Inspirational Chalkboard Art

"This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."
- Psalm 118:24

Lately I've been learning a lot about hand drawn fonts, typography and layout. It has been a fun challenge and I like how it adds another skill set to my "artistic tool belt." I feel grateful to be able to make art that coincides with my beliefs.

Thank you Erin for the free chalkboard background!

Hipster Fox

I had a blast designing a series of hipster animals at work last month. Here's the link to the rest of the animals as Embroidery Designs.

http://www.emblibrary.com/EL/Products.aspx?Catalog=Emblibrary&ProductID=x11348

On the side, I've been working on a personal project with my wife. The goal is to create a theme of art prints to potentially sell on Etsy. Heidi's been so great at giving feedback about what works, what doesn't work and how to make it all go together as a set. This fox design on top was test in Adobe Illustrator to play with textures. Basically it's all grain filters and gradients. I'm liking the results and plan to apply it to the personal project.

It's been fun learning about Etsy and how it can empower creative entrepreneurs. The hardest part for me is being okay with the return rate vs. time invested in creating the art possibly being minimal. It's really about the journey though and learning more about the business side of being an artist. :)

Ninja Cat T-Shirt and Stickers!

He slices! He dices! He... takes frequent naps through out the day. He's the Ninja Cat! :)

New T-shirt and Sticker design added to the RedBubble store.

Hope you guys enjoy, and special thanks to my fiance for helping pick out the color scheme.

Victorian Cat Designs

A couple embroidery designs from work (UrbanThreads). The guy cat on the left was drawn a year or so ago and his new feline friend was added last month to our collection. It was a good challenge trying to make the two look like they go together, even though it had been some time since the first cat was created. In hindsight, I think I would give the guy cat a neck. That might help the proportions of the two cats to look more equal. It was fun researching the Steampunk/Victorian themes for costumes and attire. It was also fun to flex the character design muscles a little bit. I really tried to nail a cool silhouette with each of their poses and give them a little attitude.

Cyclonus Sketch

From the sketchbook, this is drawing of Cyclonus the evil Decepticon Transformer. When I was a kid, most of my drawings were of Transformers or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It's still just as much fun today as it was then! This was done with Prisma Pencils and Markers on tone paper. I think I'll do some more of these Transformer drawings... just brings back so many good memories of growing up. :)

Cartoon Robot Designs

Here are some robot designs and sketches I did for Urban Threads recently. The top drawing was a little detailed and we decided on going for a more "chunky and blocky" look. The design is geared (pun intended) for kids so I think it was a good call.

I enjoy seeing into the process of some one's thoughts and love looking at artist's sketchbooks. It's sort of like the bonus footage on a DVD you enjoy. They show you behind the scenes of the film or commentary from the director about their thoughts, budget, location, etc. I love that stuff.