Category: Illustrations

My Toy Story Story

Toy Story 4 opened in theaters last weekend. The Toy Story gang and I go way back together – back to the first movie in 1995. I was a young illustrator who was not that long out of university when I got to illustrate a couple of Toy Story books that came out in conjunction with the movie. They were coloring/activity books, but were a blast to work on.

I was given lots of blurry still images from the movie, and then had to reinterpret them into drawings that kids could color. I really had no idea what the movie was truly about, nor what the significance was of all the characters, but hey howdy hey, it turned into a juggernaut of a hit, and I became a fan along with everyone else.

 

Buzz, Woody & RC Racer as drawn for the book in the green cover below.

 

Despite the date you see by my signature, the drawing above was published in 1995. All three characters have a part in the new movie which I was fortunate to see back on June 12. Toy Story 4 is funny, heart warming, and made me wish I had some tissues towards the end.

 

This green cover book contained drawings that I both penciled and inked, including the previous drawing of Buzz & Woody on RC Racer.
This peach colored cover was a book that someone else penciled, and I inked.

 

This last pic is from maybe 2007 and 100 lbs ago when I was working for Disney Television Animation, and treated my folks to a trip to Disneyworld in Florida where we got to hang with the gang from Toy Story 2. My only experience with that second film was getting to spend a day on the scoring stage with Randy Newman, but that’s another story for another time. Hard to believe this all started 24 years ago!

 

Did they grow? Or did we shrink to the size of toys? Hmmm.
Categories
Art: Animation Art: Drawings Art: Inking Coloring Book art Disney Illustrations

Dapper Duck

It’s Father’s Day here in the States today. I created this dapper duck and mouse companion a few months ago, and when it was done, it just made me think of my dad. So, I saved it just to post today.

 

And remember kids, smoking kills. Especially ducks.

 

To all those sons out there, give your dad a warm hug today. If you aren’t huggers, give him a hearty handshake. Tell him you appreciate him. Time together is fleeting – just like this duck will eventually fly away from this mouse.

Categories
Animals Art: Inking Art: Painting Art: Photoshop Character Designs Illustrations

GOOOOOOOOAL!

When I was a kid, I LOVED playing soccer. I played in a league in our town, and really enjoyed the game. My love for the game changed when I aged up into the next group, and found myself to be one of the youngest players in that level, and I was paired with a team that had a few bullies on it.

My own teammates soured me on the whole sport, when during practice, I had kicked the ball in a scrimmage setting, and it hit one of these bullies in the face. After practice that day, I got the stuffing knocked out of me as I was trying to unlock my bike from the bike rack. I didn’t quit the season because I don’t quit my commitments, but after that year, I never played in town leagues again.

I enjoy the nostalgia of having played, and the feeling of exhaustion at the end of a game. It sure was fun. So, I recently had some doodle time, and decided to do a little drawing more in line with what we do in storyboarding for animation – drawings full of action and interesting camera angles!

 

Categories
Art: Drawings Art: Inking Art: Photoshop Character Designs Illustrations Random Doodles

Arnold

This pencil drawing stares me in the face every day since it is taped up on the wall in my studio. For some reason, I never thought to post it before. It was done years ago when Arnold Schwarzenegger was the Governator of Cal-ee-fornia as part of the development of an illustration of him that I was working on at the time.

If you’d like to see the full illustration, CLICK HERE.

 

It’s not a tumor!
Categories
Art: Drawings Art: Preliminary Sketches Caricature Illustrations Life Drawings Sketchbook

Happy Ending

Today is my last day at Warner Bros. Animation. For the past year, I’ve been proud to be a part of the story team on Green Eggs & Ham that will be unveiled on Netflix sometime in the fall.

It has been a thrill to work on this show, especially since the book of that same title was my favorite Dr. Seuss book when I was growing up. I remember my mother even making for me green eggs and ham for breakfast one day. Ended up that I didn’t like them, Sam I am. My little brain thought the eggs tasted like spinach.

Netflix hasn’t revealed too much about the show, so I’m not at liberty to do any Green Eggs specific art. Since that is the case, it seemed appropriate to commemorate my dear departure from WB in a more Looney Tunes worthy manner – why not go out in style a la What’s Opera Doc?

To paraphrase Bugs in the original cartoon, “Well, what did you expect in animation? A happy ending?”

 

Categories
Art: Animation Art: Drawings Art: Inking Art: Painting Art: Photoshop Caricature Cartoons Illustrations Self Portrait

Later Alligator Waiter

There’s just something about an alligator that makes me think he can be a dapper waiter, serving up a delectable dish to his deserving customers.

That reminds me, today is Memorial Day here in the States. Anyone planning a BBQ?

 

Children in Florida should beware.

 

Categories
Animals Art: Drawings Art: Inking Art: Photoshop Character Designs Illustrations Random Doodles Sketchbook

Drawn & Quoted: Bears & the Bees

“Survival starts by paying attention to what is close at hand and immediate. To look out with idle hope is tantamount to dreaming one’s life away.“

– Yann Martel (1963 – present)

 

Bears do love their honey. I love doing drawings in my toned tan paper sketchbook. Win-win.
Categories
Animals Art: Drawings Art: Inking Art: Painting Art: Watercolor Cartoons Character Designs Drawn & Quoted Illustrations Random Doodles Sketchbook

May the 4th

“Muuaaaaggrrrrrrr!” Which means, “May the 4th be with you.”
I always admired Chewbacca’s articulation.
 
And yes, today’s doodle is in honor of the passing of Peter Mayhew this week – the man behind the Chewbacca mask. I did meet him several times over the years at various fan conventions where I was surprised that he spoke English, and not just Wookiese.
Categories
Animals Art: Drawings Art: Inking Art: Painting Art: Photoshop Caricature Character Designs Disney Illustrations Monsters