Monday, December 27, 2010

HOO_HAA We hacked a blog!

Hey we did iT!! we Got iNto Mike's BlOg!!
The YetS are In CoNTrol!! HooHAAA!
(SorrY For The baD TyPiNg, We Have FaT FinGErs!)


We hadA pArtY and Here iz Our PictureZ:
We JusT wanTed to dRINK Tea but...
then a SnowsTorM bLocked The Doors So We PartiED fer A coupLe of DAys.
We inVitEd our NewFRiENd Lepor Promerus Who Made thE plAce look ClaSSy:
"Hello, Is this the place of the Yets? I have a hard time finding it in this bloody snow! My hightea with sweets were almost ruined. And I worked so hard on them."

He BrouGhT aweSOme CarrOt Cakes anD CaRRot TrEats!
EverybODy stARted DanciN and We had Fun.

Then Ringo ShOwED up With SugarPlum FariEs!
De Faries Are Cute aNd SweeT.
They Danced WItH EveryBody!
Even BruNo,
who was Under The Table Suckin on TeaBags and
He Wanted to Share his Tea Wit' De' faRieS but De faRies Didn't wanT Bruno'S tEA.
So De farIES POlitelY DEclined...
EverYbOdY Had LOtS of FuN!
So We Will Do thIs Again!!!!!
(Dis Iz A bad Photo BEcaUse of the Flash. It Made Lepor's Fur shinEy.)
We Will Be BACK When we Do This AgaIN but We got To go cuz Mike Is LooKing Fer Us.
BYE.
WriTe Us If We WaNT A INVitAtioN to De Next PartY!

Friday, December 24, 2010

Yet Hidden Meanings

Here is a hidden meaning in YETS!. If you have this issue:

In the first story the Tracker Commander, Bruce fights the Yets.


Then he makes friends with the Yets.
Well, the character of Bruce is based on the real life dentist Dr. Bruce Johnson.
Dr. Johnson was the technical adviser for the dental parts to the story and he had an idea for a comic book about dental hygiene back in 1990.
The story was originally written about "The Ortho Team!", bio-naughts that entered a mouth to fill cavities and fight cavity creeps. The story was a lot like the movie "Fantastic Voyage".
Unfortunately the project died a death filled with good intentions
but it was reborn with the Yets.

In the second part to the story, Bruce asks the Yets to enter the mouth of the largest Yet in the TreeWorld and help him find his wife
whose name is Judy.
Judy is based on Dr. Johnson's wife of 42 years.
Judy fit well into the story to show a strong woman who held a family together in times of trouble.
Judy is based on Dr. Johnson's wife of 42 years.
I even fit a cameo of their daughter, Dawn.
She had a smaller role because the real Dawn Johnson is an adult and a doctor in psychiatry.
The real Judy and Bruce liked this YETS! story.
On September 2, 2010 Judy passed from cancer. If you bought this issue of YETS!, and you enjoyed that adventure, and laughed along the way you have honored the memory of
Judy Johnson and

I thank you.


If Art is your life, then put life in your Art.---- a TreeWorld proverb.

Friday, December 17, 2010

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Origins Game Fair 2011 part 5


I gave this proof to the executive director, who will show it to the committee and I'll find out what changes need to be made. Anyway, here is the painting as it looks, it is 18"x24" and I left plenty of room so the right side of the painting can be cropped to size of the convention cover.


Wednesday, December 8, 2010

The power of YETS?!

So I was teaching some fourth grade students how to draw my infant Yet.
It looks like this:
I always tell my students that, you have created your own personal Yet and that is why your drawings don't look exactly like mine.
Then the next day Mat did two beautiful drawings to fit into my world, two new infant Yets:
The designs are so simple.
Animators can learn a lot from the simplicity of fourth grade students.
What can you do?
Let me know.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Staying in contact....

Here's a new painting.
I've been busy with other things so I haven't had time to post.
Hopefully, I will post again this week.

Monday, November 8, 2010

ConDor convention Feb 25-27, 2011

Here is this year's convention t-shirt & logo!
ConDor is here.
It's San Diego's longest-running science fiction & fantasy convention!

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Friday, October 29, 2010

Max Littman painting

I painted the commission for Max. I've had this done for a while, so here it is.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Origins Game Fair 2011 part 3

The picture so far, the card on the right with the black marks is the card that I wipe my brushes and pens on when I'm inking.

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Origins Game Fair 2011 part 2

Here is the third revision of the cover. The drawing now has more Victorian elements as per the clients wishes. I'm going to move the bird on the left to the left so it is completely on the other half of the drawing.






This is the whole drawing. I wish I had room to put a betting booth!

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Origins Game Fair 2011

Here's the next commission for the program book for Origins Game Fair with a Victorian-SteamPunk theme. I originally drew it as a wrap-around cover with a gag on the back cover, this picture is only the right-side of the drawing.
This is the first attempt, the clients have told me to take off the words.
Jobs like this take a number of passes before they are approved to paint.
Okay, next post will be with more changes, and
the whole drawing.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Commission for Max



When I was at Origins in June, I met the Littman family, their father, Michael, came to me in private and asked if I would create a piece for his son, Max. Michael wanted the commission for Max's birthday on September 6th. So in July we started emailing and I asked Michael what kind of art he wanted, Michael said, "The thought we had was a drawing of the dragon with "boy stuff" (trying to figure out what to do first...)" . I wanted to know what is Max's interests and Michael's next email gave me a list (..and what a list it was!).

Here is just part of it:
He played on a Flag Football team in a organized league. He was asked
if he would like to be the defensive coach last season and the team went
undefeated
Golf (plays...)
Hockey (doesn't play but likes to go to games)
Basketball
Soccer
Baseball
Fishing

Boy Scouts: He is currently a Star Scout and has 12 merit badges. Here are
the merit badges he has, that I remember. (there is one I can't think of.)
First Aid
Citizenship of the nation
Communications
Swimming
Fishing
Basketry
Horsemanship
Indian Lore
Public Speaking
Geology
Astronomy

...that's about half of the list. ha!
Now after that list some folks would be intimidated, but I like somebody that gives me specifics!

So I sent him this sketch...

...which they loved! I like to keep my sketches looser (like when I am doing a comic book) so I have a freedom to make changes as I ink, but with a client, I like to show them as clearly what they are getting.
So I went ahead and inked it in a couple of hours...

The finished size is 14"x19", and they loved it!
Finally after I scanned it, I remarked the art, so Max could have a personalized piece.

This is how I personalized it.
...Max's Bar Mitzvah is next year. Again I wish I added more details to the Torah.
Oh well I might be a gentile but I ain't a shkutz!

Happy belated Birthday, Max!

Saturday, September 11, 2010

1John 4:8 ---at Dragon*Con

“The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”--1John 4:8
My paintings at Dragon*Con
If you set up at an art show, then you know what a tiring strain it is when you carry in your product, hang your art, set up your table, smile for the entire show, and then tear it all down. Most of us artists do this by ourselves.
So I went to the Dragon*Con art show, I arrived on Thursday morning, I got set up and on Friday morning I got a phone call that my sister Judy passed away from cancer. I changed my flight out to 4:40pm on Monday to make it home for the funeral on Tuesday morning. Since I couldn't make it out earlier, I did the next natural thing which was to set up and sell,

and not say a word about what had happened.

That lasted until 10am on Friday (I got the call at 7am) when Peter David asked me, “how's it going?” I replied, “I've been better...” so of course that sets off a conversation in which I tell about what happened.

Peter had the greatest idea, which was to buy Judy something and place it with her for her journey Home.
I love to go on missions and this set the compass in my mind on a whole new heading.
Judy loved the TV show, “N.C.I.S.” and I found/bought an N.C.I.S. badge which I clipped on Judy's lapel and she went Home as an N.C.I.S. special agent.
St. Peter and the gang will smile at that.

So my neighbors at the art show on my left side, Chris and Irene Gessler, saw the badge and asked me what it was for, so I explained what happened.
After much hugging, Chris and Irene made it their mission to watch over me and gave me bottles of water, snacks and breaks. They create great, unique wire-wrapped jewelry. Chris and Irene also had great fun watching me keeping eye contact with the female customers who squeezed their voluptuous bodies into corsets (I was always sitting down when these customers thrust up themselves to my table )
clockwise from lower left: Chris, Irene, Kate

Chris and Irene bought me dinner Sunday night and I met their friend Kate Lebherz-Gelinas. Chris and Irene told Kate why they were buying me my dinner and Kate decided to cheer me up with a story that lasted for 3.5 hours. Kate as it turns out, is one of the best storytellers, ever. Kate told a story of, “How a Red-Devil Condom Cold-Cocked a Commander” of a nuclear submarine! I can't tell it, but if you meet Kate, ask her about it and if she wants to tell it, be prepared to laugh for about four hours (sadly, I got the short version of 3.5 hours).

My neighbors on the right side were Celena Cavala and her husband Martin Obakke, they create fairy sculptures and print a fairytail newspaper about their sculpted characters named The Filigree. They found out too and offered to watch my table (and sold a couple prints when I left for a lunch break).Martin and Celena
Then there was the mother & daughter team: Ilse and Suze Spuijbroek, two great women from Holland who I met at my hotel and then found out that they were two tables away from me at the art show.
We had breakfast together and Suze (an animator in Holland!) and I talked at length about drawing, painting and of course animation. I can't think of a better conversation and hopefully we'll find time to draw next time we meet. As I was leaving the show to go to the airport they taught me the Danish word: “STYRKE” I hope I spelled it correct. They described it as meaning heart strength. It's a strong word from women with strong hearts.
Ilse and Suze

I hadn't met these people before,
I also had friends I knew before this show like:

Veronica Jones and her husband, Jeff were located in the center of the room, they walked by Friday and Saturday about suppertime to get money from me so I would buy myself supper.
Veronica

Heather Krieter, I have known for over a decade she created “My Lil' Demons” and she offered to drive my framed pieces to and from Atlanta. Heather is the type of friend who can shoot a glance from across the room that says, “Don't worry, I've got your back.”.Heather

Finally there is Meg Lyman who was called to the show last minute and filled up a large booth and table with her franchise of Cephalapod art. She was totally professional meeting & greeting folks and was selling out by Monday morning. Meg found time to talk, hug and be
...well...
just be there inbetween her sales.
Hopefully we'll do more drawin' at the next convention.

Rats!, and I didn't mention John & Anne Parise and the support of the staff of the art show. John & Anne didn't blink an eye when I mentioned leaving early, and they wanted to know why I was staying until Monday morning.

This is a self indulgent post, however I think it needs pointing out that though the art scene can get a bad rap (the artists have mountainous egos, and artists love be showboats), there is this side you don't see. This side with unending sensitivity, kindness, and love...

or in one word, God.
“The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”--1John 4:8

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Dragon*Con bound!


Okay I've been busy. Sorry! I got permission to post the comissions but after Dragon*Con, so watch out! If you are at Dragon*Con stop by my table for a free YETS! trading card.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

T-Shirt pictures


Finally, here are pictures of the shirts. I like the way the images look on the shirts more that the Jpegs of the images in the last post. The shirts are a natural cotton so they are closer to a sepia tone rather than the stark white.

Except for the "I Need a Hug" shirt which is printed on a navy blue fabric.
Then the "Origin 35th Anniversary" shirt is printed on black.

Anyway I've been busy with getting some approvals for commissioned art and I will post these sketches when they get approval.

Saturday, July 31, 2010

New Tshirt Designs!




Here are the designs for my licensed YETS! Tshirts!
They are available in child's small through adult 4x!
I just got the sample shirts in the mail and when I get back in a week I'll try to get some pictures of them! I'll at least post a better, cleaner image of these designs.
They're available at:

http://www.itsagamersthing.com/


and clic on the "Featured Artist" link,

describe the design and give them your size and they'll send one out to you, because they haven't updated their site with these new images. ha....

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Painted Sketchings

These have been painted for ten days and I'm just getting around to posting...oops.

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Friday, July 9, 2010