suggested was to include something on the postcard that requires some sort of action on the part of the recipient, like entering a code on a website or offering some sort of % discount in exchange for a response. I’ve decided to offer a series of free gifts to the first 25 or 30 people to sign up in response to the card (I haven’t quite set up my website for this yet, but will work on it over the next few weeks). The gifts will probably be in the form of free copies of a recent paperdoll book that I got a LOT of complimentary samples from the publisher, plus a few items from my zazzle store. In exchange, I’ll likely design some sort of survey form that can be filled out and submitted online through my main website.

Days 67-71

AHMM, Highlights

Day Sixty Seven


Today I had another fiction assignment for Dell Publishing (Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine). Been doing work for this client for about 22 years, with my first assignment in the fall of 1989. Only the second one I’ve done for them so far in 2011.

Day Sixty Eight


A couple more illustrations for the academic book project. 3 more to go. A lot of black and white lately, may have to do a color piece just for myself this weekend. Might also be time to start working on a fall mailer just to remind people I’m still here.

Day Sixty Nine


Another of the spot illustrations for this ongoing academic book project I’m working on. A couple more to go (which I’ll probably end up finishing tomorrow), and then I’ll be moving on to a couple color projects.

Day Seventy


Today’s illustration is the last two of the spot illos for the academic book project I’ve been working on all week. I still need to do some sketches today for a new Chronicle job, plus I’ll need to get started on a color piece for Highlights for early next week. Looks like beautiful weather this weekend, so I may take the next two days off and do some sailing.

Day Seventy One


Had a busier than usual day today. Finished up a revised version of one of the black and white spot illustrations for the academic book project from last week (pictured below), plus did a color spot illustration for Highlights (pictured above). Also started work on an illustration for the Chronicle, which I’ll probably finish up either tonight or in the morning and will post it tomorrow.

Days 61 through 66

ChronicleHE, Philadelphia Weekly, self portrait, WSJ

Day Sixty One


Took the weekend off, and went back to work on the above illustration on Monday morning. (You can click on the image above to see a larger version, and you can click on this link to see the version with an additional element requested by the art director, which I wasn’t all that crazy about). I also spent some time this morning working on some rough sketches for the Chronicle, for which I’ll be working on finishes either later today or tomorrow.

Day Sixty Two


Today’s illustration is an assignment for the Chronicle for their ‘online version’, a portrait of quantum mechanics scientist Richard Feynman. I also whipped up a quickie self portrait yesterday evening whilst my wife was down at the radio station recording her show (which I decided to use as my ‘sidebar portrait’, as well as an icon for my zazzle store)

Day Sixty Three


Today’s drawing is one of 8 that I’ll be finishing up over the next few weeks for an academic book project.

Day Sixty Four


Today’s illustration is a quick turnaround assignment for the Journal.

Day Sixty Five


Today’s illustration is another of the pieces for the academic book project I’m working on.

Day Sixty Six


Took the weekend off to work on some music recording and mixing, and got back to work on Monday morning with another of the illustrations for an upcoming academic book project. I also did some tweaking to an earlier illustration, per the author’s request (pictured below). More to come this week.

Days 56 through 60

Highlights, Philadelphia Weekly

Day Fifty Six


Took the weekend off, to do a little recording for the upcoming JJHD cd, visit with my son home from Chicago, and spend some time with my Mom up from Florida for a brief spell. Not much going on today, just a few rough sketches for upcoming projects.

Day Fifty Seven


Still awaiting okays on a couple projects, so in the meantime, I worked up a pen and ink sketch of actor Robert Ryan. There was an interesting article on this actor in Sunday’s Times, which has been percolating in my head for the past few days. This is also a pen and ink style that I’m thinking of using for an upcoming book project, so I’m doing a little practicing in getting the bugs out before it begins.

Day Fifty Eight


Again, working in black and white line, I tackled a portrait of Esperanza Spalding today. I think I overworked this one just a little bit. The hardest part about line work and cross hatching is knowing when to say ‘when’.

Day Fifty Nine


Didn’t actually get much drawing done today. Went on a long bike ride and helped a friend pack up his belongings for a move out to Denver for most of the day today (plus an evening band practice). So, today’s drawing will actually be a sample of one of 16 sketches I did yesterday afternoon for an upcoming book project. The finishes for these illustrations will probably start appearing next week, as I get them completed.

Day Sixty


I’ve spent most of today working on a cover illustration for a magazine client (a rough sketch was posted earlier in the week). I’ll be posting the finished version in a few days, but in the meantime, here’s a sneak peek of the ‘in-progress’ work.