Dying Earth

I haven’t put anything up on this site since the end of last year… which is lazy of me but I don’t think this site gets a lot of traffic. This is a cover I did for a Jack Vance inspired Dying Earth adventure published by Goodman Games – “A Journey to The Manse of Erudite Wonderment” or something similar was the title last I heard — as is common in publishing, what I think the title is when I am working on it is not the title by the time it comes out in print.

This painting was one of the early examples in my recent love affair with purple.

Lost Luggage

Above is a recently completed illustration for an as-of-yet unannounced publication. Like most of my illustrations, it contains references and call-outs to things in my own life as well as inside jokes that are probably only funny or interesting to me. The work is supposed to appear in black and white…

… but was drawn with pen, pencil, black and colored ink as well as white gouache. One of the things I am experimenting with is to try to preserve as much of the original drawing as possible. In the past, I would draw something in pencil or non-repro blue, then ink over the pencil drawing, then erase the pencil or deselect the non-repro blue in the scan in order to “clean up” the image (i.e.: get rid of the original drawing). Traditionally, this is what most illustrators have done. But I have often found that the drawing under the finished inks are frequently as interesting as the finished piece… so now I am experimenting with a new process where I do a lot less erasing or hiding of the original marks…

By comparing this original scan of the pencil to the finished piece, you can see that the final ink (above) has a lot in common with the original pencil but has additional layers of tone and darker darks. I’ve done a little bit or erasing on the final, but, as you can see, the underlying pencil imparts a lot of shadow and texture and shape to the final — the drawing tells the story of its own creation.

Sketchbook Video

I recently uploaded a video to YouTube where I flip through a sketchbook and talk off the top of my head in my nasal sounding voice about what is in the sketchbook and whatever else rattles through the rotted corridors I call my mind. Age restricted because I draw some nasty things and I haven’t got the sense to discipline my vocabulary. F-bomb appear.

Time Tempest at the Nameless Rose 2023

ink drawing 2023

alembics 2023

The alchemists laboratory 2023. Ink, white pencil and gouache on toned paper. 14×22.

The Dweller Between Worlds

I haven’t been updating anything online in weeks – everything is OK, I just got out of the habit. So here is a blog post.

The above painting is for “Dweller Between the Worlds” for Goodman Games. It was published a year or two ago. I don’t remember what the deal was but the big wormy green guy is doubtlessly up to no good.

Illustrators – beware the Donald Livingston SCAM

(sorry this is cut and pasted from elsewhere but I wrote it and wanted to make sure the rest of you saw it)

Illustrators — please beware of someone calling themselves “Donald Livingston” (donaldliving77@gmail.com) who will want to hire you for some sort of illustration project and will insist on sending you a check ASAP. “Donald” has also used other names and email addresses and is targeting artists and illustrators.

The whole thing started out normally enough – I got a query email from a stranger asking if I was available to do some illustration work. The illustrations were not exactly what I am known for (young kids performing pandemic related social distancing, vaccination, etc.), but I’ve gotten weird requests before and the offer was generous so I replied that I was willing and able. After exchanging a few emails about due dates and sending him a copy of my contract, Mr. Livingston told me he would send me a deposit. He did not send back the signed contract but I did not notice this at the time.

In my case, the check arrived on a Friday via priority mail and was for twice the agreed upon “half up front” amount. Mr Livingston urged me to deposit the check immediately, and, after I had done so, he texted to say that because of unavoidable circumstances, etc., etc., the project has been partially cancelled and I needed to send back half the money. He urged me to use a cash app I had never heard of called “Zelle” to wire the money back right away, etc., etc. and said he needs the money RIGHT NOW. I’m guessing his urgency is based on the fact that the “cashiers” check he sent me won’t clear deposit once the bank opens again on Monday. In his first email, he claimed to be hearing impaired (I guess to plant in my mind the idea that I shouldn’t be expecting an actual voice call with Mr. Livingston). I didn’t fall for it but feel a little foolish at having wasted as much time on these shenanigans. Please don’t waste your time with this scam.

I’ve reported this to the USPS and the FBI – I doubt they will be able to do anything about it – but want to do what I can to protect others.

Underwater Scene

Spooky

A drawing for a project that hasn’t been released yet. Not a literal depiction of the scene from the story it is supposed to illustrate but all the important things are there.