Posts

Designing Hell - Chapter One

Designing Hell - Chapter One Tom Foster was dead. His soul knew it, but it would take a moment for his body to let go. Sitting alone in a high school cafeteria, the nerdy teen took a big bite out of the roast beef sandwich his mom made last night. At five foot six, weighing a buck twenty, it was obvious that he did not care about food. His crazy metabolism kept him skinny and this giant hoagie was not going to make a dent in his scrawny physique. Finishing up his sandwich, he was resigned to being a stick for the remainder of his time on earth. Little did Tom know, he had only twelve minutes left to live. The lunchroom had very few windows and was lit with a grid of fluorescent lights. Blue was the school color, making it mandatory to put the hue in all the posters and banners that dressed up the drab white walls. The tables were filled with kids staring at their phones. As much as Tom hardly ever spoke to anyone, he found it ironic that most of his fellow classmates didn’t eith...

How to Mock Up Book Cover

Image
Book Covers Made Easy Good design is about being superbly common. Every year, folks look to other people magazines to agree and dress the same. Some dude in some office somewhere decided red was happening.   With book covers, we’re designing new covers to look like successful covers, because being different doesn’t attract attention. We crave common. With that being said, let’s make nothing new.   Finding an image If our goal is to be common, you’d never need to create original assets. There’s enough stock photos and illustrations on the interwebs to satisfy this task.   Here is a list of sites I use for free assets. 1000+ Amazing Virus Videos · Pexels · Free Stock Videos Dareful - Free 4K Stock Video | Stock Footage for Free Free Stock Video Footage & Video Clips - Pixabay CLIPSTILL - Mesmerizing FREE cinemagraphs for your marketing & website Free Stock Footage Videos, 4k After Effects Templates and More! Free Stock Video Footage HD 4K Download Royalt...

Steven Briggs is a Big Deal

Image
Can I Get a Press Photo? Steven Briggs needed some new photos, so he showed up with a few changes of clothing. I always manage to squeeze him into some of my blazers, though they are a few sizes two small. He's the happiest person I know. It's infectious, like herpes.   [gallery type="rectangular" link="none" size="full" ids="7776,7766,7777,7764,7769,7765,7771,7772,7770,7767,7775,7768,7774"]

Joe Gets Inked

Image
Angel or Devil? I'm fond of olde time tattoos sailors used to get. Stuff with text on it. I've been obsessed with hell lately, so the Good vs. Bad theme made sense.   [gallery type="rectangular" link="none" size="full" ids="7700,7701,7702"]

Painting Myself into a Corner

Image
Working on Two Portraits I've been adding layers on these paintings off and on for years. Am I ever getting them done? I keep changing my mind about what they should be. Everything is a work in progress, until it leaves my hands.   [gallery type="rectangular" link="none" size="full" ids="7744,7748,7747,7746"]

Joe Gets Surprised

Image
How about another face? Joe said he'd tattoo his emoji on his leg. I replied, that's a commitment. I should design the tattoo. So I went at it, illustrating something worthy of being burned onto someone's skin.   [gallery type="rectangular" link="none" size="full" ids="7692,7693,7694"]

My Art is Homeless

Image
Talk about Spring Cleaning With two new cars in the house, I was displaced from the garage. Sadness. All my art supplies are in flux. Thank goodness it never rains here in Los Angeles.   [gallery type="rectangular" link="none" size="full" ids="7736,7737"]