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Long Lost Friend Studio is my self-publishing imprint, the studio space where we work, and a YouTube channel featuring videos about art and creativity. This blog covers everything happening with me and Long Lost Friend Studio.
Studying the Way of the Samurai
Preparing to work on an upcoming Usagi Yojimbo commission, Michelle and I realized we knew little to nothing about the character. So, this past week we’ve been researching the Stan Sakai comic, doing some sketches, and, in this week’s video, a full ink, wash, and watercolor study of the samurai rabbit.
Riverbottom Nightmare Reimagined
Maybe I feel some tenderness in my heart when Sylvester Stallone’s character loses the title fight in Rocky, but realizes his bond with Adrian is more important than winning a slugfest. And maybe I’m okay with Charlie Brown picking himself up off the ground and pushing forward after every humiliating time Lucy pulls the football away and he goes flying. But I’ll be damned if I’m gonna let those rich punks from Riverbottom show up late to the Waterville Talent Contest and just swipe the prize money from poor Emmet Otter and his friends. So this year, I finally did something about it.
Just An Old Fashioned Muppet Song
Today is Paul Williams’ birthday. If you don’t know who he is, you’re missing out. Musician, composer, actor…Paul Williams has had a dazzling and diverse career in show business for over five decades. But for me, the most impressive achievement he ever racked up was working with The Muppets.
Brushing Off Work With Spider-Man
After weeks of what felt like putting on major production numbers in the workshop to create elaborate dioramas, I decided this week would be a low-pressure stroll through some illustration fundamentals. Specifically, brush inking and watercolor work using Spider-Man and Kraven as inspiration. Nice to have a lazy week now and then.
Rocket Had Come Equipped With A Gun
If you’ve seen the latest Guardians of the Galaxy flick, you understand that raccoons don’t like being in cages. And while anyone would assume that to be true, I’d faced that very situation not too long ago and the experience still stresses me out. So I thought I’d work through my issues by doing a quick ink and watercolor sketch of my favorite Guardian, Rocket Raccoon.
Journey with Ichabod Crane through this Sleepy Hollow Poster
Ichabod Crane, the itinerant schoolmaster who ran afoul of the Headless Horseman, is journeying once again through the Hudson Valley. And now that I’ve finally finished my latest passion project, you can join him as he ventures into and through Sleepy Hollow in my new story poster.
That Witch Does Not Kill Us
That which does not kill us, only makes us stronger. That’s the theory, anyway. That’s why I stumble through watercolor illustrations every so often, like a bull in a china shop, trying to smash out something decent. This week, it’s a storybook witch and her two familiars. Maybe it’ll be easier to find my path through this familiar territory.
Ding Dong, It’s The Dearly Departed
One of the more recent illustrations I’ve posted to the gallery since redesigning the site is this Trick or Treat image of a boy spending Halloween with his ghostly friend.
Investigating Colored Pencil Solvent with Scooby Doo’s Velma Dinkley
This week I worked on a Scooby Doo tribute featuring Velma Dinkley and the Ghost of the Black Knight — the very first spooky villain Scooby and the gang encountered back in 1969! — and experimented with some colored pencil techniques for the first time.
A Bone To Pick
A little over two years ago, on our Long Lost Friend Studio YouTube channel, I drew and inked this skeleton sailor from the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disney World.
Process: Kermit the Frog Thank You Note
I ran across some snapshots I took while working on a thank you card for a client. I haven’t posted in a few weeks, so I figured I could turn these pics into a quick, informal, process post.
My Long Lost Sketch Wallet
Working in a Sketch Wallet for the first time (after receiving one for a gift and promptly losing it).
Morels 10th Anniversary Booster Cards Are Here…and Gone!
Ten years ago, Brent Povis asked me to illustrate his vision for a card game he was developing. That game was Morels, and it was an indie hit, earning multiple awards and getting phenomenal ratings in all the gaming forums where it was discussed. As of this writing, the game has a solid 7.0 on Board Game Geek.