Sketchbook
Welcome to my sketchbook! As a visual communicator, practically everything that I do begins with a sketch. This not only makes communication simpler, but more efficient as well. Starting with a sketch helps encourage creativity, allowing one to play with ideas before they can be articulated with words.
Serious Dog - I
mercoledì, 15 aprile 2026
This sketch helped me work out the patterns of fur for this new commission, while providing insight into another side of the personality for this normally-playful pooch. I was able to get a better sense of his proportions, along with some of the subtler markings along his right ear. The next sketch will showcase him in a more playful pose, allowing my client to make better decisions for the final piece.
New Commission - II
martedì, 14 aprile 2026
This is another rendition of the commission of the yellow lab that I was experimenting with the other day. I was fortunate to have my friend send across some new photos, which are allowing me to get a better sense of the dog's personality. This is a more serious shot, which shows another side of this (usually) playful pooch.
New Commission - I
lunedì, 13 aprile 2026
Everything begins with a sketch, or at least according to my philosophy it should when it comes to the realm of art and graphic design. These are the initial sketches for a small commission of a yellow lab who has passed on to another realm. Sketches allow me to play with both placement and personality without worrying about burning through more expensive materials such as Bristol Board and India ink. They allow me to take a more playful approach to my artwork and experiment with new techniques to quickly find out what will work and what doesn't for a particular subject.
The Top of the World - I
venerdì, 10 aprile 2026
This is another set of experiments to capture the many layers of the medieval village of Pari in Tuscany, Italia. One of the things that makes this so challenging is how closely packed together the individual buildings actually are to one another. Attempting to sketch (and eventually create an artwork) the village has required me to open up the space between the buildings and increase the width of the streets, while keeping them roughly in proportion to one another.
Pari - IV
mercoledì, 8 aprile 2026
Sometimes a sketch is more than a sketch. In this case, I dovetailed two sheets of 8 1/2" x 11" Smooth Bristol Board to create an 11"x17" space to work with. This was more about layout and positioning than anything else, while also providing me with a platform that was portable so that I could work on the layout wherever I happened to be. This piece will continue to unfold, especially as I add in details and textures with the India ink.
Pari - III
martedì, 7 aprile 2026
Part of the challenge with illustrating a medieval Italian village such as Pari is the many layers and levels which are packed in incredibly closely to one another. As a result, I have had to adopt some unusual techniques involving distortions and even omissions, allowing people to "see through" areas that would normally be blocked off from a single view. This, to me, is the power of art, the ability to capture the feel and layout of a space in new and novel ways, allowing individuals to open up to new insights and ways of viewing the world.
Pari - II
sabato, 4 aprile 2026
The inspiration for this new approach towards illustrating Pari came about in a somewhat unexpected and convoluted manner — which is typical for artistic inspiration. After having several conversations about my renditions of Leo, the Pomeranian, my friend Lizzie remarked that the illustrations reminded her of Richard Scarry. I was stunned, especially since I had purchased several Richard Scarry books for my niece for her birthday several months ago. I remembered how he had layered "Busytown" throughout his children's books — so I decided to see what would happen if I adopted this approach to the medieval Italian village of Pari.
Pari - I
venerdì, 3 aprile 2026
I have been wanting to do more artwork of the medieval village of Pari for quite some time. The only question has been how? While my original pieces focused on individual buildings and spaces, I have always sought to share the feeling of being in the village, with its many layers of buildings, strade, and stonework. This is the first of a series of sketches to capture this feeling — by zooming out and over the village, if only through my imagination.
Racing Day - I
giovedì, 2 aprile 2026
This is a scene from Leo's racing day. As you can see, he is decked out in his helmet and F1 racer. All his life he has dreamed of racing in Europe, driving for his favorite team, Team Furrari!
The Foreman - I
mercoledì, 1 aprile 2026
Leo is a man of many talents - even though he happens to be a dog, a Pomeranian, in fact. Today he is working out on the job site, as you can tell by his safety vest and hardhat. Stay tuned as I fill in more details of his day!
The Chauffeur - II
martedì, 31 marzo 2026
I've been having so much fun painting pets lately, so I decided to start a new series. This is the beginning of my second painting of Leo as a chauffeur, complete with cap and all. Come back to check on the progress as I fill in his fur and add in details — one layer at a time.
The Chauffeur - I
giovedì, 19 marzo 2026
Would you let this dog drive your car? Just look at how focused he is! If you have any apprehensions, it's completely understandable, after all the only way he can see out the windshield is by sitting on the console. All he needs is a little paint to add some color to his life and he'll be good to go.
Princess Monomochi - I
venerdì, 13 marzo 2026
After working through my sketch and artwork of King Leo - I, I decided to work on a sketch of my friends' cat, Mochi, affectionately nicknamed Princess Monomochi for this piece. I paid particular attention to her markings and the curvature of her skull while working through this sketch. As with the other pieces, I had fun changing the directions of my strokes to mimick the patterning of her fur.
King Leo - I
martedì, 10 marzo 2026
This little dog has so much personality, and I have been wanting to do a portrait of him for quite some time. This is my first sketch and attempt to capture the big personality of this tiny little dog. I am looking forward to seeing how he transitions to pen and ink, as well as watercolor.
Female Proportions
martedì, 10 marzo 2026
After working on my website, and aggregating the in-process images for my artwork over the past several years, I was grateful for the opportunity to sketch again. This was my first sketch in a while, a simple exercise in practicing female proportions that I will use in upcoming artwork.
Shading the Female Figure
venerdì, 27 febbraio 2026
This was my final sketch for the day, where I followed the general progression for a shaded figure mapped out by Loomis in his work, Figure Drawing for All It's Worth. I enjoyed this exercise the most, perhaps because of the shading and linear draping of the fabric juxtaposed with the natural curvature of the female form. All in all, a well-spent afternoon of sketching and shading.
Exploring Female Proportions
venerdì, 27 febbraio 2026
After working with the overall shading of multiple figures, I decided to return to the mannikin method recommended by Loomis throughout his works. I always find proportioning the mannikin challenging, perhaps since the figure is divided into thirds and sixths instead of eighths. I also tend to find proportioning shoulders and hips relative to one another challenging as well.
The Female Figure
venerdì, 27 febbraio 2026
Once I had warmed up with a quick portrait, I decided to move to figure drawing. While the male figure is relatively straightforward with the way it is blocked out, I always find the female figure much more challenging — especially with regards to the proportions between the waist and the hips. Practice, practice, practice…
Side Profile View
venerdì, 27 febbraio 2026
After a week of website updates and snowstorms, I was finally able to take some time to do some sketching. I decided to work on a side profile view from Andrew Loomis' work, Figure Drawing for All It's Worth. This was a great warm-up before moving into figures, especially as it allowed me to work with shading, values, and tone.
Reclining Figure - I
martedì, 17 febbraio 2026
After working on portraits for the better part of a month, I decided to explore something different. Figures are tricky because they involve flowing lines. Any interruption or discontinuity will cause one’s eye to stop and focus upon that area — even for just a bit. While these discontinuities can be used to add emphasis, they can also cause one’s eye to abruptly stop and fixate on a particular area instead of taking in the whole.