Sketch Every day

My Favorite Skin Tree

2011-03-26T18:57:00.000-07:00

Inspired by a short story I heard on Escape Pod

Seckmet

2011-03-26T18:56:00.000-07:00

Another old comic idea Ive been rethinking

Ki Rin

2011-03-26T18:55:00.000-07:00

Inspired by another Drabblecast Christmas story

Pickman Again

2011-03-26T18:54:00.001-07:00

Pickman from Pickmans model

Jackie likes to knit!

2011-03-26T18:53:00.001-07:00

Don't know who the stern lady is though

old comic Idea I've been kicking around

2011-03-26T18:52:00.000-07:00

If you know me you might know who this is

Hippi Witch

2011-03-26T18:51:00.000-07:00

Storm Man and the Stormbreaker

2011-03-26T18:49:00.000-07:00

This was from a story played on the Drabblecast

Gimp Kitty

2011-03-26T18:45:00.000-07:00

Jackie and her sister Susan have a cat, Jenny. A few weeks ago something happened to it, I believe the going theory is she fell and landed on her tail. These were drawn while she was a gimp kitty and her tail was busted up for a little bit.

Cure the Sicky!

2011-03-26T18:42:00.000-07:00

So I got super sick with a cold and my beautiful girlfriend Jackie helped nurse me back to health.

Lovecraft Stuff

2011-03-26T18:38:00.000-07:00

This includes, some Shoggoths, Old Ones, a Star Born Cthuloid, and a Mi-go.

Bird+Cat= this

2011-03-26T18:37:00.000-07:00

Birds

2011-03-26T18:31:00.000-07:00

So I've been working on drawing birds and polar bears alot, I can't really explain entirely why but I feel like I should.

Doodles Again!

2011-03-26T18:29:00.000-07:00

Hermit

2011-03-26T18:25:00.000-07:00

Snake Ladies

2011-03-26T18:22:00.000-07:00

Inspired by a story in the drabblecast called Scales

Another Hiro Protagonist

2011-03-26T18:20:00.000-07:00

For my money Snow Crash is one of the best cyberpunk novels ever

sooo another long gap between posts

2011-03-26T18:14:00.000-07:00

Lets start with some doodles

Lenin Claus! Colored version eventually

2010-12-13T00:53:00.001-08:00

He comes to take all of the children's presents and redistribute them evenly to the good children. The bad children disappear but are rumored to be sent to the peppermint mines under the watchful elf eyes.

A 10 min concept for a 3d scene

2010-12-07T01:56:00.001-08:00

An elf lady cause Christmas is near

2010-12-07T01:55:00.000-08:00

Coffee Shop Doodle! A lady with horrors

2010-12-07T01:54:00.002-08:00

first stab at a lion

2010-12-07T01:54:00.001-08:00

Another owl drawn from reference

2010-12-07T01:53:00.001-08:00

Thank you google image search for the reference!

I loves me some tea!

2010-12-07T01:51:00.002-08:00

Self portrait thanks to the webcam

A Guy with Dreds

2010-12-07T01:51:00.001-08:00

Goblin Wars

2010-12-07T01:49:00.000-08:00

Heard about this book series called Goblin Wars and liked the concept, this is what I thought the main character might look like.

Coffee Fiend Owl

2010-12-07T01:43:00.001-08:00

Jacky really liked this, not sure how I like it though..

new sketchpad!

2010-12-07T01:42:00.001-08:00

This might not be the place for it but I needed to get it out

2010-11-28T18:08:00.000-08:00

Loss of a Dog

By: John Alves

Last year my grandmother died. Since I moving away from home after high school to attend college I tried to call her every Sunday. I knew she'd be home after attending church or spending time with her sister so it was a regular thing. I was able to tell her things about my life and know that she held them in confidence in a way that I had almost never been able confide in anyone else before. I think I learned more about her as a real person in the five years after leaving home than I did in all the time we spent together before my move all the way across the country. She helped me deal with my doubts and folly's in a way only a grandmother can.

We had always had a special relationship, not just because I was her grandson, but also because we were similar in many ways of thought. Before she died I started a painting of her. I meant her to see it completed but she passed before I was able to finish. It's been a little more than a year since and I still have been unable to complete it. Often I set up the easel and my painting supplies, change clothes, and sit down in front of it for a half hour; fully intending get on with it. I can not but stare at the image. I put the paint supplies back, change into my regulars, and look out the window blankly. I have done this many times, but what I have not done is cried.

I'm not sure why this is, in fact I have not cried at the death of any family member that I can remember and it's not for lack of caring. I have a deep well of emotion for those in my family and for many outside but I simply don't cry on these occasions. Often I wish I could, thinking that it could have a sort of cathartic effect. I've spoken to friends about this on intermittently and many do not understand the longing. They understand the need for release but this method in particular is typically a difficult one. I feel I must be missing something but I don't know exactly what it is. At any rate crying not being an option, paint and canvas board seems a good enough solution for the swell of feelings that need liberation.

Since her death I have actually touched it with paint twice, each session being short despite my being desperate to complete it. Each attempt I end up returning the image and its supplies to the closet, much to the annoyance of my sister to whom it is promised upon completion. Today I received word from my parents of another death, my pet dog. I understand that there can be no real comparison between the death of a human family member, especially one such as my grandma and a Labrador retriever but damn it, I loved that dog. With Coal, as might be imagined I had a somewhat different relationship than grandma and since having left the nest it has been difficult to say whether or not he truly remembered me when I returned each year for the holidays or vacation. While the first few times being a bit galling it became routine enough after a couple years. The remember process was always the same.

I would come home back and at the airport mom or dad would come to pick me up, usually with Coal in tow. Now although I know he didn't remember me his good nature would always compel him to cover me in wet dog kisses anyway. After about 2 or 3 days he would be back to the old ways of responding and playing as though I'd never left. Then, I would leave, and the process would start again the next time I returned. I remember playing with him and when it was night he would lay at the foot of the bed, just happy to be near someone. I remember him drinking from the bathroom faucet, as was his preference to standing water, and the chase game he loved. I remember how friendly he was and how much time had been spent walking in the woods. Mostly I remember the look he would give you after a being away for a long time surprised and happy.

It's difficult to say what he thought, if dogs can be said to think in the same manner as people, given that they're simply not as intelligent as we often imagine. We see added meaning in the expressions and underlying purpose in their simple motions. Some of this may be warranted but most is likely just a reflection of our own purposes and meaning. I know however that Coal enjoyed certain things in his life to which he was often obliged, walking with my father and mother, sitting in the front seat of the car, chewing his toy "bite the man", and playing in the grass. He had these things and on the whole I feel I can say with true confidence that he lived a life any dog would be lucky to have. Even at his death some of his family was nearby, as I wish I had been.

I was able to say goodbye to my grandmother, we all knew her time was approaching and most of the family was able to express their love to her before the end. I held her hand about a week before it happened and left without many regrets on the time we had been able to spend together save that it was perhaps to brief. I'd hoped that this year I would be able to do something similar when I returned come December for Coal. Say my goodbyes, with the knowledge that I mightn't be understood but at least would get to say them. Take him for a nice walk and maybe buy him a treat at the bakery. Then I could leave with at least the feeling that I could really part ways. Life and death however are not for anyone to plan with real regularity. That rag, splattered with the paint of our lives is something which is most often not predictable, ugly and difficult. I would not get the chance to see him or run my hand over his fur again, by the time I get home he will have already been sent to the crematorium and turned to cinders.

I will miss the being that was, for a short time, a traveling companion on the trail my life has led me down and know that someday many of the faces I know now will go in the same way. But I also know that my life continues, his contribution to was not meaningless and I believe I am better having known him than not. I will miss him and I don't ever expect to see him again, not being a believer in a life after. This is the way things are and likely will continue until the last cell on earth dies, but I can't help but wish that impossible wish that it wasn't so. I will not cry at the loss of Coal, but I may start another painting.

Another Quicky Sketch with a coat

2010-11-16T18:05:00.000-08:00

This is actually an outfit I own.

Johnny Rockets!

2010-11-16T18:04:00.000-08:00

A man and his rocket boots

Just a few doodles from the coffee shop

2010-11-15T14:39:00.001-08:00

Not exactly what I wanted to accomplish here but just keeping loose. Lotsa other things to take care of today so thats all for now.

Forest King

2010-11-13T16:01:00.000-08:00

I like the way this came out, also yes, I do love Princess Mononoke.

Sigh, more coffee shop doodles

2010-11-13T16:00:00.000-08:00

The Swamp Lady

2010-11-13T15:58:00.000-08:00

I've been working on some weird characters, one of these being the swamp lady. I like here but I don't really know where she's from, a swamp I guess.

Beachwood folk

2010-11-13T15:57:00.000-08:00

Eh, I don't love this

Tried to draw my lady friend

2010-11-13T15:56:00.000-08:00

did very poorly

Another Bear!

2010-11-13T15:54:00.000-08:00

I like this but it's not very good s'far as my bro bros tatoo

More coffee shop doodles

2010-11-13T15:53:00.000-08:00

The Shree!

2010-11-13T15:51:00.000-08:00

I like this better but it's still to terrestrial, I want something more unknowable or formless but I'll keep at it..

More Jack character ideas

2010-11-13T15:50:00.000-08:00

roughly based on my child self

Jack and the Shree

2010-11-13T15:47:00.002-08:00

I've been kicking around a childrens horror fable in my mind for a while. It involves a creature living (sort of) in the forest and trying to lure a child out in the dead of night. So here's a first try at the Shree and Jack, both need some serious revisions.

Don't be catty

2010-11-13T15:47:00.001-08:00

One more bad joke..

A lady underwater

2010-11-13T15:46:00.001-08:00

She seems mad, but I don't remember trying to make her look angry.

The bad joke

2010-11-13T15:44:00.000-08:00

Remember it was the spookiest month of the year! Breast Cancer Awareness month! Seriously, just make sure to donate to the local breast cancer fund in your area.

Character designs for a bad joke

2010-11-13T15:43:00.003-08:00

curly hair doodle

2010-11-13T15:43:00.001-08:00

Just one more Ghoul I promise

2010-11-13T15:41:00.001-08:00

I know I know, soooo many ghouls, I don't know why I love drawing them, just their poses and forms are so fun to draw. So heres one more, just one I promise.

An owl for fun

2010-11-13T15:39:00.001-08:00

I love the Mothman myth, it seems to me to be the most easily explainable of the weird cryptid monsters around. It looks like an owl and at night an owl can be creepy as hell.

A lady with hair

2010-11-13T15:37:00.001-08:00

just a couple of lady doodles

Ghoul!! I know more ghouls...

2010-11-13T15:36:00.000-08:00

found a neat Werewolf image online and had to make a ghoul out of it so I drew this up. I just really liked the pose/

More Bears!

2010-11-13T15:35:00.001-08:00

Still trying to draw a bear I like to give my brother.. Not a ton of success honestly.

Coffee Shop Doodles

2010-11-13T15:34:00.000-08:00

doodle

2010-11-13T15:33:00.000-08:00

My lovely girlfriend says this looks like her dad

painting concept

2010-11-13T15:31:00.000-08:00

Working on some painting concepts that I think could be interesting once finished, I believe I'll do this one in watercolors (reds)

The Witch Girl

2010-09-16T23:47:00.002-07:00

This was a strange one, I really like how creepy it actually came out.

One more deep one?

2010-09-16T23:47:00.001-07:00

"Lady" in the water

2010-09-16T23:46:00.001-07:00

Kind of just came up with this one, not sure where from.

Lets finish up with the ghouls shall we?

2010-09-16T23:34:00.000-07:00

These two were quick attempts at making them more dynamic
These ghouls come from the three who aided Randolf Carter in the "Dream Quest of the Unknown Kaddath" they have a bit more of the dog-like appearance in Lovecraft's description.
I really think this is closer to what the correct interpretation is for these creatures, more gaunt and gravelike.

This is my most recent and I think most successful, I thought they should look more weak and not necessarily subhuman but a different order of intelligence. In "Pickman's Model" they sound a bit too evil but in the "Dream Quest of the Unknown Kaddath" they are horrific but also much more benign.

Obed Marsh's grandson again

2010-09-16T23:32:00.001-07:00

This ones a little more clean, by which I mean it's not scratched to hell and back with a pen.

A lady and a group of Ghouls

2010-09-16T23:30:00.001-07:00

Not sure where I drew the lady from actually but the ghouls are from a painting in Pickman's model taking place in a subway.

A Shoggoth and a Ghoul

2010-09-16T23:26:00.000-07:00

From the "Mountains of Madness" and "Pickman's Model"

Nyarlathotep

2010-09-16T23:24:00.001-07:00

Just one of his thousand forms.

Great Cthulhu Awakes in R'lyeh and Obed Marsh's Grandson

2010-09-16T23:12:00.000-07:00

From "The Call of Cthulhu" and "The Shadow over Innsmouth" respectively.

Work Doodles

2010-09-16T23:10:00.001-07:00

While I had some spare moments I drew these

Work Doodles

2010-09-16T23:10:00.000-07:00

While I had some spare moments I drew these

Elphaba

2010-09-16T23:07:00.001-07:00

My lovely girlfriend loaned me a copy of "The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West" and "Son of a Witch", both of which I read within a few days and neither of which I am sure that I liked or disliked. I did like this drawing though.

Yet another Deep One

2010-09-16T23:06:00.001-07:00

I like the action lines

Barbarians and Elder Horrors

2010-09-16T23:05:00.001-07:00

Faces and MARKERS

2010-09-16T23:03:00.000-07:00

Cthulhu's stone idol

2010-09-16T23:01:00.001-07:00

The Stone Idol from "The Call of Cthulhu".

Bears 1 and 2

2010-09-16T22:57:00.000-07:00

So my younger brother asked me to work on a tattoo design forever ago involving bears. I have drawn a simply stupid number of bears and I do not think I have it yet but they are getting there.

Sharp teeth on a pretty lady

2010-09-16T22:55:00.000-07:00

I like the way the dress came out in particular.

Doodle from the bus

2010-09-16T22:53:00.000-07:00

The best way to avoid strangers on the bus for me is to look busy so this was the result of one of these attempts. Also, SHOULDERS again.

Shoulders are fun to draw

2010-09-16T22:51:00.000-07:00

I've always liked drawing shoulders but markers make it simple to add tone

Another lady doodle

2010-09-16T22:50:00.000-07:00

A man and his cat

2010-09-16T22:44:00.000-07:00

I dunno there are just so many cats around my neighborhood it's kind of tough not wanting one..

Ghoul ver.001

2010-09-16T22:38:00.000-07:00

OK so this was the first attempt of many that I tried to get what I thought a ghoul from "Pickman's Model" might look like. Not My favorite but they get better. Actually I think its a bit more like the Windego..

Loa Orin

2010-09-16T22:28:00.000-07:00

Publish Post
My Star Wars character in the games night, she's a rogue and also dead now. Apparently you never screw with both Boba Fett and Jabba the Hut at the same time, even if you have 5 people in your group.

Hair a lady and markers

2010-09-16T22:22:00.000-07:00

I wanted to start using more tone in my sketchbooks

2010-09-16T22:20:00.000-07:00

Yael told me I'm getting better at torsos when she saw this , not all that bad actually although it could have been a little better...

Horns and a Ladies arm

2010-09-16T22:14:00.000-07:00

More deep ones all in pen

2010-09-16T22:11:00.001-07:00

Future Uniform

2010-09-16T22:09:00.000-07:00

I really like the bits on the arms and the collar, maybe more later

Wow, a long break between updates

2010-09-16T21:54:00.000-07:00

OK so its been a while, and rather than go through my sketch pads for the past year and pull everything and adjust each image, I've chosen just to skim the images from a couple of pads. Lots of H.P. Lovecraft reading this year and as a consequence most of the images are bits of my visions from the mythos, along with some other fairly random doodles and imaginings. So into the void I send these pictures.

confused deep one

2009-08-23T16:28:00.001-07:00

badass medical logo

2009-08-21T16:47:00.001-07:00

the result of one of my challanges with yael which was finished for the most part about a week ago but I took a hr or so today to finish completely. I went with blue because it felt much more like a medical sybol and less like nazi propeganda.

sketch challenge not-spiderman

2009-08-13T02:51:00.000-07:00

yaels most recent challenge to create a spiderman-like hero in mid-jump

pirate doctor- color

2009-08-12T17:38:00.001-07:00

I dont like using color but this was interesting to do anyway

pirate doctor- lines

2009-08-12T16:28:00.000-07:00

Sketch challenge with miss yael, it needs color and is in the proccess

devilsh angel

2009-08-12T16:27:00.002-07:00

pirate nurse

2009-08-12T16:27:00.001-07:00

fop gunslinger

2009-08-12T16:26:00.002-07:00

oni mask

2009-08-12T16:26:00.001-07:00

geisha gal

2009-08-12T16:25:00.000-07:00

Spider man

2009-08-12T16:24:00.000-07:00

creative day

2009-08-12T16:22:00.000-07:00

I had a really creative day yesterday and needed to draw, the next few pieces were ones i did on that day. I think im going to color and ink most of them but who knows when.

another Flash pencil piece

2009-08-01T12:02:00.000-07:00

Testing out pirates

2009-08-01T12:01:00.000-07:00