Blog Sketch #183

Memorial Day Thumbnail

So I'm at work on Memorial Day, but it's a good relaxed day. The only thing that really sucks is that the building management turned off the A/C. What's that about?

In any case, here's a really quickie thumbnail sketch I did today to show an artist what I meant in revising the composition of a cover image. Not too shabby.

Plus check out the Russian trailer for "Wanted". I gotta say, it's even cooler than the US version. I can't understand a word, but it looks super sweet!

WARNING: Violence/gore level high. May not be safe for work.

Daily Sketch #182

I Got My New Scanner to Work!

Success! I managed to get my new scanner at the office to work. Woo-hoo! So here's the first new sketch (hopefully in a nice long unbroken line of them).

Going to go catch Indy 4 this weekend. I've heard mixed reviews so I'll be interested to see how it turns out. I love the Indy movies, but I don't have the diehard attachment as some people. The trailer looks cool as hell.

Daily Sketch #181

The Last Cheat!

Oh, boy. This is the last cheat from Calgary Expo. It means I have to start putting pencil to paper and drawing again. A bit nervous, but I think I can make it work if I can just get the scanner at work hooked up:)

The mascot for the Calgary Show is a "cowgirl" wearing this Canadian cowboy hat. So for the charity auction in Calgary, Stjepan did Sara as a cowgirl, his wife Linda drew Ian Nottingham as a cowboy, and I drew Dani as a cowgirl. Sort of a three piece interpretation of Witchblade through the eyes of Calgary. I was pretty happy with how my piece came out. And our group of drawings fetched almost $500 for the charity organization.

Daily Sketch #180

Two in a Row! Can He Keep It Up?

Okay, that's a bit misleading because it's another sketch I drew at Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo. Photo courtesy of my iPhone. 

On a sadder note, a giant in comics retailing and one of the "good guys" - Rory Root - passed away yesterday from complications following surgery. I knew him better than some, less than others and was always amazed how well he lived by the "golden rule". RIP Rory.

Daily Sketch #179

Hello, Internet? Are you there?

So it's been a long, long while! End of February from what I can tell. Sheesh... this move really messed up my schedule more than I thought. Part of the problem is that I hadn't set up a convenient place to draw or scan until very recently. 

I'm just getting that situated so I thought I'd start up the blog again. The first couple of these posts are kind of cheats:) They're pieces I drew while I was at the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo. I drew this picture of Dani from Witchblade on the plastic covering one of our tables. Our booth shipment never arrived so we had a lot of empty space since the only product we had was what I brought on the plane with me. Still not too shabby and we had a great time at the show!

Daily Sketch #17

T-Minus 4

We're down to the final four days in Maryland. Whew. That's crazy to think about. I've spent over a third of my life in this state and area. I'm sad to leave my friends behind, but excited about the possibilities that lie ahead.

Here's another cheat sketch for you. The cover I did for Dead Men Tell No Tales from Arcana Studios. I think this may have been the first time I saw my work in print and really felt it turned out pretty well. Most of the time I feel good when I send the work out to the publisher and then I see it in print many months later and wince. Sometimes I groan. But this piece turned out pretty well, it was a simple effective image and the coloring turned out quite complimentary.

Daily Sketch #177

Cheat Week

It's a definite cheat week for me as I'm focusing primarily on packing for the next few days. Things are going okay, but we're definitely feeling the pressure of the looming deadline. The past few days have been a combination of excitement, stress, and exhaustion. Some of my closest friends threw me and D a "bon voyage" party Sunday night and we had a great time. Until about 7:30-8pm when we started to fall asleep. Yep, we're tired and lame!

Anyway, here's a look at one of my early published pieces and my first with Dynamite Entertainment. It's colored by the hella talented IFS crew.

Daily Sketch #176

I'm Gonna Be On TV, Mama

Well, perhaps. I'm headed downtown this morning to Fox 45 Baltimore with my good buddy and uber-talented writer Ron Marz so he can be interviewed and promote the signings we're having locally for the Witchblade trade paperback. There's a chance I'll get to be on TV with Ron. I'm setting the Tivo just in case:)

If you live in the Baltimore area come on out to one of the two signings tomorrow.

11 A.M.-2 P.M.

Cards, Comics, and Collectibles

100 Chartley Drive

Reisterstown, MD 21136

(410) 526-7410

4-7 P.M.

Phoenix Comics and Toys

Lansdowne Shopping Center1

9340 Promenade Drive

Lansdowne, VA 20176

(703) 437-9530

You should also check out the new webpage for my artist on the Forever Man project, Thomas Nachlik. He's the cat's meow.

Your sketch for today is another panel in progress from Dead Inspector (surprise!).

Daily Sketch #175

This One's Kind of a Cheat

So, no time for an original sketch this morning, but I couldn't deny you an art fix this morning. So reaching into the way back machine, here's a look at my first "published" work which was distributed in tiny quantities at the San Diego Comicon 2000. It's the front of a wraparound cover that I painted (shocking I know) for an anthology called "Anomaly". The piece still holds up decently well I think.

Daily Sketch #174

Crazy Train



As Ozzy Osbourne sang, "I'm going off the rails on a crazy train". That's how I'm feeling these days trying to juggle everything in the final two weeks before the big move to LA. D and I are trying to finalize everything for the move which includes packing (which we just started this weekend), updating all of our various utilities, credit cards, insurance companies, etc., seeing each and every one of our friends on the East Coast (I think last night may have been our last free night until we leave), sell her car, rent the house, and probably five or twenty things I'm forgetting. On top of that is the wedding planning, which D is heroically handling largely on her own. Work is doing the opposite of slowing down and I'm quickly becoming aware of why being in the office for this new job was necessary as I try to coordinate things from 3 hours and 2000 miles away. All of it is quickly adding up to a couple of space cadets running around our house.



So other than venting and whining like a big baby, why am I sharing this?



Just to give you advanced warning that the sketches in the next few weeks may be sporadic. What can I say, sometimes real life interrupts. If you are signed up to the feed, it shouldn't affect your life too much since you'll be notified when I make a new post.


Without further ado, here's today's sketch an updated and completed panel of Ashley from "Dead Inspector". Enjoy.

Daily Sketch #173

Valentine's Day 2008 - Success!

First the sketch of the day, another panel in progress from "Dead Inspector".

Secondly, Operation: Valentine's Day 2008 was officially a raging success. D and I had lunch at Morimoto's (as in Iron Chef Morimoto) which I can only describe as sublime. The meal truly was exquisite and easily the best Japanese food I've ever put in my mouth. We had dinner at Bar Americain, one of Bobby Flay's restaurants (as in Iron Chef too!) with D's parents. It was my little surprise for D to give her another chance to see her parents before we leave for California. The food was good, but in yesterday's Iron Chef showdown - Morimoto truimphed. The night capped off with tickets to go see "Rent" on Broadway, our favorite musical. Neither of us had seen it live and we loved it. It really was a fantastic experience and a magical day.

Daily Sketch #172

It's Raining, it's Pouring

We've got some crappy icy rain weather hittin' the East Coast today and yesterday. Hopefully it clears up by tomorrow, I got big V-Day plans...

Here's another finished panel from Dead Inspector featuring David and Ashley.

Daily Sketch #171

Laying Down on the Job

Sorry couldn't resist the bad pun for today's sketch.

Now, for you long time readers of the blog... why is David from Dead Inspector lying in this familiar pose? What does it mean?!

(the rest of you undoubtably have no clue what I'm talking about)


D and I had a great dinner last night at Cinghiale downtown with a friend. Delicious Northern Italian food and wonderful wine. Getting ready to move does have its upsides:)

Daily Sketch #170

My Head Hurt

Well it did this weekend when my head cold was in full effect. I'm feeling a bit better today and yesterday so I guess it's starting to clear up. In any case, this panel I finished up yesterday seemed apropos. Big ups to my prescription Tylenol/Sudafed cocktail and copious amounts of NyQuil. Love that big effing "Q" (go listen to Dennis Leary's seminal "No Cure for Cancer" album).

D and I did more wedding related stuff this weekend, including a consultatio with our chef for the reception who was awesome and seemed generally excited when I mentioned the concept of chocolate covered bacon to him. That food won't be at the wedding, but bacon will be involved believe you me We also went to a cake tasting, which after the disappointment last week was awesome. The cake was rich, thick and decadent. This was wedding cake and when the quote came in at 1/2 the first place we were pretty much in love. Chocolate cake with chocolate ganache and almond pound cake with chocolate ganache and a layer of raspberry filling in between the two cake layers. Hell's yes.

We also got to see our friends (and my best man) Andy and Sandy and lovely "nephew" Sachin the Tank. It was awesome to hang out with them even if the Chinese food we had for lunch was nasty and the American Idol karaoke singing was painful. Much love to Sandy who reads my blog every day:)

Daily Sketch #168

Cake Tasting

I spent much of last night working up 3-D background models in Google Sketchup for the recent Dead Inspector pages, so not a lot of drawing done last night and this morning. Google SketchUp is really neat and useful but like any other program there's a learning curve. I've gotten better already but it's still somewhat time consuming to get everything in place. Here's a panel in progress from this morning.

Last night D and I also went to our first wedding cake tasting at a place called "Sugar Bakers". It was fun, but "holy sheeeiiiite!" those are some crazy prices for baked goods. And to be honest, the cake wasn't that phenomenal. I'm a pie and ice cream guy myself and cake is usually a distant third or fourth choice for dessert for me, but even still I wasn't blown away. We have another one on Sunday and maybe that one will impress me enough to justify the ridiculous pricing.

Daily Sketch #167

I Give Up

Okay, I'm giving in on the sickness thing. I'm off to see the doctor (or rather a nurse's practitioner in my doctor's office) to verify what I already know - I have a sinus infection and need some drugs. Time to hand over some hard earner dollars to get a prescription (which I'll hand over more hard earned dollars to get filled), just so I can feel not so cranky.

An almost complete panel of David from "Dead Inspector" as your daily serving of sketch.

On a brighter note, D and I are off to Sugar Bakers tonight for a complimentary cake tasting for the wedding. Should be good fun, I love free cake!

Daily Sketch #166

We Got a New Place

Another sketch from a page in progress in "Dead Inspector". David wakes up some place unexpected. Not exactly sure if this conveys the motion in the most ideal way so I may have to continue working on this one.

In positive personal news, D and I found a new apartment in LA to move into in March. Woo-hoo! The place looks really nice with a fair amount of space, a great looking community with lots of amentities, and a beautiful location in West LA near the ocean. We're both getting quite excited about it!

Daily Sketch #165

I Hate Being Sick

So... my body finally gave in to the lack of sleep and D's sinus infection/death cough. Yesterday I felt the tell-tale tickle in the back of the throat that signifies the body's throwing the towel in. This morning I felt like I wanted to scrub the inside of my throat with one of those beaker cleaning scrubs. But the feeling crappy isn't really the worst part, it's the lack of any reprieve otherwise in life. It's not like when you were a kid and you got sick days from school. Sure some people take sick days, but it's pretty hard to justify it when you work from home and you're not risking getting anyone else sick. It's just a normal day plus feeling crappy. Wah...

Here's David from "Dead Inspector" looking all paranoid. He might even have good reason to...

Daily Sketch #164

Unlike David We Get No Sleep

Another page in progress update from "Dead Inspector" as David 'listens' intently to his girl Ashley. Not that I endorse this kind of behavior or ever engage in it...

So this weekend we have D's sister and her infant neice visiting us. We're loving spending time with both of them and of course the little baby is the center of attention where ever we go. D is fighting a pretty severe sinus infection, so between coughing, trouble breathing, and crying baby in the wee hours of the night - sleep has not been a friend the past couple of nights. The strange part is I don't remember wakening a lot during the night, but still feel exhausted when I wake up. It's a nice little insight into future parenthood.

Also... Sarah Silverman is awesome. Enjoy.

And enjoy the new "Wanted" trailer which aired during the Super Bowl last night. I'm baised but I think it looks badass.

Daily Sketch #163

Detectives At Work Friday


Here's the detectives from Dead Inspector pow-wowing at a crime scene. Wonder what they're talking about?


I really like the way this panel composition worked out.

D and I watched the season premier of "Lost" last night and really dug it. It had a bunch of great "oh shit!" moments and it's about time Hurley got the spotlight again. All of the characters were on point and it was a great opener. Looking forward to the rest of the season (however much we end up getting). Plus with BKV on board as a writer this season I have high hopes!

I'm sitting in Panera this morning thanks to the torrential downpour hitting Baltimore right now. Thanks to some goofy ground wiring at my house and the Verizon battery backup system, I have no internet at home. But thanks to noise cancelling headphones I can pretend I'm not surrounded by gossiping seniors. Woot!