Mr Sleepyhead pages 1 & 2

 

Mr Sleepyhead - Page 2

Page 2, with some more added elements - the pictures and the wallpaper.
Not sure yet if I will add other elements?

Page 1 concept picture

The  above teddy bear image with pillow - an idea for the first page. The image was created using 'Retro supply' brushes, Risograph.
The Risograph brushes create some beautiful textures. To see more, check them out here. Totally recommend.

Page 1 & 2 concept ideas

The above are just some experiments to see what the first two pages would look like. I will keep experimenting some more till I arrive at something that looks right.
I may even do away with the teddy bear image completely, and just have the text.

As always, thanks for visiting. 
Hopefully post up some more soon. Take care.

Mr Sleepyhead - Rendered page 1

 

Rendered Mr Sleepyhead and with some elements for page 1

Continuing on from the previous post, now a step closer to a rendered bear and some background elements, for page 1.

An observation I have made regarding color, from the classic Golden Books is the use of neutral colorings. Neutral maybe also meaning natural colors - which seem to be 'earthly', muted, and less on the fully saturated scale. Not to say that more saturated colors weren't used in the classics, but that they were used sparingly.

I know that there is a hierarchy in this, to control where emphasis is best placed on images.
So much to learn with color. But loving it, all the same.

Mr Sleephyead - values

Image of value range for rendered image. This helps to check that the image reads well, with enough contrast between values. And hopefully not to muddy in the process either.

Some elements for page 1 - close ups

Just some close up shots of elements that are populating the first page.
I have really enjoyed playing with texture and color to achieve a look which hopefully will work well with Mr Sleepyhead.

As always, thank you for visiting. Take care

Maurice Sendak Tribute

 

Maurice Sendak Tribute illustration

Only recently did I discover the brilliance of Maurice Sendak.

I was familiar with ‘Where the Wild things Are’ and can remember as a younger child seeing those fantastical monsters, and of Max in his wolf suit. But now that have I delved into his other works, and much to my delight, many books on the man himself – I have come to find a creator that I very much admire. And now often look to, for words of wisdom, wit, and wonder, as a child might.

What is it that I find most magical about Mr. Sendak’s creativity?

Word play

There is a rhythm of words, that as you read, are fun to speak. To hear also. They sound magical. Maurice had this gift. Here’s one example, from ‘In the Night Kitchen’.

‘Where the bakers who bake till the dawn so we can have cake in the morn mixed Mickey in batter, chanting: Milk in the batter! Milk in the batter! Stir it! Scrape it! Make it! Bake it!
And they put that batter up to bake a delicious Mickey-Cake’.

It just has such a great lively tempo. And you also understand what is happening. No easy feat, I am sure.
Ok, another example, from of course ‘Where the Wild things are’.

‘But the wild things cried, “Oh please don’t go – we’ll eat you up – we love you so!”
And Max said, “No!”
The wild things roared their terrible roars and gnashed their terrible teeth
and rolled their terrible eyes and showed their terrible claws
but Max stepped into his private boat and waved good-bye’.

Playful illustration

The tempo of text also resonates with his pictures. On the one hand, the pictures are fully grounded, in a world we could grasp. A kitchen, a bedroom, at your aunties house. Yet the characters lived vivaciously through their actions, and imaginings too.  Fully - animated.
Like Mickey, flying high in a plane made of dough for ‘In the Night Kitchen’. Max, and his rumpus of wild things baying at the moon and swinging through trees.
The child in me just loves these illustrations, teased to see what next will happen. So full of wonder. Maybe a little scary too.

And this is why I think the text and images of Maurice Sendak’s picture books work so well. The movement, both in text and illustration, melded together, yet working independently to create this culminative delight, a wonderous story. Worth re-reading, many-many times over.

So, in closing, my humble offering, to a great man, now gone.

Thank you, Maurice Sendak, for your boundless pursuit and deliverance, of stories so wonderfully made. Timeless. Universal. For the children in all of us. To ponder fourth with curiosity and an insatiable delight, for life.

Maurice Sendak, Age 83, 8^th May 2012 

The above illustration I created in Sketchbook (desktop version), then rendered with the additional text in Adobe Photoshop.

I will post up again soon some conceptual sketches in preparation for my tribute to Mr Sendak, soon.

As always, thanks for visiting. Have a great day/night, wherever you are..."and now", cried Max, "Let the wild rumpus start".

A New Journey

In 2020, during the Pandemic, lots of things were down, the job market for one thing. Finance was tight. I am sure like a lot of people, it was an incredibly hard time. Out of work, countless submission's of CV's and cover letters later, I took some time out, to do a children's book challenge. At first it seemed counter-intuitive. What, do a month long book challenge whilst your out of work? What about the bills? Your family? These things weighed heavily on me. But, I had to do this challenge.

 

So what happened? A seed of change begun. I started to ask myself, what am I trying to say in my art? What do I really value? See, I have been doing fan art for years. And I really do love this stuff. But I was starting to question the longevity of it. How could I possibly entertain creating this type of art and make money from it? It wasn't my original art to sell, and it just didn't feel right to do so.

I was in a calder-sac, a dead end. I was lost.

 

Now on holiday, Christmas of 2020, with my beautiful wife and daughter, in Wellington. Just rocking around a mall, I happened to come across this pop-up second hand bookshop. The books are free. Crazy, right?  Shuffling through a stack of books, I came across one I hadn't seen in years.

Copyright Maurice Sendak

Where the Wild Things Are.

Sure it was tattered, had marks and dog-eared pages. But I didn't care. I loved this book. The story, the colors, the monsters. Max in his sailing boat. Pure bliss.

Here is where it started to make sense to me. Children's books. I have always loved Children's books.

Why had I not put two and two together? Slow learner I guess.

 

Fast forward to 2022, and my collection of Maurice Sendak books has grown. Also, I have now amassed quite a sizeable quantity of pre-loved classic children's books. Classics by the likes of Bill Peet, Dr Seuss, and Golden Books (mainly 1950's to 1970's), as examples. 

 

And, I have finally returned to the drawing board. Wanting to craft my own children's book.

 

In my next post, I will hope to update my tentative beginnings, of this adventure. 

I imagine that going forward, this blog will start to change too. Not sure what that means at the moment, but I do welcome the new journey.

Copyright Maurice Sendak

Apologies for the word count in this post.

Thank you for popping on in. Take care.

Indiana & Bear illustration

 

This was an image that I inked up from an initial inktober drawing I did, over the 30 day drawing challenge. I wanted to see how I could push an image in a direction that might 'inspire' a story, possibly.

I also wanted to explore how different color schemes can evoke different feelings for your characters. These above images are just some examples.

What follows below are three images, rendered slightly differently. 

I ended up choosing the 3rd image. 

To see my inkotober challenge, click here 

As always, thanks for visiting. Take care

Yogi Bear

 

This was a real chance for me to try out some new brushes in Photoshop and also veer away from my more outlined approach when creating character designs.

This was definitely a labour of love as I was pressed for time. Just doing little bits week by week until it was completed.

Thanks for visiting.

Yogi Bear T-Shirt

 

The one, the only, my beautiful daughter, Miss Indiana Grace Crawford. Along with Dad (Me), showcasing a recent Yogi Bear illustration I did, on a T-Shirt.

Will post close up of image soon.

Thanks for visiting

Ren and Stimpy illustration

 

Did you hear the news!!!! What??? You didn't. OMG. YES....its happening. And I had to do up an illustration to celebrate.

So excited (joy oh joy), a re-boot of Ren and Stimpy!!! REN AND STIMPY.

This cartoon show was and still is one of my all time fav's. Absolute awesomeness on every level. I am probably being a little one-eyed, but not many cartoons come close to these guys.

I JUST LOVE THESE GUYS!!!!!

Also of note, top left - created my new logo design 'Jason Crawford - Illustrator'. Maybe I will share some of my fledging designs around the logo concept? See what happens.

Star Wars

My favourite galaxy couple from one of my all time favourite films.

I also had Han Solo's gun - way back in the 80's. Made sound effects too. Awesome

I did this is illustration way back in 2015.

Will hope to post up soon some more Star Wars stuff.

Thanks for visiting.

Sad Lion Cartoon

Sad Lion Cartoon

This image is a continuation from this image posted here.
I am hoping to continue in this style and create some more characters, soon.

Happy Lion Cartoon

Happy Lion Cartoon

Inked in Artrage and also added some flat colors using the roller brush (nice textures). Then I added some last minute little details in Photoshop.

Above image inspired by Tex Avery's 'Slap Happy Lion', 1947. Classic cartoon funny.

Also inspired by the 1976's 'Words that do things' Disney book, for children. The images are really fantastic and I love the rendering too.
To see more on these Disney books, click on this link Words that - Disney books from another post I have done.

Will post up soon a tutorial for using Artrage.

Hellboy baby cartoon

Hellboy baby

Inked up in Clip Studio Paint then rendered out in Photoshop.

I have been using Hi-Fi color for comics, a great resource for learning how to paint in a comic style.

For the Hi-Fi book, I used this one found here

Definitely recommend this book. You can still purchase as an online version. Just follow the above link.

The basic idea behind rendering in the above style is to paint with light. To do this you use the mode 'screen' - which essentially adds light to the base color.

Here's a close up screenshot of Hellboy baby which shows the base color (which is generally a de-saturated mid tone) and the accompanying screen color (saturated orange). 

With the color (orange) selected, you then use a brush with mode set to 'screen'. Then you start applying the brush to build up areas and give the piece that illuminated feel.
The actual brush is 'soft' with a slight texture.

**USE OF OVERLAY in layers

As I completed each body form, in this particular example - the face, I made a copy of the face and changed the layer mode to 'Overlay'. See below for example

I felt by doing this, it made the image pop more. We'll, I hope it did.

I definitely recommend if you are interested in learning more about this technique for rendering, to get the book. It has heaps and heaps of tutorials. I mean heaps.

Asterix_dedication to Albert Uderzo

Asterix

24 March, 2020 - Albert Uderzo passed away.
Co-creator and illustrator for the comic book Asterix.

I loved this comic as a young teenager. I imagined myself been one of the Gauls. Invincible, able to take on the world. And I always loved at the end of the comic, you would have all the villagers coming together, to have a big feast. Even now I can still smell the roasting boar.

Great stuff. Amazing illustrator. Legendary.

Ranger Smith

Ranger Smith

Sketchbook image inked up in Clip Studio Paint, and coloured as well.

I rendered up the background elements in Sketchbook Pro, desktop version.

I had a bit of a play with the various brushes to get the effects which, overall I am very happy with. 

Having not used Sketchbook a lot, I found the brushes to be really great. Also I really liked the interface - very minimal. 

Mr Sophisticated

Mr Sophisticated

Another floating head sketch that I have inked up with body - in Clip Studio Paint.

Inking brush (textured pen), background texture was made with brush (Dry gouache).
Red nose achieved with Daub Low Absorption brush - DONE :)

Chewbacca and Han Solo

These are two of my childhood's fondest characters - Chewbacca and Han Solo. Flying around in space, dropping off cargo (modern day courier), visiting new galaxies at hyper-speed. Like...wow, yeah I'd be in for that.

I originally drew up Chewbacca in my sketchbook...another floating head, and then completed the rest of him in Clip Studio. I initially struggled with Han, as I couldn't get him to fit in with Chewie (in terms of looks). And that all important 'Appeal' factor. Hopefully I nailed it here.

Ink brush used is by the impressive Frenden, found here.

The actual name of the brush is Frendens Inker (tech pen).

It has this lovely thick to thin quality which is like butter to work with (if you know what I'm trying to say).

Can't recommend Frenden's brushes high enough.

Flintstone funny face

Flintstones

Loved the Flintstones (1960's) series as a kid, still do. Awesome character designs and beautiful backgrounds too (by Art Lozzi).

The above image comes from my sketchbook, just a floating head originally with no body. 

Image inked and coloured up in Clip Studio Paint.

This is not my take on Fred Flintstone - just wanted to try a random manly man character.

Bunny Rabbit Cartoon

Bunny Rabbit Cartoon

Bunny rabbit cartoon - inked in Clip Studio Paint.

I love Clip's brush engine - so nice to use. All the brushes and pens are so intuitive in this program. Highly recommend.

The actual above image was just a floating head in one of my sketchbooks. So I scanned in the head, drew up a body. DONE.

Ren Hoek with toothbrush

This image I created back in 2017, after watching 'Ren's toothache', eleventh episode of second season - The Ren and Stimpy show.
I just love this episode - absolute madness ensures.
There is also the Tooth Beaver whom chews on your nerve endings. That is such a great scene.

Will post up soon in my Lessons Learned tab the inked version of above Ren with some tips.

Filthy disgusting animal

Inspired by television series 'Ren and Stimpy' and animation artist legend John Kricfalusi. Both characters were inked in Illustrator. Background was done in Artrage 5. The speech bubble with text I had done in Clip Studio paint.