The finished Matilda

Matilda: Lighting Options

The lighting for this piece has been driving me crazy. At first I tried lighting it with the television (from the front) but the result, though cool looking, was not something that would ever work in print. Here are some of the better options I came up with (over 100 pictures right now). I love the shadow of Matilda's father on the wall, but it limits the direction from which the light can come (and adding another light results in multiple shadows). Any suggestions or personal preferences would be appreciated.

Current Project: Matilda

I need a new promotional piece, and after being wowed by Anderson's Fantastic Mr. Fox, I got to thinking about Roald Dahl. And, as I was London while I was thinking about this, I ended up coming across Matilda. Here's a sneak peek of an illustration for the children's novel:

Hand-painted check fabric.

Matilda's dad. I think the suit works rather well for a used car salesman, don't you?

European Sketchbook

I am back from my two month backpacking trip in Europe and have spent the past day scanning the two sketchbooks I filled there. Due to the sheer volume of sketches, you can view them on my European Sketchbook Blog. Below is a small sampling of pages....

Leaving, on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again

I am leaving the United States on Wednesday for Rome. This is the beginning of a 1 1/2 to 2 month long journey around and about Europe. After 10 days spent marveling at ancient through Baroque works in Italy, the trip will meander about a bit with certain stops in Paris, London, and Ghent (to see Jan van Eyck's Altarpiece).

During this time I will be reachable via email and will attempt to upload pictures and sketches here. Upon my return I will be certain to share my sketchbooks if doing so in transit proves impossible. If anyone has any tips of places not to miss, I'd love to hear about them!

CMYK Magazine

Be sure to check out the October 2009 issue of CMYK! This issue is for "aspiring creatives" and features student work. One of my pieces from Spring semester was selected for the issue so check it out. Also, congratulations to those accepted, I look forward to seeing your work!

Lighting Test: take two

There really is a big difference between halogen light bulbs (interior lighting in this picture) which are yellow, and my huge LED flashlight (outdoor light) which is intense and bluish. I'd like to try more colored lights and gels in the future.