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Here’s a familiar rhyme, or is it?

This was an illustration for Kids Discover Muscles, explaining how different muscles are used to make different facial expressions. It also serves as a guide for when I’m drawing other characters. The only drawback was that I couldn’t use kids that wore glasses. There was also a lot of mirror time in this one.

If you’ve never investigated Google’s free 3D program SketchUp, then perhaps you should give it a glance. The program is fairly intuitive, works on either platform, and allows the casual illustrator to play along at his or her own speed.

Some of the scenes I need to set call for a fair amount of geometry, and though I can (eventually) lay it out freehand, SketchUp gives me infinite control over many different aspects of any given scenario.

I’m working on a book for kids that involves a lot of interior illustrations, meaning a lot of furniture, walls, windows, etc., so I went into SketchUp, created some walls, added some windows (those manufacturers actually have models for their products in the models library section), built a bit of furniture, then proceeded to move things around until I had what I wanted. There are a variety of styles available as well to simplify or clarify the image (Menu/Window/Styles).

After I was satisfied with the scene, a jpeg was exported and brought into Photoshop, where I could see how the image fit into the layout. Then I roughly sketched my characters into the scene.

After making sure there was room for the text, I took the sketch to the light table, flipped it over, and redrew the entire thing on the backside. I scanned that in (flipped it horizontally as the artwork was backward at that point) and added wallpaper, carpet, and a few shadows.

Then it was shipped off to the designer to be dropped into the layout. Though the sketches have yet to be okay’ed, I’ll be sure to post the final color image when it’s finished. Be sure to give credit (or better yet, ask permission) if you use models from contributors to the SketchUp library.

As warm wind pushes through a mesh of damp material it cools and falls, providing cool air and circulation. (Reader’s Digest Books for Children).

Making the most of THE BOX for nearly twenty years.

I’ve always loved listening to how people speak as opposed to what they are saying. Above is a page from a forthcoming book entitled Mutter Juice Noise Re-rhymes. If not apparent, it’s a phonetic mashup of Mother Goose. Enjoy!

These are images (and sketches) that complement two points in Kids Discover Chocolate. The first being that chocolate is dangerous for dogs to consume, and the other that chocolate does not cause or otherwise agitate the problems related to acne.

First, a cartoon about checks and balances, and how the president needs to be accountable to many different people.

Then, a sketch of Bill playing his saxophone for a spot on what presidents actually do. The editor thought the reference a bit obscure, so we opted for a generic juggling dude instead.

I love playing with words. One day I set about doing anagrams of all the states. The toughest was actually my own state, Kansas, though Texas gave me a few problems too. See for yourself. Click for a cleaner image.

This image (from Reader’s Digest Books for Children) represents the newer, cleaner energies “knocking on the door” of big oil. To get that grunge look on the door, I pulled out an old baking sheet (yes, we still use it) and scanned the bottom of it. Perfectly icky.

Detail of door