Boys in Skirts

The Red Hot Chilli Pipers is a real band based in Scotland. They are known for playing hard rock bagpipes while sporting fetching kilts. (Which is part of the reason I love Scotland. Bring on the man legs!) These dudes were all over the radio when I was in Scotland, driving through the Isle of Skye, headbanging along to the melodic skirls of "We Will Rock You." To the best of my knowledge they have never actually played in Seattle, but I'm sure they'll rectify that oversight soon.

The poster and postcard were designed for my Illustrator class. Let's all take a moment to admire the sporran.

If you click to enlarge, you'll be able to check out the lovely plaid pattern I made to fill the type. 

Below is the front and back of the postcard for this completely fabricated concert.

Color Studies of Birds

For this assignment we were asked to take an image of a bird and color it using three different color pallets. It's fun to see how changing the color story completely alters a picture.

Because I am a mythology geek, I drew a bird based on Anthea's Owl, an image that used to be stamped on ancient Athenian coins. Behold:

 

Below is my original sketch, done in ink on white drawing paper:

Click for larger image

I traced the black and white image with the mighty Illustrator pen tool and then added color.

Click for larger image

Click for larger image

Click for larger image

It's Not a Bird! It's a Didot!

Some more proof that I can make images that are not birds! Here is an informational poster on Francois Didot, whom you all need to learn a little something about. No. Really. Read it.

Click for larger image

Andy Warhol

Click for larger image

Andy was part of the portfolio I submitted to get into design school. The drawing itself is based on a rather famous portrait shot by Mapplethorpe. My version is ink on Bristol. I love the way ink looks on paper, but bemoan the inability to erase my inevitable mistakes.

A Flock of Cards

Since the full color owls were unanimously beloved, that was the version I turned in. Voting counts, people!

Below are the other cards I had to make for the assignment. The blue heron is just a generic correspondence card, and the dove is a non-religious winter holiday card. I appear to have some heretofore unknown avian fascination.

I'm happy with both of these designs. At the same time, I can't wait until we have color theory so I can feel comfortable working with colors outside of the blue-ish spectrum. 

Birthday Owls

The Assignment: to create a birthday card that is endearing and yet generic enough to give out to every faculty member of a community college.

What, I ask you, is more universally loved then the owl? Nothing. Not even ice cream. Hence the B-day owls. I'm still on the fence about which one to turn in . Feel free to vote in the comments.

Ye Olde Drawings

I'm too tired/disorganized to put up any of my recent school work. Instead, please enjoy a comic strip that was fresh and new during the Bush (the Younger) Administration. Or, as I think of them, the Shrub Years.

This is part of a longer series of strips that were fast to write and oh-so-very slow to actually draw.

As always, click on the image to see it in its full glory.

Launching with a smile

I may as well begin this blog on a happy note. This is my very first assignment using Adobe Illustrator, which is a massive program that could probably do my laundry if only I knew how to ask. Which I don't.

But I do know how to make adorable little birds, those are right in my wheelhouse. Maybe I'll take all the time I'm spending on the bus these days and write a children's book to go with this illustration: Purple Penguin Goes to the Moon. I can hear the royalties rolling in already. Huzzah! School has already paid for itself.

And I know it looks simple, but that freaking moon took hours. HOURS! I may never have time to watch crap TV again.

Click on the picture to view it in all its glory.