Dragon sketches

This is a page of dragons I have been doing as warm ups before I start my day.

Capone is now a model....

Capone(my dog)was a model in my animal character design class this last Saturday. He stayed on the model stand for a little bit but b/c it was wobbly he didnt last long....Overall it worked out well, he stayed in one position long enough for me to lecture about necessary landmarks and point these areas out on his body. I hope to make it a regular thing down the line.
Here are some pics one of my students took.

Zoo Class Saturday 61609

Here are some sketches I did from todays zoo class. MY students studied the lion and the jaguar today. I didnt do any personal sketches of the lion, just lots of demos in my students sketchbooks....that seems to happen often. However I did do a sketch or two for myself. In the top one the jungle cat was grubbing on a cow bone but just didnt include it...reason for his mouth being agape....I know..I suck..should have added it.... lazy I guess...and did have to get back to teaching...This is done on thick blue paper(card stock) w/ Art Stix, pencil and some pen.....enjoy!

Longlost family.....maybe..?

here is a piece a friend of mine commissioned mefor to do for his son's room...the only direction, sea life....something to do w/the sea....so this is what I did. Took me awhile to finish b/c as always very busy. This is it before any adjustment w/PS.
Media: colored pencil,marker, gouache, and little pastel on chipboard.

Figure Costume sketches 06_04_09

Here are some sketches from last nights costumed figure class @Disney TVA
mediums used: pentel fountain pen, brush pen, art stix, pastel on chipboard(back of old sketchpad)

whoops, almost forgot...and white out

Figure Costume sketches

These are all from a costumed figured drawing class with the great Mark McDonnell from last thurs...
I always try to break the monotony of my everyday drawing routine and I do that by drawing or creating w/tools I am not so comfortable with......so w/this class session I broke out the pastels and black paper. As a character designer versatility is very important...and its not just a matter of varying shape language but also about varying medium and tools you use.

My son.....finishing up

Here is a spread from my sketchbook. I started the head piece of Capone, my son, on the left during my exhibit up @Calgary Expo last month. I started the sketch phases on the right side of the spread @ that same time but just got around to adding the watercolor tint this past Memorial Day weekend, relaxing @ the Spa @ a resort in Palm Springs, celebrating my one year anniversary w/my lovely wife, Susan. I am grateful to have married an amazing person who allows me to do my thing no matter where we are.(But dont fret...our time togethr dominated the weekend...not my sketchbook :)

Anyway, my point here is that you should always bring a piece to completion when you intended to finish it up from the get go; even if it means opening the sketchbook back to that same page somewhere down the line. Not to say as artists we all leave things unfinished, both intentionally and unintentionally, just dont be afraid to go back to something you started so long ago if you wanted to take it to a level of completion when you first started it.