intensity developing

To demonstrate the value of a good critique group. As individuals, we can just so much. With the aid of several sets of eyes and various aesthetics, we can really start to see changes that will make a difference in our work.   
The closer I get to Comicon in july, the more intense and hopefully numerous my posts will get. It would be great if I could have this thing finished By then, but I can't rush it either. Creativity ebbs and flows. I know there will be other dry spells. I hope to take a couple of weeks as a leave of absence to try and get closer to completion. I just hope a dry spell doesn't come during, so that that needed time isn't wasted. It's just something you can't predict or do much to control. Just go with it and try to muscle through if it does happen. Anyway, the story is getting better.           

The Wretched Wife of the Mayor of GREW

It is such an intriguing thing to create a world and the characters that inhabit it. You can quite literally have anything happen. What is important is finding the sequence of events that will lead an audience to empathize with and identify with those involved. You want the audience to follow you on this journey and sometimes it is a struggle within to keep it interesting. I've found more and more that the story has to grow as the illustrations progress. Different directions can be taken, but in order to get a clear direction you have got to stop and think, STORY! STORY! STORY! Taking the time to work on the text has given new life to my illustrations. It's weird how intertwined they have become. I've decided that this work has to be done in such a way that neither can exist independent of  each other. You can't understand the story with out the pictures, and vise-versa. So this is the renewed direction to produce a unified whole and not a collection on disembodied chunks of creativity. This is the challenge!          

podcast interviews

If you haven't checked out the podcast interview page on my web site, I encourage you to do so.

David Colman is an Emmy award winning character designer who has worked with many of the best in the field of animation. From Sony pictures to Disney and practically everyone in between. He was gracious enough to agree to an interview for us to post through the VSS web site. His book is truly worth picking up. The Art Of Animal Character Design.

As it turns out, David's Friend Mark Mcdonnell Who is an artist working with Disney caught Davids interview and well, one thing leads to another, and My interview with Mac will be posted for June.  Needless to say I do hope this could lead to interest in my own work.   

Im having a blast in doing them. I'm getting to ask questions of professionals in the field that I have always wanted to ask. I find for myself that nuts and bolts questions about how to break into the field, present your work, and just how to "Hang in there," are the most helpful. If you have any questions that you would like me to ask Mac drop me a response to this post and we'll see what we can do. Stay tuned! this could get interesting!   

Grew is growing slowly

There are not enough hours in the day.

This one illustration has take me almost three weeks to complete. Built up from 32 layers.

All this time though has allowed the story to develop and mature in my mind. I can only imagine how it might seem from what's been posted so far but there is a story here.

The main premise of GREW is; The Inevitability of Paradise. No matter what mankind has done to the Earth, it will heal in time.