Parasite Illustration for Answers Magazine ………. (part 2)

Yesterday I shared with you three concept sketches for an illustration about parasites for the 2013 Jan-Mar issue of Answers Magazine, the quarterly publication of Answers In Genesis. If you guessed that the sketch of the sports fanatic was chosen you would have been correct.

Murphy’s Law dictated that the red sketch had to be chosen because it was the one that had the most detail in it. I love detail because it is fun to look at, but at the same time, I loathe it because it is pretty time consuming to pull off. The art director also loved the detail, but wanted some of that detail changed. Below you can see the first version of the scene again (it is the same as in yesterday’s post), and then the altered version so you can see what changes were made. I drew these in Photoshop on the computer, so breaking parts off and changing them is a little easier to do than if it had been drawn on paper.

 

Parasite Illustration
This was the first version of the sketch. Notice the food on the table are cookies and chips and soda. 
Hungry Beast
Some of the bagged junk food has now changed to more elaborate junk food like pizza, hot dogs, and fried chicken. Apparently parasites don’t care about cholesterol.

 

Now, the above is still just a concept drawing. While most of the detail is present, this is in no way ready for final art. The next step is to do a final “pencil” drawing to tie down everything as it will look in the final. The art director needs to see the final tight drawing before he can give the approval for the illustrator to move forward into final color. The drawing below is the final drawing, again created on the computer for ease in making any edits to the design. This time they liked it as is.

 

Parasite illustration drawing
This is the final drawing created for the magazine’s approval before moving into the color stage.

 

You can see how the final drawing really hasn’t changed much, but all the details are made clearer – some are even new additions. Once approved, then the toughest part begins – creating the final painting. Many of my illustration colleagues create their final art completely on the computer these days. I have done that now and then, but for the most part I prefer to make a real watercolor painting with colored pencil accents. There is something about the real painting that computers cannot completely replicate – kind of a handmade feel to them. I almost always can tell when a “painting” was done on the computer as opposed to paper or canvas.

That being said, I will create my own personal color composite of the piece on the computer, especially for something as complicated as this. It helps to make those color choices where you can erase and redo. Watercolor on paper is not easily undone.

I don’t usually show the color comp to anyone because it is sloppy. It is just something to aid in my process, and won’t necessarily be precisely followed in the painting. So, here is the rare peek…

 

rough color comp
My personal color comp. This was where I decided to make the floor wooden. You can see crop lines in there to indicate the printed area of the illustration, but one must ALWAYS paint in a generous “bleed” area around the image in case the client needs to shift it or change the dimensions they originally planned for.

 

Tomorrow I’ll share with you the final painting along with a couple of “in progress” moments!

Parasite Illustration for Answers Magazine ………. (part 1)

Back in early winter, Answers Magazine contacted me to create a custom illustration for them. They are a science magazine written from a biblical point of view. You may recall that about two years ago I did a five-page spread for them about white blood cells (CLICK HERE to see post). This time the assignment dealt with PARASITES!

Dan Stelzer, Answers‘ Magazine Designer, sent me the article which was a straight-up scientific view of the role parasites play in life. THANKFULLY, he wanted me to use my humorous approach to the illustration which I was more than happy to do.

Out of curiosity, I actually did a quick scan of the web to see what was out there in the real world of parasites. It was very inspiring in developing completely fake ones.

So, Dan suggested a large parasite invading a family’s dinner table. I roughed out a quick sketch of one for him, and then came up with two more ideas for him and his team to consider…

 

Parasite Humorous Illustration
Look who’s coming to dinner! Yikes! No table manners AT ALL!

 

Parasite Illustration
The sports fanatic dominating a family’s personal space seemed like a good way to show how parasites can be invasive.

 

Goldilocks parasite
And now for something COMPLETELY different, who was the biggest parasite in children’s literature? Goldilocks of course! I got this idea after looking at the teddy bear in the boy’s hand in the first concept drawing.

 

So, which one do you think they picked for the magazine? Check back tomorrow where I will reveal the chosen one (sounds ethereal, doesn’t it?), and will show more steps in the process towards the final painting.

Frankensketch

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

 

 

Frankenstein's Monster
This Frankensketch came alive in one of my sketchbooks!

 

 

Well, I managed to squeeze out one more monster drawing here in what I usually dub “Monster Month”, and I leaned on my go-to guy Frankenstein. This one started as just a Prismacolor pencil sketch in my sketchbook, and I liked how he turned out so I added some watercolor right there in the book!

Yes, you purists out there will say that technically he is Dr. Frankenstein’s monster, and not actually Frankenstein. I differ with you on that, thou nay sayers! If one gives birth to a new life, they take your name. Dr. Frankenstein birthed, sort of, this creature, so by all rights he should also bear the name “Frankenstein”!

Regardless, Frankenstein has appeared a few times on the ol’ blog. In case you would like to explore my past with the big green guy, CLICK HERE to see all the Frankie posts.

Hopefully next October I’ll be back with monster art for each weekday. Until then continue to enjoy the various other art that I post here throughout the year!

Political Zombies

Who is ready for tonight’s final presidential debate? I’ve listened to all the debates thus far and came away with one major observation – both sides have spent much of that airtime attempting to tear down each other without saying much of anything solid about what they can do in the next four years. It has been downright monstrous!

So, in the spirit of the Halloween season, I drew Barak Obama and Mitt Romney as they will likely appear tonight – as raging zombies.

 

Presidential Zombies
Must….have….American……braaaaaaaains!!!

 

And for those of you Monster Month fans of the past keeping track at home, this counts as the second monster drawing of the month! Hopefully next year I can return to the “one a day” principle.

Beast of Burden

For the past three Octobers, I posted a new monster drawing almost daily in what I called “Monster Month”. Here we are in the middle of October, and only one person has asked me where my creatures that go bump in the night are this year. One person.

Well, Mom, it has been an extremely busy year for me working on a new television show, the occasional illustration here and there, and trying to work on a new children’s book. What it boils down to is that there has been a whole lotta art goin’ on that I can’t share on the blog for now, and the monsters I love to draw in my spare time haven’t had room to roam and groan.

That being said, yesterday I got the itch and sketched out this beleaguered beast. It was just one of those things that came out of my stylus without a plan in my head. I began with the mouth, and the rest just fell into place. Background is courtesy of Canson paper, and the art was all done in Photoshop.

 

Monster Month 2012
It’s a hard-knocked life for him.

 

So, perhaps I’ll get another monster or two up on the blog before October is over for the fan who asked. The rest of you can take a look at them as well if you’d like.

The Tazmanian Devil

Every now and then I get asked by a kid to draw something that is completely out of my repertoire. This past weekend a young second cousin of mine was out here in California with his dad on a father/son sightseeing trip, and he asked if I could draw a Tazmanian Devil for his friend. I’ve never drawn Taz professionally, and it had even been years since I tried it just as a self-amusement exercise.

I remember reading once that the great Charles Schulz was at a public signing event drawing his Peanuts characters for children. He looked down and asked a little boy what he would like to have. The boy replied, “I want a drawing of Popeye.” Schulz said that from then on he learned to draw a few other characters in case a moment like that should come up again!

I, however had the luxury to do my Taz drawing in my studio where I have access to reference materials. So, I did this pencil sketch of Warner Bros.’ popular Looney Tunes character The Tazmanian Devil for young cousin Jason – or his friend, and did a second one so they both could have a drawing.

 

Taz Art
He shouldn’t have been too hard to draw. I wake every morning looking at a molded Taz alarm clock complete with moveable menacing arms!

 

Drawing Taz was really fun. Bugs Bunny and his pals were the few cartoons I was allowed to watch while growing up. They instilled in me my love for animation. Unfortunately, I have only had the opportunity to work on one Warner Bros. project – a Michigan J. Frog coloring book. Not long after finishing that book, I moved to California where I became a Disney guy for almost ten years. In hindsight, it is kind of ironic that my one WB project spoofed a Disney movie. It was titled Croakahontas.

Well, enjoy Taz, although I’m sure a Popeye drawing by Charles Schulz would have been much more interesting!

Maurice Sendak 1928-2012

The news of Maurice Sendak’s passing this morning over breakfast sent a pang through my drawing hand. Hundreds, maybe thousands of new children’s books come out every year, but only a few will stick in the heart of a child as they grow into an adult. Even more so, few  illustrators have such a unique vision that their work lives on for multiple generations. Maurice was one such artist.

While Sendak had worked for many years on many books, he is best known for Where the Wild Things Are that was first published in 1963. It had already been republished several times when little Chad discovered it about 16 years later while first learning to read. How could I not LOVE the tale of young Max, my peer, having adventures with those enchanting beasts (although, I was decidedly MUCH better behaved than Max <cough cough>). I likely read the story from the library because until a couple of years ago, I didn’t own my own copy. However, the fact that a brand new copy can still be easily acquired is testament of the appeal Mr. Sendak’s story has had for generations.

A couple of years ago, my friend Cory Godbey had an inspired idea. Cory, an amazing illustrator himself, invited me to do an illustration in tribute to Mr. Sendak’s most famous work. I was very happy to participate, as were the other 179 artists who also contributed. Cory put them all together on a website called TerribleYellowEyes.com where you can still go to enjoy them.

 

Where the Wild Things Are
Chad Frye’s art for the “Where the Wild Things Are” tribute website TerribleYellowEyes.com.

 

So, while there is a twinge of sadness in the news today, Mr. Sendak’s work will live on to entertain and inspire many more children over the years as it has done with their parents and grandparents before.

LET THE WILD RUMPUS CONTINUE!

 

I originally talked about this Where the Wild Things Are tribute piece back in 2009 and showed step-by-step its creation in eight parts. If you’d like to revisit those details, CLICK HERE.

The Blue Beast

For the past four months I have been working as the character designer for a pre-school animated children’s show that is being developed. It is very cute, and very feminine – enough so that after dinner tonight, I just had to get something a little more masculine out of my system. I had to draw something so vicious and hideous that I’d be afraid to look at it once it was finished. This is the result…

 

Monster Art
Well, instead of a snarling, heaving, terrifying creature, this fella came out looking like he’s about ready to hug someone!

 

So much for my well laid plans.