Kelpie's Rider: progress

Here is one of several new personal works I'm developing this year, as a way to improve my digital painting skills outside of my usual cute and cheery children's book illustrations and product concept art projects; and as a way to have some new fantasy art and/or urban fairy tale illustrations.

I started working last week on this illustration I'm calling "Kelpie's Rider" from a quick drawing I did back in 2007 and originally posted about here. This is the near final under drawing I'll be painting over. Decided last night, after some consideration and recalling the story that inspired this concept in the first place, to add in a few of the mermaids and some other underwater elements, but in a somewhat subliminal fashion. I want the viewer's attention to be mostly directed to the Kelpie and his rider.

A Happy Chameleon

Been keeping busy -- yay!

In the meantime, here is another "before and after" illustration I did. The concept drawing was originally scanned from my sketchbook and shown in an earlier blog post here.

Illustration Friday: "Muddy"

This week's IF topic is "Muddy" from the following quote:
Muddy water, let stand, becomes clear. ~ Lao-tzu

Original sketch is below. The color version above was completed in Photoshop 7. A muddy topic with muddy colors. :)

Winter Projects

Here is one of several illustrations that I am working on at the moment. This one happens to be a WIP of a new fantasy digital painting based on a rough sketch and color concept I had done last year.

Other February winter projects currently in progress from my "to-be-completed" list include:
- a new picture book which I'm sending out at the end of February as part of my agent review package (writing/illustrating). At the top of my goals list this year is to start a partnership with an art rep for children's book publication...
- I also have an ongoing comic book experiment (pencils, ink, color) which is in the draft stages.
- two fantasy-related illustrations -- one with a rather testy wyvern, and one urban fairy tale with hints of Baba Yaga.

And as always there are various digital and traditional illustrations and paintings either personal or client related that I'll be scheduling here and there.

But let's not forget the online portfolio updates... :)