Old Knight

My panel of an old knight is getting a slight update as I go to final pencils.  This comic short story (fairy tale) is one of a few personal projects for 2013.

Dragon's Perch

My first dragon post for 2013! The illustration was developed from a warm-up sketch originally created late summer 2012 (posted below).  The dragon didn't change much from its original design, but I did change the pose of the girl and altered her costume as well, from fabric to style.  The background was inspired by a photo I took at the Dallas Arboretum about 10 years ago (at bottom).
 

 

Something in Progress

The above banner is one of the directions I'm considering for my portfolio 2013 redesign.  This year I'd like to focus less on product design (although I still do some of that) and more on illustration, particularly for fantasy, sci-fi and children's books.  Also, comic book art...want to do more of it. :)

Winter Greetings: work-in-progress

A small unfinished hedgehog character from an illustration set in progress.  As are many of my illustrations, this one started out as a pencil drawing that I am now digitally painting in Photoshop.

My 2013 New Year's Resolutions...sort of

Happy New Year!

Keeping busy, which is good; but I've also been rather neglecting my blog, which isn't good. Admittedly, most of the projects I've been working on are work-related rather than personal creative study, so can't post those as of yet...the frequent truth of a professional illustrator.  But that can be (hopefully) resolved by keeping my blog posts as part of this year's task list....

Or that's the plan. :) 

So here are my New Year's resolutions...actually, more of a project list...of my creative intentions for 2013:

-- update the portfolio with new art (!)
-- weekly blog and FB page posting of personal work (in-progress and/or finished)
-- submit art for Spectrum 20
-- create 10 traditional fantasy paintings; taking various concepts I've created to final paintings this year (if I can do more, even better)
-- develop fantasy illustration 12-month calendar to sell in Etsy shop (available November 2013)
-- illustration prints and a few original paintings for sale in Etsy shop
-- finish custom painting of Disney figurines project
-- product design concepts (licensed art series)
 
I am also involved in a few projects at the moment that will be subbed traditionally this year, or will be available digitally, or possibly both:

-- picture book (artist, but not writer)
-- picture book (artist and writer)
-- comic book 4 issue mini-series (artist and adapter); official announcement of this project will probably be in February with a few sneak peeks at that time
-- YA graphic novel (artist and writer)

My "plan-to-work-on-this-year" projects include:

-- a new middle-grade graphic novel (draft script and concepts)
-- 2 new picture book dummies (outlines already in progress)
-- YA graphic novel adaption (ongoing project)

The above does not include other prospective projects that I've been queried about, so I may be making additional announcements about those later on during the year.  And, of course, I'll be on the lookout for paying projects by prospective clients; whether for self-publishing, traditional publishing, licensed art development, comic books, or private commission. 

Gotta add a quick disclaimer here: no Work-for-Hire (WFH) projects!

Attending conferences last year was an amazing experience, but I'm not positive I'll be doing so again in 2013.  If I do attend any, these are the ones I'm currently thinking about:

-- New York Comic-con
-- Spectrum Fantastic Art Live
-- IlluxCon
-- SCBWI Austin regional
-- Austin Comic-con

So, that's what I've got for the start of 2013 -- what are your resolutions or project thoughts for this new year?