New website!

It's been a long time coming but my new website is finally up and running. Yay! Please stop by and let me know what your thoughts are or if you run into any problems. Thanks!

3D Glasses not necessary!

 I have been holding on to this for a while. Toward the beginning of the year I got involved in some fun facebook shenanigans in which the first four people on your comments would receive something homemade in the mail. Of a few of the lists I made it onto, brilliant sculpture, fellow highlights artist and friend, Helena Bogosian, was one of them. I had no idea what to expect. Sometime a few weeks ago the sculpture below showed up in the mail. Upon opening it I literally screamed and laughed with excitement. Helena had taken my drawing of the Dirty Student (as seen below the photos) from my book, Which Art Student Are You?, and turned it into a three dimensional piece! It is honestly one of the coolest things I have ever seen and it is extremely touching. Thank you so very much, Helena! You're awesome!

Give me a home...

I don't know what my fascination with the wild west is but I'm partly convinced I was born in the wrong state and at the wrong time. In 2003 I went on a solo camping trip to Wyoming and I just never felt at home here on the east coast. Late last year I discovered that my great - great - grandfather, Luke Dillon, was an army cavalrymen stationed in Wyoming so maybe it's just in my blood.

Giddyup.

I am working on something extra fun.

That Silly Parade!

Drawing a marching band is not easy. So much research was involved in making this as believable as possible, from the individual instruments to how to correctly hold them. I've really only ever played some guitar so my wife's knowledge of these instruments was invaluable to me. This piece is currently in the July 2011 issue of Highlights High Five which is available now.

I put a lot of cameos of family and friends in this one. The band is loosely based on my wife's high school, North Penn and their Marching Knights, of which she was a member. My wife can be seen playing the clarinet with holly attached to her hat. My Grandfather (of whom I am named after) can be seen on the left with my Grandma Vi. The four children sitting on the curb (one has a horn) are of myself (I'm wearing the Canada cap), my two brothers and my sister. We would often go to parades that were just up the road from us on Frankford Avenue in the Mayfair section of Philadelphia. Some of my nieces and nephews are pictured as well as a couple of friends with their kids. 

Here is the line art:

Subtract.

Sometime last year Illustration Friday's theme was subtract. I submitted the image below but I found it confused people more than made them laugh. I eventually removed it. I didn't want anyone to think I was being gross. I just thought it was a funny thought that the Love is couple were Ziggy's parents since they don't wear pants. That was IT. Honest, you sickos. Perhaps I was just missing my older target audience who actually remembered the comic strip, Love is?

Anyway, the reason I bring this up is to show you the sketches below. I'm currently building my new website and I stumbled on them while looking for some files. I thought they were pretty funny and I may do more.

Leonardo.

Hello everyone! I recently became a member of the Autumn Society so I could participate in the Ninja Turtle tribute. Thank you for the invite, Jeffro and Chogrin! I hope to contribute to other events as well.

Back story:

In 1986 my older brother came home with the comic book, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (issue 7). Prior to seeing the TMNT comic my only real exposure to comics was in Mad Magazine. This was a turning point for me. I had always liked drawing but I never seemed to know where it would go. The TMNT comic, as well as the artists at Mirage Studios, inspired me more than I could ever explain here. 

I have always preferred the raw grittiness of the original b+w comics hence the flavor of my illustration. I drew this sketch back in 2003 but put it to color in the past week. I hope everyone enjoys my piece. This is illustration is out of the norm for me so it was a lot of fun to work on. I may have to do more.

Also, I have to mention that I had a one shot comic in TMNT #57 back in '96 that can be seen on my blog here if you're interested.

I will be at the Autumn Society Ninja Turtle tribute art show in Philadelphia this Friday, June 3 (more info below) from 6 - 9pm. I will be selling this piece at the show in a nice expensive frame. I'm not sure if it is okay to sell prints but I will find out asap. I will also have copies of my Which Art Student Are You? book (as seen on the right side of the blog) for purchase. Look for the short guy wearing the green TCRI canister shirt. Really.

Cruise Sketches.

Daisy and I went on a southern Caribbean cruise last week. These are some of the sketches I did while laying on a beach chair doing nothing but people watch.

IF: Safari

I made this Hidden Picture some 10 years ago for Highlights for Children, I think. I figured it suited Illustration Friday's theme this week. 

Find the following: rhino head, kite, flashlight, cowboy boot, whale, balloon, slice of pie, bird, tea cup, compass, ice cream cone, magnifying glass, and a banana.

What's Wrong, Highlights? You're only 65 years old!

I was given the fun task of creating the What's Wrong? illustration for Highlights' 65th Birthday issue! It was a lot of fun to have my hand at the Highlights' regulars: the Timbertoes, Arizona (as well as her little brother and sister Tex and Indi), Goofus and Gallant, the little mouse web dude (does he have a name? he definitely needs one), and the Bear Family. The 65th Birthday issue should be on news stands now. It really is a great issue with a lot of fun surprises. Be sure to pick up a copy!

My apologies for being so long between posts. My wife has been traveling a lot for work so I have had my hands full taking care of our daughter, dog, fish, house, laundry, dishes, etc, all the while teaching and freelancing. This week I officially finished teaching (until autumn that is) so I will have more time to post stuff I have been working on. Speaking of our daughter, you can see her and I on the left side of the illustration. I made myself taller so no one would notice me but it didn't fool anyone at Highlights. I think they're on to me...