Frankenswine

Banjo pigs blog

Ghost Banjo Pig

Illustration Friday: Transportation

It's that time of year. Have banjo. will travel.

Check out more banjo pigs here.

Brotique Week: Studio Tours

Okay, The demo night was lots of fun. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to check it out. Hopefully you had as much fun as we did.

Thursday night is Studio Tour night. If you have ever wanted to watch the elusive illustrator in his natural habitat, now is your chance. Kirk Richards and I have opened our studios to you. A kind of studio open house. Feel free to drop by and visit.



www.brotique.org
brotique.blogspot.com

Brotique Week Demo Night

Thanks to everybody who came to our Brotique Week kick off at the Provo Library. We all read a bunch of our stories to the kiddies. Tons of fun.

Wednesday night is our next Bro. event. If you're interested in watching us paint, come to the Bridge Academy in Provo for a free demo.

www.brotique.org
brotique.blogspot.com

Brotique Week

Brotique (my writing/illustration critique group for dudes) is gearing up for an exciting week full of fun events. Book readings, demos, studio tours and a big gallery show. If your in the Provo area, check out one or all of the cool stuff.

Illustration Friday: Star gazing

I couldn't pass up this weeks topic. I did a whole book about a very famous star gazer. Here are a few images that I illustrated from "The Planet Hunter" by Elizabeth Rusch. It is about the astronomer Mike Brown, the guy who made Pluto not a planet anymore. The publisher mixed my illustrations with real photos of space. It was a fun book to work on.

Banjo Pig 32

Choose your weapon!


Keep those banjo pigs coming. Visit the Banjopigs blog to see more.

Banjo Pig General Store!

Ya'll can now get your own stuff with Banjo Pigs on it by visiting the Dueling Banjo Pigs General Store.

Banjo Pig Automaton

Here is my newest Banjo Pig. It's a little bit different from the others. I've been building it for several weeks. Mostly on the weekends and here and there when I found a minute between jobs. I love doing stuff like this. It gets the ole creative juices flowing. I really enjoy problem solving when I do my artwork and this little piggie had plenty of it. It is fun to get an idea of what you want it to do, then figure out a way to make it work.

Most of the movements, the strumming, head turning, and banjo movement are controlled by a bunch of cams on the crankshaft. I had some extra room on the crank so I added the little bird. I wasn't sure how it would turn out, but I think it's popping up and down makes me smile the most. Inside I built a little music box called a Kalimba, or thumb piano. It's not terribly loud or "banjo" sounding, but I did tune it to real notes and everything and it plays. I hope you like it.









Here is a bit of the process:

A few sketchbook doodles from when the idea hit me.


Bits and pieces


Pre-paint

Banjo Pig 29

Wow. The Banjo Pigs just keep coming in. It's sooo cool. We just recently passed 275 submissions. Thanks to everyone who has participated and sent in their own Banjo Pig. Feel free to do more. Heck, tell your friends. And a note to all you artists who went to Comic con, it's over now, so now you have time to do a pig. Right?

Here is another quick one. Enjoy.

Check out the Banjopigs blog to see more.

Banjo pig 27

My lovely wife and I went to the Macaroni Grill for dinner last night. Any restaurant with crayons and paper on the table is a good one in my book. This piece is purple crayon on craft paper. Shelly, our waitress, ripped it off to hang in their prestigious back room gallery.

Illustration Friday: Breakfast

I did this drawing last week for our Banjopigs blog. It was titled "Banjo before Breakfast". It is a twist on a well know bluegrass tune called "Whiskey before Breakfast. I seemed to fit the topic, so I thought I'd post it here. I actually sketched it during a church meeting with a ball point pen. Shhh, don't tell.

If you want to see more Banjo Pigs, visit banjopigs.blogspot.com

Banjo Pig 21

Here's another Banjo Pig. The sketch was done over the weekend and I took a few minutes yesterday to slap on some gouache. Over at the banjopigs blog we are at 180 pigs. It's still amazing to me that so many people have joined in. It's really cool. It isn't too late to do one of your own. You know you want to.

Banjo Pig 20

Here is another on. Ball point pen with a smidge of acrylics.

Visit the Dueling Banjo Pigs blog to see lot's more pigs.

Banjo Pig 19

This whole Banjo PIg thing is out of control, but in a good way. On the Banjo Pigs blog the pigs just keep coming in. We are well over 130 pigs now. That is friggin' amazing. Thanks everybody for participating and keep them coming!

Banjo Pig 18

My nemisis of Banjo Pigs, Stacy Curtis, posted a photo of some pizza he ate on his facebook page. He didn't EAT it on his facebook page...whatever, you get the idea. Anyway, it looked soooo good, so I gathered all of my piggies and took them out for pizza last night. All fine eating establishments should include placemats and crayons for their patrons. Here is the night's pig for your enjoyment.

See a colored version and a ton of other Banjo Pigs on the Banjo Pig blog.

Banjo Pig 17

Banjo Pig in a Blanket.

Follow the duel at the Banjo Pig blog.

Banjo Pig 16

A tiny pen doodle and a big thanks to everyone who has joined in on the Banjo Pig fun. It's crazy.

See more at the Banjo Pig Blog

Banjo Pig 15

The One Pig Banjo Band.

See more at the Banjo Pigs Blog

Banjo Pig 14

Another day, another pig. I think I should point out that these pigs are usually my quick and dirty warm-up sketches to start the day. I'm normally working on a deadline for one real job or another and these things just act to get me in the creative mood. They don't normally take a ton of time to do, they are just for fun. I'm really glad so many others have been joining in on the fun too. Just don't let it distract you from your real jobs.

As always, check out the new Banjo Pigs on the Banjo Pig Blog. And, if you get the itch, do one of your own.

Banjo Pig 13

Big news in the Banjo Pig world. There have been lots of banjo-playing pigs created (and counting!) and it has become difficult to keep track of them all.
So, we created a blog for people to go and see all the wonderful work in one place.

We're still tinkering with it, but here's the link:
http://banjopigs.blogspot.com/

And to add to it, here is my contribution for today.

Banjo Pig 11,12

I've spent a few days out of the studio while attending a writing and illustrating conference so, I took my Banjo Pigs on the road. I only found time to do a couple sketches though. I did, however, draw a bunch of ideas for more. Now I just need some spare time to draw them up right. Keep pickin' and drawin'


Stacy Curtis(22 pigs)1 NEW Looks like I have some catching up to do.

Jack Foster (3 pigs)
Bob Nelson (3 pigs)
Greg Wallace (3 pigs)
Jeff Overturf (3 pigs)
Sam Reed (1 pig)
Mark Harmon (1 pig)
Greg Newbold (3 pigs)
Doug Jones(2 pig)
Sean Ashby (1 pig)
Eric Barclay (1 pig)
Shane Lewis (1 pig)
Paula J Becker (2 pigs.)
Tom Lichtenheld (1 pig)
Jannie Ho (1 pig)
Korey Scott (2 pig)
Elvia Montemayor (2 pig)
Melinda Stanley (1 pig)
Renee Kurilla NEW
Jed (my big bro.)Francis NEW

I hope I'm not forgetting anybody. Let me know if I am.

banjo Pig 10

I have been out of town for a few days. I went camping with a youth group in Utah's High Unita's at a beautiful little place called Moon Lake. I was there as their cook. Mmmmm, good food and camping, nothing better. I even took my sketchbook and some watercolors, but I never even took them out. Did that stop me from doing a Banjo Pig? Heck no. This was the best I could do in the current circumstances.

A lot of great new pigs were done while I was gone. Here is the newest list:

Stacy Curtis(21 pigs)3 NEW Looks like I have some catching up to do.

Jack Foster (3 pigs)
Bob Nelson (3 pigs) NEW
Greg Wallace (3 pigs)NEW
Jeff Overturf (3 pigs)
Sam Reed (1 pig)
Mark Harmon (1 pig)
Greg Newbold (3 pigs)
Doug Jones(2 pig)
Sean Ashby (1 pig)
Eric Barclay (1 pig)
Shane Lewis (1 pig)
Paula J Becker (2 pigs.)
Tom Lichtenheld (1 pig) NEW
Jannie Ho (1 pig) NEW
Korey Scott (2 pig) NEW
Elvia Montemayor (2 pig) NEW
Melinda Stanley (1 pig) NEW

I hope I'm not forgetting anybody. Let me know if I am.

Banjo Pig 9

Here is a quick Banjo Pig from my sketchbook. I took a clue from Eric Barclay and combined my pig with this weeks Illustration Friday topic.


My daughter and her cousin wanted to do their own Banjo Pigs. They are both twelve. Not too shabby!



This whole Dueling Banjo Pig thing has kinda taken on a life of it's own. It's awesome. It may slow down for me a bit because of some work deadlines and some conferences I have to go to, but that doesn't mean you can't stop doing your own.

Check out these other illustrator's duelin' pigs!

Stacy Curtis(18 pigs)NEW But, he cheats. 12 banjo pigs in one post? What? Too scared to fight pig vs pig? You have to bring in a whole gang? Well, you don't scare me Stacy! Okay... just a little bit.

Jack Foster (3 pigs)
Bob Nelson (2 pigs)
Greg Wallace (2 pigs)
Jeff Overturf (3 pigs)
Sam Reed (1 pig)
Mark Harmon (1 pig)
Greg Newbold (3 pigs) NEW
Doug Jones(2 pig)
Sean Ashby (1 pig)
Eric Barclay (1 pig)
Shane Lewis (1 pig. But, browse through is blog. He has tons of critters playin' banjos) NEW
Paula J Becker (2 pigs.) NEW


Let me know if I'm missing anyone and keep em coming!

Banjo Pig 8

Here is today's offering. Duel on piggies!


Check out these other illustrator's duelin' pigs!
Stacy Curtis(6 pigs) The guy who helped start this mess.

Jack Foster (3 pigs)
Bob Nelson (2 pigs)
Greg Wallace (2 pigs)
Jeff Overturf (3 pigs)
Sam Reed (1 pig)
Mark Harmon (1 pig)
Greg Newbold (2 pigs)
Doug Jones(2 pig*)
Sean Ashby (1 pig*)
Eric Barclay (1 pig*)

*=new pig

Keep em coming!

Banjo Pig 7

The duel continues. This pig looked better painted with real paint rather than digital, but the waterproof pen I used wasn't very waterproof. Fiddlesticks!

And they just keep coming. Check out these other illustrator's pigs!
Stacy Curtis(6 pigs*)
Jack Foster (3 pigs*)
Bob Nelson (2 pigs*)
Greg Wallace (2 pigs*)
Jeff Overturf (3 pigs*)
Sam Reed (1 pig)
Mark Harmon (1 pig)
Greg Newbold (2 pigs)
Doug Jones(1 pig*)

*=new pig

If you've done a Banjo Pig (and you know you want to), send us the link and we'll add it to the list.

Banjo Pig 6

A quick and messy one. Maybe an homage to the late Mr. Frazetta.

This little pig went wee wee wee all the way home. He added a new one today.
Stacy Curtis Pig count: 5

And they just keep coming. Check out these other illustrator's pigs!
Jack Foster (2)
Bob Nelson (1)
Greg Wallace (1)
Jeff Overturf (1)

The newest additions
Sam Reed (1)
Mark Harmon (1)
Greg Newbold (with 2 pigs right out of the gate...well, one isn't really a pig, but it fits)

Excellent work fellas.

If you've drawn one too, let me know and I'll add it to the list.

Banjo Pig 5

Ah, the fun never stops. I gotta say, Stacy is putting up a good fight. Well, keep em coming Banjo Boy.


Check out my main pig nemesis:
Stacy Curtis Pig count: 4

There are a bunch of other folks who joined the dueling too. Check them out. Great stuff!
Jack Foster (2)
Bob Nelson
Greg Wallace
Jeff Overturf

If you've drawn one too, let me know and I'll add it to the list.

Banjo Pig 4

Just sit right back in that chair right there and let me show you how it's done.


Stacy posted three very fine Banjo Pigs on his blog.

and Jack Foster did a version of his own.

Keep em coming.

Cheerioooooos

Here is an illustration I can talk about now because it finally hit the shelves. I still haven't seen it yet, but I had heard a rumor on facebook that it was out there in the wild. Then yesterday I was sent a photo from Stacy Curtis (an awesome illustrator who you should all follow because he is awesome), so it's official. Thanks Stacy. Ever since I was a kid I thought i'd be cool to draw the picture on a cereal box. Whodda thought I would actually do one? Weird. It was fun to do. I wish I had a bit more time to work on it--tight deadline, but what can you do? Now go and enjoy a tasty box of Apple Cinnamin Cheerios.

Banjo Pig 3

The gauntlet has been thrown. This is officially a dueling banjo pig thing. Come on Stacy, where's yours? Heck, anybody else wanna duel too?

Banjo Pig 2

I feel a theme.

Banjo

I bought a banjo the other day. I can't play it... yet, but it is something I've alway wanted to try. Besides, my friend Stacy Curtis has one, and I can't think of a more appropriate way to duel him. I painted this during a video chat with Stacy. To show him my freaky painting skillz and my new banjo. The duel is on! ...or it will be as soon as I learn to play something.

Useless Super heros: The Human Siphon

I never get tired of drawing super heros and giving them stupid powers. I was doodling tonight and another one came out of the pencil. Enjoy.

NY State Fair

This is a recent little job I did. It was cool. I got to do the poster for the New York State Fair. Actually, it was quite big. I think it may be one of the largest illustration I've ever worked on. At least, it didn't fit on my scanner. I painted it in two parts, the logo and the background. You can see a bit of the process below. Enjoy.