SCOTT BURROUGHS

Editorial Illustration

2012-01-22T05:52:00.002-07:00

A little editorial illustration I just finished. I had a good time on this one:)

Dunkin' Donuts monster

2012-01-19T05:49:00.003-07:00

I live in Denver and there aren't any Dunkin' Donuts here and I really wanted a chocolate creamed filled yesterday. That's how this image came about. Dear Dunkin' Donuts company- please come to Denver!

Coffee Illustration

2012-01-18T07:27:00.003-07:00

Just a random illustration I did yesterday. It's a coffee monster thingy...

4 robot paintings in 2011

2011-12-30T06:34:00.011-07:00

Here's some pictures of the 4 robot painting I did this year. Now I just need to find a gallery for them :) I'm planning on doing 4-5 this year...

My next robot painting:)

2011-12-30T06:20:00.003-07:00

Here's what my next robot painting is going to look like. It's going to be 8x4 feet. I'm siked to get started. This will be the 5th in the series...

Illustration Friday "Messenger"

2011-12-23T08:24:00.003-07:00

For this week's Illustration Friday topic of "Messenger" I went with this messenger pigeon guy. I just felt like drawing a pigeon:) This took about hour. Merry Christmas!!!!

Illustration Friday "Sink"

2011-12-16T07:16:00.003-07:00

For this week's Illustration Friday topic of "sink" I went pretty literal (couldn't think of anything else???). This took about an hour and is an Illustrator/Photoshop collaboration...

Coffee

2011-12-15T08:08:00.003-07:00

This took about 30 minutes and is just a random image that popped into my head this morning- It's about.... coffee :)

Illustration Friday "Mysterious"

2011-09-03T09:34:00.004-06:00

For this week's Illustration Friday topic of "mysterious" I went with a Monsters Inc. vibe mixed with a mysterious robot.

Angry Robot

2011-08-27T08:46:00.002-06:00

This is an idea for my next robot painting. I'm thinking 4 by 8 feet...

"I Fight Robots" t-shirt design

2011-05-29T06:23:00.003-06:00

This is a t-shirt design I did for myself (well, actually for a baseball shirt). I dig robots:)

Spot illustration

2011-05-04T13:16:00.004-06:00

I haven't posted in awhile- crazy busy! But here's a spot I just finished for a client- It was done in illustrator. Fun project:)

Illustration Friday "mail"

2010-12-19T08:21:00.004-07:00

For this week's Illustration Friday topic of "mail" I went Star Wars. I think this kinda works- R2D2 delivering some mail (video mail) :) It's still sooooo much fun drawing him. This is a Illustrator/Photoshop image and took about 2 hours...

Illustration Friday "burning"

2010-11-12T11:50:00.005-07:00

For this week's Illustration Friday topic of "burning" I got the idea of a lobster stuck in my head:)

Illustration Friday "afterwards"

2010-11-06T09:00:00.003-06:00

For this week's Illustration Friday topic of "afterwards" I went with "being with child". It's a photoshop/illustrator collaboration and took about 7ish hours...

Galactic Girl and Cosmonaut Kitty illustration

2010-10-31T07:21:00.004-06:00

This image was inspired by this funny drawing I saw of a cat in a spacesuit on a notebook. It made me want to do a cat in a spacesuit- so I came up with this. I also posted the rough for it. It changed a bit from the rough, but it usually does. I think this took me about 10 hours. Fun illustration:)

Illustration Friday "transportation"

2010-10-08T16:50:00.003-06:00

With this week's Illustration Friday topic of "transportation" I went with a robot eating some double-decker buses. I think they still use those over there?

Illustration Friday "Beneath"

2010-10-03T08:07:00.003-06:00

I actually had some time to crank out an Illustration Friday illustration. For this week's topic of "beneath" I went with a robot (what a surprise huh:) Anyway this took about 3 hours...

retro advertisement

2010-08-15T07:32:00.002-06:00

Here's an image made up of two pigs I used for another illustration a couple months back. They were part of a calender for kids. Now they are Oink and Squeal, registered trademarks of a made up company:) I think is kinda funny yet freaky to use the animals you're going to be eating for the advertisement- so that's what I did:)

Peeps t-shirt design for Chrysti

2010-07-31T11:54:00.003-06:00

Chrysti asked me to do a God's Peep t-shirt design a couple months ago. I finally got around to finishing it up. It took about 2 hours to do, but I spaced it out over 2-3 months.

Illustration Friday "Diary"

2010-07-09T12:38:00.002-06:00

For this week's Illustration Friday topic of "Diary" I went with this crazy scientist dude writing in his diary. It's just kinda random...

Illustration Friday "Fearless"

2010-05-07T07:54:00.002-06:00

For this week's Illustration Friday topic of "fearless" I went with Superman.

4 new illustrations

2010-05-07T07:36:00.006-06:00

I've been pretty swamped with work and haven't posted any images in a while. Here's 4 new illustrations from 2 different projects. Each of these projects had awesome Art Directors- a true gift to any illustrator.

FUN illustration project

2010-04-17T08:29:00.002-06:00

Summer is always soooo busy for me- so I don't really have that much time for "just for fun" illustrations (like robots:). But every once in a while a project comes along that they pretty much say, "Do what ever you want.". I had one of those projects a couple weeks back. This is one of three illustrations I did for them. It was a blast. I want some more projects like this!!!

CD cover

2010-04-09T04:40:00.003-06:00

This is the front of a CD cover I did for a good friend of mine. It was a lot of fun!

Illustration Friday "Subterranean"

2010-03-14T08:23:00.004-06:00

For this week's Illustration Friday topic of "subterranean" I went with another robot getting ready to destroy Paris. This took about 5 hours and is a photoshop/illustrator collaboration.

Illustration Friday "Propagate"

2010-02-20T05:57:00.003-07:00

For this week's Illustration Friday topic of "propagate" I was thinking fish. Unfortunately this Eskimo is taking advantage of the situation. This took about 4 hours and is a photoshop/Illustrator collaboration...

Illustration Friday "Adrift"

2010-02-12T13:56:00.006-07:00

For This week's Illustration Friday topic of "Adrift" I went with this poor sailor dude. He's just lost his submarine to an really angry cyclops squid robot. I've been wanting to draw a submarine for a while now- it was really fun:) This took about 6 hours and is a Photoshop/Illustrator collaboration.

Illustration Friday "Muddy"

2010-02-07T08:57:00.003-07:00

For this week's Illustration Friday topic of "muddy" I went with a muddy face. It's a slumber party prank (soap that instead of cleaning your face turns it muddy)- and this poor girl (with laughing friends in the background) is the victim. I spent some time drawing pigs in the mud, but went with this image instead. It's a Illustrator/Photoshop collaboration and took about 5 hours...

Illustration Friday "Clumsy"

2010-01-22T16:24:00.010-07:00

For this week's Illustration Friday topic of "clumsy" I went the a robot destroying the Eiffel Tower- making the tower look "clumsy". This illustration started because my oldest son Max drew a robot and then asked me if I could draw the Eiffel Tower. When I saw a robot and the Eiffel Tower together I knew I HAD to do my own image of it. This took about 10 hours and is a Photoshop/Illustrator collaboration.

Another self portrait

2009-12-28T05:58:00.003-07:00

I showed my wife Chrysti the last self portrait (image prior to this post) and she suggested I try one more before sending it in. She said I should do one of myself as an "old school" golfer. I started playing golf 2 years ago and really dig it. It gets me out of my studio a couple times a week:) So here's the version I'm going to send to my rep. Thanks Chrysti, you ROCK!

Self portrait for fun and promo

2009-12-27T07:15:00.003-07:00

This is a self portrait my rep asked all her artist to do for a promo piece she's sending out sometime in 2010. I'm not Mr. BBQ, just trying to get some fun elements in it. It's a Illustrator/Photoshop collaboration and took about 3 hours. I think this is my last image post for 2009- amazing year in family, friends and work (Praise God!)....

Illustration Friday "Hatch"

2009-12-12T12:11:00.005-07:00

For this week's Illustration Friday topic of "hatch" I was thinking of the hatch or door on a tank. I'm still in a robot phase, so here's a robot ripping off the hatch of a tank. My wife said she thinks the pink gives it a Power Puff Girls vibe- and I like that. This took about 8 hours and is a Photoshop/Illustrator collaboration...

Here's a detail of the 2 character. The Evil Scientist and the surrendering Army Man. I'm working on a series of images I want to have large prints made of for a gallery showing. That's the goal...

Illustration Friday "Crunchy"

2009-12-04T16:01:00.003-07:00

For this week's Illustration Friday topic of "crunchy" I went with my first idea- a gigantic robot chewing on a crunchy tank. This took about about 5 hours and is a Photoshop/Illustrator collaboration...

Illustration Friday "Unbalanced"

2009-11-14T21:53:00.004-07:00

I'm not sure which image I like best. One (bottom image) has more of the buildings, and I like how vertical it is. The other (top image) is more zoomed in- so you can see more of the detail.

Anyway... for this week's Illustration Friday topic of "unbalanced" I did another robot. When fighting against a robot it's an unbalanced fight. Robots always win. This is a Illustrator/ Photoshop collaboration and took about 4 hours...

Illustration Friday "Blur"

2009-11-08T08:50:00.003-07:00

For this week's Illustration Friday topic of "blur" I kinda pushed it to blurry. So here's a poor guy that's lost his glasses. His world is looking a little blurry right now. This took about 2 hours and is a Photoshop/Illustrator collabo...

Drawer Geeks "Teeth"

2009-11-06T07:20:00.003-07:00

This is my latest submission for Drawer Geeks. The topic was "teeth" and I went with another robot image. This took about 4 hours and is a Photoshop/Illustrator collaboration. For the last couple years I've been trying to do at least one or two illustrations per week that are "just for fun" illustrations. No money, no art direction, no changes- just me having some fun. I really enjoy illustration as a profession, there is honestly nothing else I want to do (it's my calling). I totally dig developing main stream/commercial images for clients but to keep it fun- I gotta have some "me time". Recently my "me time" has been spent drawing ROBOTS. This is something I did all the time as a kid (mostly in math, science and english class), and now have rediscoverd. So here's my latest robot...

Illustration Friday "Skinny"

2009-11-01T09:33:00.003-07:00

For this week's Illustration Friday topic of "skinny" I went with a robot again. I love drawing robots! This skinny robot is in "hungry mode" working on hitting "full mode" by eating some taxis (cause that's what they eat:). It's kind of a random image, but was really fun to do. I took the idea from a small sketch I did about a year ago in my sketch book. This took about 4 hours and is a Photoshop/Illustrator collaboration...

Illustration Friday "Fast"

2009-10-24T12:20:00.003-06:00

Yesterday I had no ideas (NOTHING) for Illustration Friday's topic of "fast". This morning- while watching cartoons with my kids I came up with this idea. I love drawing robots! It took about 4 hours and is a Photoshop/Illustrator collaboration.

Drawer Geeks "Frankenstein"

2009-10-23T05:49:00.003-06:00

This is an image I did for Drawer Geeks. The topic was Frankenstein. It took about 6 hours and was done in Photoshop/Illustrator.

Illustration Friday "Frozen"

2009-10-17T07:43:00.003-06:00

For this week's Illustration Friday topic of "frozen" I went Star Wars/The Empire Strikes Back. Here's Luke Skywalker hanging out with the Wampa. This took about 3 hours and is a Photoshop/Illustrator collaboration...

Illustration Friday "Flying"

2009-10-10T06:53:00.003-06:00

For this week's illustration Fridays topic of "flying" I wanted to go old school Nasa VS. The Soviet Union in the space race. I was watching Apollo 13 yesterday (staring Tom Hanks, directed by Ron Howard) and went with something inspired by that movie. I kinda cartooned it up some- and tried to give it a 50's flare. This took about 6 hours and is a Photoshop/Illustrator mix.

Illustration Friday "Germs"

2009-10-02T15:23:00.003-06:00

For this week's Illustration Friday topic of "germs", I went with a nasty one- the flu! (I think that's a germ?) This took about 4 hours and is a Photoshop/Illustrator collaboration.

Where The Wild Things Are

2009-10-02T07:23:00.002-06:00

This image was inspired by the book and soon to be released movie, Where The Wild Things Are. It was one of my favorite books growing up- and still is. It's a Photoshop/Illustrator collabo...

Illustration Friday "Pattern"

2009-09-25T16:30:00.005-06:00

Yay- I had some time to do a "just for fun" illustration today for Illustration Friday. For the topic of "pattern" I went with a sport I recently (about a year ago) started to try and learn, golf. Lots of the older clothes have patterns, and even the grass does. This took about 3.5 hours and is my typical Photoshop and Illustator collaboration.

Illustration Friday "Strong"

2009-09-04T10:18:00.002-06:00

For this weeks Illustration Friday's topic of "strong" I went with something I thought would be a cool t-shirt design. This took about 2 hours and is a Photoshop/Illustrator collaboration...

1967 VW BUS illustration

2009-08-22T09:24:00.002-06:00

For my 40th birthday, my wife surprised me with my dream car, a 1967 VW bus (a splitty). I love driving it! Anyway, being an illustrator and owner of a 1967 VW splitty bus I just had to do an image of it. This is a Photoshop/Illustrator collaboration and took about 3 hours.

Illustration Friday "Wrapped"

2009-08-15T09:16:00.003-06:00

For this week's Illustration Friday topic of "wrapped" I went with Mummy Kitty. I guess I have mummies on the brain. This illustration took about 3 hours and is a Photoshop/Illustrator collabo...

Illustration Friday "Shaky"

2009-07-03T16:15:00.006-06:00

For this week's Illustration Friday topic of "Shaky" I felt like designing a t-shirt. So I came up with a retro feeling image of "Shaky" the milkshake and then created a baseball shirt (with that image) in Cafe Press. I'm a dad with kids who like to watch TV. One of the kids favorite programs is I-Carly. I like it too:) Anyway, they always wear really fun and cool t-shirts on that show, and that's what inspired me. The image took about 2.5 hours and is a photoshop/illustrator collaboration. If you want to check out the shirt just click this link.... http://www.cafepress.com/Scootertoons.396287633

Illustration Friday "Worn"

2009-06-26T17:47:00.006-06:00

For this week's Illustration Friday topic of "worn" the idea I originally started out with was a scooter (with a face), racing down the street. The scooter had a tired "worn" out look on it's face from speeding around. Then I put this superhero girl (Super Scooter Girl) riding the scooter. Then I thought I should have something chasing them to add to the story. So I spent lots of time drawing this robot. I love drawing robots. This guy was inspired by an old Cadillac. ANYWAY... As I started on the finish, the scooter's face didn't really work for me. So I took the face off. So now, this really doesn't have anything at all to do with the topic. But I decided to post about the unfolding of this image anyway. It took about 5 hours and is a Photoshop/Illustrator collaboration.

Illustration Friday "Craving"

2009-06-05T09:21:00.008-06:00

For this week's Illustration Friday topic of "craving" I went with one of my favorite meals, oatmeal. I don't know why, but I love the stuff. There was actually two years of my life were I ate oatmeal for lunch 5 days a week. I'm kinda a creature of habit. Anyway, this took about 2 hours (I should be working and not playing- but oh well) and is a Photoshop/Illustrator collaboration. Go enjoy some oatmeal!

Illustration Friday "Cracked"

2009-05-22T15:26:00.004-06:00

For this week's Illustration Friday topic of "cracked" I went sci-fi. I've been having fun drawing aliens, so here's the Galactically Evil Alien Squidopus. I have him squeezing the ship's window so hard it becomes "cracked'. I went with a poster type look again. I'm a creature of habit. It's a Photoshop/Illustrator collaboration, and took about 4.5 hours.

Illustration Friday "Contagious"

2009-05-15T16:36:00.005-06:00

For this week's Illustration Friday topic of "contagious" I went with a movie that's contagious. Everyone I know loves the new Star Trek movie. One of my friends has already seen it 3 times. Maybe it's a stretch on the topic, but it's all I could come up with. I've been having fun doing retro mock up posters for animated shorts, so I went that way again. I might have pushed it a little with Captain Kirk's hand on Ahura's hip, but I thought it added some to the humor. It took about 5 hours and is a Photoshop/Illustrator collaboration. Live long and prosper...

Illustration Friday "Parade"

2009-05-09T06:51:00.003-06:00

For this week's Illustration Friday topic of "parade" I was thinking of the 1950's parades. A marching band dressed in red and blue leading the way. My wife spent a couple years of her childhood in Story City Iowa (which sounds like an all American town) so I used that name for the band and location. This took about 6 hours and is a Illustrator/Photoshop collaboration.

Illustration Friday "Hierarchy"

2009-05-01T16:40:00.004-06:00

For this week's Illustration Friday topic of hierarchy (a system in which people are ranked one above the other according to status or authority) I kept thinking of Batman and Robin. The way that superheros and their sidekicks all have a ranking. So I can up with Super Space Girl and her sidekick Gamma Kitty. They are fighting the evil Cyclop-tobot! For some reason I really like illustrating robots fighting cute kids- what's that about? Anyway... this took about 5 hours and is a Illustrator/Photoshop collaboration.

Latest Children's Book

2009-04-26T06:45:00.006-06:00

Here's some images from a children's book I just finished. The book is about baby Jesus and is due to come out in September. It's for really young kids so I kept the illustrations pretty simple. It was a really fun project!

Illustration Friday "Fleeting

2009-04-10T16:36:00.003-06:00

For this week's Illustration Friday topic of "fleeting" I went with the first idea that popped in my head. For some reason the Ford Edsel seems like a good picture of something that is "fleeting" (lasting for a very short time) to me. Plus, I went to the Denver Car show last week and have been looking for an excuse to draw an old car. This took about 3.5 hours and is an Illustrator/Photoshop collaboration.

Illustration Friday "Talisman"

2009-04-04T08:11:00.003-06:00

For this week's Illustration Friday topic of "talisman" I went Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Little Violet Beauregarde found herself a golden ticket (her talisman) and is ready to cash it in. As a kid I was a little freaked out by Willy Wonka (Gene Wilder), and those little dudes the oompa loompas. So I pushed the freakiness factor and can up with this. It took about 8 hours and is a Photoshop/Illustrator collaboration.

Illustration Friday "Poise"

2009-03-28T05:34:00.002-06:00

For this week's Illustration Friday topic of "Poise" I went with the Secret Agent who has total poise- James Bond. I have my TV going pretty much the whole time I'm working (as background noise) and they keep playing all these 1960's - 1980's James Bond movies. I love em! The older ones are pretty cartoony- great characters and great dialog. So I decided to come up with a animated movie poster for one. I went with Sean Connery in this image. It's funny, people are very passionate about who was and is the best Bond. I grew up with Roger Moore- and like him. This took about 7 hours and is a Illustrator/Photoshop collaboration.

Illustration Friday "Subtract"

2009-03-20T12:11:00.003-06:00

For this week's Illustration Friday topic of "Subtract" I went way back to the days of dragons, knights and princesses. Sir Knight is "subtracting" the Red Dragon's tail. This might result in his own head being subtracted. This took about 6 hours and is a Illustration/Photoshop collaboration.

My Dream Car

2009-03-20T12:01:00.002-06:00

Here's my dream car- an old school, red and white VW bus. So the other day (while I should have been working) I had some fun with Photoshop. I added myself at the driver's seat, my logo on the side, and my nickname on the license plate. Maybe one day:)

Illustration Friday "Legendary"

2009-03-13T21:02:00.002-06:00

For this week's Illustration Friday topic of "Legendary" I went with a location that's pretty legendary- Area 51. I've been wanting to draw an alien for a while, so this was a fun opportunity to do so. The alien is a shout out to Pleakley from Lilo and Stich. This illustration took about 5 hours and was done in Illustrator and Photoshop.

Illustration Friday "Intricate"

2009-03-06T16:46:00.002-07:00

For this week's Illustration Friday topic of "Intricate" I went with the first idea I had. I was thinking of heart surgery as a pretty intricate procedure- so that's what I did. This is the doctor and nurse you don't want to get. It was done in Illustrator and Photoshop and took about 4 hours.

Illustration Friday "Breezy"

2009-02-28T04:57:00.004-07:00

For this week's Illustration Friday topic of "breezy", one of the first images that popped into my head was from that scene of Marilyn Monroe's dress blowing around. So I went in that direction. In the movie she's wearing a white dress, so I kinda changed it up a bit. This took about 4 hours and was a Photoshop/Illustrator callabo.

Illustration Friday - "Instinct"

2009-02-21T06:07:00.004-07:00

For this week's Illustration Friday topic of "instinct" I went slightly violent- but I tried to make it cute and happy. So heres a kitty following his instincts and playing with his feathery friends. It was done in Illustrator and Photoshop and took about 3.5 hours.

Illustration Friday - "Celebrate"

2009-02-14T05:25:00.004-07:00

For this week's Illustration Friday topic of "Celebrate" I went with a boxer "celebrating" a TKO! This was the first image that came to mind. I remember in art school some of my teachers saying "NEVER ever ever go with your first idea!". But whatcha gonna do:) It's a Illustrator/Photoshop collabo. It took about 3 hours.

Illustration Friday - "Time"

2009-02-07T10:05:00.003-07:00

For this week's Illustration Friday topic of "Time" I really didn't have much time for finishing this up. I went with a very bad, yet very happy criminal doing "time". Can you guess why he's so happy??? This took about 2.5 hours and was done in Illustrator and Photoshop.

Illustration Friday - "Flawed"

2009-01-31T06:47:00.004-07:00

For this weeks Illustration Friday topic of "Flawed" I attempted a political cartoon. I did the drawing and was halfway done coloring it when my wife Chrysti walked in and asked, "ahhhh what are you doing???" I told her I was finishing up my Illustration Friday illo, and the topic was "flawed". She was silent for a minute, and then said, "When I think of Hitler, "flawed" isn't a strong enough word. " She said the word "abomination" would be far more appropriate. I totally agree. So I think I REALLY missed the mark with the topic. It was also interesting trying to do a cartoon of such an evil man. I didn't want to make him seem like a fun guy, or lessen any of the horrible things he did. I looked online at some of the original cartoons people were doing in World War II, and tried to figure out how they handled it. So here's an image that misses the topic, but I'll learned from it. It was done in Illustrator and Photoshop and took about 4 hours.

Illustration Friday - "Climbing"

2009-01-24T05:40:00.005-07:00

For this week's Illustration Friday topic of "Climbing" I went Mario. I have a Wii system that we (my wife and two kids) love to play Mario Kart on. We probably play it way too much- but what-cha gonna do? Anyway I guess I have Mario on the brain. This illo is a shout out to my illustration buddy James "Jimbo" Elston. Jimbo does the coolest Marios. I'm still in retro-world so I took it in that direction. It was done in Illustrator and Photoshop and took about 4.5 hours.

Illustration Friday - "Pale"

2009-01-17T05:29:00.003-07:00

For this week's Illustration Friday topic of "Pale" I went Polynesian. I was thinking of all the white (pale) tourist who vacation there in the winter. This happy little guy just got off the airplane and caught a dance with one of the locals (he's loving life). I was going for the 50's travel guide illustration vibe . It was done in Photoshop and Illustrator and took about 4 hours.

Illustration Friday - "Contained"

2009-01-10T06:12:00.004-07:00

For this weeks Illustration Friday's topic of "Contained" I went with the first image that came to mind. This image is based off of Revelation 20:1-3. "And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years." I'm still going with the Bible/retro thing. It took about 4 hours and was done in Illustator/Photoshop.

Illustration Friday - "Resolve"

2009-01-03T06:13:00.003-07:00

For this weeks Illustration Friday topic of "Resolve" I can up with this image. With Christmas still in the air, I was thinking about what it's really a picture of to me- God sending a savior to "resolve" me to Him. Anyway... I'm still stuck in retro mode and wanted to see if retro and Bible could gel for me. It was done in Illustrator and Photoshop and took about 3 hours. Happy New Year!

Illustration Friday - "Rambunctious"

2008-12-13T06:52:00.003-07:00

For this weeks Illustration Friday topic of "Rambunctious" I was feeling kinda retro. So I went with Mr. Daddy-O, hanging out in the lodge and slurping down some dirty martinis. The more he drinks the more rambunctious he gets! I also sent this image through the "Machine Wash" to give it a little texture. I couldn't think of anything that exciting to use for text, so I just went with what this illustration is for. It took about 3 hours and was done in Illustrator and PhotoShop.

Illustration Friday - "Balloon"

2008-12-02T16:54:00.005-07:00

For this weeks Illustration Friday I with a balloony panda. It was done in Illustrator and took about 4 hours.

Illustration Friday - "Opinion"

2008-11-21T08:41:00.004-07:00

For this weeks Illustration Friday topic of "Opinion" I went with something I just finished up for Valentines Day. It's going to be in a children's puzzle magazine. When doing illustrations with this many people (this is only half of the whole image) I come up with my own little stories that are going on with the characters. In this one- the popular girl with all the valentines day cards has the "opinion" - "It's all about me!" For some reason she looks like her name could be Britney:)

Illustration Friday - "Pretend"

2008-11-14T07:50:00.003-07:00

For this weeks Illustration Friday topic of "pretend" I went with an image I just recently finished up for Halloween. It's part of a larger illustration done for a children's puzzle magazine. I don't know what it is, but it's fun drawing witches in striped tights and big hats. When my son Max saw this image he said, "Hey look, that's Ronald McDonald!". It's not- maybe I was hungry when I was roughing it out:) The whole illustration took about two days.

Illustration Friday - "Vacant"

2008-11-01T14:48:00.004-06:00

For this weeks Illustration Friday topic of "Vacant" I went with an empty or "vacant" crib. My mom told me of how when I was a baby, she would come in to get me from sleeping and the crib would be empty- and that freaked her out (wonder why:). Apparently I used to climb out of my crib and start playing with toys when I was supposed to be sleeping- go figure. This illustration started off as a boy in a blue room, but got changed about half way through. I was going for something less freaky this week. My last weeks post kinda freaked my wife out. She said the "Repair" illustration reminded her of one of those Hannibal Lecter movies-ewhh! This took about 4.5 hours.

Illustration Friday - "Repair"

2008-10-25T06:30:00.006-06:00

For this weeks Illustration Friday topic of "Repair" I went kinda Halloweeny. I got slammed with work this week (totally busy) and wasn't going to do an illustration- but while giving my kids a bath last night I did a quick sketch of this little evil scientist "repairing" his super evil brain. AND THEN I woke up at 3:30 am and couldn't sleep. So... I got up and started finishing off this illo. It took about 3.5 hours and was done in Photoshop/Illustrator/and sleep deprivation.

Illustration Friday - "Late"

2008-10-20T11:25:00.005-06:00

For this weeks Illustration Friday topic of "Late" I went with that rabbit from Alice In Wonderland who kept saying "I'm late, I'm late!" It took about 2 hours and was done in Illustrator and Photoshop.

Illustration Friday - "Strings"

2008-10-10T22:16:00.003-06:00

For this weeks Illustration Friday topic of "Strings" I went with the phrase "Look mom, no strings!". I love the show Heroes and have been wanting to illustrate the cheerleader (Claire Bennet) for a while. (Save the cheerleader, save the world!) In this image Claire finds out her new guy friend has the power of flight and takes her for a ride around town. I don't know where the expression "Look mom, no strings" came from, but that's what inspired this illustration (he can fly without strings). It took about 6 hours, 3 slices of pizza, and a Pepsi:)

Illustration Friday - "Sugary"

2008-10-03T17:18:00.004-06:00

For this weeks Illustration Friday topic of "Sugary" I was going for cute and morbid. The whole idea for the illustration started because I just wanted to draw a witch in tights with red and white stripes. That's how it started but it went in a different direction. It took 5 hours and was done in Illustrator and Photoshop.

The second image I did earlier this week when I was waiting for a couple of roughs to be approved. I have robots stuck in head. So here's my version of Lost In Space with little Will Robinson. I changed up the robot, but also kept some of his design from the TV show/Movie. It took about 6 hours and was done in Illustrator/Photoshop. I might have spent too much time on my own illustrations this week, and not enough on paying jobs- but sometimes it's just too fun to stop:)

Jerry Maguire on Illustration

2008-10-03T05:27:00.003-06:00

This is kinda random, but here goes. I have movies playing as background noise most of the time I'm illustrating. I heard a line in Jerry Maguire that I think applies to what Illustrators do. Jerry is talking to Rod Tidwell and dialog goes like this...

"I'll tell you why you don't have your ten million dollars yet. Right now you are a paycheck player. You play with your head, not your heart. In your personal life- heart! But when you get on the field it's all about what you didn't get, who's to blame, who under threw the pass, who's got a contract you don't, who's not giving you your love. You know what? - That's NOT what inspires people. Just shut up and play the game! Play it from your heart! And you know what? I'll show you the "quan". And that's the truth- that's the truth! Can you handle it? It's just a question between friends. You knowwww?!"

So here's 2 things he said that I think can make an illustrator more successful AND happy...

1) "Don't be a paycheck player/illustrator" Don't make it just about the money. Make it about the pure enjoyment/fun/passion of creating with your own unique talent. If you're enjoying what your illustrating it's gonna be WAY better than if it's just a paycheck. And the better work you do, the more work you will get.

2) "Play it/illustrate it from your heart". Illustrating from your heart is different for each illustrator but so important. Art Directors (and you) can tell when you just "crank" it out and when you illustrate it with passion and heart. The more heart you use in illustration the more people will want to use you- because people who have passion and heart for what they do "inspire people". If your clients are inspired by you and your work- you're most likely building a strong "personal relationship" that will lead to more work opportunities. And that's my random thought on Jerry Maguire and illustration...

Illustration Friday - "Packed"

2008-09-26T17:25:00.006-06:00

For this weeks Illustration Friday I was totally stumped! I couldn't come up with anything I really wanted to illustrate. So after scribbling out some loose ideas I remembered an episode of Star Trek where Captain Kirk and the Enterprise were "packed" full of these little furry critters called "Tribbles". (I had to google "furry space aliens on Star Trek" to find out they were called tribbles.) I love google- it's so awesome for getting reference- I use it all the time. In this episode Captain Kirk wore a green shirt and the tribbles didn't have eyes- so I changed it up a bit. Anyway.... This is as close to "Packed" as I could get. It took about 4 hours once I figured out what to do.

Illustration Friday - "Island"

2008-09-13T06:11:00.003-06:00

For this weeks topic of "Island" I went with the show Fantasy Island. When I was a kid, every Saturday night after "The Love Boat" this kinda edgy show came on- Fantasy Island. At the beginning of each episode this little guy named Tattoo would climb to the top of this tower, ring a bell and yell the words "Da Plane...Da Plane!" For some reason Tattoo yelling that really bugged my dad- so we had to crank up the volume so he could hear it no matter where he was in the house:) It was d0ne in Illustrator and Photoshop and took about 4 hours.

Illustration Friday - "Clutter"

2008-09-06T05:41:00.004-06:00

For this weeks Illustration Friday topic of "clutter" I went with E.T. (The Extra- Terrestrial). I've been on a 80's movie kick lately. I remember E.T. getting drunk while Elliot was at school, and making a mess (that's the clutter:) The second illustration was inspired from Indiana Jones, Raiders Of The Lost Ark. I took some liberties with Indiana (wasn't going for a total Harrison Ford caricature). I did it for a portfolio piece- and cause it just seemed fun. Both illos were done in Illustrator and Photoshop.

Illustration Friday - "Memories"

2008-08-29T16:14:00.007-06:00

For this weeks Illustration Friday topic of "Memories" I went back to a 70's TV show, Land Of The Lost. I think it was on TV for one season, maybe two. Anyway I remember I watched it on Saturday mornings because my brother (who was older and larger) wanted to watch it. I kinda liked the show- but was more into cartoons. Anyway the green characters are called "Sleestacks", the little blond girl was Holly and the furry little guy was named Chacha. I saw online that they are remaking Land of the Lost with Will Ferrell- should be funny.

Illustration Friday - "Routine"

2008-08-22T16:19:00.004-06:00

For this weeks Illustration Friday I went with... Darth Vader doing his morning "routine" to get ready for the day. I remember when I was a kid and saw Empire, I was wondering if he slept with his helmet off or just took it off for an occasional breath of fresh air. Anyway I haven't drawn Darth Vader in long time and it seemed like a fun illo to do. I was also going for a Vader you might want to win once in a while. My 5 year old son Max helped me with the skin tone and light sabor color- he was my art director on this. Max wasn't completely happy with the finish- said Vador looked too much like his younger brother Titus:( Enough rambling. It took about 5 hours and was done in Illustrator and Photoshop.

Illustration Friday - "Detach"

2008-08-16T07:47:00.003-06:00

For this weeks topic of "detach" I was trying for something kinda random and retro. I love that old school gouache story book stuff, so I've been trying to figure out how to duplicate it digitally. For the story, I was thinking of a robot tea party that went bad. This was done in Illustrator first (for the colors) and then finished up in Photoshop (for some texture). It took about 3 and half hours.

Illustration Friday - "Poof!"

2008-08-02T06:10:00.003-06:00

For this weeks topic of "Poof!", I wanted to try and keep it simple. I'm not sure if you get "Poof!' out of it, but it is what it is. Maybe one of the rabbits is named Poof- I'm reaching:) Anyway...it took about 3 hours and was done in Illustrator and Photoshop.

Illustration Friday - "Canned"

2008-07-25T08:21:00.004-06:00

For this weeks Illustration Friday I'll share a spot I finished 2 weeks ago. I was going to do a new one but this worked out perfect for the topic of "Canned". It was done for curriculum for a 2nd grade english book. It's one spot in a series of spots for a crazy story about a mom who keeps her kids in a can of peas- kinda freaky huh? I also attached the rough...and I don't know why.

Here's the rough (note the text) -man I have horrible handwriting. Being an illustrator shouldn't I have nice designy handwriting? If it weren't for fonts I'd be in a bad place:)

What I did this summer, so far....

2008-07-25T07:42:00.011-06:00

WOW! It's been a crazy busy summer and the summer isn't over yet. Here's some of the projects I've been working on these past few months....

-The 2 top images (rat and rat with cat) were conceptual images done for a pitch I didn't get:( But I had a blast doing them and like how they turned out.

-The hockey image is for a children's puzzle magazine.

-The girl holding the news paper image is for Sunday School curriculum.

-The last image, the grasshopper and ant image is for 2nd grade english curriculum.

Here's some vector images from a few different clients. The first image is for a Dental website- not sure if they have it up and running yet. The second image is a poster for some Sunday School curriculum. The last image is a 6 foot tall stand up to be used in a VBS (Vacation Bible School) setting. They are going to have it were the kangaroos and koala's faces can be pulled back and kids can have their faces showing for pictures. I love how easy it is to make corrections and also send vector files.

That's my summer so far...

Illustration Friday - "Primitive"

2008-04-20T13:07:00.004-06:00

For this weeks Illustration Friday topic of "Primitive" I wanted to do a cave dude (I made him an artist- of course). I wish I had time to take this to color but it's one of those crazy busy times- so I'll just call it a "concept" drawing:)

Illustration Friday - "Fail"

2008-04-12T14:39:00.004-06:00

For this weeks Illustration Friday topic of "Fail" I was inspired by some old school retro animation stills I saw online. I think this is kinda like a self portrait- well, at least the grade is- maybe the nose too? It was done in illustrator and photoshop and I used one of those cool filters (on the background) I have on the Machine Wash disk. It took about 3 hours.

Illustration Friday - "Save"

2008-04-05T09:08:00.006-06:00

Wow! This image really disturbs me. For Illustration Friday and the topic "Save" I made up a very short story. Here it is... Little Billy Martin liked to cut the heads off of his sister's dolls and SAVE them in empty pickle jars... The End. Don't know why I added the rough- but here it is. It was done in Illustrator and took (from rough to finish) about 4 hours.

Illustration Friday - "Homage"

2008-03-30T07:03:00.005-06:00

For this week's Illustration Friday I wanted to pay homage to Sponge Bob paying homage to his spatula or "Spatchy" as he calls it. I have two kids so I know WAY TOO MUCH about Sponge Bob- but I love it. Sponge Bob was done in Illustrator. The background was done in Photoshop. The sand is taken from a photo- in the show they like to use real objects and place them into some scenes. It took about 4 hours for this.

Children's Puzzle Magazine Cover

2008-03-30T06:54:00.004-06:00

I finished this illo this week for a children's puzzle magazine cover. I spent a lot more time on it than I thought it was going to take. It was done in Illustrator/Photo Shop.

Illustration Friday - "Pet Peeves"

2008-03-22T10:09:00.005-06:00

For this weeks Illustration Friday I had like a bazillion ideas for pet peeves (speeding fine doubled signs, the way too happy psycho kids on Barney... and the list went on) but I went with something I battle every summer-dandelions killing my grass:( I did the illustration from the grasses point of view. It's done in gouache (still learning) and took about 6 hours.

The Construction 4-Man

2008-03-21T14:42:00.005-06:00

I did this image for fun and promo. I was going for an old school jazz record album cover. It's not a real band- but it seemed like a fun name.

Illustration Friday - "Heavy"

2008-03-16T13:41:00.004-06:00

For this weeks Illustration Friday I was inspired by one of my son's toys. He has a Wonder Woman action figure (he also has lots of male action figures too:) that I stole from him to finish up this "Heavy" Wonder Woman image. Most of my paying jobs I do in Illustrator (vector stuff) so I thought I'd do this one in that too. I think I spent just under 5 hours on it.

Illustration Friday - "Garden"

2008-03-09T06:37:00.003-06:00

For this weeks topic of Garden I came up with what might happen underground with the carrots- in my world:) This was one of those illustrations where about 3 times I was really struggling with it- wanted to quit. But I also had worked on it for a chunk of time and didn't want to give up. So this is where it ended up. It was done in gouache and took about 8 hours, 4 cups of coffee and all my purple gouache.