ahhhhhh, Louie's
thanks for lunch, Cheryl
photo by cheryl
DaveGraphics logo?
sayyyyyyyyy, what is that on my studio door, anyway?
ahhhhhhh, it’s Lily’s first drawing of me with accurate facial hair!!
thanks, Lil!
cover illustration for Paris' "Liberation" newspaper (Angouleme edition)
last time i was in Paris for the big “Hey” show, the editor from Liberation came to say hi and invited me to do the coveted “Angouleme edition” of the newspaper.
here’s one of the first things i came up with that i really liked. usually when i take on a gig like this i try to think of a way to make something that will work for the client, but that will also be re-usable in one of my art books or graphic novels. in this case i thought the drawing might make a nice splash page in the Eddy Table compilation that i’ve had in mind for years.
a quick concept doodle
refining Eddy and his friend
some gal doodles
once i have some nice doodles that feel right, i print the original rough out in light blue and re-draw over it, referring to the nice loose doodles. this is how i try to retain the loose, spontaneous feel leading up to inking.
pencils
and here’s the most rewarding stage, where everything tightens up. hopefully in a loose way, if that makes any sense! i like things to look playful, but have a strong foundation. i’m going for an ink look, but in fact, i do all my final drawings with graphite on polypropylene (“Yupo” paper) these days.
ink (actually graphite on polypropylene)
there was some last minute tweaking. the head honchos had me brighten stuff a little, remove some of the ladies to make room for text, but i’ll leave that version for just French newspaper readers. this is the version i like best.
final illustration, coloured digitally
the Beautiful daveStudio Building in lovely downtown Ottawa!
there’s nothing quite like ottawa during its fabled wintertime. and particularly on days like today, the streets are like an enchanted network of skidmarks criss-crossing an enormous pair of undies!
my clarity
i don’t get to play these babies too often at the studio. just times when i’m sure no one else is in the building. but just having them there during the day is such a pleasure. it reminds me of how when i play, it’s like meditation- everything else just disappears and i have clarity inside my head. (they’re vintage Ludwigs, by the way. about the same vintage as me- late ’60s)
Peering Over/Looking Back, pt 1. doodle to final drawing
i recently got a commission to do a small painting for a Parisian dude. he didn’t have a specific idea, so as i often do, i just emailed him half a dozen JPGs of loose doodles. i’m always coming up with little thumbnails– there are always more than i can ever seem to get to. so when someone wants a commission, it’s great to be able to dig up one of these little gems that i’m already eager to make for “myself”.
here’s the one he chose. the size was to be around 2 x 2′.
next i needed to flesh it out a little for final approval, and so that i could figure out the character details and what kind of environment they were in.
the buyer loved the sketch so i printed it out on really nice Yupo paper in super-light blue. that’s when i re-draw the sketch as definitively as possible. this is the drawing the i project onto canvas to re-draw to size– so at this point i don’t want there to be too much guess work. i still like it to be kind of loose so there’s room for interpretation, but within that looseness i need to feel like it’s “whole”– fully realized.
next time, i’ll transfter the drawing!
Gastronomic Trailblazer!
here we have a brilliant new invention by the great Gastronomic Trailblazer, Jacob Cooper. orange jell-o consumed through a broad bubble-tea straw. it’s delicious… AND it sounds like diarrhea!!
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sT2-aTHQhLA?rel=0&w=640&h=360]