Chi Birmingham

Spirit Magazine: Oscar Age Bump

2012-02-02T08:49:00.000-08:00

Here's an illustration I did for the current issue of Spirit Magazine (the inflight magazine for Southwest Airlines.) Every month they open their book with a section called Numbers, a series of interesting pieces of trivia illustrated with a full page image. For this assignment I was working off of the statistic that Oscar winners live 5 years longer on average than their fellow nominees. Thanks Emily Kimbro for the assignment!

Bloomberg BusinessWeek: Toxic Assets

2012-01-31T12:44:00.000-08:00

I have a piece in this week's Bloomberg BusinessWeek. The story is about a company gave their employees toxic assets as bonuses, largely to get them off their books. Unexpectedly, the assets ended up yielding enormous returns. You can read the whole thing here. Thanks to Shawn Hasto for the assignment!

Bloomberg BusinessWeek: Toxic Assets

NY Times Book Review: Ben Jonson

2012-01-20T13:55:00.000-08:00

I have a piece on the cover of the Book Review this weekend for the review of a new biography of Ben Jonson. A big thanks to Nicholas Blechman for the assignment! Check out the review here, or go to your local news agent.

NY Times Book Review: Ben Jonson

Chicago Reader: Hipster Gym

2012-01-13T10:00:00.000-08:00

I have a piece in the Chicago Reader this week, for their annual fiction issue. The image is based on a very funny story about joining a new gym written by Tova Burstein. Check it out here. Thanks to Paul Higgins for the assignment!

Chicago Reader: Hipster Gym

New York Times: Riot History

2012-01-09T10:34:00.000-08:00

In December I had my first Op-Art published. This was the first time that I had gotten the chance to pitch one of my own ideas to the Times, and I am extremely grateful to art director Aviva Michaelov for approving the project and working with me throughout the process to bring it to completion.

Through my research I was introduced to Alex S. Vitale, a professor of sociology at Brooklyn College and an expert in protest policing, who helped me establish a historical framework for the project, and distilled his years of scholarship into the piece's introduction. I can't thank him enough for the work he put into this. To read Professor Vitale's introduction and see the piece in its official context, follow this link to the NYTimes Op-Ed page: here.

Diablo Magazine: Icon Set

2011-12-22T11:19:00.000-08:00

This is a set of icons I put together for Diablo Magazine this month. Check out the article here to see the pieces in context and see which pieces they picked. (There wasn't enough time for sketches so I sent alternate finishes for each.) Thanks to Roger Gurbani for the assignment!

economy 1

economy 2

education

energy

healthcare 1

healthcare 2

politics 1

politics 2

social security 1

social security 2

Atlanta Magazine: "Curbed" Atlanta

2011-12-21T11:19:00.000-08:00

I did this spot last month for Atlanta Magazine. The article was about a real estate website called Curbed that has recently opened up shop in Atlanta. Thanks to Sheri Wilson for the great assignment!

Atlanta Magazine: "Curbed"

sketch 1

sketch 2

sketch 3

sketch 4

sketch 5

New York TImes: The Dismal Education

2011-12-20T16:03:00.000-08:00

I had a piece in the Sunday Review this weekend for an essay on the education of economists. Read the whole article here. Thanks to Rodrigo Honeywell for the great assignment!

Bloomberg BusinessWeek: December Duldrums

2011-12-20T15:53:00.000-08:00

Here is a new illustration from the current issue of Bloomberg BusinessWeek. The story is about a dip in December retail sales following strategically questionable discounts during November. Check it out here, or find it at your local news agent. Thanks to Shawn Hasto for the assignment!

Bloomber BusinessWeek: December Duldrums

America's Quarterly: Impact Investing

2011-11-09T14:56:00.000-08:00

This set of illustrations is in the current issue of America's Quarterly for an article by Johnathan Murdoch about impact investing. Each image illustrates warnings for potential impact investors. Take a look at the story here for a little more context (although be warned, the illustrations are not included in the web version.)

"Win Win Possibilities are enticing but exaggerrated"

"For profit investment seldom targets the poorest"

"The profit incentive still operates within impact investing and can undermine stated goals."

"The reality of impact investing is often more complicated than it is presented"

"Most impact investment funds are made up by a mix of charitable and for-profit investing"

"Investment opportunities that meet the requirements of impact investors are hard to find."

"It challenging to quantify social impact."

Book Review: Barbarian Nurseries

2011-11-05T13:56:00.000-07:00

I have a new illustration in this week's Book Review. Check out the review here. I am especially excited to be sharing an issue with the fantastic illustrator and animator Richard McGuire. If you have never seen it, check out his "Fear(s) of the Dark" here. Thanks to Nicholas Blechman for the great assignment!

Book Review: "Barbarian Nurseries"

New York Times: Cost of Health Care

2011-11-05T13:38:00.000-07:00

A new illustration in today's New York times. Check out the story here, or find the hardcopy on the Op-ED page.

New York Times: "Cost of Health Care"

Seattle Met: Nostalgia Trap

2011-11-01T08:15:00.000-07:00

In this month's "Game Changers" column, Matthew Halverson reports on a recent class action lawsuit brought against the friend finding site Classmates.com. The case, which ended in a 2.5 million dollar settlement, alleged that customers had been lured with false claims that their old friends had been looking for them. People would sign up only to find that no one they knew was using the service, and months later realize that the monthly fees had doubled after the initial trial period.

Yearbook photo on a fishing hook

A Class Photo in which all but one of the people are Carboard Cutouts

A High School Reunion with Decoy People

For the sketches I tried a few different ways of visualizing either: (A) the idea of using someones friends as bait, or (B) the idea of realizing that everyone with you at a reunion is a ghost/decoy/replicant/what-have-you.

Seattle Met: Classmates Class Action

For the final illustration, we went with the "Photo on a Hook" sketch. My art director Andre Mora suggested the inclusion of a few other partial panels as well as a torn edge to help establish that this was a yearbook page. And as usual, the changes were a big improvement. Thanks Andre!

New York Times: Billings, MT.

2011-10-24T13:37:00.000-07:00

Keep your eyes peeled for an illustration of mine in today's New York Times. Read the story here. Or find the print version in the National section.

New York Times: Out Here, Billings, MT.

Culturomics Logo

2011-10-17T10:30:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I posted some sketches I had done for Wired magazine. (The piece for that never ended up running, but I won't go into that heartache.) One of the sketches was an illustration of the term "Culturomics," which had been coined by a team of Harvard researchers to describe their work. One of the researchers must have stumbled across my blog, because a few weeks later they asked if I would like to use the sketch I had done as the basis for their logo. I have never had this happen, and I was thrilled. Be sure, from now on I will definitely be posting my sketches!

Culuromics Logo

Retro Desktop Icons

2011-10-12T11:06:00.000-07:00

Hi Internet Friends,
A few months ago I killed a weekend designing this set of custom desktop icons. My computer looked pretty snazzy for about half an hour before it was once again buried in random internet detritus. If you would like to bring some retro-chic (or whatever) to your own computing experience, please help yourself!

Floppy Disk

Monitor

Cassette

Joy Stick

To use any of these on your own desktop, download the files by clicking the links below and follow these instructions:

for Mac Users:

1. Open the File in Preview
2. Select the image by typing Command+A.
3. Copy the image by typing Command+C.
4. Click on the File or Application you want to use the icon for and type Command+I to open the information menu.
5. Click on the icon at the top left of the page and Paste the new icon by typing Command+V.

For PC Users:

1. Follow this link. (I haven't tried this, but it seems legit!)

Files for Mac:

cassette.icns
joystick.icns
monitor.icns
floppydisk.icns

Files for PC:

(Unfortunately, I hit a roadblock converting these to ico files. If you are a PC wiz, feel free to snag the PNG files by clicking the images above. And maybe someone can post a good link for PNG to ICO conversion in the comments box.)

Happy Trails!

Plainview Dispatch: Above the Fold

2011-10-11T14:12:00.000-07:00

I was organizing my hard drive this morning when I stumbled across these sketches for a proposed video game. The project never ended up being finished, but I thought I would share these anyway. (Maybe one of these days I'll even manage to turn it into something!)

The game, as I storyboarded it out, would follow a photojournalist on his first day at a small newspaper (The Plainview Dispatch.) Stories would come in over the radio, and the player would race to get usable pictures before the press deadline.


Title Screen

The First Assignment

Parking Garage


Navigating Town


A Burglary In Progress

In the Darkroom

New York Times: Public Domain

2011-10-05T06:08:00.000-07:00

I was commissioned to illustrate an Op-Ed piece for today's New York Times. The essay, written by Peter Decherney, describes the impact of a 1996 decision by Congress to drastically limit the number of intellectual properties that artists would be allowed to draw from without fear of copyright infringement.
My illustation is an interpretation of the idea that creatives (in this case a film director) would need to go through a legal process to use fictional characters/stories (in this case an ogre) in their projects. You can read the article, and see the illustration in context here. Thanks to Aviva Michaelov for the great assignment!

New York Times : "Contract Signing"

Bloomberg BusinessWeek: Insulin Man

2011-10-03T10:42:00.000-07:00

I got the chance to do a little character design for Bloomberg Businessweek. This little 'Insulin Guy' was commissioned for a story about Novo Nordisk's attempt to create and market a more expensive "up-scale" insulin. Check out the story here. Thanks to Shawn Hasto for the assignment, and Pat Kinsella for help with the execution.

Seattle Met: Infintite Bible

2011-10-01T18:17:00.000-07:00

This month Seattle Met is running their third installment of Game Changers, a monthly tech column I have been contributing illustrations to. The story for October is about an online start-up that is trying to combine bible study with social media. The project, "Infinite Bible," ( www.oobible.com) incorporates wiki style footnoting and gives users a profile that allows them to share their own interpretations of specific passages. I signed up hoping to be able to eavesdrop on some holy flame wars, but it turns out that until you are 'friended,' everyone's comments are invisible. Oh well.

Seattle Met: "Infinite Bible"

New York Times: Out Here

2011-09-23T09:47:00.000-07:00

Last month I contributed two illustrations to "Out Here," an ongoing series of travel essays in the New York Times. These drawings were for stories about a much filmed beach in Malibu, and a Shakespeare festival in Griffith Park where actors have to speak over the yipping of coyotes to be heard. You can read the stories here and here, and see all the artwork from the series here.

"Out Here," Malibu, CA

"Out Here," Griffith Park, CA

Spirit Magazine: Neanderthal DNA

2011-08-06T07:59:00.000-07:00

This month an illustration of mine will be traveling the country in the seat-back pockets of Southwest Airlines. This image was commissioned by their in-flight magazine "Spirit" for a feature on the discovery of Neanderthal DNA in the human genome. According to the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, some humans have up to %4 Neanderthal DNA.

New York Times: "Bearizona"

2011-08-03T12:07:00.000-07:00

I have an illustration in today's New York Times. The image was commissioned for the travel series "Out Here" to go along with a story about "Bearizona," an Arizona based nature preserve called where drivers can see wildlife without leaving their cars. You can read the story online here, or find it in print in the national section. Thanks again to Anne Leigh for the great assignment!

"Out Here," Bearizona, AZ

Seattle Met: Gaming for Good

2011-08-01T07:38:00.000-07:00

This month in Seattle, video game designers will be participating in a 5 week "hackathon," volunteering their time and expertise in the hopes of creating a video game to promote disaster preparedness. The event was inspired by the earthquakes in New Zealand and Japan, and is being sponsored by Geeks Without Bounds. This illustration was commissioned by the Seattle Met for an article about the event in this month's issue.

Bloomberg BusinessWeek: Dial-a-Chauffeur

2011-07-25T07:33:00.000-07:00

This illustration was commissioned for a story in the current issue of Bloomberg BusinessWeek. Police in China have been cracking down on drunk driving, and have inadvertently created a market for professional designated drivers (depicted below as a chauffeur/guardian angel.) You can see read the article online here. Thanks to Shawn Hasto for the great assignment!

Here were some of the sketches...

sketch 1: Crashed car with "cheers" in smoke.


sketch 2: Sleeping it off in the back seat.

sketch 3: Chauffeur holding door as passenger crawls in.

sketch 4: Drunken headlights. (Not quite a complete idea, but I liked the visual.)

sketch 5: Chauffeur/ Guardian Angel. (The one that was picked.)

New York Times: Out Here

2011-07-23T13:06:00.000-07:00

For the last few months, the New York Times has been running a series of articles about daily life in different parts of the country in a feature called "Out Here". Last week I was commissioned to do illustrations for two stories in the series: one about an old fashioned gas station in St. Michaels, Maryland; and another about the life on the river in Lebanon, Missouri. (You can read the articles here, and here.) Thanks to Anne Leigh for the assignment! These stories were a lot of fun.

"Out Here" Lebanon, Missouri

"Out Here" St. Michaels, Maryland

NY Times Op-Ed: Dialogue on Depression

2011-07-13T11:15:00.000-07:00

I have an illustration in the New York Times today, alongside a letter to the editor by Warren R. Procci on the overuse of pharmaceuticals in the treatment of depression. Check out the article here for a more complete sense of the story. The art director was looking for something emotional and direct that stopped short of coming down too strongly on either side of the argument. (Illustrations for the letters section are supposed to be more even handed than the larger ones that run alongside the Op-Ed essays.) A small detail can sometimes be enough to tip the scale, as in the case of this illustration. My initial sketch was approved, but it was decided by the editors that the pill bottle should be uncapped so that the figure didn't seem like he was stuck. They were right, of course, and I made the change.

Sketch #1: In the Shadow of a Pill

Sketch #2: In the Shadow of a Pill Jar

Sketch #3: Figure in a Pill Jar

The Final Piece

Gingerbeard Man

2011-07-08T16:19:00.000-07:00

Spirit Magazine: "Teen Talk"

2011-07-05T12:35:00.000-07:00

If you are flying somewhere in July, (and you are on Southwest Airlines) keep your eyes peeled for my illustrations in the"Spirit," their in-flight magazine. These spots were commissioned for a parenting advice column written by Tom Sturges, the VP of Universal Music. I will include a little snippet of the advice below to give these some context.

"Never be embarrassed by your kids."

"Let your children develop their own style"

"Develop common interests"

"Be nice every chance you get"

"Remain calm during disagreements"

Thanks to Brody Price and Emily Kimbro for the great assignment!

Seattle Met: Game Changer

2011-07-03T13:05:00.000-07:00

I am excited to announce that as of this month I will be illustrating a monthly feature called "Game Changers" for the Seattle Met. In the past year I have had the chance to work repeatedly for a few regular clients, and it has been great to be able to develop a familiarity with each art-directors process. I am looking forward to seeing how this new arrangement will affect the work.

This month's article looks at a new line of exercise equipment that converts a user's physical exertion into electricity which is then channeled directly onto the grid. (You can read the article here.) Here were the options I sent:

A cyclist powering his own fan

Stationary bike w/ extension cord

Cyclist / Light Bulb Fillament

Cyclist with outlet for head

Tension Wires / Cyclist

Human powered generator

And here is the final illustration layed out on it's page:

I just finished the illustration that will appear in next month's issue, but I will have to wait until then to share it. Stay tuned!

Wired: Jargon Watch

2011-06-30T12:31:00.000-07:00

This was a project I did a couple of months ago for Wired Magazine. Unfortunately the piece ended up being pulled before it could be published, but I thought I would give it a home here so that it wouldn't languish on my hard drive.

The assignment was to illustrate a recently coined phrase for the monthly feature "Jargon Watch."

This was the list of phrases I had to choose from:

Longdaysin: A newly discovered molecule that can change the circadian rhythm of animals and is being tested as a jetlag remedy

WWF: A new file type that is unprintable (designed to reduce paper use in offices.)

Culturomics: The study of cultural trends based on quantifiable analysis of books. (As opposed to literary interpretation.)

Pocket airports: Small airports designed for residential neighborhoods.

I was so inspired by the selection (and so excited to be working for Wired) that I ended up doing a sketch for each term.

Longdaysin: A fish trying to cope with his newly adjusted circadian rhythm. ( Essentially, a fish with insomnia. Other possibilities for depicting this would be to show the fish sitting up watching TV late at night.)

WWF: person working on their laptop in the canopy of a rainforest.

Culturomics: a book being studied by scientists in a lab.

Pocket Airports (a): A suburban cul-de-sac with planes instead of cars.

Pocket Airports (b): A riff on the classic suburban image of a man washing his car, replacing the car with a plane.

Pocket Airports (c): A suburban home with a plane parked out front and a sky full of plane traffic. I would also include a little family next to the plane waving to the camera, like a vintage family photo.

The art director liked the illustration for Pocket Airports and I did another round of sketches developing the idea further.

Here was final rendering.

Diablo Magazine: "Camp Diablo"

2011-06-27T12:26:00.000-07:00

For their June issue, Diablo Magazine commissioned a series of instructional illustrations to accompany an article on summer activities. The illustrations were rendered in the style of a user's manual, but were based on casual outdoor activities such as grilling, disk golf, rock skipping and star gazing. You can see the entire article here.

Here are a few of my favorite images from the group.

Atlanta Magazine

2011-06-01T18:33:00.000-07:00

This piece was commissioned for Atlanta Magazine for a story about a computerized wardrobe organizer that helps users archive and arrange their clothes. Once I got started, I was surprised how much fun there was to be had with this simple premise.

The sketches....

1. Set Phaser to Accessorize

2. Person Sized Paper Doll

3. Magic Mirror

4. Closet Explorer

5. Mix and Match

6. The final illustration

InsideCounsel Magazine

2011-06-01T18:00:00.000-07:00

One of the many pleasures of freelance illustration is the chance it gives me to read up on subjects that might never cross my radar. In May I was commissioned by InsideCounsel Magazine to do an illustration for their Litigation section. My job was to give a visual shot in the arm to a story about shareholder initiated litigation during corporate mergers.

When I am working with subject matter that I don't have personal experience with, it is important to try to find a dramatic center that I can relate to. I wasn't going to get very far drawing upon my knowledge of corporate law, so I started to look for characters and conflict. The material boiled down to a struggle between a large entity and a group of smaller entities that are taking unfair advantage of the larger entity's weakness. (It's unusual to have a story that asks the reader to feel sympathy for the "big guy.") With this premise in hand, I was ready to hit the sketches.

And here they were:

1. Hijacked by Lilliputians

2. Stealing from a Giant

3. When the Giants Aren't Looking

4. The Giant Pile of Money

And the final...

Thanks to Elizabeth Novak for the great assignment!

New York Times Book Review

2011-04-27T16:45:00.000-07:00

This illustration was commissioned for a review of Tom Shone's novel "In The Rooms." In the book, a literary agent poses as an alcoholic to get closer to a writer who is in AA. Hats off to art director Nicholas Blechman. I was really happy with how this one came together. You can read the review here.

Eco Awards for Diablo Magazine

2011-04-27T16:03:00.000-07:00

I had a chance to work for the Bay Area publication, Diablo Magazine, for an annual feature they put out acknowledging environmentally conscious businesses in and around the Bay. Thanks to Roger Gurbani for the great art direction. You can check out the article here.

Concannon Vineyard Estate

Changing Gears Bike Shop

Food Recycling Project

4CL and Generation Green

Lafayette Local Food Group

Tensions Increase in Softserve Rivalry

2011-04-21T20:09:00.000-07:00

Hailstorm Triggers Town's Defense Shield

2011-04-19T20:00:00.000-07:00

Local Assassin Retires, Opens Assassin Academy

2011-04-17T19:54:00.000-07:00

Robbery Foiled by Promotional Balloon

2011-04-14T20:06:00.000-07:00

New Illustration for Bloomberg Businessweek

2011-04-13T08:12:00.000-07:00

This illustration accompanies an article on power-lunch etiquette in the current issue of Bloomberg Businessweek. You can read the article here, and see a little slide show that they made out of the illustration as well: link. To see a bigger version, click on the image.

Plainview Wins Bid for Secret Spy Base

2011-04-12T19:51:00.000-07:00

Solid Gold Asteroid on Collision Path With Town

2011-04-10T19:47:00.000-07:00

Network of Tunnels Discovered Under Town

2011-04-07T19:45:00.000-07:00

City Barricades Forbidden Retail District

2011-04-05T19:37:00.000-07:00

Development Delayed by Dinosaur Discovery

2011-04-03T19:32:00.000-07:00

Local Survivalist Prepares for Apocalypse

2011-03-31T19:24:00.000-07:00

Secret Busline Discovered in Woods

2011-03-29T19:21:00.000-07:00

Sentient Plant Tires of Attention

2011-03-27T18:21:00.000-07:00

Too late for French Toast?

2011-03-25T10:27:00.001-07:00

A Portrait of Hyesu

2011-02-18T18:45:00.000-08:00

We are doing a portrait exchange in the studio. It was my good fortune to be tasked with depicting the exceptional Hyesu Lee. My own likeness was rendered by the incomparable Pat Kinsella, which was quite an honor! We are doing a group show in the Spring and using these for the mailer. Check out their work if you haven't seen it!

Lunch Special

2011-01-26T11:05:00.000-08:00

Lunch Special

2011-01-25T07:37:00.000-08:00

"Caribou Island" for the Book Review

2011-01-22T07:29:00.000-08:00

I will have an illustration in the New York Times Book Review this weekend. The piece was commissioned for a Kevin Canty's review of the new novel "Caribou Island" by David Vann. To read the article, click here.

Letters on Gun Control

2011-01-22T07:17:00.000-08:00

This illustration will run in the New York Times Op-Ed section today, alongside arguments for and against increased gun control. The letters were written in response to essays by Bob Herbert and Nicholas D. Kristoph, columnists for the Op-Ed section, who have made a case for new gun regulations following the events of January 8th in Tuscon, Arizona. Read the letters here.

Lunch Special

2011-01-19T10:14:00.000-08:00

Taser Backlash in Oregon

2011-01-05T07:06:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, everybody! I have an illustration in the latest issue of the Willamette Week. The piece was commissioned for a story about the use of stun guns in the Portland police force. To promote officer accountability, it has been suggested that tasers be outfitted with cameras that record the situations in which they are used.Read the article here.

Travel Log: Free Coffee

2011-01-03T14:18:00.000-08:00

What compels me to drink every cup of coffee I am offered? I will be stuck in the middle seat for the next five hours and I really don't need to be any more alert. The chances of it being amazing are pretty slim.

Travel Log: Vertical Space

2011-01-03T14:11:00.000-08:00

From my cramped seat, I ponder the cabin's unused vertical space. There must be a way to capitalize on this unclaimed resource. Hammocks perhaps? I would pay extra for that.

Travel Log: Life Raft Criteria

2011-01-03T14:00:00.000-08:00

To pass the time I am mentally assembling my life-raft team. No one with a suit jacket or ironic mustache is making the cut. Sorry guys, but I'm looking for survival skills. One arts professional per island is going to be plenty.

Travel Advisory: Turkey "Fiesta" Sandwich

2010-12-31T06:59:00.000-08:00

Sandwich ingredient described as "Buttery Seasonal Stuffing." More accurate description might be "butter." Not doing a lot to enhance my overall dining experience.

Travel Advisory: Economy Class

2010-12-31T06:57:00.000-08:00

Small person in front of me not sure why their seat won't go back any further. The answer? Me! One of the many other passengers on the plane. I will draw him a diagram.

Travel Advisory: Airport Beer

2010-12-30T07:10:00.001-08:00

Pulled a muscle going through security and had to drink an emergency Anchor Steam. Suddenly found myself at a souvenir kiosk buying a Swatch. Beware airport beer! My reason and thriftiness have been impaired. Maybe permanently.

"Old Bones" Selected for The 53rd Annual Society of Illustrators Exhibition

2010-12-05T08:48:00.000-08:00

My illustrated book, "Life in These Old Bones Yet" has been selected for the 53rd Annual Society of Illustrators Exhibition in the sequential art category. The project was inspired by the history and natural beauty of my hometown, Big Sur, California. Click here for information about the exhibition.

I will be making "Life in These Old Bones Yet" available for sale through my website in the next few weeks. Let me know if you would like me to reserve you a copy! Click here to preview a digital version of the complete book.

Recession Accomplished

2010-12-01T18:14:00.000-08:00

This illustration accompanies an analysis of the financial collapse written by Thomas M. Hoening in New York Times today ( Dec. 2nd, 2010.) The editorial takes the government to task for not implementing more comprehensive regulations on financial institutions. Read the article here.

BBB gets a C

2010-11-24T10:58:00.000-08:00

The AARP Magazine commissioned these illustrations for an article Kate Ashford wrote on the BBB. The Better Business Bureau has come under scrutiny recently for unethical grading practices on it's referral site. Paying members are given a significant boost to their online rating, and critics charge that the BBB isn't capable of accurately evaluating businesses on it's newly instituted letter grading system. Check out the article here.

I generally don't use a lot of reference for my work, and this piece was no exception, but I do have to recommend an incredible little architecture book I found when I was working on this. It is called The Observer's Book of Architecture. It is about the size of a bar of soap, and it is laid out like a bird watcher's guide. Every entry gives a little history and physical description of a different architectural detail you might see walking through the city. The details are all illustrated as isolated little vignettes, and color highlighted so you know what piece they are talking about. Now I want to find a book like this on everything else. Recommendations?

ARRP Magazine | 2010 (for A and B book)

ARRP Magazine | 2010 (for C book)

AARP in the Gym

2010-11-20T06:42:00.000-08:00

Commissioned by The AARP Magazine for their fitness section, this illustration accompanied the statistic that 25 percent of all health club members are 55 or older. ( In the original sketch the figure looked like he was about 500 years old. I am learning how to make my little guys look just old enough.)

Smoking Vs. Loneliness in the AARP

2010-11-19T11:57:00.000-08:00

Pick up the phone and light a Pall Mall, a recent study comparing the health of smokers with that of antisocial nonsmokers and found that living without friends is as bad for you as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Who knew? These illustrations were used by The AARP Magazine for a piece on the subject. (On second thought, it's possible that the piece was not advocating smoking after all. My mistake.)

New Illustration in the OP-ED

2010-11-13T06:27:00.000-08:00

I had a chance to do some work for the New York Times' OP-ED section yesterday. I am on vacation in Florida at the moment, and I converted a corner of the hotel's breakfast room into a rather comfortable workspace. (My studio back in New York doesn't have free coffee refills.) I had a good time with this one so I thought I would detail my process.

On Wednesday, the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform released 50 page proposal for deficit reduction. In an OP-ED published on Thursday, Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson gave a critique of the proposed cuts, and offered a few ideas of their own. My illustration would accompany a set of letters that readers had made in response to the OP-ED. So I had some reading to do.

What interested me more than any of the issues being discussed, was the idea that all of this mental energy could be expended without effecting any actual change in policy. The image that first came to mind was that of two firemen arguing over methods while the house burns down around them.

Or maybe just one guy...

After a few sketches I went back to the text to see if I could scare up an alternative. Something the fire image hadn't quite addressed was the idea that everyone involved has something to gain, and that in the end, a dollar for this project means a dollar less somewhere else. This was an idea that called for a pie. I took a few different approaches on my "pie fight," but eventually settled on the sketch below. Which is the one that was approved.

And now, back to my piña colada.

A Pairing of Trailer Interiors

2010-10-23T10:42:00.000-07:00

For Sega Genesis

2010-10-21T11:58:00.000-07:00

MFA Book Show

2010-10-08T07:57:00.000-07:00

This week is the last chance to see my work in the SVA MFA Book Show. If you haven't had a chance to make it yet, head on down. There are roughly 20 books on display, the combined effort of twenty illustrators working for 6 months. Below are a few samples from my project, "Life in These Old Bones Yet."

The info:

THE BOOK SHOW

SVA Gallery
209 East 23rd Street
New York, NY

September 23rd - October 13th, 2010

Sunday Book Review

2010-10-02T04:29:00.000-07:00

I will have an illustration in this Sunday's Book Review. The image accompanies a review by Tim Mohr of Daniel Kehlman's 'Fame: A novel in nine episodes.' In the book, social media and coincidence weave together the stories of otherwise unconnected characters. My challenge for the illustration was to represent the underlying idea of interconnectedness, and also give a nod to the specific plot points mentioned in the review. The solution that was agreed upon was to represent the 'episodes' as pop-up windows on a computer screen. Read the article here.

Rock'n Roll Grad School

2010-09-25T15:08:00.001-07:00

Spirit Guide

2010-09-05T06:58:00.000-07:00

Breakfast Champion

2010-09-04T06:52:00.001-07:00

AARP Spots

2010-09-01T05:28:00.000-07:00

I had a full week of assignments from the AARP. These spots can be found scattered through their latest issue. I am excited to see how they look once they are incorporated into the page.

1. A set of images to accompany financial statistics:

2. A spot cluster to illustrate various winter activities:

Norse God of Apps

2010-08-10T13:56:00.001-07:00

For an article on a Portland based application programmer featured in next week's "Willamette Week". Check out the article here!

Roadtrip Cross-section

2010-07-02T14:13:00.001-07:00

Flying Car

2010-06-27T11:42:00.000-07:00

Prints for Sale!

2010-06-24T09:48:00.000-07:00

There are still some prints of my painting "Studio Apartment" available at www.20x200.com, and from now until the end of the week they will be taking 20% off of all orders. This means the prints as low as $16! Click on the link above to check it out. And make sure to use the discount code RIDONK at checkout. Happy summer everybody!

New Illustrations for Menswear Magazine

2010-06-03T14:46:00.000-07:00

Here are a few spots for an upcoming issue of Menswear Magazine. The feature is a list of fashion don'ts gathered from leading men's fashion designers.

1. Too many undone buttons.

2. Matching designer luggage.

3. Square Toed Shoes

4. Ill fitting Tailored Jackets.

5. Trucker Hats.

6. Over-groomed Hair.

Summer of 2005

2010-06-03T14:17:00.000-07:00

This is an early illustration from a new series I am working on. I will be cataloguing important events, places and objects in from different stages in my life. Eventually I there will be a written component as well. The series will serve as a sort of visual biography.

This first illustration is a diagram of the passenger seat of my first car. During the summer after graduating college spent a lot of time driving, and my Toyota became a repository for all sorts of junk. Since moving to New York I have begun to appreciate what a luxury having a vehicle is, and not just as a means of transportation. My truck was a little home that I could bring with me everywhere I went.

Photograph from a camping trip.

Beck "Sea Change"

Receipt and change from gas station.

Missing flip flop.

Old pocket knife I bought at a thrift store and thought I would use.

Year old magazine.

Map. Driver's Manual. $ 5 sunglasses

Day old soda.

From a Series of Gold Rush Inspired Illustrations

2010-06-03T12:55:00.000-07:00

NYT Book Review

2010-05-01T17:02:00.000-07:00

I will have an illustration in this weekend's New York Times Book Review. The image will accompany a review of Katherine Shonk's novel "Happy Now?" in which a woman tries to come to terms with her husband's suicide. The heroine also happens to be a dollhouse maker (she builds replicas of all the houses she has lived in) and this detail gains significance as she begins to examine their life together before his death. This is the illustration (above) and a few of my sketches (below.)

"Flowing in the Gossamer Fold"

2010-04-27T14:57:00.000-07:00

My friends David Peak and Ben Spivey have started a small publishing company called Blue Square Press, and I am pleased to announce that they have asked me to be their cover designer. Their first book, "Flowing in the Gossamer Fold" will be released this summer and is available for sale now through there website.

New York Times Book Review

2010-04-05T07:15:00.000-07:00

Last week I had two illustration's published in the New York Times book review. The story centers around a sinister hedge fund manager who stands to gain from engineering a financial collapse. It was an interesting challenge to make work based on something that I hadn't actually read. Here is the second illustration which was used as a spot.

There were a few other ideas that I had for the article. Here are the sketches that I sent, including the two that were approved.

1. banker as godzilla

2. juxtaposition of banker icon with that of a terrorist

3. A variation on #2

4. Sinister backlit figure

5. Banker walking along the Thames

Gold Rush Endpages

2010-03-15T10:56:00.000-07:00

I am working on a new book project based (ever so loosely) on 19th century Californian history. The narrative will follow the exploits of a fictional prospector as he seeks his fortune in a coastal wilderness. I am taking a few liberties with the specifics, (the story arch owes at least as much to "The Goonies" as it does to "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.") The locations are based on the scenic environs of Big Sur, my home town.

Digital Sketchbook

2010-01-05T11:18:00.000-08:00

New York, New York

2009-12-23T11:57:00.000-08:00

Penkov

2009-11-30T14:02:00.000-08:00

"Buying Lenin"

2009-11-19T13:24:00.000-08:00

During the summer I read Miroslav Penkov's "Buying Lenin,"and for the last few months, I have been adapting the material into an illustrated book.

In part as a pretext to familiarize myself with the tools of digital illustration, I am using a nintendo-64 aesthetic, and presenting the story as it would be seen in the cut-scenes between the action in a video game. Initially, this was simply a stylistic decision, but in my research I have rediscovered my love for interactive fiction such as Lucas Arts's "Day of the Tentacle."

Animation Experiment

2009-11-07T08:36:00.000-08:00

Final Art for "Surface Tension"

2009-10-31T06:48:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago my friend David Peak asked me if I would create a new image for the cover of "Surface Tension," his full length poetry manuscript being published by BlazeVOX Press.

David had commissioned two illustrations from me previously, and once again brought an exciting visual challenge to the table. A section of "Surface Tension" explores the way our bodies become a part of the way that we define ourselves, and David had an idea for a picture of a man floating in space, deteriorating layer by layer, with constellations pulsing behind him.

After a round of preliminary sketches, I developed the final art over the course of a few days, drawing the layers seperately, ( I used a spray bottle full of FW acrylic ink for the starts ) and compositing the image on photoshop.

Solo Show at the Beatrice Wood Art Center

2009-08-20T12:50:00.001-07:00

I am thrilled to announce that I have been asked to show my work at the Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts, in Ojai, California.

The center is adjacent to the Besant Hill School (formerly Happy Valley School,) where I went to high school, and the show is part of an alumni program that the school is developing to bring past students back to the school to talk about careers in the arts. An opening reception will be held on Saturday, October the 24th.

Everyone is invited!

For directions, and more information, check out the Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts website:

http://www.beatricewood.com/

Rocket's Red Glare (Process)

2009-06-15T11:42:00.000-07:00

The following is an overview of the process I have been using to paint my last few illustration commissions. There is some information here that I touched upon in my last process post, but "Liberty City" offered unique challenges that I thought were worth exploring in a little more detail.

At this point in the process, I have already developed my idea with pencil drawings and digital sketches. Rather than transfer the composition to illustration board with gridding, or a projector, I begin by redrawing the sketch with my brush. This is sort of a shortcut, but it also means that the end result will be a little different from the preliminary sketch, (which I think is a good thing.)

As I move paint around, nothing is important except the overall proportions. Values, lines, small details, all these things will be fussed over later. Painting them now would only inhibit the work at hand. There is no mark so beautiful that I will hesitate to scrub it out and redo it in an instant.

This is my favorite stage in the process. My palette consists only of whitest white, and blackest black. Shapes are massed in one, then refined or erased with the other. But unlike using graphite and an eraser, here you are using the same material to create both light and dark shapes.

With the surface of my quarter established, I am ready to build my city. The first step is to lay down the roads. It is not important that these lines be particularly beautiful, or smooth, but if they do not appear to lie on the same plane as the quarter, the illusion of dimensionality in my city will be compromised. ( There are systems one can follow to create this illusion of depth [1, 2, and 3 point perspective,] but it is also possible to "wing it," as I am doing here. If the lines convince you they are receding in space, then you have gotten close enough to the laws of perspective to pass mustard.)

The city blocks are then divided into building size rectangles. . .

and the streets are cleaned up with a coat of black paint.

At this point, the two dimensional plan of the city has been established, and I can begin to focus on the work of pushing my buildings into space. Rather than treating each building individually (which would require a great presence of mind to keep so many small bits of perspectival information consistent,) I first paint each block as if it were a uniform, rectilinear slab.

I then "decorate" the walls of each slab with a row building shaped outlines.

Finally, I outline the corresponding roof planes. In this way, I am working from biggest to smallest plane, keeping the perspective consistent by checking the pitch of one plane against the one that proceeded it.

I repeat this process until all available space on the quarter has been occupied. Massing in my forms in white, and refining them with black line.

Mass. . .

Refine. . .

. . .Repeat.

Once the field is largely covered, I clean up the surface of the quarter that remains visible,

. . . and drop shadows onto the horizontal planes of my buildings with a thin wash of watery grey.

Ostensibly, the drawing phase of the painting is done at this point However, something isn't right.

As I had layed out my city, I had been intentionally leaving holes in the grid that would allow for key bits of the quarters surface to remain visible. But now the city feels cramped, and artificially reined in. Before moving into the final painting stage, I need to make some surgical edits to my city grid; scattering new buildings into the clear spaces, and thinning out the original blocks.

Finally the layout is complete, and I can do a final pass of painting.

Assigning grey values to the planes of the buildings . . .

differentiating the vertical planes with the introduction of a light source. . .

reestablishing the grey values of the quarter's surface. . .

adding shadows in the reflective surface of the quarter. . .

adding lots of little windows (freehand, with very diluted grey acrylic and a #6 watercolor brush,). . .

and a final clean in Photoshop. (adjust levels, clean up distracting inconsistencies in paint texture, edit out paper texture of background.)

And thats it!

Thanks for sticking with me.

Final Art for Rocket's Red Glare

2009-06-13T11:11:00.000-07:00

This is a recent illustration I did for my friend David Peak for the cover of his upcoming novel, Rocket's Red Glare.

David's story is set in a colony of bacteria that live on the surface of a quarter.

My preliminary thumbnails can be seen in previous posts.

Ghost Factory Magazine (Process)

2009-06-03T10:47:00.000-07:00

Here are some process shots from the painting I did for the cover of Ghost Factory magazine.

I was working on a piece of relatively toothy illustration board with Golden acrylics, (Titanium White, and Mars Black) and FW acrylic ink, for the line-work, and to mix into my blacks instead of water.

Initially, I laid down a wash of diluted ink, to give myself a mid-tone to work off of, and so that I could lay down the basic shapes in white, rather than a darker tone.

With the basic shapes estalished in truly rough drags of white acrylic, I go in for some definition with indiluted FW ink and a 6 round watercolor brush. Mainly, I am establishing the form of the ships that will be the focal point of the illustration, but I also take the opportunity to play around with a texture on the ocean. I can always paint it over (which is exactly what I end up doing.)
With the forms of the ships established, I fill in the ships once more with white acrylic, to take take down the severity of the ink line, then lay in the shadow shapes in a slightly darker than midtone grey. I always like to work near the middle of my value range at first, so that I can save the blackest blacks (and lightest lights) for where they might be needed. (In my experience, it is easier to make a piece darker than lighter.

I paint the background second, starting with the light circle, and cleaning painting the dark margin last. As each plane of paint masks the one under it, I take the opportunity to clean up the contours, and sometimes correct the outline of shapes.

Finally, after a little back and forth with the values of the major shapes, I lay in the details.

Finally, I desaturate the colors in photoshop, and superimpose a " #3 " that I have painted separately.

Cast of Hypothetical Science Fiction Epic

2009-06-03T07:53:00.000-07:00

Variations on a Theme

2009-06-01T07:12:00.001-07:00