Davids Doodles

grrrrrrreeeeeaaaaAAT!

2011-12-15T22:29:00.000-08:00

Wood elf

2011-12-05T15:50:00.000-08:00

Miscellaneous development from a project I worked on many years ago.

FREE character design workshop

2011-11-02T14:11:00.001-07:00

...just a fun character

2011-10-28T12:28:00.001-07:00

This is a character from a project I worked on at Disney about 4 years ago. Its okay to post since it tells nothing of the story or look of the film as it is in its current state.

An annoying friend...

2011-08-21T21:51:00.000-07:00

This is a painting I did as an exclusive print for Gallery Nucleus. There are still a few left so if you want one you can go to this link to purchase:
http://motivarti.wordpress.com/prints/

Commission Sketch

2011-08-10T22:03:00.000-07:00

Here is a sketch I did as a sample for my commission sheet for San Diego ComicCon 2011.
I did color in the past but felt I was losing my style; the energy and guttural approach I am proud of. So I limited my commissions
this year to pen sketches on acid free chipboard with white accents. This is one of the pieces. I will post the commissions from the Con soon.

An Afternoon with David Colman Gallery Nucleus

2011-07-31T20:49:00.000-07:00

An Afternoon with David Colman
Sunday, August 7th, 2011
1:00 – 4:30 pm
at Gallery Nucleus (210 East Main St. Alhambra, CA 91801)

Join Motivarti and Gallery Nucleus for a special event featuring character designer and story artist David Colman.

David will discuss his extensive experience in the entertainment industry, give a demo of his character design process, and introduce and sign his new book, Animal Character Design: Grizzly Bears

The afternoon includes:

- a one-hour lecture with Q&A, with topics including David’s approach to storytelling and character design, as well as how he crafted a wide-ranging career for himself in the animation industry

- a two-hour character design demo, in which David will explain his approach and techniques for creating engaging characters

- an artist meet-and-greet, with print and book signing following the character design demo

-an opportunity to purchase a limited-edition, numbered and signed print, which David has created exclusively for Motivarti for this event

- a raffle of the original artwork created during David’s demo; you’ll receive 3 free raffle tickets for attending, with more tickets available for purchase at the event

-a free t-shirt with the purchase of Animal Character Design: Grizzly Bears (while supplies last; offer valid only at Gallery Nucleus during the event)

Tickets (click here to purchase)
Pre-purchase before 7/31: $20
Pre-purchase from 7/31 to 8/6: $24
At the door: $28

Please note, seating is limited.

Get three free raffle tickets when you purchase an event ticket. Plus, college students show their I.D. at the door for an additional five free raffle tickets!

NEW BOOK: Animal Character Design: Grizzly Bears

2011-06-17T13:17:00.000-07:00

‎(blaring trumpets) A sneak peak at my new book to debut at SD Comic Con: This book, ANIMAL CHARACTER DESIGN:GRIZZLY BEARS, is the first in a whole new series of design books. A series that will target specific animals and get more in-depth to designing that subject. In the end the mechanics are general and vital to any design, but shared through a theme. Therefore, the lessons and approaches I share are applicable to all subjects for character design. I created this book for those who want to learn and also for those who simply appreciate my craft.

The book is 68 pages full color hard cover and retails for $25.00 but I am offering it for 20% off the cover price when it first debuts at San Diego Comic Con(so only $20.00!!) at my booth (H5: DavidsDoodles-David Colman)- Every year people say its hard to find so the best way to find these lettered aisles is to go to the end of the 1000 and 900 block-I am just inline with that area.

Shortly after the con it will be available on my site www.davidsdoodles.com(along with new tshirt designs that are also debuting at the con) and of course on Amazon but at the regular $25.00 retail price.

Samurai Sketches

2011-05-25T17:09:00.000-07:00

Been super busy on a new project at Hasbro Studios and publishing my new book set to debut at Comic Con in July. All apologies for the lack of posts-here are some samurai sketches for a personal project.

Special Sale today at Deniath!

2011-05-02T15:51:00.000-07:00

Deniath offers invitation-only access to exclusive, 72-hour deals on designer toys, board games, gadgets, art, and more. This exclusive private sale of David Colman’s work will take place on May 2, 2011 and will include DVD’s, books and other Deniath exclusives!

As a fan of David Colman, you can receive a free invite code from Deniath. All you have to do is email community@deniath.com before May 5th and type, “colman” in the subject line.

Festival of Books USC April 30th-May1st Booth 876

2011-04-27T11:57:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone- I will be exhibiting at the Festival of Books for the first time this weekend. Booth 876 Dates & Location
The annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books will be held:
Saturday April 30, 2011 from 10am – 6pm
Sunday, May 1, 2011 from 10am – 5pm at:
University of Southern California

http://events.latimes.com/festivalofbooks/

My new book wont be out until San Diego Comic Con but I will have new shirts and new prints at the festival. Plus 50% off my Animal Character Design book

Dumbfounded

2011-04-12T14:13:00.001-07:00

...this is kind of how I feel lately-suffering from "baby brain"

Grizzly Gob

2011-04-04T13:10:00.000-07:00

Sneak peak image..

2011-03-27T20:10:00.001-07:00

I have a new book set to debut this summer. Here is a page from that book....hmmmm whats the theme....maybe...clocks?

Charlotte Fay Colman

2011-03-20T23:07:00.000-07:00

On St Patricks Day-Thursday March 17th 2011, my wife gave birth to our beautiful daughter Charlotte Fay Colman. She came in at 6.6 lbs 19.25". I never thought something so small could make my heart so big. Words cannot describe the happiness we are experiencing. And yes, it is difficult at times and is going to get harder, but I must say it feels very natural being a Dad.

For the nursery....

2011-03-06T22:50:00.000-08:00

This is a piece I did for my baby girls nursery. It will be on the wall directly across from her crib, its about 40" tall. The theme of her room is birds and bears

Parrots in Paris

2011-02-15T21:09:00.001-08:00

I did these sketches in my "on the go" sketchbook while on the train to Versailles during our trip to Paris in November 2010.
I dont know why parrots....and no not for Rio as the ads werent even prevalent at this time. I am just always trying to broaden my familiarity with subjects I rarely draw. So in this case...parrots. (I included the scan of the pencil for scale)

Capone loves to smile...

2011-01-26T14:08:00.000-08:00

I have been so busy with the art direction gig, getting ready for the baby and freelancing. Not to mention doing alot of work and putting in alot of time on producing my new book that I have lost time on doing what I love. Just drawing for the sake of drawing....
We all need to remember why we do what we do as a profession by taking time to just draw for ourselves.
I did this drawing the other night before I started on some freelance. Just an impulsive drawing of my dog Capone. I wasnt going for accurate color just really having fun with it and using various materials.
Pen,pencil,and marker on resume cardstock.

old development....

2011-01-12T21:18:00.000-08:00

This is a design I did for Stuart Little 3 while working at Sony....about 6-7 years ago.

Eddie.....he likes to play..

2011-01-02T20:03:00.000-08:00

This is a pastel piece I did for my art show in Paris in November 2010. PAstel on 20X25 Canson paper and I am happy to say it sold before the show even opened.:)

Happy Holidays....

2010-12-23T21:41:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays and may all your dreams come true in 2011.

Some studies...

2010-12-12T22:18:00.000-08:00

Here are some quick study sketches of Grizzlies for paintings for my Paris show(back in November) The finished paintings will be included in my new book.

Its been awhile...

2010-11-23T23:16:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the lack of posts lately(besides the Paris photos) Life has been pretty busy. I just got finished with the CTN Animation Expo 2010 in Burbank. What a wonderful event! Congrats to Tina and the entire team....Now back to art directing Barbie's Perfect Christmas....enjoy the wildebeest

Success!!!

2010-11-11T23:31:00.000-08:00

The exposition went very very well!! I will post more pics soon and you can see more on my facebook page

http://www.facebook.com/davidsdoodles

Leaving tomorrow for Paris....

2010-11-02T15:40:00.000-07:00

show opens tomorrow but the reception is on the 5th. Craig and I will both be there.

check out the site for more info

http://www.danielmaghen.com/fr/index.htm

Artist Sketcbooks New site is up!!!!

2010-11-01T12:40:00.000-07:00

Now you can get actual sketchbooks from the featured artists and not just the apps!
www.artistsketchbooks.com

Elf idea

2010-10-28T16:35:00.000-07:00

An oldie.....

2010-10-26T23:37:00.001-07:00

Found this digging through an old box in my book room. Its over 3 years old. Just a concept piece for a video game client.

Prep and Landing Development_Toby and Barnaby

2010-10-21T15:40:00.000-07:00

Designs for Streamline Tshirt company

2010-10-12T22:56:00.000-07:00

"Eben"

2010-10-05T14:13:00.001-07:00

Gallery piece: Watercolor and pastel on Rives BFK

Try something new....

2010-09-29T22:45:00.000-07:00

I went to the Petersen Automotive Museum tonight for a special event. Now I am not a car guy nor do I draw cars but I was so inspired by the old cars I saw tonight. Love the designs, and so much history! It inspired me to do some quick sketches. These are the first real field studies of cars I have ever done, and it wont be my last. Which brings me to an important point; dont be afraid to try something new, you may like it and if not you at least learn something in the process.

A Morning Run

2010-09-25T23:45:00.000-07:00

colored pencil and pastel on canson paper,roughly 25"X8". For an upcoming exhibtion at Galerie Maghen

Komodo Yo Yo

2010-09-20T19:48:00.000-07:00

A personal sketch I did about a year ago. Digital drawing of a Komodo Dragon.

Old warm ups...

2010-09-16T12:58:00.001-07:00

I did these morning warm up sketches way back when I was working on the first season of Boondocks........always fun doing warm up drawings.

Gumby is a bit timid of new things

2010-09-02T11:06:00.000-07:00

Here is another oil piece for my exhibition at Galerie Maghen in Paris in November. I started it on Saturday at my good friend Craig's studio and finished it up on Sunday. Forgive the photo though...cant even see the blue sky in the background. So hard to shoot art! I am just about finished with all the pieces for the exhibtion. 15 more were requested since April. I did 9 between then and July to deliver to the representatives at Comic Con and then had 6 left. This piece makes 3 of the 6. I am going to do one more oil this Saturday which will allow two weeks for drying and with the wash approach it will dry in no time. I just started my 4th one lastnight and its a large graphite illustration. I have done a few graphite pieces....sometimes black and white just speaks to me!
I have many ideas for the last few...so who knows. I am having a blast!

Ethereal

2010-08-30T11:45:00.000-07:00

This is Etherea,l a jellyfish space mermaid. I did this piece for the Calgary Expo artbook. It was fun to do because I was experimenting with a new technique. Its a combination of acrylic stain, colored pencil, and oil.

Character Design Concept Disney's Prep and Landing

2010-08-27T11:43:00.000-07:00

This was a design I did for "Thrasher" for Disneys Prep and Landing.

Art of Character Design DVD Available now!

2010-08-14T11:09:00.000-07:00

My new DVD Art of Character Design Volume 1 has officially launched. It debuted at San diego Comic Con in San Diego and sold over 100 copies!!! woohoo . The response has been strong. With almost 4 hours of demos it is packed with knowledge and techniques that everyone can benefit from. A series of 5 demos where some are 1.5 hours long. I discuss my approaches as you watch me draw and design talking about things that are important like character development, personality...etc. Here is a list of the demonstrations:

Character Design From Life
Graphic and Iconic Design Style
Shape and Form Design
Who vs What
Bringing Life and Personality to Your Character

The DVD is not up on my store site yet,BUT YOU CAN STILL GET IT by contacting me directly VIA EMAIL:

dcolman27@hotmail.com

Whats even better is that you can get it from me for only $20.00!!!(versus $30.00 retail) I like to make my products affordable when I can. Domestic shipping will be an extra $5.00 and international will be $10-20(depending on country)

Gerdie

2010-08-11T09:57:00.001-07:00

16x20 oil for exhibition in Paris at Galerie Maghen

SD Comic Con comissions

2010-07-29T22:26:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of the commissions I did @ SD Con this year. Thank you to all of those who came out to my booth to say "hi"

San Diego Comic Con 2010...and DVD release!!

2010-07-15T21:26:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone. Well next week will be my 6th year exhibiting @ San diego Comic Con. Its been a staple channel to meet new people, say hello to those who follow my work and just all around fun for the industry. Anyway, just like the last 4 years I will be @ Table/Booth H5 in the back right by one of the many Cafe Express food courts. I am right next to my good bud Stephen Silver (H6). People know me for my animal character work and book on this subject; The Art of Animal Character Design. Well this year I have put out a DVD on general character design, not limited to animals, entitled "The Art of Character Design Volume 1".

There are so many essential ideas, approaches and practices that I have learned in being a character designer that I felt its time to share this knowledge. This is why I have created this first collection in a series of demonstrations and videos of character design mechanics that consist of live demos done in both the classroom and studio setting that take you through my thought processes and application techniques. If you are just a beginner dont worry because alot of my knowledge is not just in my drawing demos but also in my explanation. The entire series will not just consist of basic design necessities that are essential to a production, like turnarounds and expression model sheets, but also whats important to character development, like personality and the story behind the character. Some topics discussed are "Bringing Life and Personality to Your Characters" and "The Who vs The What". There is almost 4 hours of demos...and the best thing is that I am selling it a Comic Con Special Price of only $20....thats right..learn my techniques and approaches for only $20.00. Many ask why such a good deal...well I like to give back. I believe in making my work affordable when done for educational purposes. For those of you who cant make it to my table (H5) @ Comic Con, dont worry....the DVD will be available online soon enough.

See the cover here:

Garrett.....

2010-06-24T16:14:00.000-07:00

pastel on 20x25 Canson paper. Amateur photo so quality not the best, please forgive. I will have it professionally photographed before I hand over to Gallery @ end of July.

Philip

2010-06-17T12:22:00.000-07:00

Recent illustrations.. I apologize for the poor quality of the photo. I took them on my iphone

here is a series of expression illustrations of our newly adopted cat(he adopted us actually..showed up on our doorstep months ago and is now our family member, although he doesnt like to step indoors because of the other four legged large beasts...)

these are done in ink pen,wash,colored pencil, pastel and some white out on 20x25 Canson paper

Another "Philip". Did this in about 4-5 hours on Sunday. Pen colored pencil and tiny bit of pastel 20x25 canson paper.

Rusty rusty

2010-06-04T23:06:00.000-07:00

Here are some figure drawings from class today, its been over 2 years since I have drawn the nude figure....can u say get the rust off. You may ask then, David, why do you post these if not thrilled with them, b/c it will remind me to keep @ it and to continue to clean off the rust, oil the hinges, and get the bad out. However, it was fun and exciting to be in nude figure drawing again.
(smaller ones with many on the page are two minutes, others are 5 min)

Something new....but sorta old..

2010-05-24T23:04:00.001-07:00

Sorry havent posted in awhile...been dealing with alot, new job, production on new DVD to come out this summer, painting for gallery show....All for good reasons!
Anyway, here is something new for ya'll to look @ but old enough development that feel its okay to post

Another Wondercon Commission 2010

2010-05-11T23:33:00.000-07:00

Here is another commission I did in SF...I enjoyed doing this one too

prismacolor on acid free chipboard

Wondercon Commission 2010

2010-04-28T18:29:00.000-07:00

I only did a few commissions @ this year's Wondercon in SF...but they were ones I thoroughly enjoyed doing.... here is one of my favs.... Sorry for the late post just been so busy. I will post the other commissions soon

prismacolor pencil on acid free chipboard

...yup another penguin... say hi to Reggie

2010-04-22T12:02:00.000-07:00

"Balance" Gallery Piece

2010-04-12T14:07:00.000-07:00

Here is another piece for gallery exhibition. I call it Balance.....its the 2nd of two. Mediums: black marker,colored pencil,and gouache on acid free chipboard.

TigerCubs_Gallery Piece

2010-03-30T11:07:00.000-07:00

Here are tiger cub watercolors I did for an upcoming gallery exhibition. I dont always do fully finished single subject illustrations for galleries,but throw in some multiple image pieces too.

Jamal.....yes..another penguin

2010-03-21T23:57:00.000-07:00

Say hello to Jamal.... This is another one of those graphic inspired penguin designs. Told you I had lots.... Jamal is an emperor penguin. Enjoy!

iphone and itouch app sketchbook

2010-03-17T14:48:00.000-07:00

Hey guys....here is a quick video showing you all the oooey goooey goodness that my iphone app sketchbook has to offer.
Available at

artistsketchbooks.com

another penguin.......Timmy

2010-03-12T16:52:00.000-08:00

Yes another penguin. We in the animation industry are sick of penguins....most recently they have been done to death. Well thats the reason I chose this subject to design, it provides a challenge to do something different.

......more to come.

Say hello to Morty....

2010-03-08T10:39:00.000-08:00

from Boca Raton.....

Popo the Penguin

2010-03-03T12:18:00.000-08:00

Another design I did while in prep for a class demo. Have a whole slew of these, will post them periodically.

Tiger Butterfly Narrative Series No.4

2010-02-24T09:09:00.000-08:00

Here is the 3rd image of a 5 part narrative series of illustrations for Tiger and Butterfly. I posted the first installment couple months ago.

(Color pencil on Canson paper(20x25))

Demo from last semester

2010-02-23T16:23:00.001-08:00

Here is a demo from last semester. ..lesson plan was How to Design Graphic Style Without Loss of Life,Personality and Energy!

Samples for my Students

2010-02-18T09:19:00.000-08:00

I did this King Cobra design for my students, as an example of a "graphic and iconic" design style for the first half of term assignment.
(Concept Design Academy in Pasadena)

Reef Shark Sketches

2010-02-17T08:24:00.000-08:00

More sketches for Coastal Streamline TShirt company..... special order for one of their clients. fun to do....and relatively quick.

VIGNALI in your pocket!

2010-02-11T23:16:00.000-08:00

I would like to you to meet Marcelo Vignali. If you dont know his work, well, you should. A mentor of mine while working @Sony and now a good friend, Marcelo's work graces the screen of so many animated films from Mulan and Lilo and Stitch to Open Season and Surf's Up. He is one of the top art directors, production designers and visual development artists in the animation industry. He has become more familiar to the mass public in recent years through his blog

www.vignalistudio.blogspot.com

and his constant postings of his Sketchclub drawings and previous professional work. Well now you can own a piece of his amazing images with his first official publication, made for the digital era, his own iphone/itouch app sketchbook titled " Sketchclub" (volume one) His work has been an inspiration to me long before we became good friends and now you too can enjoy the genius craft of my friend and mentor Marcelo Vignali.

Just go to

artistsketchbooks.com

to buy it today for only $2.99!!! 30 images for only $2.99? What a deal! All ready to go in your pocket on your iphone or itouch.

More Warm Up Sketches.....Dragons!

2010-02-05T10:31:00.001-08:00

Here is another page of warm up sketches of dragons ;these were spread out over a period of time. Will go back and finish some of them up for publication down the line. Enjoy!

My friend...The Awesome Jason Seiler!

2010-02-04T11:43:00.000-08:00

Check out the amazing work that the uber-talented Jason Seiler did for this new movie The People Versus George Lucas.
I am sure it will be a hit and with Jason's work gracing the poster it will send it to the top of the movie must see list.....
See it all right here

From Jason's site

"It's been a while since I've had any time to post any new work, most of what I've been doing lately cannot be shared on line for quite some time. I can finally share my most recent project, the official movie poster for "The People VS George Lucas". A lot of work went into this piece. I don't want to go on too much right now, but I do want to thank my pal Otto for shooting great reference pics for me and of course my models, Nathan Cameron, Josh Helle and my father-in-law Vic Williams, who sort of looks like George Lucas. And last but not least my wife and kids for putting up with all the late nights and long hours! I should also say that my friend Thor did the layout and design of the poster, and I think he did an excellent job!" Jason Seiler

The amazing work is above, with a detailed version below...and go to Jason's site @ this link to find out more

http://jasonseilerillustration.blogspot.com/2010/02/people-vs-george-lucas-world-premiere.html

Seiler is a GENIUS....Lucas poster master piece!

Warm Up sketch

2010-02-01T11:07:00.000-08:00

did this the other morning for a warm up before jumping into work. This was all about putting the tool on the screen and just going...feeling the energy and life of the subject...
I did it with a digital brush pen in Sketchbook pro

character design class @concept design academy

2010-01-26T13:28:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone....about to start my third term teaching introduction to character design @Concept Design Academy in Pasadena.... starting in about 2 weeks. See attached flyer here from the school. Its an intense class focused around 2 main projects the entire semester. Learn how to create characters from inception to final design....while learning many design mechanics and tools of the trade. The demos I do are very valuable for all levels and anyone who wants to better themselves in the art of character design.
You will learn about character design from life, shape versus form, what's the story, creation of a story behind your characters,what is good design, model sheet turnarounds, etc. Its gonna be a blast....AGAIN! Go to Concept Design Academy website to sign up...
click here

CDA

Tshirt Designs...

2010-01-19T14:59:00.000-08:00

I apologize for the lack of posts lately....busy buys.. also want to update my template here before I start posting regularly again. Here are some more designs I did for the TShirt venture..the line came out great and my work is on both covers of the catalog. The company showed the line last week and received a good response....it will be interesting to see what comes of it.

Gift for my Nephew.....Comical Great White

2010-01-07T12:04:00.000-08:00

I did this pastel as a Xmas gift for my 7 year old nephew...he loves sea life.....
Personal note....did this rather quickly...so feel it lacks a few things. Its a 24X36

London Zoo

2009-12-16T11:59:00.000-08:00

Here are pages from my sketchbook when I visited the London Zoo back in September. My wife was there for work so I went to visit her. I contacted some followers of my work that I know via online and they met me there and took me around. It's a beautiful zoo.....
we were blessed with good weather too.

(one of the pages also has a watercolor thumbnail from our trip to the high sierras..yah um..thats not London...ha ha)

Watercolor Doodles

2009-12-04T10:10:00.000-08:00

Here are some watercolor doodles from my sketchbook, instead of doing separate posts..I decided to paste a bunch together. I didnt edit out the unfinished ones so you can see the unfinished work, the ones in midprocess,etc.

The Road...repost

2009-12-01T10:51:00.000-08:00

I read The Road about a year ago and just based on the novel it inspired me to do some staging setup sketches and ideas..of how I saw it(Theyre actually in my newest book...) Well I saw the movie this weekend and it was just like the book, plus it was done exactly how I saw it so strange and wonderful @ the same time. My friend told me to post these and mention that I did these BEFORE the movie was made and I DIDNT storyboard the film....I did these sketches for me b/c love to do staging sketches and was so inspired by the book

Shape Form Demo

2009-11-18T16:10:00.001-08:00

Many artists seem to think that shape and form live independently from one another in terms of design. Shape drive design being limited to more graphic iconic style and form being more volumetric and three dimensional. When in reality they are not separate but work in conjunction with one another. As designers move into more form related styles they tend to forget about shape....and so even in more volumetric design, shape is very much a part of that world. To demonstrate I took a strong graphic shape and using that shape I designed a more iconic graphic character with cartoony texture and humorous stylized application and then using the same exact shape I designed a more volumetric three dimensional character. Using lighting I developed the forms and planes within that strong two dimensional shape. Its important to have a strong silhouette or two dimensional shape in any design you do then once you grab the viewers attention you can bring out the form with lighting and descriptions of volume or simply apply textures and motifs in a more graphic,iconic, and stylized manner. I did this for my students to demonstrate this idea as they move away from the iconic graphic assignment to a more form 3 dimensional assignment to not forget about pushing shapes and to pay mind to strong silhouettes and readability.

Art show

2009-11-17T15:20:00.001-08:00

Here is an event I am part of along with tons of other artists, its all about the presence of digital illustration in today's art related industries.

Mermaid Sketches

2009-11-09T09:46:00.000-08:00

Here are some mermaid sketches for a potential tshirt venture.... not one of my own shirt line but an outside opportunity that I was recently approached about.

Earth 2 Art Event

2009-11-05T12:16:00.000-08:00

If you have a moment stop on by my friend Jud's shop Earth 2 Comics in Northridge for an art event featuring Billy Martinez, there will be book signings, live art piece, and peers of the industry. I along w/many others will be stopping by....

Check it out, you wont be disappointed.

Demo

2009-11-03T13:50:00.001-08:00

Here is the first half of my Quicksketch demo done @ the LA Zoo for my animal drawing workshop in October. I did these sketches @ the snow leopard cage as a demonstration for my students on how to draw from life when the subject is in constant movement.....what to look for in capturing a moving animal; a general quicksketch approach.

DC

Halloween 2009

2009-11-02T11:43:00.000-08:00

A successful terrifying event @ the Colman household this year....some pics below...plus a pic of another costume for the wife and I the night before...all the pics are on my FACEBOOK page, these are just a few of our costumes..

Tiger Butterfly Narrative Series_Image 1

2009-10-29T09:41:00.000-07:00

Here is recent illustration I did as part of a series of four, narrative of a relationship and interaction between a butterfly and a tiger...
Large format piece, colored pencil on 24 x35 strathmore paper. Few more refinements here and there but overall pretty much complete

enjoi!

MarkMcDonnell...my best friend, writes an amazing article 2DMagazine

2009-10-26T11:05:00.000-07:00

Mark McDonnell knows what he is doing when it comes to bringing characters to life through his gesture drawing, if you dont own his book The Art and Feel of Making It Real, then get on it.....
See his recent article in "2D Magazine" that will impress you all even more...
and got to his page to find out all about it....

Mark McDonnell-Big Mac

below are some images from the article....WONDERFUL!

My bud..Jason Seiler...a talent from the Gods

2009-10-19T18:15:00.001-07:00

I want to introduce you to someone that many of you already know and if not, well dammit, then you should. I had the pleasure of meeting Jason Seiler @ Toronto Fan Expo,our booths were right next to one another and we had the pleasure of chatting it up for about 3 days...coming to realize how we are so much alike. Jason is widely known for his illustrative caricature work but let me tell you something, he is more then that, he is a master @ his craft and a true artist who tops the best of them. His work is some of the best I have seen in both traditional and digital media. In addition to teaching via the Chiu genius offspring of schoolism.com, doing illustrations for top publications and winning tons of awards he also has some wonderful personal publications out on the market.I have the pleasure of owning a personally signed copy of his new book...yes I am gloating
"Seiler 2008-2009". Filled with both celebrity caricatures and personal sketches, it also has a great step by step guide to the painting of one of his pieces in the book.
I highly recommend you visit Jason's blog, see his plethora of genius work and pick up a copy of this book today...

Jason Seiler

you'd be crazy not too.....

see some of the work from the book below

Art show this Saturday!

2009-10-12T12:17:00.001-07:00

I along with many other talented individuals are going to be part of an art show with Nomad Galleries this Saturday in Santa Monica. I have 4 original pieces in the show and prints will be available for some of them. Please stop on by and say hi...
see the flyer above for details.

Sketchbook

2009-10-06T12:42:00.000-07:00

Giraffe Studies

2009-09-29T16:33:00.001-07:00

Sketchbook

2009-09-25T15:30:00.001-07:00

Great White Character sketches

2009-09-21T21:03:00.000-07:00

Here are some character sketches and designs of Great White Sharks; ever since sitting next to and becoming friends with Jason Seiler @ Toronto Fan Expo I have become fascinated with drawing Great Whites....
anyway I did these on the back of a 6x9 inch steno pad on my flight to London. These are for you Jason...

(PS: I also did visit the London Zoo while I was there, met up with some of my online friends from Deviant Art that took me around the zoo for a pleasant day of sketching....I will post those images soon...cheers!)

Komodo Dragon Studies LA Zoo

2009-09-15T12:14:00.000-07:00

Got chance to sneak out to the zoo last Saturday to some studies for my upcoming workshop in October....just warming up for some extensive demos. Anyway, the Komodo Dragon is going to be on the list for my students so here are some studies. Firs time I have ever drawn these awesome creatures and it wont be the last. Enjoy

OpenSeasonDevelopment

2009-09-10T14:35:00.000-07:00

All apologies for not having anything new to post lately. Fortunately I have been super busy w/my Fox gig along with some kick ass freelance jobs. So here is some older stuff I did many years ago for Sony Pictures'Open Season

Sketchbook

2009-09-02T15:01:00.000-07:00

just an old page from my sketchbook....

Class Demo from Intro to Character Design

2009-08-17T11:54:00.000-07:00

Here is a scan of last weeks demo from my character design class @ the Concept Design Academy. I was showing how to render a character taking into consideration all the elements of the wardrobe and how light effects each separate material differently. also explaining the reason behind each element of his design always thinking about story..why I did this or that....I am posting the rough too

Fuel for Art_ebook

2009-08-10T08:06:00.000-07:00

There are many of us artists out there who strive for excellence in our own work; we are always pushing to the next level and trying to better ourselves through our craft. However, it is not just about working on our trade but also becomes about marketing ourselves to the community; more importantly its about getting our art out there. Well how does one do that? Most artists are introverted and just wait in the shadows to be discovered. The reality is this will not work. I have been marketing my own work for years now but even I could use a little advice now and then. Well I am here to tell you about a new ebook titled ""Fuel for Art" by Gino Orlandi. This ebook is filled with vital knowledge to help market yourself as an artist. The channels he provides you with to help sell your art are more valuable then just anything you hear from a friend or a news show. He discussses branding, trademarking, finding a niche market and tons of other important advice for the artist trying to get oneself out there and start selling his/her own work. I am constantly asked how did I learn to market myself, how did I start discovering my path in the art commodity market,so on and so forth. Well, Fuel For Art is the tool you need. This ebook will surely help get you on your way. I know it has only given me even more insight into marketing my own craft to society. A true inspirational and important piece of literature for today's artist. Just go to the following links below to download the book today

Art Business

Fuel for Art

San Diego Comic Con 2009 Commissions

2009-08-06T10:52:00.001-07:00

Hey everybody thanx for your patience, been very busy since Comic Con wrapped up....good busy @ least. Anyway, here are some of the cardboard commissions I did for people @ this years Comic Con

Richard Morris

2009-08-01T22:12:00.000-07:00

A good friend of mine is going to be teaching a workshop in the near future..and let me tell you this; he is not only a good friend of mine but a great teacher. I took lessons from him for almost a year (on and off) and the techniques he taught me about lighting and draftsmanship put my craft into a whole new category. I highly recommend this workshop with Richard Morris. Its one thing to be a good artist, its another thing altogether to be a great teacher who cares about his students work; that is what Richard Morris is, an artist from the upper echelon who teaches passionately and relays his knowledge to each and every student. I am honest when I say that Richard is one of the best teachers I have ever had the pleasure of taken classes from.

See link below

RickMorris-living legend

San Diego Comic Con 2009

2009-07-28T10:17:00.000-07:00

Its here and then poof!...its gone...
some pics from the event, which was a success for me selling about 220 books and 70 of my new tshirt designs.I will have the new designs on my store site in a few weeks. Also, I did do about 12 commissions that I will post here.....oh yes...cardboard is back

San Diego Comic Con 2009

2009-07-19T18:49:00.001-07:00

Well its here...its here.... I will be exhibiting @San Diego Comic Con for my 5th year in a row...time really flies! My booth is H5 by the back food court. See the attached floor plan(cropped) I will have my new sketchbook for sale David Colmans Doodles Volume 2, its an exclusive item as it hasnt been widely released yet so get yours from me personally today...and guess what...its only $20 bucks! OVer 100 pages , full color and hard cover. I will also have some brand new Tshirt designs that I feel are the best yet. In addtion to my prints, couple framed originals and of course my cardboard commissions I will be opening up sign ups to what I am officially announcing here first as an Animal Drawing Weekend Workshop with yours truly. It will take place in the fall(October). We will be studying bones and anatomy the first day @ the museum and the 2nd day will be spent @ the Los Angeles Zoo studying from life. It will consist of large scale demos,1 on 1 instruction and tons of handout material. THE FIRST 5 PEOPLE WHO SIGN UP GET $25 OFF. I am officially opening sign ups on preview night @The Con and will continue until the class fills up. So get yourself over to my booth early to receive one of the few discounts. See the attached flyer below that I will have @ my booth. I have also attached a jpeg of one of the framed originals I will be selling. See you all soon! Enjoi

Dragon sketches

2009-07-08T10:20:00.001-07:00

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

Capone is now a model....

2009-06-29T11:55:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-20T20:09:00.000-07:00

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..?

2009-06-16T16:53:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-05T16:14:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-01T11:20:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-26T16:17:00.001-07:00

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.