Illustration Friday Focused

From a simple sketch at work to a finished illustration. This weeks challenge affords me an excellent opportunity to do just that, FOCUS my efforts to attain my goals.

Ladies and Gentlemen, The New GREW

I've been feverishly working to a polish a new view of my book GREW.

I hope to have a good bit ready to show at Wondercon this April in San Francisco.

Yes... I know, it is quite different than my All ages Graphic Novel OUWANGALAYMAH!

yet both works live in me in tandem. One vie ing for attention from the other.

GREW is now getting the lions share of my time.

Perhaps I may be a bit premature in revealing the new look of a work I started not quite one year ago, but being terribly predisposed to a lack of patience, and quite prone to, as they say, jumping the gun, I can't help myself. so here, for your paroosel, I give you

GREW

More is on the way.

Sneak peak At OUWANGALAYMAH! part 2

2010, Well. What will this year bring. Better yet, What will I bring to this new year.

For sure I will finnish Ouwangalaymah! all four issues and at the end, a compilation of the work for my first completed Graphic Novel for all ages. Here is a sneak peak at Issue #2 which I hope to finnish ASAP.

If 2010 is to be the year for me to break away from the day job at LOWE'S and enable myself to work full time in my creative endeavors, then I need to get busy. Its almost midnight! The new year is upon us! WHAT ARE WE WAITNG FOR! GET DRAWING!

Good night! Did he die or somthin?

Well it has been a while since my last post. Much has happened. And though the worst of it is over, I still have to collect my thoughts. Ever since going totally digital, I've been reveling in the positives of this new medium. New to me that is, and I really haven't given much thought to the downsides. Having come perilously close to losing a years worth of work, the down side has loomed over me as big as an elephants backside. Have I made the right choice in mediums?

It is frightening to realize that all the work and time one has put into a project could so easily and preeminently vaporize. No. Not even that, because a vapor has substance. Total oblivion. Gone. Wooosh!

Think of all that exists on the web. Gone with the simple pulling of a plug.

At any rate we press on. Having chosen a course we must stick to it if we are to ever get anywhere. So, I would like to announce that the first issue of OUWANGALAYMAH! is done!

Submitted to Ka-blam.com for printing, I await the first hard copy. revisions I'm sure will come, but at least I am one step closer to pulling something more permanent out of the either.

EFII Response; Working outside your chosen medium

My name is Samuel Kirkman. I’m 47 years old, husband of one beautiful woman and father of two incredible boys. In collage, I studied fine art and was perusing a degree in Studio Art. Life happened and I dropped out, having become disillusioned with the fine art world. Since then I've worked in small market television stations as an audio operator, as a self employed Janitor, and for the last 13 years as a Nursery Sales Specialist for a home improvement center (LOWES). While paying the mortgage and doing the responsible thing, I've desperately tried to keep alive the creative being inside me. As a janitor I'd vacuum Patterns into the carpet, I saw intriguing shapes in the wet splotches on the floors as I mopped, and now I find myself surrounded by all sorts of materials that inspire my creativity.

Most recently I've been hammering away at an idea involving travertine tile, and my new found love for sequential art. Ever tried drawing with a Grinder? When it comes together I'll post the results, but for now, here are a few, "Out side" my usual medium examples.I hope you enjoy them!

This piece is Stained Glass entitled, "TRUST". It is a visual commentary on the abuse of children at the hands of the clergy.

Flotsam

Yes I've even worked in Seaweed. Dried of course.

And my most recent affliction, Digital media in the production of my Graphic Novels for all ages, "OUWANGALAYMAH! The Tail of The Name Of The Tree" and "GREW" both of which are presented on my web site while in production. I hope to have Ouwanaga #1 finished and printed for Wondercon in San Francisco this next april.

There are wonderful things happening on line. Not the least of which is the site

http://escapefromillustrationisland.com/welcome/

Thomas James, a working illustrator him self is really rocking the creative podcast world with his in-depth and very well produced podcast interviews with seasoned professionals.

His latest interview with graphic artist Stephan Bucher Is a great listen and spurred this post.

the community growing around Thomas's podcasts & Site is exciting and I encourage everyone to become a part of the EFII community.

Thank you Thomas for all the hard work you are doing to build such a stimulating, diverse, and talented group of people. Yea Escapees!

AAAAA!!!!!!

Kernel Panic!!!! I just learned, almost the hard way, what a Kernel Panic is. It's what you don't want to happen before you've backed up all your work! And folks, DO IT! DO IT NOW before you do anything else. The Mac has been acting up lately. Painter closing up on me right in the middle of a brush stroke, Trouble pulling up the internet, Things like that. Bought an external Hard drive Monday & backed evrything up that night. THANK GOODNESS! because tuesday morning it was KERNAL PANIC! Any way, Long story short, BACK UP YOUR INFO!

Thanks to Fellow Twitterer Ryan Anthony Davis @radillustrator on twitter he shared this link to an online back up service you might want to look into. Any way, anyhow just do it!

http://www.backblaze.com/

First illustration Friday post! Frzen

FROZEN with Fear, the elephant shivered & Shrieked!

Just wanted to do a loose, open sketch.

Nevr posted to IF yet so thought I would.