2021 Monster Month: SILA Certificate

Earlier this year, I wrapped up my time serving the Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles (SILA) as their Illustration West 59 Chair. Illustration West is an annual illustration contest SILA hold for professionals and students.

In my position, I was asked to create the art for the poster that advertised the show. Loving monsters as I do, I made an image inspired by creature features prominent back in the 1950s. I talked about the poster here on my blog in the past, including a step-by-step of that art’s creation. At the end of the contest, the judges chose what they felt was the best in each category, and those select few received a special certificate commemorating the judges’ decision.

While some of the recipients shared their certificates online this past spring, I never posted it before. So, without further ado, here is that certificate with a made up name on the recipient line serving as a place holder.

 

Needless to say, Joe did not blow. His work would have had to have been excellent to receive one of these!

 

I created the certificate completely in Photoshop with a new line drawing of the monster that appeared in my poster art. As Show Chair, my signature was printed on the certificates along with SILA’s President and terrific children’s book illustrator Joe Cepeda.

 

2021 Monster Month: What the Dickens?!

This one was fun to do. In my brown paper sketchbook, I let my pencil wonder what a monster in the time of Charles Dickens might look like.

I generally start with a light pencil line made with either red or blue pencil lead, then I inked it. Added some white gouache for a little dimension this time with the brown paper handling the midtones, and then a little brown paint for shadows and a hint of yellow in the eye. And before Jacob Marley can come calling with his chains, you’ve got yourself a Dickens monster!

 

Looks like Ebeneezer Scrooge could certainly make short work of a Christmas goose with those teeth.

2021 Monster Month: Doctor Visit

Hey, going to the doctor’s office can be a scary thing, even for a big scary monster. They need a little love and reassurance, too! (And they also like lollipops when it’s all over.)

 

If you see a frightened whimpering monster today, go ahead and give him a hug.

 

Traditional ink in a sketchbook with some slight blandishments from Photoshop.

2021 Monster Month: Birds of a Feather…

…flock together!

Hey, if you find a group to hang out with that you get along with, hang out with them!

 

Sing with me now – “One of these things is not like the other…..”

 

Traditional ink drawing in a sketchbook, colored in Photoshop.

2021 Monster Month: Red Heads

Now and then, I like to take my sketchbook and just do some random freeform thinking with my pencil. This page came from a day of monster ruminations.

What that means is that I would sketch without a pre-conceived thought about where the sketch was going to go. I knew two things in advance. I would be drawing heads, and they would be monsters.

I would start drawing shapes, and then come up with the facial details as the sketch progressed. What came out was kind of fun, so I inked them with a brush pen, and dabbed on a little red watercolor paint. Five monster character design concepts were the result!

 

Sure am glad these things only come to me in an improv moment, and not in my dreams.

2021 Monster Month: The Box

Welcome to day 1 of this year’s MONSTER MONTH!!!! After two years since the last one, did you miss it?

So, this being the first day, I thought I would gingerly let the first one out of the box without causing you too much fright. It is certainly nothing as horrendous as what Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt once found in a box, so you can breathe easily. Rest assured, you and the kiddies will likely enjoy (most of) what is to come this month.

 

No bright lights, never get it wet, and never feed it after midnight.

 

Ink and black Prismacolor pencil from my sketchbook.

Necking

The birds, but no bees. Bees would just get in the way.

 

Schmoopies.

 

Ink and watercolor in a brown paper sketchbook.

Batman Day 2021

Hey, hey, hey Superman – it’s not always about you! Today just happens to be Batman Day, so be a pal and step aside.

 

Perhaps Batman has a little neck envy.