Jim Stigall

004 Denver Logo Design

2012-01-15T15:50:00.000-08:00

My good friend and amazing graffiti writer East has recently opened up what is sure to be the premier graffiti supply shop in Colorado. 004 Denver will also feature gallery space (Cypher Artspace) and works in conjunction with Community Service, the best place in town to get your premium urban wear.

Check them out!

3356 S. Broadway, Englewood, CO

I did several designs for East's paint shop, shown below. East will be using several...

TMNT

2012-01-05T22:01:00.000-08:00

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle art card series commission.

January 2012 Show - Night of the Sketchy Dead

2011-12-28T12:20:00.000-08:00

I will be showing a selection of zombie works from within the depths of my sketchbooks throughout the month of January at Old Town Louisville's hip taqueria The Cactus Wheel. Please join me for the opening reception on - of course, Friday, January 13th, 2012.

Stay tuned for photos of the show and space.

Cowtown Comix Fest III Art Cards

2011-11-20T00:25:00.000-08:00

The Sarge

2011-10-29T09:26:00.000-07:00

A quick digital piece for a good friend of mine.

Back to Brush Inking

2011-10-24T09:37:00.000-07:00

I've rediscovered the fun of inking with a brush thanks to the Pentel Pocket Brush Pen.

http://www.pentel.com/store/pentel-pocket-brush-pen

These sketches were done in a thin 8.25" X 5" Molskine book.

Farting Around

2011-10-22T22:14:00.000-07:00

A couple of very quick digital sketches for a hopeful future project proposal. I quite like the spaceman...

Oh, and I purchased some new rattle-cans today. Yes, I photographed a few... because I'm a dork. They are sexy, though, are they not?

ATC's For MMA Event

2011-10-19T21:57:00.000-07:00

I completed these seven artist trading cards today in preparation for anther vendor type showing I will be doing this Friday - a Halloween/Zombie themed MMA event here in Denver. They were all done with my new Pentel Pocket Brush, which I am absolutely loving!!

New Artist Trading Cards September/October 2011

2011-10-10T10:41:00.000-07:00

These were done mainly for The Mile High Horror Film Festival - so lots of monsters, zombies, and horror film nods. Sold a bunch, but still have quite a few. Inquire if you're interested, they are made to be had! :)

Zombie, Zombie, Zombie! o_O

2011-09-30T09:08:00.000-07:00

I heart zombie. I draw zombie... I want draw zombie MORE...

A Starks Anniversary

2011-09-14T08:11:00.000-07:00

Commission piece for my friend Michael - an anniversary gift for his wife, Karilyn. Best wishes, kids!

Caricatures of Self

2011-09-06T07:34:00.000-07:00

I wrapped up a sketchbook last week, so I decided to start my new one this weekend (a nice Paperchase book with toned paper that I purchased well over a year ago) with a self-portrait...

I scribbled this one quickly with a ball-point pen on copy paper while helping my sons with their homework last week.

As you can see, I have a slightly twisted view of myself. My wife complains that I never actually capture my look when I draw myself... she's probably right. I feel that I draw me in a more metaphorical sense... I draw myself based more on how I feel about and/or how I see myself from within - exaggerating traits more than features.

Walter Chipwitther

2011-08-31T15:10:00.000-07:00

Fun with character design.

More Sketchbooking

2011-08-26T10:07:00.000-07:00

Continued doodles in my current watercolor pencil sketchbook. These sketches were done recently in various locations including Frankfurt Germany, Billund Denmark, and the food court at Flatirons Mall in Broomfield, CO. :P

Only three pages left in this book!

32nd World Wide SketchCrawl

2011-08-26T10:03:00.000-07:00

Back on July 23rd Denver Artists participated in the 32nd World Wide SketchCrawl. I organized the Denver gathering myself. We met on this hot July day at Little Man Ice Cream in the Highlands neighborhood and ended up at Confluence Park. There was approximately twelve participants and it was a beautiful day to draw in the Mile High City!

My apologies for taking so long to post the drawings - the last month has been non-stop busy and travel for me, my family, and work.

Little Man Ice Cream - best in Denver!

A Few More Art Cards

2011-08-10T14:34:00.000-07:00

New Custom Toys

2011-08-04T22:35:00.000-07:00

Mr. Poophead. Custom 7" Munny. Commission for a friend.

Herbie. Custom 4" Munny. Sharpie. Available...

Pinkskamo. Custom 4" Munny (secret color - pink). Sharpie. Available...

Taekwondo Girl

2011-08-04T13:32:00.000-07:00

A friend at work was testing for her black belt in Taekwondo. As a part of her test she had to create a "life values" sort of poster. She asked me to help out. This is what I sketched up quickly, minus the text. :)

More Sketch Cards

2011-08-03T23:21:00.000-07:00

Fun stuff! Some are available for sale - contact me if interested.

Zombies for all Seasons

2011-07-30T20:03:00.000-07:00

A commission illustration completed for a 2012 calendar being published by Denver's own Venturous Publishing LLC. This was an incredibly fun commission for me to do, as I was able to mix two of my favorite things - zombies and Mucha!

Look for the complete calendar in stores this November!

Image:

Image with cover typesetting:

Visit Venturous at http://www.venturouspublishing.com/

CutthroatCon Original Artist Cards

2011-07-30T19:41:00.000-07:00

I have finally dived into the trend of Artist Trading Cards - these 2.5"x3.5" (baseball card size) pieces of bristol feature original drawings in a variety of mediums. These were done for and during the Colorado Cutthroat Con, a local video game convention/tournament where I sat as a featured artist in the artist's alley. Some of these cards are still available. If interested, please contact me.

These are great fun to draw and the end result is a cool little piece of original art. I will be doing more!

Miss Hulse

2011-07-14T21:30:00.000-07:00

A new pinup commission finished this week.

Photoshop/Intuos 3 Tablet.

I'm scheming on how I can just make a living only drawing pretty girls. That'd be the life...

And the sketch because I like it.

DJ Vajra Branding Update

2011-07-01T09:32:00.000-07:00

Some new logo work I did for my good old friend and DMC Champion - DJ Vajra!

Check out Vajra in action on YouTube... http://youtube.com/djvajra

Female Form

2011-06-05T21:42:00.000-07:00

A quick digital study I did last night... I've been drawing my whole life and redering the soft, subtle shapes of the female form is still the most challenging task...

Glass Bottom Games

2011-05-17T08:42:00.000-07:00

I recently designed the logo for a new local game development startup being headed up by a friend here in the Denver area. Directly below you can see the final logo featuring a curious square shaped character lovingly nicknamed "beefcake" overlooking a clouded vista from an airy platform. I'm really pleased withe the overall look and feel of this mark. Below that you can see a few of the font only variations I tried which I liked, though we ultimately went with the more iconic look.

Check out GBG at http://www.glassbottomgames.com/

Pinchyderm Custom 4-Inch Munny

2011-05-11T07:41:00.000-07:00

Pinchyderm the Pink Pachyderm is a custom 4-inch Pink Munny. This little girl loves hippos and almost never comes out of her hippo costume. Commission piece for a friend.

Hornycorn & Bash

2011-05-02T19:16:00.000-07:00

Hornycorn. Custom kidrobot Bub 4" figure created for my wife for Mother's Day.

Bash. Custom kidrobot 4" Munny done with Sharpie. For sale. Contact me if interested.

D-Town Derby Crew

2011-05-02T19:10:00.000-07:00

Logo work I've recently done for a brand new Roller Derby League in Denver. I'll be working on the individual team logos next, along with my partner Taylor.

Worldwide SketchCrawl Denver Results

2011-04-17T19:46:00.000-07:00

We could not have asked for a more beautiful day for SketchCrawl in the Mile High City. We had nine artist come out to navigate the streets of Downtown Denver for five hours of our Saturday.

I learned two things about SketchCrawl yesterday: 1) What I initially thought was going to be a long day ended up flying by very, very fast. 2) I did far less drawing in five hours than I thought I would do. Ha! It really puts time into perspective.

Aside from the actual drawing, our group here in Denver was able to make contributions to Give2Asia to aid in the relief efforts of Japan, and I am so proud of my friends for that.

SketchCrawl will live in Denver!

Pythons Logo

2011-04-15T21:27:00.000-07:00

A new logo I did for my flag football team, the Pythons! Yes, we kick ass.

Zomb-A-Billy

2011-04-13T07:51:00.000-07:00

My very first custom vinyl toy - a Mini Munny I call Zomb-A-Billy.

Pretty fun stuff! I expect I'll be creating more of these in the near future.

Denver SketchCrawl for Japan 4.16.2011

2011-04-07T13:21:00.000-07:00

Please come enjoy a day of sketching in Downtown Denver for a good cause!

For details go here: http://www.sketchcrawl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=56&t=6360

The Lizard of Starbucks

2011-03-29T20:02:00.000-07:00

Sketched this little guy during lunch today while at Starbucks after picking up Tangled on Blu-Ray. Certainly a little inspiration from the films' lovable Pascal character... Off to watch the movie now! Cheers...

Isn't he cute, Tess? :D

Digi-Doodles

2011-03-27T20:47:00.000-07:00

I've gotten back onto a regular tablet lately since using the new MacBook Pro, as opposed to my workdays spent on the ol' Cintiq. Intuos3 sketch action... meetings, laying in bed, fun fun...

Denver Roller Dolls Part 2

2011-03-22T22:25:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share a few photos from the Denver Roller Derby bout that introduced the Electrocuties this past Saturday. I'm still mesmerized by the practical and intended use of the logo - that being, of course, have the design adorn a team of Roller Dolls.

Tess snapped this image of the ad the league placed in the DRD program for the night. Sweet!

My friend Atomic Fire.

Brookie Blues jamming!

Glowing in the team introduction lights.

All of the bout photos are courtesy of the talented derby photographer, Steve Nelson. Thanks Steve!

Denver Roller Dolls

2011-03-10T19:15:00.000-08:00

I have recently had the complete delight to do some design work for the Denver Roller Dolls roller derby league. I was thrilled to have the opportunity as I am a huge roller derby fan. Having friends involved in the league certainly helped me grab the gig, and I couldn't be happier with the work I've done as well as how well it has been received by the league.

I was asked to create the logo for DRD's brand new home team, the Electrocuties. After presenting a few variations, the team decided resoundingly on the following design. Shown are the variations of color and black & white. I'm very happy with the way this design come out. And I absolutely love the typeface.

I was also asked to design a logo for the DRD's brand new junior derby league, the Glitterdome Gladiators. Again, below I will show you the selected version and all of its color variations.

The Roller Dolls will debut the Electrocuties at the March bout on Saturday the 19th at the Broomfield Event Center. The logo, as well, will be debuted with the team. I'm pretty excited!

For information on the league, please check out their website: http://www.denverrollerdolls.org/

The league very kindly recognized me on the website as well: http://www.denverrollerdolls.org/news/detail/electrocuties-logo-thanks/

Feb. to March Transition Sketches

2011-03-02T13:13:00.000-08:00

A silly old Lizard who doesn't think it's funny, you laughing...

A couple of poorly executed caricatures of bosses. Probably not the best way to get ahead in my career path. Lol!

2.16.11 Lunch Doodles

2011-02-16T13:12:00.000-08:00

I have not been sketching much in the past few weeks. Need to push it more again...

My good buddy and animation master, Blake Parsons.

Blake had a sheet of Milt Kahl hand gestures, so I did a few studies for fun before we headed back to work.

Jones Records Logo Progression

2011-02-08T20:58:00.000-08:00

I was recently contacted by a fellow in the UK who runs a record label called Jones Records. He was looking for a mark for this label and touched base with me after finding my work online with a little help from, I am assuming, the unused work I did for Raphael Saadiq's record label, Velma Records. Always happy to do logo work, especially when music related I accepted. Dan was a very nice fellow and we worked together quick to come up with a design he loved. Below is a quick breakdown of my steps, for those curious...

After getting some initial inspirational info from Dan about what he was looking for I went to work coming up with what are essentially "mark sketches." To me this is the funnest part of the process... I search for the typefaces I feel jive right for the feel of the mark and start coming up with a set of designs to show the client.

After looking over the first set, Dan picked these two marks and asked for a few adjustments. We also talked a bit about color which I would apply to the final round.

After a couple more quick adjustments I deliver the final logo to Dan in a set seen here. Choosing the second design from round two, Dan requested that I break-out the star burst for him to use as a separate mark. The delivered set includes variations of the logo for practical use including black & white versions, color versions, and variations for use on both light and dark backgrounds.

http://www.souljonespresents.com/

Finally, A Return to Dr. Sketchy's

2011-01-17T10:57:00.000-08:00

After almost three years has passed since I attended my first and only Dr. Sketchy's I finally made it back last night. Fittingly, the theme for the night was "Ode to the Pinup." It was good fun!

1 minute warm-up poses.

5 minute poses.

10 minute pose. I had another 10 minute pose drawing but the model, Miss Vanessa Heart, picked it as one of the best of that session, so I left it with her as a tip. :)

Final 20 minute pose.

If you're interested in drawing at Dr. Sketchy's, get more info here: http://viviennevavoom.com/sketchys.htm

Graffiti Creature

2011-01-10T21:15:00.000-08:00

Today's letter is "E," children...

Turn of the Year Scribbles

2011-01-09T22:48:00.000-08:00

Some new sketches done during the final week of 2010 and the first week of 2011 including some authentic western clothing studies from an excellent book called "Age of the Gunfighter" by Joseph G. Rosa which features excellent photos of outlaws and lawmen of the American West.

Designs/Marks

2011-01-09T15:40:00.000-08:00

Some samples of design work I did towards the end of '10. Some used, some not... all fun!

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-22T21:31:00.000-08:00

Here's hoping you get what you've always wanted for Christmas this year!

*any resemblance to Gru from Despicable Me is purely coincidental (cause I've been watching it a lot lately :P)

The scribble I did on Tess' Christmas Card this year. Pompadour Penguie and His Two Boys. As of this posting I have not given the card to Tess. She doesn't look at my blog much, so I figured it would be safe. Of course, because I've posted the drawing she'll go ahead check-in. That's the way it goes...

Loves!

Wrapped Up

2010-12-21T08:09:00.000-08:00

This is a commission piece for a dear friend who will, in turn, be giving the framed drawing as a Christmas gift to another dear friend. I have some issues with the mermaid and some of the octopus' tentacles, but otherwise I am fairly happy with the drawing considering it was - as most of my work is these days - done completely unplanned and in roughly two hours between 1am and 3am-ish.

I am thinking I may set a goal for 2011 - a New Years Resolution, if you will - to try and actually plan some finished work and maybe even get a gallery show.

Well, then again, I better not get too far ahead of myself. ;P

Happy Holidays!

Fellas Barber Shop

2010-12-12T21:28:00.000-08:00

A very quick logo treatment for an extended family members' venture into the small business world. The wings are taken heavily from reference I found that I liked very much, and though I had to do this in a short amount of time, I am happy with the results. Besides, I am an absolute sucker for typefaces the like of Airstream. :D
So, if you happen to be in Grand Junction, Colorado, stop by Fellas and get a fresh cut.
Here's to a successful business!

More Sketchbookingness

2010-12-02T19:10:00.000-08:00

Sketchbookdump

2010-11-21T21:52:00.000-08:00

Havin' lot's of fun with the Prisma Watercolor Pencils & my water brush. Some recent scribbles...

Computer Down

2010-10-30T09:18:00.000-07:00

My work machine died. It was down for two days (well, almost two days, as most of Friday was shot anyway because of the company Halloween Party), I tried to keep myself busy managing my team and doing what administrative work I could... but I also took advantage if some of the down-time to sketch. I made a couple things I didn't mind so much....

Serious Business

2010-10-28T19:31:00.000-07:00

Doodling at the dinner table this evening. Baseball themed because we have game two of the World Series on. Go Giants!

Also, for anyone following, I have an update about posting my Lego Universe concept art to the blog. My art director and NetDevil's studio AD have requested that I hold off on posting my work on the game for a little while - maybe until sometime next year. Why you ask? I cannot say - yet. The reasons could be very cool, though, so hang in there!

Lego Universe!

2010-10-08T06:33:00.000-07:00

As many of you know I have been working on this very exciting project called Lego Universe since late 2006. This morning I arrived at work and my LU box was waiting for me on my desk! Along with this, the games servers go live this morning. It is a very, very exciting day for myself and the whole development team here at NetDevil. Pre-orders for the game have already started arriving so people will be playing today! Founders Release is on Tuesday the 12th - meaning you can purchase the box at Lego retailers. LU's full release happens on October 26th - meaning you can get it just about anywhere... Super exciting! I truly feel like we have made an absolutely fun and unique game here. I only hope everyone else agrees!

I hope to start posting a selection of my concept art from the game soon, so you all can see what has been hiding in my portfolio for the last five years. Stay tuned...

Gladiators Youth Football

2010-08-17T08:27:00.000-07:00

Along with becoming an assistant coach for my my oldest son Braydn's youth football team, I also volunteered to design a logo for them. The Hyland Hills Gladiators. These are the four designs I came up with. The coaching staff chose the design third from the left with the gladiator mask in green and orange. My personal favorite is just to the left of that, the football/gladiator helmet in Seattle Seahawks colors.

Now it's off to get quotes for helmet decals and t-shirts for the coaches/parents.

Go Gladiators!

Happy Birthday, Baby!

2010-08-12T15:52:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is my lovely wife's birthday. This little doodle is for her. It combines her love for cupcakes and taking self-portraits with her phone-cam - best of both worlds! I love you, Tessa!

Meeting Doodle

2010-08-02T15:37:00.000-07:00

See... sometimes Scrum planning can be productive. ;)

Happy 25th, Sis!

2010-07-30T21:30:00.000-07:00

This Sunday, the 1st, is my little sister's 25th birthday. She requested a monster-esque pin-up drawing of herself. So, here you have it. Happy birthday, Pam!

By the way, Pam is an amazing artist in her own right. Check out here work at http://pamstigall.blogspot.com

Jim goes to Pixar

2010-07-26T01:56:00.000-07:00

I have done my share of networking as a commecial artist in the entertainment industry. This networking has, in recent years, led me to a couple of connections at the one place that has been a dream career destination of mine since 1995 and the release of their first animated feature, Toy Story. Yes, those who know me will realize that I am talking about Pixar. Yesterday I had the incredible opportunity, pleasure, and luck to get a personal tour of Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, California with Pixar's own character engineer extraordinaire, Sanjay Bakshi. So away like a glowing child headed to Disneyland for the first time, I brought along my good friend and fellow game artist, Chris, and his fair lady, Michiko, and we made our way to Emeryville and to one of my happiest days...

The first this we noticed is that the main entry to the studio is currently closed due to construction on an expansion going on at Pixar. Sanjay informed us that the new building will eventually house the artists and story team on the Pixar campus.

The Cars logo painted on the road headed into the parking lot from Pixar's main entry gate.

Luxo stands tall in front of the studio's main entrance.

Yes, someone tossed a pink ball into Luxo's shade.

The view down Pixar's annex on a sleepy Saturday afternoon.

Guido and Luigi!

Michiko hearts Sully...

...as do I.

Mr. Bakshi is a kind soul - one of the nicest fellows you could meet.

Sanjay grins behind one of Pixar's Academy Awards for Wall-E.

Sanjay, myself, and Chris in front of Pixar's many awards.

Ah... now this - this I am familiar with!

I could have been in TS3, no?

Bo Peep for the ladies, Woody for the gents (sorry, I forgot to grab a pic of the 'guys' sign).

Pixar's main in-house theater.

Superhero pose!

"Honey... Where's my SUPER SUIT!"

Goodbye, Pixar...

Needless to say, this was a dream come true for me. I want to extend my thanks to Sanjay for being such a gracious host! And to Chris and Michi for letting me crash on the couch and bearing the Bay City traffic to get us around town for the weekend. And thanks, Tess, for letting me sneak away for the weekend. :)

Here's hoping that this is not the last time I visit Pixar Animation Studios...

Grin Hard

2010-07-22T21:49:00.000-07:00

I have a lot to be grinning about. Tomorrow I'll be heading to the Bay Area for a very special art related trip. Stay tuned...

Luxe Pinups

2010-06-28T08:01:00.001-07:00

Two spankin' new pinup drawings... My dear friend, Kris, and my lovely wife, Tess were kind enough to pose for these doodles. Both done in Prismacolor colored pencil & nu-pastel at a size of 14"x17". See them in person at Luxe de Vil on Santa Fe Dr. through the month of July. http://www.luxedevilsalon.com/

Fred Heads

2010-05-27T22:06:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the lack-luster remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street I have recently been reminded of my childhood wonder/horror and fascination with the original film series created by Wes Craven and starring the incomperable Robert Englund. Of course this means I have to sketch some Freddy Kruegers, right...

Also, I was asked by a friend to write a review of this year's remake. If you're in the mood to read I'll leave it right here for your pleasure:

My initial negative thoughts about the idea of a remake of A Nightmare on Elms Street upon seeing the first theatrical trailer months ago ended up matching my reaction to the actual film. Understand, for me, the original Elm Street is held in high esteem because it was, in fact, the very first horror film I ever saw at age six or seven. Because of that, Robert Englund’s Freddy Krueger actually haunted my dreams for a while and has since sat at the top of my most revered movie monsters. It truly is the horror film of my generation.

This 2010 retelling of the original mythology is too clean, in more than one way. The story was cleverly tied together to try and make better sense of the reasons why this burned boogie man haunts the dreams of the Elm Street kids. Where the original film is quite a bit more vague in this area, Elm Street 2010’s over-construction makes the story far more boring than the original, forcing the overall creepiness of the film to be left to typical, played out, horror movie “jump scare” scenes.

My change to excitement for the remake of Elm Street really stemmed from two things: Jackie Earl Haley for one, and some of the great visuals being released in later trailers and screen-shots. Haley is a fucking creepy guy and I figured he would suit Fred Krueger very well, even if they were going for a more serious, eerie personality for the character. Unfortunately, the drying of the story also dried out the Krueger character and made him nothing more than a pissed off pedophile. While Haley injected brief moments that were reminiscent of what Fred Krueger should be, overall I felt his version falls way short. I also didn’t care for the more realistic burn-patient make-up. Perhaps I am just biased - for me, if there is no Englund then there is no Krueger.

My second let down was the visual look of the film. My criticisms in this arena are a bit more mixed than that of the characters. The cinematography and lighting was very well done in this new version. There was a great deal effort put into the change between awake and dream state and I though that was pretty cool – even if it ultimately took away from the scare factor a bit (in the original you sometimes didn’t know if the kids were dreaming or not, playing with you mind more – far less so in the new film). The other aspect of this was the gore effects. Some of them, including a lot of the kills were very well done. However, some of the “Freddy haunt” scenes just looked terrible – as in bad CG – the worst being the scene where Fred’s form stretches out of the wall above Nancy’s bed. This CG hack version just looked awful.

Overall, I came out of the theater feeling disappointed – which I initially expected. This time I let myself fall into the arms of the media hype-up of the film and was ultimately dropped on my bum without so much as a four-knifed cut. On the upside, however, my interest in the new film helped my catch up on some of the collection of the original films and reminded me how great, indeed, they still are. At least I will always have the original Nightmare to return to…

Yearning for something new related to the Elm Street series that is actually good? I would highly recommend checking out Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy - http://elmstreetlegacy.com/. This wonderful documentary covers all of the films in the series in great behind-the-scenes style. It features present day interviews with many of the people involved in the films - cast, crew, etc. A must see for Elm Street fans.

Derby Girl

2010-05-11T15:36:00.000-07:00

I'm into Roller Derby right now. So much fun. You may see more Derby related art down the road. For now - just a quick digital sketch.

Griz & I

2010-05-07T07:37:00.000-07:00

This is a piece I did for a silent auction at Braydn & Ethan's elementary school. It is a continued exploration on two characters from a children's book idea that I came up with in college. I have still not decided on a final look for any of this - maybe one day I will commit and make the whole book a reality. I apologize for the scan quality as the piece was done with nu-pastel and colored pencil on 14"x17" bristol board. My scanner bed is, of course, much smaller than this so I had to piece it together in Photoshop - and, frankly, my scanner is pretty crappy unless you can lay all the corners into the bed. Anyway, tonight we'll see if anyone wants to pay anything for this goofy drawing. Cheers!

Pin Up Doodle

2010-04-30T16:00:00.000-07:00

After another week of Illustrator work at ND I needed to take the last last half-hour of my Friday to sketch. And what better thing to sketch than a cute girl? Pin up drawings are so much fun. And yes, there are a few of you out there who I started making plans with to do custom pin up drawings for before my surgery has flipped my 2010 upside down. It will still happen if you would like it to. :D This drawing, on the other hand, was drawn with a reference pic found randomly online. Cheers!

Birdbrain

2010-04-08T16:23:00.000-07:00

30 min. Photoshop sketch. I'm not drawing enough lately and it certainly shows... ugh.

Weekend Illustrator Antics

2010-04-06T09:40:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we took our usual trip across the Rocky Mountains to the Western Slope of Colorado to spend Easter with my wife's family. I had some decal design work I needed to get done for LU so I toted along a laptop equipped only with Adobe Illustrator. Aside from kicking ass on the LU decorations, I had a little time to goof around with some personal stuff:

Tess loves Ugly Dolls (http://www.uglydolls.com/) and with the simplicity of their design, she has passed the idea of making her own by me several times. It came up again Friday night as she does not like to take her 24" Ice Bat to her parent's because it comes home reaking of cigarette smoke. I told her if I had some time I would goof around with some designs in Illustrator. Above is what I came up with. We'll see if she actually makes one or two of these guys now. And yes, Seedie is a sperm.

Lastly, I have been on a bit of an old school Snoop Dog kick the last few days. The idea for this t-shirt came to me while listening. There you have it. :P

ND Movie Night

2010-02-17T09:06:00.000-08:00

Second ND Movie Night - Peter Jackson's Dead Alive! One of my favorites!

Sorry for the lack in posts, folks. My life focus has been other places, unfortunately, as you know if you've discovered my new blog. Good things to come, though! Here is a little something for you, however - we re-started a monthy (hopefully) movie night at NetDevil and kicked it off with the DVD release of Zombieland. The night was a success, and if you have not seen Zombieland yet - well, what the hell is wrong with you? Anyway, I made a goofy poster which you can see here. Not too bad for about 45 minutes in Illustrator I guess... As the months go by this may be an updated thread as well. Stay tuned!

Kristin

2009-12-18T11:47:00.000-08:00

This is a fun little pinup job I did for a good friend at work. As anyone who takes a fancy to pinup art should know, this is essentially a study of a well know Gil Elvgren painting. Believe it or not, the girl who was the subject of this painting looks amazingly like the girl in Elvgren's piece. I am having a great time with these pinups. I guess I should start bringing in my own models and composing my own pinup shots, eh. Any volunteers? :)

Rocky Mountain DeLoreans

2009-11-08T15:16:00.001-08:00

I did a logo for the Rocky Mountain DeLoreans car club in conjuction with a meeting we had with a couple of the members, Wilson (http://mydeloreanblog.blogspot.com/) and Dan. I am a huge DeLorean fan and hope to be an owner one day. It was fun to get to explore these unique vehicles and talk mechanics with these local owners.

This is It

2009-11-02T10:41:00.000-08:00

I took my boys to see Michael Jackson's This is It yesterday. What a show it would have been! We truly have lost a great entertainer, indeed.

Because this is Thriller!

Kris

2009-10-31T17:51:00.000-07:00

The latest of my explorations into the world of the pinup. This is my good friend Kris set on a lovely tattoo machine. Finished Prismacolor pencil drawing on top, digital study sketch below.

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-30T16:25:00.000-07:00

New Littleague Album Art

2009-10-28T15:40:00.000-07:00

Artwork for the brand new album - Magic Words - from children's Hip Hop group The Littleague. Look for it soon!

www.thelittleague.com

'Nother Zombie Sketch

2009-10-08T16:12:00.000-07:00

'Tis the season, I suppose...

Zombieland

2009-10-04T21:39:00.000-07:00

I saw Zombieland today. Brilliant new zombie flick! Loved it. Now, I am still a true believer in Romero's myth of the shambling zombie. However, a good dead flick is a good dead flick.

And yes, I am aware that I would fall quick thanks to rule #1. RUN!! :P

A quick digital sketch inspired by today's trip to the cinema!

Fourth Anniversary

2009-10-01T07:09:00.000-07:00

Today Tessa and I are celebrating four very happy and exciting years of marriage.

I love you, Tess!

Karen

2009-09-22T10:04:00.000-07:00

A birthday sketch for a friend of mine. Pin-up style incorporating some of her sporty interests. Happy Birthday, K!

Damn the Rising Dead

2009-08-05T16:00:00.001-07:00

I love to storyboard. I want to do more of it. So, I did these. Enjoy!

NetDevil 5 Year Spoofs

2009-08-05T15:32:00.000-07:00

At NetDevil, after completeling 5 years of service, you recieve a sword of your choosing as an award. I was asked to do drawings of the first two honorees a couple of years ago - this image was to be put on a cake for them. The cake was presented at the company meeting in which these employees recieved their sword. I have been doing these drawings ever since. As we've come along in the company, we now have a wall that holds the purpose of displaying these 5 year anniversary swords. Under each sword is a plaque showing these drawings and the employee's name and hire date. Pretty friggin' cool, I say. Well, I was honored with my 5 year award this year (yes, a Darth Vader Lightsaber) so I thought this would be a good time to share these goofy drawings. I will add more as they come... please keep in mind that these are done fairly quickly - I would estimate no more than an hour for each one. If you're ever at the NetDevil studio, be sure to check out the sword wall! Cheers...

Airport

2009-08-03T08:40:00.000-07:00

Sitting at the San Francisco airport.

Cars Cars Club

2009-07-13T08:08:00.000-07:00

As most people know, I am a huge fan of all things Pixar. Cars is one of my favorite Pixar films. I remember when I first saw the small die-cast Cars toys at the local mega-mart (take your pick) - I felt a that 10-year-old Jim inside of me saying, 'you need all of those!' I picked up four or five of my favorite characters and resisted the rest for the last few years. Well, I recently learned that a good friend of mine collects these sweet little Cars cars. I have since been pushed me over the collecting edge. Thanks Kris! :P

Chatting about our childish hobby one day, we started to call ourselves the Cars Cars Club. I told her that I should draw our vehicles as Cars world cars and make a logo for our "club." As usually happens, I got a little bored one day and made the above sketches. Da-gum!

Happy Mothers Day

2009-05-09T19:21:00.000-07:00

For my Mother, Mary Anne, who put up with way more than she needed to and was still ever so amazing! To Grandma Boone and Grandma Stigall for the love and encouragement of all of my crazy dreams. And most of all, to my muse, my best friend, my wife, and the wonderful mother of my two sons (and of this kid-at-heart most of the time), Tessa...

Fender Headstocks

2009-05-01T10:08:00.000-07:00

Most people know that I am a guitar nut these days. Having a musical outlet in my life again has been a great release for me. I'm still not very good at it, but I have a damn good time with my Stratocasters. That said, I have also become a very big fan of Fender guitars and am completely involved in the artful design and engineering of these wonderful instruments - especially the Strat. I was messing around with some freelance work last night and got the urge to recreate the Fender spaghetti logo for no particular reason. Sometimes I'll do that - recreate images. In Illustrator it's good for practice. Not really knowing what to do with the logo when done, I decided to make some quick wallpaper images. I thought I would post them here for all of my fellow Fender players and fans. Cheers!

Another Octopus...

2009-04-21T01:17:00.000-07:00

...what holds a pencil.

King of the Blues

2009-04-13T12:35:00.001-07:00

Well, I'm hoping this drawing made it into the hands of Mr. BB King. I took the original framed version of this piece to BB's show at the Boulder Theater last Friday - which, by the way, was absolutely incredible - with some small hopes of being able to give it to him personally. Well, that didn't work out so much. I was, however, able to get it into one of his managers hands. He assured me that mister King would get it after making sure he had my contact info. After the show I wondered around to the back of the theater as I headed to my car. I saw a tour bus driving away from the back doors of the Boulder Theater and caught a glimpse of my drawing being passed around. That was good enough for me. :D

Please excuse the poor scan quiality. I had to piece the drawing together from three seperate scans - my home scanner is a small one...

Sketch Book Dump from Dallas and Beyond

2009-04-08T08:22:00.000-07:00

One of these days soon I am going to finally finish up this colored-paper sketch book of mine, I promise. On my recent trip to Dallas for the ConceptArt.org workshop I was able to knock out a few pages in the "warm color beast." Enjoy...

Some girlies.

Rock Man! There is a great story behind this sketch, actually. Ask me about it sometime.

I have been somewhat obsessed with the octupus lately. Here's some goofy sketches.

Sketches of Mr. Bill Stutte and Mr. Nate Storm sketching in Dallas.

Golden Era Hip Hop Zombies! Yeah, I donno'... :P

Doin' the Worm - Literally

2009-03-06T13:43:00.000-08:00

A few very quick character sketches of a B.boy worm for one of my ongoing clients. I like the way these guys turned out. :)

Eye Candy for the Average Deviant

2009-03-01T21:36:00.001-08:00

Some recent logo design explorations for a new client. This project is looking like it could be quite the adventure... I really like how these came out, personally. Fun stuff!

T.P.A.C.

2009-03-01T21:25:00.000-08:00

Wearing my TPAC t-shirt on my latest ghost-hunt. I swear that I felt something lick me...

I'm a sucker for all things paranormal. I like ghosts, ghost hunting, and the idea that the spirits of the dead haunt the living. That said, I jumped at the chance to help a friend out with some logo design when he told me that he was setting up a website for kids to share ghost stories. The above designs are explorations/finals for the Teen Paranormal Adventure Club logo. You can see my buddy Michael's ghostly website by visiting www.teenpaclub.com. And don't ever avoid that creepy feeling - you're being watched...

Ken Foree

2009-03-01T21:06:00.000-08:00

Ken and I at Crypticon in Minneapolis, September 2006

Some of you might know my good friend Ken Foree from 1978's Dawn of the Dead - George A. Romero's genre defining zombie film. I have had the great pleasure of getting to know and working with Ken for the past three years. These are a few (of many) of my favorite design explorations for works I have done with/for Ken. Visit www.kenforee.com to see what Ken has been up to. Be sure to check out the merchandise section on Ken's website where you can choose from three Ken Foree t-shirts designed by yours truly. And remember... When there is no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth!

Had to Give You a Little Bit of Myself...

2009-02-20T08:37:00.000-08:00

Papercraft is fun. You can print out the flat version and have your very own little Jim! It's simple. Cut along the solid lines - fold along the dotted lines. Glue the tabs and put it together. Insert the neck tabs into the slots on the bottom of the head to attach body. Yay!

Yeah...

2009-02-11T07:31:00.000-08:00

So Long, 2008

2009-01-12T21:07:00.001-08:00

Holiday gifts for friends and fellow artists. Happy New Year!

Aaron...

2008-12-16T14:00:00.000-08:00

In memory of my friend and co-worker, Aaron Beck.

Fun Faces

2008-12-16T13:55:00.000-08:00

Some fun face sketches from photo reference. Yes, that's BB King on the left. I am going to see him in Boulder this coming April and am stoked! Been playing a couple of simple BB licks on the guitar - over and over - I'm sure my wife wants to punch me...

Holiday Greetings

2008-12-08T12:36:00.000-08:00

A quick bearded-angler I did for Holiday type uses at NetDevil. Painer & Photoshop.

JIM-E

2008-11-29T19:39:00.000-08:00

A quick doodle of Wall-E (Dad, show me how to draw Wall-E) I did this evening after dinner with the markers my son got in his Spiderman Art Set for his birthday. A nod to my love from the greatest digital romance story of our time... and a bit of longing for that position at Pixar, I suppose. ;)

Improv Logo

2008-11-12T09:01:00.000-08:00

From time to time my graffiti career comes around in my professional art life. It's cool to have that background to draw from, ya know - one more thing that makes me unique as an artist. Sometimes I want to push my graffiti further - do all the trendy things that writers are doing these days, like making collectible vinyl art toys and custom sneakers that sell for too much money. For now, the occational 'hey, bro! I need a custom BeastOH handstyle logo' will suit me just fine. Here's one I just finished for local music producer Improv. Cheers!

Mage

2008-11-05T16:04:00.000-08:00

Digital. Photoshop/Wacom Intuos3

Monsters & Dinos

2008-10-08T09:46:00.001-07:00

Newer sketchbook pages. Cheers!

Angler-O-Lantern

2008-10-03T15:51:00.000-07:00

A quick painting I did for this year's NetDevil company Halloween Party invite. It's supposed to imply an angler fish jack-o-lantern.

Velma Records

2008-09-10T21:44:00.000-07:00

A series of designs for a certain client of mine. I really dig how these came out.