Squeeky the Peppy Puppy

When I'm blocked writing comics, I create promotional pieces - art that I share with my "Pen Grenades" Facebook group. I thought I'd share a piece with all of you.

The inked sketch was completed with my new portable coloring device: a $20 portable watercolor kit. High-tech squeezy water reservoir attached to the cheap-o brush. I love it, 'cause I hate setting up and cleaning up after using my high-end paints.

Looking at this now, I suppose I should have spelled the dog's noise as "squeak."

Books By the Banks Poster Illustrator Interview on WCPO

Marlene Steele, this year's poster artist for Books by the Banks, will be interviewed on WCPO to be broadcast during the noon hour about the creating her poster design tomorrow (Sept 20th).

If they put the segment up after, I will keep an eye out for a link.

Hope to see many of you at Joseph Beth! (Or at the Books by the Banks festival in October...)

Here is the interview:

Carnegie Regional Photography Competition

Howdy Folks,
 I found out that two of my photographs will be exhibited in the Carnegie Regional Photography Competition. The opening is Friday, September 28 from 6-9 pm.
This is part of a huge concentration of contemporary photography that many arts organizations will be exhibiting for one month. Check out all the happenings here:
http://www.fotofocuscincinnati.org/

Books by the Banks Poster Unveiling

One of the great things about Books by the Banks besides being an awesome book festival, is they commission an illustration for their poster each year.

This year the artist is Marlene Steele.

BIO: A native of northern Kentucky, Marlene Steele began her studies at the age of 11, in the studio of Aileen McCarthy, a student of Duveneck at the Art Academy of Cincinnati.
 

A little peek at the poster is on the banner. Looks gorgeous!

Marlene was a full scholarship recipient and is a graduate of the Art Academy of Cincinnati. She enjoys the challenge of figurative and portrait work as well as landscape in the mediums of oil, watercolor and pastel. Marlene Steele’s work is in corporate and private collections regionally. Marlene teaches her studio skills in workshops and Art Academy Community Education classes. Steele’s Studio is in the West End of Cincinnati and is currently accepting commissions in all media.

Joseph Beth is once again hosting the poster unveiling which is Thursday, September 20th at 6:30.

Marlene will discuss her poster concept and design and then several artists from the previous years will also be on hand to sign posters. (Not sure who else will be there from previous years, I will post an update later).

Also if you go here: http://booksbythebanks.org/2012/09/20-off-at-joseph-beth-september-20-2012/

You can print out a coupon for 20% off your store purchase or meal at Bronte (an illustrator lunch favorite spot) on that day.

Hope to see you there!

New Book Cover: Wordsworth and the Dragon

© 2012 Scotti Cohn and art by Christina Wald

Speaking of Dragon Week, this is the book cover I just finished for Wordsworth and the Dragon. As you recall, we had a design vote. Stay tuned as we put together the final layout and illustrations for Scotti's wonderful book!

Cool Links: Illostribute Blog

This is a great vintage illustration blog cram packed with pulp covers and other goodies. Nice to bookmark and look around if you are looking for distractions to keep you from making your latest deadline:

Gem from Mitchell Hooks

http://illostribute.com/

I should also mention it is dragon week at Muddy Colors which is fitting for the Year of the Dragon. So check out some of the guest posts they are putting up this week.

http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/2012/09/enter-dragon.html

Broadhope Art Collective

A group of artists is starting a collective in downtown Cheviot (including Gabe Utasi). They just put up their fundraising page so I thought I would link it here. It is a great idea for Cheviot.

Check out their Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/BroadhopeArtCollective

And here is a link to their funding page: http://beta.indiegogo.com/broadhope

Print-on-Demand Books: Huge Price Drop?

I am considering printing a book featuring the best of my one-panel "Pen Grenades" comics, and this article caught my eye. It's from Publishers Weekly on the subject of more affordable print-on-demand books.

The company is Ingram, and their P.O.D. branch is called Lightning Source.

I haven't heard much about the print quality, except one customer who believes that the difference between their "normal" and "premium" printing is the paper weight: 50 lb vs. 70 lb.

Cool Article in the NYT: Why Drawing is Important

Engineering Building at UC designed by Michael Graves. Photo courtesy of the University of Cincinnati.

Really interesting article by architect Michael Graves (who got his undergrad degree at University of Cincinnati) about why drawing is important. It also has a nice slide show of his sketches over the years.

My favorite quote from the article:

"The referential sketch serves as a visual diary, a record of an architect’s discovery. It can be as simple as a shorthand notation of a design concept or can describe details of a larger composition. It might not even be a drawing that relates to a building or any time in history. It’s not likely to represent “reality,” but rather to capture an idea. 

These sketches are thus inherently fragmentary and selective. When I draw something, I remember it. The drawing is a reminder of the idea that caused me to record it in the first place. That visceral connection, that thought process, cannot be replicated by a computer."

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/02/opinion/sunday/architecture-and-the-lost-art-of-drawing.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

"Sometimes Friends": the children's book

The children's book I've been illustrating is temporarily on hold, but I'd like to share some of my pencilled sketches with our Cincinnati blog now and again. The book's title is "Sometimes Friends,"  and it was written by Cincinnati writer Linda Sanders-Wells, who passed away last October.

My client, e. E. Charlton-Trujillo, does want to see her friend Linda's book finished. She's started a Kickstarter campaign to raise the funds. I hope she succeeds.