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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
