2nd Burgie Awards poster

If regular followers are having a sensation of slight déjà vu, it's only natural and for two main reasons. This commissioned piece parodies one particularly iconic theatrical poster of Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange (1971). The commissioner was Sef Gonzalaz, a.k.a. Burger Beast, for his second-annual Burgie Awards event, the first of which I also illustrated as a parody poster in the style of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001).

The Burgie Awards is set to take place in downtown Miami, Florida at the Transit Lounge (729 SW 1st Ave.) on September 13th, starting at 8 PM. Again, like last year, I would go if I wasn't living on the opposite side of the States. However, if you happen to frequent the Miami area then be sure to stop by for good food and friendly competition. Tell Burger Beast that Silent Sketcher sent you.

Haslett Community Yard Sale

Hosted by the Friends of the Haslett Library, the Haslett Community Yard Sale was created in an effort to help raise funds for the Haslett Library's upcoming move. Applicants, such as myself, reserved a parking space at the town high school for a nominal fee, which went to the charitable cause, and there set up shop to sell goods and services. Talk about convenience. It doesn't get much easier than arranging a table and displays directly out of your own vehicle.

I must confess, I wasn't expecting to have a parking space for my van and an additional one for my wares. My thought was that I would have a single space, which would be filled by my van with the table and displays set up right behind. Compared to the tightly-fit comic conventions that I've attended in the past few years, this was an excessive amount of space that I honestly wasn't prepared to fill.

first time having all three display panels for myself

note the distance between the table and the displays

table covered with my wares, namely: prints, sketchbooks, and monochromatic drawings from last spring's Motor City Comic Con

Yesterday's forecast predicted rain, which would have put a significant dampener on the entire event. (No pun intended.) However, the high school was fortunate enough to not see even a slight shower for the duration of the yard sale. Overcast and cooler, the weather actually made for a very comfortable summer day. But as I've learned this can be awfully deceptive. Being sensitive to sunlight, I had turned a nice shade of medium-well pink by the end of the event. Curse my melanin-deficient heritage.

Business wasn't particularly booming, speaking solely for myself, but a few folks came by to have their caricatures drawn and a handful more took business cards. Potential clients are still good, regardless. Plus, afterward I spoke briefly with one of the "ladies in pink" who helped to coordinate the event. This summer was the first community yard sale that Haslett had put together, and next year they plan to publicize any attending specialties, such as artists like myself. So should I attend the second Haslett Community Yard Sale, it promises to have better potential for vendors with artwork. Sunburn aside, I had a pleasant time and hope to do this again next year.

penciling out my first caricature of the yard sale

regular patrons should recognize librarian Joe

awwwww -- two and too cute

"Better than the one I got at Cedar Point." -- I'll take that as a compliment

Bureau of Vital Statistics

Remember the Bureau of Vital Statistics storyboards done back in November? Matt Keatman, the independent filmmaker who hired me for the storyboard work, has uploaded the entire short film onto YouTube for your viewing pleasure. Feel free to watch it there or the embedded video, here.

It's an incredibly surreal feeling, watching what you've illustrated brought to life with real men and women in actual places. Most storyboard and conceptual artists for films must feel this way, I'm sure.

SAC '10 summer art camp: Caricatures, 2

Yesterday was my last lesson in regards to the Shiawassee Arts Center's summer art camp classes, which also ended on a good note. The older group usually goes over better, plus caricatures tend to be more popular on the whole. Here's a pair who modeled for our class demonstration, along with a couple girls who drew me for a change. How's that for turning the tables?

SAC '10 summer art camp: Caricatures

For the past two weeks on Wednesdays, I've taught children's art classes on "High Fantasy Cartooning" over at the Shiawassee Arts Center as part of their summer art camp program. The responses were varied, which didn't exactly put me at ease. Perhaps it was more my own personal interpretation of how it went than anything else, since I felt that the lesson plan suffered due to tiring adjustments in schedule. Thankfully, this Tuesday and next are on a very familiar topic: caricatures. This afternoon's class went well, with the exceptional small snag here and there. But when you're teaching last, and working with the younger children at the end of a long afternoon, it's to be expected. Here are a handful of troopers who were patient enough to pose for caricatures by yours truly.


This is also worth mentioning, as long as we're on the topic. Three weeks prior I taught another children's art class, also on caricatures, over in St. Johns, Michigan, on behalf of the Clinton County Arts Council. Haven't had any dealings with them before until this time. Mrs. Darling, a friend of the family, was coordinator of this summer art camp program and put in a good word for me. Perhaps I'll be called in again to teach, come next summer.

Regrettably, the photographs of my students and their caricatures from that particular class were lost, so sadly they cannot be included in this post. Goes to show what happens when I put off posting. Be sure to check in again next week for more pictures from my second SAC '10 summer art camp class on caricatures.

-SD- Maus the Mouse King

Some additional Salad Days fan art, made a number of months ago. Here's Maus the Mouse King, modeled after her namesake from 'The Nutcracker Prince', albeit namesake in title. From the very, very little German that I am familiar with, "maus" is our English "mouse". An appropriate choice.

MC '10 caricature - Gina

Gina Verdoni, a friend and former Kendall College classmate of mine, was kind enough to scan and send me this digital image of the caricature portrait that I drew of her during the Motor City Comic Convention. Gina's was one of my favorites drawn that weekend, so the gesture was very much appreciated.