Weekly Sketch is back!

I'm feeling bad for not posting a weekly sketch after 10 years of doing so. Since I started a book project I have been under contract with McSweeney's to keep the images under wraps until the book comes out (I think in May 2010). So I broke out the old sketchbook this weekend and started doodling. Here's the first in what I hope to be a weekly thing again.

Pica Gun

My boss' boss retired and we put together a little mock newspaper for him, as is tradition at my job. I drew this for one of the articles.

Okay - it was a different wave drawing

they actually used a different one of my drawings. Makes sense because this one is in ink, opposed to the graphite one, below. Buy it here.

McSweeney's 31 cover

I just found out that McSweeney's issue 31 used this image (foil stamped, I think) for their cover. Should be out in about a month. Amazon link here.

Crash at Sunset 15 in. x 18 in.

Watercolor on paper. I used Lanaquarelle (instead of my favorite, Fabriano) this time and it was weird. It's much softer and requires more brushy-brushing to get the liquid into the crevasses. But I think the end result is nice - the edges are a bit softer. I initially intended to make this really red - but somehow peach won out. This is for a group show at Adam Baumgold Gallery in NYC called Story Lines which opens in May.

Press-ready

I went over the final specs for the small edition of my alphabet book today at Bird Brain Press in Brooklyn. Printing will begin next week. Here's the press, ready to go:

When finished - both single prints (edition number will be determined according to Scrabble set  letter counts) and handboud books will be available online via x-ing books.

Slow Down

I'm working on a children's book with McSweeney's right now - so I won't be posting much new stuff on the blog for a while. I'll likely scan in the occasional random sketch or something - but I'm not supposed to show the drawings for the book until it's published (hopefully this fall).

Duck Head - finished - 45 in. x 33 in.

Adding Depth - 45 in. x 33 in.

Adding pink to the mix - 45 in. x 33 in.

Another 14 in. x 20 in. graphite study

color in progress - 45 in. x 33 in.

I think it's mostly going to be solid pink.

Finally Finished - 45 in. x 33 in.

BUT - I'm pretty sure I'm going to add simple watercolor hues to this soon.

last page in green sketchbook

Tools Artists Use

I always like reading about the materials artists that I admire, use in their studio. There's a site now with interviews called The Tools That Artists Use, and they just posted an interview with me.