Johnny Canuck!

Johnny Canuck | Comic Syrup Press

In celebration of the forthcoming reprinted adventures of Johnny Canuck, Canada's first national comic book hero, this image will be available as a print from Comic Syrup Press!  To learn more about Johnny, his creator Leo Bachle, and the talent behind the reprint campaign check out the official Kickstarter and Facebook pages.

Johnny Canuck 

The Moose

Moose | Personal Work

This national icon is painted in acrylic on a 15"x 21" illustration board.

Moose | Sketch | Process  

At the outset I knew I wanted to keep the edges of the image very loose and spontaneous.  Once I was satisfied with the sketch I used broad colourful strokes to fill in the background and then tightened up the figure with a little more care(and smaller brushes).  Also, you can see a little more detail in the moose's face in the early process photo on the right.
   

Moose | Prints | Products | Apparel  

Signed archival prints are available directly from me, or try out Society6.com. That's where the Moose and many more of my works are now available as affordable art prints, iphone cases, pillows, apparel and more. I think it would look great on the face of a paddle too or the bottom of a snowboard. 

Receive free shipping by clicking the promo link here, Society6.com. This offer is available until midnight on December 9th and excludes Framed Art Prints and Stretched Canvases. 

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween |  Poster Art 2002

I painted this one when I was a student at Sheridan College to promote the Illustration programs' Annual Halloween Pub Night. I didn't have much of a plan before I picked up a brush and it kinda shows but still makes me laugh. When I was about to give up on Frank and try a different approach my good friend Adam Hilborn jumped in and brought the piece back to life when he added the Mummy! Thanks Adam!
It's a little out of date, but it was a fun collaboration that not too many folks have seen.  

  

Happy Halloween 2002 | Acrylic Painting

Above is a photograph of the original, before I mucked it up digitally trying to balance the background.  I can remember having a hard time getting a good scan or photograph of the piece back in '02 and even today there's something about the original acrylic that still doesn't translate to digital.  

Happy Thanksgiving!

King for a Day | Personal Piece

I've used the image of this festive bird for years as a Thanksgiving greeting card with family and friends and now have stationary cards available at Society 6.  Receive free shipping on all orders by clicking the promo link here, www.society6.com. This offer available until midnight on October 14th and excludes Framed Art Print and Stretched Canvases. 

Werewolf

Werewolf | Private Commission

An older piece but a favourite, and seasonally appropriate. This werewolf in a tree was a private commission in ink on watercolour paper(~14x20"), completed in 2005 or 2006.  Originally commissioned by a collector of horror themed art, my personal goal was to create a chilling image without the expected blood and gore typically associated with the genre. To see a dog in a tree is also a little unexpected.  Although I will continue to have this image available as a signed archival print directly and at conventions I have expanded its' use to new merchandise including stationary cards and ipod cases at Society 6. Check out the Werewolf and some of my other items available through Society 6 by clicking the link here,  www.society6.com!   

Happy Birthday Mom!

Happy Birthday Mom | A card for my mom

I've got a great mom. This is a card I put together for her a year ago. I decided to give her a year to enjoy it all to herself before I shared it online.  Maybe you'll see this year's card a year from now ;)

  

A card for my mom | Sketch | Detail

The cartoony likeness is from memory and wasn't hard to do.  My mother has made appearances in a lot of my commercial work and storyboards over the years.  The line work is drawn in pencil and the colour was added digitally with textures I'd painted in acrylic. The background is a paint by number I made of photo from an old family vacation.  I had my sister do the first pass but she was much too careful so I jumped back in to mess it up a little. Thanks for your help Claire!

Happy Splashing

Zebra | Personal Work

The zebra is a beast that had been on my hit list for a long time.  This guy's been painted in acrylic on illustration board.  The painted area is only 5.1/8" in diameter (just a tiny bit bigger than it is displayed here).  The initial sketch I went with was even smaller.  I have it available as a 4.5"x6" greeting card and a small print, and will look into making buttons and coasters and other round things with it too.  I like the cheerfulness of the image, to me this zebra looks happy and refreshed.  I thought the water turned out pretty cool too.

Zebra | Painting on Board | Pencil Sketch

Something else I like about this little guy is that he reminds me of my parent's dog Mac. One of the happiest creatures on four legs, and my little brother.

Kick-Ass Annie

My Kick-Ass Annie | Commission for Anne Koyama of Koyama Press

I was thrilled when Annie asked me to contribute to her growing collection of amazing commissions, and did my best to create an interpretation of her icon/logo that would stand out in good company.  Be sure to check out the other fantastic "Kick-Ass Annie's" she's collected over the years as well as a ton of great books, comics and more at Koyama Press!

Kick-Ass Annie | Sketch and Detail

Like the cover to Kill Shakespeare this piece was originally conceived as a sketch and then worked over in photoshop incorporating hand drawn and painted elements.

New Work

Tyrannosaurus Rex | Personal Work

Creating a series of Big Lizard paintings has been on my list of personal projects for a long time. Due in no small part to my years hanging around the museum as a kid or the posters that wrapped my bedroom walls growing up. To kick things off I started with the tyrannosaurus because he's the king, and easily the most famous. Check out Portfolio 2 for a larger image of the Tyrannosaurus and expect more dinos in the coming months.

Tyrannosaurus Rex | Process & Detail | acrylic paint on illustration board ~12 x 18"
Fo signed archival prints please contact me directly.  For other prints, products and apparel please visit Society6.

Wedding Invitations

To Have and to Hold | Private Commission

The approach I took to this wedding invitation was inspired by the venue Jamie and Talia had chosen for their big day. The Eglinton Grand is an old theater in Toronto that's been converted into an event hall and restored to its original 1937 grandeur. We thought it would be fun to imitate the sensibilities of a romantic movie poster from the same period.

To Have and to Hold | Process & Detail | ink on watercolour paper 10 x 15"

At the outset I had intended the physical art to be rendered exclusively in ink wash, but after over-working Talia's hair I introduced white acrylic. Once I'd completed the black and white painting I brought it into Photoshop where I colourized the image. This is a technique I've found quite successful at capturing a Technicolor look while retaining the brushstrokes and textures of my painting. With the rendering already done in paint this method of colouring is pretty quick.
The typography on the posters of the 1930's is sometimes the most complex part, often using as many as six different typefaces in a short stack of text. For this I created some original hand lettering and modified existing fonts in other places. Some informational text has been omitted for web.

Bear and Pig

Bear and Pig | Private Collection

Commissioned as a gift from a bride to her groom. Companionship is the theme here. An unlikely partnership of two very different creatures, in love, and planning a future together. Acrylic on illustration board. A limited quantity of signed archival prints are still available directly from me. For more prints and throw pillows featuring the Bear and Pig please visit Society6.

New Work

Pampero Poster | Parishil

I created this western themed poster promoting Pampero Rum for the good folks at Paishil design. I had a blast banging out the concept sketches for this one, the possibilities seemed endless...