Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Day 11 & Day 12

And now for something completely different.

I built this guy out of cardboard and painted him up all pretty with acrylic paints.  He's actually a box for my wife's valentines (5th grade party tomorrow.)  They go in the mouth.

And then I liked him so much that I decided to come up with a simple story.  And then another.

It may sound funny but I would love to illustrate a book this way.  Though if I were to really go for it I would need to learn how to take a decent photograph (these look much better in person.)

(Also, I'm sorry about the lack of decent cardboard backgrounds.  These are just sketches after all.)

100 Picture Challenge, Day 14: Silence

A silent comic that still manages to have dialogue.  I make no apologies for the less than tasteful joke; this is how I heard it when I was a kid.

100 Picture Challenge, Day 13: Misfortune

I do 'em when I can.  I might get back on schedule with one image per day but not for a few weeks yet I imagine.

100 Picture Challenge, Day 12: Insanity

It's everybody's favorite green-haired insane freak.  It's The Joker.

I know you might hate me for saying this but, though I thoroughly enjoyed Heath Ledger's performance in The Dark Knight, I have to say that my favorite Joker is still Mark Hamill.  Call me crazy but I think nostalgia plays a big part in that opinion.  

Thank you Bruce Timm.  You created my favorite iteration of the Batman.

100 Picture Delay

We are only eleven days into the challenge and I've already hit a snag. I will be attending BYU's WIFYR conference in about a month and I am ill-prepared. I need to put a short halt on the 100 Picture Challenge to be able to work on other things that might secure my future employment in the field of children's literature.

I won't stop posting. The posts will just be things I'm working on to make my portfolio nice and beefy (or hearty like eggplant if you are a vegetabletarian.) I'm working on finally getting a picture book dummy together that is 3 years in the making. Wow.

100 Picture Challenge, Day 11: Memory

There is nothing quite like a game of Memory (or Candyland or Hi Ho Cherrie Oh, etc.) with an opponent under the age of 7.  They will win 95% of the time.  I think there is a hidden clause in the rules somewhere that assures the happiness of small children.

100 Picture Challenge, Day 10: Breathe Again

A bit of comics on this one.  I love comics.  They are much, much work but the payoff is fantastic.  I couldn't have any more fun arting than when I draw comics.  Enjoy.

100 Picture Challenge, Day 9: Drive

Yeah, I know.  Hackneyed.  I can't be original all the time.  

I learned from Bill Watterson that if you want a vehicle to look like it's moving you can't put it on the ground.

100 Picture Challenge, Day 8: Innocence

Kids these days.  They lose their innocence at such a young age.

Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about Day 7:  Heaven.  I just liked the idea I started so much that I wanted to give it some extra love and care.  Look for heaven in the next few days.

100 Picture Challenge, Day 6: Break Away

I'm sorry that today's posts are just boring ink lines without any fun color treatment but I'm behind and I had to do two today.  Tomorrow will be much better.  I promise.

100 Picture Challenge, Day 5: Seeking Solace

Solace - noun, comfort or consolation in a time of distress or sadness.

Who is in greater need than a dog with a cone on his head?  Probably nobody?  How does one make a sad picture sadder?  One puts a fallen ice cream cone in the foreground.  (It's not a giant ice cream cone it's just close to the viewer.)

100 Picture Challenge, Day 4: Dark

When I was a kid I used to think his name was "Dark Vader." When I was a kid I also wondered how he ate anything with that helmet on. I also think Anakin would have been cooler if he were Vader from the time he was a kid.



Also, while searching for images of the dark lord online I found this guy.



Yeah, I know. Today's post is just weird all around weird.

100 Picture Challenge, Day 3: Light

100 Picture Challenge, Day 2: Love

Have you ever met this girl?  I see variations of her all the time on BYU campus.

100 Picture Challenge, Day 1: Introduction

Good Evening.

The best part of any episode of Alfred Hitchcock presents is always the bits on the front and back ends with Alfred himself talking about murder in the most dry tones imaginable.  My favorite episode involves a husband poisoning his friend who he thought was sleeping with his wife.  The husband finds out that he was wrong just as the friend dies.  Cut to Hitchcock who says, "And they all lived happily ever after."

Hahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaha.  Ha.