In Progress II: Clockwork Boogaloo

Here's the progress snapshot on the cover piece for the cover of Clockwork Dreams. The background elements and back cover (left side) are roughed out, but I've finished about 90% of the figures.

I'm particularly in love with the lightbulb on the brass gentleman.

Dr. Sketchy's: Comics Edition

Had a particularly wretched week, so today's Dr. Sketchy's was a welcome relaxation. Had a comic book theme, in honor of this weekend's ComicCon. The models (Lulu and Key from Peek-A-Boo Revue) have fan-frickin-tastic costumes - all the tails and spikes in my drawings were there for realz.
There are too many sketches to post... most of them were pretty mediocre. (The sketches. Not the poses.) These were the ones I particularly liked. I would draw them every day - they're super nice, they pose well, they have great costumes. I had beer. What's not awesome about this?


(The pseudo-comic book framed sketch was for the last 20 minute pose, which was a contest to do a quickeroo comic cover from the model's pose. So of course I add tentacles. Kinda a given.)





Couple more sketches over here.

The UK, the SCBWI-EPA (and other joined-up letters of the alphabet)

I can't believe how busy I've been. When it rains it pours. Here's a quick "what's up with Amy" update:

- Random world travel is random. The Mister was requested at a business meeting in London, so, not wanting to pass up the opportunity, we went to London and spent the long holiday weekend there. It was our first UK trip, and we sucked every ounce of London out of the trip that we could.
I've got a photo set of about 300 of the more interesting photos over here on Flickr.
(Yes, 300 of the more interesting. I actually took about 1100. In five days. What!? It's for photo reference! There's a lot of paintable stuff in London.)

My favorite day was definitely the visit to Kensington Gardens and the Peter Pan statue (shown). "Peter Pan and the Kensington Gardens" was one of the first classic children's stories I read early in college that really cemented me on wanting to illustrate children's books. Visiting the park that inspired the story filled me with glee, and the statue (given by Mr. Barrie himself), made the trip for me. Even cooler, for almost the entire hour or so I hung around the statue, there were children climbing on it. It's like the statue was designed for kids to appreciate in a way only kids can.


The other illustrator's highlight in the trip was going to the Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington. I went on a tip there were some great costumes there (was was a let down), but I DID happen upon a gallery of original paintings from Cicely Mary Barker, Arthur FREAKING Rackham, and more. I spent a rather obscene amount of time staring at them with my nose pressed to the glass. Some photos are over in my Flickr set. It was pretty amazing to see CMB's brushstrokes in a way no print can really show. So. Fulfilling.


- Last Saturday, I attended the SCBWI Eastern PA "Illustrator's Day" workshop given by Elizabeth Parisi, Creative Director of Trade Hard Covers at Scholastic Books. She couldn't have been more pleasant, not to mention honest and communicative about the industry, trends and her company. I got some phenomenal feedback from my individual portfolio review with her. I really hope to work with her some day soon, and hope that all creative directors are as easy to get along with.

- Working on the artwork for the upcoming steampunk-themed sourcebook soon out from Savage Mojo (formerly known as Talisman Studios). Here's an "in progress" iphonetograph. I can't wait to finish it. It's a gigantic painting (for me, anyway).


That's some stuff. Now, back to work. More stuff later!