Month: January 2022

Coloring Book Sample

Dover, Green Prints

A new coloring book project is now officially in the works for Dover. This will be a collection of ‘Literary Horror’ images, and I had done a sample illustration a few weeks ago in preparation. The editors asked me to think about working in a new style that might facilitate more coloring freedom for the users of the book, so I worked up a new sample this week (after several false starts). We’ll see if this meets with their approval. Below is the black and white line art version.

We tested negative for Covid yesterday – Yay! A pretty mild time of it, although I am suspicious that my sense of taste may have taken a slight hit.

Also this week I did a small illustration for GreenPrints (the magazine has been purchased by another company, so this is the first time working with the new corporate overlords).

Still Sketchy

Delaware Today

Still under quarantine around here with our positive Covid results. Here’s another rough sketch for an upcoming illustration. I’ve been growing fonder and fonder of my rough sketches the past few years, and wondering if I can’t turn this into a style all its own. I like the spontaneity and the rough unpolished look of these sometimes better than the finished versions. Something to think about down the road as my faculties start to decline.

Book Cover

Llewellyn

Another book cover for Llewellyn, this one by the same author as one I did a few years back (and, according to my twitter feed, apparently he liked so much that he requested the publisher use me again, which is very flattering).

Feeling Sketchy

Green Prints, Llewellyn

First week of 2022, and I’m currently working on the next batch of Witches Companion interiors (I’ve been starting each year off with this project now for going on 14 years). Above are the sketches for this year’s assortment. I should begin working on these over the rest of the month. Below is a rough sketch for the next GreenPrints illustration. This publication got purchased by a parent company over the holiday break, so we’ll see how the transition goes. I’ve also gotten some startling news this morning with a positive Covid test that I had taken early last week in response to my wife having a sore throat. I’m feeling no symptoms and I rarely ever leave the house, and we have a possible trip scheduled for my 60th birthday this month, so I am hoping this doesn’t throw a monkey wrench into our plans.

Onward to 2022

Dover

One of the possible projects that I may be working on in the near future, is a ‘Literary Horror’ coloring book. I’ve been working on a sample illustration over the past two weeks (and it took several false starts before I settled on this one). Above is a colored version, and the black and white version is below. I’m debating on whether or not to integrate the title in decorative lettering, and I may post another version of this either later today or tomorrow with the lettering I have in mind. The idea for the book is a series of illustrations of classic horror & monster images from the pages of literature (as opposed to the more recognizable monsters from Hollywood). This one is from the Robert Louis Stevenson novella ‘Strange Case of Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde’.