So, cat tacos?

Giant

2012-01-25T11:04:00.000-07:00

Today's sketch

Super Banjo Pig

2012-01-13T13:56:00.000-07:00

I found this pig in a pile of sketches. I don't think I ever posted it so, here it goes. Captain Banjo, defending porcine pickers everywhere.

First post of 2012

2012-01-05T08:55:00.000-07:00

Okay, I've been slacken' big time. I've made a goal to sketch more so hopefully that means you'll see a lot more stuff on the ole blog. If I'm not doing enough just let me know and I'll try harder. Here is today's doodle.

2011-11-17T20:55:00.001-07:00

This was a demo for Will Terry's illustration class. All of his students are doing a Banjo Pig for an assignment. Awesome. Can't wait to see them all. They will be posted on the Banjo Pig Blog. Enjoy.

Batty Automaton

2011-10-09T09:49:00.000-06:00

Here is my latest little project. I really needed to make a Halloween automaton and this is what I came up with. It's a very simple movement but because it is on such a long flimsy pole it is a heck of a lotta fun to watch. Even more fun in person. Enjoy.

Soggy Bottom Pig

2011-09-20T11:13:00.001-06:00

I did this little banjo pig for illustrator David Weisner when he was in town doing a presentation. I drew it on one of those watercolor postcard pads of paper, then when it was all done I sent it to him as a thank you. I was his host for the few days that he was here, driving him around, showing him the sights...whatever. He is a really great guy and a fantastic artist. It was nice to get to know him. Anyway, enjoy the pig. I know it's been awhile since I've posted anything. I'm bad.

Illustration Friday: Duet

2011-04-07T10:08:00.003-06:00

Banjo duets alway ends in a duel.

See more pigs at the Banjo Pig blog.

New Book! View at the Zoo

2011-04-04T14:10:00.005-06:00

My newest book, A View at the Zoo, written by Katheen Long Bostrom and illustrated by me, is now officially available! Keep an eye out for it.

Here are a few paintings from the inside to tease you with. Hope you all enjoy it!

Click here to order your own.

Banjo Pig : 47 Tiny Pig

2011-03-25T12:22:00.004-06:00

I had a tiny frame that needed a tiny painting. Here it is.

It will be available at the Dueling Banjo Pigs show. Come and check it out.

Dueling Banjo Pigs the Exhibit

2011-03-21T11:48:00.005-06:00

I'm excited to announce that the Banjo Pigs got invited to be in a show! Here's the details:

Put it on your calendar.

Stacy Curtis selling stuff

2011-03-14T14:58:00.003-06:00

My buddy Stacy Curtis is finally selling one of his awesome little paintings. This one is an elephant riding a bicycle. Somebody should buy it before I do. If somebody buys it then maybe he'd be convinced to sell more of them. He really should. They're awesome.

Buy it on ebay.

I've been toying around with the idea of selling some original stuff too. Hmmm... what do you think, should I do it?

Sushi

2011-02-28T16:26:00.002-07:00

A while back, my wife and I went out for sushi. Mmmmmm sushi. The restaurant had paper on the tables so, of corse drawings needed to be drawn. I think I mentioned this on facebook before. Anyway, what I didn't mention was that my wife snuck a video of me drawing the Godzilla sushi. Thought you all might like to see. It is all just silly, but I am drawing it upside down.

Illustration Friday: Sweater

2011-02-15T12:02:00.005-07:00

Banjo pig in V-neck sweater standing in a boat that is still on a trailer.

Visit the Banjo Pig blog

Sketches

2011-01-30T18:02:00.002-07:00

I never know what to post on this ole blog, or what people like to see. I do know that I haven't posted anything for a long time so, here are some recent random sketches. Oh, and a little animal parade that I posted over at the banjo pigs site. People are still sending banjo pigs to us. It's awesome.

New Book!

2011-01-13T13:07:00.002-07:00

Last week I got a package in the mail. It was full of the advance copies of my newest picture book "A View at the Zoo" by Kathleen Long Bostrom and published by Ideals Children's Books. I was really happy with the quality of the printing. They did a great job. It is scheduled to come out in the spring, probably April. However, a friend of mine saw it on Amazon and ordered it. He had it in his hands the next day. Anyway, keep your eyes peeled for it in stores. I'll let you know more about it later.

Frankenswine

2010-10-20T15:02:00.001-06:00

Banjo pigs blog

Ghost Banjo Pig

2010-10-11T21:19:00.002-06:00

Illustration Friday: Transportation

2010-10-08T12:39:00.005-06:00

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

Check out more banjo pigs here.

Brotique Week: Studio Tours

2010-09-01T21:12:00.004-06:00

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

2010-08-30T22:02:00.002-06:00

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

2010-08-28T17:00:00.003-06:00

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

2010-08-19T10:03:00.003-06:00

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

2010-08-10T08:35:00.002-06:00

Choose your weapon!

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

Banjo Pig General Store!

2010-08-05T07:48:00.002-06:00

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

Banjo Pig Automaton

2010-08-04T14:12:00.007-06:00

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

2010-07-28T09:50:00.003-06:00

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

2010-07-24T09:48:00.002-06:00

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

2010-07-20T11:31:00.002-06:00

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

2010-07-08T08:48:00.002-06:00

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

2010-07-02T09:29:00.003-06:00

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

2010-07-01T14:02:00.002-06:00

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

2010-06-29T07:54:00.003-06:00

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

2010-06-28T12:46:00.002-06:00

Banjo Pig in a Blanket.

Follow the duel at the Banjo Pig blog.

Banjo Pig 16

2010-06-26T13:11:00.003-06:00

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

2010-06-23T08:29:00.003-06:00

The One Pig Banjo Band.

See more at the Banjo Pigs Blog

Banjo Pig 14

2010-06-21T14:40:00.003-06:00

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

2010-06-18T11:50:00.003-06:00

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

2010-06-17T13:53:00.004-06:00

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

2010-06-13T17:48:00.006-06:00

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

2010-06-08T10:03:00.005-06:00

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

2010-06-04T15:13:00.004-06:00

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

2010-06-03T10:00:00.004-06:00

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

2010-06-02T11:33:00.004-06:00

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

2010-05-28T13:51:00.004-06:00

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

2010-05-27T12:36:00.002-06:00

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

2010-05-27T06:28:00.005-06:00

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

2010-05-26T12:45:00.003-06:00

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

2010-05-25T16:23:00.001-06:00

I feel a theme.

Banjo

2010-05-24T14:26:00.004-06:00

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

2010-05-20T00:06:00.004-06:00

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

2010-05-13T09:16:00.005-06:00

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.

Provo Children’s Book Festival

2010-05-13T09:10:00.003-06:00

This Saturday I'll be hanging out with a bunch of incredible writers and illustrators at the PROVO LIBRARY CHILDREN'S BOOK FESTIVAL! Everybody come. You know you want to. It'll be fun.

Saturday, May 15, 2010, 12 Noon - 5:00 pm at the Provo City Library
Featuring Jennifer Holm and Matthew Holm, dynamic sister-and-brother superduo, author and illustrator of Babymouse.

Also including a host of activities for children and their families, with children's crafts, games, giveaways and prizes; visits from favorite characters like Clifford, Wild Thing, and Curious George; author presentations and signings, puppet shows, and a visit from the world-famous Infernal Twister, balloon-tying extraordinaire!

Food, beverages, and candy will be available for purchase.

EVERY child that attends gets a FREE book!

Also featuring local favorite authors and illustrators: Shannon Hale, Dean Hale, Brandon Sanderson, Mette Ivie Harrison, Clint Johnson, Dene Low, Randall Wright, Carla Morris, Kristyn Crow, Sharlee Glenn, Wendy Toliver, Kristin Chandler, Sara Zarr, Emily Wing Smith, Mike Knudson, Ann Dee Ellis, Maryn Roos, Guy Francis, Nathan Hale, Sherry Meidell, Julie Olson, J. Scott Savage, and Ann Bowen!

Coming Soon

2010-05-05T10:09:00.003-06:00

I never know when it is okay to share what jobs I've been working on, but earlier today, Anne Marie Pace, the author of my new picture book, posted the cover of NEVER EVER TALK TO STRANGERS, so that means it's okay for me to talk about it too. It's cool to see it with the text in place. It was a fun little book to work on. It will be published by Scholastic Book Clubs in September, 2010. Watch for it.

New Books

2010-04-27T11:13:00.003-06:00

I was on Amazon yesterday and realized that a couple little chapter books I illustrated were released today. Cool! Angus MacMouse Brings Down the House by Linda Phillips Teitel and The Pup Who Cried Wolf by Chris Kurtz. They were fun jobs to work on. In fact, I just finished book #3 yesterday and will be starting book #4 soon, so keep an eye out for them.

Illustration Friday: Focused

2010-02-03T13:40:00.003-07:00

Or, in my case, unfocused. When I get working on a book, or any other big illustration project, I often lose focus. I guess I get tired of seeing the same characters or working on the same paintings day after day. So, to break up the monotony, I'll take a little break and do really quick sketches or paintings. This is one of those paintings. Doing this kind of thing seems to refresh the creativity and makes real work bearable, keeps me focused. It works for me at least.

Happy Groundhog day

2010-02-02T12:57:00.002-07:00

doodles

2010-01-26T17:54:00.003-07:00

I been so swamped with work lately that I haven't had a lot of drawing just for fun time or to give much thought to the ole blog for that matter. Yes I've been slackin' so I thought I'd at least post some quick sketches. Enjoy.

Sketch Painting

2010-01-21T21:25:00.002-07:00

This mornings warm-up sketch.

Mermaid

2010-01-07T16:59:00.002-07:00

This was a quick painting done as a break from real work. Enjoy.

01022010

2010-01-02T18:18:00.004-07:00

Wow! It's Palindrome Day! 01/02/2010. This happens, like once in...ever!

Since So Cat Tacos? is also a palindrome, I thought it would be appropriate to celebrate. I don't have anything new to post--I've been super busy--so in honor of Palindrome Day, I will post my first So Cat Tacos? banner. I even put it in a fancy gold frame to commemorate this momentous occasion. And now I am going out to eat some tacos. Sans cats, hopefully.

So Cat Taco Stats:

Active since: 5/26/05 (NOT a palindrome)
Posts: 325
Visitors: 52,301 (not counting 2005)
Countries: 138

Thank you all for coming to visit. I appreciate your comments. I will try to post more this year, however, this is not a new year's resolution, because then it would not get done.

Feel free to comment with your favorite palindrome. There are some goodies out there.

Happy 2010...0102 yappH

Quick post

2009-11-17T09:47:00.001-07:00

Here's a couple quick sketch paintings.

Mustachioed Fella

2009-11-09T22:15:00.003-07:00

Here is a little in-between paintings painting. Think of it as a sorbet to cleanse the pallet. Sometimes, when I'm working on a real job, it's nice to take a few minutes every once in a while and do something that doesn't matter. That's where this guy came from. Besides, everyone should draw an oversized mustache every once in a while. It's liberating.

Illustration Friday: Skinny

2009-11-04T13:40:00.002-07:00

This is a painting that has been sitting around in an unfinished state for a very, very long time. I recently picked it back up, blew off the dust, and started working on it again. I finished it today and since she is quite skinny, I thought it would fit the Illustration Friday topic this week quite nicely. After a hard day of slaying dragons, I hope you too can relax and enjoy a nice peanut butter and dragon sandwich.

Illustration Friday: Frozen

2009-10-22T09:19:00.001-06:00

Taking a break for a lovely frozen treat.

Illustration Friday: Flying

2009-10-13T13:34:00.002-06:00

I posted the sketch for this earlier, and I added color over the weekend. I might need some more work, but for now I'm calling it done. It seems to fit the topic and the season. Enjoy.

Flyin' Witch

2009-10-06T15:29:00.001-06:00

One of today's quick sketches.

Madam Maryn's Crystal Ball

2009-10-02T12:54:00.003-06:00

I built this little automaton last weekend for my good friend Maryn Roos. She has an awesome yearly Halloween party, and this years theme is centered around fortune telling. I thought she'd like her very own tiny crystal ball. Hope you like it.

Spectre

2009-09-28T09:14:00.003-06:00

I did the sketch for this a while back and I decided to add some paint over the weekend. I thought she could some kind of spectre ghost thingie, but I don't know if that really shows. Maybe she is just some girl without pupils? I'm thinking about adding some stitches on her arms...reattached limbs kind of thing. Who knows? For now, this will have to do. Enjoy.

Fall into Books

2009-09-18T09:24:00.004-06:00

Brigham Young University - Idaho is having their "Fall Into Books" Children's and Young Adult Literature Conference tomorrow, September 19. I know, it's a bit of a short notice, but if you're in the Rexberg Idaho area and you want to go to a great conference, this is the place to be. I'll be doing a small workshop in the afternoon. The keynote speakers are Caldcott artist Eric Rohmann and Newbury award winner Lois Lowry. Here is a link to the website with more info.

iphone sketch

2009-09-17T21:00:00.003-06:00

I downloaded a little sketch program on the iphone. I think it's called Sketch Book X, from Autodesk. This sketch was the test drive. I haven't done finger painting for years. Kinda fun.

Illustration Friday: Welcome

2009-09-16T14:14:00.006-06:00

This is a work in progress. My class asked me to do a demo, but I didn't have anything prepared. I asked them what they wanted me to paint and they suggested a girl vampire. Great. Fits perfectly with the Gallery O' Terror. Then it struck me that I could combine the demo with Illustration Friday. A bit silly but who cares. They want me to finish it in class, so from sketch to what we have here is a good 45 min to an hour of painting. I'll finish it next week, but I thought I'd post what I have before I miss the topic. Enjoy.

On another unrelated topic, I found this photo of Scott Fisher and Gregory Manchess, two amazing artists, at the Spectrum Show. That's my painting peeking out over Gregory's shoulder. Cool.

And again on another unrelated topic, here is Mark Harmon's photo with me. You'd think you could have at least put on some shoes. Jeez.

Gallery O' Terror - Marking His Territory

2009-09-13T12:49:00.005-06:00

I think it's time to start working on the ole Gallery O' Terror. To start off, here's a little something I sketched today. I've got to give credit to my daughter for this one. It was her idea. Anyway, enjoy. Hopefully there will be much more on the way.

Oh, and here is a photo of me with Neil, from the Take Your Picture With Me post. Thanks to Jake Parker, aka Agent 44, for searching the National Archives for this one.

Take your photo with me!

2009-09-10T09:30:00.005-06:00

So, I really wanted to go to the "Spectrum" show at the Society of Illustrators in New York. Doesn't look like it's going to happen. I'm kinda bummed. That means I'm not going to meet all the cool people I wanted to meet. You know, take a few photos with all of you illustrators I admire. Anyway, even though I can't go, I thought it would still be cool to get my picture taken with you. Come on, you're illustrators, you all know how to run Photoshop. Right? So, here are a few photos of me with my arm on your shoulder. Go ahead and put yourself in there. Make me feel like I was at the show too. Heck, this goes for anybody who read this. I'd love to have my picture with you too. This is the same way I met Oprah (thanks to Stacy Curtis). We've been friends ever since.

If you are going to the show, I hope you have a great time.

Send your photo of us to me at guy@guyfrancis.com and I'll post it.

Spectrum Show

2009-09-01T08:44:00.004-06:00

The Society of Illustrators is having a fantasy art show called "Spectrum". I was thrilled when they contacted me and said that one of my pieces was selected. The show opens today and goes through Oct. 17th. So if you are in New York in the next few months, and you want to see a bunch of great fantasy themed art, this is the place to be. They are having an opening reception on the 11th. I'm still trying to figure out if I can go or not. Here's hoping.

Here is the info from the Society of Illustrators website

The Museum of American Illustration is proud to announce an exhibit featuring the top fantastic artists from around the world as seen in the annual Spectrum. Created in 1993 by Cathy and Arnie Fenner to showcase fantastic-themed art work, Spectrum is now the leading resource for art directors, art buyers, and fans of the genre. Selected pieces are chosen by top jurors in the field and images are produced in the full color book printed annually.

The Spectrum exhibit features a selection of over 120 works from both legendary artists and talented newcomers from the last four annuals. Divided into seven categories, the exhibit showcases multi-media works including original art in both traditional and digital medium, video, 3D, comics and graphic novels. Artists include Julie Bell, Kinuko Y. Craft, Eric Fortune, William Basso, Brom, James Gurney, Tony DiTerlizzi, Terese Nielsen, Yuko Shimizu, Michael Whelan, Donato Giancola, John Jude Palencar, Phil Hale and many more. The artwork will be on display from September 1 through October 17, 2009. In conjunction with the exhibit the Society will hold an Opening Reception on Friday, September 11, 2009. Tickets are $40 for non-members and $35 for members, and are limited.

Speedy sketchy painting

2009-08-26T09:14:00.002-06:00

Just a little something.

Illustration Friday: impatience

2009-08-11T14:18:00.003-06:00

Bonnie impatiently waited...

Warm up sketch with a bit of color added. Kinda lame. I didn't even bother cleaning it up.

Illustration Friday: modify

2009-08-05T11:38:00.001-06:00

Dread Barry made a few modifications for his part time job at the mall.

Today's sketch

2009-08-04T12:39:00.002-06:00

My friend Mel Milton challenged himself to post a sketch everyday of August. It is a great idea, great practice and a good challenge. I remember a time when I would do a page of sketches every day whether I wanted to or not. I could see a lot of growth and improvement in my sketches. Now days I don't do much drawing just for the sake of drawing. It's usually work related. Not as much fun. So Mel, I'm gonna try to sketch more. I might not post everything, but I'm going to draw something everyday. Here is something from today. Who knows what it is, but whatever.

page O sketches

2009-08-03T17:13:00.002-06:00

Here is today's warm up page. Enjoy.

Road trip to ALA

2009-07-18T07:44:00.008-06:00

I drove to Chicago for the ALA (American Librarian Association) conference with the fabulous author, Rick Walton, and the amazing illustrator Will Terry.

We drove for a very long time.

And ate very good food on the way.

On the first night we stayed with our good friends Eric Rohman and Candace Fleming.

Eric even let me hold his Caldcott shaped hunk of metal. Cool.

At the conference we met up with my friend and local Chicago artist, Stacy Curtis. Very funny guy.

Met some cool people.

Loren Long

Kadir Nelson and one of my excellent editors, Stephanie Lurie. (Hyperion)

Donna Bray, another one of my wonderful editors. (Balzer & Bray)

My friend Laura Vaccaro Seeger.

Lane Smith liked my book. What a nice guy.

Will Terry signing books.

Will next to some sleeping girl at the park.

Tried to find Oprah, but she totally avoided us. So typical of her.

Stacy. Not pulling a face, this is how he always looked. Can you see why people didn't want to talk with us?

Stacy with Chicago garbage. We can't take him anywhere.

Beth Krommes and Neil Gaiman, right after receiving the 2009 Caldcott and Newbery awards.

More great food.

We wore Will out.

Overall, it was a great trip. Lots of fun.

Doodles

2009-07-06T15:52:00.002-06:00

I've been a blog slacker lately. I need to do better. Here is a few recent sketches to show you that I have actually been drawing stuff.

P is for Present!

2009-06-25T09:34:00.005-06:00

My best friend is a graphic designer living in Sydney Australia. He often calls me to help brainstorm ideas for whatever project he might be working on. The other day he was working on some Christmas stuff and asked me to draw him a koala. I wasn't in the mood and didn't really have time, so this is what I sent him. We are talking to each other online so this was extremely quick. Anyway, later that day he sends me the fished product. I was amazed he was able to pull that out of my sketch. A bit disappointed that he didn't follow it closer. I your not even going to use my idea, why even ask? He also asked me for a quick sketch of his coworker who likes pirates...no ninjas...no pirates. The sketch was done before they made up their mind. I wonder what it'll look like finished.

Illustration Friday: Unfold

2009-06-16T11:33:00.002-06:00

Duane unfolds the mysteries of paper aerodynamics.

Sketch Paintings

2009-04-06T13:03:00.002-06:00

Here are a few little sketch doodles I did during a slow time in class. Just fiddling around in gouache.

Cat and Mouse Painted

2009-04-01T12:02:00.001-06:00

Here it is all painted.

Cat and Mouse

2009-03-31T10:36:00.004-06:00

This Is what I built yesterday. I've wanted to build an automaton for a while, so I did. It's for my daughter. We are going to paint it later. Enjoy.

Illustration Friday: Poise

2009-03-30T15:28:00.002-06:00

Brooke was poised to become a great entomologist.

This was a little demo I did for my class. Trying to teach them a little bit about painting in acrylics.

Girl sitting

2009-03-18T15:35:00.002-06:00

Just something to post so that you all don't think that I'm a slacker.

Random stuff

2009-02-19T13:07:00.003-07:00

Here are a few doodlie-oodlies. Nothing exciting, but it is something to post. The color one was a very quick, unfinished coloring demo I did to show my class.

Eye Find

2009-02-12T13:29:00.004-07:00

Here is something I can finally post. I worked on this book for Klutz a long time ago, but I had never seen it in print yet. Then a little while ago I saw this little kid looking at one of my paintings in a little book and I said "hey, let me see that". I might have freaked him out a little bit, but it was cool to see that somebody had it. Originally, they asked me to do a "hidden picture" for one of the interior pages. Then they asked if I would design the little tools that come with the book, which was cool. And then they asked if I'd do the cover too. Nice. Turned out to be a really fun project. The hidden picture was supposed to have 25 hidden things in it, but I got a little carried away. There are 45 now. See if you can find them. (the cover also had a bunch of hidden things.) Here is is on Amazon if you want one of your own.

Monsters

2009-02-03T17:50:00.003-07:00

Man, I've been slacking on the ole blog. I figured I'd post this just to have something new to show. An old friend gave my kids and I a scroll saw. He thought my kids could have a lot of fun making stuff with it. This is my first attempt at making something. I just started cutting, and these guys are what came out. It's not an illustration, but it's kind of artsy. Ether way it was fun to do.

Poe

2009-01-20T13:34:00.002-07:00

Happy 200th Birthday Edgar! This is an old image I did of Mr. Poe, and I thought I'd post it in honor of his special day.

2009-01-15T15:53:00.005-07:00

The amazing Alina Chau gave me a blog award. Thanks Alina, you are too kind.. I've never won a blog award. I'm honored. Here are the rules:
1. Put the award logo on your blog
2. Tell who has nominated you
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs
4. Give links to that blogs
5. Inform the nominated ones that they got this award :)

It's tough to pick favorites, but here are a few that deserve the award:

Paige Kaiser
James Gurney
Stacy Curtis
Mel Milton
Will Terry
Ryan Wood
Maryn Roos

Painted Bail Out

2008-12-29T11:51:00.002-07:00

I forgot to post this finished, so here it is. Hope everybody had a nice Christmas. I know I did. Happy New Year!

Illustration Friday: Balloon

2008-12-03T15:40:00.001-07:00

Everybody enjoys a balloon.

Biker dude- How I paint

2008-12-02T22:13:00.003-07:00

I painted this for my friend and excellent illustrator, Stacy Curtis. While I was at it I thought I'd try doing a video of my process. Who knows if this will work. The quality isn't that great, but it gets better near the end. If it is stupid or too fast or whatever, let me know. Come on, it's my first try. Anyway, enjoy. Hope you like it Stacy.

Illustration Friday: Opinion

2008-11-23T15:03:00.003-07:00

Here is a little sketch of how I think the government bail out thing works. But, that just my opinion.

While we are at it, here are a few recent paint doodles. Work has been keeping me very busy, so I've been slacking on the posts. Sorry.

In the news

2008-11-04T12:02:00.003-07:00

My neighbor just called and said he saw me in the newspaper. Well, that was news to me. I looked it up online and found the article. It is about a children's book illustration show I'm participating in at the Springville Museum of Art. The show has about 25 children's book illustrators from Utah. It's pretty cool. This photo shows me doing a story time reading for a bunch of kids. The show will be up until Dec. 28 so go check it out. Click here if you want to read the article or here to visit their blog.

Illustration Friday: Repair

2008-10-29T15:34:00.002-06:00

I came across this painting today and thought I'd post it for this topic. It is an older painting, but since I don't have time to do something new this week, I thought it might be okay. Besides, for being such a quick little painting, I sure have grown to like it a lot. Enjoy.

Background added

2008-10-27T13:16:00.002-06:00

So, I added a background to this one. I think I'll paint it someday, but right now I'm really busy with work. Maybe the next full moon.